Weekly Quiz: Rescue Missions, Radical Networks, and Redefining Power

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const title = "Weekly Quiz: Rescue Missions, Radical Networks, and Redefining Power"; const date = "April 11, 2026"; const data = [ { image: "https://walrus-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/img/Wark-Airmen-1800.jpg", title: "A Daring Rescue in Iran Highlights a War Going Sideways", url: "https://thewalrus.ca/a-daring-us-rescue-in-iran-highlights-a-war-going-sideways/", question: "When a US aircraft was shot down over North Vietnamese territory during a major enemy offensive in 1972, it prompted one of the most celebrated rescue missions in Air Force history: “Bat 21,” named for the downed plane’s call sign. What type of aircraft was the Bat 21?", options: [ "An F-4 Phantom fighter jet", "An OV-10 Bronco twin-turboprop", "An EB-66C twin-engined jet", "A B-52 strategic bomber", ], answer: "An EB-66C twin-engined jet", correct: "Called “the largest rescue operation in USAF history” by The National Museum of the United States Air Force, the mission was known as “Bat 21,” for the call sign of one of the downed US aircraft, an electronic warfare plane, a twin-engined jet (EB-66C), shot down by a surface-to-air missile. The electronic warfare specialist aboard that plane, Lieutenant Colonel Gene Hambleton, parachuted to earth into the middle of a massive North Vietnamese offensive (known as the “Easter offensive”). He spent most of his time behind enemy lines trying to avoid being seen by a North Vietnamese army on the move that numbered three combat divisions.", incorrect: "Called “the largest rescue operation in USAF history” by The National Museum of the United States Air Force, the mission was known as “Bat 21,” for the call sign of one of the downed US aircraft, an electronic warfare plane, a twin-engined jet (EB-66C), shot down by a surface-to-air missile. The electronic warfare specialist aboard that plane, Lieutenant Colonel Gene Hambleton, parachuted to earth into the middle of a massive North Vietnamese offensive (known as the “Easter offensive”). He spent most of his time behind enemy lines trying to avoid being seen by a North Vietnamese army on the move that numbered three combat divisions.", }, { title: "Bad as Trump Is, What Follows Him May Be Worse", url: "https://thewalrus.ca/bad-as-trump-is-what-follows-him-may-be-worse/", question: "Despite being blocked by numerous social media platforms, financial service providers, and e-commerce sites, white-supremacist influencer Nick Fuentes has still managed to build a significant political following. His base, known as “Groypers,” directly fund his work by donating to his nonprofit. What is the name of this organization?", options: [ "The America First Foundation", "The Heritage Foundation", "Turning Point USA", "The Patriot Action Network", ], answer: "The America First Foundation", correct: "Fuentes is radioactive to most American conservatives. His ideology reflects a hostile strain of white, male-dominated, Christian nationalism. Fuentes has harnessed his grievances and entrepreneurial instincts to accrue major clout, amassing a cult following of angry, extremely online young men. They populate message boards on 4chan and watch videos on Rumble. They subscribe to Telegram channels, chat on Gab, and post rage bait on X. This army of hardcore fans—dubbed “Groypers”—also bankrolls Fuentes’s political projects through grassroots donations to the America First Foundation. The nonprofit entity functions as a political organizing hub similar to Turning Point USA but for a much more radicalized audience.", incorrect: "Fuentes is radioactive to most American conservatives. His ideology reflects a hostile strain of white, male-dominated, Christian nationalism. Fuentes has harnessed his grievances and entrepreneurial instincts to accrue major clout, amassing a cult following of angry, extremely online young men. They populate message boards on 4chan and watch videos on Rumble. They subscribe to Telegram channels, chat on Gab, and post rage bait on X. This army of hardcore fans—dubbed “Groypers”—also bankrolls Fuentes’s political projects through grassroots donations to the America First Foundation. The nonprofit entity functions as a political organizing hub similar to Turning Point USA but for a much more radicalized audience.", }, { image: "https://walrus-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/img/Prest-Epstein-1800.jpg", title: "It’s Time to Talk about Canada’s Links to Epstein", url: "https://thewalrus.ca/its-time-to-talk-about-canadas-links-to-epstein/", question: "After meeting convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein at the 2014 Vancouver TED Conference, Canadian entrepreneur and tech investor Austin Hill paid Epstein a visit on his private island. How much money did Epstein later invest in the blockchain venture Hill was promoting at the time?", options: [ "$250,000 (US)", "$500,000 (US)", "$750,000 (US)", "$1 million (US)", ], answer: "$500,000 (US)", correct: "Summaries of Hill’s work online highlight involvement in everything from internet services in the 1990s to bitcoin. He presents himself as an entrepreneur who makes “meaning rather than making money” and looks for ways to better the world through his work. In 2014—at the Vancouver TED Conference Epstein should not have been able to attend but seemingly did—records in the Epstein files indicate Hill connected with the now-disgraced financier in pursuit of funding for the blockchain venture he was promoting at the time. The men’s conversation—accompanied by “two pretty girls” with Epstein, according to messages between the two—led to a meeting at Epstein’s island, Little St. James, in April 2014. Hill confirmed to the media that, following that meeting, Epstein indirectly invested $500,000 (US) toward Hill’s venture.", incorrect: "Summaries of Hill’s work online highlight involvement in everything from internet services in the 1990s to bitcoin. He presents himself as an entrepreneur who makes “meaning rather than making money” and looks for ways to better the world through his work. In 2014—at the Vancouver TED Conference Epstein should not have been able to attend but seemingly did—records in the Epstein files indicate Hill connected with the now-disgraced financier in pursuit of funding for the blockchain venture he was promoting at the time. The men’s conversation—accompanied by “two pretty girls” with Epstein, according to messages between the two—led to a meeting at Epstein’s island, Little St. James, in April 2014. Hill confirmed to the media that, following that meeting, Epstein indirectly invested $500,000 (US) toward Hill’s venture.", }, { title: "Should Canada Build Up Alternatives to Visa and Mastercard?", url: "https://thewalrus.ca/why-your-credit-card-is-a-national-security-threat/", question: "In Underground Empire, scholars Henry Farrell and Abraham Newman posit that US geopolitical power in the twenty-first century operates differently than in the past. According to their framework, what is now the primary source of American global influence?", options: [ "Expansion of media and entertainment exports", "Leadership in artificial intelligence and data infrastructure", "Coordination and management of critical supply chains and trade routes", "Surveillance and control over the flows of money", ], answer: "Surveillance and control over the flows of money", correct: "Farrell and Newman write that America’s outsized influence no longer comes just from military dominance or territory but from surveilling and controlling the flows of money throughout the world. Visa and Mastercard may be routers for cross-border card payments, but they are also a pipeline for immensely strategic economic data (Visa explicitly frames its Spending Momentum Index as a way to track “aggregate consumer spending”). In an era of data-driven business strategies, the metrics that credit companies provide allow firms to “see” the economy ahead of competitors. For data-hungry artificial intelligence firms, it’s a total jackpot. For the US, argue Farrell and Newman, it is a key source of geopolitical leverage.", incorrect: "Farrell and Newman write that America’s outsized influence no longer comes just from military dominance or territory but from surveilling and controlling the flows of money throughout the world. Visa and Mastercard may be routers for cross-border card payments, but they are also a pipeline for immensely strategic economic data (Visa explicitly frames its Spending Momentum Index as a way to track “aggregate consumer spending”). In an era of data-driven business strategies, the metrics that credit companies provide allow firms to “see” the economy ahead of competitors. For data-hungry artificial intelligence firms, it’s a total jackpot. For the US, argue Farrell and Newman, it is a key source of geopolitical leverage.", }, ];