Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
1. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently urged which former chancellor to leave the Social Democratic Party?
Spoiler
Gerhard Schroeder. Schroeder, who governed Germany from 1998-2005, has come under fire for serving as a chairman of the supervisory board of Russian state energy company Roseneft. In the past he also pushed for the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline projects, which contributed to Germany’s dependence on Russian natural gas. He has been criticized for comments about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, arguing that alleged atrocities in Bucha were not ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
2. Why did Israel recently make military strikes in Southern Lebanon?
Spoiler
Israel’s military says that it launched artillery fire into Southern Lebanon after a rocket was fired from the territory into Northern Israel. Israel has made incursions into Lebanese territory in the past, invading in the summer of 2006 to try to root out Hezbollah. That operation ended in failure and bolstered Hezbollah’s image as a defender of Lebanon.
3. Which country has given former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa political asylum?
Spoiler
Belgium. Ecuador is seeking Correa’s extradition on corruption charges as an Ecuadorian court convicted him two years ago of trading funding for his 2013 political campaign for state contracts. Correa’s wife is from Belgium and he fled there after his term of office ended in 2017. He argues that he is the victim of political persecution.
4. Which noted U.S. political figure died last week?
Spoiler
Former Utah Senator Orrin Hatch. Hatch served for 42 years, which made him the longest-serving Republican U.S. senator in history. He was known for championing social conservative issues, fighting for low tax rates, and pushing for more conservative justices in the judicial system. However, there were times that he worked in a bipartisan fashion, having been a personal friend of liberal Democrat Ted Kennedy. Hatch sought the 2000 Republican presidential nomination but finished last in the Iowa caucuses, eventually endorsing George W. Bush in the primaries.
5. What contagion is doing damage to U.S. poultry stocks?
Spoiler
Avian flu. A H5N1 variant that is highly contagious is spreading through U.S. poultry in more than twenty states. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s protocol is for infected birds to be killed, resulting in 30-40% higher costs for eggs.
6. Why is Johnny Depp suing ex-wife Amber Heard?
Spoiler
Depp is suing Heard for $50 million over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed where Heard described herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse,” a phrase that led Disney and other companies to cut ties with Depp. The couple were married between 2015-2016 and have alleged physical abuse against the other. Their trail is taking place in Fairfax County, Virginia and is expected to last at least six weeks.
7. Which streaming service was abruptly terminated last week?
Spoiler
CNN+. New Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav did not agree that CNN+ should be its own service, preferring to bring all of the company’s brands under one streaming entity. CNN+ lasted for just one month and was a casualty of more than $3 billion in savings that Warner Bros. Discovery wants to find to appease Wall Street shareholders.
8. Who won the French presidential election on Sunday?
Spoiler
President Emmanuel Macron won a second term over National Rally challenger Marine Le Pen by a 58-42% margin. It was a narrower victory for Macron from the 2017 election against Le Pen. His victory makes him the first French president to win a second term since Jacques Chirac did so in 2002. It was Le Pen’s third time seeking France’s presidential office.
9. Which country recently called a possible Chinese naval base in the Solomon Islands a “red line”?
Spoiler
Australia. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that China’s recent agreement with the Solomon Islands that allows China to send military personnel to the islands could be a danger to Australian security if China builds a naval base there. Solomon Island Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said that China will not be building a naval base in his country or establish a foothold in the Pacific.
10. What comments have put House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy under fire?
Spoiler
Audio recordings from the New York Times show that McCarthy told other Republican leaders that he would push for President Trump to resign after the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. McCarthy had denied making such claims before the audio recordings are released. He is a leading candidate to become Speaker of the House if Republicans retake control of the chamber in the midterm elections.