Here is this week’s news quiz!  Good luck!

1. What drug is now at the center of a major abortion fight in the United States?

Spoiler
Mifepristone. The Biden administration and drugmaker Danco Laboratories have appealed a federal appeals court ruling from last month that revoked the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval for sending the drug through the mail. The decision also limited from ten weeks to seven weeks when the drug could be used for an abortion. The Biden administration argues that federal judges should not be able to overrule the FDA’s approval of a drug or how it is used. It is expected that the Supreme Court will take the case and hear it next summer.

2. Which country was hit with its strongest earthquake in more than a century on Sunday?

Spoiler
Morocco. A 6.8-magnitude earthquake killed more than 2,100 people in mountainous areas of the country. The United Nations stood ready to deploy up to 3,500 rescuers upon the request of the Moroccan government but Moroccans complain that their government has been slow to accept or allow aid.

3. Who is the head of the United Auto Workers?

Spoiler
Shawn Fain. Fain was elected earlier this year to lead the union, defeating incumbent Ray Curry. The UAW is poised to strike this week if General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis do not meet demands for a 46% pay raise over four years, the ability of the UAW to represent workers at battery factories, and a reversal of concessions made during the 2008 financial crisis when automakers were in trouble.

4. Chinese leader Xi Jinping skipped the G20’s latest meeting. Who did he send in his place?

Spoiler
Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Xi’s decision not to attend this year’s G20, a decision also made by Russian President Vladimir Putin, is seen as a continued sign of China disregarding international institutions that do not fit its purposes. Analysts also read it as Xi’s increasingly nationalistic worldview where China is less willing to abide by or participate in international institutions created by the West.

5. Last Friday, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued an executive order that did what?

Spoiler
Grisham issued an executive order that suspended the right of New Mexicans to carry firearms in public in Albuquerque and its surrounding county for at least 30 days. The order was issued due to an increase in gun violence and is classified as a public health order. Gun rights advocates argue that the order violates the Second Amendment and are promising to challenge the order.

6. Which company is fighting an anti-trust lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice this week?

Spoiler
Google. The DOJ filed its suit against Google during the Trump administration three years ago. It claims that Google is using its search dominance to get an unfair advantage against competitors. The trial, which is the biggest anti-trust action in a long time, is expected to take ten weeks. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta is presiding.

7. Chile recently commemorated the 50th anniversary of what historical event?

Spoiler
The 1973 coup that overthrew socialist President Salvador Allende and led to a dictatorship under General Augusto Pinochet. Allende died as part of the action. Historians see the coup as the beginning of a wave of right-wing dictatorships across South America by the 1980s. Chilean President Gabriel Boric is an admirer of Allende’s, sharing a similar political ideology.

8. What is the date that is looming for another possible government shutdown?

Spoiler
September 30. Congress has until that point to pass spending legislation a government shutdown. The problem is that there are just three weeks to reach a deal and the House just began work today. House Republicans are divided as far-right forces want to force an impeachment vote on President Biden and attach provisions on more rigorous immigration enforcement, which are not supported by Democrats. Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s leadership is also seen in peril if he were to cave and lead a bipartisan spending package without the support of far-right members of his caucus.

9. What were the terms of the recent prisoner swap between the United States and Iran?

Spoiler
The U.S. will receive five citizens that have been detained by Iran and in return Iran will receive $6 billion in frozen money without U.S. sanctions. Republicans criticized the deal as a boost for Iran’s economy when it is a threat to American allies in the Middle East.

10. Which U.S. state is about to become the first to completely abolish cash bail?

Spoiler
Illinois. The state is set to enact the measure on September 18, which will be a test case for other states considering similar measures. Critics of cash bail argue that the system violates the civil rights of African Americans, who receive bail amounts 35% higher than their white counterparts.