This news quiz is dedicated to the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
1. A government aide in which state was arrested for acting as agent of the Chinese government last week?
Spoiler
New York. Linda Sun, who has spent 14 years in New York state government and was deputy chief of staff to Governor Kathy Hochul, was arrested last week on charges of being an agent of the Chinese government. Prosecutors allege that Sun kept Taiwanese officials from talking to New York officials and shared internal documents with China in return for millions of dollars. Sun has pled not guilty to the charges.
2. Which oil company was reported last week as telling U.S. officials that it should be allowed to continue operations in Venezuela?
Spoiler
Chevron. It was reported by the Wall Street Journal last week that Chevron executives have been in contact with the Biden White House and State Department in an effort to avoid future U.S. sanctions by operating in Venezuela. Chevron has reportedly argued that it is helping increase global oil supplies and that has positive economic benefits for the U.S. and others. There have been growing calls for the U.S. to impose more punitive sanctions on Venezuela after Nicholas Maduro rigged a presidential election in his favor.
3. Who did French President Emmanuel Macron name as France’s new prime minister last week?
Spoiler
Michel Barnier, a veteran of French conservative circles. Barnier was also the chief negotiator for the European Union (EU) in Brexit talks. Left-wing forces that won a plurality in June and July’s legislative elections have vowed to fight his appointment, arguing that Macron is stealing their election victory from them. Barnier will have to persuade at least 289 MPs in the 577-seat National Assembly to back his leadership or he would fall in a no-confidence motion.
4. What is Florida’s Amendment 3 about?
Spoiler
It would legalize the use of recreational marijuana in the state for those who are 21 years of age or older. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has spoken out against the amendment, in contrast with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who says that he supports it. In order to pass, the amendment must receive 60% or more of the vote.
5. Which former American political official, once loathed by the American left, announced that they would vote for Vice President Kamala Harris in this year’s presidential election?
Spoiler
Former Vice President Dick Cheney, who served under President George W. Bush from 2001-2009. Cheney, whose daughter Liz was a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump and lost her seat in Congress because of it, has called Trump a threat to the American republic.
6. Why are two American astronauts stranded on the International Space Station?
Spoiler
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has been deemed too risky to bring the astronauts home by NASA. The two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, have been on the ISS since June. The Starliner craft that was supposed to take them home shortly afterward had thruster problems and helium leaks. NASA has contracted with SpaceX to bring the astronauts home but it will be until February before they can return, extending their brief stay to eight months.
7. Which country is the largest funder of a United Nations-backed security mission to Haiti?
Spoiler
The United States. The U.S. has tried to play a diplomatic role in creating a more stable Haitian government that can clamp down on violent gangs that have displaced more than 500,000 people since March. The U.S. has contributed more than $300 million to the mission to build a base and provide armored vehicles. Kenya has boots on the ground as a police force to assist the Haitian government.
8. Which discount retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday?
Spoiler
Big Lots. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced plans to sell its assets to private equity firm Nexus Capital Management. Big Lots blamed high inflation and interest rates for slowing sales, especially in home and seasonal products that the store relies on for revenue.
9. Which five U.S. states begin in-person early voting this month?
Spoiler
Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Virginia, Vermont, and Illinois. Pennsylvania allows voters to cast ballots 50 days before an election, the longest amount of time of any U.S. state. Voters there can go to the polls on September 16. Those in Minnesota and Virginia can vote on September 20, Vermont on September 21, and Illinois on September 26. Absentee ballots for federal overseas and military troops will also be sent out on September 21. In the 2020 presidential election more than 100 million Americans – two-thirds of those who voted – cast ballots early or by mail.
10. Who won Algeria’s presidential election on Sunday?
Spoiler
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. He was named the winner by the National Independent Election Authority (ANIE) with 94.7% of the vote. Islamist challenger Abdelali Hassani Cherif received 3.2% and socialist Youcef Aouchiche got 2.2%. In a weird turn, though, Tebboune joined Cherif and Aouchiche in questioning the voting figures released by the ANIE. Due to the fact that many Algerians believed the vote would not matter, turnout was only 25%.
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