1. Was France’s mission against jihadists in the Sahel a success?
2. To what degree is rising inflation a threat to Erdogan’s leadership?
3. Should OPEC continue to allow oil prices to rise?
4. Could Russia win a new Cold War with the West?
5. Has inflation become a bigger threat to the global economy than the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic?
6. Does a safer world require a high amount of American military spending?
7. Has the British Conservative Party become too fractured to govern effectively?
8. Is the international community doing enough to stop a famine in the Horn of Africa?
9. In hindsight, was NATO expansion into Eastern Europe a bad idea?
10. Should the IOC enact more punishing sanctions on Russia?
1. Should the U.S. support the Holy Land Confederation plan to bring an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
2. Will Missouri determine party control of the U.S. Senate in 2023?
3. If Russia ever deployed troops to Latin America, how should the Biden administration react?
4. Does consumer sentiment about the U.S. economy match the reality?
5. Should Democrats cease using Iowa as the first leg of their presidential primary process?
6. Will Mayor Eric Adams’ safety plan make New York City’s subway system safer?
7. What updates does the U.S. need to make to its energy grid?
8. Will House retirements cause Democrats to lose control of the chamber in 2022?
9. Should American schools continue a virtual option after the COVID-19 pandemic?
10. Is Meta losing the race for the metaverse?
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 covers war tensions between Russia and Ukraine. The United States, Great Britain, France, and Germany have made diplomatic overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin to avert war with Ukraine. Russia is demanding that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) not made Ukraine a member and draw back some of its forces in Eastern Europe, conditions that Western countries have said are unacceptable. Even though reports in the middle of the week suggested that Russia was drawing back some of its troops, other accounts have questioned those assertions, noting that Russia maintains a sizeable troop buildup in Crimea, on its proper border with Ukraine, and along the border that Ukraine shares with Belarus. Since Russia controls 10% of the world’s oil supply, any war that causes a disruption to those supplies, especially because the United States is threatening punitive sanctions on Russia if it invades, it could cause gas prices in the U.S. to rise.
Russia could carry out electronic warfare as part of an invasion. Here’s what to know about this invisible kind of military technology. https://t.co/g35caObmUa
— Popular Science (@PopSci) February 18, 2022
Russia expelled the deputy U.S. ambassador, the State Department said, in what U.S. officials called an “escalatory step” that could limit diplomatic solutions for the crisis on Ukraine’s borders. https://t.co/JjUWYL7ZOV
— NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) February 18, 2022
Ukrainian President Zelensky’s attempt at a patriotism-boosting Unity Day received lackluster attention among Ukrainians as the threat from Russia remains, writes @jacklosh from Kyiv. https://t.co/Wy1bNFMj9B
— Foreign Policy (@ForeignPolicy) February 18, 2022
Updated standings for the 2021-2022 Extemp Central National Points Race have been posted! You can find them by clicking on the “National Points Race” tab at the top of the page or by clicking here.
The new standings reflect the results of last weekend’s Palm Classic, a tournament that substituted for this year’s Stanford Invitational, which was cancelled. It was a fifth tier event, giving its International Extemp winner, William Chien of the Harker School (CA), and United States Extemp winner, Swadesh Sistla of Modern Brain (CA), forty points. The top six extempers in each extemp category received National Points Race points.
This weekend there will be a trifecta of National Points Race events. Harvard will award the most points as it is a second tier event that will give 150 points to its winner and give points to all extempers that reach octo-finals. The other two will be the California Invitational, a third tier event awarding 100 points to its champion and credit to all quarter-finalists, and the Marshall Speech Mini-Spectacular, a fifth tier event that will give 40 points to its winner and points to all other finalists. These will be the last regular season tournaments until the circuit post-season begins.
Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
Although the Stanford National Invitational was cancelled this year, the Palm Classic emerged as a late replacement for the annual event in Palo Alto, California. The tournament offered International and United States Extemp categories, with eighteen extempers competing in IX and thirty-four competing in USX.
In International Extemp #15 William Chien of the Harker School (CA) defeated Vansh Mathur of Cupertino High School (CA) by one rank. Judges were split across the final round, with Chien, Mathur, and Lakshya Chaudhry of Vancouver Debate Academy (Canada) each earning a first place ranking.
