August 11 2014

 

1) Members of this religious minority were trapped on a mountaintop without food or water last week after fleeing an attack by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).  What group?

d) Yazidis

Yazidism is a mixture of Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Islam.  ISIS considers them to be devil worshippers.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/iraqi-yazidis-stranded-on-isolated-mountaintop-begin-to-die-of-thirst/2014/08/05/57cca985-3396-41bd-8163-7a52e5e72064_story.html?tid=pm_world_pop

 

2) President Obama recently ordered airstrikes on and humanitarian aid drops in what country?

d) Iraq

The airstrikes were designed to stop the advance of ISIS toward the Kurdish-controlled region of the country.  The drops of food and water were intended to help the Yazidi refugees who were trapped by ISIS on the side of a mountain.

https://theweek.com/speedreads/index/266121/speedreads-obama-i-will-not-allow-the-united-states-to-be-dragged-into-fighting-another-war-in-iraq

 

3) Early last week, President Obama met with a number of leaders from what continent?

c) Africa

At the summit, President Obama announced that American businesses had committed $14 billion worth of investment in the continent.

https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/05/us-africa-summit-idUSKBN0G50X520140805

 

4) What did a recent study conclude about the environmental effect of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline?

a) It would harm the environment more than previously predicted.

The proposed pipeline would bring oil from Canada through the America Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico.

https://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-na-keystone-xl-greenhouse-gases-climate-obama-20140809-story.html

 

5) There were angry protests in this city after a policeman shot an unarmed black teenager.  What city?

c) St. Louis, Missouri

The protests later turned into riots.

https://bigstory.ap.org/article/missouri-crowd-after-shooting-kill-police

 

6) Tayyip Erdogan recently won his country’s first presidential election.  What country?

b) Turkey

Erdogan previously served three terms as prime minister.

https://www.cnn.com/2014/08/10/world/europe/turkey-erdogan-president/index.html

 

7) After the United States and Europe placed sanctions on Russia, the Russians responded by banning the importation of what from America and Europe?

a) Food

Specifically, the ban applies to European fruit and vegetables and all American food.

https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/06/us-ukraine-crisis-idUSKBN0G61K220140806

 

8) Hackers from this country stole over 1 billion passwords last week.  What country?

d) Russia

The thefts were discovered by Hold Security, a Milwaukee-based company.

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/06/technology/russian-gang-said-to-amass-more-than-a-billion-stolen-internet-credentials.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=LedeSum&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=1

 

9) This company originally announced that it was moving its headquarters overseas to lower its tax burden but then reversed course and decided to keep its headquarters in the United States.  What country?

c) Walgreens

Many companies are moving their headquarters overseas to avoid paying taxes at the American rate.  https://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2024257264_walgreeninversionxml.html

 

10) Becky Hammon recently became the first female assistant coach in what league?

c) NBA

Hammon is a long-time WNBA star.

https://www.cnn.com/2014/08/05/us/spurs-becky-hammon-coach/


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