Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
1. Who is Julius Malema?
Spoiler
Malema is the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a populist, left-wing political party that is expected to finish second in South Africa’s national elections this year. If the African National Congress (ANC) does not receive a majority vote, it is expected to coalition with the EFF. Malema rose to prominence in the late 2000s for supporting the candidacy of ANC President Jacob Zuma. The two later had a falling out when Malema supported Zuma’s removal from office. Opponents of Malema cite his rhetoric that has raised racial tensions in the country as his rallies have included the singing of “Shoot the Boer.” Other critics note that he desires the seizure of farmland without compensation and greater state control of private industry, steps that people believe would further damage South Africa’s economy. The country currently has a 33% unemployment rate.
2. Which U.S. city is planning to offer a formal apology to Black residents for past instances of racial discrimination?
Spoiler
San Francisco. The city was set to vote yesterday on a resolution apologizing to African Americans and their descendants for past racist laws in the city. It was a recommended step by the city’s reparations commission. Reparations advocates in the city argue it is not enough, arguing that financial damages are owed. They point to the city’s African American Reparations Advisory Commitee that called upon every Black adult to receive a $5 million lump-sum payment and a guaranteed income of $100,000 per year. Mayor London Breed has not acted on those proposals or other proposed by the commission, slashing its budget this year.
3. If the United States were to withdraw from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which nations would be responsible for the organization’s nuclear umbrella?
Spoiler
Great Britain and France. The problem there is that both nations only have 515 nuclear warheads combined versus Russia’s 5,889. The lack of sufficient deterrence could lead to other European nations like Germany developing their own nuclear weapons, which has begun to be debated among public officials.
4. What was the justification for ECOWAS’ decision to lift sanctions on Niger last week?
Spoiler
ECOWAS, a regional political and economic union of West African nations, lifted sanctions on Niger to ease humanitarian suffering. After a coup last July, ECOWAS sanctioned Niger by closing borders to the country and imposing a no-fly zone. However, some political sanctions against specific individuals by ECOWAS were kept.
5. What controversial ruling concerning IVF treatments was made by the Alabama Supreme Court last week?
Spoiler
Alabama’s court ruled 8-1 that frozen embryos used for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatments were people and couples who had lost embryos in an accident at a storage facility could sue under the state’s wrongful death law. It was the first time that justices extended rights of personhood to human embryos. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was critical of the decision and Alabama’s legislature began moving to protect IVF treaments in the state.
6. Which nation backs the M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
Spoiler
Rwanda. The group is composed of ethnic Tutsis and is based on the eastern areas of Congo. Rwanda argues that Congo still backs a Hutu militia called the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which includes men responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Observers are worried that M23 activity, which resumed in earnest in 2022, could reignite a multi-nation war in the Congo like that which took place in late 1990s and early 2000s.
7. Who did the United States endorse last week to be the next leader of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)?
Spoiler
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Two-thirds of NATO members support Rutte’s candidacy for the job to succeed current NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg. If elected – and it is required that all 31 NATO members approve of the next NATO secretary general – Rutte would inherit the alliance’s plans for aiding Ukraine in its war against Russia and rumors that Donald Trump would pull the U.S. out of NATO were he to win the U.S. presidential election in November.
8. Who has vowed to take up the mantle of leading Russian opposition to President Vladimir Putin after the death of critic Alexei Navalny?
Spoiler
Navalny’s wife, Yulia. She accused the Russian government last week of killing her husband, an accusation that they deny. Political observers are monitoring whether she can unite Russian’s various oppoisiton factions and mount any serious challenge to Putin, who is likely to be re-elected to another six-year term next month.
9. Tens of thousands of customers of which phone carrier were left without service last week?
Spoiler
AT&T. The outages took place on Thursday morning and affected tens of thousands of customers. The White House said that there was no evidence that the outrage was due to a cyberattack. However, some officials cautioned that the outage demonstrated the vulnerability of Americans to attacks on the nation’s communications systems.
10. Which conservative gathering was plagued by low attendance last week?
Spoiler
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). In the past, the event drew top elected Republicans and Republican presidential candidates but this year’s attendance was down from prior editions. Critics noted that the speakers were of the Trump wing of the party and that the conference was no longer a cross-section of the interests that the party represents. Trump and Vivek Ramaswamy were the only 2024 presidential candidates to address this year’s gathering.