1. F.E.M.A. FAILS TO ANSWER

After devastating floods struck Central Texas and killed over 120 people, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) failed to answer thousands of calls for help. The problem began when contracts for FEMA’s call center workers expired on July 5 and weren’t immediately renewed by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. As a result, FEMA went from answering nearly all calls on July 5 to answering just 16% of them by July 7, leaving many flood survivors without access to urgent aid. This delay happened during a critical time when survivors needed help applying for food, housing, and other emergency assistance. Critics say the failure highlights serious issues in disaster response and raises concerns about FEMA’s leadership under the Trump administration. Some Democrats also say the delay in approving search-and-rescue teams made the situation worse. President Trump has previously discussed eliminating FEMA or shifting more disaster costs to individual states. The situation has sparked debate over how much support the federal government should provide in major emergencies. Write a response that explains what went wrong with FEMA’s handling of disaster calls during the Texas floods. Describe the issue with the expired call center contracts and how that affected flood survivors trying to get help. Then, evaluate how the government responded overall—do you think the delay in renewing contracts and approving rescue efforts was justified, or did it reflect poor planning and leadership? Finally, suggest what FEMA or the Department of Homeland Security could do differently in the future to ensure people get the support they need during emergencies.

2. LOAN LIMITS

Starting in 2026, new federal rules will limit how much money parents and graduate students can borrow for college, thanks to a law signed by President Trump. Parents will be capped at $20,000 per year per student, and graduate students will face similar limits. Professional students—like those studying law or medicine—will face a total borrowing cap of $200,000, even though many of those programs cost much more. This means families may need to turn to private lenders to fill the gap. But private loans often have stricter requirements and higher interest rates, making them harder to get—especially for students without high credit scores or co-signers. Experts worry that low-income students or those pursuing lower-paying careers may be left without enough funding to finish school. Some call for colleges to lower tuition or share more financial risk, but others think private lenders will step in. What’s clear is that families will need new strategies to pay for college—and not everyone will have the same options. Imagine you are preparing for college and just found out these new borrowing limits will apply to your family. Write a short opinion piece explaining how the changes might affect students from different backgrounds—such as wealthy families, middle-class students, and those from low-income households. What do you think colleges, private lenders, or the government should do to make sure everyone still has a fair chance at higher education? Include at least one potential solution and explain why you think it would help.

3. GROK CHATBOT SPARKS OUTRAGE

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, apologized after its chatbot, Grok, posted antisemitic and offensive messages this week. The posts appeared on X (formerly Twitter), the platform Musk owns. According to xAI, a recent code update caused Grok to rely too heavily on user content from X, especially from accounts with extreme views. As a result, Grok repeated harmful stereotypes, praised Hitler, and made disturbing statements. Some of the posts were deleted, and Grok’s account was disabled for a time. The issue came from outdated instructions that encouraged the chatbot to be “maximally based” — a phrase often used by far-right groups — and to copy the tone of X users without filters. This incident follows past problems with Grok spreading misinformation. Although Musk promoted a new version of the chatbot soon after, the controversy has raised serious questions about the safety and ethics of AI tools that learn from unmoderated online content. Imagine you’re a member of a high school ethics committee reviewing AI use in your school. After reading about Grok’s behavior, write a short policy proposal explaining what guidelines should be in place for using AI tools in education or public platforms. Should AI systems be allowed to learn from real-time social media posts? Why or why not? Discuss the risks and responsibilities involved, using the Grok incident as an example.

4. BIDEN DEFENDS CLEMENCY DECISIONS

Former President Joe Biden is facing criticism from Republicans who claim he wasn’t fully in control when he granted thousands of clemency actions — including pardons and sentence reductions — at the end of his term. The controversy centers around the use of an autopen, a device that can reproduce a person’s signature. Biden confirmed in a recent interview that he made all the clemency decisions himself, verbally approving them in meetings, but had staff use the autopen because of the high volume of paperwork. Republicans, including Donald Trump, argue this raises questions about Biden’s mental fitness, especially after his debate performance in 2024 led him to drop out of the re-election race. Investigations by Congress and the Trump Justice Department are now looking into whether Biden’s aides acted without his direction. Emails reviewed by The New York Times show that there was a process in place to confirm Biden’s instructions before using the autopen. Biden said he made the choices, including pardons for military officials and his own family, to protect people he feared might be unfairly targeted by the incoming Trump administration. The debate continues over whether the clemency decisions were legitimate and whether Biden was mentally capable during his final months in office. Clemency — the power to reduce or forgive someone’s punishment — is a serious responsibility of the U.S. president. After reading about the controversy involving President Biden’s clemency decisions, write a short opinion piece answering the question: Should presidents be allowed to use tools like the autopen to sign important documents? Support your answer by explaining how technology can help or hurt transparency and accountability in government. Then, consider how public trust is affected when there are doubts about a leader’s mental fitness and decision-making.

5. ALGORITHMS AND LANGUAGE

Adam Aleksic, also known online as Etymology Nerd, is a 24-year-old Harvard-educated linguist who has become famous for explaining Gen Z slang on social media. In his new book, Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language, Aleksic argues that internet algorithms are speeding up how slang spreads—and how it evolves. Terms like “seggs” (a way to say “sex” without being flagged by content filters) and “unalive” (a euphemism for suicide) are examples of how users change language to avoid getting blocked or banned. Aleksic’s videos may look casual, but they are carefully researched and scripted to get past short attention spans and ride TikTok’s trends. He explains how words like “rizz” (short for charisma) go viral, often taken from specific communities but quickly pushed to mainstream audiences through algorithms. His goal is to balance being entertaining and informative, showing that even silly-sounding words reveal how language—and culture—are always evolving online. Watch or read a short explanation of a popular slang word or phrase you’ve seen recently. Then, write a reflection explaining where you think it came from, how it’s used, and what its rise says about language today. Do you think social media is making language richer or more confusing? Support your opinion with at least one example of a word or phrase that’s gone viral recently.