Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz!
1. Last week, the Pakistani air force launched retaliatory strikes inside of which country?
Spoiler
Iran. Pakistan was targeting Baluch militant groups that operate on both sides of the Iran-Paknistan border such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF). The operation happened a day after Iran used missile strikes against a Sunni militant group called Jaish al-Adl in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. The incident has raised tensions on both sides as Pakistan suspended all Iranian high-level visits and recalled its ambassador.
2. Who is the head of the European Central Bank?
Spoiler
Christine Lagarde. Lagarde was the managing director of the International Monetary Fund from 2011-2019. She has been the President of the European Central Bank since November 2019. She is currently resisting pressure to reduce interest rates as soon as March, arguing that her goal is restore inflation levesls back to the European Union’s target rate of 2%.
3. Why is there growing chatter among House Republicans that Speaker Mike Johnson needs to go?
Spoiler
Johnson brokered a spending deal with Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) to keep the government operating. Members of the Freedom Caucus, which represents more right-wing lawmakers, has said that the spending cuts in the deal did not go far enough and they were angry that border security provisions were not linked to the deal. Representative Majorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has threaened to move to remove Johnson from power, like what happened to former Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year. while Democrats have signaled that they may save Johnson, which they were unwilling to do for McCarthy, they have not committed to a specific course of action.
4. Which African country hosted a meeting of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, an East African regional group, to handle problems there?
Spoiler
Uganda. There are growing tensions in East Africa after Ethiopia linked to a deal for a naval base on the coast of Somaliland, angering Somalia. Also, Sudan is engulfed in a civil war that some say is moving toward a victory for warlord Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo.
5. What has prompted growing protests in Germany against the Alternative for Germany (AfD) Party?
Spoiler
Reports that senior members of the party discussed a plan for the mass deportation of German asylum seekers and German citizens of foreign origins late last year. The AfD is already under surveillance by the German government for its far-right views. The AfD’s leadership has denied that they plan such an action. The party has gained support in recent years in Germany and it is expected to do well in regional elections in East Germany later this year. Experts argue that a ban could prove problematic as the AfD does not call for the abolition of German democracy despite having extremist elements within it and a failed effort could erode trust in the democratic process.
6. Why is Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is pursuing criminal charges against former President Donald Trump, under fire?
Spoiler
Fulton County has launched an inquiry into whether Willis misused counry funds for an alleged affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. She is also accused of “accepting valuable gifts and personal benefits” and of crossing ethical guidelines in hiring Wade. The revelations came from Mr. Wade’s estranged wife in their ongoing divorce case. The allegations could impair the prosecution of Trump in the state.
7. Which Democratic Senator has endorsed a challenger to New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez in 2024?
Spoiler
Senator John Fetterman. Fetterman has been Menendez’s most outspoken critic in the Senate after Menendez was indicted in September for allegedly accepting bribes and acting as a foreign agent for Egypt. Menendez is also facing another indictment for taking gifts from Qatar. Fetterman has supported Representative Andy Kim for Menendez’s seat and recently dared his embattled colleague to seek re-election later this year.
8. Why was there recent alarm about a robocall that went out to New Hampshire Democrats?
Spoiler
New Hampshire Democrats received a “deepfake” call from President Joe Biden where someone used the President’s voice to urge people not to vote in the primary, saying that their vote would make a difference in November. The incident has alarmed election observers, who fear the use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems to undermine election integrity and legitimate information.
9. What percentage of American workers belonged to a labor union last year, according to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)?
Spoiler
10%, which equates to 14.4 million hourly and salaried workers. This was a decline from the 10.1% number in 2022. Public sector unionization outpaces its private counterpart as 32.5% of all teachers, government workers, and police are unionized but only 6% of private sector employees are.
10. What term does the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) use for people who do not have a bank account?
Spoiler
“The unbanked.” According to the FDIC, there are more than six million American households that do not use banks at all. This is a growing concern as more businesses in the U.S. are moving to “card only” transactions and banning the use of cash.
