1. Will more Amazon warehouse workers follow Staten Island’s lead and unionize?
2. Is Mitt Romney posturing for a future presidential run?
3. Should U.S. newspapers bar their reporters from having personal social media accounts?
4. Will Elon Mask make significant changes to Twitter’s operations?
5. Has the Republican Party outflanked Democrats in the culture wars?
6. Does the U.S. need a better diplomatic relationship with Pakistan?
7. Should the U.S. join the International Criminal Court?
8. What is the next big tech platform after the smartphone?
9. How can the U.S. best reduce the number of children in poverty?
10. Should the U.S. adopt a four-day workweek?
1. How should the EU react to the outcome of Hungary’s parliamentary elections?
2. Is Likud poised to return to power in Israel?
3. Will Pakistan’s military intervene in the nation’s political crisis?
4. Is the global economy headed for a “Balkanized” future?
5. What impact did Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have on the first round of the French presidential election?
6. Is Tunisia reverting back to autocracy?
7. Will the ICC ever be able to bring Russian war criminals to justice?
8. Why are COVID-19 cases surging in Hong Kong?
9. How should China respond to AUKUS cooperation on hypersonic missiles?
10. Is Ethiopia’s war in Tigray nearing its end?
Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd (pronounced “prepped”). Prepd is building debate technology that helps extempers and congressional debaters research, practice, and compete. Visit www.prepd.in to learn more.
This week’s R&D from Prepd covers Pakistan’s ongoing political crisis. Prime Minister Imran Khan recently tried to avoid a no-confidence vote by dissolving the Pakistani Parliament and calling for new elections, but opposition parties took the decision to the Supreme Court, which ruled yesterday that Khan’s move was illegal. Khan has accused opposition parties of working with foreign powers to remove him.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court says Prime Minister Imran Khan’s move to dissolve parliament was illegal and ordered the house be restored ⤵️ https://t.co/vjMAcI9hWH
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) April 7, 2022
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s dissolution of the National Assembly is threatening domestic upheaval, writes Zahid Hussain via @CFR_Asia. https://t.co/5gQO5wtzom
— Council on Foreign Relations (@CFR_org) April 6, 2022
Pakistan court rules Imran Khan no-confidence vote block is illegal https://t.co/jRJyepJEUV
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 7, 2022
Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
1. Is a third intifada brewing in Israel?
2. Did Russia’s invasion of Ukraine affect the outcome of the Hungarian presidential election?
3. Is Pakistan on the verge of a military coup?
4. If Belarus gets directly involved in Russia’s war in Ukraine, how should the West respond?
5. Should democratic nations work to wean themselves off of trade with autocratic ones?
6. Is Mexico’s military performing too many government functions?
7. Has Xi Jinping’s consolidation of power undermined China’s foreign policy interests?
8. Should the Taliban wait for better economic conditions before banning opium cultivation?
9. Will Yemen’s ceasefire pave the way for a lasting peace deal?
10. What does the outcome of Costa Rica’s presidential election mean for the country’s economic direction?
1. Should Congress adopt President Biden’s budget proposal?
2. Will President Biden’s use of the strategic oil reserve bring major benefits to consumers?
3. When is comes to the January 6 investigation, is the Department of Justice moving too slowly?
4. How will new fuel economy requirements affect the U.S. automotive industry?
5. Will Sarah Palin win Alaska’s House race?
6. Should the Oscars revoke Will Smith’s Academy Award?
7. Is Eric Adams taking the right approach to fix New York City’s homeless problem?
8. Should the Biden administration lifts its transportation mask mandate?
9. What kind of “out” can the United States offer Russia so that it stops its war in Ukraine?
10. Should there be national education standards?
Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd (pronounced “prepped”). Prepd is building debate technology that helps extempers and congressional debaters research, practice, and compete. Visit www.prepd.in to learn more.
This week’s R&D from Prepd covers President Biden’s latest budget proposal. Earlier this week the Biden administration released its yearly budget request, a package totaling $5.8 trillion. The package proposes increases in domestic spending by 7% and defense spending by 10%. It was met with anger by more progressive Democrats, upset by the growth in defense spending, police spending, and the lack of funding for school lunch programs for all students. Analysts argue that the budget proposal shows a pivot to the center by the President, who has seen more ambitious proposals such as Build Back Better fall apart in Congress.
The Biden administration’s defense budget request reveals a flawed strategy, @KoriSchake writes:https://t.co/HMJDpCW91C
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) March 29, 2022
Opinion by E.J. Dionne Jr.: Biden’s budget reflects the challenges Democrats face https://t.co/mHLnEC5mh8
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 31, 2022
Biden’s huge new defense budget has almost nothing to do with countering the threat from Russia. https://t.co/kzM9AM6cON
— Slate (@Slate) March 31, 2022
Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
1. Should Justice Clarence Thomas resign?
2. Will the U.S. see food shortages because of Russia’s fighting in Ukraine?
3. Does the U.S. education system need more rigor?
4. Will state budgets face a massive crunch in 2023?
5. Why did the Black News Channel fail?
6. Is it unwise for President Biden to argue publicly that Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot remain in power?
7. Should the federal government issue a new wave of stimulus checks to offset high gas prices?
8. Will the Federal Reserve’s anti-inflation strategy plunge the U.S. economy into recession?
9. How would the unionization of Amazon’s workforce alter the company’s operations?
10. Are the Oscars still relevant?
1. Should Russia be expelled from the G20?
2. How can President Gotabaya Rajapaksa end Sri Lanka’s economic difficulties?
3. Why is Russia losing so many generals in the Ukrainian conflict?
4. Should Arab governments prioritize the Israeli-Palestinian peace process or preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon?
