Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
1. What kind of textbooks did Florida recently reject and why?
Spoiler
The Florida Department of Education rejected 54 mathematics textbooks because of their alleged inclusion of critical race theory and Common Core. In 2020, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis removed Common Core concepts from the state’s curriculum.
2. How would National Rally presidential candidate Marine Le Pen change France’s relationship with NATO?
Spoiler
Le Pen has announced that she would pull France out of NATO’s integrated military command structure, which France has been a part of since 2009. France would still follow NATO’s provisions of mutual defense but French troops would be led by their own commanders. France followed a similar path under President Charles de Gaulle in 1966.
3. Why did Israel’s United Arab List freeze its participation in the ruling coalition government?
Spoiler
The United Arab List froze its participation in Israel’s ruling coalition after violence at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday morning between Muslims and Israeli police. Observers believe the move is symbolic as Israel’s Knesset does not meet again until May 8, but if the List left the coalition then Israel could be plunged into its fifth election in three years.
4. What is the new U.S. inflation rate?
Spoiler
8.5%. The Labor Department recently announced that the war in Ukraine is making energy more costly, which contributed to the new Consumer Price Index (CPI) figure. It is an increase of 0.6% over February’s number, which was the fastest increase in inflation in forty years.
5. Two British fighters held by Russia have asked to be traded for whom?
Spoiler
The two British men, Aiden Aslin and Shaun Pinner, who were captured by Russia after fighting in Ukraine have asked to be traded for Viktor Medvedchuk, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is currently in custody in Ukraine. Medvedchuk was captured by Ukrainian forces on April 12 after leaving house arrest and stands accused of treason since it is believed that Russia wants to make him a puppet ruler of the Ukraine.
6. What adjustment did the Biden administration make to the National Environmental Policy?
Spoiler
The Biden administration on Tuesday restored requirements in the National Environmental Policy Act of 1972 that requires federal agencies to analyze how many greenhouse gases could be emitted over the lifetime of a project and how climate change might impact new highways, bridges, and other forms of infrastructure. The Trump administration removed the requirements during its tenure, saying that it slowed construction projects.
7. Why did the South African government declare a National State of Disaster on Tuesday?
Spoiler
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa issued the declaration after flooding left more than 400 people dead on the country’s east coast. The flooding was attributed to week-long downpours and has displaced thousands of people.
8. What “poison pill” did Twitter’s board of directors use last week in an effort to thwart Elon Musk’s hostile takeover bid?
Spoiler
Twitter’s board voted last Friday to approve a plan where existing shareholders could buy new stock at a significant discount if any shareholder in the company acquired more than 15% in a deal not approved by the board. The move tries to block’s Musk’s takeover by diluting any stock holdings a new investor might have.
9. A federal judge on Monday struck down which regulation from the Biden administration?
Spoiler
A federal judge in Florida struck down the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regulation requiring masks for airplanes and other public transportation. U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, who was appointed by former President Trump, ruled that the CDC exceeded its statutory authority.
10. What was the name of the Russian warship that sank last week?
Spoiler
The Moskva. It was a guided-missile cruiser that intelligence analysts believe was sunk by a Neptune anti-ship missile in the Black Sea on Thursday. News outlets reported that it was the biggest wartime loss of a naval ship since the Falkland Island War of 1982 and Russia’s biggest naval loss since World War II.
