October Practice Extemp Topics

Informative Speaking​

1. How will Texas's planned replacement of the STAAR exam change the way public schools and districts are held accountable?
2. How are Texas public high schools expanding STEM pathways to meet regional workforce demand?
3. Which regions of Texas face the most severe drought conditions, and what is being done to protect their water supplies?
4. Why have some rural Texas communities opposed the construction of large data centers in their counties?
5. What issues are defining the 2026 Texas gubernatorial race?
6. What policy differences define the 2026 U.S. Senate race in Texas between Ken Paxton and James Talarico?
7. How are current El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions expected to shape Texas weather this winter?
8. What damage did Hurricane Isaias cause along the Gulf Coast, and how are affected communities recovering?
9. What factors delayed the formation of the 2026 Atlantic season's first hurricane until October?
10. How has federal immigration enforcement policy changed since January 2025?
11. How has the athlete revenue-sharing model that followed the House v. NCAA settlement changed major college athletic programs?
12. Who are the leading prospective 2028 presidential candidates in each major party?
13. What role does Marco Rubio play in shaping the administration's foreign policy?
14. Who are the key members of President Trump's economic team, and what priorities do they share?
15. What concerns shaped the narrow Senate vote to confirm Todd Blanche as U.S. Attorney General?
16. Which cases on the U.S. Supreme Court's current docket are likely to have the greatest national impact?
17. Which notable members of Congress are leaving office at the end of the current term, and how might their departures affect the balance of power?
18. How does congressional oversight work, and how might its use change if control of Congress shifts after the 2026 midterm elections?
19. How have disagreements within the Republican Party shaped the administration's legislative agenda?
20. What policy priorities has New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani pursued during his first year in office?
21. How could U.S. Postal Service delivery delays affect mail-in voting in the 2026 midterm elections?
22. How will the Social Security Administration's 2027 cost-of-living adjustment affect beneficiaries?
23. How is generative artificial intelligence changing the way American households work, learn, and manage their finances?
24. How has the Christa Pike case renewed debate over capital punishment in the United States?
25. How did the controversy surrounding Ed Sheeran's 2026 U.S. tour reflect broader debates over artists' political expression?
26. What are the stated U.S. objectives in its military campaign against Iran?
27. How has the U.S. blockade of Iranian shipping affected commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz?
28. How has the conflict with the United States affected Iran's economy?
29. What obstacles stand in the way of a negotiated settlement of the Russia–Ukraine war?
30. Why has SpaceX's role in Ukraine's battlefield communications become a point of contention?
31. What is the current state of diplomatic relations between the United States and China?
32. How has Japan responded to recent changes in U.S. military exercises with South Korea?
33. How has Germany's relationship with Russia evolved since the start of the war in Ukraine?
34. Which nations remain the United States' most reliable strategic partners, and what sustains those alliances?
35. Who are Venezuela's principal petroleum export partners, and how has U.S. policy shaped that trade?
36. What major infrastructure projects is Mexico undertaking, and what economic goals do they serve?
37. Why did the Norwegian Nobel Committee award the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to Navi Pillay?
38. How far has Nepal progressed in recovering from this year's catastrophic floods?
39. What is driving the nationwide student protests in France, and how are they affecting the 2027 presidential race?
40. What is known about the cyberattack that disabled refrigeration systems at hundreds of French supermarkets?
41. How is Israel's "Yellow Line" reshaping security and civilian life in southern Lebanon?
42. What are the root causes of Sudan's civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces?
43. What domestic and regional challenges confront Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed?
44. How has the World Health Organization responded to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda?
45. How have the Houthis acquired the capability to build increasingly advanced missiles?
46. Why do South Asian cities consistently rank among the most polluted in the world?
47. What has the Vatican disclosed about Pope Leo XIV's health, and how might his planned surgery affect his agenda?

Persuasive Speaking

1. Have statewide cellphone restrictions, such as Texas House Bill 1481, improved student learning?
2. Do the economic benefits of large-scale data centers in Texas outweigh their demands on local water and power resources?
3. Will President Trump's presence on the campaign trail help or hurt Republican candidates in Texas this fall?
4. Will Republicans retain their U.S. Senate majority after the 2026 midterm elections?
5. Will rising gasoline and diesel prices influence voter behavior in the 2026 midterm elections?
6. Are major public opinion polls a reliable predictor of U.S. election outcomes?
7. Has perceived partisan bias eroded public trust in mainstream U.S. news organizations?
8. Will federal courts uphold the White House's restrictions on press access?
9. Should Congress impose new limits on Immigration and Customs Enforcement's interior enforcement practices?
10. Should Congress reassert its constitutional war powers in response to the U.S. conflict with Iran?
11. Is the U.S. naval blockade of Iran achieving its strategic objectives?
12. Should the United States reduce its military presence in the Middle East?
13. Should the United States abolish capital punishment?
14. Should states adopt the firing squad as an alternative method of execution?
15. Is climate change intensifying severe weather events in the United States?
16. Has the Federal Reserve under Chair Kevin Warsh struck the right balance between controlling inflation and supporting economic growth?
17. Are current interest rates restraining U.S. economic growth?
18. Does the federal deficit pose a serious long-term threat to U.S. economic stability?
19. Does the current federal income tax structure place an unfair burden on middle-income households?
20. Is market concentration threatening competition in the U.S. economy?
21. Would expanding the housing supply do more than any other policy to improve affordability for middle-class families?
22. Will electric vehicles continue to gain U.S. market share without federal tax incentives?
23. Should the federal government cap tuition increases at public colleges and universities?
24. Has athlete revenue sharing undermined the academic mission of major U.S. universities?
25. Do major U.S. colleges and universities adequately protect freedom of expression?
26. Has illicit drug use become a significant public health threat on U.S. college campuses?
27. Should Congress legalize marijuana at the federal level?
28. Should social media companies be held legally liable for designing addictive platforms?
29. Do automated license plate reader networks threaten Americans' privacy rights?
30. Should Congress establish a comprehensive federal regulatory framework for artificial intelligence?
31. Does advanced artificial intelligence pose an existential risk to humanity?
32. Should brain–computer interface technologies face stricter federal regulation before wider medical use?
33. Is privatization the key to the future success of U.S. space exploration?
34. Is the United States winning the new space race with China?
35. Does the U.S.–Russia diesel agreement weaken Western leverage in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine?
36. Has the Russia–Ukraine war permanently transformed NATO?
37. Will U.S. pressure over Greenland strain relations within NATO?
38. Is the risk of direct military confrontation between the United States and China increasing?
39. Should private satellite networks such as Starlink be subject to government control during armed conflicts?
40. Will the recent killing in Okinawa lead to lasting changes in the U.S.–Japan Status of Forces Agreement?
41. Will OPEC+ change its production strategy in response to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz?
42. Do Houthi forces pose a growing threat to Red Sea shipping and regional stability?
43. Is the international community's approach to humanitarian access in Gaza adequate?
44. Has the International Criminal Court's pursuit of sitting heads of government strengthened international law?
45. Can regional diplomacy prevent full-scale war between Ethiopia and Eritrea?
46. Has the international response to the Ebola outbreak in central Africa been sufficient?
47. Has China's economic influence in sub-Saharan Africa come at the expense of U.S. interests?
48. Has Kenya become East Africa's most stable economy?
49. Should the United States increase diplomatic engagement with South American nations?
50. Is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hold on power in India secure?
51. Can Afghanistan avert a water crisis in Kabul before 2030?
52. Is critical food-supply infrastructure in Western nations adequately protected against cyberattacks?