In the United States Extemp portion of the tournament Swadesh Sistla of ModernBrain (CA) defeated #14 Gabriel-Frank McPheter of Gabrielino High School (CA) by four ranks. Sistla took three of the five available first place ranks in the final round. Chien placed third, making him the best performing extemper in the tournament if results from each category were taken into account.
Other notable finalists in the tournament included a fourth place finish for #14 Michelle Jin of the Harker School (CA) in IX. And Luccia Yacoub of Gabrielino High School (CA), who sits just outside of the National Points Race Top 25, placed sixth in IX.
Some other prominent names dropped in the semi-final round of USX, just missing out on National Points Race points. These included #13 Praveen Kumar of the Hawken School (OH) and #20 Theodore Gercken of College Preparatory (CA).
Since the Palm Classic is a fifth tier tournament in the National Points Race all extempers who made the finals of IX and USX will earn points. In Chien’s case, his victory in IX will count but not his third place finish in USX to avoid double counting.
With regards to TOC qualifications, all semi-finalists and finalists earn a bid to the Extemp TOC. The top three in IX earn a bid to the UK TOC, while the top six in USX earn a bid to UK TOC.
Here are the results of the 2022 Palm Classic (Click here for tab sheet):
1. Does President Biden need a new chief of staff?
2. Will average gas prices rise above $4 per gallon by the end of the year?
3. Should all U.S. states abolish mask and vaccine mandates?
4. Has President Biden been too partisan during his first year in office?
5. Is it possible for the U.S. to employ Russia as an ally to contain China?
6. Should the INFORM Consumers Act be passed?
7. Is partisan redistricting a threat to American democracy?
8. How can California best combat homelessness?
9. Should a portion of Afghanistan’s central bank assets be used to pay relatives to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks?
10. How can the Biden administration prevent an Ottawa-like protest in the U.S.?
1. How would a Russian invasion of Ukraine affect the political standing of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz?
2. Has Justin Trudeau handled the “Freedom Convoy” protests poorly?
3. To what degree is the global economy on the verge of crashing?
4. Should Russia annex Belarus?
5. What should Narendra Modi do if the BJP does poorly in India’s state elections this year?
6. Are African states doing a better job controlling the COVID-19 pandemic?
7. How can the Mexican government better protect journalists?
8. What will be the economic impact of the ICJ’s judgment against Uganda?
9. Do international sanctions work?
10. Should Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. be allowed to stand as a candidate for the Filipino presidency?
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 provides resources on the Ottawa truck protests. For the past week truckers who are protesting the Canadian government’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate for those crossing the U.S.-Canadian border have blocked traffic in the Canadian capital city. They have been joined by other far-right groups and opponents of Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government. The protests also played a role in the ouster of Erin O’Toole, the moderate leader of Canada’s Conservative Party. There are also fears by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that similar protests could occur in the United States, causing economic chaos.
Explainer: How Ottawa’s anti-vaccine mandate protests are spreading globally https://t.co/1eTffYVGoc pic.twitter.com/zFRS3GjqCN
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 10, 2022
A convoy of trucks and other vehicles operated by people protesting Covid-19 vaccine mandates and social restrictions are clogging downtown Ottawa. Here’s what you need to know. https://t.co/N9j37yajy1
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) February 10, 2022
The optics of Canada’s usually placid and orderly national capital overtaken by truckers and their supporters protesting coronavirus restrictions has shaken the country. https://t.co/rilknmOiDU
— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) February 9, 2022
Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
1. Has India experienced a “lost decade”?
2. Should Great Britain abolish the monarchy after the death of Queen Elizabeth II?
3. What does the ouster of Erin O’Toole mean for the future of Canada’s Conservative Party?
4. Are the EU’s PIGS on the road to recovery?
5. Should the IOC create a permanent location for future Olympics?
6. Does Ukraine need to join NATO?
7. Will central bankers around the world have to take aggressive steps to combat inflation?
8. Is the death of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi a major blow to ISIS?
9. Should countries abandon “zero COVID” policies?
10. Is it in China’s best interest to form a closer relationship with Russia?
1. What role, if any, should the Federal Reserve play in tackling climate change?
2. Would President Biden’s threatened sanctions on Russia create significant economic hardship in the United States?
3. Meta Platforms: Buy or sell?
4. Will the raid against Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi strengthen or weaken America’s standing in the Islamic world?
