Friday, Nov. 5 Weekly Quiz: Super Museum, Homerun³

Tesla became the sixth company in US history worth $1 trillion on Oct. 25, 2021. It's also the second-fastest to achieve that milestone after Facebook. The newly-named Meta Platforms first passed the $1 trillion barrier on June 28, 2021.

Will Elon Musk end world hunger?

Tesla chief executive Elon Musk posted on Twitter on Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021, "If WFP (UN World Food Programme) can describe on this Twitter thread exactly how $6 billion will solve world hunger, I will sell Tesla stock right now and do it." That sum would equate to roughly 2% of Musk's net wealth.

What did the World Food Programme ask from Musk?

Musk's tweet came after WFP director David Beasley challenged the world's two richest men, Jeff Bezos and Musk, to "step up now, on a one-time basis" to help solve world hunger in an interview with CNN. Beasley replied to Musk's post on Twitter, saying, "Your team can review and work with us to be confident of such. $6 billion will not solve world hunger, but it WILL prevent geopolitical instability and mass migration and save 42 million people on the brink of starvation."

2021 World Series MVP Jorge Soler was born in Cuba. He defected in 2011, seeking a career in Major League Baseball. After establishing residency in Haiti, Soler signed a nine-year contract with the Chicago Cubs and made his MLB debut in 2014. On July 30, 2021, Soler was traded to the Atlanta Braves.

What happened with Soler in the 2021 World Series (in 90 words or less)?

On Oct. 26, 2021, after spending ten days on the COVID-19 injured list, Soler hit a leadoff home run in Game 1 of the 2021 World Series, becoming the first player ever to hit a home run in the first plate appearance of a World Series. On Nov. 2, he crushed his third home run of the series, a 446-foot, three-run shot to give the Braves a 3–0 lead. He then became the third designated hitter in history to win the World Series MVP award.

Sheikh Hasina, 74, is Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She’s been in the position since January 2009, making her the 7th current longest-serving prime minister worldwide.

What was Sheikh Hasina’s message to the world leaders in COP26?

Sheikh Hasina spoke at COP26 on behalf of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, a group of 48 countries most threatened by climate change. Hasina told wealthy world leaders on Monday, Nov. 1, 2021,  they must fulfill both their carbon emission cutting pledges and keep their promises to help developing countries decarbonize.

Michelle Wu, 36, was elected Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, as the 56th mayor of Boston. Boston had only elected white men as mayor before her. Wu, the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, will be sworn in on Nov. 16, 2021.

Photo: The Southern District of New York, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

David Dinkins was the first African American mayor of New York City, serving in office from 1990 to 1993.

Who’s Eric Adams?

On Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021, Eric Adams was elected as the 110th mayor of New York and the second Black mayor in the city’s history. He is a former New York City police captain with a decades-long career in public life.

According to a study conducted at Johns Hopkins University, the global death toll from COVID-19 reached 6 million on Monday, March. 7, 2022, almost exactly two years into the pandemic. The U.S. alone is nearing 1 million deaths. Together, the United States, the European Union, Britain, and Brazil account for one-eighth of the world’s population but nearly half of all reported deaths.

Shouldn’t that number be even higher?

The actual number of Covid casualties is almost certainly much higher because of limited testing and people dying without medical attention, especially in poor parts of the world, such as India. The Economist estimates that the number of global COVID-19 deaths is actually between 14 million and 23.5 million. COVID-19 is now the third leading cause of death worldwide, after heart disease and stroke.

La Paz is the capital of Bolivia.

The La Paz 2021 Heat Record

La Paz has been hit by an unusual heatwave, with ultraviolet (UV) radiation levels soaring in November 2021 to 21 on a scale that generally goes up to 20. The World Health Organization defines a UV index of 11 as "extreme," with people cautioned to avoid exposure to the sun. Scientists say changing rainfall patterns were adding UV radiation by reducing cloud cover.

Google News closed in Spain in late 2014 in response to legislation that forced it to pay a collective licensing fee to republish headlines or snippets of news.

Is Google News returning to Spain?

Spain has adopted the European Union copyright directive that allows third-party online news platforms to negotiate directly with content providers on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021. The EU legislation requires platforms like Google, Facebook, and others to share revenue with publishers.

When did Google News return to Spain?

Alphabet reopened Google News in Spain on June 22, 2022, eight years after it shut down.

Huma Abedin, 45, has been serving as a close aide to Hillary Clinton since she began working as an intern in the White House in 1996 - 25 years ago.

What’s in Abedin’s new book?

Huma Abedin released her memoir, “Both/And: A Life in Many Worlds,” on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021. In just under 500 pages, Abedin, born in Michigan to Muslim academics from India and Pakistan and mainly raised in Saudi Arabia, tells the story of her family, her many years with Hillary Clinton, and her ongoing divorce process from former New York congressman Anthony Weiner, a convicted sex offender.

The world's "first publicly accessible art storage facility" is Rotterdam's Boijmans Museum Depot. The Depot showcases all of its 151,000 collection items, from Van Goghs to Magrittes and Dalís, on permanent display to the public. The works, including more than 63,000 paintings, photographs, films, pre-industrial and design objects, contemporary art installations, sculptures, and 88,000 prints and drawings, are being stored, organized, and displayed based on their size and conservation requirements rather than theme or artist.

The 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe movie "Eternals," directed by Chinese-born Oscar winner Chloe Zhao ("Nomadland"), features the franchise's first gay kiss, first deaf superhero, and the first South Asian superhero.

Who is Marvel's gay superhero?

Phastos, a master inventor, is played by Brian Tyree Henry. In "Eternals," Phastos kisses his partner as they fear the world might end (again).

Salma Hayek was born on Sept. 2, 1966, which makes her 55-years-old in 2021. In an interview with the British Guardian, Hayek speaks about being bullied by disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, marrying French billionaire François-Henri Pinault, and becoming a superhero in “Eternals” at the age of 55.