Mark Brader:
> These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on the dates
> indicated below, and should be interpreted accordingly. If any
> answers have changed due to newer news, you are still expected to
> give the answers that were correct on that date... For further
> information see my 2016-11-26 companion posting on "Questions from
> the Canadian Inquisition (QFTCI*)".
> * Game 9 (2017-03-20), Round 1 - Current Events
> 1. The shares of this large Canadian pharmaceutical company plunged
> to an all-time low after a billionaire investor sold his stake.
> Questions about its financial disclosure have resulted in
> its share price dropping 95% from its high in 2015. Name the
> company.
Valeant.
> 2. This fast-food chain has served notice in court that it intends
> to sue CBC-TV and its show Marketplace over claims about the
> percentage of chicken in its chicken sandwiches. Name the chain.
Subway. 4 for Bruce, Dan Blum, Joshua, and Dan Tilque.
> 3. During a week in which Donald Trump pledged to ramp up the US
> military budget, even though the United States already spends
> more than the next seven highest countries combined, he also
> found time to tweet his anger over a video by a well-known
> hip-hop performer. Who was Trump tweeting about?
Snoop Dogg. (Also accepting his earlier name Snoop Doggy Dogg,
or his real name Calvin Broadus.) 4 for Jason.
> 4. The Canadian branch of this organization, not known for
> political statements, has canceled trips to the US for its
> youthful members because of the policies of Donald Trump.
> Name the organization.
Girl Guides. (Also accepting Girl Scouts, the name in some foreign
countries, but Scouts was not sufficiently specific.) 3 for Pete.
> 5. This major Hollywood star disclosed that he just came out of
> rehab for alcohol abuse. He is 44 years old. Name him.
Ben Affleck. 4 for Dan Blum.
> 6. She's on the cover of "Vanity Fair" this month and is threatening
> to sue over the hacking of nude photos that were posted online.
> Name the actress.
Emma Watson.
> 7. This poet and playwright from St. Lucia, who also won the Nobel
> Prize for Literature, died at the age of 87. Name him.
Derek Walcott. 4 for Dan Blum, Joshua, and Peter.
> 8. A Grammy-Award-winning blues harmonica legend died in Texas
> at age 81. He played with everyone from Muddy Waters and
> Howlin' Wolf to Led Zeppelin. His nickname was "Mr. Superharp".
> Name him.
James Cotton. 4 for Marc.
> 9. Continuing a family tradition, this Toronto city councillor
> had the lowest office expenses of any of his colleagues last
> year. Name him.
Michael Ford. (Nephew of Rob and of Doug.) 4 for Joshua and Peter.
> 10. After soliciting votes online, the makers of Monopoly are
> replacing three game pieces with a Tyrannosaurus rex, a penguin,
> and a rubber ducky. Name any of the existing tokens that will
> no longer be part of the game.
Boot (accepting shoe), thimble (accepting a description), wheelbarrow.
4 for Bruce, Erland, Joshua, Peter, Pete, and Marc.
Some people tried the iron; that was replaced in 2013.
> * Game 10 (2017-03-27), Round 1 - Current Events
> 1. Toronto police have been called in after the city's auditor
> found evidence of possible bid-rigging in municipal contracts
> for what type of work? Be sufficiently specific.
Road paving/resurfacing. 4 for Erland.
> 2. Miroslav Gronych pleaded guilty to charges in a Calgary court.
> He was arrested in December and found to have been three times
> over the legal alcohol limit when he arrived at work to do what?
Pilot an airliner for Sunwing to Regina, Winnipeg, and Cancun.
4 for Joshua.
He arrived an hour late for the flight, staggering, wearing his
pilot's wings upside-down, and slurring his words as he explained
that he had gotten lost going through security; and by the time
police arrived, he had passed out.
> 3. She was a panelist on CBC TV's "Front Page Challenge" for
> 33 years, and a radio host on CFRB for nearly as long.
> She died at the age of 91. Name her.
