JULY 24 2010 QUIZ ANSWERS
1) Earlier this week, Pres. Obama signed a law instituting greater government regulation of what industry?
Answer: b) Financial Services
CNN described the law as the most-sweeping set of changes to America's banking and financial systems since the 1930s.
https://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/07/21/finance.reform/index.html?iref=allsearch
2) On Thursday, Pres. Obama signed a law providing certain Americans with what type of entitlement?
Answer: d) Unemployment benefits to out of work Americans
The bill provides benefits to the unemployed, even if they have already received benefits for 26 weeks. Republicans argued against the extension of benefits beyond the usual 26 week period because it will cause an increase in the deficit.
3) The Democratically controlled House Ethics Committee recently announced that long time Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel will be the subject of the first House corruption trial in more than a decade. What he is accused of?
Answer: a) Failing to pay taxes on a home in the Caribbean
Rangel is also accused of various other financial infractions. The trial could lead to his expulsion from Congress.
https://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/07/23/rangel.profile/index.html
4) Earlier this week, Dem. Gov Joe Manchin announced that he would replace recently deceased U.S. Dem. Senator Robert Byrd with 36 year old Carte Goodwin. Manchin and Goodwin both represent what state?
Answer: c) West Virginia
Sen. Goodwin provided the crucial 60th vote for the unemployment benefit bill described in question 2.
https://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/07/20/senate.goodwin/index.html?iref=allsearch
5) Earlier this week, government employee Shirley Sherrod was fired from her job after portions of a speech she gave became public. Later in the week, she received apologies from the NAACP, Bill O’ Reilly and the White House when it became clear her remarks were taken completely out of context by the media outlets reporting the story. What federal agency did Ms. Sherrod work for?
Answer: d) Dept. of Agriculture
Ms. Sherrod, an African-American, was initially accused of not helping a farmer save his farm because he was white. As it turns out, she did help him save his farm. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/23/AR2010072302469.html
6) Senate Democrats admitted that they were abandoning attempts to pass a major piece of Pres. Obama’s legislative agenda because of a lack of votes. What type of bill were they unable to pass?
Answer: b) An energy bill limiting greenhouse gas emissions
Congress may try to pass a much smaller energy bill in the next few weeks.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/22/AR2010072203614.html
7) What country recently voted to legalize same-sex marriage?
Answer: d) Argentina
Argentina became the first Latin-American country to legalize same-sex marriage. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/world/americas/16argentina.html?scp=2&sq=argentina&st=cse
8) The Senate Judiciary Committee recently recommended Senate confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan. All of the Democrats on the committee voted yes. All of the Republicans voted no, with the exception of what South Carolina Republican?
Answer: c) Lindsay Graham
Kagan is expected to receive Senate confirmation in the next few weeks and to be sworn in before the Court’s October term begins.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/20/AR2010072005850.html
9) According to recent White House forecasts, how large will the federal budget deficit be for fiscal year 2010?
Answer: c) $1.47 trillion
The deficit is the amount by which the government’s expenditures exceed its revenues in a given year. The federal debt – the total amount of money the government owes – is approximately $13.2 trillion.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/23/AR2010072304101.html?hpid=topnews
10) The International Court of Justice of the United Nations recently ruled that nothing in international law prevented this nation from declaring its independence from Serbia in 2008. What nation?
Answer: d) Kosovo
The Court held that while Kosovo had not acted illegally, other countries could decide for themselves whether to recognize Kosovo as an independent state. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/23/world/europe/23kosovo.html?_r=1&hpw