Friday, Sept. 17 Weekly Quiz: Wrapped, Insulated, Taxed

On Sept. 12, 2021, a team of 95 rope technicians began wrapping Paris's Arc de Triomphe in 25,000 sq. meters of material, concluding a 60-year project for the artist Christo.

Who was Christo?

The Bulgarian-born Christo Vladimirov Javacheff and his French wife Jeanne-Claude worked together under the name Christo. In 1995 they famously wrapped the Reichstag in Berlin for two weeks, drawing five million spectators. Ten years earlier, they oversaw the wrapping of the Pont Neuf in Paris. Christo died in May 2020, while his wife died in 2009.

Why was Paris's Arc de Triomphe wrapped in 2021?

The late Christo couple left detailed drawings and instructions for the Arc de Triomphe to be wrapped in recyclable polypropylene fabric in silvery blue and red rope. The idea was revived in 2017 to coincide with a Christo exhibition displayed in multiple Paris galleries starting Sept. 2021. "L'Arc de Triomphe, Wrapped" was be on view for 16 days from Saturday, Sept. 18 to Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez famously wore a white gown with the message “tax the rich” in red to the 2021 New York Met Gala.

What were other slogans worn at the 2021 Met Gala?

New York Representative Carolyn B. Maloney came to the 2021 Met Gala draped in sashes stating “Equal Rights for Women.” American soccer player Megan Rapinoe carried a purse that reads “In Gay We Trust,” and Cara Delevingne wore a Dior vest, with “Peg the Patriarchy” printed in red.

Norm Macdonald was born in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, on Oct. 17, 1959. The legendary comic died September 14, 2021, after a nine-year private battle with cancer. He was 61.

Why is Norm Macdonald famous?

Norm Macdonald was an SNL cast member from 1993-98. He made his most significant impact as the anchor of the show’s “Weekend Update” segments for three seasons, influencing a generation of comedians. Watch Norm MacDonald's incredible Moth Joke on Conan O'Brien's show.

Ana María "Anne" Hidalgo Aleu, 62, is the first woman to hold the office of the Mayor of Paris. A member of the Socialist Party, she was first elected in 2014.

Where was Anne Hidalgo born?

At age two, Hidalgo arrived in France from Andalucia with her Spanish parents, who fled Franco’s dictatorship.

Viktor Orban has been Hungary’s authoritarian anti-migrant, anti-semitic, anti-LGBT Prime Minister since 2010, previously holding the office from 1998 to 2002.

What does the Pope think of Viktor Orban’s policies?

Pope Francis visited Budapest on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, and urged Hungary to “extend its arms towards everyone,” criticizing Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s anti-migrant policies. The Pope met with Orban for 40 minutes upon arrival in Hungary in the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest. After the meeting, Orban wrote on Facebook: “I asked Pope Francis not to let Christian Hungary perish.”

Insulate Britain is an environmentalist protest group campaigning to force the British government to insulate Britain's leaky homes. The group argues that since the UK has the oldest and least energy-efficient housing stock in Europe, improving the quality of British homes is fundamental to achieve the Government’s climate change targets.

How did Insulate Britain activists disrupt traffic in the UK?

Insulate Britain activists stopped traffic on the British M25 road multiple times during the Sept. 13, 2021, week. The protestors targeted the UK's busiest motorway, and sat on the road, while stranded drivers beeped their horns. Police arrested a few dozens of protesters.

Fox Corp. has completed its acquisition of TMZ, the company behind the daily syndicated TV shows “TMZ” and “TMZ Live,” from WarnerMedia at a price tag estimated at around $50 million. The September 2021 deal includes TMZ’s assets, including the TMZ Sports digital site and its TooFab celebrity unit that houses the hugely popular TMZ.com.

According to Apple, ProMotion is a technology that supports an adaptive refresh rate from 10Hz to 120Hz, enhancing scrolling and responsiveness while preserving battery life. The new iPhone 13 Pro models feature the ProMotion technology.

What’s new on the iPhone 13 models?

Apple has revealed the iPhone 13 models on Sept. 14, 2021. The new smartphones have a smaller notch in the display and a different camera system. The iPhone 13 Pro designs use a 5-core GPU to better process graphics than the non-Pro versions.

When will the new iPhones be available?

The new models have been available since Friday, Sept. 24, 2021.

Any product can display the triangular “chasing arrows” recycling symbol in the US, even if it isn’t recyclable.

What is the California "chasing arrows" symbol law?

A bill passed on Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021, by the California state assembly would ban companies from using the chasing arrows symbol unless the material is used to make new products. Products would be considered recyclable if CalRecycle, the state’s recycling department, determines they meet specific design criteria, including not using toxic chemicals.

What are the other US States doing about the misleading recycling logo?

In 2021, Maine and Oregon passed laws requiring corporations to pay for the cost of recycling their packaging. In Oregon, the law includes a task force to evaluate “misleading or confusing claims” related to recycling. Legislation is pending in New York that would also ban products from displaying misleading claims.

In 1643 Dutch cartographers named the newly discovered islands Nova Zeelandia, after the Dutch province of Zeeland (in the Netherlands). This name was later anglicized to New Zealand.

What is Aotearoa?

Aotearoa is the te reo Māori (an indigenous language) name for New Zealand. On Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021, New Zealand’s Māori party has launched a petition to change the country’s official name to Aotearoa. The petition calls on the government to “identify and officially restore the original Te Reo Māori names for all towns, cities, and places right across the country” by 2026.

Rogers: The Musical is a fake Captain America Broadway musical featured in the Hawkeye series trailer released Monday, Sept. 13, 2021. The fake musical includes actors dressed as the Avengers, Chitauri invaders, and Loki, dancing to a showstopping musical number fronted by Steve Rogers.

Who's in the Hawkeye series?

Starring Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, the new "Hawkeye" series catches up with the Avenger after the events of Endgame. Alongside Renner, the series stars Hailee Steinfeld as the first female Hawkeye, Vera Farmiga, Fra Fee, Tony Dalton, Zahn McClarnon, Brian d'Arcy James, and Alaqua Cox.

When was Marvel's Hawkeye series launched?

"Hawkeye" debuted on Disney+ on Nov. 24, 2021. Watch the trailer.

Daniil Medvedev is the professional Russian tennis player who defeated Novak Djokovic in the 2021 US Open final to win his first major title, becoming the first Russian man to win the tournament since 2000. Until Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, the No. 1-ranked Djokovic had been undefeated in the sport's four most important matches of 2021.

Medvedev in 2022

The current men's No. 1 is not eligible to participate in Wimbledon 2022 after The All England Club announced it would bar all Russians and Belarusians from its fields. On June 15, the US Tennis Association Board decided to let Russians and Belarusians enter the US Open tournament under a neutral flag — an arrangement used at the French Open, which ended June 5. The US Open starts on Aug. 29 in New York.