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Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz.  Good luck!

To accesquiz-01s a list of all our old quizzes, click here.

1. Why did Christiane Taubira, France’s justice minister, resign last 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”]Taubira resigned over the French government’s push to strip citizenship from people convicted of terrorism.  Taubira claimed that the move was against French values and she was reportedly at odds with many other agenda items of President Francois Hollande.[/toggle]

2. Why did Donald Trump refuse to participate in the last Republican presidential debate before the Iowa caucuses?

[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”]Trump argued that Fox News had an agenda against him, especially Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly.  As a result he took the controversial step of skipping the debate, possibly out of a calculated attempt at avoiding significant attacks before Iowa voters went to the polls.[/toggle]

3. On what grounds is Denmark justifying legislation of confiscating asylum-seekers possessions?

[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”]Denmark argues that such a step is necessary in order to pay for the upkeep of migrants that it is housing.  Critics such as the UN’s refugee agency and the European Commissions ay that the proposal is inhumane.  Migrants are being allowed to keep items that have “sentimental value.”[/toggle]

4. According to a recent estimate, what is the inflation rate in the U.S. economy?

[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”]1.5%.  The figure is serving as evidence for why the Federal Reserve does not need to raise interest rates in the near future since inflation is not nearing the Fed’s 2% target.  However, the Fed may raise rates at its next meeting in March as part of a sustained plan of rate increases throughout 2016.[/toggle]

5. What good was Iran seeking to purchase when Presidnet Hassan Rohani visited Europe last 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”]More than one hundred Airbus planes.  The contract would benefit France, once a strong supporter of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.  Iran is able to make the purchase as a result of lessened sanctions due to its nuclear deal with Western powers.[/toggle]

6. According to McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook, what two factors helped McDonald’s achieve a 5% increase in worldwide sales in the last quarter?

[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 introduction of all-day breakfast at McDonald’s establishments and mild weather.  Easterbrook became McDonald’s CEO last year and he has succeeded in reversing declining sales thus far.[/toggle]

7. What effect are blockades launched by Southern Nepalese having on the country at large?

[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 blockades are creating shortages of essential products such as fuel, medicine, and building materials.  Southern Nepalese have blockaded roads from India since September to demand a fairer share of power than what was granted to them by last year’s constitution.  Nepal’s existing government blames India for causing and encouraging the blockades.[/toggle]

8. This company saw the departure of four executives last 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”]Twitter.  The company saw four executives leave the company, which as been facing some technical problems and problems with its share price.  Twitter is still averaging more than 300 million active users, but it is facing declining audience growth and activity.[/toggle]

9. When will the European Union’s next summit take place?

[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”]February 18 in Brussels.  British Prime Minister David Cameron is hoping to make a deal with the EU over British membership in the EU and German Chancellor Angela Merkel is hoping to secure a consensus on dealing with refugees.[/toggle]

10. What is the Zika virus?

[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 Zika virus is a mosquito-borne virus that is producing a public health emergency in the Western Hemisphere.  The virus causes mild symptoms for 80% of the people that are infected by it, but scientists are now beginning to make a link between the virus and microcephaly, a condition where babies are born with small heads and brain damage.[/toggle]