Trivia Answers – May 2017 Newsletter

Apr 20, 2017

SYRIAN MISSILE STRIKES

1. During the U.S. missile strike, 59 _____ cruise missiles were launched from the guided-missile destroyers USS Ross and Porter in the eastern Mediterranean. a.  Harpoon b.  Tomahawk c.  Javelin 2. The airfield that was targeted in the U.S. missile strike is near which city in Syria? a.  Aleppo b.  Damascus c.  Hom 3. The missile strike carried out by the Trump administration marks a significant shift in U.S. relations with Syria from the Obama administration. a.  True b.  False 4.  The first large-scale use of chemical weapons was during World War II. a.  True b.  False

MINIMUM WAGE

1. The federal minimum wage for tipped workers is ____ an hour and hasn’t been raised since 1991. a.  $2.13 b.  $4.02 c.  $5.45 2. Opponents of raising the minimum wage say because of the law of ____, some workers will lose their jobs or have their hours cut if businesses are forced to pay them more. a.  diminishing returns b.  supply and demand c.  lean manufacturing 3. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly a quarter (24%) of people at or below the federal minimum wage are teenagers (ages 16 to 19), as of 2013. a.  True b.  False 4. In 2012, the richest 1% of the U.S. population earned 22.83% of the nation’s income, resulting in the widest gap between the rich and the poor since the 1920s. a.  True b.  False

Research Links & Critical Thinking Questions for May 2017 Issues

Apr 20, 2017

LINKS

For further research, please see the links below. Links have been shortened for your convenience. Issue 1: Syrian Missile Strikes Statement by President Trump on Syria Bernie Sanders’ Opposition to Missile Strikes Visual Guide to Missile Strikes on Syrian Airbase Heritage Foundation on Missile Strikes Video Brookings Institute Pros & Cons to Missile Strikes Issue 2: Minimum Wage U.S. Department of Labor – Minimum Wages by State Raise the Minimum Wage U.S. Chamber of Commerce Article National Women’s Law Center on Minimum Wage CNBC Article on Universal Basic Income Congressional Budget Office Report

CRITICAL-THINKING QUESTIONS

Help students develop their critical-thinking skills on legislative issues with these essay questions. Issue 1: Syrian Missile Strikes

  1. Please read the pro and con arguments in the Brookings Institute article (link above). Which side do you agree most with, and why?
  2. Will military intervention solve the Syrian conflict? Why or why not?
  3. Does the Syrian regime’s use of chemical weapons on Syrian civilians justify the U.S. missile strikes?
  4. What could potentially go wrong as a result of the U.S. missile strikes on the Syrian airbase? What could go right?
  5. Should the U.S. intervene in Middle East controversies such as the Syrian Civil War? Where should we draw the line?

Issue 2: Minimum Wage

  1. Using the U.S. Department of Labor link above, see if your state has a minimum wage law. How does your state compare to other states? Do you think it should be higher or lower than it is?
  2. How does the minimum wage issue relate to income, gender and race inequality?
  3. Please read the CNBC article (link above). Should the U.S. should establish a “universal basic income?” Why or why not?
  4. If you worked at a job that paid the current minimum wage of $7.25, you would work one hour and receive about enough money to pay for a fast food combo meal. Is that fair?
  5. Do you think that if the minimum wage was raised, it would ultimately help or hurt workers?