1) In the case of Shelby County v. Holder, decided last Tuesday, the Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional Section 4 of what 1965 law?
a) The Voting Rights Act
The law, in an effort to prevent discrimination against racial minorities, requires certain states and certain districts (mostly in the South) to get “pre-clearance” from the Justice Department before changing their voting laws. The Court ruled that the formula used to determine which states and districts must receive “pre-clearance” was unconstitutional because it had not changed since the 1960s. As a result of the Court decision, Congress may not enforce the pre-clearance requirement until updating the formula.
2) In the case of Windsor v. United States, decided on Wednesday, the Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional part of a 1995 law. What law?
d) The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
As a result of the decision, if a gay couple is treated as married by their home state, then the federal government must also treat them as married. On the same day, the Court declined to decide the merits of a California case involving gay marriage, and, by so doing, legalized gay marriage in California.
3) On Monday, the Supreme Court held that colleges and universities may continue to consider an applicant’s race when making admissions decisions, but only when there is no other way for the university to achieve racial diversity. Specifically, the case involved a challenge to the admissions process of what school?
a) University of Texas at Austin
The case was brought by Abigail Fisher, a white woman, who argued that she was unconstitutionally denied admission to the university because of the school’s affirmative action program.
https://www.cnn.com/2013/06/24/politics/scotus-texas-affirmative-action
4) At Georgetown University last week, President Obama gave a major speech outlining his latest plan of action on what issue?
d) Climate change
In his speech, Obama advocated, among other things, new carbon pollution standards, new energy efficiency standards, and new incentives for clean energy production.
https://theweek.com/article/index/246090/5-key-details-from-obamas-big-climate-change-speech
5) Late last week, President Obama visited three countries on what continent?
c) Africa
The president visited Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania. Former U.S. president George W. Bush and Chinese President Xi Jinping also visited Africa last week.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/africa-trip-2013
6) On Thursday, a bipartisan group of Senators passed a massive reform bill by a margin of 68 to 32. The bill would overhaul the nation’s laws in what area?
c) Climate change
The bill includes, among other things, an increase in border security and a 13 year path to citizenship for the nation’s 11 million unauthorized / illegal immigrants. Before becoming a law, the House of Representatives must also pass the bill and the president must sign it. It is unlikely that the House will pass the bill in its current form.
7) Early last week, lawmaker Wendy Davis held a ten hour filibuster (she talked on the floor of the legislature for ten hours straight) in order to prevent the passage of a bill that would have made it very difficult to get an abortion in her state. What state?
b) Texas
During the filibuster, Davis was not allowed to take a break, lean on something for support, or speak off topic. Had the bill become law, it would have banned all abortions after 20 weeks, and it also would have heavily regulated abortion clinics in Texas in an effort to force them to close. The Texas legislature is going to try to pass the law again in a future session. https://theweek.com/article/index/246101/wendy-davis-confounding-filibuster-of-a-texas-abortion-bill
8) Last week, this state executed its 500th prisoner since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. What state?
c) Texas
The prisoner, Kimberly McCarthy, was convicted of stabbing her elderly neighbor to death in 1997. The state with the second-most executions is Virginia with 110.
9) According to a leading conservation group, what species became extinct last week?
a) The African western black rhino
According to the same group, Africa’s northern white rhino is “teetering on the brink of extinction.”
10) Who won the 2013 Stanley Cup?
d) Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks defeated the Bruins 3-2 in Game 6 by scoring two goals in the last 76 seconds of the game.
https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/blackhawks-bruins-head-game-stars-19470504#.UdJC2DuG2So