1) Democrats and Republicans were unable to come to an agreement to increase the federal debt limit last week. What is the current debt limit?
c) 14.3 trillion
The debt limit has been raised 72 times since 1962 and 10 times since 2001.
https://money.cnn.com/2011/01/03/news/economy/debt_ceiling_faqs/index.htm
2) According to current predictions, we will hit the current debt limit on what date?
b) August 2
If the debt limit is not raised by that date, the United States will not be able to pay all of its bills. https://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/n/national_debt_us/index.html
3) A terror attack killed around 20 people in what Asian city last week?
a) Mumbai
As of today, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. https://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/13/mumbai-bomb-blasts-india
4) What 2012 presidential candidate raised $86 million in the most recent three month fundraising period?
b) Barack Obama
Obama outraised the entire Republican field during the three month period. Ninety-eight percent of the money was raised through individual donations of less than $250.
5) The Environmental Protection Agency just set new limits on what?
b) The amount of smokestack pollutants released by power plants
The rules are intended to protect individuals in states that are downwind from power plants located in other states. Critics say that the cost of compliance with the new rules will hurt the economy and cost jobs. https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5icNRdcZkS0G3jPlD4geO1HByIujw?docId=acb1381f70994713b7b32c7e4c85ecdc
6) The House of Representatives voted last week to cut off funding for what?
b) Implementation of efficiency standards for incandescent light bulbs
The standards were established in a law passed in 2007 in an effort to make America more energy efficient. Opponents of the standards argue that mandatory efficiency standards deprive consumers of freedom of choice. The bill cutting off funding is, however, unlikely to pass the Democratically-controlled Senate and would almost certainly be vetoed by President Obama.
https://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/us-house-votes-to-block-light-bulb-efficiency-rules
7) What city experienced “Carmageddon” last weekend?
d) Los Angeles
Experts predicted a traffic disaster because a 10 mile stretch of Interstate 405 was closed for repairs. As it turns out, everything worked out just fine.
https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43765517/ns/us_news-life/
8) School teachers and administrators in this city were implicated in a cheating scandal last week involving falsified standardized test scores. What city?
d) Atlanta
Teachers, principals, and administrators are accused of, among other things, changing student answers on standardized tests. Over eighty of the accused individuals have confessed. They claim to have changed the answers in an effort to insure continued funding for their school that would have been jeopardized by failing scores.
https://www.ajc.com/news/investigation-into-aps-cheating-1001375.html
9) It was recently discovered that this state may not have been properly admitted into the union in 1889. What state?
a) North Dakota
Before being admitted to the union as a state, a territory must enact a constitution that requires its executive, legislative, and judicial officers to swear allegiance to the US Constitution. North Dakota’s state constitution does not require this of its executive officers, but Congress admitted North Dakota to the union anyway in 1889. North Dakota voters will have a chance to amend the constitution and rectify the problem in November. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14142111
10) A group of elected officials has recently called for thirteen counties to secede from their state and form a new state. What state do the counties currently belong to?
b) California
The proposal was approved by the Riverside County Board of Directors and calls for a new state to be formed called South California. The proposal arises out of the board’s frustration with the politics of the state government in Sacramento.
11) What former First Lady passed away last week at the age of 93?
d) Betty Ford
Ford’s triumph over drug and alcohol addiction became the inspiration for the Betty Ford Clinic. https://wtop.com/?nid=209&sid=2451556
12) What former Major League Baseball player went on trial for perjury last week?
b) Roger Clemens
The judge declared a mistrial because the prosecutor showed the jury inadmissible evidence during their opening statement. The government has not yet decided whether to retry Clemens. https://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-clemens-mistrial-20110714,0,1724711.story
13) Who won Major League Baseball’s Homerun Derby on Tuesday night?
c) Robinson Cano
Cano’s father, former MLB pitcher Jose Cano, was his pitcher. https://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/New-York-Yankees-Robinson-Cano-wins-2011-Home-Run-Derby-071111
14) What team won the Women’s World Cup Sunday?
b) Japan
It was Japan’s first World Cup championship. https://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/soccer/07/17/wwc.japan.usa.ap/index.html
15) What celebrity couple announced that they are divorcing?
a) Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony
The couple has been married seven years. https://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/43774656/ns/today-entertainment/