Betty Kennedy. (See Game 5, Round 10, of QFTCI11, posted here
2011-03-25.)
> 4. This IRA-leader-turned-politician died at the age of 66 of a
> heart condition. His past is controversial, but he was also part
> of the peace process in the late 1990s. For the past decade he
> served as deputy first minister for Northern Ireland. Name him.
Martin McGuinness. 4 for Joshua, Peter, and Pete.
> 5. Apple has announced product changes, including a special-edition
> iPhone. Some of the proceeds will benefit AIDS research.
> What color is this special-edition iPhone?
Red. 4 for Bruce, Joshua, Peter, and Marc. 3 for Dan Blum.
> 6. A major US news outlet had its Twitter feed hacked last Thursday
> morning. Tweets included "We are totally Russian hackers but
> we love POTUS", "Trump is our lord and savior", and "Can't
> stump the Trump". Name the news outlet.
ABC. 4 for Marc.
> 7. This 28-year-old Canadian swimmer has retired. He won bronze and
> silver in the 1,500 m freestyle in two Olympics and also 8 medals
> in world championships. Who is he?
Ryan Cochrane.
> 8. The World Baseball Classic wrapped up last week with a Toronto
> Blue Jay playing a key role in the final. Which country won
> the competition?
US. 4 for Jason, Joshua, Peter, Pete, Dan Tilque, and Marc.
> 9. The US Supreme Court unanimously overturned a lower-court ruling
> that found that public schools only have to provide minimal
> services for autistic children. What's interesting is the
> author of the lower-court ruling. Who was that?
Tim Tymkovich, but I'm also accepting Neil Gorsuch -- see below.
4 for Bruce, Dan Blum, Joshua, Peter, Pete, Dan Tilque, and Marc.
Some news sources, notably "Time" magazine, said that the case was
an appeal of a 2008 ruling by Gorsuch -- and therefore I'm accepting
that answer -- but, as Joshua indicated, they were wrong. It was
actually a 2015 ruling by Tymkovich.
Other news sources indicate that the relevance was that Tymkovich's
ruling had relied on Gorsuch's as a key precedent; but still others
say that this too is wrong and *really* the key precedent was a 1996
ruling by Deanell Tacha in yet another similar case, which Gorsuch
should not be faulted for relying on. All these cases were decided
in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.
For myself, I'm not going into it any further. But if you want to,
here are the three rulings by Tacha, Gorsuch, and Tymkovich:
http://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/opinions/95/95-1111.pdf
http://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/opinions/07/07-1304.pdf
http://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/opinions/14/14-1417.pdf
And the Supreme Court ruling overturning Tymkovich:
http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/16pdf/15-827_0pm1.pdf
> 10. "America First" President Donald Trump has granted a permit
> to build the Keystone XL pipeline -- to which non-American
> company?
TransCanada (accepting TransCanada PipeLines).
Scores, if there are no errors:
GAMES-> 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 BEST EIGHT
Pete Gayde 16 16 24 23 16 16 20 18 7 12 149
Joshua Kreitzer 8 24 16 24 8 12 12 12 16 20 136
Dan Blum 4 4 10 12 4 22 16 6 12 7 89
Marc Dashevsky 4 12 12 12 4 8 12 8 8 16 88
Dan Tilque 0 4 8 16 4 0 12 20 4 8 76
Peter Smyth -- -- 16 16 -- -- 4 12 12 16 76
Don Piven -- -- 12 12 16 12 12 8 -- -- 72
Erland Sommarskog 0 8 4 8 8 12 7 8 4 4 59
"ArenEss" 20 24 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 44
Bruce Bowler -- -- -- -- -- -- 16 12 8 8 44
Jason Kreitzer -- -- -- -- 0 8 4 8 4 4 28
--
Mark Brader, Toronto | "Police Stop Slaying Suspect Look-alikes"
m...@vex.net | --Yakima, WA, Herald-Republic, 2001-08-26