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Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
To access a list of all our old quizzes, click here.
1. On Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued news rules for reducing carbon dioxide pollutants. What is the reduction target of these new regulations?
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]The EPA’s new regulations seek to reduce carbon dioxide pollutants by 30% by 2030 from 2005 levels. The goal is to help in the fight against climate change. Politicians from coal producing states have blasted the regulations, which they argue could lead to significant job losses in their states.[/toggle]
2. This U.S. city recently raised its minimum wage to $15 an hour.
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Seattle. This makes the city’s minimum wage the highest in the nation and it will gradually increase from the $9.32 an hour, which is Washington state’s existing minimum wage (and is the highest of any state). The wage would go into effect on April 1, 2015 and businesses with less than 500 employees would be given three years to implement the new wage. Much smaller organizations will get seven years.[/toggle]
3. The European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) have announced that they will work with the new Palestinian unity government formed between Fatah and Hamas as long as they stick to what condition?
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]The EU and UN have demanded that the new Palestinian unity government stick to the principle of making peace with Israel on the basis of a two-state solution. The United States and China have also given their support to the new Palestinian unity government.[/toggle]
4. This European monarch announced that they were abdicating their throne earlier this week.
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]King Juan Carlos of Spain. King Carlos made the announcement on Monday evening and hours after the announcement, left-wing groups staged a series of demonstrations demanding a referendum on the monarchy. However, the major political parties in the Spanish parliament back the monarchy, even though they admit that changes are needed to the Spanish constitution. Power is expected to pass to Prince Felipe, who will be known as Felipe VI.[/toggle]
5. Protesters in Thailand have adopted this piece of American popular culture to express their discontent with the country’s declaration of martial law.
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Thai protesters have adopted the three-fingered salute from the Hunger Games. They argue that it symbolizes “liberty, brotherhood, and equality,” which mirrors the national motto of France during the French Revolution.[/toggle]
6. Who has German Chancellor Angela Merkel endorsed for the presidency of the European Commission?
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Jean-Claude Juncker, who is the leader of the European People’s Party (EPP) in the European Parliament. Juncker’s bid is being opposed by British Prime Minister David Cameron, who argues that Juncker doesn’t understand that the EU has become “too big, too bossy, [and] too interfering.”[/toggle]
7. Yesterday, President Obama announced that the U.S. would spend this amount of money to increase U.S. military deployments in Europe.
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]$1 billion. President Obama’s remarks took place in Poland and are meant to reassure America’s European allies after Russian actions in the Ukraine.[/toggle]
8. What is the largest political bloc in the European Parliament?
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]The centre-right European People’s Party (EPP). In last week’s European parliamentary elections, the EPP won 36% of the vote and will have 214 seats in the chamber. The EPP possesses twenty-six more seats than the second-largest party in the chamber, the Party of European Socialists (PES), which has 188 seats.[/toggle]
9. Why are some political commentators arguing that President Obama’s decision to swap five Taliban commanders for Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl was illegal?
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Commentators argue that President Obama broke a law, enacted at the end of last year, which requires the defense secretary to notify “revelant congressional committees” at least thirty days before transferring prisoners. Although President Obama issued a signing statement when he signed the bill into law saying that he felt the provision violated executive powers, commentators argue that his actions still violate the bill. This argument, as well as calls by Bergdahl’s father to release more prisoners from Guantanamo Bay, have made the prisoner swap a hot political issue.[/toggle]
10. Who is the acting secretary of veterans affairs now that Eric Shinseki has resigned?
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Sloan Gibson, a West Point graduate, former banker, and former chief executive of the United Service Organizations (USO). Gibson joined the department three months ago and will be the acting secretary until the White House settles on a permanent replacement.[/toggle]