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

1. How many felony counts has former President Donald Trump been charged with?

Spoiler
34. Yesterday, Trump was arraigned on 34 Class E felony counts for falsifying business records as a result of a $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election. Trump is the first U.S. president to be indicted for a crime.

2. What did the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies agree to do concerning oil production on Sunday?

Spoiler
Cut oil production by 3.66 million barrels per day, which accounts for 3.7% of global demand. Analysts had not expected the cut, which is expected to cause the global price of oil to rise by $5 per barrel. Reasons given for the cut include fears of weakened demand, punishing speculators, and some see sympathy of OPEC members with Russia in its war with Ukraine as higher oil prices will enrich Russia’s war machine.

3. Which former governor jumped into the GOP presidential primary last week?

Spoiler
Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. Hutchinson served two terms as Arkansas governor, leading from 2015-2023. During his leadership he moved to block Syrian refugees from his state, supported the criminalization of abortion, and supported work requirements for Medicaid. He is the only GOP presidential candidate who has called for former President Trump to withdraw from the race because of legal problems.

4. Which former world leader is facing charges at the Hague for war crimes?

Spoiler
Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci. He stands accused of crimes against humanity involving murder and torture that took place during Kosovo’s two-year war for independence against Serbia from 1998-1999.

5. What is the name of the group that is looking into providing an independent presidential ticket for Americans to vote for in 2024?

Spoiler
No Labels. Part of its national leadership includes former Maryland Republican Governor Larry Hogan and former Connecticut Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman. It has been reported to be raising millions of dollars for a presidential bid if the Democratic and Republican parties nominate candidates that do not appeal to the center. The organization has also said it will only mount a campaign if it believes that it can win. Critics have argued that there is not a lot of transparency about who is financing the organization.

6. According to the World Economic Forum, which country receives the largest amount of remittances – a non-commercial transfer of money – in the world?

Spoiler
India. According to the WEF last year, India received $100 billion in remittances in 2022. Mexico was second with $60.3 billion and China was third was $51 billion. Remittances have been proven to reduce poverty in nations that receive them but have also been cited by economists as evidence of weak economic growth domestically in receiving nations.

7. Which two large American cities had mayoral elections on Tuesday?

Spoiler
Chicago and Denver. The issues in each campaign were similar, with candidates sparring over rising crime rates and growing homelessness problems. Chicago was holding a runoff election while Denver was holding the first round of its election, which featured 16 candidates. Results were not yet known as of the time of this quiz being posted.

8. Who won Montenegro’s presidential election on Sunday?

Spoiler
Jakov Milatovic. Milatovic, who is 36, won 60% of the vote against incumbent leader Milo Mjukanovic who has been president or prime minister of the country for more than 30 years. His achievements included getting the nation’s independence from Serbia in 2006 and joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Milatovic is a centrist who promises to curb corruption in the country and improve the nation’s relations with the European Union and Serbia. However, there are fears that he will pull Montenegro away from its pro-Western orientation as his candidacy received support from political parties close to Serbia, Russia, and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

9. Russia once again made headlines for the arrest of an American citizen last week. who did it arrest and why?

Spoiler
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. Gershkovich has been charged with espionage, a charge that critics say is ridiculous. Analysts wonder if it is another attempt by Russia to use a prisoner swap like they did with WNBA star Brittney Griner earlier in the year. Gershkovich’s investgative reporting probably put him in danger as well as Russia passed a strict journalism law in 2022 that sends journalists to prison for up to 15 years for “spreading false information.”

10. How many astronauts will fly a lunar mission last next year for the U.S.?

Spoiler
Four. The mission will be composed of three Americans and a Canadian and will include the first woman and first African American on a lunar mission. The astronauts will fly NASA’s new Orion capsule. While they will not land on the moon, they will fly around it as a prelude for future missions in two years.