Current Events 10.18.19

The White House declared war on________________ on Oct. 8, announcing that it would not cooperate with what it called an illegitimate effort “to overturn the results of the 2016 election” and setting the stage for a constitutional clash with far-reaching consequences.

• The House impeachment inquiry

• a federal appeals court ruling that President Trump must submit his tax returns

• Russian election interference

• the media's coverage of his presidency

Turkey launched a ground and air assault on Oct. 9 against a Syrian militia that has been a crucial American ally in the fight against ________ , days after President Trump agreed to let the operation proceed.

• Al Quaeda

• cyberwarfare

• the Islamic State

• international drug trafficking

Hundreds of thousands of households lost power on Oct. 9 when California’s largest utility, Pacific Gas and Electric, shut down a vast web of electrical lines as a precaution against impending ______________.

• coastal flooding

• fault-line tremors

• mudslides

• wildfires

Abiy Ahmed, the prime minister of __________, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Oct. 11, for his work in restarting peace talks with neighboring Eritrea, ending a long stalemate between the two countries.

• Egypt

• Ethiopia

• Somalia

• Sudan

On Oct. 8, N.B.A. commissioner Adam Silver issued an emphatic defense of its employees’ right to speak out on political issues, following days of intense criticism accusing the league of trying to appease one of the world’s most autocratic governments after a Houston Rockets executive tweeted support for ___________.

• Muslim Uighers in China

• President Trump's trade war with China

• pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong

• Taiwan's independence movement

A heavily armed gunman with a live-streaming head camera tried to storm a synagogue in eastern __________ on Oct. 9 as congregants observed the holiest day in Judaism.

• Australia

• Germany

• France

• New Zealand

Vast swaths of Japan were reeling after being pummeled by a ____________ , the largest to hit the country in decades. Scores of rivers flooded, levees burst and roads and bridges were destroyed.

• cyclone

• hurricane

• tsunami

• typhoon

Atatiana Jefferson was at ___________ in Fort Worth playing video games with her nephew when she was fatally shot by a police officer outside.

• an arcade

• a school

• a video game store

• home

For the first time in almost four decades, women were allowed to buy tickets and attend a ___________ in Iran.

• musical concert

• political rally

• public parade

• soccer match

Three of the sports-related articles below were recently published in The New York Times. One is from the satirical site The Onion. Which is the fake news story?

• "Eliud Kipchoge Breaks Two-Hour Marathon Barrier"

• "Jordan Lyles Becomes First Brewer to Wear Irrational Number"

• "Mystics are W.N.B.A. Champions at Last"

• "Simone Biles Becomes World Championships' Most Decorated Gymnast"