1) Last week, the Supreme Court decided to hear four cases on what controversial subject?
a) Gay marriage
Specifically, the Court will decide whether the Constitution requires all 50 states to allow gay marriage.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/17/us/supreme-court-to-decide-whether-gays-nationwide-can-marry.html
2) The Supreme Court also decided last week to hear a case about the constitutionality of the use of lethal injection in executions in what state?
b) Oklahoma
The plaintiffs are not challenging the constitutionality of the death penalty itself, but rather the particular combination of drugs that Oklahoma uses when it executes prisoners.
https://www.cnn.com/2015/01/23/politics/supreme-court-oklahoma-execution-review/index.html
3) President Obama gave his State of the Union address Tuesday night. Who gave the official Republican response?
a) Senator Joni Ernst
Ernst is a first-term Republican Senator from Iowa.
4) Last week, President Obama unveiled a proposal to have the federal government begin paying for what?
a) Community College tuition
It is unlikely that the proposal will pass the Republican-dominated Congress.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/01/08/obama-free-community-college/21466969/
5) What former presidential candidate announced that last week that he will “almost certainly” run for president again in 2016?
a) Mitt Romney
To that end, Romney is courting many of his backers and donors from 2008 and 2012.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/mitt-romney-staff-2012-2016
6) A major terror plot was recently foiled in what European country?
d) Belgium
The alleged terror cell was apparently receiving orders from ISIS and was planning a major attack.
https://www.cnn.com/2015/01/15/world/belgium-anti-terror-operation/index.html
7) The king of what country died last week at the age of 90?
c) Saudi Arabia
His brother Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz is the new king.
https://www.cnn.com/2015/01/22/middleeast/saudi-arabia-king-abdullah-dies/index.html
8) According to a recent study, 2014 was the hottest year since scientists first began keeping records in 1880. What was the previous hottest year?
c) 2010
The ten warmest years on record have all occurred since 1997.
9) According to a report recently released by OxFam International, it is estimated that one percent of the world’s population will own what percent of the world’s wealth by 2016?
d) 50%
That percentage has been increasing in recent years.
10) A pipeline oil spill recently dumped 50,000 gallons of oil into what American river?
d) Yellowstone River
Residents have been told not to drink the water.
https://www.cnn.com/2015/01/20/us/yellowstone-river-spill/index.html
11) What NFL team has been involved in a scandal called Deflategate?
b) New England Patriots
In their AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts, the Patriots used footballs that were not inflated to league standards.
https://www.cnn.com/2015/01/23/us/nfl-patriots-deflategate/index.html