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

1. Why did thousands of Canadian citizens descend on the capital of Ottawa to protest last week?

Spoiler
The protest began as a “Freedom Convoy” of truck drivers who were upset at the Canadian government’s vaccine mandate for drivers that go across the border into the United States. It was later joined by other individuals who turned it into a broader protest of COVID-19 health and safety measures. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has condemned the protest and reports say that his family was moved to a secret location in case the largely peaceful protest got out of hand.

2. Last week a bridge collapsed in which U.S. city, calling attention to America’s infrastructure problems?

Spoiler
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Fern Hollow Bridge collapsed last Friday at 6:39 a.m., injuring at least ten people and taking five vehicles with it, including a Port Authority bus. The Department of Transportation announced yesterday that it was going to commit $25.3 million to replace the structure.

3. What is the name of Myanmar’s shadow government?

Spoiler
The National Unity Government (NUG). The shadow government is made up of opponents of the military coup that overthrew Myanmar’s democratic government on February 1 last year and is campaigning for support in the United States, Great Britain, France, Australia, South Korea, and Czech Republic. Myanmar’s governing military junta has declared the NUG to be a terrorist organization.

4. Which Supreme Court justice announced last week that they would be stepping down?

Spoiler
Stephen Breyer. Breyer has been on the Supreme Court since 1994, when he was nominated by President Bill Clinton to replace Harry Blackmun. He had a pragmatic approach to the law that cast him as a moderate liberal on the court. President Joe Biden said last week that he wanted to choose an African-American woman to fill Breyer’s seat.

5. Which party won Portugal’s recent elections?

Spoiler
The Socialist Party, which won enough seats to govern alone. The victory was an endorsement of the leadership of Prime Minister Antonio Costa, who has led Portugal for six years. The Socialists won 42% of the vote compared to 28% for the center-right Social Democratic Party (PSD).

6. What does the recently passed No Surprises Act do?

Spoiler
The law, passed by the U.S. Congress last year, is meant to prevent cases of surprise medical billing from emergency care providers. It prevents doctors or hospitals from billing insured patients higher rates because they are using a provider outside of their insurance network.

7. Who did Italy recently elect as president?

Spoiler
Sergia Mattarella. Mattarella, who is 80, wanted to step down but was forced to serve another seven-year term when Italy’s political forces deadlocked after holding six days of secret balloting. Observers thought that Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi was going to be chosen but he was unable to secure enough votes to win the office.

8. Why is Fani Willis, Fulton County, Georgia’s District Attorney investigating former President Trump?

Spoiler
Willis is in the process of seating a grand jury to investigate President Trump’s meddling in Georgia’s 2020 election results. Trump is accused of interference after he asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find 12,000 votes that would swing the state to him in the Electoral College.

9. On Monday, North Korea confirmed that it tested a missile capable of reaching which U.S. territory?

Spoiler
Guam. North Korea recently tested a new intermediate-range ballistic missile that South Korea and Japan say flew for 497 miles and reached an altitude of 1,242 miles before splashing down between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. NPR notes that this was North Korea’s most powerful missile test since 2017.

10. Why did singer Neil Young demand that Spotify remove his music last week?

Spoiler
Young took issue with how Spotify hosts the podcast of Joe Rogan, who is accused of using his show to spread misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccinations. Rogan’s December 31 show was criticized by hundreds of scientists and public health professionals for casting doubts about the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccinations. Singer Joni Mitchell followed Young’s lead, also demanding Spotify remove her music from its platform.