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YoK 2022
2022 Current Events
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1/1/22 Who has become the youngest chess player ever to defeat Magnus Carlsen in his long reign as world champion. | RAMESHBABU PRAGGNANANDHAA,a 16-year-old grandmaster from India, |
| 1/10/22 On January 1st 2022, what man waus8 sworn in as mayor of New York? | ERIC ADAMS |
| 1/10/22 What South African theologian and bishop was known for his anti-apartheid activism? Hailed the "moral conscience" of South Africa, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. | DESMOND TUTU |
| 1/10/22 President Biden signed a law in Jan 2022, banning imports from what Chinese province, unless manufacturers can prove their products were made without forced labor? | XINJIANG, CHINA. |
| 1/10/22 A fuel price increase has prompted mass protests to erupt in what central Asian nation? Russia sent peacekeeping forces to aid President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who has declared a state of emergency. | KAZAKHSTAN |
| 1/11/22 What 35-year old leftist won Chile's presidential election in December 2021? | GABRIEL BORIC |
| 1/11/22 For the first time, in 2021, what Japanese carmaker became America's top-selling car company? Since 1931, General Motors held the top spot, but GM vehicle sales dipped by 13% during the pandemic. | TOYOTA |
| 1/11/22 Three men were convicted in the killing of what 25-year old Black man, who was hunted down and shot while jogging last February in Georgia? | AHMAUD ARBERY' |
| 1/11/22 What British socialite was found guilty of child sex trafficking in connection with Jeffrey Epstein? | GHISLAINE MAXWELL |
| 1/11/22 Novak Djokovic stirred controversy when what tennis tournament granted him a Covid vaccine exemption? | AUSTRALIAN OPEN |
| 1/12/22 Israel has approved a massive construction plan in what region, which was seized from Syria during the Six-Day War in 1967? | GOLAN HEIGHTS |
| 1/12/22 Surgeons in Maryland have performed the first successful transplant of a genetically modified heart from what animal into a human? | PIG |
| 1/12/22 What website is the largest online marketplace for NFTs? | OPENSEA |
| 1/12/22 Millions of dollars have been invested in what kind of real estate, in such places such as the business district of Decentraland? | VIRTUAL REAL ESTATE |
| 1/12/22 A Survey Centre on American Life report published in 2021 showed that one of the highest rates of loneliness occur among what demographic? | AMERICAN MEN |
| 1/13/22 What Puerto Rican rapper, known as the “King of Reggaeton,” is one of the OGs of the genre? He coined the term “reggaeton” in 1994, and features on the rap verse of “Despacito.” | DADDY YANKEE |
| 1/13/22 Don Omar has had a decade-long rivalry with Daddy Yankee for the title of “King of Reggaeton.” Omar is perhaps best known for what 2010 Spanish-Portuguese reggaeton single? | DANZA KUDURO featuring Portuguese artist Lucenzo Omar has also played the character Rico Santos in four Fast & Furious films, and “Danza Kuduro” appears on the Fast Five soundtrack. |
| 1/13/22 What Puerto Rican singer and rapper is known for such reggaeton hits as “El Perdon” and “X”? His 2018 Netflix biographical series is subtitled “El Ganador” (“The Winner”). | NICKY JAM is known for “El Perdon”. He and Daddy Yankee were once part of the duo Los Cangris, which split in 2004. In 2020, they announced that Los Cangris would be releasing new music, dropping the reunion single “Muevelo.” |
| 1/13/22 What Colombian rapper and singer is known for the reggaeton hit “Mi Gente”? | J BALVIN is the Colombian “Prince of Reggaeton.” His breakthrough was 2014’s “6 AM”, which features fellow hit-maker Farruko. |
| 1/13/22 Who is one of the biggest female stars of reggaeton? She is from Colombia, with songs like “Ahora Me Llama,” “Tusa”, and “Secreto,” she won the Latin Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2018. | KAROL G |
| 1/14/22 What Marvel film ended up being the highest-grossing movie of 2021? | SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME |
| 1/14/22 What Korean dating show on Netflix opens with contestants stranded on a deserted island? In order to leave the island, contestants must couple up. | SINGLE'S INFERNO |
| 1/14/22 A spin-off of "The Mandalorian", what Disney+ series is the latest entry in the Star Wars universe, following the adventures of a notorious bounty hunter? | THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT |
| 1/14/22 What school won the 2022 College Football Championship? | UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA BULLDOGS |
| 1/14/22 In the College Football Championship, an ad for YEEZY Gap aired during the game on Monday night. The collaboration between Kanye West & Gap has so far had just two products — the hoodie and what extremely popular item? | The Yeezy Gap ROUND JACKET |
| 1/17/22 Youngest woman to fly solo around the earth? | Zara Rutherford |
| 1/17/22 What is Partygate? | PARTYGATE is a scandal involving UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has been accused of attending a bring-your-own-booze party in Downing Street at the height of the pandemic lockdowns in May 2020 |
| 1/17/22 Which royal had his military titles and roles stripped by Queen Elizabeth after a US federal judge allowed a sexual assault case against him to proceed? | PRINCE ANDREW has been stripped of his military titles and roles; he will no longer use the title “His Royal Highness.” Virginia Giuffre has accused him of sexually assaulting her on Jeffrey Epstein’s private island when she was 17-years old |
| 1/17/22 Over the weekend, an underwater volcano erupted near what Pacific island nation, causing ash to rain down on the capital of Nuku'alofa? A tsunami warning was issued as far as the US West Coast. | The Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano near TONGA erupted, |
| 1/17/22 Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general of what alliance, warned last week that they would be ready for "a new armed conflict in Europe" if security talks with Russia failed? | Jens Stoltenberg is the secretary general of NATO |
| 1/18/22 What portmanteau term was coined after a man in Israel was confirmed with having both Covid and the flu at the same time? | As if things couldn't get any worse, it's now possible to have FLURONA — both Covid and influenza simultaneously. |
| 1/18/22 The US Mint has begun shipping quarters with what "Still I Rise" poet's face on them? This is the first in a series of new quarters honoring women who have shaped American history. | MAYA ANGELOU Other women include Sally Ride, Anna May Wong, Nina Otero-Warren, and Wilma Mankiller. Elsewhere, Barbie will be honoring journalist Ida B. Wells. |
| 1/18/22 In early January, China launched a wallet app for what state-run digital currency? | The DIGIYUAN or E-CNY is a digital version of China's currency run by the People's Bank of China |
| 1/18/22 In November 2021, Disney paid $3 billion for what media company behind the massive smash hits of "Cocomelon" and "Blippi"? | MOONBUG ENTERTAINMENT is the company behind "Cocomelon" and other children's hits. |
| 1/18/22 A German court has convicted an ex-army officer from what country for crimes against humanity? Anwar Raslan was charged with torturing 4000 people at Al-Khatib prison between 2011-2012. | Anwar Raslan was convicted for crimes against humanity; he was a former army officer from SYRIA |
| 1/19/22 Kazakhstan is experiencing nation-wide protests instigated by a fuel price hike. A frequent protest chant is "shal ket!", which means "old man out!" Who is the old man? | The Kazakhstan protesters have been chanting "shal ket!" ("old man out!") in reference to former president NURSULTAN NAZARBAYEV, who was in power from 1990-2019 |
| 1/19/22 Taiwan and what Baltic nation have established an informal alliance after this Baltic nation allowed Taiwan to open an embassy in its capital last year? | LITHUANIA |
| 1/19/22 Who is the chairman of America's Federal Reserve? He has come under scrutiny as America faces staggering inflation. | JEROME POWELL |
| 1/19/22 West African nations imposed sanctions and closed their borders to what country, after the ruling junta declared elections would be pushed to 2025? | The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has imposed stringent sanctions on MALI |
| 1/19/22 Native American cuisine is on a come-up. However, what pillowy, deep-fried bread has become a controversial point of focus? | While Native American restaurants are having a renaissance around the United States, FRY BREAD has become a controversial touchpoint. |
| 1/19/22 A US federal judge ruled that what type of cheese, popular in fondues, does not have to be produced in Switzerland and France to earn its label? | A US federal judge has ruled that GRUYERE CHEESE does not have to come from the GRUYERE region of Europe in order to be labeled as such |
| 1/20/22 The Tennessee Titans have clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC. What star running back, one of the most productive players in the league, is expected to return from an injury in time for the play-offs? | DERRICK HENRY |
| 1/20/22 What quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals led the team to its first play-off win in three decades during last weekend’s wild card game? | JOE BURROW |
| 1/20/22 The Buffalo Bills stomped the Patriots in their wild card game behind quarterback Josh Allen’s decisive performance. What running back, whose nickname is “Motor”, is essential to the Bills’ play-off hopes? | DEVIN SINGLETARY (#26) |
| 1/20/22 What wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams is one of their highest-scoring targets? | COOPER KUPP (#10) |
| 1/20/22 One critical part of the Bucs defense is what linebacker, nicknamed JPP? | JASON PIERRE-PAUL |
| 1/21/22 Opening in theaters this weekend, what Peter Dinklage-led film is a musical adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play? | CYRANO starring Peter Dinklage and directed by Joe Wright, is a musical adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac. Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays Christian and Haley Bennett plays the ever-elusive Roxanne. |
| 1/21/22 The titular character of a late 2021 Netflix hit and the titular character of a 2022 New York Times best-selling novel both share what profession? | Margaret Qualley stars in “MAID” on Netflix; Nita Prose’s locked-room mystery THE MAID recently hit the New York Times best sellers list. |
| 1/21/22 John Cena stars as the Peacemaker in an HBOMax series spun off from what 2021 DC action film? | HBOMax’s “Peacemaker” is a spin-off of 2021’s THE SUICIDE SQUAD. The series was created by James Gunn and is set after the events of the film. |
| 1/21/22 What singer and actress have gotten engaged in the ultimate goth power coupling? | MACHINE GUN KELLY and MEGAN FOX |
| 1/22/22 The Wagner Group, founded by a crony of Vladimir Putin, is an example of what type of fighting force? It is currently being paid $10 million a month by Mali's government. | MERCENARY FORCES |
| 1/22/22 What western African country joins a line of countries to recently experience a coup? On January 24th, 2022 President Roch Kabore was deposed by the military. | BURKINA FASO |
| 1/22/22 Thailand has become the first Asian country to decriminalize what drug? | MARIJUANA |
| 1/22/22 Can you name all five African countries that have recently experienced a coup? | Chad (April 2021), Mali (August 2020 AND May 2021), Guinea (Sep 2021), Sudan (Oct 2021), and now Burkina Faso (Jan 2022). |
| 1/22/22 If you take the first name of the Oscar-winning director for The Shape of Water and combine it with the last name of a Jason Sudeikis character, you'll get the name of the president of Ecuador. What is it? | GUILLERMO LASSO |
| 1/22/22 The Australian Open concluded over the weekend. While Rafael Nadal won the men's singles title, what female tennis player became the first Australian winner of the Australian Open since 1978? | ASH BARTY |
| 2/1/22 2022 marks the year of what animal? | YEAR OF THE TIGER. |
| 2/1/22 There are 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac cycle. Can you name four of them? | The 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac are, in order: RAT, OX, TIGER, RABBIT, DRAGON, SNAKE, HORSE, GOAT, MONKEY, ROOSTER, DOG, and PIG. |
| 2/1/22 What does it mean if it is your animal’s (of the Chinese Zodiac) year? | Generally, it is considered UNLUCKY when it is your year. |
| 2/1/22 What glutinous balls are eaten as a dessert on Chinese New Year, symbolizing family togetherness? | TANGYUAN |
| 2/1/22 Of course, every kid's favorite Chinese New Year tradition is hong bao, which are what colored packets that include money? | Hong bao, or RED ENVELOPES, are packets of money given during the New Year that every kid gets giddy for |
| 2/2/22 Since 2017, the European Union, led by Italy, has trained and equipped what African country's coastguard to act as a proxy maritime force against boats of migrants? | The LIBYAN coastguard |
| 2/2/22 What Supreme Court Justice announced his retirement last week, intending to step down after the current SCOTUS term ends? | STEPHEN BREYER |
| 2/2/22 Who is the new President of Honduras? | XIOMARA CASTRO |
| 2/2/22 What woman now holds the second-longest Jeopardy! streak of all time, behind only Ken Jennings? Her 40-win streak resulted in net winnings of $1.3 million. | AMY SCHNEIDER is now the winningest woman on Jeopardy!, and holds the second-longest streak on the show with 40 wins |
| 2/2/22 What science fiction middle-grade novel by Donna Barbara Higuera won the 2022 Newbery Medal, an annual literary award given to outstanding children's literature? | THE LAST CUENTISTA follows 12-year old Petra Peña and her family as they attempt to escape Earth before Halley’s comet collides. |
| 2/3/22 What novel written by Andrea Wang and illustrated by Jason Chin, won the Caldecott Medal. | WATERCRESS |
| 2/3/22 What Silicon Valley buzzword refers to a conceptual internet of the future run on public blockchains? | WEB3, also known as WEB 3.0. |
| 2/3/22 What two-word concept describes an emerging financial infrastructure run on blockchains, eliminating the need for intermediaries such as banks and tech platforms? | DECENTRALIZED FINANCE, or DeFi for short. Ethereum is currently the largest host of DeFi blockchain activity. |
| 2/3/22 What Argentinian online marketplace, whose name means "free market", is perhaps Latin America's largest startup success story? Also, what is the purported mission of Altos Labs? | MERCADOLIBRE is one of the most highly-valued companies in Latin America, often dubbed the "Amazon of Argentina." REVERSE THE PROCESS OF CELLULAR AGING |
| 2/3/22 Microsoft will be acquiring what video-game company for $69 billion, the largest acquisition in video game history? This company is known for developing such games as Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, StarCraft, and many others. | ACTIVISION BLIZZARD. Once the deal is complete, Microsoft will be the world's third-biggest video-gaming firm, behind only Tencent and Sony. |
| 2/4/22 A man named Caleb who worked at what furniture store became the subject of a viral TikTok hashtag? A number of New York City woman discovered they had all dated and been ghosted by the same man. | WEST ELM CALEB |
| 2/4/22 What hipster aesthetic, which can be defined by American Apparel wear, leggings, those tank tops with huge arm holes, and side swept bangs, is Gen Z reviving? | INDIE SLEAZE |
| 2/4/22 What fashion trend of the 2010s, defined as excessively quaint or sentimental, is also experiencing a revival? Zooey Deschanel is credited with being one of the OG inspirations for this aesthetic. | TWEE |
| 2/4/22 What name has been given to the aesthetic defined by Ralph Lauren and Blair Waldorf (ala "Gossip Girl")? It has alternately been given the name "dark academia." | OLD MONEY |
| 2/4/22 Do you listen to X?" has become a code phrase to identify women who love other women. What queer, indie pop artist from Norway is X? | GIRL IN RED |
| 2/5/22 Who's just become the first Irish woman to win on the LPGA (Feb 2022) | Leona Maguire |
| 2/5/22 1st and only woman to be drafted by an NBA Team? | Lusia Harris-Stewart (New Orleans Jazz) |
| 2/5/22 Legendary Indian Singer who passed away Feb 2022 | LATA MANGESKHAR The Nightingale of Bollywood |
| 2/7/22 "Freedom Convoy" is an ongoing protest movement in Canada over Covid vaccine requirements by members of what profession? | TRUCKERS |
| 2/7/22 The Washington Football Team has announced a new name. What is it? | WASHINGTON COMMANDERS |
| 2/7/22 Queen Elizabeth II is the first British monarch to reign for 70 years. What kind of jubilee did she celebrate yesterday (2/6/22)? | PLATINUM JUBILEE Her diet of “a glass of champagne before bed every day” is really doing wonders for her. |
| 2/7/22 A BTG is a Russian army unit consisting of around 800 troops. What does BTG stand for? | BATTALION TACTICAL GROUP |
| 2/7/22 What controversial gas pipeline allows Russia to deliver gas directly to Europe, bypassing Ukraine? | NORD STREAM 2 |
| 2/8/22 What surname is shared by Karen and Nathan, both members of Team USA's figure skating team? | CHEN |
| 2/8/22 What American-born skier has chosen to represent China at these Winter Olympics, drawing controversy in America and widespread support in China? | EILEEN GU |
| 2/8/22 Shaun White is in his fifth (and final) Olympics appearance, but at the stout age of 35, he is no longer the gold medal favorite. Instead, which Japanese snowboarder is expected to take the top spot on the podium for the men's halfpipe? | AYUMU HIRANO |
| 2/8/22 In 2010, Nodar Kumaritashvili was on the verge of becoming the first luger from what country to compete in an Olympics? | Saba Kumaritashvili is the first Olympic luger from GEORGIA. Saba, now 21, is the same age his cousin Nodar was when he died in an accident before the Vancouver games. |
| 2/8/22 Sweden's Niels van der Poel finished in 14th place at the 2018 Olympics. He spent two years away from his sport before returning with a vengeance. This time, he took gold in what speed skating event? | MEN'S 5000-METER SPEED SKATING RACE |
| 2/9/22 In the ongoing struggle between Russia and Ukraine, it may behoove us to know who the important players are. Vladimir Putin of Russia is obvious. Who is the president of Ukraine? | VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY |
| 2/9/22 What is the currency of India? Last week, India's finance minister announced that it would launch a digital version of its currency as early as this year. | India is planning on launching a digital RUPEE, the latest big country to join the virtual currency craze |
| 2/9/22 Venezuela, Sudan, and Lebanon all (unsurprisingly) have the highest inflation rates in the world. But which country currently has the highest inflation rate for any NATO member, with a staggering inflation rate of 48.7% in January? | TURKEY has NATO's highest inflation rate, and continues to battle various financial struggles. |
| 2/9/22 One of the most widely read books during the pandemic, what New York Times best-seller by Bessel van der Kolk explores how traumatic stress affects the brain and body? | Bessel van der Kolk's book THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE has become one of the top-selling non-fiction books during the pandemic. |
| 2/9/22 Those green and yellow squares have been filling your feed for weeks now. What game has The New York Times acquired for seven figures? | WORDLE |
| 2/10/22 What genre of dance music, originating in the Congo basin in the 1940s, is heavily influenced by Afro-Cuban son groups (Son cubano translates roughly to "the sound of Cuba")? In Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, this genre is known as Lingala. | CONGOLESE RUMBA Congolese rumba eventually evolved into a genre known as soukous — some of its biggest stars are Papa Wemba and Tabu Ley Rochereau. |
| 2/10/22 Malagasy Kabary is a form of oratorical art from which African island nation? | MADAGASCAR |
| 2/10/22 The Italian art of hunting and extracting what type of fungi made the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list in 2021? | Italian TRUFFLE HUNTING and extraction requires a set of knowledge and practices that have been passed down orally over the centuries. Italian truffle hunters, known as tartufai, are aided by trained dog |
| 2/10/22 Namur stilt jousting is a tradition dating back to the early 15th century of what European country? | BELGIUM |
| 2/10/22 Gamelan is a type of traditional percussion orchestra from what Asian country? | Gamelan is an INDONESIAN percussion orchestra, consisting of ornate instruments made of hand-forged metal |
| 2/11/22 America the Beautiful 2022 Super Bowl | Jhene Aiko |
| 2/11/22 National Anthem 2022 Super Bowl what Japanese director of Drive My Car was nominated for Best Director? | Mickey Guyton RYUSUKE HAMAGUCHI |
| 2/11/22 Trivia enthusiasts are bemoaning having to remember the lengthy and convoluted title of this Netflix hit. Can you recite the FULL title of the new Netflix parody show starring Kristen Bell, which satirizes the genre of the psychological thriller? | THE WOMAN IN THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE GIRL IN THE WINDOW. |
| 2/11/22 What song by GAYLE has spent four weeks at No. 1 atop the Billboard Global 200? The track is a spiteful break-up song, and it’s made the 17-year old singer a viral hit. | ABCDEFU |
| 2/11/22 What Agatha Christie novel is being adapted into a film starring Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot and Gal Gadot as social heiress Linnet Ridgeway? | DEATH ON THE NILE |
| 2/11/22 Super Bowl LVI's halftime show will feature five of the biggest names in hip hop and R&B. Can you name two of them? | EMINEM, DR. DRE, MARY J. BLIGE, SNOOP DOGG, and KENDRICK LAMAR. Plus 50 Cent. |
| 2/14/22 New York City's mayor decides to take up residence in a hipster neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C. | ERIC ADAMS MORGAN |
| 2/14/22 The tennis tournament that Ash Barty recently won purchases a token from the largest online marketplace for NFTs. | AUSTRALIAN OPENSEA |
| 2/14/22 A new murder comedy series starring Tiffany Haddish becomes embroiled in a scandal implicating Boris Johnson and Downing Street. | THE AFTERPARTYGATE |
| 2/14/22 2022 in the Lunar calendar watches a show following Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin. | YEAR OF THE TIGER KING |
| 2/14/22 The African country that underwent a coup in January 2022 drinks a Greek soup made of white beans, olive oil, and vegetables. | BURKINA FASOLADA |
| 2/15/22 What 36-year old American snowboarder became the oldest woman to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics, doing so in snowboard cross? | LINDSEY JACOBELLIS |
| 2/15/22 What country has swept the luge events at these Olympics, winning all four gold medals in men's, women's, double's, and team relay? | GERMANY walked away with four gold medals in the luge events. NATALIE GEISENBERGER won the women's gold for the third consecutive time in a row |
| 2/15/22 In an unexpected turn of events, what country beat long-time curling powerhouses Sweden and Norway to take the gold in mixed doubles curling? | Amos Mosaner and Stefania Constantini of ITALY won the gold in mixed doubles curling |
| 2/15/22 The Netherlands are no joke in women's speed-skating. What similar sounding first name do the gold medal winners of the women's 1500m, 3000m, and 5000m events share? | The Dutch speed skater who won the women's 3000m and 5000m events is IRENE SCHOUTEN. The Dutch speed skater who won the women's 1500m event is IREEN WUST |
| 2/15/22 What is the name of the Beijing Olympics panda mascot? | BING DWEN DWEN |
| 2/16/22 Russian 15 year old Skater who tested positive at the 2022 Winter Olympics | Kamila Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine |
| 2/16/22 What Apple TV+ show won the 2021 Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series? | TED LASSO |
| 2/16/22 Netflix has announced that they will be adapting a Spanish-language series of One Hundred Years of Solitude, a novel by what Nobel Prize-winning author? | GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ |
| 2/16/22 What Spanish director is behind the film Parallel Mothers, which has been nominated for Oscars this year for Best Original Score and Best Actress in a Leading Role (Penelope Cruz)? | PEDRO ALMODOVAR |
| 2/16/22 What Brazilian race car driver won the Indianapolis 500 in 2021 for a record-tying fourth time? | HELIO CASTRONEVES |
| 2/16/22 What Canadian tennis player lost to fellow teenager Emma Raducanu in the finals of the 2021 US Open? Currently ranked No. 21 in the world, she defeated Naomi Osaka en route to the finals. | LEYLAH FERNANDEZ was the runner-up of the 2021 US Open. |
| 2/18/22 What Netflix show, which follows the real-life story of the so-called heiress who scammed her way into New York's social elite, is the latest effort from powerhouse showrunner Shonda Rhimes? | INVENTING ANNA follows the story of Anna Delvey (real name Anna Sorokin). |
| 2/18/22 Gunna's song "Pushin P" has cracked the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. What does the "P" in "Pushin P" stand for? | The "P" in "Pushin P" stands for PLAYER |
| 2/18/22 A movie starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg as the characters Nathan Drake and Victor "Sully" Sullivan is based on what video game series developed by Naughty Dog? | UNCHARTED is an action-adventure film based on the video game of the same name. The main character Nathan Drake is a treasure hunter who globetrots for ... treasure |
| 2/18/22 What film by Norwegian director Joachim Trier has been nominated for both Best International Feature Film and Best Original Screenplay? | Joachim Trier's film is THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD, which follows a 20-something named Julie as she navigates life and love in modern Oslo |
| 2/18/22 During this year’s Super Bowl half-time show, what rapper made his appearance upside-down, resulting in a slew of memes? | This year’s Super Bowl half-time show was a nostalgic tribute to West Coast rap. 50 CENT made his entrance upside-down, and it’s led to an endless deluge of memes. |
| 2/21/22 In a landmark case, the families of Sandy Hook victims have reached a $73 million settlement with what gunmaker? | Sandy Hook families have reached a $73 million settlement with REMINGTON ARMS. |
| 2/21/22 What African country is the world’s biggest buyer of wheat? The stand-off between Russia and Ukraine has disrupted wheat imports, and as a result, wheat prices have reached their highest levels in almost a decade. | EGYPT is the world's biggest importer of wheat. |
| 2/21/22 The increase in killings of members of the press has been especially concerning in what country? In late January, Roberto Toledo became the fourth journalist murdered in this country in just one month. | MEXICO |
| 2/21/22 ECOWAS, west Africa's regional bloc, will be sending troops to help stabilize what nation after a failed coup attempt? | The coups just keep on coming. ECOWAS has deployed troops to help stabilize GUINEA-BISSAU after a failed coup attempt. President Umaro Sissoco Embal has said that the coup was orchestrated by drug barons. |
| 2/21/22 Wyoming recently made it legal for citizens to harvest what kind of meat, which are animals that have been accidentally hit by vehicles? | ROADKILL |
| 2/22/22 Tinder Swindler is | SIMON LEVIEV |
| 2/22/22 What Russian figure skater has been at the center of controversy after she tested positive for a banned drug? She was nevertheless allowed to skate, but ended up in fourth after a few falls and stumbles. | KAMILA VALIEVA Her teammates Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova won gold and silver, respectively. |
| 2/22/22 What American speed skater won the women's 500m event, becoming the first African-American woman to win a medal in the sport? | ERIN JACKSON who is nicknamed SPEEDY |
| 2/22/22 Canadian turned American Kaillie Humphries took gold and American Elana Meyers Taylor took silver in the inaugural edition of what new Olympic sport, a female-only individual bobsleigh race? | Kaillie Humphries and Elana Meyers Taylor took gold and silver in the first Winter Olympics edition of MONOBOB, an individual bobsleigh event for women only. |
| 2/22/22 What country has proved to be a powerhouse in alpine skiing, winning gold medals in men's downhill, men's giant slalom, women's alpine combined, women's downhill, and women's Super-G? | SWITZERLAND |
| 2/22/22 In a first for this country, what Nordic nation won the gold medal in men’s ice hockey? | FINLAND won the gold medal in men’s ice hockey CANADA won the gold medal in women's ice hockey beating the US. |
| 2/23/22 America isn't the only one dealing with issues of policing. What is the largest police force in Britain known as? It serves the Greater London area and has come under fire for rampant racism, sexism, and homophobia. | METROPOLITAN POLICE. Last year, an officer abducted, raped, and murdered Sarah Everard, a case that made international news. |
| 2/23/22 Kais Saied is the president of what African nation? | TUNISIA |
| 2/23/22 A recent political platform in Spain is known as España Vaciada. What does España Vaciada mean? | España Vaciada translates to “EMPTIED SPAIN”, referring to the emptying rural countryside. The platform claims that the countryside is actively being emptied by neglect, giving young people no choice but to leave for the cities to seek work |
| 2/23/22 Turkey has announced that it will be renaming itself. What will be the new spelling of the country? | Turkey will now be spelled TURKIYE, which is how it’s known in the Turkish language. |
| 2/23/22 The Dayton Accords ended the fighting in what European country? | BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA |
| 2/24/22 What aerospace company is selling tickets to the general public for a trip to space? | VIRGIN GALACTIC has opened up reservations to the general public for a future spaceflight. A ticket costs $450,000, and travelers must pay a $150,000 deposit to secure their seat |
| 2/24/22 What Israeli spyware is named for a mythical winged creature in Greek mythology? | PEGASUS |
| 2/24/22 Who is the current CEO of Disney? He took over from Bob Iger in 2020, and has made streaming his "north star" for the future of the company. | BOB CHAPEK is the current CEO of Disney (Disney really loves its Bobs). His predecessor, Bob Iger, oversaw the acquisitions of Marvel and 20th Century Fox. |
| 2/24/22 We've talked about fintech, we've talked about femtech — what area of tech is marked by start-ups such as Oura Health, Beddit, and Kokoon? | Oura Health, Beddit, and Kokoon are just some of the many companies operating in the arena of SLEEP TECH |
| 2/24/22 What type of device is an autonomous machine that is used to deliver groceries and other goods? | SIDEWALK ROBOT, an autonomous machine used to deliver groceries and other goods. Starship Technologies in San Francisco has estimated that it has already made 2.5 million deliveries with sidewalk robots; Amazon's is called Scout. |
| 2/25/22 The latest iteration of the Batman saga hits theaters this weekend, with Robert Pattinson in the title role. What actress plays Selina Kyle aka Catwoman? | While Robert Pattinson will play Bruce Wayne in The Batman, ZOE KRAVITZ will star as Selina Kyle aka Catwoman. |
| 2/25/22 Euphoria” on HBOMax has perhaps one of the best soundtracks on television right now. What British singer-songwriter is behind much of the score and soundtrack? He won a Primetime Emmy in 2021 for the original song “All for Us.” | LABRINTH is the British singer-songwriter behind the score of “Euphoria.” He won an Emmy for the original song “All for Us,” featuring vocals from Zendaya. |
| 2/25/22 London Fashion Week took place last week. What British brand, known for its brightly colored bodycon cut-out dresses, made sure to have a front row consisting primarily of TikTok influencers? | The London-based fashion brand particularly popular amongst Gen Z women is POSTER GIRL |
| 2/25/22 What NEON documentary, about an Afghani refugee living in Denmark, has been nominated for Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary Feature, and Best International Feature Film, an Oscars first? | FLEE is the Danish animated documentary that has made Oscars history by being nominated for Best Animated Feature, Best Documentary Feature, and Best International Feature Film. |
| 2/25/22 A three-part Netflix docuseries chronicling the rise of Kanye West, told over the span of 20 years, has been given what title, a play on what Ye thinks of himself? | The Netflix docuseries on Kanye West’s career is JEEN-YUHS: A KANYE TRILOGY, a play on the word “genius.” Spanning 21 years, the documentary shares experiences between filmmaker Coodie Simmons and Ye. |
| 3/14/22 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned NATO and Western leaders for refusing to impose what sort of military restriction over Ukraine's airspace? | NO-FLY ZONE |
| 3/14/22 The refugee crisis caused by the invasion has led 2.2 million Ukrainians to flee, resulting in the fastest-growing refugee surge since World War II. Over 1.5 million of them have entered what neighboring country? | POLAND. Over the weekend, the mayors of Warsaw and Krakow, Poland's two largest cities, warned they may no longer be able to cope with the waves of refugees |
| 3/14/22 What port city in Ukraine's south-east has suffered some of the worst damage? Russian troops encircled the city on March 2nd, instigating a siege that has left 1500 civilians dead | MARIUPOL |
| 3/14/22 Part of the US response to Russia's invasion has been to impose severe sanctions on Russia. President Biden has banned the import of what commodity from Russia, causing severe price hikes domestically? | The US has banned RUSSIAN OIL from being imported, causing gas prices to skyrocket more than 30% since the invasion began |
| 3/14/22 What flower has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance? | The SUNFLOWER |
| 3/15/22 What woman has President Biden nominated to the Supreme Court to succeed retiring Justice Stephen Breyer? | KETANJI BROWN JACKSON |
| 3/15/22 What American basketball player of the Phoenix Mercury has been detained in Russia? | BRITTNEY GRINER |
| 3/15/22 As March Madness begins, you may see a number of college athletes doing #sponcon for big brands. This is thanks to last year's Supreme Court ruling, which now allows college athletes to profit off their NIL rights. What does NIL stand for? | NIL stands for NAME, IMAGE, LIKENESS, and college athletes can now use their NIL for economic gain |
