Here is this week’s news quiz. Good luck!
1. Which U.S. senator announced last week that they would not seek re-election?
Spoiler
West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin. Manchin was an underdog to win re-election in 2024, facing a tough fight from Governor Jim Justice. He has been the only Democrat to win a statewide election in West Virginia in years. Manchin said that he was stepping down to try to carve out a path for moderates in politics. Some observers think he could be on a “No Labels” ticket for the presidency in 2024.
2. What is the name of the paramilitary force that is opposing Sudan’s government?
Spoiler
The Rapid Support Forces. Its is composed of members from Janjaweed militias that once fought for the Sudanese government against rebels in Darfur from 2003-2020. The RSF is currently fighting the Sudanese Army in Darfur after fighting bogged down in the capital city of Khartoum. The International Crisis Group is investigating the group for crimes against humanity against Darfur’s civilian population.
3. Which former 2016 U.S. presidential candidate announced on November 9 that they were joining the 2024 campaign?
Spoiler
Jill Stein. Stein will seek the presidency as a Green Party candidate. Her bid in 2016 is cited by some Democrats as costing Hillary Clinton the office because it pulled crucial votes away in Rust Belt states. Stein joins what is becoming a crowded field of third party options which includes Robert Kennedy, Jr. and Cornel West.
4. After President Biden met with Chinese premier Xi Jinping last week, what type of communications did both countries pledge to resume?
Spoiler
Military communications. China cut off the talks after then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan last year. The communications are seen as important to prevent accidents or misreadings of intent between the two sides.
5. What argument has Kenyan opposition to the sending of a police force to Haiti used before the country’s High Court?
Spoiler
Thirdway Alliance, a small opposition party, has argued before Kenya’s High Court that the decision of the Kenyan government to send 1,000 police officers to Haiti violates the nation’s constitution. According to Thirdway Alliance, onlythe military can be deployed abroad. The government has rejected this claim but the High Court has announced that it will not make a ruling before the end of January.
6. A judge in which U.S. state rejected an effort to keep Donald Trump off a Republican primary ballot next year?
Spoiler
Colorado. A lawsuit argued that Trump should be barred from appearing on a Republican primary ballot because he violated the Fourteenth Amendment by engaging in insurrection during the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. While Judge Sarah B. Wallace ruled that Trump did engage in insurrection, she ruled that it is unclear whether the amendment applies to the presidency.
7. Who won Liberia’s presidential election last week?
Spoiler
Joseph Boakai. Boakai defeated President George Weah in a close runoff election, winning 50.89% of the vote. Weah conceded defeat on Friday, assuaging concerns that a close election might plunge the country into a civil war. Weah’s concession sets up the second peaceful transfer of power for Liberia since its civil wars ended in 2003. Analysts see it as a foil for an ongoing pattern in West Africa of democratic governments being overthrow in military coups.
8. The CEO of the AI firm OpenAI was fired last week. Who is this person?
Spoiler
Sam Altman. Altman was CEO of OpenAI from 2019 to 2023 and quickly became the face of the AI revolution with the release of ChatGPT las year. While details are still murky about Altman’s firing, some say it was a clash about the company’s profitability versus making their products safe for future uses. OpenAI’s investors have demanded answers and some analysts wonder if Altman may return to his role after their outcry.
9. Who won the Argentinian presidential election?
Spoiler
Far-right libertarian economic Javier Milei. Milei beat centre-left finance minister Sergio Massa 55.69% to 44.3% in a runoff election. Milei has vowed to dollarize Argentina’s economy, eliminate its central bank, and pull away from trade relationships with Brazil and China. Analysts fear that Argentina does not have enough dollar reserves to pursue his economic agenda and warn that if implemented, it could spark a new wave of hyperinflation in a country where the inflation rate is already in excess of 100%.
10. As of right now, how much is interest on the U.S. national debt?
Spoiler
$800 billion. Interest payments on the U.S. national debt have surged because of growing fiscal deficits under recent presidential administrations, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and rising interest rates. In 2021, the interest on the national debt was $352 billion. Economists warn that interest payments could reach 3.3% of GDP by 2026 and that over time, interest could crowd out other federal expenditures except for Social Security and Medicare.