Note:  This will be the last news quiz of the 2021-2022 season.  The first news quiz of next season will appear the first week of August.

Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz.

1. Which actor recently made a plea for gun control at the White House?

Spoiler
Matthew McConaughey. During an appearance at the White House, the Academy Award-winning actor argued for raising the minimum age to purchase AR-15-style rifles and increasing background checks. There were rumors prior to the 2022 midterms that McConaughey was considering a run for the Texas governorship.

2. What are some of the factors that the World Bank recently said are likely to plunge various countries into recession by next year?

Spoiler
The World Bank identified various causes that could lead to countries plunging into recession. These included Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, continued supply chain issues, COVID lockdowns in China, and inflation in energy and food markets. The World Bank expects global growth to slow to 2.9% this year. Last year the global economy grew 5.7%.

3. What is the new U.S. unemployment rate?

Spoiler
3.6%. The number remains unchanged from the previous month. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that employers added 390,000 jobs in May, which was higher than the anticipated figure of 325,000. President Biden argued that the numbers show that the health of the U.S. economy remains good despite inflation and supply shortage headwinds.

4. What is “sportswashing”?

Spoiler
Sportswashing is defined as the practice of an individual, group, corporation, or government using sport to improve its reputation. Saudi Arabia has been accused of the practice by bankrolling a rival golf league to the PGA TOUR, hosting an F1 race, and hosting major cards for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), all in an effort to overshadow a poor human rights record.

5. In terms of schools, what are SROs?

Spoiler
SROs are law enforcement officers that work on schools grounds, tasked with safety and crime prevention. There have been recent calls for all schools in the country to have SROs after the Uvale school shooting to increase student and staff safety. However, critics argue that SROs have not been a deterrent to school violence and might increase the “school to prison pipeline” by turning school discipline matters into criminal matters.

6. Why is Mexico’s president boycotting the Summit of the Americas?

Spoiler
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador decided to boycott the meeting because U.S. President Joe Biden decided to exclude Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela from participating because they are led by dictators. Other Latin American countries followed suit as Bolivia did not attend, Uruguay’s president is missing, and Honduras only send a low-level delegation. This is a blow for President Biden’s efforts at a better foreign policy in Latin America.

7. Which U.S. state recently voted to allow teachers to carry firearms?

Spoiler
Ohio. Republican lawmakers in the state voted last week to allow local boards to education to let teachers carry firearms after they have received a minimum of twenty-four hours of training. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, who is facing re-election this year, has said that he will sign the measure into law.

8. The European Union recently issued which technology rule?

Spoiler
EU officials agreed on Tuesday that there must be a uniform charging chord for all small and medium-sized rechargeable, portable electronic devices. This covers mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, earbuds, digital cameras, headphones, video game consoles, keyboards, mice, portable speakers, and navigation devices. Laptops will get extra time to be covered. The rule could end up as a standard for the rest of the world because the EU rules cover twenty-seven countries. Apple criticized the decision, arguing that it would hurt innovation.

9. What will air on primetime television on Thursday evening?

Spoiler
A hearing from the House of Representatives January 6 committee. The hearing will air at 8 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday night and will see leaders provide a summary of their eleven-month investigation. Democrats are looking to tie the incident to President Trump and far-right groups like the Proud Boys. While most conventional channels are airing the event, FOX News is choosing not to do so, shifting the broadcast to the FOX Business channel.

10. Israel’s government recently failed to pass a bill on what issue, causing observers to ponder the government’s future?

Spoiler
On Monday, Israel’s government failed to extend legal protections to the West Bank, a necessity for the 500,000 Israelis that live in the area because they currently enjoy benefits of Israeli citizenship while more than three million Palestinians live under military rule. The government’s effort to extend the protections was defeated 58-52 and exposed divisions within it on the future of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Nationalist party New Hope is threatening to leave the governing coalition if the bill does not pass, meaning that Israel’s government would fall and either a new government would have to be formed or new elections would need to be held.