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Extemp Central Welcome to Extemp Central, the internet's premiere extemporaneous speaking resource and home of the EX Files magazine. Each week, Extemp Central brings you practice questions, news quizzes, and the best extemp analysis and commentary. If you have thoughts or suggestions about features and content you'd like to see on Extemp Central this season, please send ideas via email to logan.scisco@wku.edu. We look forward to sharing with you the exciting season of competition ahead!

11 March 2010 ~ 0 Comments

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of March 9th-15th, 2010

1.  Will the latest attempt at securing peace between the Israelis and Palestinians prove unsuccessful?
2.  Can Juan Manuel Santos fill Alvaro Uribe’s shoes?
3.  How can Hezbollah be disarmed?
4.  Has the international community already forgotten about Haiti?
5.  Is the religious violence in Nigeria beyond the scope of government control?
6.  Did Jacob Zuma’s declaration of his financial interests go far enough?
7.  Why are European governments weak when it comes to Libya?
8.  How can the international community stop gendercide?
9.  Will the resignation of Carmen Fernandez improve future Chilean efforts at disaster relief?
10.  Considering the last decade of work, what grade do UN peacekeeping operations deserve?

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09 March 2010 ~ 0 Comments

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of March 9th-15th, 2010

1.  Can Obama’s attacks on the health insurance industry rally support for healthcare reform?
2.  Does the spin placed on the latest unemployment figures by Democrats have validity?
3.  Why has the media ignored climategate?
4.  Will restructuring at AIG enable U.S. taxpayers to recover bailout money?
5.  What role will the Chamber of Commerce play in the 2010 midterms?
6.  Have American police forces greatly improved their relations with minority communities over the last decade?
7.  Will Eric Massa’s revelations about Rahm Emanuel significantly hurt the Obama administration?
8.  Is the U.S. headed towards a trade war with Brazil?
9.  Will the debate over immigration reform reignite the debate over a national ID card?
10.  Why did Avatar lose best picture at the Academy Awards?

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09 March 2010 ~ 0 Comments

Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of March 8th-March 12th, 2010 (Short Answer Version)

For those extempers that seek a challenge here is this week’s short answer news quiz. Continue Reading

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09 March 2010 ~ 0 Comments

Extemp Central News Quiz for the Week of March 8th-12th, 2010 (Multiple Choice Version)

Here is the multiple choice version of this week’s Extemp Central news quiz.  I apologize that it was not posted sooner, but I had no Internet access until this evening. Continue Reading

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05 March 2010 ~ 0 Comments

R&D: Iraq’s Stability in a Post-Election World, America Reconsiders Its Position on the Armenian Genocide, and the National Debt Will Be Higher Than Projected

Here is the R&D top five for March 5th:

After the Elections: Prospects for Democratic Consolidation in Iraq from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy

The Armenian Genocide:  Past Imperfect, Present Tense from the Economist

National debt to be higher than White House forecast, CBO says from the Washington Post

In Afghanistan, NATO Denounces an Ally from the Wall Street Journal

Argentina: Defiant Cristina: “this president will pay debts with central bank reserves” from MercoPress

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05 March 2010 ~ 0 Comments

News Quiz Answers for the Week of March 1st-5th, 2010

Here are the answers for this week’s extemp news quiz.

Continue Reading

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04 March 2010 ~ 0 Comments

R&D: Justice Dept. Looks into Voting Machine Merger, Brazil’s Stance on Iran, and Bernanke Lectures the Senate on the Budget Deficit

Here is your R&D top five for March 4th:

Justice Dept. probes voting machine merger as midterm elections loom and questions multiply from the Minneapolis Star Tribune

How to Read Brazil’s Stance on Iran from the Council on Foreign Relations

Bernanke to Senate:  If You Want to Fix Job Deficit, Don’t Forget Budget Deficit from the Christian Science Monitor

Chile quake reconstruction ‘to take up to four years’ from the BBC

Syria: Israel trying to frame us from the Jerusalem Post

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03 March 2010 ~ 0 Comments

R&D: Texas Governor’s Race Set for November, GOP Disputes Military Study on Gays, and the Controversy Over the Pentagon Budget

Here is your R&D top five for March 3rd:

Perry to face showdown against White in November from the Houston Chronicle

GOP dismisses military study on gays as biased from the Miami Herald

The Pentagon’s Runaway Budget from Foreign Policy in Focus

Argentina celebrates diplomatic coup as Hillary Clinton calls for talks over Falklands from the London Times

Chalabi takes center stage in Iraq from the Asia Times

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03 March 2010 ~ 0 Comments

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of March 2nd-8th, 2010

1.  Will the use of budget reconciliation to enact healthcare reform destroy the Democrats chances of retaining control of Congress in 2010?
2.  Which side should the U.S. take in the latest Falkland Islands dispute?
3.  Will Charlie Rangel lose his chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee?
4.  Is Jim Bunning being unfairly criticzed for blocking a vote on extending unemployment benefits?
5.  What accounts for America’s Winter Olympics performance?
6.  Can Jerry Brown save California?
7.  Should the federal government increase fuel taxes?
8.  Will the firing of teachers at Central Falls High School become a national trend?
9.  Why was Rick Perry able to defeat Kay Bailey Hutchison in the Texas GOP gubernatorial primary?
10.  Will Arlen Specter be able to defeat Pat Toomey this November?

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02 March 2010 ~ 0 Comments

R&D: Rahm Emanuel Trying to Steer the President in a Different Direction, Greek Corruption is on the Rise, and Jerry Brown Enters the California

Here is your R&D top five for March 2nd:

The Rahm bomb from the Guardian

Greek Corruption Booming, Says Transparency International from Der Spiegel

Brown in the race to get state “working again” from the San Francisco Chronicle

The Threat from Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh from the International Crisis Group

The Weakening of Turkey’s Military from the Council on Foreign Relations

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