Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
1. What would President-elect Donald Trump have to do to dissolve the Department of Education?
Spoiler
Dissolving the Department of Education, which was born from a congressional bill in 1979 during President Jimmy Carter’s administration, would require approval from both houses of Congress. It is unlikely that Democrats would concede to it without filibustering, so that may block one of Donald Trump’s campaign pledges as an effort to reduce national powers and give them back to the states.
2. Last week protesters seized parliament buildings in which breakaway area near Russia?
Spoiler
Abkhazia, which is a breakaway part of Georgia that has operated its own pro-Russia government since 1993. Protesters have demanded that the government resin after it considered a new investment agreement with Russia, something protesters say would harm the local economy in favor of Russia. The protest is not angry that Abkhazia is an ally of Russia, though, it just alleges that the government is using the deal to enrich itself.
3. Which African nation recently approved a new constitution that should allow for the end of military rule?
Spoiler
Gabon. 92% of voters approved of a new constitution that military authorities said was crucial in restoring civilian rule. Elections are tentatively scheduled for next August. However, critics of the new text say that Brice Oligui Nguema, who overthrew President Ali Bongo two years ago, is just positioning himself to remain in power.
4. Who is President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for the Director of National Intelligence? Why is this controversial?
Spoiler
Former Hawaiian congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. Gabbard, who sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, has been criticized for sympathies for autocrats dating back to her refusal to call Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a war criminal after gas attacks in Syria in 2013. Gabbard’s argument that NATO played a role in encouraging Russia’s war in Ukraine was also criticized several years ago. Gabbard’s lack of experience in intelligence work has also been criticized. Her appointment is seen as a reward by Trump for her endorsement of his candidacy in the 2024 elections.
5. The ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference, referred to as COP 29, is currently taking place where?
Spoiler
Baku, Azerbaijan. The hosting choice has been criticized because Azerbaijan’s economy is reliant on fossil fuels. However, Azerbaijan’s economy is 15% less reliant on oil and gas revenues versus two years ago. There are hopes that an agreement can be reached to funnel $1 trillion in climate finance to developing nations.
6. Last week India’s highest court outlawed “bulldozer justice.” What was this?
Spoiler
“Bulldozer justice” referred to a practice where authorities would destroy the homes of those accused of crimes. India’s highest court last Wednesday ruled that the practice was illegal. Many of the victims of the tactic were Muslims and the tactic often took place after religious violence and protests, often in areas controlled by Narendra Modi’s BJP. The BJP denies that sectarian discrimination was behind the tactic, arguing that it was a tool to fight crime. Those who advocated against the practice said there was no legal ground for destroying the homes of the accused since they had not been convicted.
7. Why is a Parisian prosecutor seeking to ban Marine Le Pen from public office?
Spoiler
Nicolas Barret, who is prosecuting Le Pen, alleges that she and 20 other senior party members of the National Rally illegally using assistants to work on party business rather than for the European Parliament, who paid them for their work. Le Pen has said that the charges are politically motivated since she is seen as a possible presidential contender in 2027. Barret wants Le Pen to serve a five year prison sentence and be banned from running for public office for five years.
8. What has Robert Kennedy, Jr., who President-elect Donald Trump has named as his pick for the Department of Health and Human Services, said he would like to eliminate from the nation’s public water supplies?
Spoiler
Fluoride. Kennedy has said that it will “disappear” under the new Trump administration. Currently, about 75% of American households are served with public water that has fluoride in it. Public health advocates have long argued that people who have it in their water have fewer cavities. But Kennedy and his supporters argue that such benefits are overstated and that it could be harmful, especially for the IQ levels of children.
9. Who was elected as the new Senate Majority Leader last week?
Spoiler
John Thune of South Dakota. Thune defeated John Cornyn of Texas and Rick Scott of Florida. He replaces Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, who is stepping down from the post after taking over the leadership of Senate Republicans in 2007. Scott, who had the backing of Elon Musk, was eliminated on the first ballot.
10. Who did President-elect Donald Trump announce as his attorney general pick last week?
Spoiler
Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz. Gaetz led the effort that unseated Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy last year and angered Republicans by bringing a Holocaust denier to the State of the Union in 2018. Analysts believe that the selection signals that Trump will demand loyalty in his new cabinet. It is unclear whether he will have enough votes for confirmation, even among fellow Republicans in the Senate.