1. Eight people died in a “mass casualty” event at the music festival Astroworld in Houston on Nov. 5, during the set of what performer?
a. Drake
b. Travis Scott
c. Kanye West
d. Tyler, the Creator
2. What well-known fictional character tweeted on Nov. 6 that they had received a COVID-19 vaccine, drawing outrage from Republicans such as Ted Cruz and former Trump adviser Steve Cortes?
a. Mickey Mouse
b. Homer Simpson
c. Spongebob
d. Big Bird
3. Weber State has received a grant of $1 million from a national foundation in order to support programs geared toward what subject?
a. Nursing
b. Math and science
c. Performing arts
d. Creative writing
4. What COVID-19 restrictions were officially lifted in the U.S. on Monday for the first time in more than a year and a half?
a. Mass gathering restrictions
b. Mask mandates
c. Travel ban
d. Restaurant capacity limits
5. The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan spending bill on Nov. 5 that will provide $1.2 trillion in infrastructure spending. What is the official name of the bill?
a. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
b. Green Infrastructure Act
c. New Green Jobs and Investments Act
d. American Job and Infrastructure Act
Answers:
1. The correct answer is B, Travis Scott. According to Variety, crushing crowd surges during the concert caused several people to go into cardiac arrest and hundreds to be injured, including one police officer, who was stabbed with a hypodermic needle. Scott has announced a refund to all Astroworld attendees and has canceled his upcoming Las Vegas performance on Nov. 13.
2. The correct answer is D, Big Bird. According to NPR, the beloved Sesame Street character tweeted that he had gotten the shot, which has recently been approved for children ages 5-11. Conservative figures and alt-right commentators have decried it as government propaganda and have attacked Big Bird as both a literal and figurative “puppet.”
3. The correct answer is B, Math and science. According to the Standard Examiner, the million-dollar grant comes from the National Science Foundation and will support student scholarships for those pursuing teaching the subjects.
4. The correct answer is C, Travel ban. According to NPR, the U.S. is accepting fully vaccinated travelers at airports and land borders, doing away with a COVID-19 restriction that dates back to the early days of the pandemic.
5. The correct answer is A, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. According to Forbes, the long-awaited bill has been passed by the House after weeks of negotiation between Democrats and Republicans and will not be sent to the president for his signature.
