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Here is this week’s Extemp Central news quiz. Good luck!
To access a list of all our old quizzes, click here.
1. This nation recently called on the United Nations to impose an international code of conduct on the Internet.
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]China. The People’s Republic says that it would like governments to retain power over private stakeholders with the Internet. However, skeptics worry that China favors such control to reduce the chances of materials that would be embarrassing for its government.[/toggle]
2. According to some estimates, how many civilian firearms exist in the U.S.?
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]310 million. This makes the U.S. the most armed society in the world. The size of firearm ownership would make it difficult for the government to institute strict gun control laws.[/toggle]
3. Why did a federal court recently block a rule by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concerning navigable waters?
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay of the EPA’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule that expanded the group’s jurisdiction from navigable waters to seasonal streams and ditches. The ruling would give the EPA jurisdiction over 60% of surface water in the U.S. Thirty-one states are suing the EPA over the rule and the Sixth Circuit issued the stay, via a 2-1 decision, on the grounds that is confusing and that it violates the concept of federalism as control of American waters should be a shared federal and state responsibility.[/toggle]
4. The Supreme Court has chosen to take up a case that deals with this issue concerning juveniles in the justice system.
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this week concerning whether it should extend its 2012 ban on mandatory sentencing laws that send juveniles to prison for the life without the possibility of parole. The Supreme Court found in 2012 that mandatory life sentences for juveniles aged seventeen and under violated the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. However, that decision was not applied retroactively. The upcoming case affects more than 2,500 inmates in the U.S. criminal justice system.[/toggle]
5. When and where will the first Democratic presidential debate of the 2016 election cycle take place?
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Tuesday evening at 9 p.m. Eastern time from Las Vegas, Nevada. The debate is likely to be a showdown between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Clinton will try to fix her image problem in the debate, while Sanders will attempt to use the opportunity to bolster his name recognition and insurgent campaign.[/toggle]
6. Why is South Africa threatening to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC)?
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]South Africa says that the ICC is disproportionately targeting the African continent. If it decides to withdraw it would become the first ICC member to do so. South Africa recently came under fire for allowing Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the ICC for genocide and war crimes, to visit for an African Union (AU) summit and did not arrest him.[/toggle]
7. International observers recently condemned the results of this election, where a long-time president won yet another term in office.
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Belarus. President Alexander Lukashenko won 83.5% of the vote on Saturday, thereby avoiding a runoff. Lukashenko has served as Belarus’s president for more than twenty years. Germany did praise elements of the election, saying that a pre-election crackdown on the opposition did not take place and that Lukashenko released some political prisoners this year. Still, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) criticized the voting process.[/toggle]
8. The opposition in this African nation has issued calls to cancel a recent presidential election.
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Guinea. Opposition candidates on Monday said that they would not recognize the nation’s presidential election, arguing that ballot boxes were stuffed and voters are intimidated in several precincts. Incumbent President Alpha Conde was expected to win the first round of the election, but was expected to go to a runoff against Cellou Dalein Diallo, the main opposition candidate.[/toggle]
9. What incident happened over the weekend to exacerbate political tensions in Turkey?
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Two bombs killed nearly a hundred people in the Turkish capital of Ankara during a peace march organized by leftist groups. The Turkish government is blaming ISIS for the attack, but opponents of the governing Justice and Development Party are saying that the government may be to blame.[/toggle]
10. Summarize the reported changes in America’s policy to fight ISIS.
[toggle title_open=”Close Me” title_closed=”Open Me” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]According to reports, the U.S. will now arm forces affiliated with the Syrian Arab Coalition. The goal is to concentrate efforts in Northern Syria to fight back ISIS strongholds in Syria such as the border town of Kobani and Raqqa, which is ISIS’s capital in Syrian territory. However, many details of the plan still lack official definition from government sources.[/toggle]