1) In a compromise reached with Senate Republicans Tuesday, Senate Democrats agreed that they would not change Senate rules regarding what?
c) The filibuster
The “filibuster rule” requires 60 votes to cut off debate on an issue. Republicans (currently the minority party in the Senate with 45 out of 100 members) have been using the filibuster rule to their advantage by endlessly discussing Pres. Obama’s nominees for various positions to prevent Democrats from voting to confirm them. Republicans agreed to allow a vote on some of the president’s nominees in exchange for the Democratic promise to leave the 60-vote requirement in place.
2) Secretary of State John Kerry announced last week that what long time adversaries would soon begin peace talks in Washington?
c) Israel and Palestine
The lead negotiators for each side will not meet face to face. Rather, they will negotiate through American Secretary of State John Kerry in an effort to resolve their long standing dispute over land.
https://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/19/israel-palestinian-talks-breakthrough-john-kerry
3) Helen Thomas passed away last week at the age of 92. Thomas was known as a groundbreaking pioneer in what field?
a) Political journalism
Thomas was a White House correspondent or columnist from 1961 until 2010 and covered every president from Kennedy through Obama. When she was a correspondent, she always got to ask the first question at presidential press conferences.
https://www.cnn.com/2013/07/20/us/helen-thomas-obit/
4) What major city declared bankruptcy last week?
b) Detroit, Michigan
The city’s current debt is in the range of 18-20 billion dollars. The filing is the largest municipal bankruptcy in American history. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/19/us/detroit-files-for-bankruptcy.html?hp&_r=1&
5) Many stores are refusing to sell the most recent edition of Rolling Stone magazine because of the picture on the cover. Who is on the cover?
c) Dzhokhar Tzarnaev
Tzarnaev and his brother are accused of carrying out the Boston Massacre bombings on April 15. Critics of the magazine claim that the cover photo is a “glam” shot and makes Tsarnaev look like a rock star.
6) A political activist and critic in this country was convicted last week of embezzling money from a timber company. What country?
d) Russia
The activist, Alexei Navalny, has been protesting the rule of President Vladimir Putin for months and claims that the conviction was politically motivated. Strangely, the Russian government released Navalny a day after he was convicted.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23352688
7) What country recently legalized gay marriage?
b) United Kingdom
The British Parliament passed a law legalizing gay marriage and it went into effect last week when Queen Elizabeth II gave the law “royal assent.” The last time a British monarch refused to give “royal assent” to a law passed by Parliament was in the early 1700s.
8) Last week, Panamanian officials stopped a ship travelling through the Panama Canal because it contained weapons bound for North Korea. What country’s government was responsible for the failed attempt to arm the North Koreans?
d) Cuba
The United Nations has banned the shipment of weapons to North Korea because of North Korea’s unauthorized nuclear weapons program. The weapons on the ship were found hidden in a shipment of sugar.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23339020
9) Last week, the Mexican government arrested Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, a.k.a. “40”, the leader of what drug cartel?
b) Los Zetas
In recent years, the brutally violent Zetas have been involved in not only drug trafficking, but also “extortion, kidnapping, piracy, prostitution and human trafficking.” The car in which Trevino Morales was captured contained $2 million, nine weapons, and 500 rounds of ammunition.
10) Who won golf’s British Open on Sunday?
b) Phil Mickelson
Mickelson shot a 66 on the final day of play for the come-from-behind victory, his first ever at the British Open.
https://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/phil-mickelson-wins-british-open-2013-memorable-finish?eref=sihp