| 3/15/22 Roman Abramovich, a Russian oligarch, has had his assets frozen. As a result, the British government has seized control of what English Premier League team, which Abramovich owned? | Roman Abramovich owned CHELSEA, which has now been seized by the British government after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. |
| 3/15/22 What portmanteau term, a mash-up of two previous variants, has been given to the latest variant of Covid? | DELTACRON |
| 3/16/22 South Korea has elected a new president. Who will be succeeding Moon Jae-in for a single five-year term? | South Korea's new president-elect is YOON SUK YEOL (for trivia folks, "Yoon" is the surname here). |
| 3/16/22 Last week, India held critical state elections in five states. What ruling party of Narendra Modi retained power in four of them, including Uttar Pradesh, the country’s most populous state? | Narendra Modi's BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY (BJP) has retained power in four states, including Uttar Pradesh |
| 3/16/22 YOK has previously covered Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, the president of what Central Asian nation? On March 12th, Gurbanguly's son Serdar Berdymukhamedov was chosen to succeed him. | TURKMENISTAN |
| 3/16/22 Hun Sen has been prime minister of what Asian country for 37 years? The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) rotates its chairmanship each year, and 2022’s belongs to Hun Sen. | Hun Sen is the prime minister of CAMBODIA, and has ruled the country for 37 years and counting |
| 3/16/22 After many delays, the government of what country will begin moving its civil servants from Cairo to its New Administrative Capital (NAC)? | EGYPT has a new capital in the form of the New Administrative Capital. The NAC is being built about 30 miles east of Cairo, meant to relive congestion in the big city. The NAC will house Egypt’s main government departments and foreign embassies. |
| 3/17/22 More women lost their jobs during the pandemic than did men. What portmanteau term has been designated to this unemployment phenomenon? | The Covid recession has been nicknamed the SHE-CESSION, as women's employment has been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. |
| 3/17/22 In 2015, the European Union began to restrict the production and import of what type of gases, which are used in refrigeration and air-conditioning? Now, however, they are being smuggled into the EU. | The EU has restricted the production of HYDROFLUOROCARBONS (HFCs), |
| 3/17/22 "Geographical indication" (GI) is a legal label that denotes products as coming from a particular region. What spiky-haired fruit is the first GI to be granted to Benin? | The SUGARLOAF PINEAPPLE is the first "geographical indication" (GI) for Benin. |
| 3/17/22 What tech company connects Elon Musk ), Peter Thiel (co-founder of Palantir Technologies), and Reid Hoffman (co-founder of LinkedIn)? Musk and Thiel both at one time served as CEO of this company while Hoffman served in a senior role. | PAYPAL is the tech company that connects Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Reid Hoffman |
| 3/17/22 What battle royale game from a Singaporean developer was the most downloaded mobile game in the world in 2019? The game has recently been caught in the crosshairs of a struggle between India and China. | FREE FIRE was the most downloaded mobile game in 2019. It is also the highest-grossing mobile game in India, South-East Asia, and Latin America. |
| 3/18/22 What is the title of Pixar's latest film? It follows Mei Lee, a teenage girl who turns into a giant red panda when she gets too excited. | TURNING RED is the latest film from Pixar Studios. It is directed by Domee Shi, a Canadian-Chinese filmmaker behind the Oscar-winning short Bao. “Nobody Like U” is a song from the movie |
| 3/18/22 The Dropout" is a limited series on Hulu that follows the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced founder of Theranos. What actress stars as Holmes? | AMANDA SEYFRIED |
| 3/18/22 What Canadian teenager, whose songs have gained prominence via TikTok, is known for the hit song "You Broke Me First"? | TATE MCRAE is the Canadian artist behind "You Broke Me First." She’s all over Spotify's pop playlists these days with her sad, melodic ballads. |
| 3/18/22 What young adult mystery novel by Karen M. McManus follows four students who are suspected of murdering one of their classmates? It has already been adapted as a television show for Peacock. | Karen M. McManus' novel ONE OF US IS LYING has been one of the top YA hits of the pandemic. Mystery surrounds Bayview High when five students walk into detention and only four walk out alive.” |
| 3/18/22 What two-word slang term means to throw caution to the wind and go senselessly big? It's another way to say "just go for it". | The phrase "SEND IT" means to just go for it, go senselessly big. It can be used to encourage someone to do something reckless, or it can be used to admire someone’s antics, as in "Chloe Kim sent that halfpipe." |
| 3/28/22 Last Wednesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken formally declared that Russian armed forces had committed what two-word act in Ukraine? | WAR CRIMES |
| 3/28/22 What southern port city in Ukraine has been almost completely destroyed by Russian shelling? | MARIUPOL |
| 3/28/22 The war in Ukraine will have repercussions on agriculture worldwide But the region is also a big supplier of what potassium-rich salt, used in fertilizers? | POTASH, |
| 3/28/22 What letter of the alphabet has become a symbol of support for Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine? | The letter "Z" |
| 3/28/22 While the world is distracted by the war in Ukraine, Iran has taken this opportunity to launch missile strikes on Erbil, the capital of what autonomous region of Iraq? | KURDISH region |
| 3/29/22 Ariana DeBose became the first openly queer Latinx actress to win an Oscar, doing so for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. What character, played by DeBose in 2021 and Rita Moreno in 1961, is now the third role to win Oscars for multiple actors? | ANITA Anita joins the Joker (Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix) and Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando and Robert de Niro) as the third character to earn multiple actors Oscar wins. |
| 3/29/22 Jane Campion won Best Director for The Power of the Dog. As such, The Power of the Dog, which went into the night with 12 nominations, earns what uncommon distinction? | With Jane Campion’s win for Best Director, The Power of the Dog earned the uncommon distinction of WINNING BEST DIRECTOR AND NOTHING ELSE. |
| 3/29/22 On Sunday, who became the first person born in the 21st century to win an Oscar? | BILLIE EILISH has become the first person born in the 21st century to win an Oscar; she and her brother Finneas O’Connell won Best Original Song for “No Time to Die.” |
| 3/29/22 After eight nominations across seven different categories, Kenneth Branagh finally took home an Oscar for Belfast in what category? | Kenneth Branagh won the Oscar for BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY for Belfast. |
| 3/29/22 but of course the story of the night belonged to CODA, which became the seventh Best Picture winner to perform a “clean sweep” — winning every award it was nominated for. What were those three awards? | CODA managed to do a clean sweep at the Oscars, winning every award it was nominated for. Those three awards were BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (Troy Kotsur), BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY (Sian Heder), and BEST PICTURE |
| 3/30/22 What prime minister of Pakistan is facing a vote of no confidence? Trivia fact: no prime minister of Pakistan has ever completed a full five-year term in office. | IMRAN KHAN |
| 3/30/22 The president of the United States lives in the White House. Where does the president of South Korea reside? | The president of South Korea lives in the BLUE HOUSE |
| 3/30/22 Due to excessive banqueting culture, what country is one of the world's biggest purveyors of food waste? According to a 2020 report, this country's annual food loss accounts for a third of the world's total. | CHINA has a big food waste problem. |
| 3/30/22 On March 15th 2022, a bankruptcy deal came into effect that reduced what US territory's debt by 80%? | PUERTO RICO |
| 3/30/22 A dishdasha is a white garment for men that flows down to the ankle. What Middle Eastern country has set forth official criteria for its national dress? | A dishdasha is the national dress of OMAN |
| 3/31/22 The British have coined a new term for hybrid workers, an acronym that denotes the days they go into the office. What is it? | A new British term for hybrid workers is TWATS — people who only go into the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. |
| 3/31/22 What portmanteau term is given to package downsizing that is used by some companies to avoid seeming like they are raising prices during a time of inflation? | The term in question is SHRINKFLATION |
| 3/31/22 Hundreds of employees of what company staged protest walkouts last week due to CEO Bob Chapek's silence on Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill? | Hundreds of employees of DISNEY walked out last week |
| 3/31/22 The World Happiness Report, published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, draws on data from 150 surveys. According to the 2022 edition, what Nordic country ranks No. 1 among the world's happiest countries? | FINLAND has taken the mantle for World's Happiest Country for the fifth consecutive year. Denmark comes in at No. 2 with Iceland at No. 3. Meanwhile, the US cracked the top 20, coming in at No. 16. |
| 3/31/22 Diébédo Francis Kéré, an architect from what western African country, has become the first Black person to win the Pritzker Prize, the "Nobel Prize of architecture"? | Diébédo Francis Kéré is an architect from BURKINA FASO, and he has become the first Black person to win the Pritzker Prize. Kéré designed a series of climate-friendly school buildings and libraries in his hometown of Gando. |
| 4/1/22 What animated film, based on a Japanese manga series, follows a young sorcerer who gains control of an extremely powerful spirit? It was the second-highest grossing film at the US box office last week, behind only The Batman. | JUJUTSU KAISEN 0: THE MOVIE |
| 4/1/22 What is the name of Lizzo's reality competition show, in which the singer searches for plus-sized backup dancers for her upcoming tour? | LIZZO'S WATCH OUT FOR THE BIG GRRRLS" |
| 4/1/22 What Apple TV+ limited series tells the story of a Korean family over four generations, living in Korea, Japan, and the US? It is based on the novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee. | PACHINKO |
| 4/1/22 What 2 word term is given to the aesthetic of women partying expensively at night, the 21st century take on the Roaring 20s? It is a reaction to the that girl aesthetic, which blends together girlboss tropes such as avocado toast and yoga/wellness | NIGHT LUXE |
| 4/1/22 What three word phrase, frequently used in finance, has now come to generally mean "make that money" or "accomplish your goals"? It is akin to "get that bread." | SECURE THE BAG" |
| 4/4/22 Russia now seems to be withdrawing their positions around Kyiv and focusing on two cities: the besieged Mariupol in the south, and what city in the north? | Russian troops have withdrawn some of their positions around Kyiv and focused their efforts on two cities: Mariupol in the south and CHERNIHIV in the north. |
| 4/4/22 At this point, Russia may only be interested in retaining control over what eastern region of Ukraine, comprised of the separatist-controlled territories of Luhansk and Donetsk? | Luhansk and Donetsk are two of the larger territories in the region known as DONBAS, which Russia is intent on controlling. |
| 4/4/22 While many EU countries have banned flights from Russia, what city has become a hotspot for thousands of Russians escaping Putin's regime? | ISTANBUL has become a hotspot for Russians escaping their home country; since the start of the war, an estimated 14,000 Russians have moved to Turkey |
| 4/4/22 Violent protests erupted in Colombo, the largest city of what island nation? President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency as protesters attempted to storm his house in anger over the country's economic crisis. | Protests have erupted in Colombo, the largest city of SRI LANKA, prompting the president to declare a state of emergency. |
| 4/4/22 Remember Partygate? Oh how that feels so long ago. What has been the resolution of that scandal? | the Metropolitan Police began handing out £50 fines to 20 individuals connected to the party. |
| 4/5/22 What song by Silk Sonic did a clean sweep at the Grammys, winning all four awards they were nominated for — Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best R&B Performance, and Best R&B Song? | Silk Sonic is a collaboration between Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, and their song LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN managed to take home two of the biggest awards of the night — Song of the Year and Record of the year. |
| 4/5/22 As expected, what singer won Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album, for Sour? | To no one’s surprise, OLIVIA RODRIGO took home Grammys for Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album, for Sour. |
| 4/5/22 In one of the stranger twists of the evening, a musical written by two 20-somethings, which first went viral on Tik Tok, won the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. What hit Netflix show is the musical based on? | THE UNOFFICIAL BRIDGERTON MUSICAL,” written by Emily Bear and Abigail Barlow, won the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. |
| 4/5/22 Doja Cat said “that was the fastest piss of my life” when she rushed out of the bathroom to accept the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for what song, alongside SZA? | Doja Cat and SZA won the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “KISS ME MORE.” |
| 4/5/22 In one of the biggest upsets of the night, what album by Jon Batiste won the coveted Album of the Year prize? | Jon Batiste’s WE ARE won the Grammy for Album of the Year. He is the first Black artist to win the award since Herbie Hancock in 2008. |
| 4/6/22 Last Monday, President Biden proposed a tax on the super wealthy that would charge households with a net worth of over $100 million what minimum income tax rate? | President Biden has proposed a 20% TAX ON THE TOTAL INCOME of households with a net worth of over $100 million. |
| 4/6/22 The Staten Island warehouse of what company became the first to unionize? Elsewhere, the Bessemer warehouse's unionization efforts appeared to have failed again. | The Staten Island warehouse became the first AMAZON warehouse to unionize. At the moment, Amazon is the United States's second-biggest private employer, after only Walmart. |
| 4/6/22 It's not the NBA, it's not the NFL ... one of the most intensely Google searched sports leagues in the world is the IPL. What sport does the IPL play? | One of the most intensely Google searched sports leagues in the world is the INDIAN PREMIERE LEAGUE (IPL), which plays CRICKET. |
| 4/6/22 What cable news channel is the latest to join the streaming business? | CNN has joined the streaming wars with CNN+. |
| 4/6/22 Name the winners of both the men’s and women’s NCAA March Madness tournament. | UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS JAYHAWKS and The UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS |
| 4/7/22 What English-speaking South American country, whose capital lies at Georgetown, is suddenly experiencing an oil boom and a surge of foreign investment? | GUYANA |
| 4/7/22 What is the name of China's digital currency? | China's digital currency is known as the DIGI-YUAN. Already 18% of China's 1.4 billion people are using digi-yuan wallets. |
| 4/7/22 Viktor Orbán won re-election for a fourth term as prime minister of what European country? He has been one of the few European leaders not to denounce Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. | Viktor Orbán has been the long-time right-wing prime minister of HUNGARY |
| 4/7/22 What three countries, which all begin with the letter "C", are respectively the largest producers of aluminum, cobalt, and copper? | The largest producer of aluminum is CHINA, the largest producer of cobalt is the CONGO, and the largest producer of copper is CHILE. I found the following chart to be a fascinating look at which countries currently hold the reins in the "metal rush." |
| 4/7/22 What international scientific research project was launched in 1990 with the aim of mapping the base pairs that make up human DNA? As of last week, it completed its mission. | Last Thursday, THE HUMAN GENOME PROJECT, first launched in 1990, announced it had sequenced the complete human genome for the first time. |
| 4/8/22 What science fiction action film stars Michelle Yeoh as a woman struggling to do her taxes ... before things get multi-dimensional? | EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, written and directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (a directing duo known collectively as "the Daniels") |
| 4/8/22 What Netflix competition show is based on a 2020 meme? Contestants must create hyper-realistic baked goods … which are then sliced open to exclamations of shock. | “IS IT CAKE?” |
| 4/8/22 What is a Tik Tok MUA? | A Tik Tok MUA is a MAKE UP ARTIST on TIK TOK. One of TikTok's biggest MUAs is Mikayla Nogueira, who currently has a deal with e.l.f. Cosmetics (e.l.f., which stands for EyesLipsFace, is an inexpensive cosmetics line popular with the kids). |
| 4/8/22 What Indian Telugu-language period piece has had a strong performance here, coming in third at the domestic box office last week? 4/1/22 | RRR |
| 4/8/22 Also last week, Eater posited that there has been a recent food trend of dishes using ribbon piping that look concerningly like what emoji? | An article that appeared in the March 25th issue of Eater was titled, "It's Time to Talk About ... Poop Swoop Foods." Apparently, swirls that look like the POOP EMOJI are making their way onto dessert menus |
| 4/11/22 World leaders have condemned Russia for committing war crimes in Ukraine. As a result, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Russia's removal from what powerful United Nations body? | remove Russia from the UN SECURITY COUNCIL since Evidence was found of mass executions in Bucha, a town briefly held by Russian troops. |
| 4/11/22 Follow-up: Who has been confirmed to replace Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court of the United States? | KETANJI BROWN JACKSON has been confirmed! She will be the first Black woman to become a SCOTUS justice. |
| 4/11/22 What country in the South Pacific finalized a security agreement with China recently, causing alarm for Australia and New Zealand? | The SOLOMON ISLANDS have reached a security agreement with China, giving China a military presence in the region and causing much consternation amongst New Zealand and Australia |
| 4/11/22 The impact of Russia's war in Ukraine is being felt everywhere. What South American country, headed by Pedro Castillo, declared a state of emergency last week? Violent protests broke out over the high cost of fuel and fertilizers. | Last week, I reported on Sri Lanka's state of emergency over mass protests. This week it's PERU, which had to declare a state of emergency in Lima. |
| 4/11/22 The government of what Asian country has changed its capital’s official name to Krung Thep Maha Nakhon? | The government of THAILAND wants its capital to be internationally recognized as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok). |
| 4/12/22 An investigation is being opened into the murder of 300 civilians in the town of Moura in what west African country? The Wagner Group, a private Russian mercenary force, is accused of being involved | 300 civilians were murdered in MALI |
| 4/12/22 Aleksandar Vucic won a second term as president of what Balkan nation? | Aleksandar Vucic was re-elected as president of SERBIA. Alongside Hungary's Viktor Orban, Vucic has yet to condemn Putin's war in Ukraine or apply sanctions on Russia. Serbia, as it stands, is dependent on Russian gas. |
| 4/12/22 What Baltic nation became the first country in the EU to end imports of Russian gas? If you recall, this nation stirred the pot earlier this year by being one of the few countries to formally recognize Taiwan. | LITHUANIA has been the first country in the EU to end imports of Russian gas. |
| 4/12/22 REVIEW: Inaugurated in March 2022, who is the 36-year old president of Chile? | GABRIEL BORIC is the Millennial president of Chile. Boric has pledged to forgive all student debt, reduce testing in schools, and extend the free public college scheme. His debt forgiveness plan will likely be implemented over the next 20 years. |
| 4/12/22 Vingroup is the largest conglomerate of what Asian country? Vinhomes and Vincome Retail make up 28% of shares in the country's stock market, and their revenues are equal to 2% of the country's GDP. | Vingroup is the largest conglomerate in VIETNAM. The founder, Pham Nhat Vuong, is easily Vietnam's richest man. Vingroup is now attempting to go global, launching VinFast, its electric car division, in North Carolina to the tune of a $2 billion factory. |
| 4/13/22 Francis Suarez is the mayor of what major American city, which has the highest share of foreign-born residents of any American metro area? Suarez, not unlike Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, seems to be staking his reputation on cryptocurrency | Francis Suarez is the mayor of MIAMI. He is the first mayor to say he would accept his salary in bitcoin, and has attempted to put forth a bill that would allow residents to use "MiamiCoin" to pay their bills in cryptocurrency. |
| 4/13/22 The "pizza principle" is a New York economics principle that states that the price of a slice of pizza will always be the same as that of a subway ticket. Due to inflation, this no longer holds true. Which one is now more expensive? | The "PIZZA PRINCIPLE," a mainstay of New York City economics for four decades, no longer holds true. A subway ticket costs $2.75 while a slice of cheese pizza costs more than $3 on average. So much for the New York dollar slice. |
| 4/13/22 As California contends with a mega-drought, what type of process, in which salt or other minerals are removed from seawater, is being considered as a potential alternative for generating fresh water? | DESALINATION is the process of removing salt and other minerals from seawater. |
| 4/13/22 Follow-up: Two weeks ago, Yu Oughta Know reported that Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan faced a vote of no-confidence. What was the outcome? | IMRAN KHAN HAS BEEN OUSTED Shehbaz Sharif has been elected by Parliament to replace Khan. |
| 4/13/22 Highland Park High School in Dallas, Texas One is a Super Bowl winning quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams (2022) World Series championship pitcher for the Dodgers (2020) And one just won the Masters Tournament on Sunday (2022) | MATTHEW STAFFORD CLAYTON KERSHAW SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER |
| 4/14/22 A popular cultural statement for Ukrainians is "Razom nas bahato, nas ne podolaty," which is akin to the Spanish phrase "El pueblo unido jamás será vencido." It was an anthem song by GreenJolly. What does it mean? | TOGETHER WE ARE MANY, WE CANNOT BE DEFEATED |
| 4/14/22 What Ukrainian comedy television show is a political satire created by and starring Volodymyr Zelensky as a high school teacher who unexpectedly becomes president? | SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE. The show ran for three seasons, from 2015-2019. |
| 4/14/22 What type of boiled dumpling, similar to a Polish pierogi, is a nationally beloved dish of Ukraine? | VARENIKI (alternately spelled VARENYKY) is a Ukrainian boiled dumpling that is stuffed with onions, bacon, and cabbage. Ukraine takes great pride in its extremely fertile chernozem, or black soil |
| 4/14/22 Taras Shevchenko was a Ukrainian poet who is considered one of the founding members of modern Ukrainian literature. What nickname is he known by, akin to “The Bard” for Shakespeare? | Taras Shevchenko was a Ukrainian poet also known as KOBZAR TARAS, or simply KOBZAR (the word “Kobzar” means “bard”). Testament is one of his famous poems. |
| 4/14/22 What is the most popular sport in Ukraine? The national team is known as “The Blue and Yellows” and “The Heroes.” | The most popular sport in Ukraine is FOOTBALL (or soccer, for Americans). The top football league is Vyscha Liga, or the Ukrainian Premier League, and its two most successful teams are FC Dynamo Kyiv and FC Shakhtar Donetsk |
| 4/15/22 What two-word directional phrase indicates someone who is experiencing intense yearning? Alternately, it can indicate someone who is "depressingly horny. | The two-word phrase in question is "DOWN BAD." |
| 4/15/22 What two medical conditions, which both start with the letter "A", have appeared a lot in media recently due to Jada Pinkett Smith and Bruce Willis? | Jada Pinkett Smith suffers from ALOPECIA, an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss (which explains why she was upset by Chris Rock's "GI Jane" joke at the Oscar). Bruce Willis announced he would be retiring from acting due to APHASIA |
| 4/15/22 Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, and Swedish House Mafia x The Weeknd will be this year's headliners for what Indio, CA music festival? | COACHELLA kicks off the first of two weekends in Indio, CA this weekend Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd released a song in 2021 titled "Moth to a Flame." |
| 4/15/22 What Apple TV+ show imagines a world in which office workers have their memories surgically divided between their work and personal lives? | SEVERANCE is an Apple TV+ series starring Adam Scott. |
| 4/15/22 Benny is back on the block! Twenty years after their first engagement, what celebrity couple announced they will be getting hitched? | JENNIFER LOPEZ AND BEN AFFLECK |
| 4/18/22 Last week, President Biden used what term for the first time to describe Putin's actions in Ukraine? Biden said it has “become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out even the idea of being Ukrainian.” | President Biden called Putin's actions in Ukraine a GENOCIDE |
| 4/18/22 Follow-up: Gota Rajapaska leads what country, which has been rocked by protests over soaring fuel and food prices? Last week, the country announced it will be defaulting on $51 billion worth of debts | The catastrophic ripple effects of Russia's war in Ukraine continue to ripple outwards. SRI LANKA has defaulted on their debt and looks towards the International Monetary Fund for an immediate bailout. |
| 4/18/22 What African country, which underwent a coup in October 2021 led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, is also seeing daily protests in the capital of Khartoum? | SUDAN is facing an acute hunger crisis. Inflation is officially 260%, but the real number is probably higher. Sudan gets over 80% of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine, and the interrupted supply has caused the local price of wheat to rise 180% |
| 4/18/22 Last Friday, more than 150 people were injured at what Jerusalem holy site after Israeli police clashed with Palestinians? | Clashes erupted last Friday at TEMPLE MOUNT, one of Jerusalem's holiest sites, between Israeli police and Palestinians. |
| 4/18/22 What name has been given to the subvariant of Omicron that is now dominant in 68 countries? | The subvariant of Omicron that is now dominant in 68 countries is BA.2. With the spread of BA.2, Philadelphia has become the first major American city to bring back indoor mask mandates. New York City and Washington, D.C. may follow suit. |
| 4/19/22 What is the only US state that requires fuel service attendants to pump gas? That may soon come to an end as Russia's war in Ukraine causes gas prices to surge. | NEW JERSEY is the only state that prohibits motorists from pumping their own gas, instead requiring an attendant to do so |
| 4/19/22 What former president of Brazil, indicted for the Lava Jato ("car wash") scandal, is back in the spotlight of Brazilian politics, having recently announced his presidential candidacy for the 2022 general election? | LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA |
| 4/19/22 REVIEW: After Imran Khan's ousting, who is the new prime minister of Pakistan? | SHEHBAZ SHARIF, who is the younger brother of former PM Nawaz Sharif, is the new prime minister of Pakistan. He runs the main opposition party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. Sharif inherits a crumbling economy and a balance-of-payments crisis. |
| 4/19/22 Who is the president of Tanzania? She is the only female head of government currently serving in Africa. | The president of Tanzania is SAMIA SULUHU HASSAN, who took over last year upon the sudden death of her predecessor John Magufuli. She is Tanzania's first female president and currently the only female head of government in Africa. |
| 4/19/22 A rural town in the Netherlands has reported what type of food-related robbery? The March 29th 2022 crime has stumped people worldwide. | The rural Dutch town of Fijnaart has experienced a CHEESE HEIST — on the night of March 29th, 3,500 pounds of Gouda were stolen from a local dairy farmer. That's No Gouda! |
| 4/20/22 What genre of music, sometimes known as "digicore," is a maximilaist style of pop defined by electronic, hip hop, and noise tropes? Sophie, A.G. Cook, and 100 gecs are some of the pioneers of this genre. | HYPERPOP is a maximalist style of pop music linked to the LGBTQ community (many of the pioneers of hyperpop identify as trans, queer, or non-binary). Below is "money machine" by 100 gecs, one of my favorite hyperpop songs |
| 4/20/22 Of the six branches of the US Armed Forces, which is the smallest service? | The smallest service of the US Armed Forces is the newest one — the US SPACE FORCE. The other five are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard |
| 4/20/22 What Serbian-American scientist is best known for designing the modern alternating current (AC) induction motor? | NIKOLA TESLA is best known for designing the modern AC induction motor |
| 4/20/22 Taking over in November 2021, Parag Agrawal is the current CEO of what tech company? | Parag Agrawal is the CEO of TWITTER |
| 4/20/22 In the field of mergers and acquisitions, what alliterative term is given to a defensive tactic used by a corporation's board of directors to make a hostile takeover more unappealing? | POISON PILL |
| 4/21/22 On April 4th, a police officer stopped and killed Patrick Lyoya, a 26-year old Black man, causing protestors to take to the streets of what Michigan city? | After video was released of the killing of Patrick Lyoya, protesters took to the streets of GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan. |
| 4/21/22 President Biden is cracking down on what kind of guns, which are untraceable firearms with no serial numbers? These types of guns have been linked to mass shootings and other crimes. | GHOST GUNS, which are manufactured in parts and can be assembled at home. |
| 4/21/22 After years of hype, companies like Amazon, Alphabet, Walmart and others are starting to make deliveries using what technology? | Amazon, Alphabet, Walmart and other companies are beginning to roll out DRONE deliveries |
| 4/21/22 What tech term, abbreviated XR, encompasses both VR and AR? Many companies, including Meta and Microsoft, are betting big on XR. | XR stands for EXTENDED REALITY, a category that includes both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) |
| 4/21/22 Dolly Parton is out here funding vaccines and writing best-selling novels. What novel, written by Parton and James Patterson, has spent five weeks atop the New York Times' Best-sellers list? | The Dolly Parton and James Patterson novel is RUN, ROSE, RUN. The story follows a young woman seeking to be a country star in Nashville ... who happens to be on the run from an abusive past. |
| 4/22/22 What action-comedy movie stars Nicolas Cage as himself, as he goes on a mission to save him and his family from financial ruin? | THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT hits theaters this weekend, a movie in which Nicolas Cage stars as a fictionalized version of himself |
| 4/22/22 What actress with Down Syndrome has appeared in a number of television shows over the last seven years, including a notable recurring role on Netflix's Never Have I Ever? | LILY D. MOORE plays Paxton's younger sister on Netflix's Never Have I Ever. She will become the first actress with Down Syndrome to star as a romantic lead in a Hallmark movie, titled Color My World With Love. |
| 4/22/22 Rihanna is WINNING pregnancy (have you SEEN that Vogue cover shoot? Don't worry, I'll show it to you in a second). Who is her baby daddy? | A$AP ROCKY |
| 4/22/22 What female rapper has come to prominence in recent years with songs like "Tap In" and "Best Friend (feat. Doja Cat)"? | SAWEETIE Saweetie is currently dating Quavo of Migos; Quavo's cousin, Offset, has had a tumultuous relationship with Cardi B |
| 4/22/22 Gen Z slang: what two word term refers to something that impacts you in a special or unique way? | The phrase in question is “HITS DIFFERENT. |
| 4/25/22 Russia has claimed victory in what southern port city of Ukraine? Efforts are being made to create humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians. | Russia has claimed victory in MARIUPOL, a southern port city that has been utterly devastated over the course of the war. Meanwhile, a Russian assault began in the eastern part of Ukraine as Russia seeks to take all of the Donbas region. |
| 4/25/22 Russian officials have said that they plan to seize southern and eastern Ukraine so they can open up a route to Transnistria, a separatist region of what nearby country? | Transnistria is a separatist region of MOLDOVA, and now it seems that Russia's ambitions may be growing beyond Ukraine |
| 4/25/22 What Nordic country, led by Sanna Marin, is now considering NATO membership due to its neighbor's invasion of Ukraine? | FINLAND is considering NATO membership; nearby Sweden is doing the same. Prime Minister Sanna Marin has said that her country will reach a decision by this spring, since "Russia is not the neighbor we thought it was |
| 4/25/22 What financial hub has suffered under China's zero-Covid lockdown policy? 25 million people are trapped in their homes and getting increasingly frustrated by the strict quarantine procedures | SHANGHAI has had a brutal go of it with China's zero-Covid policy. |
| 4/25/22 Earth Day took place this past Friday on April 22nd. The new Netflix docuseries "Our Great National Parks" is narrated by what former US president? | BARACK OBAMA is giving David Attenborough a run for his money. Obama narrates the extremely soothing "Our Great National Parks" docuseries, available on Netflix. |
| 4/26/22 Who has been re-elected as president of France? | EMMANUEL MACRON is once more the president of France, defeating Marine Le Pen with 58% of the vote. |
| 4/26/22 Ukrainians aren't the only refugees in the world. Thailand is currently dealing with a refugee crisis on its border with what neighboring country, which is ruled by a military junta? | MYANMAR (BURMA)'s military junta continues to hound the Karen people, an ethnic minority in eastern Myanmar. |
| 4/26/22 Elsewhere, what country has suffered from an ongoing struggle between Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led coalition? | YEMEN has been torn apart by the ongoing civil war with the Houthi rebels. An estimated 377,000 people have died since the start of the conflict. |
| 4/26/22 A joint report published by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International on April 6th concluded that ethnic cleansing has taken place against what minority group in northern Ethiopia since the start of the country’s civil war? | A joint report from HRW and Amnesty International concluded that hundreds of thousands of ethnic TIGRAYANS from the northern region of Tigray in Ethiopia have been systematically killed or evicted |
| 4/26/22 Indonesia has banned exports of what cooking ingredient? Skyrocketing prices in Indonesia have led the government to take measures to protect the domestic supply. | Indonesia has banned exports of PALM OIL amidst skyrocketing prices at home. |
| 4/27/22 Sea of Tranquility is the latest novel from author Emily St. John Mandel, who came to prominence for writing Station Eleven (now a show on HBOMax). In real life, where can the Sea of Tranquility be found? | While Sea of Tranquility may be Emily St. John Mandel’s latest novel, the real Sea of Tranquility can be found on the MOON |
| 4/27/22 What NBA team was originally established as the Seattle Supersonics, before moving and changing names in 2008? The starting line-up of Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Serge Ibaka, helped lead the team to the NBA Finals in 2012 | The OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER began as the Seattle Supersonics before changing cities and names in 2008. |
| 4/27/22 What is the cat genus that contains lions, tigers, jaguars, and leopards? | The name of the cat genus that contains lions, tigers, jaguars, and leopards is PANTHERA. |
| 4/27/22 US Senator Alex Padilla succeeded what woman after she was elected to higher office? | Alex Padilla is a US Senator from California who succeeded KAMALA HARRIS after she was elected to the office of Vice President. |
| 4/27/22 Max Tegmark’s four levels and Brian Greene’s nine types are classification schemes for what theoretical physics concept? | The theoretical physics concept in question is the MULTIVERSE. |
| 4/28/22 Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has decided to take on what mammoth company, after they spoke out against his Parental Rights in Education (“Don't Say Gay”) law? | Governor Ron DeSantis's latest target is DISNEY |
| 4/28/22 Warner Bros. has completed its $43 billion merger with what other company, making them Hollywood’s latest heavyweight in the streaming era? | Warner Bros. has merged with DISCOVERY in a $43 billion deal. Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) will house content like "Batman," "Game of Thrones," and "Shark Week" under one roof. |
| 4/28/22 What Indian-British man is currently the United Kingdom's Chancellor of the Exchequer? The position is equivalent to America's Secretary of the Treasury. | The UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer is RISHI SUNAK, whose approval rating has plummeted as he navigates inflation and a struggling economy. |
| 4/28/22 What capital city of Karnataka is the start-up capital of India? The city is home to 26 unicorns, which are tech companies valued at $1 billion pre-IPO. | BANGALORE is the start-up capital of India. While San Francisco still houses the most unicorns in one city (136), the rest of the world is developing their own centers of tech innovation, from Beijing to London to Bangalore. |
| 4/28/22 A name that trivia folks might want to remember in coming years is Satoshi Nakamoto. Nakamoto is the pseudonym used by the creator of what digital currency? | Satoshi Nakamoto is the pseudonym used by the creator of BITCOIN. The identity of Nakamoto is unknown, although speculations and theories circle widely over who he really is. |
| 4/29/22 Rapper Jack Harlow has climbed to the top of the Billboard charts with "First Class," finally unseating Glass Animal's "Heat Waves." "First Class" samples what 2006 song by Fergie? | First Class" by Jack Harlow, now sitting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, samples Fergie's "GLAMOROUS. |
| 4/29/22 Please name: A 2018 BBC starring Hugh Grant about the Jeremy Thorpe scandal. A 2021 Prime Claire Foy and Paul Bettany about Margaret & Ian Campbell. 2022 Netflix starring Sienna Miller & Michelle Dockery about a Tory MP having an affair | A VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL.” A VERY BRITISH SCANDAL ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL |
| 4/29/22 Gen Z slang: What two-word term refers to someone or something large? It is often accompanied by the phrase “In awe of the size of this lad.” | ABSOLUTE UNIT |
| 4/29/22 “Funny Girl” returns to the Broadway stage after nearly 60 years. What actress, known for her roles in Lady Bird and Booksmart, stars in the title role? | BEANIE FELDSTEIN plays Fanny Brice in the Broadway revival of “Funny Girl.” Feldstein, who came to fame with roles in Lady Bird and Booksmart, recently starred as Monica Lewinsky in “Impeachment: American Crime Story.” |
| 4/29/22 What concept refers to slowly introducing your significant other to your followers on social media via teasing images? | These days, one needs to consider how they will SOFT LAUNCH their partner to the social media masses. |
| 5/2/22 Follow-up: After a few weeks of high-stakes business drama, what tech CEO is set to acquire Twitter in a $44 billion purchase? | ELON MUSK |
| 5/2/22 Who is the current Secretary-General of the United Nations? While visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv last week, he witnessed Russian missiles strike the city. | ANTONIO GUTERRES |
| 5/2/22 What Central American country, led by Nayib Bukele, is seeing a spike in gang violence? Since March, authorities have arrested some 15,000 people | EL SALVADOR |
| 5/2/22 Speaking of the country mentioned in Question #3, another nation has also announced it will be accepting Bitcoin as legal tender. Which African country is this? | CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC becomes the second country to accept Bitcoin as legal tender, after El Salvador. |
| 5/2/22 What do Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, and Travon Walker all have in common? | all NUMBER ONE NFL DRAFT PICKS |
| 5/3/22 Gazprom, Russia's state-controlled gas company, has announced it will be cutting off supply to what two countries? | POLAND and BULGARIA |
| 5/3/22 After an initially tepid response to the Ukraine crisis, what major European power has finally done an about-turn, with chancellor Olaf Scholz saying his country would gradually wean itself off Russian gas? | GERMANY |
| 5/3/22 What South American country, led by Nicolas Maduro, stands to benefit from the Western world's sudden aversion to Russian gas? | VENEZUELA |
| 5/3/22 what island nation, who is watching the invasion of Ukraine and fearing for what this may bode for their future with a neighboring giant? | TAIWAN |
| 5/3/22 What nation to the south of Russia is afraid that Vladimir Putin may target them next to compensate for his failed invasion of Ukraine? | GEORGIA is nervous that Russia may target them next (Russian officials have already announced plans to secure Transnistria, a breakaway region in Moldova; last week, explosions rocked the region). |
| 5/4/22 Who is the Attorney General of New York? She has spearheaded the investigation into Donald Trump's financial dealings | LETITIA JAMES |
| 5/4/22 On Monday, a leaked document regarding what Supreme Court case suggests that SCOTUS may soon overturn Roe v. Wade? | DOBBS V. JACKSON WOMEN’S HEALTH |
| 5/4/22 What drug, typically used as an anesthetic, is being given serious consideration as a treatment for depression and PTSD? It is also consumed as a party drug and sometimes goes by the nickname "special K." | KETAMINE |
| 5/4/22 What kind of technological process have Alphabet, Meta, Shopify and Stripe teamed up to fund that would deal with the CO2 in the atmosphere? | CARBON REMOVAL TECHNOLOGY |
| 5/4/22 The theme of this year’s Met Gala was “Gilded Glamour.” In this humble writer’s opinion, what Italian fashion house, led by creative director Jeremy Scott, won the theme for the night? | In my humble opinion, MOSCHINO understood the assignment best at Monday night’s Met Gala |
| 5/5/22 Person 1: “Wait you’re joking, I thought Chris Evans was done with the MCU.” Person 2: “Nah, he’s gonna come out of retirement to play Steve Rogers, _ _ _ _ _.” | The phrase that fills in the blank for scenario 1 is “NO CAP,” which means “no lie” or “for real.” |
| 5/5/22 Person 1: “Did you see the winner of the Fattest Bear week?” Person 2: “I did! In awe at the size of that lad. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.” | “ABSOLUTE UNIT,” |
| 5/5/22 Person 1: “I feel like I spend way too much time staring at my screen at all day.” Person 2: “You gotta get some fresh air, go _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.” | TOUCH GRASS |
| 5/5/22 Person 1: “I don’t think you should try snowboarding like that. You’re no Chloe Kim.” Person 2: “Whatever. I’m still gonna _ _ _ _ _ _.” | The phrase here is “SEND IT,” which means to “go for it” and or go recklessly big. |
| 5/5/22 Person 1: “Yeah. And it wasn’t on Stories, it was a full-on Instagram post.” Person 2: “Oh man, homeboy is _ _ _ _ _ _ _. | The phrase here is “DOWN BAD,” which means to be really into someone, experience intense yearning for someone, or be extremely horny for someone. |
| 5/6/22 What song by Latto is a fun, upbeat single off her album 777? It has spent many weeks on the Billboard 100’s Top 10. | The song by Latto is “BIG ENERGY.” It heavily samples Tom Tom Club's 1981 "Genius of Love", and the remix by DJ Khaled interpolates Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy.” |
| 5/6/22 Name the shows: A Hulu show about the double murder of two brothers in Salt Lake City HBO Max show starring Colin Firth as novelist Michael Peterson A Hulu show starring Jessica Biel as a Texas woman who killed her best friend in the 80s | UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN.” THE STAIRCASE CANDY |
| 5/6/22 What comedy play by Selina Fillinger debuted on Broadway in late April? The play, which has a 13-word subtitle, is about “the women in charge of the man in charge of the free world. | POTUS: OR, BEHIND EVERY GREAT DUMBASS ARE SEVEN WOMEN TRYING TO KEEP HIM ALIVE. |
| 5/6/22 Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the latest MCU movie to hit theaters. What character, played by Elizabeth Olsen, has a prominent role in the film? | WANDA MAXIMOFF |
| 5/6/22 Popularized by TikTok, what fitness regimen involves a daily four mile walk in which one must think only positive thoughts? | HOT GIRL WALK Things you are grateful for How you are going to achieve your goals How hot you are |
| 5/9/22 Thirteen US states have passed bans that have been given what two-word term, which would immediately go into effect if Roe is indeed overturned? | TRIGGER LAWS, |
| 5/9/22 Who has been promoted to be the new White House Press Secretary, taking over from Jen Psaki? | KARINE JEAN-PIERRE is the new White House Press Secretary. She is the first Black woman and the first openly gay person to hold the position. |
| 5/9/22 In just one month, the population of what world capital has grown by 17%? | WARSAW, Poland |
| 5/9/22 In a stunning upset, what horse won the 2022 Kentucky Derby? | RICH STRIKE the first win for jockey Sonny Leon and trainer Eric Reed |
| 5/9/22 New vocab: What portmanteau term is given to hybrid travel that combines work and play? | BLEISURE, |
| 5/10/22 What swamp-like savannah, nicknamed the "Green Hell," is a region that stretches across Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina? A new road plans to connect the region from east to west. | GRAN CHACO Note, The BIOCEANIC ROAD CORRIDOR is a massive infrastructure project that will allow farmers and drivers to pass through the Chaco, as opposed to around it, which they've had to do for decades |
| 5/10/22 Northern Ireland held assembly elections last week, and in a breakthrough for Irish nationalism, what party won the most seats to become the biggest party at Stormont? | SINN FEIN |
| 5/10/22 The TTP is the Pakistani arm of what militant Islamist movement? The TTP seeks to oust the Pakistani government and impose sharia law | TEHRIK-I-TALIBAN PAKISTAN |
| 5/10/22 Review: Over a month ago, China signed a security pact with what country in the South Pacific? | China has a security deal with the SOLOMON ISLANDS, creating much alarm among Australia and New Zealand |
| 5/10/22 In an act of satire, what country's transparency association is printing mock banknotes called "Lollars" to galvanize the government in the midst of its worst economic depression? | The LEBANESE Transparency Association is printing Lollars in an act of satire. Lebanon's lira has lost 94% of its value, and inflation has risen over 200% |
| 5/11/22 How many total drivers compete in a season of Formula One racing? | Each Formula One season has ten teams with two drivers each, making that a total of TWENTY DRIVERS in a given season |
| 5/11/22 There are 23 Grand Prixs in the 2022 Formula One season. Which Grand Prix, which takes place in a sovereign city-state, is considered the most glamorous and prestigious event in the calendar? | The MONACO GRAND PRIX CHARLES LECLERC of Ferrari is currently the only native Monagasque driver in F1. |
| 5/11/22 What team, led by Lewis Hamilton and team principal Toto Wolff, has won the constructors’ championship for the last eight consecutive seasons? | LEWIS HAMILTON has been world champion seven times in the last eight years, and his team MERCEDES, led by team principal TOTO WOLFF, has won the constructors' eight times Max Verstappen won last year |
| 5/11/22 The tifosi are the fan base for which team, the oldest and most successful team in Formula One history? | FERRARI |
| 5/11/22 One of the more popular fan favorite drivers is what McLaren driver from Australia? | DANIEL RICCIARDO isn't a household name in the same way that Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen are. |
| 5/12/22 What man, the son of a former dictator, has been elected to become the next president of the Philippines? | FERDINAND “BONG BONG” MARCOS JR. |
| 5/12/22 What author of Hillbilly Elegy won the Republican Senate primary in Ohio? | JD VANCE |
| 5/12/22 Among the 50 US states, which one has suffered the most from the recent hike in fuel costs? Oil constitutes 85% of this state's energy needs, which is exacerbated by its six separate electrical grids. | HAWAII |
| 5/12/22 In Kenya, matatus are colorful minibuses that are known for their vibrant decorations and loud music What is the Filipino equivalent, salvaged from leftover American cars? | While Kenyans have matatus, the colorful Filipino buses that many use to get around are known as JEEPNEYS |
| 5/12/22 What Norwegian soprano is currently the Metropolitan Opera's new star? | LISE DAVIDSEN is the next big thing in the world of opera. The 35-year old Norwegian soprano has taken the opera world by storm |
| 5/13/22 Harry Styles now has two singles that have topped the Billboard Hot 100. What are they? | WATERMELON SUGAR" (2019) and "AS IT WAS" (2022). The latter, released in late March, is the lead single off his upcoming album Harry's House |
| 5/13/22 What incendiary Stephen King novel is getting a remake starring Zac Efron as the father of a pyrokinetic girl? | The remake of FIRESTARTER is out in theaters this weekend. Adapted from the Stephen King novel, Firestarter follows a young pyrokinetic girl (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) who has the ability to set things aflame with her mind |
| 5/13/22 What star of "Sex Education" has been tapped to take over from Jodie Whitaker as the Doctor on “Doctor Who”? | NCUTI GATWA will be the new Doctor, making him the 14th person to play the Time Lord. He will be the first Black actor to play the role |
| 5/13/22 What beloved American chef, who taught us how to master the art of French cooking, is currently experiencing a bit of a revival? | JULIA CHILD |
| 5/13/22 Netflix show based on a graphic novel by Alice Oseman about Charlie, a boy who joins the high school rugby team to get closer to Nick The Hulu movie about a young artist who joins the high school track team to get closer to the girl she likes | HEARTSTOPPER CRUSH |
| 5/23/22 What steel plant was the final holdout for Ukrainian forces in Mariupol? The capture of the plant signaled Russia's complete takeover of the southern port city. | AZOVSTAL STEELWORKS |
| 5/23/22 What two Nordic nations have formally submitted applications to join NATO? | FINLAND and SWEDEN |
| 5/23/22 Shot Sage Blue Marilyn" is a silkscreen painting of Marilyn Monroe by what American artist? Selling for $195 million in May, it became the most expensive American artwork sold at auction. | ANDY WARHOL |
| 5/23/22 Follow-up: What South Asian nation defaulted on its debt last week? Mahinda Rajapaksa, brother of president Gota Rajapaksa, resigned as prime minister on May 9th as protests raged on. | SRI LANKA |
| 5/23/22 The title of the 2022 Pulitzer Prizer winner for Fiction includes the surname of what former prime minister of Israel? | The 2022 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction is THE NETANYAHUS, by JOSHUA COHEN. Set in 50s upstate NY the novel is a humorous fictionalized account of Harold Bloom's encounter with Benzion Netanyahu & eventual Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu |
| 5/24/22 A believer of the "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory was responsible for what tragic, traumatic, and terrible crime on May 14th, 2022? | the BUFFALO MASS SHOOTING |
| 5/24/22 America's Supreme Court isn't the only one causing extreme consternation. Canada's Supreme Court unanimously ruled that perpetrators of violent crimes such as murder or sexual assault can use what type of defense? | Canada's Supreme Court ruled that perpetrators of violent crimes can use EXTREME INTOXICATION as a defense |
| 5/24/22 Shireen Abu Aqleh, a Palestinian-American journalist for what Arabic-language media outlet, was killed on May 11th while reporting on a clash between Israeli Defense Forces and a refugee camp in the West Bank? | AL JAZEERA |
| 5/24/22 The United States is facing a major shortage of what food product for babies? | INFANT FORMULA |
| 5/24/22 Iranian authorities are cracking down on members of what profession in the midst of widespread citizen protests against rising food prices? | FILMMAKERS |
| 5/25/22 For the first time in 31 years, what two teams are involved in the NHL’s "Battle of Alberta"? | The "Battle of Alberta" is arguably the biggest rivalry in the NHL, involving the EDMONTON OILERS and the CALGARY FLAMES |
| 5/25/22 What American golfer won the 2022 PGA Championship this past Sunday? | JUSTIN THOMAS |
| 5/25/22 What 19-year old Spanish phenom is considered the next big star of tennis? | CARLOS ALCARAZ |
| 5/25/22 In a 3-1 win over Barcelona, what French team won the UEFA Women's Champions League for a record-extending eighth time? | OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS FEMININ |
| 5/25/22 On the men's side, what team, which plays in baby blue colors, won this year's English Premiere League title? | MANCHESTER CITY won the English Premier League on Sunday after a 3-2 victory over Aston Villa. “Blue Moon” is the team’s anthem. |
| 5/26/22 As if Covid were not enough to worry about, what disease, with an animal in its name, is now reportedly a virus of concern? | MONKEYPOX or now MPOX |
| 5/26/22 Who will be the next prime minister of Australia? | ANTHONY ALBANESE |
| 5/26/22 What hedge fund led by Gabe Plotkin officially went under last week? It is the largest victim of last year's GameStop and AMC meme stock surge. | MELVIN CAPITAL |
| 5/26/22 What supermassive black hole lives at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy? On May 12th, photos of the black hole were captured for the first time. | SAGITTARIUS A* |
| 5/26/22 In finance, what does the acronym BNPL stand for? BNPL apps such as Affirm, Afterpay, and Klarna are sending Gen Z into debt. | BNPL stands for "BUY NOW, PAY LATER." Gen Z fueled the growth of BNPL apps such as Affirm, Afterpay, and Klarna |
| 5/27/22 What Ukrainian group won the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest? | KALUSH ORCHESTRA won the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Stefania." |
| 5/27/22 What is the name of Kendrick Lamar's latest album, his final album for home label Top Dawg Entertainment? | MR. MORALE & THE BIG STEPPERS |
| 5/27/22 What horror film written and directed by Alex Garland stars Jessie Buckley as a woman who goes on a solo holiday in England, only to become disturbed by people of a specific gender? | Alex Garland's latest is MEN. Garland previously came to prominence for directing Ex Machina and Annihilation |
| 5/27/22 Irish author Sally Rooney has now had two of her books adapted into television series on Hulu. What are they? | "NORMAL PEOPLE" (2020) and "CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS" (2022). |
| 5/27/22 What sequel, opening in theaters this weekend, will be coming out 36 years after its original film premiered? | TOP GUN: MAVERICK |
| 5/31/22 What Texas governor has been criticized for his continued refusal to take action on gun control in the aftermath of the Uvalde school massacre that left 21 children and teachers dead? | GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT |
| 5/31/22 What country, led by Maia Sandu, is currently facing its biggest existential threat from Russia? Last month, Russia claimed they would open up a corridor through Ukraine to the breakaway region of Transnistria. | MOLDOVA |
| 5/31/22 John Lee was chosen to replace Carrie Lam as the leader of what city? Lee most notoriously oversaw the crackdown on pro-democracy protestors in 2019. | HONG KONG |
| 5/31/22 What former tech CEO is the author behind the non-fiction books How to Avoid a Climate Disaster and How to Prevent the Next Pandemic? | BILL GATES |
| 5/31/22 What Mexican driver for Red Bull won the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix? | SERGIO PEREZ (Mexico) won the Monaco Grand Prix, the most prestigious race in Formula One’s calendar. |
| 5/31/22 What Swedish driver for Chip Ganassi Racing won the 2022 Indianapolis 500? | MARCUS ERICSSON (Sweden) won the Indy 500 |
| 6/1/22 From Kenya to Senegal to Burundi to Nigeria, African countries are hurting from the fuel shortage crisis. One reason is because oil is traded in what kind of auction market, in which participants buy a commodity for delivery at a later date? | FUTURES MARKET |
| 6/1/22 What southern African nation, notorious for a spate of hyperinflation in the late 2000s, is once again facing inflationary pressures? | ZIMBABWE |
| 6/1/22 What two north African countries, which have had tensions dating back to the 1963 Sand War, are once again escalating tensions between each other? | MOROCCO and ALGERIA |
| 6/1/22 What country is making a big diplomatic push in sub-Saharan Africa, trying to counter China's dominant influence? One example of their efforts is the Recep Tayyip Erdogan hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia. | TURKEY |
| 6/1/22 Cameroon, Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal represent the five African nations that will be participating in what November/December event this year? | FIFA WORLD CUP |
| 6/2/22 Gustavo Petro and Rodolfo Hernandez will face each other in a run-off for the presidency of what South American country on June 19th? | COLOMBIA |
| 6/2/22 China has signed a bilateral deal with Samoa; meanwhile, what South Pacific island nation will be joining Joe Biden’s Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, meant to counter China's growing influence in the region? | FIJI will be the fourteenth country to join the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, part of President Biden's initiative to counter China's growing influence in the region. |
| 6/2/22 What Spanish team won the 2022 UEFA Champions League, making them 14-time champions? | REAL MADRID are this year’s winners of the most prestigious European football cup, winning their 14th championship on Sunday. CARLO ANCELOTTI becomes the most successful coach in the history of the UEFA Champions League |
| 6/2/22 Follow-up: Russia is still earning billions of dollars each month through oil exports. What has the EU finally decided to do with regards to a Russian oil embargo? | The EU has chosen to enact a PARTIAL OIL BAN on gas supplies from Russia. Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, will also be cut off from the SWIFT cross-border payment system |
| 6/2/22 In the latest example of the absurdity of our times, the hospitality industry is turning cancelled hotel rooms into what kind of tradable tokens? | The hotel industry loses about $100 million a year in last-minute cancellations and no-shows. In an effort to recoup that loss, the hospitality industry is turning cancelled rooms into NFTs. |
| 6/3/22 What 90s style headwear has made a resurgence in the 2020s? Long deemed uncool, these hats are back in style and offer great sun protection. | The BUCKET HAT is officially back |
| 6/3/22 What popular Danish television series, which follows the travails of fictional prime minister Birgitte Nyborg, is back after nine years away? | "BORGEN" |
| 6/3/22 It’s Pride month hoes! Joel Kim Booster stars in what romantic comedy, set at a famous gay escape destination near the southern shore of Long Island? | Joel Kim Booster stars in FIRE ISLAND, a gay romantic comedy inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Queer Asian icons Margaret Cho and Bowen Yang also feature in the movie, which comes out on Hulu today. |
| 6/3/22 The winner of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes festival is Triangle of Sadness, the latest film from what Swedish filmmaker? | Triangle of Sadness is the winner of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes film festival. It is directed by Swedish filmmaker RUBEN OSTLAND, who previously won the Palme d'Or in 2017 for The Square |
| 6/3/22 The duck pout was so last decade. What new trend, in which women look at the camera with a dissociative gaze, allows influencers to express beauty ironically? | DEAD FACE. “Dead Face” is the latest photo-taking trend in which influencers express their beauty ironically, giving the camera a blank expression with rolled eyes. The goal of “LOBOTOMY CHIC” is to look bored and detached |
| 6/6/22 It feels like Queen Elizabeth II is constantly breaking some new record for longest-time-on-the-throne. But just so YOK readers are up on the latest metal-tinged celebrations happening in England, 70 years on the throne marks what level jubilee? | QE2 celebrated her PLATINUM JUBILEE, marking 70 years on the throne. |
| 6/6/22 Follow-up: Back in February, YOK reported that Turkey wanted everyone to call them by its name. Last week, Turkey formally applied to the United Nations to change its name to what? | Turkey would prefer that you call it TÜRKIYE (pronounced Tur-key-yay). The United Nations confirmed receipt of the formal letter, and from here on out, Turkey will be known as Türkiye in all international affairs. |
| 6/6/22 Last week, 14-year old Harini Logan won what annual event? | 2022 SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE after beating out Vikram Raju in a spell-off. The spell-off tested players on how many words they could spell correctly in 90 seconds; Logan spelled 21 out of 26 correctly while Raju managed 15 out of 19. |
| 6/6/22 What province of Canada will be temporarily decriminalizing the possession of such drugs as cocaine, meth, and ecstasy? | BRITISH COLUMBIA |
| 6/6/22 The French Open concluded over the weekend. 6/6/22 Name both winners of the 2022 French Open | IGA SWIATEK, who previously won the French Open in 2020. Swiatek easily took down American Coco Gauff in the finals to take her sixth title in a row and RAFAEL NADAL |
| 6/7/22 What southwestern city was the first US city to earn UNESCO's City of Gastronomy distinction? | TUSCON, ARIZONA CHILTEPIN, the only chili native to North America, is used in dishes here. |
| 6/7/22 What Southern salad, alternately known as Carolina peas and rice, is a dish made of cowpeas, rice, chopped onion, and bacon? | HOPPIN' JOHN SALAD the next day, leftovers are known as "Skippin' Jenny." |
| 6/7/22 Nasi lemak is a dish consisting of fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and wrapped in a pandan leaf. It is the national dish of what Asian country? | Nasi lemak is the national dish of MALAYSIA, and is considered an essential part of a Malay-style breakfast. It can also be found in other parts of southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Singapore, Southern Thailand, Brunei, and the Philippines |
| 6/7/22 What term is given to flat, pan-fried meatballs that are the Danish version of meatballs? | FRIKADELLE are the Danish version of meatballs. The term itself is German, but the dish is associated with Danish and Scandinavian cuisine. One of the contestants this season was a former chef at NOMA, the Copenhagen restaurant long rated #1 in the world |
| 6/7/22 In Mexican cuisine, what fried dough dessert is often flattened into a disk and served with syrup or cinnamon sugar? | BUNUELOS are fried dough fritters that can be found in Spain, Latin America, and Israel, but the Mexican version is flattened and served with cinnamon sugar |
| 6/8/22 The war in Ukraine has shifted away from Mariupol and focused on Ukraine's Donbas region. What city, the most important in the Luhansk Oblast, has Russia seized control of? | SEVERODONETSK |
| 6/8/22 America has re-deployed 500 troops to Somalia to fight what militant Islamist group affiliated with al-Qaeda? | AL-SHABAB |
| 6/8/22 What term is given to companies that have frauded their ESG (Economic, Social, and Governance) credentials? DWS, an asset-management subsidiary under Deutsche Bank, is under investigation for doing so. | ESG investing has been all the rage in recent years as investors demand more socially responsible ways to compound their dollars. However, the practice of faking one's ESG credentials is known as "GREENWASHING |
| 6/8/22 What type of payments system allows people to pay using just a "quick smile" into a camera or a "wave of your hand" over a scanner? | BIOMETRICS PAYMENTS |
| 6/8/22 The National Unity Government is the shadow government that operates in opposition against the military junta ruling over what Asian country? | The National Unity Government claims to represent the people of MYANMAR (BURMA) |
| 6/9/22 If someone says they are “ENBY”, in what way do they identify? | ENBY” is a phonetic pronunciation of “NB,” which refers to a NON-BINARY PERSON. |
| 6/9/22 What portmanteau term is given to a woman who presents herself somewhere between “femme” and “butch”? | FUTCH |
| 6/9/22 In the polyamory community, what term is given to the partner of your partner who is not your partner? | METAMOUR |
| 6/9/22 You’ve heard of bisexuals (attraction to men and women). You’ve heard of pansexuals (attraction to people of all genders). What does it mean if someone is demisexual? | A person who is DEMISEXUAL only feels sexual attraction to someone after they’ve formed a strong emotional bond to them. |
| 6/9/22 For people who don’t want to call attention to their gender, what title can be used in place of Ms. or Mr.? | Mx |
| 6/10/22 Thanks to its heavy usage in Stranger Things season 4, what 1985 Kate Bush song has re-emerged to take number 1 on the iTunes chart? | "RUNNING UP THAT HILL" by Kate Bush |
| 6/10/22 Those darn dinosaurs just keep coming back. What is the subtitle of the latest Jurassic World movie, coming to theaters this weekend? | JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION |
| 6/10/22 Not to be confused with Everything Everywhere All At Once, what HBO series follows a Kansan who struggles to fit into her hometown? | "SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE" |
| 6/10/22 What David Cronenberg film, also out this weekend, stars Lea Seydoux, Viggo Mortensen and Kristen Stewart in a climate-ravaged future | CRIMES OF THE FUTURE |
| 6/10/22 Gen Z slang: what word, used in hip hop culture, is a blend between something that is "true" or "real" and refers to something authentic? | The word in question is TRILL, which is a blend of "true" and "real." Being "too real" is also "trill." The word appears mostly in hip hop culture, no cap. |
| 6/13/22 The House committee created to investigate the January 6, 2021 storming of the Capitol began hearings last week. What Democrat from Mississippi serves as the committee's chairman and what Republican from Wyoming serves as vice-chair? | BENNIE THOMPSON, a Democrat from Mississippi, chairs the House committee investigating the January 6th Capitol riots. LIZ CHENEY, a Republican from Wyoming, serves as vice-chair. |
| 6/13/22 Follow-up: What Central Asian nation was rocked by protests in early January, calling for former president Nursultan Nazarbayev to step away from politics? | KAZAKHSTAN |
| 6/13/22 The Gupta brothers were arrested in Dubai on charges of corruption. The Gupta brothers are being accused of orchestrating one of the biggest instances of state capture in what country? | The Gupta brothers (Ajay, Atul, and Rajesh) pulled off one of history’s largest corruption schemes in SOUTH AFRICA |
| 6/13/22 The Triple Crown races have concluded for 2022. Can you identify which horse won which race? | , Rich Strike won this year’s KENTUCKY DERBY in a huge upset. Early Voting won this year’s PREAKNESS STAKES in Pimlico, MD. Mo Donegal won this year’s BELMONT STAKES in Elmont, NY. |
| 6/13/22 Trinity Rodman is being hailed as the "future of women's soccer" in the United States. At the age of 19, she is the highest-paid player in the NWSL. She also happens to be the daughter of what notorious NBA Hall of Famer? | DOUBLE DOWN DIRTY DEALING DENNIS RODMAN |
| 6/14/22 What Asian country announced in January 2022 that its new capital will be located at Nusantara? | INDONESIA will be moving its capital from Jakarta to NUSANTARA, which means “archipelago” in Javanese. While Jakarta lies on Java, Nusantara will be placed on the east coast of the island of Borneo. Construction is set to begin next month. |
| 6/14/22 Egypt will be moving its capital 40 miles outside of Cairo. What will it be called? | NEW ADMINISTRATIVE CAPITAL (NAC) will eventually replace Cairo as the, well, administrative capital of Egypt |
| 6/14/22 What Asian country has plans to fully shift its capital to Sejong by 2030? | SOUTH KOREA has plans to fully shift its capital from Seoul to Sejong by 2030. Sejong was founded in 2007 as the planned new capital of South Korea. The city was named in honor of King Sejong the Great, the creator of the Korean alphabet, Hangul. |
| 6/14/22 Ciudad de la Paz will replace Malabo as the new capital of what African country? | EQUATORIAL GUINEA |
| 6/14/22 What African city is the world’s “newest” capital city? | JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN is the world’s “newest” capital city, as South Sudan is the world’s youngest country. However, South Sudan is already considering a move to replace Juba with RAMCIEL, a bit farther north. |
| 6/15/22 Follow-up: What former prime minister of Pakistan refuses to go peacefully? After being ousted by a vote of no confidence in April and replaced by Shehbaz Sharif, this man continues to lead "long marches" of protest through the capital. | IMRAN KHAN |
| 6/15/22 What Asian country runs one of the world's biggest and most successful welfare schemes: the Pantawid Pamilyang ________ Programme? | PHILIPPINES. The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Programme, also known as the 4Ps, covers about 4 million households, or about 20% of the population |
| 6/15/22 The Taiwanese have something called "huguo shenshan" or "the magic mountain that protects the nation." It's not an actual mountain, nor is it military might. Instead, the "magic mountain" is what $147 billion industry? | SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY |
| 6/15/22 IPEF is President Joe Biden's new trade pact for Asia. What does IPEF stand for? | The INDO-PACIFIC ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK includes 13 other nations, including Australia, India, South Korea, and Japan |
| 6/15/22 The new Bach Long Bridge has set the Guinness World Record for longest glass-bottomed bridge. In what Asian country can you find it? | VIETNAM |
| 6/16/22 What controversial golf tour is being sponsored by a Saudi Arabian wealth fund? Superstar Phil Mickelson is being paid $200 million to join, more money than Tiger Woods has earned in his entire career. | LIV GOLF is the controversial golf tour being sponsored by a Saudi backed wealth fund. LIV refers to the Roman numeral 54, which is the score one would get if every hole on a par-72 course were birdied |
| 6/16/22 What populous country officially joined the East African Community (EAC)? A spate of attacks from the M23 rebel group has the East African bloc concerned. | the DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO is now a part of East Africa, or at least its membership in the EAC seems to indicate so |
| 6/16/22 In an effort to curb its carbon footprint, New Zealand has passed a law that will tax what specific livestock emission? | New Zealand passed a law that will tax COW AND SHEEP BURPS. |
| 6/16/22 Who is the highest paid female podcaster? Her recently signed $60 million deal with Spotify will give her the second-highest salary for a podcaster, second only to Joe Rogan. | ALEX COOPER is the podcaster behind "CALL HER DADDY," a raunchy sex-and-dating show originally at Barstool Sports. The 27-year old recently signed a 60 million deal with Spotify the highest-paid female podcaster. her listeners are known as the Daddy Gang. |
| 6/16/22 What Latin expression means "at first sight" or "upon first impression"? In civil and criminal law, the phrase is used to indicate that upon initial examination, sufficient evidence exists to corroborate a case. | PRIMA FACIE is the Latin expression meaning "at first sight." It is also the title of a one-woman play starring Jodie Comer on West End |
| 6/17/22 Kamala Khan is Ms. Marvel, the latest superhero to join Marvel's television universe. What Pakistani-Canadian actress plays Khan? | IMANI VELLANI is Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel. "Ms. Marvel" follows an ordinary Pakistani-American teenager in New Jersey who suddenly acquires super powers through a family heirloom. Kamala Khan is Marvel's first Muslim superhero. |
| 6/17/22 Louis Theroux, a BBC documentarian, recorded a rap about money back in the year 2000. Two decades later, a remix by Duke and Jones has gone Tik Tok viral. What DOESN’T Theroux's money repetitively do? | The song "MY MONEY DON'T JIGGLE, JIGGLE, IT FOLDS" has spawned a Tik Tok dance craze |
| 6/17/22 Pixar's latest film follows the adventures of what Toy Story character? | LIGHTYEAR is Pixar's latest. It tells the origin story of the Toy Story astronaut as he embarks on an adventure to outer space. While Tim Allen voices Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story movies, Chris Evans voices Buzz in Lightyear |
| 6/17/22 Proof was released last week to much fanfare on the Interwebs. It is the anthology album for what group, not even 10 years old? On Wednesday, the group announced they would be going on hiatus to focus on solo projects. | Proof is the anthology album from BTS, the world's reigning boy band. The 35-track album includes hits, unreleased tracks, and demos. "Yet To Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)" received its own music video |
| 6/17/22 Every Pride season, a celebrity comes out of the woodwork to announce they're out of the closet. In news that many found unexpected, what Pitch Perfect cast member came out by announcing her "Disney Princess" girlfriend? | REBEL WILSON Wilson showed a picture of her with her girlfriend Ramona Agruma |
| 6/20/22 As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to drag on, the conflict is being considered a war of what type, in which a belligerent attempts to win by wearing down the enemy to the point of collapse? | WAR OF ATTRITION |
| 6/20/22 Review: What American basketball player of the Phoenix Mercury has been detained in Russia since the start of the war? | BRITNEY GRINER of the Phoenix Mercury continues to be detained in Russia, ever since her arrest in March on trumped up charges |
| 6/20/22 What Spanish multinational clothing company is the biggest fast fashion group in the world? Fast fashion is currently experiencing the benefits of “revenge buying” as shoppers emerge from the pandemic in need of new wardrobes. | INDITEX is the Spanish multinational company that is the world’s largest fast fashion group. Inditex owns ZARA, Berksha, and Massimo Dutti |
| 6/20/22 Review: Earlier this year, what Asian capital’s official name was changed to Krung Thep Maha Nakhon? | BANGKOK |
| 6/20/22 Follow-up: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was implicated earlier this year in a scandal known by what portmanteau name? | PARTYGATE |
| 6/21/22 What show won Best Musical? The story follows Usher, a queer black writer writing a musical about a queer black writer writing a musical about a queer black writer- okay you get the point. | A STRANGE LOOP won the award for Best Musical. The title refers to a cognitive science term coined by Douglas Hofstadter wherein a person finds themselves back where they started. EGOT alert: JENNIFER HUDSON is now an EGOT-winner, |
| 6/21/22 The writer of A Strange Loop won the Tony for Best Book. Meanwhile, Myles Frost won the Tony for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for playing a pop star. Both pop star and writer share the same first and last name. What is that name? | The name in question is MICHAEL JACKSON. MICHAEL R. JACKSON wrote of A Strange Loop. Myles Frost, on the other hand, won the Tony for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for playing Michael Jackson in MJ. |
| 6/21/22 The Tony Award for Best Play went to a show about the rise and fall of what American investment firm, which collapsed during the 2008 financial crisis? | The Tony Award for Best Play went to The Lehman Trilogy, about the rise and fall of the LEHMAN BROTHERS. |
| 6/21/22 The Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical went to what Stephen Sondheim show about a New Yorker in their mid-30s under pressure from their friends to find a partner? | COMPANY |
| 6/21/22 The Brits had a field day at the Tony’s this year. SIX: The Musical picked up the Tony for Best Original Score. The show follows the wives of what historical king of England? | SIX: The Musical follows the six wives of KING HENRY VIII. Winning the Tony for Best Original Score |
| 6/22/22 The Game Awards is an annual awards show honoring achievements in the video game industry. What Hazelight Studios game won the 2021 award for Game of the Year? | IT TAKES TWO won the 2021 award for Game of the Year. The game is designed to be multiplayer and does not offer a solo option. Hence, its title. |
| 6/22/22 The video game that people can’t stop talking about this year is what game directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki and made in collaboration with fantasy author George R.R. Martin? | ELDEN RING |
| 6/22/22 What sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn, released earlier this year, is set in a post-apocalyptic version of the Western United States? | HORIZON FORBIDDEN WEST is the 2022 sequel to 2017’s Horizon Zero Dawn. In Forbidden West, the protagonist Aloy leads a group into the frontier to uncover the source of a mysterious plague that kills all it infects |
| 6/22/22 Roblox is the online gaming platform the kids are addicted to. What pet-based game is the platform’s most popular game? | ADOPT ME! is Roblox’s most popular game. Pets are hatched from eggs and grouped into five classes: common, uncommon, rare, ultra-rare, and legendary |
| 6/22/22 What Chinese tech company, whose name means “galloping fast information” and does NOT refer to the use of dimes, is the world’s biggest video game vendor? | TENCENT is the Chinese tech firm that has risen precipitously over the last decade to rule the video game industry. Tencent owns Riot Games, which developed League of Legends, and a 40% stake in Epic Games, which developed Fortnite. |
| 6/23/22 What 2020 Netflix film is an adaptation of the 1968 play of the same name? The film stars a cast of openly-gay actors, including Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer, and more. | The Netflix film in question, produced by Ryan Murphy, is THE BOYS IN THE BAND. The movie tracks a group of gay friends who have lots of DRAMAAAA over the next two hours |
| 6/23/22 What song by Christina Aguilera, Mýa, Lil' Kim, Pink is featured on the Moulin Rouge! movie soundtrack? | Hey sista, go sista, soul sista, flow sista … the song by Christina Aguilera et. al. is “LADY MARMALADE.” |
| 6/23/22 What former mayor of San Antonio and Democratic Party presidential candidate served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Obama? He has also been an advocate for LGBTQ rights in Texas. | JULIAN CASTRO is the earnest former mayor of San Antonio, who also served a stint as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development |
| 6/23/22 What American disco group is known for such hits as “Macho Man,” “In the Navy,” and “Y.M.C.A.”? | VILLAGE PEOPLE |
| 6/23/22 What California city proclaimed May 23rd to be “Stormy Daniels Day” and gave the porn star a key to the city in honor of her legal battle against President Trump? | WEST HOLLYWOOD |
| 6/24/22 Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis hits theaters this weekend. Tom Hanks plays Colonel Tom Parker and Austin Butler stars as Elvis. Vegas”, one of the lead songs off the movie soundtrack, is by what rapper and singer? | So far I’ve heard mixed reviews about Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis. But nevertheless, the soundtrack is bangin’. “Vegas,” by DOJA CAT, uses a sick sample of Big Mama Thornton’s 1953 version of “Hound Dog.” |
| 6/24/22 Drake hit us with a surprise release last week. What is the title of his seventh studio album? | Drake’s latest album is called HONESTLY, NEVERMIND. Once more, Aubrey is in his sadboi feels — people on the Internet have joked that whoever his latest girl was must have done a number on him |
| 6/24/22 Drake wasn’t the only one with a surprise drop. What pop star released “Break My Soul”, a song that is being hailed as an anti-work anthem? | While Drake isn’t doing it for us, BEYONCE most certainly is. “Break My Soul” is the surprise single off of her upcoming seventh album, Renaissance. |
| 6/24/22 What Asian comedian and actor is having a bit of a break-out moment with the movie Fire Island, the Apple TV+ show “Loot,” and the Netflix stand-up special “Psychosexual”? | JOEL KIM BOOSTER |
| 6/24/22 “Hot Girl Summer” was sooo 2019. Already viral on Tik Tok, what chaotic update to “Hot Girl Summer” is 2022 receiving? | FERAL GIRL SUMMER |
| 6/28/22 On June 24th, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision to overturn what landmark case protecting abortion rights? | ROE VS. WADE |
| 6/28/22 In another controversial Supreme Court ruling, SCOTUS released a 6-3 decision last Thursday regarding what kind of gun permits? | CONCEAL CARRY |
| 6/28/22 What man won election on June 19th in Colombia and will become the country's first leftist president? | GUSTAVO PETRO will be Colombia's first leftist president. Francia Marquez will become Colombia's first Black vice president |
| 6/28/22 What country's eight-party coalition government collapsed last week, meaning the country will have to hold its fifth election in four years? Naftali Bennett only lasted a year as Prime Minister | ISRAEL once again finds itself facing elections. Yair Lapid will be the caretaker prime minister, taking over for Naftali Bennet after his eight-party coalition collapsed. |
| 6/28/22 What Golden State Warrior won the NBA Finals MVP trophy this year? | STEPH CURRY |
| 6/29/22 Yesterday, 50 migrants were found dead inside an abandoned tractor-trailer in what Texas city? | SAN ANTONIO |
| 6/29/22 The Cox's Bazar region of Bangladesh has become the largest site of refugee camps in the world. They currently house what Muslim minority group? | Some 1.2 million ROHINGYA live in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, ever since they were driven out of their home country of Myanmar |
| 6/29/22 The UK's controversial deal to send asylum seekers to what African country has drawn backlash in recent weeks? | RWANDA |
| 6/29/22 The Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) announced it would launch a single currency called the eco beginning in 2027. Name the two largest economies in ECOWAS. | ECOWAS is a regional bloc of fifteen countries in West Africa, including the two significant economies of NIGERIA and GHANA |
| 6/29/22 What wartime mobilization law from 1950, which was originally intended as a procurement tool for the armed forces, has President Biden used multiple times this year to handle supply chain issues? | DEFENSE PRODUCTION ACT (DPA) |
| 6/30/22 What team won the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals? | COLORADO AVALANCHE If there’s one player you should remember from the Avalanche, it would be NATHAN MACKINNON, one of their most critical players. For the Avalanche, this is their first Stanley Cup since 2001. |
| 6/30/22 What Russian exclave is sandwiched between Lithuania and Poland? A transit row has stoked fears that Russia could escalate its conflict against NATO. | KALININGRAD |
| 6/30/22 The FDA announced last Thursday that they plan on banning what vaping company's products? | JUUL |
| 6/30/22 In finance, what theory suggests that one can make money by purchasing an overvalued asset and then re-selling it for an even higher price? | The GREATER FOOL THEORY |
| 6/30/22 How much have you been paying to inflation news? Rank the following four countries in order from highest to lowest inflation rates: China, Turkey, United States, United Kingdom. | Turkey - 73.5% inflation rate United Kingdom - 9.1% (it has the highest inflation rate of any G7 country) United States - 8.6% China - 2.1%, doing surprising well |
| 7/1/22 Khaby Lame surpassed Charli D'Amelio in follower count to earn what social media distinction? | KHABY LAME is now the MOST FOLLOWED TIK TOK star. Originally from Senegal but now based out of Italy, Lame is known for his videos in which he silently mocks overly complicated life hacks |
| 7/1/22 What Disney Channel actress, known for playing the dual roles of Liv and Maddie, is the latest Disney kid to transition into having a music career? | DOVE CAMERON |
| 7/1/22 What comedy-drama film on Apple TV+, written and directed by Cooper Raiff, follows Raiff as a college graduate who falls for a young mother portrayed by Dakota Johnson? | The movie in question is CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH |
| 7/1/22 What romance novelist has become a staple of the New York Times best-seller's list in recent years, with hits like Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation? | EMILY HENRY |
| 7/1/22 Gen Z slang: What two word phrase, which could come off as seemingly rude, can one use to tell the other person to stop talking because they understand the point? | "SAY LESS" |
| 7/11/22 What former prime minister of Japan was assassinated on Friday, July 8th while campaigning in Nara? | SHINZO ABE |
| 7/11/22 In more PM news, what prime minister of the UK finally resigned after being plagued by scandal all year? | BORIS JOHNSON |
| 7/11/22 Russian troops have captured Luhansk. If Donetsk falls next, Russia will have completed its takeover of what southeastern region of Ukraine? | Russia's goal from the outset has been to capture DONBAS, the southeastern region of Ukraine |
| 7/11/22 True or False: Based on data aggregated across the country, more than 700 Americans were shot over Independence Day weekend in 2022. | I'm sad to report that the answer is TRUE. Shootings were reported in nearly every US state over Independence Day weekend, resulting in 220 gun deaths. 570 others were wounded |
| 7/11/22 The third of tennis's four Grand Slam events wrapped this weekend. What tennis player representing Kazakhstan won the women's singles event at Wimbledon? | ELENA RYBAKINA became the first person representing Kazakhstan to do so. She beat Ons Jabeur of Tunisia in the finals — Jabeur was the first Arab woman to make any Grand Slam final |
| 7/12/22 Follow-up: The Twitter saga continues to toil on. Elon Musk has decided he no longer wants to go through with his acquisition of Twitter. But it's not over yet! How has Twitter's board responded? | Twitter is suing Elon Musk TO GO THROUGH WITH THE DEAL |
| What South American country has unveiled a new constitution? This constitution was drafted in the wake of huge protests against inequality in 2019. 7/12/22 What South American country has unveiled a new constitution? | CHILE has a new constitution |
| 7/12/22 A state of emergency was declared in what central Asian nation when protests erupted in response to attempts to curtail the autonomy of the province of Karakalpakstan? | The autonomous province of Karakalpakstan exists in UZBEKISTAN. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev had proposed articles to amend the province's autonomy and right to secede |
| 7/12/22 What Omicron subvariant is now the most prevalent in the United States and Europe? | BA.5 SUBVARIANT |
| 7/12/22 Simone Biles, Megan Rapinoe, and Denzel Washington were all 2022 recipients of what highest civilian honor in the United States? | PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM |
| 7/13/22 President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has dropped weeks of resistance after negotiating with Finland and Sweden to extradite what militants from the two countries? | Turkey is seeking the extradition of KURDISH MILITANTS in exchange for their support of Finland and Sweden's bids to join NATO |
| 7/13/22 Robert Golob is the new prime minister of what Balkan nation? He takes over from Janez Jansa, the former PM who was a huge fan of Donald Trump and Hungary's Viktor Orban. | Robert Golob is the new PM of SLOVENIA. Janez Jansa, the former PM, was a Trump fan who railed against a supposed "deep state." |
| 7/13/22 In 1948, what ship brought the first large group of post-war Caribbean immigrants to the United Kingdom? | The EMPIRE WINDRUSH was the ship that brought the first large group of Caribbean immigrants to the UK, and the WINDRUSH GENERATION refers to Caribbean folks who migrated at that time |
| 7/13/22 What Chinese automaker backed by Warren Buffett has surpassed Tesla as the world's biggest electric vehicle producer by sales? | BYD is the Chinese automaker based out of Shenzhen. Backed by Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway, it has surpassed Elon Musk's Tesla as the world's biggest electric vehicle producer by sales. |
| 7/13/22 Follow-up: Protestors stormed the presidential palace of Sri Lanka, breaking into the offices of what president? As a result, this president announced his resignation and is poised to step down from office today | GOTABAYA RAJAPASKA |
| 7/14/22 Follow-up: What former policeman was sworn in as the new chief executive of Hong Kong? | JOHN LEE is the new chief executive of Hong Kong, taking over from Carrie Lam |
| 7/14/22 In late June, Trumpet became the first dog of what breed to win the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show? | Trumpet is the first BLOODHOUND to win the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show What is the most common breed to win the Best in Show category at Westminster?” (Answer: terrier). |
| 7/14/22 What NASA telescope released new amazing images? | NASA’s JAMES WEBB TELESCOPE is releasing its first images of stars and galaxies far, far away |
| 7/14/22 Miki Sudo is the reigning champion in the women's division of what competitive eating competition? | Miki Sudo is one of the big names in the world of competitive eating, and she recently took her eighth NATHAN'S FAMOUS HOT DOG EATING CONTEST. Perennial eater Joey Chestnut took the men's division for the fifteenth time. |
| 7/14/22 Gen Zers are ironically wearing suits to attend screenings of what animated movie? This Tik Tok trend allowed this film to break the Fourth of July box office record. | MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU |
| 7/15/22 What FX show on Hulu follows a Chicago chef who leaves the fine dining world to come home and run his family sandwich shop? | "THE BEAR" is the latest food world show that is all the rage. After his brother's suicide, Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) comes home to run a sandwich shop and contend with the struggles of small business ownership |
| 7/15/22 told you last year that we are living in the age of Afrobeats. On that note, what Nigerian singer released Love, Damini this year? The lead single, "Last Last", peaked in the Billboard Top 20? | BURNA BOY is the Nigerian pop and Afrobeats artist in question. Burna Boy has been in the conversation for a while now — his 2019 album, African Giant, was nominated for Best World Music Album at the Grammy's |
| 7/15/22 What movie, out this weekend, is based on a best-selling novel by Delia Owens? The story follows Kyra, a girl who raised herself in the marshlands of North Carolina. | WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING is a movie based on the novel of the same name by Delia Owens. Daisy Edgar-Jones stars as Kyra, and the movie is produced by Reese Witherspoon's company, Hello Sunshine |
| 7/15/22 What actress plays Dr. Jane Foster, the scientist who becomes worthy of lifting Thor's hammer in Thor: Love and Thunder? | Thor: Love and Thunder is the latest MCU movie out in theaters, and NATALIE PORTMAN gets a turn as the Mighty Thor in this one. Thor must team up with Portman’s Dr. Jane Foster, Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), and Korg (played by director Taika Waititi |
| 7/15/22 Gen Z culture: What type of selfie is taken with an ultra-wide-angle lens, making the subjects distorted and crazy-looking? | This new type of selfie is a 0.5 SELFIE, taken with an ultra-wide-angle lens. The New York Times even did a piece lately on "The Rise of the 0.5 Selfie" (pronounced "point five," not "half") |
| 7/18/22 Review: Yair Lapid is the 14th prime minister of what nation, having taken over from Naftali Bennett earlier in the summer? | ISRAEL |
| 7/18/22 The kip is the currency of what Southeast Asian nation? | The LAO KIP is the official currency of LAOS |
| 7/18/22 "Malos pasos" (Spanish for "wrong path") is an excuse often used to dismiss the 100,000 or so missing victims of what country? | MEXICO |
| 7/18/22 In happier news, Rzeszow is a town in what European country? Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called it "Ukraine's savior city." | RZESZOW, POLAND was called Ukraine's "savior city." T |
| 7/18/22 What poet of Mexican-American descent was named the 24th Poet Laureate by the Library of Congress? | ADA LIMON is the United States’s new Poet Laureate. I have been a long-time fan of Limón, whose fourth book, Bright Dead Things, won the 2015 National Book Award for Poetry |
| 7/19/22 Penny Mordaunt, a trade minister, is one of the front-runners to take over what position? | LEADER OF BRITAIN'S CONSERVATIVE PARTY, and Penny Mordaunt is gunning to be next in line. She faces off against four other candidates, one of whom is former chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak Note! Sunak becomes PM after Liz Truss resigns |
| 7/19/22 Mario Draghi, the prime minister of what European country, attempted to submit his resignation last week, only to be rebuffed by the country's president? | Mario Draghi is the prime minister of ITALY But Giorgia Meloni takes over on 10/22/22 |
| 7/19/22 What major rebel group in eastern DRC, which takes its name from the date it signed peace accords back in 2009, has wreaked havoc, displacing tens of thousands of people in recent months? | One of the more notable Congolese rebel outfits is M23, which takes its name from the March 23rd, 2009 peace accords. Alternately known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army, M23 is led by ethnic Tutsis, who were the main victims in Rwanda's 1994 genocide |
| 7/19/22 What island, known in Ukrainian as Zmiinyi, has become a critical flashpoint in the war in Ukraine? | SNAKE ISLAND or Zmiinyi is located just 45 km from Romania and 140 km from the strategically important port of Odessa |
| 7/19/22 On July 5th, what Ukrainian mathematician became just the second woman in history to win the Fields Medal, the highest honor in mathematics? | MARYNA VIAZOVSKA is just the second woman to win the Fields Medal. She received the award for her work on packing spheres in a space with eight dimensions. |
| 7/21/22 What city in China experienced a "closed-off management" to test about 24 million people for COVID-19 this spring guided by the “dynamic zero-COVID” policy? | Between March 28 and April 5, SHANGHAI, the megacity with a population of over 24 million, was split into two parts to enforce temporary closed-off management to hunt down possible COVID-19 infections |
| 7/21/22 What is China's GDP growth target for 2022, which was set by the government work report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang during the “two sessions”? | around 5.5 PERCENT |
| 7/21/22 What celebrity has taken the internet by storm in China this spring and sparked a fitness wave with his workout livestream on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok? He is a singer and exercises with the fast-paced tunes of his friend Jay Chou's works | The 49-year-old singer LIU GENGHONG, aka Will Liu |
| 7/21/22 On June 5, China launched the crewed spaceship Shenzhou-14, sending three astronauts to its space station for a six-month mission. What is the name of China's Space Station? | The Chinese Space Station is named TIANGONG, "Heavenly Palace." |
| 7/21/22 What is the name of China's third aircraft carrier which was launched in June? It shares a name with a province bordering the Taiwan Strait. | China launched its third aircraft carrier, the FUJIAN, in Shanghai on June 17 |
| 7/22/22 What science fiction horror film is director Jordan Peele's latest effort? | NOPE, starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Steven Yeun, is Jordan Peele's latest movie. |
| 7/22/22 What actress, known for playing supporting characters in "Euphoria" and "White Lotus," received two Emmy acting nominations this year for roles in the aforementioned shows? | SYDNEY SWEENEY received two acting Emmy nominations this year for her roles in "Euphoria" and "White Lotus" |
| 7/22/22 What Netflix film starring Chris Evans, Ryan Gosling, and Ana de Armas is getting the Marvel treatment — a $200 million budget, the Russo brothers in the director's seat, and a world press tour? | THE GRAY MAN, starring Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling |
| 7/22/22 Gen Z slang: What 7-letter word starting with "D" indicates "seriously" or "no kidding"? | DEADASS, which is used as a slang term for "seriously." |
| 7/22/22 What aesthetic, inspired by pictures of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in costume for an upcoming film based on a Mattel doll, is defined as looking pretty in pink? | BARBIECORE has taken summer 2022 by storm. The Barbiecore aesthetic was inspired after early photos were released of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling on the set of Greta Gerwig's Barbie |
| 8/1/22 Russia signaled that it would be pulling out of what globally collaborative space program by 2024? | Russia signaled it will no longer participate in the INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION by 2024 |
| 8/1/22 What Danish cyclist won the 2022 Tour de France? | JONAS VINGEGAARD is the 2022 winner of the yellow jersey. He dethrones Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar, who had won the Tour de France the last two years in a row. Vingegaard rides for Team Jumbo-Visma, a Dutch professional bicycle racing team |
| 8/1/22 What African country approved a new constitution that would essentially grant unchecked powers to President Kais Saied? | TUNISIA note Najla Bouden is the current Prime Minister |
| 8/1/22 The sport of Quidditch is seeking to distance itself from author J.K. Rowling. As such, Quidditch is being rebranded with what name? | The sport of Quidditch will now be known as QUADBALL |
| 8/1/22 What Copenhagen restaurant, led by head chef Rasmus Kofoed, was ranked No. 1 on the 2022 list of World's 50 Best Restaurants? No, the answer isn't NOMA! | Copenhagen isn’t just know for its cyclists like JONAS VINGEGAARD ; the city has made a name for itself in the world of fine dining. GERANIUM, led by head chef Rasmus Kofoed, is No. 1 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list |
| 8/2/22 Follow-up: The race to replace Boris Johnson as the head of the UK's Conservative Party has been narrowed down to what two candidates? | The race to become the head of the UK's Conservative Party is a face-off between LIZ TRUSS and RISHI SUNAK. Spoiler! Truss wins but resigns and Sunak takes over |
| 8/2/22 Russia launched missile attacks on what port city of Ukraine a day after signing a deal to allow the release of millions of tons of grain to help alleviate a global food crisis? | ODESSA Ukraine's counteroffensive in Kherson has been aided by High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), a weapon that American has been shipping to Ukraine since late June. |
| 8/2/22 What is the most populous province of Pakistan? Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won 15 of 20 possible seats in a recent election in this province, bolstering the popularity of ousted prime minister Imran Khan | Pakistan's most populous province is PUNJAB, and in recent elections, the PTI unexpectedly won the majority of seats in the provincial assembly. Punjab has been the power base of the party of Shehbaz Sharif, Khan's successor. |
| 8/2/22 Follow-up: Mario Draghi is no longer prime minister of Italy. Based on current polls, what nativist, far-right party seems poised to take power if early general elections are held | The BROTHERS OF ITALY (FDI) seems poised to take power. Last August, YOK reported on Giorgia Meloni, the leader of FDI, who becomes the next prime minister of Italy |
| 8/2/22 Kristalina Georgieva is the Managing Director of what global financial institution? According to this institution, 53 countries are close to defaulting on their debts. | Kristalina Georgieva is the head of the INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. The IMF has noted that 53 countries are judged to either have unstainable debts or have defaulted on their debts already. According to The Economist, |
| 8/3/22 In an effort to prevent another January 6th from happening, a bipartisan Senate group is rewriting what outdated piece of legislation from 1887? | The Senate is currently working on rewriting the ELECTORAL COUNT LAW |
| 8/3/22 Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Cameron Smith are the 2022 winners of the four majors in what sport? | GOLF. Scheffler took the Masters, Thomas won the PGA Championship, Fitzpatrick won the US Open, and Smith recently claimed the British Open trophy. |
| 8/3/22 The Spiel des Jahres is an annual award given to excellence in board game makers. What board game about building a wildlife ecosystem in North America won the 2022 Spiel des Jahres award? | CASCADIA won the 2022 Speil des Jahres award, the most prestigious honor in the tabletop gaming world |
| 8/3/22 What Speaker of the House touched down yesterday in Taiwan during an Asia tour, drawing a sharp response from China? | NANCY PELOSI |
| 8/3/22 Rach 3" is a notoriously difficult classical music piece for what instrument? 18-year old Lim Yun-chan of South Korea became the youngest ever winner of the prestigious Van Cliburn competition when he performed this piece | Rach 3" is a classical music piece for the PIANO. Written by Rachmaninoff, "Piano Concerto No. 3" Lim Yun-chan was 1 of 3 pianists to take on Rach 3 in the finals of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (featured in Shine 1996) |
| 8/4/22 Follow Up: What is he latest island country to jump ship is which Micronesian island, which left the Pacific Islands Forum due to what many suspect was pressure from China? | KIRIBATI, announced it would withdraw from the PIF, (Pacific Islands Forum) what some have called "an extreme move." |
| 8/4/22 What hybrid species of bear — a mix between a grizzly bear and a polar bear — is spreading across the Arctic due to the effects of climate change? | The PIZZLY BEAR is a hybrid between a polar and a grizzly bear. |
| 8/4/22 Follow-up: What cult-like church was founded in 1954 in South Korea by Reverend Moon Sun-myung? Yamagami Tetsuya, the man who killed former Japanese prime minister Abe Shinzo, has bizarrely linked the church | The UNIFICATION CHURCH |
| 8/4/22 five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen announced he would not defend his title in 2023. As a result, what Russian grandmaster, who lost to Carlsen in the most recent world championship, will have a clearer shot at the title? | IAN NEPOMNIACHTCHI of Russia Ding Liren of China, currently ranked #2 in the world after Carlsen (Nepomniatchtchi sits at #3). |
| 8/4/22 Mahraganat is a musical style where the ri' (tambourine) and tabla (drum) are combined with electronic beats. Born in El-Salam city and popular amongst the working class, it is a genre of music found in what Arab nation? | Mahraganat is a music genre from EGYPT, and according to The Economist, is "the sound of working-class Egypt. |
| 8/5/22 The Queen hath returned. What is the name of Beyonce's latest studio album? | Beyonce's seventh studio album, an homage to decades of dance music, is titled RENAISSANCE |
| 8/5/22 They/Them (pronounced "they slash them") is a queer horror movie set at a conversion camp. It is the directorial debut of what playwright, known for writing the Tony Award-winning play Red? | JOHN LOGAN won a Tony Award in 2010 for his play Red about the artist Mark Rothko. |
| 8/5/22 What Amazon Prime thriller series stars Chris Pratt and Constance Wu? | THE TERMINAL LIST" |
| 8/5/22 Five assassins find themselves on what titular vehicle in a 2022 Sony film starring Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, and Bad Bunny? | BULLET TRAIN |
| 8/5/22 What character from the children's book series Mr. Men has become a viral meme trend? | LITTLE MISS |
| 8/8/22 A deal loosening Russia's blockade on Ukraine has finally allowed Ukraine to ship out what essential exports? According to the United Nations, the war has contributed to a global food crisis, in which 50 million people are on the brink of famin | Ukraine was finally able to release shipments of GRAIN EXPORTS |
| 8/8/22 What East African nation is having a severe food crisis? In 2011, this war-torn country suffered the worst famine of the 21st century. | SOMALIA |
| 8/8/22 Follow-up: Last week, the Biden administration declared what contagious disease a public health emergency | MONKEYPOX now MPOX |
| 8/8/22 Follow-up: What has been China's response to Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan? | China has been orchestrating MILITARY DRILLS around the island |
| 8/8/22 What media company, formed by a merger of two larger entities in May 2022, announced it would ditch the "streaming first model"? It is the first big player to withdraw from the "streaming wars" | WARNER BROS DISCOVERY axed almost a billion dollars in content last week, including the $90 million movie Batgirl, which will no longer be released despite already being complete |
| 8/9/22 Hundreds of protestors loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr broke into the Green Zone, a heavily fortified area for government institutions in what world capital? | Hundred of protestors broke into the Green Zone in BAGHDAD, IRAQ after Mohammed Shiya al-Sudani was nominated to become the new prime minister. |
| 8/9/22 Review: Pedro Castillo is the president of what South American nation? A year after being elected, his popularity has plummeted. | Pedro Castillo is the president of PERU |
| 8/9/22 What is the name of Myanmar's army, which currently rules the country as a military junta? In a move that has drawn global condemnation, the military has brought back state-sanctioned death penalties | Myanmar's army is the TATMADAW, which has ruled the country for most of the past 60 years |
| 8/9/22 Droupadi Murmu was recently anointed the 15th president of India, a role that is mostly ceremonial. She is notable for being the first indigenous Indian in the position. What term is used to describe India's 120 million tribal peoples? | The ADIVASIS are tribal groups within India, considered indigenous to the country |
| 8/9/22 Kosovo and Serbia have been embroiled in a controversy over what identifying markers on automobiles? | Kosovo and Serbia have been having a tiff over LICENSE PLATES |
| 8/10/22 Tanqueray aka Stephanie Johnson) was one of the best go-go dancers in NYC Memoir Tanqueray topped the NYT best-sellers list; written by Stephanie Johnson & Brandon Stanton. The latter is best known for what photo essay collection of strangers? | Brandon Stanton is best known for HUMANS OF NEW YORK. In 2019, a Humans of New York post of Tanqueray went viral. A burlesque dancer who dominated New York's scene in the 1970s, Tanqueray resurfaced a few years ago thanks to a HONY series |
| 8/10/22 Finding Me is the title of a best-selling memoir by what Oscar-winning actress, who won Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the 2016 movie Fences? | Finding Me is the memoir by VIOLA DAVIS |
| 8/10/22 What novel by Jennifer Egan follows tech entrepreneur Bix Bouton, who creates a new technology called Own Your Unconscious that allows a person to access every memory they've ever had? | Jennifer Egan first shot to fame when she won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2011 for A Visit from the Goon Squad. Her latest novel is THE CANDY HOUSE, which has received a lot of hype in the publishing world |
| 8/10/22 Review: What country singer wrote Run, Rose, Run in collaboration with James Patterson? | DOLLY PARTON |
| 8/10/22 The Family Chao by Lan Samantha Chang centers on the titular family after the patriarch, an owner of a Chinese restaurant in Wisconsin, is murdered.It is an update on what Russian novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky? | THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV. |
| 8/11/22 Follow-up: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has declared what woman's nine-year prison sentence as a "significant turn" in "Russia's use of wrongful detentions to advance its own agenda using individuals as political pawns"? | BRITTNEY GRINER who is now free |
| 8/11/22 Texas recently passed a controversial law allowing private citizens to sue people involved in administering abortions. California passed a law allowing private citizens to sue people illegally involved w/guns. What are these types of laws known as | BOUNTY HUNTER LAWS |
| 8/11/22 In a bit of good news, what largest coral reef system in the world is showing encouraging signs of recovery? A report released last week announced that the reef was showing the highest level of coral cover in 36 years. | Australia's GREAT BARRIER REEF |
| 8/11/22 A sauce designed by Chef Carly Pii has gone viral on TikTok. It is what distinctive color? | A TikTok chef's PINK SAUCE has taken the Internet by storm. Selling for $20 a bottle, Pink Sauce contains honey, chili, garlic, sunflower seed oil and dragon fruit. |
| 8/11/22 The deputy director of the British Museum has proposed a "Parthenon Partnership" with Greece that could finally see the return of what controversial sculptures for the first time in 200 years? | The ELGIN MARBLES |
| 8/12/22 What French photo-sharing app requires users to take a dual front and back photo at a random time of day? | BEREAL |
| 8/12/22 What Netflix TV show is based on a comic series by Neil Gaiman, and stars Tom Sturridge as Morpheus? | From 1989-1996, Neil Gaiman published the acclaimed comic book series THE SANDMAN |
| 8/12/22 What comedy series on HBO Max is the latest from creator Issa Rae? The series follows two estranged high school friends who reunite in Miami to form a rap group. | RAP SH!T (pronounced "Rap Shit") is the latest from Issa Rae. Starring Aida Osman and KaMillion, it follows two friends who reunite to form a Miami rap group |
| 8/12/22 What does the abbreviation LOML stand for? It is usually used in reference to one's romantic partner, but could also be used to refer to one's bed or perhaps a wheel of cheese. | LOML stands for LOVE OF MY LIFE |
| 8/12/22 Gen Z slang: What three-letter word, an abbreviation of a longer word, is used to describe something that is "average," "mediocre", "just alright" or disappointing? | MID" is the three-letter word that can be used to describe something mediocre or MIDDLING |
| 8/15/22 Last Monday, the FBI raided what Florida Trump residence in search of missing classified documents? | MAR-A-LAGO |
| 8/15/22 Zaporizhzhia is what type of energy structure in southeastern Ukraine? Russian forces have been using it as a shield, and have threatened to disconnect it from Ukraine's power grid and reconnect it to their own | NUCLEAR POWER PLANT, Europe's largest |
| 8/15/22 As food and fuel prices rise across the world, unrest continues to boil. The latest is Freetown, the capital city of what west African nation? | SIERRA LEONE |
| 8/15/22 President Biden signed the $280 billion Chips and Science Act, a bipartisan piece of legislature that aims to improve domestic production of what kind of technology? | The Chips Act is meant to improve domestic production and development of SEMICONDUCTORS |
| 8/15/22 The Sideways effect strikes again! Thanks to the success of the television show "The Bear," what type of sandwich has gone up in popularity? | This year, it's "The Bear," an FX show on Hulu about a small family restaurant in Chicago. Because of "The Bear," ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICHES have been in high demand. |
| 8/16/22 Who is the 36-year old crown prince and de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia? Often known by the initials MBS, he has both implemented Westernized social reform efforts while also instilling brutal crackdowns under his authoritarian regime. | MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN (MBS) is the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, and de facto ruler. |
| 8/16/22 What is the name of Saudi Arabia’s national oil company, the largest producer of oil and gas in the world? | SAUDI ARAMCO |
| 8/16/22 Saudi Arabia has been disastrously involved in what neighboring country’s civil war, which saw Houthi rebels take on the government? | In 2015, Saudi Arabia led an intervention in YEMEN. Saudi Arabia’s indiscriminate air strikes have led to the deaths of some 9,000 civilians, and have been widely criticized as worsening the humanitarian crisis in the country |
| 8/16/22 One of Saudi Arabia’s flashiest development projects is a “smart city” in the middle of the desert. What is the name of this $500 billion megaproject, to be theoretically completed by 2025? | Saudi Arabia’s smart city is called NEOM |
| 8/16/22 Saudi Arabia has been accused of “sportswashing,” using its Public Investment Fund to buy sports teams and leagues in order fix its image Name either: The English Premiere League team it acquired in 2021 The golf league it started in 2022 | Last year, it purchased NEWCASTLE UNITED in the English Premier League. LIV GOLF is the golf tour they launched earlier this year, that has been rejected by the PGA as a legitimate entity |
| 8/17/22 What author of The Satanic Verses was stabbed while giving a lecture in New York last Friday? | SALMAN RUSHDIE |
| 8/17/22 What $740 billion legislative package was passed through the Senate and the House last week? The massive bill aims to tackle climate change and make healthcare more affordable. | The INFLATION REDUCTION ACT |
| 8/17/22 William Ruto has tentatively won which east African nation's presidential election? | William Ruto and Raila Odinga faced off in the presidential election of KENYA. William Ruto was declared the winner on Monday, but uncertainty remains |
| 8/17/22 Review: Gustavo Petro was elected to be what South American country's first leftist president? | Gustavo Petro is COLOMBIA's first leftist president |
| 8/17/22 The WHO has renamed two monkeypox variants to avoid geographic references. What are those variant names? | The two monkeypox variants were formerly known as the Congo Basin and West African variant. To avoid making geographic references, the WHO has renamed them CLADE I and CLADE II |
| 8/18/22 What term is given to the online structures that help coins and tokens transfer between different blockchains? In Norse mythology, the Bifrost is a famous example of such a structure. | Crypto BRIDGES help to move coins and tokens between different blockchains |
| 8/18/22 What is it called when a change is made to the protocol of a blockchain resulting in two pathways? The term shares its name with a city in Washington state where the Twilight series is set | If you followed the lusty saga of Edward and Bella in the Twilight series, then you’ll know the books are set in FORKS, Washington. |
| 8/18/22 What does the term HODL stand for? Popularly used in meme stock culture, it is a passive investment strategy in which people hang on to their crypto rather than trade it. | HODL stands for HOLD ON FOR DEAR LIFE. |
| 8/18/22 Where do you store your cryptocurrency? In real life, Montblanc manufactures a luxury one of these accessories. | One can store their cryptocurrency in DIGITAL WALLETS. I actually couldn’t think of a famous wallet brand and had to google “popular wallet brands” before turning up Montblanc |
| 8/18/22 A wei is to Ethereum as WHAT is to Bitcoin? Hint: both are named for people notable to their respective coins. | A wei is the smallest unit of Ethereum. Meanwhile, a SATOSHI, named after the pseudonymous Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto, is the smallest unit of Bitcoin. |
| 8/19/22 As of today, Idris Elba will have starred in two movies with what five-letter word in their titles? This word appears in the title of a French fairytale by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve | The French fairytale by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve is Beauty and the Beast, and Idris Elba has starred in two movies with BEAST in the title. The first was Netflix's 2015 film Beasts of No Nation & Beast |
| 8/19/22 What controversially-titled memoir from former Nickelodeon star Jennette McCurdy reveals the dark side of being a child actor? | Jennette McCurdy was best known for a supporting role in iCarly on Nickelodeon. Her new memoir, already a best-seller, has the attention-grabbing title I'M GLAD MY MOM DIED |
| 8/19/22 "Cannibal" is the lead single off of the upcoming album Self-Titled, the first solo album for what indie pop artist, best known for being in a band with his "sons"? | MARCUS MUMFORD of Mumford & Sons fame is striking out on his own for a solo album. The husband of Carey Mulligan will release Self-Titled in September. The lead single, "Cannibal", deals with his trauma of being sexually abused as a child |
| 8/19/22 Tatiana Maslany stars as Jennifer Walters, an attorney at law who becomes what superhero on a new Disney+ series? | The new Marvel entry on Disney+ is "SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW." Tatiana Maslany stars as Jennifer Walters, a 30-something lawyer who transforms into the She-Hulk |
| 8/19/22 Laal Singh Chaddha is a Bollywood adaptation of what 1994 Tom Hanks movie? Laal Singh Chaddha follows a good-hearted simpleton through major events in 20th century India. | Laal Singh Chaddha is a Bollywood adaptation of FORREST GUMP. Bollywood star Aamir Khan plays Laal |
| 8/22/22 In a dark twist, Russian forces are putting what nation's conscripts on the frontlines of the war against Ukraine? | Russian forces are putting UKRAINIAN conscripts on the frontlines of the war against Ukraine. Some 100,000 Ukrainian men have been conscripted from the "people's republics" of Donetsk and Luhansk |
| 8/22/22 Review: A recent YOK spotlight issue discussed Saudi Arabia. What is the name of Saudi Arabia's national oil company? Last week, they announced another record quarter. | In their most recent quarter, SAUDI ARAMCO saw net income rise by 90%, earning $48.4 billion. That is the equivalent of the combined profits of BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell |
| 8/22/22 Representatives from Serbia and Kosovo met in Brussels to find a way to resolve tensions. What Serbian president warned that NATO needed to "do its job" protecting the Serbian minority in Kosovo | Serbian president ALEXANDER VUCIC warned in a televised address that NATO needed to "do their job" to protect the Serbian minority in a breakaway republic in Kosovo, otherwise Serbia would have to move to protect them |
| 8/22/22 Japan has launched a national campaign called "Sake Viva!” to encourage young people to consume what? | Japan has launched a national campaign called "Sake Viva!" trying to encourage young people to drink more ALCOHOL |
| 8/22/22 What American chain of domestic merchandise retail stores is the latest beneficiary of the r/wallstreetbets memestock crowd? | The meme stock crowd has struck again. BED BATH AND BEYOND saw its stock surge from $5/share to over $480/share. |
| 8/23/22 On August 9th, James Marape won nearly unanimous approval in Parliament to remain prime minister of what island nation in Oceania? | The most linguistically diverse nation on Earth is PAPUA NEW GUINEA |
| 8/23/22 Anthony Albanese, the newly elected prime minister of what country, is putting his support behind an Aboriginal "voice to Parliament"? | AUSTRALIA |
| 8/23/22 What west African nation has the following lopsided predicament: on the one hand, it has the highest GDP per capita in continental west Africa? On the other hand, it is prone to seeking IMF bailouts | GHANA |
| 8/23/22 What Asian country was rocked by a civil war from 1996 to 2006, in which Maoist insurgents rebelled against the government? Some 17,000 people were killed and 1300 "disappeared." | NEPAL was rocked by a civil war from 1996 to 2006, after which the king was forced to cede powers to Parliament and the country soon became a republic |
| 8/23/22 What Ukrainian boxer won the heavyweight championship on Sunday, defeating Brit Anthony Joshua and dedicating his victory to Ukraine? | OLEKSANDR USYK defeated Anthony Joshua in a heavyweight rematch fight in Jeddah billed "Rage on the Red Sea." |
| 8/24/22 In what 2008 Disney movie did John Travolta voice the titular dog and Miley Cyrus voice his 12-year old owner? | BOLT is the 2008 Disney film that absolutely no one saw but marked the beginning of the Disney Revival that included such hits as Tangled and Frozen. |
| 8/24/22 What four-letter word means "leeward" in Hawaiian? A district named for this word is known for its coffee and for being the site of the Ironman World Championship triathlon. | KONA is the Hawaiian word meaning "leeward |
| 8/24/22 Michael Jordan is one of the owners of what NBA team? | Charlotte HORNETS |
| 8/24/22 The apex, vein, midrib, and petiole are all components of what part of a plant? | LEAF |
| 8/24/22 In a 2022 summer hit, Beyonce instructed her listeners to release their jobs and "break" what? | Beyonce's lead single off her new album Renaissance is "Break My SOUL." |
| 8/25/22 Follow-up: Brazil's presidential election campaign is in full swing ahead of the October 2nd general election. What two candidates, one a former president and one the incumbent, are the front runners in the race? | While there are 12 candidates running to be the next president of Brazil, the real race stands between former president LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA (known simply as "Lula") and incumbent JAIR BOLSONARO da Silva wins! |
| 8/25/22 US trade officials have banned imports from China's Xinjiang province as part of a crackdown on China's human rights abuses of Uighur Muslims. As a result, what industry has been hit particularly hard | Xinjiang produces over 40% of the world's polysilicon, a key component in SOLAR PANELS |
| 8/25/22 Johnson & Johnson announced it will stop selling what kind of baby powder around the world by 2023? Instead, it will make its baby powder from cornstarch. | Johnson & Johnson announced it would stop selling TALC-based baby powder by 2023. |
| 8/25/22 The affordable housing crisis has driven people to find creative ways to live. What portmanteau term is given to barns that have been converted into living spaces? | The BARNDOMINIUM or BARNDO are barns that have been converted into living spaces |
| 8/25/22 What Ethereum-powered metaverse game allows players to buy virtual land and customize it? The game has become notable for its celebrity endorsements, which include the likes of Snoop Dogg and Paris Hilton | THE SANDBOX is a metaverse game that has 2 million users who can buy and customize virtual land |
| 8/26/22 HOLY FVCK is the latest album from what pop singer, who instructed us in 2014 to stay "Cool for the Summer"? | HOLY FVCK is the latest album from DEMI LOVATO |
| 8/26/22 Starring Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton, George Miller’s latest film involves how many “years of longing”? | THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING |
| 8/26/22 What "Game of Thrones" prequel on HBO follows the Targaryen civil war that took place 200 years before the events in "GOT"? | "HOUSE OF THE DRAGON" |
| 8/26/22 What TikTok/Twitter trend declares that someone is perfect ... but they have a weird quality that may reduce their rating? | "SHE'S A 10 BUT" |
| 8/26/22 What viral meme depicts a young couple at a music festival, with one of them screaming in the other's ear? | GIRL SHOUTING AT BOY MEME |
| 8/29/22 Last Wednesday, President Biden announced a loan forgiveness plan for what specific type of debt? | STUDENT LOAN |
| 8/29/22 What Finnish prime minister has come under scrutiny after a video surfaced of her dancing and partying with friends? | Private videos of Finnish prime minister SANNA MARIN were leaked to the press, resulting in public backlash over what was "becoming" of a prime minister |
| 8/29/22 Review: What nuclear power station in south-eastern Ukraine is currently being held by the Russians and is at high risk of being the site of a radiation disaster? No, spelling doesn't count | ZAPORIZHZHIA NUCLEAR POWER STATION |
| 8/29/22 The United States announced it would be appointing an ambassador to what northern polar region, due to increased Russian military activity in the area? | The US will be appointing an AMBASSADOR FOR THE ARCTIC, who will be in charge of US policy in the northern polar region |
| 8/29/22 2021 was the year of the Great Resignation. 2022 is the year of what alliterative term, defined as doing the bare minimum to remain employed at a job? | QUIET QUITTING |
| 9/2/22 "Game of Thrones" isn't the only major fantasy franchise to receive a prequel. What is the title of the Lord of the Rings television series, streaming on Amazon Prime video | "THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER" takes place thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. |
| 9/2/22 Britney's back, bitch. What is her new single, a collaboration with Elton John? The title is a repeated lyric in "Tiny Dancer," which is sampled throughout. | "HOLD ME CLOSER" is Britney Spears's first single since being free. The song samples Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" and features his vocals throughtout. |
| 9/2/22 Meghan Markle has some royal tea to spill — what is the name of her podcast, in which she has conversations with celebrities such as Serena Williams and Mariah Carey? | Meghan Markle's podcast is titled "ARCHETYPES", something she's actively trying to challenge |
| 9/2/22 What Netflix show, based on a novel by Helen Wan, follows young lawyer Ingrid Yun as she climbs the ladder at a New York City law firm? | "PARTNER TRACK" is a Netflix show starring Arden Cho as Ingrid Yun, a young New York City lawyer who seeks to climb the titular partner track |
| 9/2/22 Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, two Hollywood actors, purchased a Welsh football (soccer) team. What FX docuseries, now streaming on Disney+, chronicles the sale and purchase of that team? | "WELCOME TO WREXHAM" follows the purchase of Welsh football club Wrexham A.F.C. as Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney try to be real-life Ted Lassos. |
| 9/6/22 What woman will replace Boris Johnson as the next prime minister of the UK? | LIZ TRUSS but she resigns soon afterward |
| 9/6/22 Follow-up: Kenya’s supreme court upheld the recent presidential election results, which declared what man as the winner? | WILLIAM RUTO |
| 9/6/22 Follow-up: What South American country rejected a new left-leaning constitution, which was unveiled in July after three years of debate? | Following widespread protests in 2019 over economic inequality, CHILE spent the next three years writing a new constitution from scratch |
| 9/6/22 Russia announced that it would not resume gas supplies along what key pipeline to Europe unless sanctions were lifted? | Russia shut down gas supplies along NORD STREAM 1, a critical pipeline to Europe, for routine maintenance. |
| 9/6/22 What NASA program, named after the Greek goddess of the hunt, aims to put men and women on the moon by 2025? | NASA’s ARTEMIS PROGRAM aims to put men and women on the moon by 2025. |
| 9/12/22 After 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II passed away peacefully on Sept 8th at the age of 96. Who succeeded her as the new King of the United Kingdom? | KING CHARLES III; Camilla will serve as Queen Consort. |
| 9/12/22 A long-awaited report from the UN in late August stated that crimes against humanity have taken place in what province of China, where Uighur Muslims have been detained? | A UN report stated that the unlawful detention and forced labor of Uighur Muslims in the XINJIANG PROVINCE of China may constitute crimes against humanity. |
| 9/12/22 A Thai court has suspended what prime minister of Thailand, who took power in a 2014 coup? | PRAYUTH CHAN-OCHA has been suspended as prime minister of Thailand, pending a term limit review |
| 9/12/22 Tariq is the 7-year old "Corn Kid" who went viral on TikTok when his speech about corn was remixed into song. He is now the official "corn-bassador" of what US state, where the Corn Palace resides? | Tariq the Corn Kid is now the corn-bassador of SOUTH DAKOTA, where the Corn Palace resides. |
| 9/12/22 The US Open concluded this weekend, and my oh my, was it an excellent tournament. Name BOTH the men's and women's singles champions at the 2022 US Open. | The winner of the women’s singles event was Polish tennis star IGA SWIATEK, who also won the French Open in June The winner of the men’s singles event was 19-year old phenom CARLOS ALCARAZ, |
| 9/13/22 What Canadian province has been in the news lately for being the site of a deadly rampage of stabbings on the Cree Nation Reserve? | The SASKATCHEWAN stabbings, in which 10 people were killed and 18 injured in a deadly rampage enacted by two brothers, have left Canada shaking. The stabbings took place on the Cree Nation reserve, home to 2000 Indigenous residents |
| 9/13/22 Najib Razak, the former prime minister of what Asian country, has finally been convicted of his role in the 1MDB scandal? | Najib Razak was the former prime minister of MALAYSIA |
| 9/13/22 The war in Tigray, Ethiopia continues to rage on. What rebel group claims it is fighting for the self-determination of the country's largest ethnic group? Along with the TPLF, it has been weakening the power of the federal government. | The OROMO LIBERATION ARMY, claiming to fight for the self-determination of the Oromo people, has been one of the major rebel forces in the war in Ethiopia. |
| 9/13/22 One of the most effective weapons in the Ukrainian effort to resist Russia has been what US-supplied weapons system, capable of precise and mobile attacks? | HIMARS stands for HIGH MOBILITY ARTILLERY ROCKET SYSTEMS, and they've been wreaking havoc on Russian targets |
| 9/13/22 The recent election of left-wing Gustavo Petro as president of Colombia has particularly delighted what autocrat of a neighboring country, who hopes diplomatic relations will be restored under the new administration? | NICOLAS MADURO of Venezuela is thrilled that Gustavo Petro has taken office; Petro promised to thaw Colombia's frosty relations with its neighbor. |
| 9/14/22 The first season of “Watch Out for the Big Grrrls” won the Emmy for Outstanding Competition Program. What “About Damn Time” singer is now halfway to an EGOT? | LIZZO |
| 9/14/22 What writer and creator won an Emmy for Writing for a Comedy Series for her acclaimed show “Abbott Elementary”? | QUINTA BRUNSON In other “Abbott Elementary” news, Sheryl Lee Ralph won for Supporting Actress |
| 9/14/22 What creator won big at the Emmy Awards, picking up trophies for Directing, Writing, and Best Limited or Anthology Series for “The White Lotus.” In a stupid answers twist, his surname is included in the show’s title. | MIKE WHITE Prior to his award-winning career as a television writer, White appeared as a contestant on “The Amazing Race” and “Survivor.” |
| 9/14/22 It seems this year’s Emmy voters decided to hand out trophies to the same comedic actors they did last yearLead Actor in a Comedy Series Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Name at least 2 | Winning two consecutive years in a row for acting in a comedy series are: JASON SUDEIKIS (Lead Actor) in “Ted Lasso” JEAN SMART (Lead Actress) in “Hacks” BRETT GOLDSTEIN (Supporting Actor) in “Ted Lasso” |
| 9/14/22 What two shows that won the coveted trophies of Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Drama Series? | The final awards of the night went to “TED LASSO” (Outstanding Comedy Series) and “SUCCESSION” (Outstanding Drama Series). |
| 9/15/22 Pakistan has been the recent victim of devastating floods. The flooding of what lake, the largest lake in Pakistan, has affected over 100,000 people as authorities race to staunch water levels? | LAKE MANCHAR is Pakistan's largest lake ... and it's dangerously full. |
| 9/15/22 What vaping manufacturer has agreed to a $485 million settlement for creating misleading marketing towards teens? | JUUL has agreed to pay out $485 million to 34 states and territories as part of a settlement that found Juul guilty of misleading marketing towards teens. |
| 9/15/22 Laxman Narasimhan will be taking over from Howard Schulz as the CEO of what Fortune 500 company? | STARBUCKS, |
| 9/15/22 A Spanish arbitrator in Paris ordered Malaysia to pay $15 billion to eight descendants of Jamalul Kiram II, the last sultan of Sulu. The Sulu archipelago is today located in the southern portion of what country? | The Sulu archipelago is today in the southern portion of the PHILIPPINES. The sultanate of Sulu once held a slice of Borneo in the Malaysian state of Sabah |
| 9/15/22 Art world news! After 50 years, landscape artist Michael Heizer has completed a mammoth project in the dunes of Nevada. The art project, now finally open to the public, has what metropolitan-themed name? | Notable contemporary landscape art projects in the United States include Robert Smithson's "Spiral Jetty" in Utah and Walter De Maria's "The Lightning Field" in New Mexico. Now Michael Heizer gets to add "CITY" to this esteemed list. |
| 9/16/22 What oft-parodied and much-lampooned quote did Harry Styles say about Don’t Worry Darling, causing Chris Pine to stare silently into the void before him? | YOU KNOW, MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT THE MOVIE IS, LIKE, IT FEELS LIKE A MOVIE.” |
| 9/16/22 What Korean television show about a lawyer with autism has become one of the highest-rated dramas in Korean television history? It is currently streaming on Netflix. | “EXTRAORDINARY ATTORNEY WOO” |
| 9/16/22 What film starring Viola Davis follows an all-female warrior unit in the West African kingdom of Dahomey in the 19th century? | THE WOMAN KING stars Viola Davis and follows the Agojie, an all-female warrior unit in the West African kingdom of Dahomey in the 19th century. |
| 9/16/22 What actress has taken over the role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl on Broadway | LEA MICHELE, the former star of “Glee,” has taken over the role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl on Broadway. |
| 9/16/22 Blackpink is back with new music. What is the title of the lead single of their new album Born Pink? | PINK VENOM" is the lead single off Blackpink's second studio album Born Pink. The song samples both 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P.” and Rihanna’s “Pon de Replay.” |
| 9/19/22 Last week, the Biden administration brokered a deal that avoided a major strike amongst members of what industry? | RAILROAD STRIKE |
| 9/19/22 Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson conceded defeat after a far-right party took power in what Scandinavian country's general elections? | SWEDEN |
| 9/19/22 Ukraine's stunning counter-offensive has taken place in what northeastern region of the country? They have managed to win back more land in a week than Russia held for five months. | The KHARKIV OFFENSIVE |
| 9/19/22 Armenia and Azerbaijan have engaged in border skirmishes in the largest outbreak of fighting since 2020. What separatist region is at the center of this conflict? | NAGORNO-KARABAKH |
| 9/19/22 James Fauntleroy and Hit-Boy, two Grammy-winning producers known for their work with superstars such as Beyonce and Justin Timberlake, have been signed to produce music for what NFT band? | The band is known as KINGSHIP as opposed to the BORED APE YACHT CLUB, which has celebrity backing and widespread recognition |
| 9/20/22 Kyrgyzstan was caught up in fighting against what neighboring central Asian nation last week? | KYRGYZSTAN and TAJIKISTAN have also been embroiled in border skirmishes. The flare-up in violence took place in the Batken Province |
| 9/20/22 What two states — one led by Governor Eric Holcomb and the other by Governor Jim Justice — recently signed near-total abortion bans into law? | INDIANA (led by Governor Eric Holcomb) and WEST VIRGINIA (led by Governor Jim Justice) have both signed near-total abortion bans into law |
| 9/20/22 Review: What is the name of the large nuclear power plant in Ukraine that was previously under fire during the war? | ZAPORIZHZHIA |
| 9/20/22 What city in Mississippi is currently facing a water crisis? | JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI |
| 9/20/22 What team defeated the Connecticut Sun to win the 2022 WNBA Championship? | LAS VEGAS ACES are WNBA champions. The Aces defeated the Connecticut Sun in the Finals. Chelsea Gray, the Aces' guard, was named Finals MVP. A'ja Wilson, a member of the Aces, also won the regular season MVP and DefPlayer of the Year. |
| 9/21/22 Who has been appointed by Liz Truss to serve as the UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer, making him the first Black man to take the position? | KWASI KWARTENG is the new Chancellor of the Exchequer (Britain's version of Secretary of the Treasury), the first Black man to take the position |
| 9/21/22 China's housing market is facing a crisis as homeowners across 100 cities have banded together to boycott payments on what? | Homeowners across 100 cities in China have banded together to boycott payments on MORTGAGES. |
| 9/21/22 What blue-blooded crustacean is essential to America's biomedical industry? A liter of their blue blood can go for as much as $15,000. | The blood from HORSESHOE CRABS is essential America's biomedical industry |
| 9/21/22 What electric SUV from Chevy shares its name with a luxury fitness company? | CHEVY EQUINOX EV |
| 9/21/22 What is the name of the British extremist environmental group known for performing high-publicity protest stunts? Six of them were recently arrested after glueing themselves to seats around the speaker's chair inside the British parliament. | EXTINCTION REBELLION (XR) is the name of the British environmental group known for performing high-publicity protests |
| 9/22/22 Yvon Chouinard, the founder of what outdoor clothing company, has given away his share of the company to a specially designed trust and nonprofit organization? | PATAGONIA |
| 9/22/22 What cryptocurrency "merged" last week, in a move that will save energy and be environmentally friendly? | ETHEREUM underwent a procedure last week known as The Merge, in which the cryptocurrency went from a "proof of work" blockchain to a "proof of stake" blockchain |
| 9/22/22 What distinctive (and oft-reviled) hairstyle has made a bit of a style resurgence in Australia? | The MULLET is back, at least in Australia |
| 9/22/22 The FDA recently approved Daxxify, an anti-wrinkle drug. It will finally give competition to what treatment, which has long dominated the market? | Daxxify, an anti-wrinkle drug, was recently approved by the FDA. It will finally bring some competition into a market long dominated by BOTOX |
| 9/22/22 In one of the more bizarre sports stories of the year, 19-year old chess star Hans Niemann Moke defeated defending world champion Magnus Carlsen. Moke has been accused of cheating using AI software and ... what sex toys? | Hans Niemann Moke defeated Mangus Carlsen in a game that has the chess world shook. However, Moke has been accused of cheating using AI software and VIBRATING ANAL BEADS He's the Butt of that joke |
| 9/23/22 What actress plays Ariel in Disney's upcoming live-action version of The Little Mermaid? A viral TikTok trend emerged of young Black girls reacting to the new Little Mermaid trailer. | HALLE BAILEY plays Ariel in Disney's upcoming live-action version of The Little Mermaid. |
| 9/23/22 What queer artist, whose breakthrough single was "Undrunk," recently released the album Girl of My Dreams? Her mononymous name is also what you would call a person who makes arrows. | FLETCHER is a queer artist who, along with the likes of Girl in Red, has captured the attention of Gen Z's young sapphics |
| 9/23/22 What 2022 song by Bad Bunny has become a reggaeton hit? In the song, he raps about his many girlfriends, including Gabriela, Sofia, Nicole, and Patricia. | "TITI ME PREGUNTO" has become a club banger and a reggaeton hit. |
| 9/23/22 On the new Netflix show “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” what actor of X-Men fame plays the titular monster? | EVAN PETERS |
| 9/23/22 What term is applied to a person, usually male, who chases fashion trends? He's the type of guy who wears Supreme shirts and Yeezy sneakers | A HYPEBEAST |
| 10/3/22 What hurricane battered Florida over the past week? With 150 mph winds, it is one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the United States. | HURRICANE IAN |
| 10/3/22 In a referendum "vote" that was widely regarded as a sham, Russia set the stage for annexation. It has announced the annexation of four regions of Ukraine — name two of them. | DONETSK, LUHANSK, KHERSON, and ZAPORZHZHIA |
| 10/3/22 The whole world is watching — Iran has seen weeks of nation-wide protests after the death of what 22-year old woman? | MAHSA AMINI died in the custody of Iran's morality police, after being beaten and tortured for not adhering to Iran's strict dress code |
| 10/3/22 Italy's general election on September 25th saw the rise of the nationalist far-right. What woman is poised to become Italy's first female prime minister, | GIORGIA MELONI is on route to becoming Italy's first female prime minister. She leads the Brothers of Italy, a party that has neo-fascist roots |
| 10/3/22 NASA's DART spacecraft successfully crashed into an asteroid last week, demonstrating how an asteroid on a collision course for Earth could be deflected. What does DART stand for? | NASA's DART spacecraft has a pretty self-explanatory name — DOUBLE ASTEROID REDIRECTION TEST |
| 10/4/22 Ian isn’t the only hurricane in the news. Hurricane Fiona recently made landfall in what US territory? President Biden has authorized a month of 100% federal funding to help the island recover. | Hurricane Fiona hit PUERTO RICO, leaving the entire island and its 3.2 million residents without power |
| 10/4/22 Vladimir Putin has granted what NSA whistleblower Russian citizenship? | EDWARD SNOWDEN |
| 10/4/22 What island nation recently legalized same sex marriage and adoptions for same sex couples? | CUBA |
| 10/4/22 Niger has stopped fuel shipments to what west African country, whose ruling junta, which orchestrated a coup last year, has refused to hand power over to civilians? | MALI |
| 10/4/22 What Volkswagen-owned luxury car brand debuted on the stock exchange last week in a highly anticipated IPO? | PORSCHE |
| 10/5/22 Which west African nation, which already underwent a coup in January of this year, has recently suffered another coup? | BURKINA FASO gets to claim the dubious honor of experiencing two coups in the same year. |
| 10/5/22 With nearly 3000 ships, China has built the world's largest fleet for what specific industry? Their global expansion has environmentalists concerned. | DEEP WATER FISHING |
| 10/5/22 Thousands of supports of UNITA, the opposition party, have taken to the streets of Luanda in what African country to protest the recent election results? | ANGOLA |
| 10/5/22 Walmart is the latest American retailer to launch digital lands for the metaverse. What portmanteau term has been given to merchandise sold in the virtual world? | VERCH is a portmanteau term meaning "virtual avatar merch." |
| 10/5/22 Tik Tok has launched another viral food trend — what alliterative communal dip is intended as a "new charcuterie board"? | The BUTTER BOARD is the latest food item to go viral by way of Tik Tok. What is a butter board, you ask? Exactly what it sounds like. A butter board is a fancy, aesthetic way to display compound butter for party guests to dip bread into |
| 10/6/22 What St. Louis Cardinals slugger recently became the fourth player to join the prestigious 700 home runs clubs? | ALBERT PUJOLS In other baseball news, New York Yankees outfielder AARON JUDGE has hit 62 home runs this season, breaking the AL single season record |
| 10/6/22 LeBron James is one of the newest team owners in a professional league for what sport? | PICKLEBALL |
| 10/6/22 What singer has been announced to headline the upcoming Super Bowl LVII halftime show? | RIHANNA |
| 10/6/22 In one of the deadliest incidents in sporting history, what Asian country saw a massive stampede at a soccer stadium last weekend, killing 125 people? | INDONESIA saw one of the deadliest disasters in sporting history. After Arema FC lost its first match against Persebaya Surabaya in 23 years, angry fans stormed the field |
| 10/6/22 What Kenyan distance runner recently broke his own world record in the marathon, setting a time of 2:10:09? | ELIUD KIPCHOGE |
| 10/7/22 Ana de Armas stars as Marilyn Monroe in Blonde, an overly long Netflix film that is based on a novel of the same name by what prolific author? | Blonde is a novel by JOYCE CAROL OATES that imagines the life of America's favorite ingenue. Blonde has now been adapted into a nearly three-hour long Netflix film starring Ana de Armas. |
| 10/7/22 BROS is a gay rom-com written and starring what comedian? On Twitter, this comedian slammed straight people for not supporting the film on opening weekend. In response, he’s received backlash to his backlash | BROS is a rom-com written by and starring BILLY EICHNER, best known for “Billy on the Street.” |
| 10/7/22 The controversial Morgan Wallen is currently one of the biggest stars in country music. What song of his has entered the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100? | It's not everyday that we see a country song in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. But "YOU PROOF" by Morgan Wallen has managed to break into the mainstream charts |
| 10/7/22 David O. Russell's latest film is named after what European capital city? | David O. Russell's latest film is titled AMSTERDAM, but is set in 1930s America. The movie features a star-studded cast led by Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington. Taylor Swift, along with Zoe Saldana and Anya Taylor-Joy, also show up |
| 10/7/22 A movie garnering a lot of awards season buzz is Tár, starring Cate Blanchett. What director of Little Children is making his return to the big screen after a 16-year hiatus? | TODD FIELD, who came to fame with Little Children and In the Bedroom |
| 10/10/22 New York City mayor Eric Adams has declared a state of emergency over what crisis? | NYC mayor Eric Adams has declared a state of emergency over the MIGRANT CRISIS |
| 10/10/22 Follow-up: Prayuth Chan-ocha, the prime minister of Thailand who took power in a coup in 2014, was temporarily suspended by parliament. What was the ruling handed down by Thailand's Constitutional Court last week? | Thailand's Constitutional Court has decided that PRAYUTH CHAN-OCHA CAN STAY |
| 10/10/22 What organization representing the top oil-rich countries made a controversial decision last week to cut back oil production by 2 million barrels a day? | You thought Disney and Apple were the only ones who could add a plus sign at the end of their names? Think again. OPEC+ decided to cut oil production by 2 million barrels per day |
| 10/10/22 Despite Russia's attempts at mobilization, Ukraine has been successful so far in its counteroffensive. Last week, it retook what town in the southern region of Kherson? | Russia announced its annexation of four Ukrainian provinces, but that hasn't stopped Ukrainian forces from pushing back. Last week, Ukraine retook LYMAN as Russia's forces struggled to hold ground |
| 10/10/22 Follow-up: Allegations of cheating at chess by way of anal beads began as a fun, viral story ... but now things have gotten quite serious. What 19-year old American chess grandmaster is at the center of these allegations? | The allegations swirling around HANS NIEMANN have gone past playful and grown quite serious |
| 10/11/22 Brazil held a general election last week, but no candidate was able to win an outright majority. What two candidates, who both have served as president of Brazil, will go to a run-off on October 30th? | LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA and JAIR BOLSONARO Da Silva ends up winning. |
| 10/11/22 Follow-up: Protests have reverberated across Iran since the death of 22-year old Mahsa Amini. What prestigious university in Iran saw a brutal crackdown on student protestors that drew international condemnation? | SHARIF UNIVERSITY in Tehran |
| 10/11/22 Last week, the European Parliament voted to enforce a law requiring what device to be made common across all mobile phones and tablets sold in the EU by 2024? | COMMON CHARGER |
| 10/11/22 Mexico has tequila, Peru has pisco ... what cane sugar liquor of Colombia is a symbol of the country's Afro-Colombian culture? | Mexico has tequila, Peru has pisco, and Colombia has VICHE (pronounced vee-chey). |
| 10/11/22 The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences went to three individuals for their work on the role banks play in financial crises. The winners were Douglas Diamond, Philip Dybvig, and what former Federal Reserve chair? | The Nobel Prize for Economics* went to Douglas Diamond, Philip Dybvig, and former Federal Reserve chair BEN BERNANKE |
| 10/12/22 What bisexual Swedish geneticist won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work discovering the genomes of extinct hominins? | SVANTE PAABO won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering the genomes of extinct hominims |
| 10/12/22 The Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded to Alain Aspect, John Clauser, and Anton Zeilinger, for their work in quantum information. The trio specifically performed work on what quantum phenomenon? | The Nobel Prize for Physics went to Alain Aspect, John Clauser, and Anton Zeilinger for their work on QUANTUM ENTANGLEMENT, a phenomenon that occurs when two particles behave as one, even when separated |
| 10/12/22 Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal, and K. Barry Sharpless won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on click chemistry. Who among this trio has won their SECOND Nobel prize? | The Nobel Prize for Chemistry went to Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal, and K. Barry Sharpless, but for K. BARRY SHARPLESS, it's his second Nobel prize. who also won in 2001. |
| 10/12/22 French novelist Annie Ernaux won the Nobel Prize in Literature this year. She is perhaps best known for writing in what genre? | AUTOFICTION is all the rage these days. Autobiographical fiction is exactly what it sounds like — fiction that is written based on intensely personal experiences |
| 10/12/22 The Nobel Peace Prize went to three different entities fighting authoritarianism in the post-Soviet region. What three countries do these entities hail from? | RUSSIA, UKRAINE, and BELARUS. MEMORIAL is a human rights group in Russia that was shut down by Vladimir Putin. CENTER FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES in Ukraine ALES BIALIATSKI is a jailed Belarusian human rights activist |
| 10/13/22 Review: In May, what party won the most seats to become the largest political party at Stormont in Northern Ireland? | SINN FEIN won the most seats to become the largest political party at Stormont in Northern Ireland |
| 10/13/22 Follow-up: Elon Musk made a ruckus when he decided to buy Twitter earlier this year. Then he decided to renege on the deal. Then Twitter sued him to go through with the deal. What is the latest update on this mess? | Elon Musk will now GO THROUGH ON HIS PROMISE to buy Twitter |
| 10/13/22 Fortune released its 2022 list of the 50 most powerful women in business. What CEO of CVS Health topped the list for the second year in a row? | he CEO of CVS Health is KAREN LYNCH, who topped the Fortune list of 50 most powerful women in business |
| 10/13/22 The biggest headline out of Paris Fashion Week was Bella Hadid's spray-on dress designed by what French label? | Bella Hadid's spray-on dress was designed by French fashion label COPERNI, which takes its name from mathematician and astronomer Nicholas Copernicus |
| 10/13/22 What brand of canned water, marketed with the tagline "murder your thirst", is on pace for unicorn status? | LIQUID DEATH is a brand of canned water that has taken the water industry by storm |
| 10/14/22 What film is the latest directorial effort from Park Chan-Wook, and stars Chinese actress Tang Wei? | DECISION TO LEAVE |
| 10/14/22 Till is a film that follows the true story of Mamie Till-Mobley's pursuit of justice for her son Emmett Till. The movie, out in theaters this weekend, is written and directed by what Nigerian-American director? | The film TILL, which follows the story of Mamie Till's pursuit of justice for her son, is written and directed by Nigerian-American director CHINONYE CHUKWU, and stars Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie and Jalyn Hall as Emmett. |
| 10/14/22 What song by Steve Lacy, not to be confused with a song with a similar title by Ed Sheeran, recently hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100? | "BAD HABIT" by Steve Lacy recently hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is not to be confused with "Bad Habits" by Ed Sheeran, a 2021 song that peaked at No. 2 on the charts. Lacy is a former guitarist with the Internet ( the band's actual name) |
| 10/14/22 A viral hit song by Armani White is titled after what other pop singer? In the song, he rhymes her name with the line, "Bitch, I'm stylish. | Armani White's song is "BILLIE EILISH" |
| 10/14/22 Emma D’arcy has taken the Internet by storm by naming the Negroni Sbagliato as their favorite drink. Instead of gin, what alcohol does the Negroni Sbagliato contain? | A Negroni Sbagliato has PROSECCO in it. |
| 10/17/22 China commenced its 20th Communist Party Congress, in which it emphasized the need for its harsh zero-Covid policy. What president of China is expected to be given a third term, bucking party convention? | XI JINPING |
| 10/17/22 What Asian country has changed its capital's name yet again? The capital will revert from Nur-Sultan back to the old name of Astana. | KAZAKHSTAN |
| 10/17/22 Follow-up: Last year, what island nation experienced: The assassination of former president Jovenel Moise The controversial rise of current prime minister Ariel Henry Protests over increasing gang violence A 7.2 magnitude earthquake | HAITI |
| 10/17/22 What song in the Persian language has emerged as an anthem for the Iranian protests? | "BARAYE" written by Shervin Hajipour "Baraye" is Persian for "Because of" or "For the sake of." |
| 10/17/22 At last weekend's Japanese Grand Prix, what Dutch Formula OneReview: What driver clinched his second world championship in a row? | MAX VERSTAPPEN, a Dutch driver racing for Red Bull, is once again Formula One world champion |
| 10/18/22 Review: Who is the increasingly authoritarian president of El Salvador? | NAYIB BUKELE |
| 10/18/22 What two members of Congress lead the January 6th committee hearings? | BENNIE THOMPSON (D-WY) and LIZ CHENEY (R-WY) |
| 10/18/22 Last week, prosecutors cleared Adnan Syed of charges in the 1999 killing of his high school ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee. Syed case was brought to the spotlight in 2014 after what podcast reinvestigated his case? | SERIAL |
| 10/18/22 President Biden has designated Camp Hale, a World War II-era military site, as his first national monument. In what Western state can Camp Hale be found? | COLORADO |
| 10/18/22 Hong Kong is increasingly under the sphere of China's influence. London no longer welcomes Russian capital. What Middle Eastern city is considered the last finance hub where anyone can do business with anyone else? | DUBAI |
| 10/19/22 What neighboring country to Ethiopia has called up reservists to help fight in Ethiopia's long, drawn-out war in Tigray? | ERITREA |
| 10/19/22 Follow-up: Shortly after being announced as Chancellor of the Exchequer, what man was fired from the position, becoming one of the shortest-serving cabinet ministers in post-war UK history? | KWASI KWARTENG, Kwarteng's successor, JEREMY HUNT, is the sixth chancellor in just three years. |
| 10/19/22 Tensions are once again flaring between what two countries, as the one to the north fired test missiles and flew warplanes close to the border with the south? | Tensions are flaring between the two KOREAS |
| 10/19/22 The Kerch bridge, which connects Russia to what occupied peninsula, was critically damaged last week? | CRIMEAN PENINSULA |
| 10/19/22 What British artist, perhaps best known for The Golden Calf (a cow preserved in formaldehyde) and For the Love of God (a diamond-encrusted human skull), is burning his paintings for a series known as The Currency? | DAMIEN HIRST |
| 10/20/22 As the US and China engage in trade wars, what other Asian country has benefitted from a boon in manufacturing? | VIETNAM |
| 10/20/22 The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka is this year’s Booker Prize winner. The book follows a photographer during what island country’s civil war? | SRI LANKA |
| 10/20/22 Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic in Uzbekistan, is one of the world's largest cultivators of what sweet, black-colored treat? | LICORICE |
| 10/20/22 What African country, led by President Lazarus Chakwera at the capital of Lilongwe, is considered "the poorest peaceful country in the world"? | MALAWI |
| 10/20/22 Led by Manny Machado, Jurickson Profar, Juan Soto, and Ha-seong Kim, what NL West team made its first NLCS since 1998? | SAN DIEGO PADRES |
| 10/21/22 Black Adam is a film based on the DC superhero comics of the same name. It stars what actor in the title role? | DWAYNE "THE ROCK" JOHNSON |
| 10/21/22 Catherine Called Birdy is the latest film written and directed by what creator of Girls? | LENA DUNHAM. Bella Ramsey stars as Birdy |
| 10/21/22 Don't Worry Darling isn't Harry Styles's only foray into acting this season. What drama about forbidden love does he star in alongside Emma Corrin and David Dawson? | MY POLICEMAN |
| 10/21/22 Taylor Swift has blessed us all with a new album (this woman's rate of output is truly astounding). What time of night is the album named after? | MIDNIGHTS |
| 10/21/22 Gen Z slang: What three-word phrase is used to call someone a loser, or to tell them, "you lost, deal with it"? | HOLD THIS L |
| 10/24/22 Well, that didn't take long. After just 46 days in office, who is no longer prime minister of the UK? | LIZ TRUSS |
| 10/24/22 What satellite internet service, run by Elon Musk’s company, has played a pivotal role this year in Ukraine? Now, the White House is in talks with Musk about using the service in Iran. | STARLINK |
| 10/24/22 The controversial rapper Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) has announced a buyout of what conservative social media platform? | PARLER |
| 10/24/22 In what Scandinavian country was Ulf Kristersson recently chosen as prime minister, receiving backing from a far-right party? | SWEDEN |
| 10/24/22 What Chinese American actress has become the first Asian American person depicted on US currency? | ANNA MAY WONG |
| 10/25/22 Alberto Fernandez is the president of what South American country? | ARGENTINA |
| 10/25/22 Russia has evacuated many non-military personnel out of what strategic southern city in Ukraine? It's possible that Ukraine may be able to retake the city before winter. | KHERSON |
| 10/25/22 Earlier this month, a former police officer went on a killing rampage in Thailand. His behavior has since been blamed on an addiction to what four-letter drug, a mix of methamphetamine and caffeine? | YABA |
| 10/25/22 What hyphenated name is used to refer to the "sea nomads" of Southeast Asia, a collective of indigenous groups who live on boats or villages along the coasts of Borneo, the Philippines, and Indonesia? | SAMA-BAJAU are the "sea nomads" of Southeast Asia. |
| 10/25/22 Nicola Sturgeon is the leader of what National Party within the UK? | SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY and the First Minister Scotland |
| 10/26/22 Follow-up: The Tories have crowned a successor to Liz Truss. What former Chancellor of the Exchequer will become the UK’s next prime minister? | RISHI SUNAK |
| 10/26/22 Muhammad Yunus won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for creating microloans for the poor. Yunus is a major figure in what Asian nation, where Sheikh Hasina Wajed has attempted to clamp down on him? | BANGLADESH |
| 10/26/22 Proposition 12, a California ballot initiative passed in 2018, has made its way in front of the Supreme Court as part of a commerce clause case. What industry does Prop 12 seek to regulate? | PORK |
| 10/26/22 The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has reported that much of the cocaine shipped to the United States these days is mixed with what deadly opioid, causing a sharp uptick in cocaine-related deaths? | FENTANYL |
| 10/26/22 The James Webb telescope continues to churn out stunning images of what star forming region of the Eagle Nebula? | PILLARS OF CREATION |
| 10/27/22 In August, “The Corn Kid” went viral after appearing in a Recess Therapy video where he talked about his love for corn. What is the Corn Kid’s real name? | TARIQ is the Corn Kid. The video was fun and viral on its own and became even more viral after autotune artist Schmoyoho made a song out of it. |
| 10/27/22 An Irish Folk Song celebrating the Irish ancestry of a former president went viral on niche TikTok this summer. Which president was the song about? | BARACK OBAMA (Barack O’Bamagh) |
| 10/27/22 A clip from the most recent Kenneth Branagh Hercule Poirot adaptation went viral on Twitter with a phrase said by Gal Gadot. What was that phrase? | ENOUGH CHAMPAGNE TO FILL THE NILE |
| 10/27/22 What British children’s book series was the inspiration for memes made by 20-somethings about their bad habits and annoying behaviors | LITTLE MISS AND MISTER MEN |
| 10/27/22 What matriarch became the central figure in a Rick-Roll style meme named after her on Tik Tok this summer? | KRIS JENNER |
| 10/28/22 Taylor Swift wasn't the only pop queen to drop an album last week. What "Cut to the Feeling" singer released The Loneliest Time? | CARLY RAE JEPSEN |
| 10/28/22 What YA author is known for the best-selling book They Both Die at the End? Earlier this month, he released the prequel The First to Die at the End. | ADAM SILVERA |
| 10/28/22 What Netflix film, set during World War I, is based on a 1929 novel by Erich Maria Remarque? | ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT. It stars Felix Kammerer as Paul Baumer, who joins the war effort in Germany in 1917 |
| 10/28/22 Wendell & Wild is the latest stop-motion animated film from what director, whose last film was 2009's Coraline? | HENRY SELICK Selick, of course, is known for such animated classics as The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, and Coraline |
| 10/28/22 What social media app is a hit amongst high schoolers, and has topped both BeReal and Tik Tok as America's top app? Its three-letter name is also a slang term meaning to hype someone up. | If you "gas someone up," you're essentially hyping them up and complimenting them. GAS is the latest social media platform to become a hit amongst teens |
| 11/1/22 Review: The death of what 22-year old woman in September kicked off nationwide protests? | MAHSA AMINI |
| 11/1/22 Young women are displaying solidarity for the protest movement by symbolically cutting what? | CUTTING THEIR HAIR |
| 11/1/22 What notorious prison, which was set ablaze in October, has long been the jail site for the state's THpolitical prisoners? | EVIN PRISON |
| 11/1/22 Who is the current president of Iran, who has declared that the protests are a plot orchestrated by Iran's enemies? | EBRAHIM RAISI |
| 11/1/22 What is the English translation of the three-word slogan "zan, zendegi, azadi”, which has become one of the central rallying cries of the protest movement? | "WOMEN, LIFE, FREEDOM" |
| 11/2/22 President Volodymyr Zelensky has denied Russian claims that Ukraine intends on detonating what kind of radiological weapon? | DIRTY BOMB |
| 11/2/22 At least 50 people were killed and 300 injured in protests in N'Djamena, the capital of what African country? Protesters were demanding a transition to democratic rule. | OH THAT CHAD |
| 11/2/22 Follow-up: Peace talks between Ethiopia’s government and what northern region of the country have begun? | TIGRAY REGION |
| 11/2/22 Last weekend, what politician’s husband, Paul, was attacked in their San Francisco home when a man broke in demanding “where is Nancy?” | NANCY PELOSI |
| 11/2/22 What is the name of the climate activist group that has pulled off recent stunts such as splashing a can of soup on Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers”? | JUST STOP OIL |
| 11/3/2022 What man has defeated Jair Bolsonaro to become the next president of Brazil? | LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA |
| 11/3/2022 Over Halloween weekend, 154 young people were trampled to death in what district of Seoul, South Korea? | ITAEWON DISTRICT |
| 11/3/2022 Israel has gone to the polls for the fifth time in four years. What party has come out on top, once again? | LIKUD PARTY |
| 11/3/2022 Jakkaphong Anne Jakrajutatip, also known as Anne Jakkaphong, is a transgender Thai businesswoman and mogul. She has purchased the rights to what beauty pageant franchise, becoming the first woman to own one? | MISS UNIVERSE |
| 11/3/2022 What women’s soccer team defeated the Kansas City Current to win their third NWSL title? | PORTLAND THORNS |
| 11/4/22 Taylor Swift has achieved what specific Billboard record with her album Midnights? | Taylor Swift has ALL TOP 10 SPOTS on the Billboard Hot 100 |
| 11/4/22 In a year of mediocre Marvel movies, what highly anticipated Marvel sequel hits theaters next weekend? | BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, helmed by director Ryan Coogler, who also did the first Black Panther movie |
| 11/4/22 It seems every director of a certain age is putting out a semi-autobiographical film based around their early childhood. The Fabelmans is what director’s entry into this genre? | The Fabelmans is a semi-autobiographical film from director STEVEN SPIELBERG |
| 11/4/22 What is the latest film from director Martin McDonagh, starring Colin Farrell in what looks to be a potential Oscars vehicle for the both of them? | THE BANSHEES OF INSHERIN |
| 11/4/22 What song by Sam Smith and Kim Petras hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, to the dismay of your correspondent? | UNHOLY |
| 11/14/22 Name either: The Democrat who defeated Mehmet Oz to win the Pennsylvania Senate seat. The Republican who defeated Tim Ryan to win the Ohio Senate seat. | Two of the most high-publicity Senate races took place in Pennsyvlania and Ohio. JOHN FETTERMAN (D) defeated Dr. Oz to win the Pennsylvania Senate seat, and J.D. VANCE (R) defeated Tim Ryan for the Ohio Senate seat |
| 11/14/22 Russia has ordered the withdrawal of troops from what city, the only provincial capital that it controlled, in what is a huge shift in the Ukraine war? | Russia has ordered the withdrawal of troops from KHERSON |
| 11/14/22 Follow-up: What has been the outcome of negotiations between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray leadership? | The Ethiopian government and Tigrayan leadership have arrived at a PEACE DEAL, agreeing to cease hostilities. |
| 11/14/22 What second largest cryptocurrency exchange collapsed last week, part of what many are calling the "Crypto Winter"? | he largest cryptocurrency exchange is Binance. The second largest crypto exchange was FTX, run by billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried |
| 11/14/22 Helping us all avert economic disaster (maybe), what team won the 2022 World Series? | HOUSTON ASTROS are your 2022 World Series winners, defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in six games. Rookie shortstop Jeremy Peña was named World Series MVP, becoming just the third rookie to win the award |
| 11/15/22 During last week's midterm elections, Maura Healey and Tina Kotek became the first two openly lesbian governors elected to office. They are the governors-elect of what two states? | Maura Healey is the governor-elect of MASSACHUSETTS and Tina Kotek is the governor-elect of OREGON |
| 11/15/22 Follow-up: What former prime minister of Pakistan survived an assassination attempt on November 3rd? | IMRAN KHAN |
| 11/15/22 Daniel Ortega has all but cemented de facto one-party rule in what Central American country? | Daniel Ortega is the authoritarian leader of NICARAGUA. His party, the Sandinista National Liberation Front, won 153 out of 153 municipalities in what was widely considered a sham election |
| 11/15/22 Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is poised to form a new government after winning the general election of what European country? | Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of DENMARK stays in power after general elections last week |
| 11/15/22 What West Coast team won its first MLS Cup title on November 5th, defeating the Philadelphia Union in penalty shootouts? | The Philadelphia Union were defeated by LAFC in a thrilling match that saw Los Angeles Football Club take its first MLS Cup. Welsh soccer star GARETH BALE tied the game in overtime (128') with a header. LAFC |
| 11/16/22 The tech industry's mass lay-offs have drawn comparisons to what Game of Thrones event, in which Robb Stark and his banner-men are massacred? | RED WEDDING |
| 11/16/22 Coined from a 2017 Chinese action movie, what two-word alliterative term is used to refer to an extremely confrontational and nationalist defender of the Chinese Communist Party? | WOLF WARRIOR |
| 11/16/22 An expert in wine is a master sommelier. What name is given to an expert in beer? | CICERONE |
| 11/16/22 Natasa Pirc Musar has been elected to be the first female president of what Alpine country of 2 million people | Natasa Pirc Musar, a Liberal lawyer, is the first female president of SLOVENIA. She also happens to be Melania Trump’s former lawyer |
| 11/16/22 Joey Logano won the NASCAR Cup Series title for what auto racing team, helping them win both a NASCAR Cup and an IndyCar in the same year? | Joey Logano won the NASCAR Cup Series for TEAM PENSKE |
| 11/17/22 This World Cup is likely to be the last for what Argentine superstar? A recently-released book about him and Cristiano Ronaldo is subtitled “One Rivalry, Two GOATs, and the Era That Remade the World's Game.” | At age 35, LIONEL MESSI is nearing the end of his international career |
| 11/17/22 Garra charrúa” — meaning (roughly) “grit in the face of adversity” — is a phrase associated with what South American powerhouse of only 3 million people? These two-time champions will face Ghana | URUGUAY, which always seems to punch above its weight, will face a stiff challenge from Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal atop Group H |
| 11/17/22 Striker Sadio Mané’s injury last week was a setback for the hopes of what team, the defending African continental champions? | It’s unclear how many matches Mané will miss for SENEGAL, but his injury compounds the problems for a squad that has seen its other key players — defender Kalidou Koulibaly and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy — regress at Chelsea |
| 11/17/22 What Eintracht Frankfurt attacking midfielder was surprisingly named to Germany’s squad, ending a five-year hiatus from national team play? | MARIO GÖTZE, once hailed in his country’s media as “the German Messi”, hasn’t quite lived up to that billing, but is back on the global soccer stage |
| 11/17/22 What English manager was responsible for one of the biggest surprises in World Cup qualification, guiding Canada to finish ahead of Mexico and the USA? | A longtime presence in the women’s game, JOHN HERDMAN switched over and delivered Canada’s first men’s World Cup appearance in 36 years |
| 11/18/22 What Captain America actor has been named People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" for 2022? | CHRIS EVANS |
| 11/18/22 Starring Jenna Ortega in the title role, what Netflix series follows a famous member of a creepy family during her high school years at Nevermore Academy? | WEDNESDAY", a Tim Burton-produced show for Netflix, follows the travails of Wendesday Addams during her high school years at Nevermore Academy |
| 11/18/22 Weird: The Al Yankovic Story stars what Harry Potter actor as Weird Al? | DANIEL RADCLIFFE |
| 11/18/22 What is the title of the Knives Out sequel, coming out Thanksgiving weekend on Netflix? | Rian Johnson's follow-up to his hit mystery movie is titled GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY. |
| 11/18/22 Gen Z slang: What religious text is a slang word used to mean "I swear it" or "it's the truth"? | BIBLE" |
| 11/28/22 What Southeast Asian nation chose Anwar Ibrahim to be its next prime minister, their third in three years? | MALAYSIA |
| 11/28/22 What NASA program, named after the Greek goddess of the hunt, launched its new Moon rocket on November 16th? | NASA's ARTEMIS program aims to return humans to the Moon |
| 11/28/22 Since the beginning of the year, more than 40,000 migrants have tried to cross what busy European waterway in small boats? | ENGLISH CHANNEL |
| 11/28/22 Changpeng Zhao is the co-founder and CEO of what largest cryptocurrency exchange? | Changpeng Zhao is the co-founder and CEO of BINANCE, easily the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange |
| 11/28/22 We can't talk about Qatar without talking about the exploited migrant labor that built the World Cup stadiums. What small, mountainous nation sandwiched between India and China provided a large number of workers for the Qatar World Cup? | NEPAL has provided a large amount of the exploited migrant labor that helped build the World Cup stadiums |
| 11/29/22 In the Cup's most stunning upset so far, what Middle Eastern nation won its opening group stage match against Argentina? | SAUDI ARABIA |
| 11/29/22 What forward for the Brazilian national team, a player on the Tottenham Hotspurs in the English Premiere League, has scored what is arguably the tournament's prettiest goal, a beautiful bicycle kick of a score? | In their opening match against Serbia, Brazil's RICHARLISON delivered a beautiful bicycle kick of a goal |
| 11/29/22 Tim Weah scored the USMNT’s first goal of the tournament in its draw against Wales. He happens to be the son of George Weah, the president of what African nation and a soccer star in his own right? | LIBERIA |
| 11/29/22 The Black Stars is the name of what African national team? They are the youngest team at this World Cup, with an average age of 24 years. | GHANA |
| 11/29/22 The official FIFA World Cup soundtrack has given us some bangers over the years, including "Wavin' Flag" by K'naan and "Waka Waka" by Shakira. What is the 2022 official World Cup song, in which three singers proclaim we are "better together"? | "HAYYA HAYYA (BETTER TOGETHER)" is by artists from three different continents: Trinidad Cardona (USA), Davido (Nigeria), and Aisha (Qatar) |
| 11/30/22 President Biden's first 20 months in office have seen three major pieces of spending legislation, meant to foster American manufacturing and make the economy greener. Name any one of them. | $1.2 trillion Bipartisan INFRASTRUCTURE Law $280 billion CHIPS AND SCIENCE ACT $390 billion CLIMATE SPENDING bill |
| 11/30/22 Follow-up: What president of El Salvador gambled big on cryptocurrency in 2021? So far, it hasn't paid off. | NAYIB BUKELE |
| 11/30/22 Almost two-thirds of the world's lithium can be found in the Andean plains. What three countries make up the "lithium triangle"? | ARGENTINA, CHILE, and BOLIVIA make up the "LITHIUM TRIANGLE." |
| 11/30/22 Review: What armed rebel group in eastern Congo is named after the date it signed peace accords in 2009? | The armed rebel group M23 has been responsible for an increase in attacks in eastern Congo |
| 11/30/22 Follow-up: Serbia and Kosovo reached a deal to end a dispute over what vehicle identification items? | LICENSE PLATE DISPUTE |
| 12/1/22 Disney has switched CEOs again — which Bob is back on top? | While Bob Chapek served as Disney CEO from 2020-2022, BOB IGER is back on top |
| 12/1/22 What American author, who took a 15-year break from publishing after The Road (2006) won the Pulitzer Prize, is back this year with two novels? | The 89-year old CORMAC MCCARTHY is back with two new novels, after a 15-year hiatus from publishing. The Passenger and Stella Maris both take place in the same universe, where a small jet has crashed and sunk in the Gulf of Mexic |
| 12/1/22 Marie Kondo, everyone's favorite tidiness guru, has returned. What Japanese word, which helps title her latest book, refers to the comfort and serenity of day-to-day routines? | KURASHI" mainstream. Kurashi refers to the comfort and serenity of day-to-day routines |
| 12/1/22 What Japanese concept, which translates as "reason for being," has made a bit of a resurgence in the Western self-help world? | The Japanese concept of IKIGAI is loosely translated as "reason for being |
| 12/1/22 A "vertiport" is the name given by the aviation industry for a new type of air terminal, used by what type of vehicles? | A vertiport is used as a landing base for FLYING TAXIS, or EVTOLs (Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing vehicle). Paris has the first vertiport of its kind in Europe |
| 12/2/22 What fake Martin Scorsese movie has the Internet invented and made viral? | GONCHAROV, which stars Robert DeNiro in the titular role as a Russian hit man, is the Martin Scorsese movie you've never seen. That's because it's fake |
| 12/2/22 What album by Drake and 21 Savage debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard album charts? All 16 songs hit the Billboard Hot 100. | HER LOSS is the latest collab album between Drake and 21 Savage |
| 12/2/22 What indie folk singer, who had a breakout hit in 2022 with "Stick Season," has released an album with the same name? | NOAH KAHAN is the indie folk singer behind Stick Season |
| 12/2/22 White Noise, a post-modernist novel from author Don DeLillo, has been adapted for the big screen by what Oscar-nominated director? | NOAH BAUMBACH is the director behind the Netflix adaptation of White Noise White Noise stars Baumbach favorites Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig; Driver plays a professor of Hitler studies |
| 12/2/22 What fashion aesthetic, popular amongst Chinese teenagers, involves dressing up like an American farmer? | AMERICORE is the fashion aesthetic that involves Chinese teens dressing up like Americans. The latest trend is "American farm style, |
| 12/5/22 China's government has seen bold demonstrations in major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai as people take to the streets protesting what policy? | ZERO COVID POLICY |
| 12/5/22 Monkeypox is getting a name change. What will the disease now be known as? | "MPOX." |
| 12/5/22 eodoro Obiang won re-election last week with 95% of the vote, cementing his place as the world's longest ruler. He is the president of what African nation? | EQUATORIAL GUINEA |
| 12/5/22 Merriam-Webster's "word of the year" for 2022 is what word, meaning to grossly mislead someone for one's own advantage? | "GASLIGHTING." Meanwhile, Oxford English dictionary has chosen an extremely bizarre “word of the year.” “GOBLIN MODE” is a slang term meaning a mode of behavior that is indulgently slovenly or greedy |
| 12/5/22 According to the Economist Intelligence Unit's annual list of "world's most expensive cities to live in," what two cities tied at the top of the 2022 rankings? One of the cities is in the US, and the other is in Asia. | NEW YORK and SINGAPORE The world's least expensive cities included Tashkent, Tunis, Tehran, Tripoli, and Damascus |
| 12/6/22 The World Cup has seen heavy use of VAR technology, where officials can immediately review whether a player has been offsides or whether a goal is legitimate. What does VAR stand for? | VAR is a VIDEO ASSISTANT REFEREE in which a sideline official can immediately check a play on the monitors |
| 12/6/22 During the Costa Rica vs. Germany match, Frechwoman Stephanie Frappart earned what distinction? | Stephanie Frappart is the FIRST WOMAN TO REFEREE A MEN'S WORLD CUP GAME, doing so in the Costa Rica vs. Germany match |
| 12/6/22 What 23-year old French forward scored two goals in France’s rout of Poland in the Round of 16, putting him on pace to not only win the Golden Boot, but also one day break the all-time record for World Cup goals? | KYLIAN MBAPPE |
| 12/6/22 Memphis Depay, Daley Blind, and Denzel Dumfries are all members of what national team, which eliminated the USMNT in the Round of 16? | THE NETHERLANDS |
| 12/6/22 What national team’s captain is being investigated by FIFA, following a controversial gesture he made towards the Serbian team? | The World Cup and geopolitics is where things get spicy. GRANIT XHAKA, the captain for SWITZERLAND, is under investigation by FIFA for a controversial gesture he made following their win over Serbia. |
| 12/7/22 Cyril Ramaphosa is the president of what nation? An independent panel appointed by the country's parliament to investigate corruption has determined that Ramphosa has likely violated anti-corruption laws. | SOUTH AFRICA |
| 12/7/22 The House Democrats elected what man to become their leader, making him the first Black man to become minority leader? | HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY) |
| 12/7/22 Two members of what far-right group were found guilty of seditious conspiracy for the storming of the Capitol on January 6th, 2021? | OATH KEEPERS |
| 12/7/22 The al Qaeda linked terror group al-Shabaab launched a suicide attack in what East African country last week, a country it has actively terrorized for years? | SOMALIA |
| 12/7/22 The richest man in China is not Jack Ma (owner of Ali Baba) or Pony Ma (owner of Tencent). According to Forbes' 2022 list, it is Zhong Shanshan, the owner of what beverage company that you've likely never encountered? | NONFU SPRING is the Chinese water company that is the most popular bottled water brand in China |
| 12/8/22 Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary-general, said Russia was using WHAT as “as a weapon of war against Ukraine”? Never fight a land war in Asia during this season | Jens Stoltenberg said Russia was using “WINTER as a weapon of war against Ukraine” |
| 12/8/22 The ripple effect of FTX's collapse are being felt throughout the cryptocurrency world. What major cryptocurrency lender has also filed for bankruptcy? | BLOCKFI, a major cryptocurrency lender, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week. |
| 12/8/22 Name the Country. “Since the Islamic revolution of 1979 that convulsed Iran and threatened the thrones of Sunni Arab monarchs across the Gulf, _______ has been on the fault line of the Sunni-Shia division | BAHRAIN |
| 12/8/22 Amazon has made a push into the healthcare space after launching what service, following a $3.9 billion takeover in July of One Medical? | AMAZON CLINIC |
| 12/8/22 Who defeated Herschel Walker in a run-off election to retain his Georgia Senate seat? | RAPHAEL WARNOCK |
| 12/9/22 Jeanne Dielman 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) by director Chantal Akerman. It is a film from what European nation? | The BFI 100's greatest film of all time on its 2022 list was Jeanne Dielman 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) by director Chantal Akerman. It is a film from BELGIUM. |
| 12/9/22 Spotify Wrapped 2022 showed that Bad Bunny was the most streamed artist of the year for the third time in a row. What album of his was the most streamed album of 2022? | UN VERANO SIN TI Un Verano Sin Ti has given us such hits as "Moscow Mule," "Me Porto Bonito," and the club banger of the year, "Titi Me Pregunto." Elsewhere, Harry Styles' "As It Was" was the most streamed song of the year. |
| 12/9/22 What Darren Aronofsky film starring Brendan Fraser, out in theaters this weekend, is receiving early awards-season hype for Fraser’s performance? | THE WHALE stars Brendan Fraser as an obese and reclusive English teacher who attempts to reconnect with his daughter. |
| 12/9/22 Disney+ has premiered not one, not two, but THREE shows set in the Star Wars universe this year. Name two of them. | The three Disney+ shows set in the Star Wars universe that premiered in 2022 were: THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT OBI-WAN KENOBI ANDOR is the most recent to debut. It stars Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, |
| 12/9/22 Core Culture: There are so many "core" aesthetics happening these days — cottagecore, Barbiecore, Americore, and so on. What fashion aesthetic involves dressing up like a certain type of dancer, who might appear in The Nutcracker? | BALLETCORE is a fashion aesthetic that involves dressing up in tulle skirts, sheer tights, ballet flats, and the like |
| 12/12/22 Follow-up: After months of detention, what WNBA star is finally home? | BRITTNEY GRINER |
| 12/12/22 What world leader has TIME magazine named the 2022 Person of the Year? | VOLODOMYR ZELENSKY |
| 12/12/22 Name the AI photo app that has taken social media by storm, resulting in selfies in a variety of styles. It has notably generated extremely busty pictures of women. | LENSA AI |
| 12/12/22 Name the chat bot from OpenAi that produces surprisingly real scripts. | CHATGPT |
| 12/12/22 What nation has become the first African country to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup, upsetting Portugal 1-0 in the quarterfinals to do so? | MOROCCO |
| 12/12/22 Follow-up: China has begun to ease nationwide Covid-19 restrictions after a wave of protests, led in part by Chinese students. One symbol of the protest has been signs with equations by what Soviet mathematician | FRIEDMANN EQUATIONS |
| 12/13/22 The G7 capped the sale of what commodity at $60/barrel? After months of talks, this embargo finally went into effect last Monday. | RUSSIAN CRUDE |
| 12/13/22 Review: What country has seen the deadliest 90-day period of nationwide protests this year, as it enters its third month of protest following the death of Mahsa Amini? | IRAN |
| 12/13/22 With dozens of Maori gangs, what country has one of the highest rates of gang membership in the world? | NEW ZEALAND |
| 12/13/22 Lawmakers in what South American country voted to oust president Pedro Castillo after he attempted a coup to dissolve Congress? | PERU |
| 12/13/22 Police in what European nation conducted a series of raids last week that shut down an armed coup intent on replacing the government with a minor aristocrat? | GERMANY |
| 12/16/22 What is the subtitle of James Cameron's new Avatar movie? | AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER |
| 12/16/22 TIME Magazine's Entertainer of the Year and Icon of the Year are both Asian women. Name them. | TIME Magazine's Entertainer of the Year is BLACKPINK, and its Icon of the Year is the inimitable MICHELLE YEOH |
| 12/16/22 What Netflix documentary series has received the highest UK ratings for any Netflix show in 2022? | "HARRY & MEGHAN" |
| 12/16/22 What best-selling video game won the 2022 Game of the Year award? | ELDEN RING |
| 12/16/22 The Internet’s new “It Girl” is what 20-year old actress, scream queen, and star of Netflix’s “Wednesday”? | JENNA ORTEGA |
| 12/19/22 What nation has won the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup? Additionally, what player won the coveted Golden Boot award? | ARGENTINA won the 2022 FIFA World Cup, beating France on penalty kicks KYLIAN MBAPPE of France won the Golden Boot (most goals scored in the tournament) while Argentinian hero LIONEL MESSI won the Golden Ball (player of the tournament) |
| 12/19/22 Follow-up: What South American nation declared a 30-day state of emergency to handle protests sparked by the ousting of Pedro Castillo? | PERU has declared a 30-day state of emergency to deal with protests sparked by the ousting of former president Pedro Castillo His vice-president, Dina Boularte, has taken over as president. |
| 12/19/22 Scientists at a federal lab in California have achieved “ignition,” a major breakthrough in what type of alternative energy? | Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California have achieved “ignition,” a major breakthrough in NUCLEAR FUSION |
| 12/19/22 British prime minister Rishi Sunak has announced that he will provide more resources to clear a backlog of applications for asylum, especially those from which ethnic minority? | Rishi Sunak has promised to provide more resources to clearing a backlog of applications for asylum, especially for ALBANIANS |
| 12/19/22 According to Amazon’s year-end list, who is easily the best-selling author of 2022, claiming the #1, 2, 4, 6, and 7 spots in the top 10? | COLLEEN HOOVER t Starts with Us take up the #1 and 2 spots on Amazon’s best-sellers list. Her other novels, such as Verity, Reminders of Him, and Ugly Love are all in the top 10 |
| 12/22 What soccer superstar won the Golden Ball at the 2022 World Cup, captaining his team to its first World Cup win since 1986? | LIONEL MESSI |
| 12/22 What major US airline declared a "state of operational emergency" in late December, eventually canceling tens of thousands of flights due to a combination of severe weather and outdated scheduling technology? | SOUTHWEST AIRLINES |
| 12/22 SOS, released last month, is what R&B artist's long-awaited follow-up to her critically acclaimed 2017 debut album, Ctrl? | SZA |
| 12/22 What six-letter adjective, from the Latin for "cheek," describes the facial fat whose removal via plastic surgery became a viral fashion trend in December? | BUCCAL |
| 12/22 On December 12th, what man, the founder of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, was arrested in the Bahamas? Later that month, he was released on $250 million bond, the largest such bond package in U.S. history. | SAM BANKMAN-FRIED |
| 12/22 What five-word movie title fills in the blank in the headline of this December New Yorker film review: "_____: An Island Fit For the King of the World"? The film, which made $434 Mil worldwide on opening weekend | AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER |
| 12/22 What three-time British Fashion Designer of the Year and owner of the punk boutique SEX died in December at age 81? | VIVIENNE WESTWOOD |
| 12/22 The subject of much discourse on ethics in technology last month, what experimental text-generation bot released by the research lab OpenAI has been described as "the best artificial intel [bot] released to the general public"? | CHATGPT |
| 12/22 Stella Maris, published in December, contains the first female protagonist created by what author of Blood Meridian? | CORMAC MCCARTHY |
| 12/22 What actor, who recently announced he would be replaced as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix's The Witcher, surprised even more fans in December by releasing a statement that he will no longer play Superman in the DC Extended Universe? | HENRY CAVILL |
| 12/22 On December 27th, Adam Fox was sentenced to 16 years in prison for plotting to kidnap what woman, the governor of Michigan? | GRETCHEN WHITMER |
| 12/22 What two-word phrase, defined as "a type of behavior which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations," was named Oxford's Word of the Year last month? | GOBLIN MODE |
| 12/22 A report published in December revealed that Australian scientists have finally found a two-part, or "hemi-," version of what female sexual organ in snakes, long thought to be absent but—unsurprisingly—just underinvestigated? | CLITORIS |
| 12/22 Scoring his 801st and 802nd goals on December 23rd, what longtime Washington Capitals captain passed Gordie Howe for second place on the NHL's career goal-scoring list, behind only Wayne Gretzky? | ALEXANDER OVECHKIN |
| 12/22 Chef Ali Ahmed Aslam, who died last month at age 77, is best known as the inventor of which dish, he improvised using spices, cream, and a can of tomato soup after a customer complained that a dish was too dry? | (CHICKEN) TIKKA MASALA |
| 12/22 Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper were given shots of pickle juice, buttermilk, and other mystery drinks in place of their usual alcoholic fare while anchoring what channel's New Years' Eve broadcast? | CNN |
| 11/22 On November 6th, when Jacob Caswell crossed the finish line in Central Park, they became the first person to win the newly created nonbinary division of which sporting competition? | NEW YORK CITY MARATHON |
| 11/22 Former President and onetime cricket star Imran Khan was shot and wounded while leading a protest march in Wazirabad, against the government of Shehbaz Sharif in what country? | PAKISTAN |
| 11/22 According to Christie's, the largest art auction ever occurred last month, when about $1.5 billion worth of paintings and sculptures were sold from the collection of which man, who co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates? | PAUL ALLEN |
| 11/22 November was a banner month for cookbooks, including Go-To Dinners: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, which became a #1 New York Times best seller for which author? | INA GARTEN |
| 11/22 New SI prefixes were approved last month; one of those new prefixes is 'ronna-', representing ten raised to which power? One ronnagram is the same as one billion billion billion grams. | 27 |
| 11/22 What is the the two-word title of the sequel to Knives Out? Director Rian Johnson said he knew he wanted the title object to be "something that's clear," and decided to co-opt the title of a Beatles song after searching his music library. | GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY |
| 11/22 On November 15th, Estée Lauder announced it was acquiring which high-end fashion brand named for its founder—who, in addition to designing clothes, also directed the film Nocturnal Animals and lent his name to a Jay-Z song? | TOM FORD |
| 11/22 Which volcano, the largest active volcano in the world, erupted last month for the first time in almost 40 years? The eruption began in this volcano's Moku‘āweoweo caldera. | MAUNA LOA |
| 11/22 Which man, who holds the record for most wins by an African American manager, also became the oldest manager to win the World Series last month, doing so with the Houston Astros? | DUSTY BAKER |
| 11/22 "I'd always vowed not to become the Elie Wiesel of comic books. . . ." Those words come from a speech delivered by who, upon receiving a lifetime achievement award at last month's National Book Awards? | ART SPIEGELMAN he stated he would draw myself trying to outrun a 500-pound mouse. |
| 11/22 Alternative medicine enthusiast and self-proclaimed clairvoyant Märtha Louise, the only daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja, gave up her royal duties as princess of which country last month in order to marry American Durek Verrett? | NORWAY |
| 11/22A three-year-old named Winston took home Best in Show at last month's National Dog Show. Winston is a French type of which breed of dog, which is the most common mascot in Division 1 college sports? | BULLDOG |
| 11/22 "In Christine McVie, _____ Has Lost Its Songbird" read one obituary from last month; the name of what band fills in the blank? | FLEETWOOD MAC |
| 11/22 Mary Peltola defeated a vice presidential candidate-turned conservative pundit to win a full term as which state's sole member of the House of Representatives? | ALASKA |
| 11/22 leeing Twitter following Elon Musk's rocky takeover of the company? | MASTODON |
| 11/22 Lots of clever people tweeted "No, it isn't" in response to Merriam-Webster's announcement that what 11-letter word, ending in "-ing," was its Word of the Year for 2022? | GASLIGHTING |
| 10/22 Driving for Red Bull Racing, what racer wrapped up his second consecutive F1 World Championship in October? | MAX VERSTAPPEN |
| 10/22 What seven-person musical group announced last month that, in accordance with its country's laws, all of its members would enlist in the military—appropriately enough, since its fans call themselves the Army? | BTS |
| 10/22 The 2022 Booker Prize-winning novel The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida is set in what country, also the birthplace of its author, Shehan Karunatilaka? | SRI LANKA |
| 10/22 Two protesters with the group Just Stop Oil made headlines by flinging tomato soup at Sunflowers, a painting by what artist? | VINCENT VAN GOGH |
| 10/22 In a viral interview, House of the Dragon star Emma D'Arcy said that their favorite cocktail is a "Negroni ... Sbagliato ... with Prosecco in it." What kind of liquor, the base of a standard Negroni, does the Prosecco replace in a Negroni Sbagliato? | GIN |
| 10/22 Fully cognizant of all her strongest suits, Sondheim wrote her a score full of wonderful songs ... Mrs. Lovett eventually gets her comeuppance—and _____ got her fourth Tony Award as Best Actress in a Musical. Who just passed away at age 96? | ANGELA LANSBURY |
| 10/22 What album, released on October 21st, became the first to have tracks simultaneously occupying the top 10 spots on the Billboard Hot 100? | MIDNIGHTS by Taylor Swift |
| 10/22 Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated what incumbent in Brazil's presidential election last month? Despite fears to the contrary, he agreed to a peaceful transition of power shortly after the election. | JAIR BOLSONARO |
| 10/22 GRB 221009A, triggered by a supernova giving birth to a black hole in a distant galaxy, has been nicknamed "the BOAT" (Brightest of All Time) by astronomers. What do the letters "GRB" stand for? | GAMMA RAY BURST |
| 10/22 The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics was awarded for research on banks and financial crises to Douglas W. Diamond, Philip H. Dybvig, and what other man, who served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve from 2006 to 2014? | BEN BERNANKE |
| 10/22 Fans of which show were surprised at the end of an October 2022 episode not to see Ncuti Gatwa's first appearance in the starring role, instead seeing David Tennant reprise his incarnation of the character? | DOCTOR WHO |
| 10/22 NYC restaurateur Keith McNally banned, then unbanned, then rebanned what Tony winner and late-night host, after he apologized—and then retracted his apology—for berating the waitstaff? | JAMES CORDEN |
| 10/22 Elnaz Rekabi, an sport climber from which country, competed without a headscarf in defiance of her country's laws? She received a hero's welcome from fellow protesters when she returned home to Imam Khomeini Airport. | IRAN |
| 10/22 Last month, health experts began warning of a "tripledemic" this winter—a spike in cases of COVID, the flu, and what third virus, usually shortened to a three-letter name, which is especially common among children and infants? | RSV (RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS) |
| 10/22 On October 28th, an assailant broke into the San Francisco home of which politician in an attempt to take her hostage, but instead attacking her husband, Paul? | NANCY PELOSI |
| 10/22 Last month, President Biden announced the creation of the country's newest national monument: Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, located along the Tenmile Range in which state? | COLORADO |
| 9/22 After her Brothers of Italy party received the most votes in the September 25th election, who is slated to become Italy's first female prime minister? | GIORGIA MELONI |
| 9/22 Citing environmental concerns, what country's city of Haarlem will become the first in the world to ban advertisements for any food products containing meat? | NETHERLANDS |
| 9/22 Including writing and directing wins for Mike White and acting wins for Jennifer Coolidge and Murray Bartlett, which show took home five Emmys—the most of any show—at last month's ceremony? | THE WHITE LOTUS |
| 9/22 The Pigeon Will Ride the Rollercoaster!, released last month, is the eleventh and most recent book in the Pigeon series by what children's author? | MO WILLEMS |
| 9/22 Yvon Chouinard announced he was donating his ownership of which outdoor clothing company, based in the U.S. but named for a region on another continent, to a trust dedicated to combatting climate change? | PATAGONIA |
| 9/22 University of Texas spent more than $280,000 during a campus visit from the #1 high school football recruit in the nation. That recruit's first name is Arch; what is his last name, which he shares with his two Super Bowl-winning uncles? | MANNING |
| 9/22 September 28th saw the passing of which hip-hop artist known for, among other things, the theme song to Kenan & Kel and a song famously parodied by Weird Al's "Amish Paradise"? | COOLIO (ARTIS LEON IVEY JR.) |
| 9/22 As an homage to a recent NASA mission of the same name, typing what four-letter acronym into Google in late September caused a spacecraft to fly across the screen, crash, and tilt the entire page slightly? | DART |
| 9/22 At a concert in Washington, D.C. last month, Lizzo twerked while playing a crystal flute engraved with the year 1813. That flute was given to which president as a gift upon his second inauguration? | JAMES MADISON |
| 9/22 EA revealed last month that which title character of an Apple TV+ show, along with his bearded assistant and their team, will be playable in FIFA 23? | TED LASSO |
| 9/22 President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a constitutional amendment changing the name of Kazakhstan's capital city back to what? Kazakhstan's capital had been named this from 1998 to 2019, before it was changed to Nur-Sultan. | ASTANA |
| 9/22 On September 19th, a circuit court judge vacated the conviction of Adnan Syed in the 1999 killing of Hae Min Lee. Syed's case was the focus of Season 1 of what popular podcast hosted by Sarah Koenig? | SERIAL |
| 9/22 In a month that saw 40-year-old Serena Williams and 41-year-old Roger Federer retire from professional tennis, what 19-year-old Spanish phenom won the men's singles title at the U.S. Open, becoming the youngest ever ATP #1 in the process? | CARLOS ALCARAZ |
| 9/22 Last month, Merriam-Webster added what nine-letter word defined as "to make (something, such as a product, policy, or practice) appear to be more environmentally friendly or less environmentally damaging than it really is"? | GREENWASH |
| 9/22 The Rijksmuseum recently announced the discovery of two objects that had been painted over in The Milkmaid, a 1657-58 painting by what Delft-born artist? | JAN VERMEER |
| 9/22 In the last week of September, what performer achieved the rare feat of simultaneously starring in the #1 movie at the North American box office and having the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100? | HARRY STYLES |
| 8/22 On August 5th, Amazon announced that it will pay approximately $1.7 billion to acquire what company that makes the Roomba? | IROBOT |
| 8/22 Jennette McCurdy's memoir I'm Glad My Mom Died, which became a New York Times best seller last month, describes McCurdy's abusive relationship with her mother while starring opposite Miranda Cosgrove on what show, later spun off into Sam & Cat? | ICARLY |
| 8/22 In recent weeks, there have been reported cases in New York, London, and Jerusalem of which disease, even though it was previously all but eradicated due to an invention by Jonas Salk? | POLIO |
| 8/22 This school year, 60 schools nationwide are debuting a course in African American History as part of what program created by the College Board that lets students earn college credit? | ADVANCED PLACEMENT |
| 8/22 Many women have posted videos of themselves dancing in support of Sanna Marin, who drew criticism last month after footage of her attending a party went viral. Marin is the prime minister of which country? | FINLAND |
| 8/22 What singer released "Hold Me Closer," a duet with Elton John, last month? The single is the first new music she has released since her 2016 album Glory. | BRITNEY SPEARS |
| 8/22 August saw the 30th anniversary of the publication of a book by Gary Chapman that introduced what group of five concepts, two of which are "acts of service" and "quality time"? | LOVE LANGUAGES |
| 8/22 Coached by Mark Daigneault, which team used the second overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft on Chet Holmgren, who suffered a season-ending foot injury this month during a summer pro-am game? | OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER |
| 8/22 In August, President Biden announced a three-part plan to cancel $10,000 (or in some cases $20,000) of what kind of debt for low-to-middle-income borrowers? Two-word answer required. | STUDENT LOANS |
| 8/22 In a rare case of a Japanese animated film reaching #1 at the US box office, Super Hero—which focuses on Gohan and Piccolo—is a part of what long-running media franchise? | DRAGON BALL |
| 8/22 Last month, the Association of Greek Archaeologists published an open letter calling on UNESCO to "intervene forcefully" to protect what World Heritage Site in Istanbul, originally built as a cathedral by Justinian I, from damage and vandalism? | HAGIA SOPHIA |
| 8/22 The 2022 VMA for Best K-Pop Video went to Lisa, who rose to fame in 2016 as one of the four members of what girl group? | BLACKPINK |
| 8/22 A study published in Nature last month suggests that protons contain heavy, "intrinsic" types of what pleasing-sounding kind of quark? | CHARM QUARK |
| 8/22 Abbi Jacobson and D'Arcy Carden star in what Amazon series that premiered in August, inspired by and sharing its name with a 1992 film directed by Penny Marshall? | A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN |
| 8/22 First tested in Paris, the French government is widening its system of sound sensors intended to help reduce noise pollution; the aforementioned system shares its name with which mythological sister of Stheno and Euryale? | MEDUSA |
| 8/22 Vin Scully, who passed away last month at the age of 94, spent 67 seasons as the play-by-play announcer for what baseball team, which moved to the West Coast in 1958? | LOS ANGELES DODGERS |
