MAY 23 ANSWERS

MAY 23 QUIZ

1) What American businessman announced last week that he has decided not to run for president in 2012?

c) Donald Trump

Trump has made news recently by criticizing President Obama’s educational record and questioning his citizenship. https://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2011/05/17/trump_will_not_pursue_presidency_in_2012/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Today%27s+paper+A+to+Z

 

2) What American businessman announced last week that he is running for president in 2012?

b) Herman Cain

Besides being a radio personality, Cain is also the former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza. He has never held political office.  

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/05/21/businessman-herman-cain-set-join-2012-gop-race/

 

3) What governor of Indiana announced last week that he has decided not to run for president in 2012?

a) Mitch Daniels

Daniels chose not to run because he did not want to put his family through the scrutiny that would accompany a presidential campaign. 

https://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2011/05/22/ind_gov_daniels_not_running_for_president/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Latest+news

 

4) Last week, President Obama gave a speech at the State Department. What was the subject of the speech?

a) Arab-Israeli Peace

President Obama told the Palestinians that he would not support their request for statehood at the United Nations in September. He also told the Israelis that they should use their pre-1967 borders as the starting point of negotiations over land. The Israelis immediately rejected the idea.  

https://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-obama-mideast-20110520,0,543926.story

 

5) What American politician admitted last week that he fathered a child out of wedlock over a decade ago?

d) Arnold Schwarzenegger

The announcement came shortly after the former California governor announced that he and his wife of 25 years – journalist Maria Shriver - were separating. https://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/17/arnold-schwarzenegger-child-with-employee

 

6) The United States government reached its self-imposed debt limit last week. Which of the following is the closest approximation of the current limit?

c) 14.3 trillion

The government must now either pass a law raising the limit or stop borrowing. Because the Democrats and the Republicans have been unable to reach agreement on a course of action that permanently solves the issue, the government has temporarily stopped paying obligations to certain government pension plans in order to stay within the limit. This course of action will prevent a default until August.   https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703421204576325583050561022.html

 

7) The United States has recently imposed sanctions on what international leader?

d) Syrian president Bashar al-Assad

The sanctions are in response to the violent Syrian crackdown on anti-government protestors in the country. Specifically, the sanctions freeze whatever assets al-Assad has in America and make it illegal for Americans to do business with al-Assad. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13444179

 

8) NASA launched what space shuttle for the final time last week?

b) Endeavor

Endeavor is bound for the international space station where it will drop off supplies and conduct various experiments. Among the crowd watching the launch was Congressman Gabrielle Giffords, whose husband Mark Kelly is the Endeavor’s commander. Giffords was shot in January while meeting with her constituents in Arizona. https://www.space.com/11677-nasa-shuttle-launch-endeavour-final-mission-sts-134-liftoff.html

 

9) What social media outlet went public Thursday by allowing investors to buy shares of the company on the stock market (an initial public offering or IPO)?

b) LinkedIn

The initial price for one share of LinkedIn on Thursday morning was $45. By the end of the day Friday, the price had risen to $93. https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/05/linkedin-prices-ipo-at-45-share.html

 

10) What actor agreed to replace Charlie Sheen on the sitcom Two and a Half Men?

d) Ashton Kuchter

Sheen was fired mid-season last year as the result of increasingly erratic behavior. https://www.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/TV/05/13/kutcher.sheen.men/index.html