1) Russia was recently kicked out of what organization as a result of its annexation of Crimea?
d) The Group of 8
The G8 is a group of the world’s most industrialized democracies.
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/25/world/europe/obama-russia-crimea.html?hp&_r=0
2) What head of state met with President Obama last week?
a) Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
President Obama gave the pope a bag of seeds to plant, and the pope gave the president two medallions and a book.
https://www.cnn.com/2014/03/26/politics/obama-pope-meeting-politics/
3) A mudslide in this state killed at least 17 last week. What state?
c) Washington
Rescuers are still searching for survivors.
https://www.cnn.com/2014/03/29/us/washington-landslide/index.html?iref=allsearch
4) According to the White House, how many people have signed up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act?
c) 6,000,000
While that is short of the CBO’s prediction that 7,000,000 would sign up, it is consistent with the White House’s own projection. The deadline to sign up is March 31.
5) What state recently raised its minimum wage to $10.10 an hour?
d) Connecticut
The minimum wage in Connecticut is currently $8.70 and the increase will be phased in over three years.
https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/27/syria-crisis-turkey-idUSL5N0MO5DI20140327
6) The National Labor Relations Board recently allowed a group of football players at this university to unionize?
c) Northwestern University
The Board made the ruling because it determined that the players were “employees” under the law.
https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/26/us-usa-employment-football-idUSBREA2P1YF20140326
7) Gay couples got married in this country for the first time last week. What country?
c) England
Gay marriages will become legal in Scotland later this year, but Northern Ireland does not intend to change its current marriage laws.
https://theweek.com/article/index/259005/speedreads-first-same-sex-couples-marry-in-england-wales
8) Doctors in this country recently replaced a human skull with a plastic skull printed on a 3D printer. What country?
b) The Netherlands
The surgery took 23 hours.
9) The prime minister of this country recently shut down You Tube and vowed to destroy Twitter. What country?
a) Turkey
The prime minister, Taycip Erdowan, believes that his opponents are using social media to destroy him.
https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/27/syria-crisis-turkey-idUSL5N0MO5DI20140327
10) On the recently released list of the hottest years in recorded history, where did 2013 fall?
d) Sixth
One of the only places in the world that was cooler than normal was the central US.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11226101
11) The government of Egypt recently sentenced 529 members of this group to death. What group?
d) Muslim Brotherhood
The group was sentenced in relation to clashes that took place in August between the government and the Brotherhood.
https://time.com/35203/egypt-sentences-529-muslim-brotherhood-members-to-death/
12) What Major League Baseball player agreed to a record setting contract last year?
c) Miguel Cabrera
The deal is worth $292 million over ten years.