Friday, September 10 Weekly News Quiz: Extinction, China

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who was named "the principal architect of the 9/11 attacks" in the 9/11 Commission Report,  is held by the United States at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. He confessed to involvement in nearly every major al-Qaida operation, including the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, the killing of journalist Daniel Pearl, the 9/11 attacks, and others. His trial date has been postponed repeatedly.

The only comedy feature film with Leonardo DiCaprio was 1998’s Woody Allen movie Celebrity. That is, until 2021.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s New Comedy News Fact

Netflix’s upcoming Don’t Look Up, directed by Adam McKay (Anchorman, Step Brothers), features Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as low-level astronomers. They discover a comet on a collision course with Earth, but no one seems to believe them. The cast includes Meryl Streep and Jonah Hill as the US President and her son, alongside Ron Perlman, Ariana Grande, Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry, and others. The movie streams on Netflix starting December 24th, 2021, after premiering in select theaters on December 10th. Watch the trailer.

The komodo dragon is the world's most giant lizard.

Are Komodo Dragons nearing extinction?

The Komodo dragon is threatened with extinction as rising water levels shrink its habitat, driven by climate change. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) changed the lizard's status from vulnerable to endangered on Sept. 4, 2021.

Nifty is the name of the Indian stock market index (Nifty 50). It’s also a Japanese internet service provider but perhaps best known worldwide as the prenatal DNA test of women and fetuses made in China. The test is sold in at least 52 countries. It screens for Down’s syndrome and more than 80 other genetic conditions.

Nifty DNA Tests News Fact

Health regulators in five countries are examining the Nifty DNA prenatal test after a Reuters report that the test’s manufacturer collects genetic data in collaboration with the Chinese military. On Sept. 7, 2021, Regulators in Germany, Slovenia, Australia, Estonia, and Canada called for transparency in manufacturer BGI’s use of women’s genetic data. The European Data Protection Supervisor is monitoring the situation.

New Zealand had the warmest southern winter ever recorded in 2021. For the three months through August, the average temperature was 9.8 Celsius (50 Fahrenheit), 1.32C above the long-term average and 0.2C higher than the previous record posted last year, according to New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research. Scientists say that climate change is driving temperatures ever higher.

On Sept. 2021, a Texas law banning most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy went into effect the same week Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled to decriminalize abortions.

Texas Abortion Law Fact

Under the new Texas abortion law, the countdown to six weeks of pregnancy starts from the first day of the mother's last period (not the one she missed), leaving many with no more than two weeks (tops) to end the pregnancy. On May 3, 2022, Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma signed the Oklahoma Heartbeat Act, which was modeled on the one that came into force in Texas.

Sinovac is a COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd.

Sinovac News Fact

On Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021, Brazil's federal health regulator Anvisa suspended the use of over 12 million doses of the Chinese Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine that Sinovac Biotech produced in an unauthorized plant. During Brazil's vaccine rollout earlier this year, the vast majority of administered vaccines were from Sinovac.

“Love is in the Bin” is the shredded 2018 copy of Banksy's 2006 painting of what was then known as “Girl with Balloon.” It was “destroyed” immediately after Sotheby's sold it at an auction for a record £1,042,000 ($1.4 million).

“Love is in the Bin” News Fact

On Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, Sotheby's said that “Love is in the Bin” would be offered at a sale in London on Oct. 14. The piece has a pre-sale estimate of 4 million pounds to 6 million pounds (up to $8.3 million).

Omar Little was Actor Michael K. Williams's recurring character on HBO's classic The Wire. He also had unforgettable roles on Broadwalk Empire, When They See Us, and The Night Of. Williams received a 2021 Emmy nomination for his performance in HBO's Lovecraft Country.

RIP, Michael K. Williams

Michael K. Williams was found dead Monday, Sept. 6, 2021, in his apartment in Brooklyn. He was 54.

Guitarist Jimmy Page was a member of the classic rock band Led Zeppelin.

Led Zeppelin News Fact

“Becoming Led Zeppelin,” one of the most anticipated documentaries at the Venice Film Festival, made its premiere Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021, with Jimmy Page on the red carpet. Producers of the film obtained never-before-seen footage of some of the band’s early U.S. and British concerts as well as an audio interview that drummer John Bonham gave before he died in 1980.

Freddie Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara on September 5, 1946, in Stone Town, Tanzania. Had he lived past 45, he would celebrate his 76th birthday in 2022.

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter was born on Sept. 4, 1981. On Sept. 4, 2023, the iconic "Queen of Pop" celebrated her 42nd birthday. She marked the occasion with a grand show at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, as part of her Renaissance World Tour. Hollywood's "who's who," including Diana Ross, graced the event. Ross even serenaded Beyoncé with a "Happy Birthday" song. Celebrity guests like Timothée Chalamet and Prince Harry added glamour to the glitz. Here's to many more chart-topping years ahead!