Here is this week’s news quiz.
1. Which European nation’s leader recently called for a general election in May?
Spoiler
Greece. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called for a new general election on May 21 due to his party’s slide in opinion polls after a collision between a passenger train and freight train on February 28. Greeks have blamed the government for not protecting the country’s rail network.
2. Which political party in Myanmar was recently ordered dissolved by the governing military junta?
Spoiler
The National League for Democracy (NLD), which is the political party of former Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was overthrown by a military coup in February 2021. Myanmar’s governing junta ordered the NLD dissolved after it did not register for a planned general election. The NLD refused to register because it calls the upcoming general election a sham in a nation divided by civil war.
3. Last week a Florida principal was forced to resign after an image of which famous sculpture was shown in a sixth-grade art class?
Spoiler
David by Michelangelo. The Renaissnace art piece was done in the nude and showcased as such in class, angering parents. Principal Hope Carrasquilla was pressured to resign by the Tallahassee Classical School Board because of a school policy where parents should be notified about “controversial” topics being taught. The incident encapsulates ongoing debates about parental involvement in education curriculum in Florida schools (as well as other parts of the country).
4. What is a “right-to-work” law in the United States?
Spoiler
A “right-to-work” law prohibit union practices that make an employee pay the cost of union representation even if they choose not to be a union member. More than 20 U.S. states have adopted right-to-work laws but Michigan’s legislature recently removed its state law, which was passed the previous decade by a Republican-led government.
5. How many school shootings (including universities) has the United States experienced in 2023?
Spoiler
19. The most recent occurred Monday at a private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee when a 28-year-old shooter killed three students and three adults, including the head of the school.
6. Biden nominee Phillip A. Washington withdrew from consideration from what position last week?
Spoiler
Leadership of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The appointment had come under fire from Republicans in the U.S. Senate, who argued that Washington did not have enough experience in aviation to be a competent administrator. The Biden administration refutes those claims, noting that Washington was serving as chief executive of Denver International Airport, a post he has held since 2021.
7. A three-day walkout by school personnel in which U.S. city ended last week?
Spoiler
Los Angeles. 30,000 education workers walked off the job in the middle of last week, producing a three-day work stoppage. It ended with a 30% pay increase so long as those affiliated with the Service Employees International Union approve of the city’s proposal.
8. Which govenment figure did Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently fire over opposition to a controversial judicial reform bill?
Spoiler
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Gallant was the first member of Netanyahu’s cabinet to call for an end to the government’s planned judicial overhaul. Netanyahu recently paused the push for the judicial reform bill, admitting that protests were driving Israel to civil war.
9. Over the weekend, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he planned on placing tactical nuclear weapons in what country?
Spoiler
Belarus. The country borders Ukraine and three members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Putin has given indications that the weapons could be placed by the summer.
10. Which Amazon tribe is the Brazilian government attempting to save?
Spoiler
The Yanomami. The tribe, which is largely isolated from modern civilization, has an estimated population of 31,000 and live in the Amazon rainforest. Illegal mining operations are poisoning their community, producing a high infant mortality rate. The new government of President Lula da Silva has declared a state of emergency in their name and is working to eliminate illegal mine operations.