5. How forcefully should Republicans push back against President Biden’s Supreme Court pick?
6. What fixes does the U.S. need to make to the child care system?
7. Are recent state efforts to purge CRT from schools constitutional?
8. Is it time for Nancy Pelosi to pass her leadership position off to a younger Democrat?
9. Does the latest jobs report show that the U.S. economy will experience strong growth in 2022?
10. How would positive economic news over the next nine months impact the midterm elections?
Adam Johnson, the tournament director of the Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin, recently released the sixteen participants of this year’s event, which will take place in person in Nashville, Tennessee on March 4-6. MBA will be the first major tournament of the season and will be a second tier tournament, awarding 150 National Points Race points to the winner and points to extempers that make the top six.
This year’s field features extempers from ten states, with five of the top ten extempers in the National Points Race participating. Two schools – Plano West Senior High School (TX) and the Harker School (CA) – have multiple extempers competing.
Congratulations to the following extempers for being invited to this year’s round robin!
*Peter Alisky (Smoky Hill High School, Colorado)
*Katelyn Cai (BASIS Scottsdale, Arizona)
*William Chien (The Harker School, California)
*Chirag Choudhary (Unionville High School, Pennsylvania)
*Mukta Dharmapurikar (Durham Academy, North Carolina)
*Gabriel Frank-McPheter (Gabrielino High School, California)
*Charles Hou (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
*Michelle Jin (The Harker School, California)
*Daniel Kind (Lake Highland Preparatory, Florida)
*Kyle Letterer (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
*McKinley Paltzik (Phoenix Country Day School, Arizona)
*Cameron Roberts (Jack C. Hays High School, Texas)
*Cade Savoy (Teurlings Catholic High School, Louisiana)
*Alex Sorgini (LaSalle College High School, Pennsylvania)
*Ananth Veluvali (Edina High School, Minnesota)
*Faye Zhang (Eastview High School, Minnesota)
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 provides resources on Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement and replacement. Breyer, a moderate liberal who has been on the Supreme Court since 1994, recently announced his retirement from the bench, allowing President Joe Biden the opportunity to make the first Supreme Court pick of his administration. Biden announced that he will fill the vacancy with a Black woman, fulfilling a campaign pledge. Rumored candidates include U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, California Supreme Court Justice Leondra R. Kruger, and U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs.
A source told TIME that Biden is considering ten candidates for the vacancy opened by Stephen Breyerhttps://t.co/nEQYL0WA63
— TIME (@TIME) February 3, 2022
Who will replace Stephen Breyer? @ElieNYC predicts: https://t.co/PUdJ5EKIls
— The Nation (@thenation) January 31, 2022
Supreme Court battles have become scorched-earth affairs, but President Biden’s pledge to name a Black woman to fill the vacancy has Republicans weighing how aggressive to be in opposing the nominee and how to do so without appearing racist and sexist. https://t.co/Oxx5LBvQWF
— NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) February 2, 2022
Updated standings for the 2021-2022 Extemp Central National Points Race have been posted! You can find them by clicking on the “National Points Race” tab at the top of the page or by clicking here.
The new standings reflect the results of last weekend’s Barkley Forum, which was a fourth tier event in the National Points Race. The winner, Daniel Kind of Lake Highland Preparatory (FL), received 70 points and all extempers who reached the semi-finals earned points as well.
The next National Points Race tournament was going to be at Stanford in two weeks, but unfortunately Stanford University cancelled their event. In three weeks there will be a trifecta of National Points Race events. Harvard will award the most points as it is a second tier event that will give 150 points to its winner and give points to all extempers that reach octo-finals. The other two will be the California Invitational, a third tier event awarding 100 points to its champion and credit to all quarter-finalists, and the Marshall Speech Mini-Spectacular, a fifth tier event that will give 40 points to its winner and points to all other finalists. These will be the last regular season tournaments until the circuit post-season begins.