1) Per the 2011 budget deal, President Obama signed an order Friday implementing the “sequester” across-the board spending cuts. What is the estimated value of the government spending cuts?
c) $85 billion
It was hoped that the threat of "sequester" cuts would force Congress and the president to reach a larger budget deal, but so far no deal has been reached.
https://www.cnn.com/2013/03/01/politics/forced-spending-cuts/index.html?hpt=hp_bn3
2) Who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate last week as the new Treasury Secretary?
a) Jack Lew
Lew, former director of the Office of Management and Budget, was confirmed by a vote of 71-26 and replaces Timothy Geithner.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/02/27/jack-lew-confirmed/1952287/
3) Last week, the Supreme Court heard arguments on the constitutionality of what law originally passed in the 1960s?
d) The Voting Rights Act
The part of the law at issue is the requirement that certain states, mostly in the South, receive federal approval before changing their voting rules or procedures.
https://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57571715/supreme-court-divided-on-voting-rights-act/
4) Last week, the Obama administration urged the Supreme Court to strike down what law?
b) California’s ban on gay marriage
The Court will hear argument in the case later this month with a decision expected in June.
5) What law, originally passed in 1994, did Congress re-authorize last week?
b) The Violence Against Women Act
The VAWA was designed to protect women from domestic violence.
https://www.cnn.com/2013/02/28/politics/violence-against-women/index.html
6) What Washington journalist claims to have felt threatened by an email from an Obama official saying “you will regret” what you have written about the “sequester” budget cuts?
a) Bob Woodward
The Obama official, economic advisor, Gene Sperling, has released the entire email exchange in an effort to show that no threat was intended.
https://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/27/bob-woodward-says-he-was-threatened-by-white-house/
7) Who recently became the first African-American woman to have her likeness commemorated with a statue at the U.S. Capitol?
c) Rosa Parks
Parks became famous when she refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955.
8) What tech company recently announced that it will no longer allow its employees to work from home?
d) Yahoo
New Yahoo CEO implemented the policy in an effort to foster more face-to-face cooperation and collaboration.
9) A new report from security firm Mandiant claims that what organization has hacked the files of over 100 American organizations including banks, power grids, and the New York Times?
c) China’s military
The Chinese government has denied the claims.
10) According to a recent study, what is the happiest state in America?
c) Hawaii
The study was conducted through analysis of geo-marked tweets from residents of each state. While Hawaii topped the happiness scale, Louisiana was at the bottom of the list.
https://www.cnn.com/2013/02/19/tech/social-media/twitter-happiness