5. Would a Chinese-Solomon Islands security pact constitute a grave threat to Australia’s national security?
6. Does NATO need France?
7. Is globalization nearing its end?
8. Will the AfCFTA provide a significant economic boost to participating African nations?
9. Why is the UAE rehabilitating Syrian President Bashar al-Assad?
10. Will Jokowi try to extend his presidential tenure?
Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd (pronounced “prepped”). Prepd is building debate technology that helps extempers and congressional debaters research, practice, and compete. Visit www.prepd.in to learn more.
This week’s R&D from Prepd covers Ukrainian refugees. CBS News reported yesterday that 3.6 million Ukrainians have fled the country due to Russia’s invasion, while the BBC recently noted that another 6.5 million are believed to be displaced inside of the country. The Biden administration announced that the U.S. would be accepting 100,000 refugees and pledged additional monies for assistance. Neighboring countries like Poland have accepted the bulk of Ukraine’s refugees thus far.
The United States will welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians, as Russia’s monthlong assault has forced more than three million to flee their country, and with millions more likely to seek safe haven outside Ukraine. https://t.co/L0ZnRhWUyk
— NYT National News (@NYTNational) March 24, 2022
Europe is currently experiencing the largest movement of refugees since World War II. The willingness to help is vast and armies of volunteers are helping out as governments begin mobilizing resources. But will it be enough? https://t.co/HEd7VWzc4X
— SPIEGEL English (@SPIEGEL_English) March 23, 2022
The figure, outlined Sunday by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, amounts to about a quarter of the prewar population, which the World Bank estimated at 44 million in 2020. https://t.co/TIkidDI4JB
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 21, 2022
Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
1. How will China’s latest COVID outbreaks affect the global economy?
2. What should a negotiated solution to Russia’s war in Ukraine look like?
3. Is Spain making a mistake in recognizing Morocco’s plan for governing Western Sahara?
4. How seriously should Western nations take Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats?
5. Has globalization made autocracies stronger?
6. With less than a month to go, which two candidates will make the French presidential runoff?
7. What steps can the international community take to end human trafficking?
8. How will Brazil’s blocking of Telegram impact this year’s presidential election?
9. Is it fair to characterize Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan as a democratic reformer?
10. Will Gabriel Boric enjoy a successful presidential term?
1. Should Dr. Oz renounce his Turkish citizenship?
2. What steps does the U.S. need to take to achieve energy independence?
3. Is America’s naval power declining at a dangerous rate?
4. Are criminal investigations into Hunter Biden becoming a headache for the Biden administration?
5. Does the U.S. need to invest more in hypersonic weapons technology?
6. How long will it take U.S. schools to recover from the disruptions produced by the COVID-19 pandemic?
7. Should the U.S. end economic sanctions against Venezuela?
8. What impact will the BA.2 subvariant of COVID-19 have on the United States?
9. Should the U.S. fast-track the admission of Ukrainian refugees?
10. Was the end of the MLB lockout a win for the players?
Today’s R&D is brought to you by Prepd (pronounced “prepped”). Prepd is building debate technology that helps extempers and congressional debaters research, practice, and compete. Visit www.prepd.in to learn more.
This week’s R&D from Prepd covers Chilean politics. Gabriel Boric, a former student activist, was sworn in as Chile’s new president last week. Boric campaigned on a platform of social and environmental justice, pledging to move Chile away from the free market economic model of General Augusto Pinochet, who led Chile from December 1974-March 1990. Markets are wary of his plans because of his association with communist groups, but Boric argues that his reforms will create more growth in the nation’s economy and be budget neutral.
On Friday, Gabriel Boric was officially sworn in as Chile’s president.
— World Politics Review (@WPReview) March 14, 2022
His success will depend on “his ability to forge partnerships beyond the ranks of the far-left political family from which he has emerged,” wrote Cristóbal Kaltwasser last December.https://t.co/ghth7TptEv
For now, all eyes will be on Chile’s boyish Gabriel Boric https://t.co/gcW2S4xmEe
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) March 14, 2022
Chile’s Boric pledges to balance social reforms with fiscal caution https://t.co/9hIXOEsyrh pic.twitter.com/TGWkTdqEUq
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 15, 2022
New Chilean President Gabriel Boric is set to be sworn in on Friday as the country’s youngest ever president. Mr. Boric has big plans to transform the country’s market-oriented economic model with progressive social reform and a focus on fighting … https://t.co/H09B21fZkQ
— The Christian Science Monitor (@csmonitor) March 11, 2022
Gabriel Boric: The president on a mission to breakaway from Chile’s Pinochet past https://t.co/qOrMKVMTK4
— The Times (@thetimes) March 12, 2022
Chile’s latest revolution: President Boric pledges gender equality https://t.co/nP9DTo9HO8
— The Independent (@Independent) March 13, 2022
Left-leaning former student leader Gabriel Boric vowed to improve the lives of all Chileans and attack deep inequality that has sparked massive protests, hours after being inaugurated Friday as the youngest president in the country’s historyhttps://t.co/ayVAIU0GVY
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) March 12, 2022
Boric sworn in as Chile’s youngest-ever President: “Violation of Human Rights will never happen again” https://t.co/Sr2Wq50Og2
— MercoPress (@MercoPressNews) March 12, 2022
Gabriel Boric’s government may waste money on industrial policy and regulate business so much that it cannot prosper https://t.co/Vr49VBvC26
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) March 12, 2022
Chile’s moderate central bank chief, Mario Marcel, has been appointed finance minister by incoming president Gabriel Boric. Analysts say the move signals Boric, the social democrat, is more modern and pragmatic than anti-market https://t.co/jvqg1ilNI6
— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) January 21, 2022