Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz!
1. Which Supreme Court justice have some progressive media voices called for to retire before the end of President Biden’s first term?
Spoiler
Sonia Sotomayor. Sotomayor, who was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2009, is 70 years old. There are concerns that her age, along with health issues from type 1 diabetes, could cause her to die in office or be incapacitated, which could allow Donald Trump to name her replacement should he win the 2024 presidential election. Replacing Sotomayor with a progressive could also be complicated if Republicans win control of the Senate in the next election. Much of progressives anxiety stems from Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who refused to retire despite health issues before the 2014 midterms even though President Obama asked her to do so. As a result, Ginsburg died shortly before the 2020 presidential election and Trump named a conservative replacement in Amy Coney Barrett. There are no indications, though, that Sotomayor is considering retirement.
2. According to a court ruling earlier this week, which U.S. state will have a referendum on abortion rights this November?
Spoiler
Florida. The Florida Supreme Court ruled Monday by a 6-1 margin that the state’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy was constitutional, clearing the way for a 2023 law that will ban abortions after six weeks as that legislation was set to take effect a month after the 15-week ban was upheld. The Florida Supreme Court also ruled 4-3 that voters will get a ballot measure this fall on writing abortion rights into the state constitution. Since abortion rights measures have won in other conservative states like Kansas and Kentucky, some political analysts wonder if it will put Florida in play for the 2024 presidential election and give a boost to President Joe Biden’s re-election effort.
3. How did Israel allegedly escalate its undeclared war with Iran this week?
Spoiler
Iran and Syria reported that the Israeli Air Force attacked a building next to the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, killing two Iranian generals and five Iranian military advisers. Six other Syrian civilians were also said to have been killed in the strike. Israel did not accept responsibility for the attack but Iran has promised retaliatory measures, which could widen the Israel-Hamas War. The United Nations condemned the attack against a consular building.
4. For this college enrollment cycle, students and parents have been frustrated with the Department of Education over the requirement to complete which form?
Spoiler
The FAFSA. Standing for “Free Application for Federal Student Aid,” the FAFSA has to be completed to make students eligible for federal grants and student loans. While bipartisan legislation in December 2020 was meant to simplify the form, it has created a mess as the FAFSA form was not posted online until December 30, when it usually was available on October 1. Then technical glitches prevented students born in the year 2000 from submitting and forms were rejected if parents did not have Social Security numbers. It is estimated that more than 2 million students are being affected by bureaucratic red tape in processing forms for some reason or another and it is leading to anxieties that some students may miss the upcoming term or delay their entrance into college.
5. Which recent edict by the Taliban created a great deal of international criticism last week?
Spoiler
Afghanistan’s Taliban government announced that they would resume the public flogging and stoning of women for adultery. It is in keeping with the Taliban’s strict interpretation of sharia law. The Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, said Western governments may disagree but that the Taliban government rejected the democratic principles those governments stand for. Human Rights Watch argued that the Taliban has felt emboldened to roll back protections for Afghan women put in place during Western occupation of the country because no one has held the Taliban regime accountable for what it has done so far. Currently, the U.S. does not recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate government.
6. Which telecom firm was the victim of a data breach last week, exposing the personal information of more than 70 million current and former customers?
Spoiler
AT&T. A breach of the company’s website exposed personal information, including Social Security numbers for some users, of 7.6 million current account holders and 65.4 million former account holders. The company has ha dmultiple data breaches since 2021, spurring on greater federal regulation of when telecom firms have to disclose data breaches to those affected.
7. Which foreign leader recently visited Brazil to try to secure support for Ukraine in its war with Russia?
Spoiler
French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron spent several days in the country meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Some of the topics that they discussed were protection of the rainforest, a Mercosur trade deal with the European Union (which Macron has opposed), and Brazil’s position on Russia’s war in Ukraine. As of right now, da Silva has yet to condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
8. Why did federal investigators raid the homes of Sean “Diddy” Combs last week?
Spoiler
Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami were reportedly raided by federal investigators as part of a sex trafficking investigation. However, the Department of Homeland Security, which carried out the raid, has not made an official announcement about why they were doing so. Last November, Combs was hit with a sexual abuse lawsuit from his ex-girlfriend, Cassie, and that set off a wave of other accusations and suits from other women and one man for sexual abuse and sexual harrassment. In response to the raid, Combs deplored what he considered excessive force.
9. Which bridge in the U.S. collapsed last week after it was hit by a cargo ship?
Spoiler
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland. A cargo ship collided with the bridge last Tuesday when it lost power, causing it to collapse. Six people were presumed dead, a casualty rate that would have been far higher if the incident had taken place during rush hour or later in the day. President Biden has promised that the federal government will replace the bridge. Transportation Secretary Pette Buttigieg is also working to reopen the Port of Baltimore.
10. Who did third party presidential candidate Robert Kennedy, Jr. announce as his vice presidential pick last week?
Spoiler
Nicole Shanahan, a Silicon Valley attorney and entrepreneur. She was previously married to Google co-founder Sergey Brin. This is her first time seeking public office. In the past she has questioned the safety of vaccines, although she denied that she is an “anti-vaxxer.” In 2020 she donated $25,000 to President Joe Biden’s eleciton campaign. Before naming Shanahan as his vice president pick, there were media rumors that Kennedy was considering New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura.