2020 News Quiz
Answers at the bottom.
1) In January, Second Amendment supporters rallying in Richmond unfurled a giant banner showing the silhouette of an automatic rifle and these words:
A) RESIST TYRANT NORTHAM
B) GUNS SAVE LIVES
C) COME AND TAKE IT
D) WE WILL NOT COMPLY
2) In February, a freshman GOP delegate responded to Democrats' talk of taking down Confederate monuments with a bill that would banish a statue of former Democratic Gov. Harry Byrd from Capitol Square. What did the delegate fail to consider?
A) The Governor (not the legislature) controls Capitol Square
B) Such bills require unanimous consent, something unlikely to happen
C) Byrd was a segregationist, so Democrats were thrilled to see him go
D) Freshmen must serve at least 12 months before introducing their first bill
3) In March, Virginia's first known COVID-19 'super-spreader' event was:
A) A tent revival in Galax
B) A dinner party in Williamsburg
C) A funeral in Fredericksburg
D) A wedding in McLean
4) In March, at the start of the shutdown, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia) turned constituents' stomachs with a video showing him preparing his favorite recipe:
A) A tuna melt
B) A tofu burger
C) An extremely rare hamburger
D) General Tsao's Chicken
5) In April, the House of Delegates held an extraordinary one-day veto session that will be remembered for:
A) Members met outside under a massive tent to allow for social distancing
B) Conservatives protesting the Governor's stay-at-home order circled Capitol Square beeping their car horns
C) Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn appeared to faint while standing at the dais.
D) All of the above.
6) In April, the Democratic-led General Assembly finalized a package of gun-control measures. NOT included was:
A) Limit of one handgun purchase a month
B) Ban sales of automatic weapons
C) Require universal background checks
D) Temporary seizure of guns from people deemed a risk to themselves or others
7) In May, after getting pepper-sprayed at a protest, self-described socialist Del. Carter Lee (D-Manassas) told State Police officers:
A) "You can't arrest them."
B) "Sic Semper Tyrannis"
C) "I write the state police budget and they're going to f---- regret this!"
D) "Workers of the World, Unite!"
8) In June, the first statue toppled by protesters in Richmond following the death of George Floyd was:
A) Christopher Columbus
B) Jefferson Davis
C) J.E.B. Stuart
D) Williams Carter Wickham
9) In June, Governor Northam made Virginia the first state in the nation to:
A) Enact covid-era safety rules for businesses
B) Pay people not to own guns
C) Impose gas mileage standards for electric cars
D) Ban prayer in groups of five or more
10) In July, Republican congressional candidate Nick Freitas needed a ruling from the state Board of Elections to get his name on the ballot. The issue was:
A) Freitas did not live in the district
B) For the second election in a row, Freitas was late turning in his paperwork
C) Uncertainty about how to pronounce his name
D) Some of his big political donors were requesting anonymity
11) In August, what prompted the Northam Administration released an unredacted report about Virginia Parole Board law violations related to its decision to release a convicted police killer?
A) President Trump tweeted about the case from the 7th fairway of his Virginia golf course
B) A computer glitch inadvertently emailed the document to reporters
C) Three senior Republican legislators cited a state law that entitled them to see it
D) Russian hackers posted it to Wikileaks
12) In September, Bob Good, the Republican congressional candidate, aired a TV ad that showed him:
A) Tossing his son around a wrestling mat
B) Roping a calf at the Campbell County Fair
C) Thumping a Bible at the 5th District GOP convention
D) Blasting soda bottles with an AR-15
13) By October, it was clear that Virginia would set a record for early voting. In the end, what percentage of votes in the presidential election were cast the old-fashioned way: In person on Election Day?
A) 36%
B) 46%
C) 56%
D) 66%
14) In November, voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment that will give citizens a voice in redistricting. The new Redistricting Commission will:
A) Remove legislators from the map-making process
B) Require legislative districts to follow jurisdictional boundaries
C) Set a minimum number of competitive seats
D) None of the above
15) In December, Fauquier County Schools suddenly ended in-person instruction after
A) Broadband expansion made virtual learning possible for all students
B) A paperwork snafu left the county with too few licensed bus drivers
C) So many teachers, nurses or staff were out sick or in quarantine
D) A walkout after students were told snow days were a thing of the past
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ANSWERS:
1: C
2: C
3: B
4: A
5: D
6: B
7: C
8: D
9: A
10: B
11: C
12: A
13: A
14: D
15: C
Dec. 27, 2020