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

1. What is the current U.S. unemployment rate?

Spoiler
5.9%. Extempers should note that the unemployment rate is a measure of people who are looking for work and cannot find it. Those who are not looking for work are not counted in unemployment, nor are those who are in part-time employment who wish to be in full-time employment.

2. Which political figure did President Biden call on to resign yesterday?

Spoiler
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo, a Democrat, was found to have sexually harassed nearly a dozen women by an investigation from the New York State Attorney General. Cuomo has refuted the claims and has refused to resign from office.

3. What was Representative Cori Bush (D-MO) protesting over the last few days on Capitol Hill?

Spoiler
The expiration of the federal eviction moratorium. Bush has camped out on the Capitol steps for the last few days after the eviction moratorium expired. The Biden administration has faced pressure from progressive groups to unilaterally extend federal eviction protection for renters, but that would likely invite a legal challenge. As of the time this quiz was put together, Biden had taken no action but Politico suggested a targeted eviction ban might be issued by the end of Tuesday.

4. Which country recently granted asylum to Belarus Olympic athlete Krystsina Tsimanouskaya?

Spoiler
Poland. Tsimanouskaya, a sprinter for the Belarus team, alleges that Belarus tried to forcibly fly her home after criticizing the country’s coaches on social media. She refused to get on the flight, was protected by Japanese security, and Poland extended her a humanitarian visa. Belarus has come under fire as one of Europe’s most totalitarian states, with its President Alexander Lukashenko winning a disputed presidential election last August.

5. Which U.S. city will mandate COVID-19 vaccines for those wishing to go to indoor eateries, gyms, and entertainment centers?

Spoiler
New York City. According to Mayor Bill de Blasio, the order will go into effect on August 16 and then full enforcement will kick in on September 13. The National Restaurant Association has expressed skepticism about how food service establishments will be able to enforce the order.

6. How big is President Biden’s social infrastructure package, which is supposed to cover funding for universal pre-K to community college education, expand Medicare for dental and vision, help for child care, and help for seniors?

Spoiler
$3.5 trillion. This spending would be on top of around $600 billion for infrastructure that has bipartisan support in Congress. No Republican has signed on for Biden’s social infrastructure deal and it may not pass the Senate as Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona (D) has said the price is too high.

7. Currently, the Taliban are closing in on capturing their first provincial capital of the Afghan War. What is this capital?

Spoiler
Lashkar Gah. Afghan military forces, backed by the U.S., have tried to repulse the Taliban’s advance but the group is making up sizeable ground with the pullout of U.S. forces. Lashkar Gah is the capital of Helmand Province and has a population of roughly 200,000 people.

8. When will Germany’s federal elections take place this year?

Spoiler
The elections are expected to take place on September 26. The elections are significant because German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has governed the country since November 2005, is not running.

9. Who is expected to oppose Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in next year’s Brazilian presidential election?

Spoiler
Lula da Silva, who was Brazil’s president from 2003-2010. Lula tried to oppose Bolsonaro in 2018, but he was disqualified due to the country’s “Clean Slate” law, which bar those with convictions from running for eight years. However, recent judicial decisions that released da Silva from prison pending appeal and then tossed out his case, restored da Silva’s political rights and now allow him to contest the election.

10. Name the states that currently ban local school districts from mandating mask wearing for the upcoming school term.

Spoiler
Utah, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Iowa, Vermont, and South Carolina.

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