Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
1. What are pro-Palestinian student protesters on American university campuses demanding that their institutions do?
Spoiler
Protesters are calling for their universities to condemn Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip and divest from companies that sell weapons to Israel. They are camping out on the laws of their respective universities. However, this has triggered clashes with police and security personnel as well as Jewish students, who have argued that the rhetoric of protesters is anti-Semitic.
2. A aide to a member of the German far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) was recently arrested for spying for which country?
Spoiler
China. Jian G., an assistant to AfD Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Maximilian Krah, was arrested for allegedly trying to pass information to Chinese intelligence services about the European Parliament. He is also suspected of spying on Chinese oppoisition figures in Germany.
3. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently raisd concerns about the spread of which virus?
Spoiler
H5N1 bird flu. The currently outbreak of bird flu began in 2020 and has led to the deaths of tens of million of poultry stock arund the world. It has also crossed over to different mammal species like cattle, which raises concerns that it could eventually transmit between humans. Since 2003 there have bee 889 human cases of H5N1 and 463 died, leading to a fatality rate of 52%.
4. When do the individual tax cuts created by former President Donald Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 expire?
Spoiler
December 31, 2025. If the tax cuts are not made permanent, which some Republicans are aiming to do, then the standard deduction for taxpayers will go down, meaning that taxes will grow from middle and working class Americans. Last week, President Biden attacked the Trump tax cuts, which also lowered corporate taxes from 35% to 21%, and said that if he was re-elected he would allow them to expire. His advisors later walkd that back to say that President Biden meant that he would allow tax breaks for corporations and Americans making more than $400,000 a year expire and extend them for all of those who made less than $400,000 a year.
5. Which nation outside of Europe submitted a request to become a “global partner” the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) last week?
Spoiler
Argentina. It is part of President Javier Milei’s efforts to push Argentina into a closer relationship with Western European nations. All 32 of NATO’s members would need to support Argentina’s application. Right now the only South American nation that is a partner of NATO is Colombia. Critics argue that Argentina’s bid will come to naught because of Milei’s argument that the Falkland Islands belong to Argentina, thereby placing it in conflict with Great Britain.
6. Which African nation’s parliament voted last week to move from a presidential to parliamentary system?
Spoiler
Togo. Lawmakers approved of constitutional changes last month to alter the nation’s political system and gave final approval to the changes last week. Critics have argued that the change will allow President Faure Gnassingbe to remain in office beyond existing term limits, remaining in office until 2031. The Gnassingbe family has ruled Togo since 1967.
7. Which Latin American nation is experiencing a dollar crisis, which is creating shortages and leaving workers unpaid?
Spoiler
Bolivia. Over the past decade the nation’s dollar reserves have plunged from $15 billion to $2 billion due to decreasing amount of exports of natural gas. President Luis Arce has unveiled a plan to reduce bureaucratic red tape for exports to help solve the problem. Bolivia’s economic difficulties have led to its debt being downgraded to “junk” territory earlier this month by Fitch.
8. Which three nations will receive defense aid from the United States in a bipartisan package of legislation passed by the House last week?
Spoiler
Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Speaker Mike Johnson needed the help of House Democrats to pass the measure on Ukraine, which cleared by a 311-112 vote. The votes on aid to Israel was 366-58 and Taiwan’s on a 385-34 vote. Far-right Republicans in the House attempted to defeat the Ukraine legislation, arguing that there are not eough measures to ensure the money is spent well and that funding for Ukraine should also be connected to border security.
9. Due to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro creating obstacles for his political opponents, which sanctions did the U.S. reimpose last week?
Spoiler
The U.S. restore oil sanctions on Venezuela after Maduro reneged on a prior deal to open up Venezuela’s political process and allow opposition forces to contest a free and fair election. The sanctions force U.S. companies in Venezuela to wind down operations in 45 days, barring them from operating there without a special license from the Treasury Department. Venezuela has lost nearly a quarter of its population since 2014 because of economic hardships due to Maduro’s poor policies.
10. Who won Croatia’s parliamentary election last week?
Spoiler
The ruling Croation Democratic Union (HDZ), a conservative party. It fended off a challenge from an alliance of centrist and left-ing parties led by President Zoran Milanovic and the Social Democratic Party (SDP). However, the HDZ will need to coalition with another party as it won 60 out of 151 seats in parliament versus the SDP’s 42 seats. This puts the far-right Statehood Movement, which won 14 seats, in a kingmaker role.
