Tag: R&D Page 2 of 63

NSDA Nationals USX R&D from Prepd: U.S. Education

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On May 12, 2022

In R&D, U.S. Extemp

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.

Over the next month and a half, Extemp Central will provide R&Ds on the topic areas for the 2022 NSDA National Tournament.  USX topic areas will have R&Ds posted on Thursday and IX topic areas will have R&Ds posted on Friday.  This is meant to help extempers assemble resources to prepare for the competition in Louisville.  This week we tackle USX topic area #2 on education.

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NSDA Nationals IX R&D from Prepd: Africa

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On May 6, 2022

In International Extemp, R&D

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.

Over the next month and a half, Extemp Central will provide R&Ds on the topic areas for the 2022 NSDA National Tournament.  USX topic areas will have R&Ds posted on Thursday and IX topic areas will have R&Ds posted on Friday.  This is meant to help extempers assemble resources to prepare for the competition in Louisville.  This week we tackle IX topic area #1 on Africa.

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NSDA Nationals USX R&D from Prepd: Arts, Entertainment & Society

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On May 5, 2022

In R&D, U.S. Extemp

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.

Over the next month and a half, Extemp Central will provide R&Ds on the topic areas for the 2022 NSDA National Tournament.  USX topic areas will have R&Ds posted on Thursday and IX topic areas will have R&Ds posted on Friday.  This is meant to help extempers assemble resources to prepare for the competition in Louisville.  This week we tackle USX topic area #1 on arts, entertainment and society.

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R&D from Prepd: Violence in Israel

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On April 29, 2022

In International Extemp, R&D

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 recent violence in Israel.  Muslim worshippers and Israeli police clashed a few weeks ago at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, leading to the suspension of the United Arab List in Israel’s governing coalition.  There have been other clashes near holy sites as well, leading to fears of a third intifada, or uprising, by Palestinians.  Recent violence has also spilled beyond Israel’s borders as the country made a military strike on Southern Lebanon after a rocket was fired into Northern Israel four days ago.

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R&D from Prepd: State Legislative Battles Over Critical Race Theory (CRT)

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On April 22, 2022

In R&D, U.S. Extemp

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 state legislative battles over critical race theory (CRT).  The early months of 2022 have seen conservative states such as Texas, Florida, and Kentucky, among others, pass bills to counteract the alleged teaching of CRT in classrooms and universities.  Florida recently rejected more than 40 mathematics textbooks for K-12 students because their alleged CRT content.  Critics argue that the bills constitute an assault on the teaching profession, hinder the viewpoints that students can receive or argue in the classroom, and that anti-CRT forces are misinterpreting the theory and its application to score political points.

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R&D from Prepd: The French Presidential Election

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On April 15, 2022

In International Extemp, R&D

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 the first round of the French presidential election, which took place on Sunday.  President Emmanuel Macron won 27.8% of the vote, while far-right candidate Marine Le Pen won 23.1%.  Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon made a furious charge at the end and captured 22% of ballots.  Since no candidate earned a majority, Macron and Le Pen will face off in a runoff round on April 24.  This will be a rematch from 2017 where Macron won in a landslide.  Political observers predict a close vote as Le Pen could pull votes from other right-wing candidates that did not qualify for the runoff, as well as leftist voters who are dissatisfied with Macron’s leadership.

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R&D from Prepd: Pakistan’s Political Crisis

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On April 8, 2022

In International Extemp, R&D

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.

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R&D from Prepd: President Biden’s Budget

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On April 1, 2022

In R&D, U.S. Extemp

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.

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R&D from Prepd: Ukrainian Refugees

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On March 25, 2022

In International Extemp, R&D

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.

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R&D from Prepd: Chilean Politics

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On March 18, 2022

In International Extemp, R&D

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.

R&D from Prepd: High Gas Prices

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On March 11, 2022

In R&D, U.S. Extemp

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 high gas prices.  Gas prices in the United States reached a new record high on Tuesday, prompting calls for a response by the Biden administration.  Higher prices could exacerbate the country’s inflation problem, providing greater hardship for working class Americans.  Experts expect that gas prices will remain near or above $4 a gallon until the end of the year.

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R&D from Prepd: The Nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court

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On March 4, 2022

In R&D, U.S. Extemp

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 nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.  Justice Brown, a graduate of Harvard Law School, is currently on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.  If confirmed, she would be the first African-American woman to serve on the Court.  The Senate is expected to confirm Brown, who’s nomination cannot be filibustered as per Senate rules.

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R&D from Prepd: U.S. Response to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

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On February 25, 2022

In R&D, U.S. Extemp

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 America’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began two nights ago.  President Joe Biden has initiated economic sanctions against Russian financial firms.  While Western Europe has supported this, allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) like Poland and the Baltic states have demanded more action to solidify their security.  Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that actions taken to thwart the Russian advance in Ukraine will be “unprecedented.”

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R&D from Prepd: War Tensions Between Russia & Ukraine

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On February 18, 2022

In International Extemp, R&D

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.

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R&D from Prepd: The Ottawa Truck Protests

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On February 11, 2022

In International Extemp, R&D

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.

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