1. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation vote was Oct. 6, after weeks of sexual assault allegations and an emotionally-charged hearing where Kavanaugh shed tears. Was Kavanaugh confirmed as Justice Kavanaugh?
a. Yes
b. No
2. Sen. Charles Grassley recently announced his intent to apply for a grant from the government farm bailout program intended to help farmers recoup losses from the ongoing trade war with China. Grassley grows corn and soybeans on his farm in Iowa, and soybeans were among the first items the U.S. targeted with tariffs in the trade war. How much did Grassley ask for?
a. $1 million or under
b. Between $1 million and $5 million
c. Between $5 million and $10 million
d. Over $10 million
3. Back in July, the Trump administration faced pressure from U.S. justices to reunite detained children under five with their parents, as part of a longer-term effort to reunite all families separated at the border. The administration has struggled to complete the reunification, due in part to some of the parents having been deported. How many children of deported parents currently remain?
a. Under 50
b. Between 50 and 150
c. Over 150
4. In September this year, the Carolinas were hit by Hurricane Florence. Now, another hurricane is bearing down on the southern U.S. Where is Hurricane Michael supposed to hit?
a. Florida
b. Texas
c. The Carolinas again
5. In late September this year, deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein faced the possibility of losing his job due to reports that he recommended secretly taping President Donald Trump with the goal of removing him from office. After Trump and Rosenstein delayed a Sept. 27, one-on-one meeting in order to wait for the Kavanaugh confirmation to play out, they met on Oct. 8. Many thought Rosenstein would be fired. Did he keep his job?
a. Yes
b. No
Answers:
1. a. The Senate confirmed Kavanaugh in a 50-48 decision on Oct. 6. According to the Los Angeles Times, some on the political left began calling for impeachment before Kavanaugh swore the judicial oath that afternoon. Many mainstream Democratic senators have referred to the impeachment calls as premature.
2. d. Grassley asked for a $12 million grant, according to Roll Call. Grassley argued that he should get the same treatment as everyone else in the bailout because he is a farmer. “It is not something special for Chuck Grassley because he is a senator,” he said in a conference call with reporters on Oct. 3.
3. c. In fact, the true number is 254. Those children remain in “limbo” in the U.S. with their parents deported, according to the Los Angeles Times. In a recent move, the administration transferred hundreds of children who entered the country illegally to a temporary shelter on the border in Texas, in Tornillo. While the children were not targets of the “zero-tolerance policy”, according to policy director at the legal advocacy group Kids in Need of Defense Jennifer Podkul, they were indirect victims of that policy. Both groups are part of the 13,000 children currently held in government custody, the highest number in recent memory according to Kenneth Wolfe, Department of Health and Human Services spokesman.
4. a. Hurricane Michael is expected to make landfall in the Florida panhandle, and according to the Miami Herald, Florida could expect to experience its winds as early as Oct. 10. In the wake of Hurricane Florence, the Carolinas have taken preparations against more heavy rain from Hurricane Michael.
5. a. Trump has kept Rosenstein on, according to Roll Call, and Trump says he has no plans to fire Rosenstein. Rosenstein, who appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller to oversee the Russian election meddling probe, will remain overseeing the investigation.
