1. Recently, online retailers have taken more and more buyers out of physical stores by allowing them to make purchases from home and have products delivered right to their front doors. This has caused some big-box retailers to fear for their futures and has forced others into bankruptcy. Which of the following common household names has had to file for bankruptcy?

a. Target

b. Sears

c. Lowe’s

2. Which Ivy League university has recently gone to trial over claims it discriminates against Asians?

a. Harvard University

b. Dartmouth College

c. University of Pennsylvania

3. This last week saw an investigation over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul. Riyadh claimed that Khashoggi was killed in a fight. What did Turkey have to say about that claim?

a. They corroborated Riyadh’s claim, agreeing that Khashoggi was killed in a fight

b. They denied Riyadh’s claim, stating that Khashoggi was the target of a planned plot

c. They denied Riyadh’s claim, but made no counter claim of their own.

4. President Donald Trump has recently claimed which foreign nation is meddling in the November elections?

a. Russia

b. North Korea

c. China

5. Figures show that 36 percent of registered U.S. voters cast ballots in 2014, with 60 percent in 2016. Since these are low numbers among most industrialized nations, many U.S. companies have taken what measures in order to boost voter turnout this year?

a. Offering paid time off work during work hours in order to vote

b. Offering time during work hours to complete voter registration

c. Offering cash incentives for employees who register to vote

Answers:

1. b. As of Oct. 15, Sears Holding Co. has filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection, according to the Chicago Tribune. Founded in 1892, Sears defined nearly 100 years of shopping through its mail-order catalogs. Chairman Edward Lampert will be stepping down as CEO, and 142 Sears locations deemed unprofitable will close by the end of the year.

2. a. Harvard University went to trial Oct. 15, over claims that it discriminates against Asian Americans in admissions, according to the Los Angeles Times. The suit claims Asian Americans academic success has actually worked against them in admissions at the school, and cites a Duke University study of admissions data at Harvard over six years. The study claims the Asian American applicants, who have a 25 percent chance of admission, would have a 35 percent chance if they were white and even higher if they were another ethnic group.

3. b. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a statement saying that Khashoggi’s death was the result of a planned plot, according to Bloomberg News. Erdogan claims to have strong evidence the murder was not accidental and that there were potential collaborators. He has called for the Saudi king to pursue investigations into all culprits, and called for 18 people to be held on trial in Istanbul.

4. c. Trump has claimed Chinese interference in the November elections, according to Bloomberg News. However, cybersecurity firms have not found evidence of Chinese meddling. Intelligence experts at FireEye, a cybersecurity firm employed to combat foreign election interference, and Symantec, which studies perceived threats on social media, have said there are no signs whatsoever of interference from China.

5. a. 44 percent of U.S. firms have offered employees paid time off during work hours to vote in the upcoming November elections, according to Bloomberg news. 44 percent is a record-high, up from 37 percent in 2016.