| 7/22 Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak have emerged as the frontrunners to replace what man who officially resigned his position on July 7? | BORIS JOHNSON |
| 7/22 Last month, what baseball player joined Dirk Nowitzki, Alexander Ovechkin, and Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only non-Americans to win the ESPY Award for Best Male Athlete? | SHOHEI OHTANI |
| 7/22 What July 2022 release is the second feature film collaboration between director Jordan Peele and actor Daniel Kaluuya? | NOPE |
| 8/22 Last month, Yuri Borisov, leader of the agency Roscosmos, announced that Russia will end its participation in what project after 2024? The project is typically staffed by a crew of seven people from multiple countries. | INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION |
| 7/22 What singer was indicted on six counts of tax fraud in Spain last month due to avoiding taxes while living with FC Barcelona star Gerard Piqué? | SHAKIRA |
| 7/22 For her work in sphere packing, Ukrainian Maryna Viazovska became just the second woman to win what prestigious award, also won by Maryam Mirzakhani in 2014? | FIELDS MEDAL |
| 7/22 Also called "TrackTown U.S.A.," what college town in the Willamette Valley hosted the 2022 World Athletics Championships last month? | EUGENE, OREGON |
| 7/22 What treat with a rhyming name was discontinued by Klondike last month? In response, Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian has offered to buy the rights to it in order to keep the discontinuation "from melting away from future generations' childhoods." | CHOCO TACO |
| 7/22 What play, an adaptation of Khaled Hosseini's 2003 debut novel, opened on Broadway last month, starring Eric Sirakian as the title character, Hassan? | THE KITE RUNNER |
| 7/22 At last month's ComicCon, a $100,000 endowment was given to The Armstrong Project, The project is named after Robb Armstrong, who lent his last name to which "Peanuts" character? | FRANKLIN |
| 7/22 Who won the men's singles title at Wimbledon last month? Because he remains unvaccinated against COVID-19, it is widely believed he will not be able to gain entry to the United States in order to play at the U.S. Open. | NOVAK DJOKOVIC |
| 7/22 Whose song "About Damn Time" reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July, after a 14-week climb up the charts? | LIZZO |
| 7/22 What former prime minister of Japan was assassinated on July 8th? The suspect in custody, Tetsuya Yamagami, claims to have been motivated by a grudge against the Unification Church. | SHINZO ABE |
| 7/22 The OED credits an ad-libbed line from The Godfather by James Caan, as the earliest documented example of what interjection "suggesting something happening suddenly"? | BADA-BING |
| 7/22 What large walrus, named after the Norse goddess of love, fertility, and war, has been sunbathing on and sinking boats throughout Norway this summer? | FREYA |
| 7/22 Several sporting organizations, including MLQ and the IQA, announced in July that they would be changing the "Q" in their names from WHAT to "Quadball," to distance themselves from the sport's creator? | QUIDDITCH |
| 6/22 What word fills in the blank in the title of the New York Times best-selling picture book "Noodle and the No _____ Day," starring a pug who went viral on TikTok in 2021 for sometimes refusing to stay standing? | BONES |
| 6/22 Which team beat the Tampa Bay Lightning to win the 2022 Stanley Cup, their first Cup win since 2001? This year's Conn Smythe Trophy winner was defenseman Cole Makar, while 2001's was goalie Patrick Roy. | COLORADO AVALANCHE |
| 6/22 Take the number of Tony nominations it received in 2022, and subtract the number of Tonys it won (Original Score for Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, and Costume Design for Gabriella Slade), and you'll get the name of what musical? | SIX |
| 6/22 For her role in orchestrating the 2019 coup that unseated Evo Morales, Jeanine Áñez was sentenced to 10 years in prison in June, after serving as the president of which country for less than a year? | BOLIVIA |
| 6/22 What four-letter word defined as "a person who has a non-binary gender identity" was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in June? | ENBY |
| 6/22 "[D]espite his reputation as reigning dog portraitist, [he] is in fact a serious artist." This is an excerpted review of a mostly dog-free show of which Weimaraner-loving artist's work, now on display at New York's Sperone Westwater gallery? | WILLIAM WEGMAN |
| 6/22 Premiering on Disney+ in June, the series "Baymax!" is a spinoff of what 2014 Disney animated movie? | BIG HERO 6 |
| 6/22 In collaboration with Swedish House Mafia (appropriately enough), what brand announced its upcoming OBEGRÄNSAD collection, which will notably include its first turntable? | IKEA |
| 6/22 Which rapper's 1994 album "Ready to Die" topped Rolling Stone's Greatest Hip-Hop Albums of All Time list, released in June? | NOTORIOUS B.I.G. |
| 6/22 Last month's Platinum Jubilee weekend celebrated which anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne? You answer should be a cardinal or ordinal number. | 70 |
| 6/22 On June 4th, Kevin Na became the first player to resign from the PGA Tour in order to join what controversial, Saudi-backed golf tour? Its name is a Roman numeral referring to the number of holes played in each of its tour events. | LIV |
| 6/22 Drawing comparisons to Lady Godiva, the cover art for what singer's upcoming album, Renaissance, depicts her seminude astride a silvery horse? The album's debut single, "Break My Soul," was also released in June. | BEYONCE |
| 6/22 The European Union reached an agreement in June that all smartphones sold in the EU must be equipped with the ___-_ charging port by fall 2024. What four letters properly fill in the hyphenated blank? | USB-C |
| 6/22 Which comedian starred in two major streaming releases in June: his Netflix standup special Psychosexual, and the Hulu rom-com Fire Island, which he stars in alongside Bowen Yang? | JOEL KIM BOOSTER |
| 6/22 Which painter, played by Amy Adams in the Tim Burton biopic Big Eyes, passed away in June at the age of 94? | MARGARET KEANE |
| 6/22 In June, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presented Jon Stewart with its annual prize for American humor. What man is that prize named for? | MARK TWAIN |
| 5/22 Politicians with the first names Bongbong and Sara were elected President and Vice President of what country in May? | PHILIPPINES |
| 5/22 On May 4th, what Argentine's World Cup jersey fetched a record $9.3 million at auction last month, setting the record for most expensive sports memorabilia ever sold? | DIEGO MARADONA |
| 5/22 In May, what rapper released his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers? The album's first single, "N95," debuted at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. | KENDRICK LAMAR |
| 5/22 This year's winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Fat Ham by James Ijames, is an adaptation of what work written near 1600? The protagonist of Fat Ham, a queer, Southern college student named Juicy, is confronted by the ghost of his father at a BBQ | HAMLET |
| 5/22 On May 2nd, Politico released a leaked draft opinion for the abortion-rights case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Which Supreme Court Justice authored the draft opinion? | SAMUEL ALITO |
| 5/22 What comedian and author of Born a Crime hosted the 2022 White House Correspondents' Dinner in May? He has also hosted the last two Grammys ceremonies. | TREVOR NOAH |
| 5/22 Last month, Rick Martínez released the cookbook Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from My ___ in Mexico. What word, the English translation of "cocina," fills in the blank in the subtitle of the book? | KITCHEN |
| 5/22 While the Classic, the Shuffle, the Nano, and the Mini versions of the iPod have been discontinued for some time, which version was finally discontinued last month, effectively ending the 20-year lifespan of the iPod? | IPOD TOUCH |
| 5/22 On May 22nd, what 36-year-old joined Sheryl Swoopes and Chicago Sky teammate Courtney Vandersloot to become the third (and oldest) player to record multiple triple-doubles in her WNBA career? | CANDACE PARKER |
| 5/22 At the Met Gala last month, Kim Kardashian wore a Jean Louis gown that was originally made famous by what actress, who wore it (and sang "Happy Birthday" in it) on May 19, 1962? | MARILYN MONROE |
| 5/22 Over the last 11 years, Bill O'Reilly (along with co-author Martin Dugard) has written 11 books whose titles begin with what gerund? It has preceded, among others, "Lincoln," "Jesus," "Patton," "Reagan," and, as of last month, "the Killers"? | KILLING |
| 5/22 After featuring prominently in the newest season of Stranger Things, what lead single from the 1985 album Hounds of Love reached #1 on iTunes and became its singer's first Billboard Top 10 hit? | RUNNING UP THAT HILL |
| 5/22 On May 23rd, President Biden signed the Access to ___ Act, an bill intended to help WIC participants access a certain product currently experiencing a nationwide shortage. What product fills in the blank? | BABY FORMULA |
| 5/22 What comedian, the creator and star of Abbott Elementary, was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2022? | QUINTA BRUNSON |
| 5/22 Two answers required. Joining Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Ukraine, which two countries on either side of the Gulf of Bothnia submitted official letters of application to join NATO on May 18th? | FINLAND, SWEDEN |
| 5/22 What is the one-word subtitle of the Top Gun sequel released in May 2022? It's also the call sign of Tom Cruise's character, Captain Pete Mitchell. | MAVERICK |
| 4/22 Defeating far-right candidate Marine Le Pen for the second straight election, what incumbent won his country's presidential election in April with 58.5% of the popular vote? | EMMANUEL MACRON |
| 4/22 What artist swept the country music categories at last month's Grammy Awards, winning for Best Song, Best Solo Performance, and Best Album? | CHRIS STAPLETON |
| 4/22 On April 25th, Twitter's board of directors unanimously accepted what man's buyout offer of $44 billion, which, if approved, would make him the sole owner of the company? | ELON MUSK |
| 4/22 After one of its stores in New Jersey closed last month, what onetime retail giant founded by S. S. Kresge now operates just 3 stores in the United States? | K-MART |
| 4/22 Jack Harlow's "First Class," which hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April, heavily samples "Glamorous," a #1 hit off of what singer's 2006 album "The Dutchess"? | FERGIE |
| 4/22 Handing the UConn women's team its first Finals defeat in tournament history, Aliyah Boston helped lead what SEC school to last month's NCAA Women's Basketball Championship? | UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA |
| 4/22 A fraction of the size of "Maman," what artist's bronze sculpture "Spider IV" became the most expensive sculpture sold at auction in Asia, when it sold for $16.4 million in April? | LOUISE BOURGEOIS |
| 4/22 Travon Walker was selected first overall in April's NFL Draft by what AFC South team? Along with the Browns, Lions, and Texans, they are one of four NFL franchises never to have appeared in the Super Bowl. | JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS |
| 4/22 "Unless your ticket is free, don't bother. This movie is as lifeless as the bodies _____ drains and throws on the floor." The title character of what release, , fills in the blank? | MORBIUS |
| 4/22 Last month, a farmer in the Gaza Strip discovered a 4,500-year-old sculpture of the Canaanite warrior goddess Anat, whom historians believe to be a primary inspiration for what similar Greek goddess? | ATHENA |
| 4/22 What artist is the center of the Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition "Radical Draftsman"? Among the works featured are several drafts of his "Oath of the Horatii" as well as his drawing of the Tennis Court Oath. | JACQUES-LOUIS DAVID |
| 4/22 Three-word answer required. For the first time in over three years, scientists at CERN restarted what device, abbreviated LHC? This device will be used to further characterize the Higgs boson and will continue the search for dark matter. | LARGE HADRON COLLIDER |
| 4/22 Partnering with the It Gets Better Project, what fast food chain announced last month that it will be hosting a Drag Brunch tour at several of its Cantina locations? Fire Tier rewards members will get early access to tickets. | TACO BELL |
| 4/22 Adapted from the webcomic and graphic novel of the same name by Alice Oseman, what Netflix series tells the story of Charlie Spring, a British high-schooler who falls in love with his classmate, Nick Nelson? | HEARTSTOPPER |
| 4/22 A fragment of the oldest-known Mayan calendar was discovered in April in a pyramid in San Bartolo, northeast of Tikal in what country? | GUATEMALA |
| 4/22 Hitting shelves on April 26, "Good Eats: The Final Years" is the fourth and final installment of a series of cookbooks by what chef and TV personality? | ALTON BROWN |
| 3/22 Consisting of cream-cheese-flavored ice cream with a crunchy mix-in containing sesame seeds, poppyseeds, and dried garlic and onion, what is the two-word name of the unusual Jeni's ice cream flavor that returned to online stores this month? | EVERYTHING BAGEL |
| 3/22 Last month, Burkinabè architect Diébédo Francis Kéré became the first person from Africa to win what award? First given in 1979, its past winners include Renzo Piano, Jørn Utzon, and Zaha Hadid. | PRITZKER PRIZE |
| 3/22 Page Six reported that Grimes has split from Elon Musk and is now dating what woman, a former Army officer who, in 2010, disclosed over 750,000 classified or sensitive military documents to WikiLeaks? | CHELSEA MANNING |
| 3/22 Hans Zimmer won his second career Best Original Score Academy Award last month for his work on what movie, which received six Oscars—the most of any at this year's ceremony? | DUNE |
| 3/22 Which athlete, who has played with UMMC Ekaterinburg since 2014 to supplement her income from the Phoenix Mercury, has been in Russian detention for over a month for possession of hashish oil? | BRITTNEY GRINER |
| 3/22 Becoming the longest suspension bridge in the world when it opened last month, the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge (also known as the Dardanelles Bridge) is located near Lapseki and Gelibolu in the Northwest of what country? | TURKEY |
| 3/22 What Senator inadvertently caused the books "The End of Policing" and "Antiracist Baby" to skyrocket onto Amazon's best-sellers list after decrying them during the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Ketanji Brown Jackson? | TED CRUZ |
| 3/22 With its previews beginning at the August Wilson Theatre last month, what musical's revival is set to star Jane Lynch as Mrs. Brice and Beanie Feldstein as Fanny Brice, the title comedian? | FUNNY GIRL |
| 3/22 While trying to withdraw $12,000 from his own account at a Bank of America, what "Black Panther" director was misidentified as a bank robber and briefly detained by police? | RYAN COOGLER |
| 3/22 Starring Oscar winner Youn Yuh-jung and sharing its name with a popular parlor game, what Apple TV+ series based on an acclaimed novel by Min Jin Lee premiered in March? | PACHINKO |
| 3/22 According to last month's NOAA Spring Outlook, what river, which forms most of the border between North Dakota and Minnesota, has a high risk of flooding due to saturated soils and heavy winter precipitation? | RED RIVER (OF THE NORTH) |
| 3/22 What reigning Australian Open and Wimbledon champion announced her surprise retirement from tennis last month at age 25? She was, at the time of her announcement, the WTA's top-ranked player. | ASHLEIGH BARTY |
| 3/22 A recent study published in Science observed that levels of what neurotransmitter rise in the amygdalae of mice right before they shift into REM sleep? A precursor of this neurotransmitter is used to treat Parkinson's disease. | DOPAMINE |
| 3/22 107 years after it sank in the Weddell Sea, what explorer's ship, the Endurance, was discovered last month by a South African icebreaking research ship using Saab Sabertooth underwater search vehicles? | ERNEST SHACKLETON |
| 3/22 The cover of the March 28th issue of The New Yorker features the lithograph "Somebody Stole My Broken Heart" by what artist, known for painting the "American People" series and for creating narrative quilts like "Tar Beach"? | FAITH RINGGOLD |
| 3/22 More than doubling the site's second-largest campaign, what author launched a Kickstarter last month that made more than $40 million? Three books in the project are set in the Cosmere, the same universe as his Mistborn series. | BRANDON SANDERSON |
| 2/22 Touching on similar themes to her 1973 novel "Sula", what Nobel Laureate's short story "Recitatif" was published for the first time last month, previously only available as part of an anthology? | TONI MORRISON |
| 2/22 Jessica Chastain snagged a SAG Award last month for her role as what evangelist and author of "I Will Survive... and You Will, Too!" | TAMMY FAYE BAKKER |
| 2/22 What is the last name of the speed skater Erin, who, last month, became the first Black woman to win an individual Winter Olympic gold medal? | JACKSON |
| 2/22 A Megan Van Dyke fantasy novel released last month titled "Second Star to the Left" is set in what fictional land, first introduced in 1904? | NEVERLAND |
| 2/22 A controversial new study published in Evolutionary Biology suggests that there may actually have been three species—two of which the authors call Imperator and Regina—of what dinosaur? | TYRANNOSAURUS |
| 2/22 It was announced in February that Spirit Airlines would be acquired by which other budget airline? If approved by regulators, the newly-merged carrier would become the fifth-largest U.S. airline. | FRONTIER AIRLINES |
| 2/22 "We are all here defending our independence, our state, and it will remain so." Those words were spoken by what man, the president of Ukraine, in a video recorded shortly after Russian forces invaded Kyiv in late February? | VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY |
| 2/22 Beating out options including the Admirals and the Armada, the Washington Football Team officially changed its name last month to what? | COMMANDERS |
| 2/22 There are now no more native speakers of the Yahgan language after the death last month of Cristina Calderón on Chile's Navarino Island. Yahgan was one the indigenous languages of what South American archipelago? | TIERRA DEL FUEGO |
| 2/22 What wide receiver, who had nearly 2,000 receiving yards during the regular season, was named the MVP of Super Bowl LVI after catching the game-winning touchdown? | COOPER KUPP |
| 2/22 A survey published in February showed that what pizza topping, also used to flavor Worcestershire sauce, is Americans' least favorite? | ANCHOVIES |
| 2/22 Snoop Dogg's new album "BODR" references the fact that he is now "Bacc On" what record label, having purchased it last month from MNRK Music Group? | DEATH ROW RECORDS |
| 2/22 In a movie last month she had a "Homecoming," and she has previously gone "to Jail," had a "Family Reunion," and been in "Witness Protection," to name just a few of her escapades. Who is this title character? | MADEA |
| 2/22 12 years after going off the air, what NBC show returned for its 21st season in February? Returning characters from previous seasons include Frank Bernard (played by Anthony Anderson) and Jack McCoy. | LAW & ORDER |
| 2/22 Dakar native Sadio Mané led what nation to its first international soccer trophy in last month's Africa Cup of Nations, defeating Egypt on penalties in the championship? | SENEGAL |
| 2/22 Last month, researchers in Vienna concluded that the oolite used to make an 11-centimeter, 30,000-year-old statue of Venus was sourced from Northern Italy. This statue was found in 1908 in what Austrian town, which gives the statue its common name? | WILLENDORF |
| 1/22 Selected by 77.9% of voters in his first year of eligibility, what Red Sox legend was the only player elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame this year from the BBWAA ballot? Name, not nickname, required. | DAVID ORTIZ |
| 1/22 What word game, whose name is a pun on its creator's last name, was acquired by the New York Times in January for an undisclosed price "in the low seven figures" | WORDLE |
| 1/22 "Behind her are a bird in flight and a rising sun, images inspired by her poetry and symbolic of the way she lived." These words describe the first in the series of American Women Quarters, which features a depiction of what writer on its reverse? | MAYA ANGELOU |
| 1/22 On January 24, the James Webb Telescope reached its destination at L2, one of the five gravitational equilibrium points generated by the Earth and the Sun. Those points are named for what Italian-French astronomer, the "L" in L2? | JOSEPH-LOUIS LAGRANGE |
| 1/22 What actor, who starred in both the 2014 and 2015 Best Picture winners, picked up a Golden Globe in 2022 for his role as Dr. Samuel Finnix in the Hulu miniseries Dopesick? | MICHAEL KEATON |
| 1/22 "They can have [Joe] Rogan or [me]. Not both." What "Harvest Moon" singer wrote those words before pulling his music from Spotify in January over Spotify's "spread of [COVID-19] misinformation"? | NEIL YOUNG |
| 1/22 Last month's "Extraction" became the most recent installment in the Rainbow Six video game franchise, which was inspired by what author's 1998 novel of the same name? | TOM CLANCY |
| 1/22 Last month, Adventurefuls became just the second Girl Scout cookie to be produced nationwide under a single name. What other cookie, the Girl Scouts' best-selling cookie, is the only other one not sold under multiple names? | THIN MINTS |
| 1/22 What Supreme Court justice, the only Clinton appointee currently on the court, announced in January that he would retire at the end of the current term | STEPHEN BREYER |
| 1/22 What actress announced her split from Aquaman star Jason Momoa in January? Her daughter, Zoë Kravitz, is also slated to star in a DC Comics film in 2022. | LISA BONET |
| 1/22 Winning its first championship since its Herschel Walker-led 1980 title, what college football team won last month's College Football National Championship? | UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA BULLDOGS |
| 1/22 Following the rivalry between squads from Navarro College and Trinity Valley Community College, the second season of what Netflix documentary premiered on January 12? | CHEER |
| 1/22 A recently published study shows that Zoom fatigue is worse for people who don't like their own *what*? The inability to recognize them is also called prosopagnosia. | FACES |
| 1/22 What song from Encanto became the first song from a Disney animated film to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 since "A Whole New World" in 1993? | WE DON'T TALK ABOUT BRUNO |
| 1/22 What anthropologist, the director of the National Museums of Kenya from 1968 to 1989, died last month at the age of 77? He is buried near the Rift Valley, the site of his 1984 discovery of Turkana Boy. | RICHARD LEAKEY |
| 1/22 It was announced in January that what country's new capital city, to be built in the province of East Kalimantan, will be named Nusantara? | INDONESIA |
| UK government medical advisers Prof Chris Whitty and Prof Jonathan Van-Tam were among those rewarded for service in the New Year Honours list, each given knighthoods. But which Spice Girl was appointed MBE? | It was "Scary Spice" - MELANIE BROWN |
| A man in Baltimore, USA, became the first person in the world to receive a heart transplanted from which genetically modified animal? | PIG |
| In January, which location experienced a volcanic eruption that US space agency Nasa said was more powerful than a Second World War atomic bomb? | TONGA |
| Novak Djokovic was targeting a record 21st Grand Slam tennis title at the Australian Open. However, as he was unvaccinated against coronavirus, he was deported on the eve of the tournament. Which player went on to win? | RAFAEL NADAL of Spain |
| The Golden Globe Awards were dogged by controversy following allegations of corruption and a lack of diversity in its voting body, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. But how did the awards break new ground? | There was a first transgender award winner, with Michaela Jae Rodriguez being named best actress in a drama series for her role in Pose, about New York's underground ball culture |
| Coronavirus restrictions remained tight when Beijing hosted athletes from 91 nations to compete in 109 events at the Winter Olympics. But which nation topped the medal table? | NORWAY |
| Russia invaded Ukraine, sending up to 200,000 troops over the border, on 24 February. But from which Black Sea outpost did border guards sum up Ukraine's resistance, with a profane response to a Russian warship? | SNAKE ISLAND |
| As protesters gathered to voice their anger over New Zealand's Covid-19 vaccine mandates, authorities tried to disperse them by playing music from which artist on a loop? | BARRY MANILOW |
| European scientists at the UK-based JET laboratory hailed a major breakthrough in nuclear fusion technology, saying an experiment had produced enough energy to power which of the following? | 60 KETTLES |
| In March, the then Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, attended a ceremony to bestow city status on which coastal town, on behalf of the Queen? | Southend-on-Sea, Essex |
| The Oscars were overshadowed by best actor winner Will Smith slapping host Chris Rock in response to a joke about Smith's wife's hair loss. But which was named best film? | CODA |
| Several tales of the high seas made headlines in March. But why did a vessel called Felicity Ace make the news? | It sank - along with its cargo of luxury cars - a fortnight after catching fire |
| Which British act set a new record for the longest time between a single first charting and hitting top spot on the US Billboard Hot 100? | GLASS ANIMALS the English indie band, whose sleeper hit Heat Waves finally reached number one after 59 weeks. By October, it had notched its 91st week on the charts - more than any song in history |
| The shirt worn by Argentine football legend Diego Maradona when scoring his infamous "hand of God" goal against England, sold for £7.1m - a record for sports memorabilia. But which England midfielder sold it? | STEVE HODGE |
| In April, the prime minister at the time, Boris Johnson, wife Carrie and then Chancellor Rishi Sunak were all fined for breaking lockdown rules after attending which gathering? | A birthday party for Mr Johnson |
| Conservative MP Neil Parish resigned as an MP after admitting he had watched pornography twice in Parliament. But what did he say he had been looking at the first time, before accidentally clicking into the adult content? | TRACTORS |
| Noble Yeats, a 50-1 outsider, won horse racing's Grand National, at Aintree. But which of the following statements is not true of what was a remarkable race for the winning jockey? | It was the first time a woman had ridden a Grand National winner. Noble Yeats wasn't ridden by a woman. A year earlier, Rachael Blackmore had claimed the honour of being the first female jockey to win the famous race. |
| Puerto Rico's Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor, of Ireland, made history as the first women to box at New York's famous Madison Square Garden. But who won? | KATIE TAYLOR |
| As the war in Ukraine continued, invading Russian forces retreated from areas around Kyiv. Then Russia suffered the loss of its Black Sea Fleet flagship, the Moskva. But what type of ship was it? | CRUISER |
| Celebrities dressed to the theme of "gilded glamour" at the Met Gala - one of fashion's biggest events. But who wore the dress in which Marilyn Monroe serenaded John F Kennedy with "Happy birthday, Mr President", in 1962? | KIMKARDASHIAN |
| Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra rode a tide of public support in light of the war in their homeland to win the Eurovision Song Contest. But what was the rap-folk band's song called? | STEFANIA |
| Astronomers released the first image of the gargantuan black hole at the centre of our galaxy. It was nicknamed "the doughnut" by the team who captured the picture. But what's its real name? | SAGITTARIUS A* |
| Services, street parties and a pageant marked the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, with a video of her taking tea with Paddington Bear stealing the show at a Buckingham Palace party. But which tune did they tap on their tea cups? | We Will Rock You, by Queen |
| A symbol featuring an orange circle and two diagonal lines on a green background made the headlines in June. But what did it represent? | The logo for Vkusno i Tochka, Russia's replacement for the McDonald's fast-food chain |
| Which pop star was praised for changing the lyrics to her single, Grrrls, having earlier been criticised for using an ableist slur? | LIZZO |
| Sir Paul McCartney headlined as Glastonbury festival returned after missing two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. During his 36-song set, he welcomed some special guests on stage. But who was not among them? | JON BON JOVI |
| Four-time Olympic champion distance runner Sir Mo Farah revealed he had been trafficked to the UK as a child. But from where? | DJIBOUTI |
| Boris Johnson said he would resign as prime minister after a mass resignation of ministers in protest at his leadership, following a string of scandals. But which cabinet member had he fired a day earlier? | MICHAEL GOVE |
| As the war in Ukraine and supply-chain difficulties continued to drive up food and transportation costs, major brands announced price hikes. But which McDonald's fast food item went up in price for the first time in 14 years? | CHEESEBURGER |
| A High Court judge delivered her ruling in the Wagatha Christie trial, in which Rebekah Vardy accused Coleen Rooney of libel. But who won the case? | COLEEN ROONEY |
| The Lionesses won England's first major international football trophy for 56 years, beating Germany 2-1 in the Euro 2022 final, at Wembley. But which team had won the Women's Africa Cup of Nations the previous week? | SOUTH AFRICA |
| It was a packed summer for track and field athletes, with World, European and Commonwealth medals up for grabs. But whose win was remarkable for having a parent commentating in the stadium? | Jake Wightman's 1,500m World Championship gold |
| FBI agents raided the Florida home of former US President Donald Trump, as part of an investigation into which of the following? | Handling of classified material |
| The Academy apologised to Native American actress and activist Sacheen Littlefeather, nearly 50 years after she had been booed off stage for rejecting a best actor prize on behalf of whom? | MARLON BRANDO |
| Stand-up comedian Masai Graham won the award for the funniest joke of the Edinburgh Fringe for a second time. But which was his one-liner? | "I tried to steal spaghetti from the shop, but the female guard saw me and I couldn't get pasta." |
| The UK observed a period or mourning for Queen Elizabeth II, who died aged 96 after a 70-year reign, with hundreds of thousands of people queuing to file past the monarch's coffin. But which celebrity was not among them? | SANDRA OH |
| American Hans Niemann made international headlines in September when accused of (and strenuously denying) which of the following? | CHEATING DURING A CHESS MATCH |
| Twenty-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer retired from tennis after 25 years and 1,750 competitive matches. But who was his doubles partner in his final match, at September's Laver Cup, in London? | RAFAEL NADAL |
| US space agency Nasa deliberately smashed a probe into the space rock Dimorphos in an attempt to shift its direction. But which kind of object was it? | ASTEROID |
| Sri Lankan writer Shehan Karunatilaka won the Booker Prize for his supernatural satire The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. But which singer was the guest speaker at the ceremony? | DUA LIPA |
| Boris Johnson's successor as UK Prime Minister, Liz Truss, resigned after economic turmoil marked a tenure that turned out to be the shortest in history. How long was it? | 49 DAYS |
| As the Chinese Communist Party's national congress elected its new leadership, with Xi Jinping beginning a third term as president, who was ushered off stage in mysterious circumstances? | Former president Hu Jintao |
| Doctor Who fans were surprised when outgoing Time Lord Jodie Whittaker regenerated not into Ncuti Gatwa - as billed - but former star David Tennant. Who was among the other ex-Doctors appearing in the special episode? | Peter Davison |
| Through much of 2022, climate activists targeted high-profile artworks to draw attention to their aims. But which piece was doused in tomato soup? | Van Gogh's Sunflowers |
| In the US midterm elections, the Republicans regained control of the lower House of Representatives. But which Senate seat flipped to the Democrats to mean President Joe Biden's party cemented control of the upper chamber? | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Scheduled talks at the G20 summit of world leaders were derailed by events in Europe, as emergency talks were convened after a missile from the Russia-Ukraine war landed in Poland. But where was the summit being held? | Bali, Indonesia |
| Another of the world's richest men pledged to give away most of his wealth during his lifetime. But who pledged to use his money to fight climate change and reduce inequality? | Amazon founder Jeff Bezos |
| In November, the King hosted his first state visit since ascending the throne - including a banquet with more than 160 guests in the Buckingham Palace ballroom. But who was the visiting dignitary? | South African President Cyril Ramaphosa |
| As 2022 drew to a close, English-language dictionaries revealed their words of the year. But which of the following was chosen by the public from a shortlist drawn up by Oxford Dictionaries? | GOBLIN MODE |
| Lionel Messi led Argentina to a penalty shoot-out victory in the World Cup, in Qatar, after a pulsating final with France had finished 3-3. But which team had beaten the eventual champions in their opening match? | SAUDI ARABIA |
| A 97-year-old woman (face obscured on judge's orders) was convicted for aiding and abetting the murders of 10,505 people at a Nazi concentration camp. But what had been Irmgard Furchner's role at Stutthof, near what is now the Polish city of Gdansk? | TYPIST |
| Duran Duran and BTS rapper J-Hope are on the bill for US network ABC's annual New Year's Rockin' Eve broadcast from New York. But which singer will be the star of the BBC's musical offering in the UK? | SAM RYDER |
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