🎉 This Week’s Quiz Spotlight!

📍 Phyllis Cabrera from North Carolina – "The more I know about how government is supposed to work and how it actually does work, the better I understand how I can exercise my power and encourage others to do the same to bring about the changes in government that we wish to see."

📍 Mark Hischar from New Mexico

📍 Scott Hanks from Washington – "It makes me aware of my responsibilities as a citizen."

New Tariffs Announced by the Trump Administration: On April 2, 2025, the Trump administration issued an executive order imposing new tariffs on various U.S. imports. The tariffs are intended to protect domestic industries and address trade imbalances, as stated in official announcements. Financial markets responded with a significant decline in U.S. stock prices during after-hours trading, and some international leaders voiced concerns about potential economic repercussions and retaliatory measures. The policy has generated discussion but is a key economic initiative of the current administration.

Source 1:  The White House, Source 2:  CBS News, Source 3: Fox News

Justice Department Adjusts Legal Case in New York: On April 2, 2025, the Justice Department, under new leadership, instructed federal prosecutors in New York to discontinue a case against an individual named Adams, who was set to face trial. This decision, initially made in February but publicized this week, resulted in resignations from some prosecutors and public debate. The action has raised questions about prosecutorial independence, with varied reactions from different groups, some seeing it as a procedural correction and others as potential political influence.

Source 1: NPR, Source 2:  Breitbart

Democratic Candidates Win Several Elections: This week, Democratic candidates secured victories in multiple state and local races. On April 1, 2025, Susan Crawford, a candidate supported by Democrats, won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court in a closely watched contest. Other Democratic successes included a House vote where a Republican proposal on proxy voting for new parents was defeated. These results indicate shifts in political support at various levels, though their broader implications are still being assessed.

Source: 1: Fox News,  Source 2: CNN

Democratic U.S. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey set the record for the longest senate speech in modern history at 25 hours and 5 minutes in protest of the Trump administration’s policies. The record was previously set at 24 hours and 18 minutes in 1957 by segregationist Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina who spoke in opposition to that year’s Civil Rights Act. Senator Booker focused his speech on issues relevant to the Trump administration’s actions, including social security, immigration, and worries of a constitutional crisis.

Republicans Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine won a pair of special elections for Florida’s first and sixth congressional districts Tuesday. Patronis, the former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Florida, won the seat vacated last November by Matt Gaetz, defeating Democrat Gay Valimont by 14 points. Fine, a state senator from the Daytona Beach area, won the seat vacated by National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, defeating Democrat Josh Weil by a similar margin. Both have taken their seats in Congress, bringing the Republican majority total to 220 to the Democrat’s 213. 

Jill Underly, the incumbent Superintendent of Public Education in Wisconsin, won reelection to her post in a nonpartisan race over Brittant Kinser, a candidate backed by the Republican Party (Underly was backed by Democrats). Underly will continue in her post, which audits education agencies in the state, supervisorial and inspection powers over Wisconsin schools, and monitors the condition of public schools, among other duties and responsibilities.

On Tuesday, April 1st, several elections happened around the country. Click on the links below to view the results:



• Florida Congressional Districts 1 and 6 Special General Elections
• Florida State House Districts 3 and 32 and State Senate 19 Special Primary Elections
• Oklahoma State Senate District 8 Special Primary Runoff Election
• Wisconsin Supreme Court General Election
• Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Education General Election
• Wisconsin Question 1 Ballot Measure

(Glossary)

Special Election: is an election scheduled outside the regular electoral calendar to address specific issues or fill vacancies in public offices. These elections are typically held when an incumbent official resigns, passes away, or is otherwise unable to continue in office. Special elections can also be called to vote on urgent matters, such as referendums or specific legislative proposals.

Outstanding Performance!

An impressive 93.3% of you scored either a perfect 5 out of 5 or missed by just one question. 68.9% nailed every question, while 24.4% were just one answer away.

This shows a strong grasp of the material — keep up the excellent work.