2021 Big US Quiz: If You’re American, You Can Ace This

On Thursday, June 24, 2021, U.S. President Joe Biden embraced a bipartisan Senate deal to spend $1.2 trillion over eight years on infrastructure projects, building roads, bridges, and highways, and helping stimulate the American economy.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates the state’s electric grid, put out the call on Monday, June 28, 2021, for people to conserve electricity, asking them to set thermostats to 78°F (25°C) or higher, turn off lights and avoid using large appliances. The California Flex alert features the same recommendations.

President Joe Biden announced Saturday, June 19, 2021, that Champ, the older of the family’s two dogs, had died “peacefully at home” at 13. Champ’s passing leaves the Bidens with their younger German shepherd, Major, whom the family adopted from the Delaware Humane Society in 2018. The Bidens got Champ from a breeder after Biden was elected vice president in 2008.

Oxford Languages define colorism as prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group.

Colorism in the News:

“In the Heights,” a big-budget film based on the musical created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, was called out for its short supply of dark-skinned, Black Latinos in leading roles. Miranda, best known as the creator of the Broadway musical “Hamilton” and a longtime champion of including Latinos in the arts, recognized his own short-sightedness in addressing colorism and issued an apology.

Since April 2021, New Yorkers are permitted to smoke cannabis in public wherever smoking tobacco is allowed. Smoking cannabis, however, is not permitted in schools, workplaces, or inside a car. In addition, tobacco smoking is banned in New York City parks, beaches, boardwalks, pedestrian plazas, and playgrounds but is generally permitted on sidewalks.

On Saturday, June 12, 2021, Kamala Harris became the first sitting vice president to march in a Pride parade. The 56-year-old VP attended Capital Pride in Washington D.C. with her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff.

President Joe Biden signed legislation Thursday,  June 17, 2021, establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery, following a bipartisan Congressional bill. Under the new law, the federal holiday is known as Juneteenth National Independence Day in all 50 states. The legislation made Juneteenth the 12th federal holiday.

Before it became a federal holiday, how many states recognized Juneteenth?

Until June 2021, 48 states and Washington, D.C., recognize Juneteenth as either a state holiday or ceremonial holiday. Hawaii passed legislation on April 27, 2021, to acknowledge the holiday, but it is still waiting for Hawaii's governor to sign the bill into law. South Dakota had not recognized the holiday before it became federal.

David Letterman spearheaded CBS’s The Late Show between August 30, 1993, and May 20, 2015. The Late Show then continued with Stephen Colbert, beginning September 8, 2015.

Late Night News Fact:

Colbert had produced 205 episodes without a live audience since the COVID shut down in March 2020. On Monday, May 24, 2021, CBS announced that Stephen Colbert’s late-night show would return on June 14 with a long-awaited packed studio audience. NBC also said Monday that it plans to have its “Tonight” show with Jimmy Fallon back in front of a fully vaccinated full audience in early June. Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” with Trevor Noah plans to keep operating from Noah’s home when it returns on June 7.

AT&T owns CNN, HBO, and Cartoon Network by acquiring Time Warner Inc., which the phone giant completed in 2018.

WarnerMedia Discovery 2021 Merger:

According to May 16, 2021, Bloomberg report, AT&T Inc. is preparing to spin off its media business and merge it with Discovery Inc. - which indicates a surprise reversal for a company that spent $85 billion to acquire the assets less than three years ago. The idea is to combine Discovery’s reality-TV empire with AT&T’s vast media holdings, building a business that would be a formidable competitor to Netflix Inc. and Walt Disney Co.

US Republicans have voted to oust a top lawmaker, Liz Cheney, from her leadership post as the GOP’s conference chair on Wednesday, May 12, 2021, over her criticism of former President Donald Trump. Cheney has held the third-ranking position in the House of Representatives since 2019.

Why was Cheney voted out?

Cheney has repeatedly condemned Trump over his unfounded claims the 2020 vote was stolen from him. She was one of 10 members of her party who voted with Democrats to impeach the then-president for incitement of insurrection after the January 6 Capitol Riots. The Republican-controlled Senate acquitted him. In an interview with NBC News shortly after the vote, Cheney called her removal "the opening salvo" in a fight "to bring back our party to substance and principles."

“American Idol” 16-year-old contestant Caleb Kennedy won a spot in the show’s final-five group of contestants only to lose it after a video circulated online showing him sitting next to a friend wearing a Ku Klux Klan white hood. Kennedy announced his departure from the show Wednesday, May 12, 2021, and apologized for the video in a statement posted to his social media accounts.

What will air instead?

This Sunday’s American Idol episode will feature the top four finalists instead.

When was the Caleb Kennedy video shot?

According to the young singer's mother, the three-second video, which was sent on Snapchat, was taken when the singer was 12 years old. She also said the clip was not referencing the KKK, but rather the movie “The Strangers: Prey at Night.” Judge for yourselves.

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk told viewers of the US comedy sketch series Saturday Night Live (SNL) on May 8, 2021, he was "the first person with Asperger's" to host the show. It is probably the first time Musk has spoken about his condition.

What's Asperger syndrome?

Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger's, is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, nonverbal communication, and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests.

Bo and Sunny were the Presidential pets during the Obama era. The Obamas welcomed Bo into their family in 2009, shortly after Obama's first presidential inauguration. Sunny, a female, joined the family in 2013.

News Fact:

R.I.P Bo Obama. On Saturday, May 9, 2021, Michelle Obama announced that Bo had died after a battle with cancer at 12 years old.

71-year-old Caitlyn Jenner announced her campaign for California Governor in April 2021 on Twitter and followed it up Monday, May 3, with a three-minute video posted on her website.

News Fact:

The reality TV personality, transgender rights activist, and 1976 Olympics hero continued her campaign with an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity aired Wednesday, May 5, 2021. Watch the interview.

On Wednesday, April 7, 2021, Virginia became the first Southern state to legalize marijuana. The legislation would allow adults 21 and up to legally possess up to one ounce (28.3 grams) of cannabis without the intent to distribute beginning July 1. It also would allow the home cultivation of up to four plants per household beginning July 1. Public use of the drug will still be prohibited.