1) Over 100,000 people are estimated to have died as a result of an earthquake and a tsunami that hit what country?
d) Japan
There are now concerns about the safety of Japan’s nuclear reactors.
https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42058349/ns/world_news-asiapacific/?gt1=43001
2) The United States and the United Nations are currently considering establishing a no-fly zone over what country?
a) Libya
The purpose of the no-fly zone would be to prevent Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi from using his air force against the Libyan rebels.
https://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/10/501364/main20041470.shtml
3) What state recently eliminated the right to collective bargaining for most of its public employees?
d) Wisconsin
There have been protests outside the Wisconsin capitol for weeks and some Democratic senators left the state in an effort to prevent the legislature from achieving the quorum needed to pass the bill. Governor hopes that the new law will allow the state to save money on salaries and benefits paid to public employees.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/10/AR2011031005940.html
4) President Obama recently met with President Felipe Calderon to discuss various diplomatic and political issues. Calderon is the president of what country?
c) Mexico
Obama and Calderon reached an agreement to allow Mexican trucks to operate in the United States and also discussed issues related to immigration, guns, and drugs.
https://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-us-mexico-20110304,0,1896016.story?track%3Drss
5) Last week, the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee held hearings and heard testimony on what controversial issue?
a) The radicalization of Islam in America
Committee Republicans generally found the hearings to be important to national security. Committee Democrats generally found the hearings to be “political theater” based on prejudice.
https://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/11/news/la-pn-muslims-hearing-20110311
6) What space shuttle completed its final mission Wednesday when it landed at Cape Canaveral after a 13 day journey to the international space station?
c) Discovery
The Discovery is the most travelled shuttle in the NASA fleet, having spent 365 days in space. https://news.discovery.com/space/space-shuttle-discovery-landing-110309.html
7) The Supreme Court recently protected the right of the Westboro Baptist Church to do what?
b) Protest military funerals
The case at issue was Snyder v Phelps. The church had been sued for intentional infliction of emotional distress by the father of a slain veteran whose funeral the church picketed. The church pickets military funerals to protest our nation’s tolerance of homosexuality. The Court threw out the lawsuit on the grounds that a verdict against the church would violate their freedom of speech.
8) The state of California recently denied parole to convict Sirhan Sirhan. What crime did he commit?
a) He assassinated Robert Kennedy in 1968
Sirhan now claims to have no memory of the shootings.
https://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/02/national/main20038558.shtml
9) What professional sports league recently locked out its players as the result of a failure of the owners and the players to reach a new collective bargaining agreement?
b) National Football League
This is the league’s first work stoppage since 1987. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/11/AR2011031107057.html
10) Who set a new world record by becoming the fastest person ever to reach one million followers on Twitter?
a) Charlie Sheen
He also held the record for the highest salary per TV episode at $1.25 million for Two and a Half Men. He was fired from the show last week.