Weekly Quiz: Bird Flu, Big Tech, and Boosting the Trades

1

2

const title = "Weekly Quiz: Bird Flu, Big Tech, and Boosting the Trades"; const date = "May 30, 2026"; const data = [ { image: "https://walrus-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/img/WM-MAY26-Bird-Flu-Cropped.jpg", title: "The Next Pandemic May Already Be Brewing", url: "https://thewalrus.ca/the-next-pandemic-may-already-be-brewing/", question: "The current strain of H5N1 has caused an unprecedented global outbreak among animals, infecting species ranging from sea lions to dairy cattle. Scientists worry that every new host gives the virus more opportunities to adapt to humans. Which development especially alarmed flu researchers in 2024?", options: [ "H5N1 infecting pigs on commercial farms", "H5N1 infecting household pets in urban areas", "A dairy worker contracting H5N1 from infected cows", "A child contracting H5N1 from contaminated eggs", ], answer: "A dairy worker contracting H5N1 from infected cows", correct: "One of the world’s leading flu scientists is Richard Webby, a virologist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and director of a WHO Collaborating Center, which studies bird flu in the environment. No one could have been more surprised than he was to learn that bird flu was infecting cows. The first time it happened was on a farm in Texas, in late 2023. The milk was discoloured; the cows appeared to have mastitis. Oddly, barnyard cats were dying. Bird flu was so unexpected, it took several months to identify it. Webby’s top concern was that cows were spreading the virus to each other, suggesting a mutation. Then, another shock. On April 1, 2024, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that a Texas farm worker had contracted the H5N1 flu from sick cows. This was a world first. Never before had a mammal spread H5N1 to a human.", incorrect: "One of the world’s leading flu scientists is Richard Webby, a virologist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and director of a WHO Collaborating Center, which studies bird flu in the environment. No one could have been more surprised than he was to learn that bird flu was infecting cows. The first time it happened was on a farm in Texas, in late 2023. The milk was discoloured; the cows appeared to have mastitis. Oddly, barnyard cats were dying. Bird flu was so unexpected, it took several months to identify it. Webby’s top concern was that cows were spreading the virus to each other, suggesting a mutation. Then, another shock. On April 1, 2024, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that a Texas farm worker had contracted the H5N1 flu from sick cows. This was a world first. Never before had a mammal spread H5N1 to a human.", }, { title: "The Internet Has Become Too American to Trust", url: "https://thewalrus.ca/the-internet-has-become-too-american-to-trust/", question: "Writer Cory Doctorow argues that US tech companies are becoming “an arm of American foreign policy,” a concern he not only frames as an economic issue but a national security threat. What is one example Doctorow uses to illustrate how tech companies could exert geopolitical pressure?", options: [ "Tesla shutting down charging stations during elections", "Amazon blocking international shipping during trade disputes", "Apple suspending map functionality on the devices of student protest organizers", "Microsoft cutting off the International Criminal Court chief prosecutor’s access to Office365", ], answer: "Microsoft cutting off the International Criminal Court chief prosecutor’s access to Office365", correct: "Big Tech is Donald Trump, and Donald Trump is Big Tech. When Trump gets angry at someone, his tech companies punish them. Like the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court who, after swearing out an arrest warrant for the genocidaire Benjamin Netanyahu, promptly lost access to his Office 365 accounts—all his documents, working files, diaries, address books, email archives, and the email address he needed to log in to every other account he had. Microsoft swears this was just a coincidence. But then there’s this: when a high court judge in Brazil sentenced the election-stealing Trump ally Jair Bolsonaro, Trump denounced him, and Microsoft did it again.", incorrect: "Big Tech is Donald Trump, and Donald Trump is Big Tech. When Trump gets angry at someone, his tech companies punish them. Like the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court who, after swearing out an arrest warrant for the genocidaire Benjamin Netanyahu, promptly lost access to his Office 365 accounts—all his documents, working files, diaries, address books, email archives, and the email address he needed to log in to every other account he had. Microsoft swears this was just a coincidence. But then there’s this: when a high court judge in Brazil sentenced the election-stealing Trump ally Jair Bolsonaro, Trump denounced him, and Microsoft did it again.", }, { image: "https://walrus-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/img/SPCA_battle_orange.jpg", title: "A Halifax Woman Devoted Her Life to Rescuing Dogs. Then Authorities Investigated", url: "https://thewalrus.ca/a-halifax-woman-devoted-her-life-to-rescuing-dogs-then-authorities-investigated-her/", question: "As dog ownership surged during the pandemic, rescue organizations increasingly transported stray and surrendered dogs into Canada from abroad. But the rapid growth of international dog rescue also raised concerns about oversight, disease transmission, and behavioural risks. Why did Canadian authorities tighten rules for importing rescue dogs in 2021?", options: [ "Imported dogs were linked to multiple attacks on adopters", "Hundreds of severely ill puppies arrived in Canada from Ukraine", "A major rescue organization was accused of falsifying vaccination records", "Several provinces demanded stricter licensing requirements for rescue organizations", ], answer: "Hundreds of severely ill puppies arrived in Canada from Ukraine", correct: "In May 2021, after hundreds of devastatingly sick puppies arrived from Ukraine for adoption, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, or CFIA, introduced revised regulations governing the commercial import of dogs under eight months old. These included requirements for recent rabies vaccinations and travel plans that allow for inspections in the country of origin. The CFIA now publishes an online guide to adopting a rescue dog, including “red flags” such as adopters not being able to visit a dog prior to adoption.", incorrect: "In May 2021, after hundreds of devastatingly sick puppies arrived from Ukraine for adoption, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, or CFIA, introduced revised regulations governing the commercial import of dogs under eight months old. These included requirements for recent rabies vaccinations and travel plans that allow for inspections in the country of origin. The CFIA now publishes an online guide to adopting a rescue dog, including “red flags” such as adopters not being able to visit a dog prior to adoption.", }, { title: "Ontario Needs Thousands More Trade Workers. It’s Almost Impossible to Get Certified", url: "https://thewalrus.ca/demand-for-trade-work-has-never-been-higher-why-is-it-impossible-to-find-a-job/", question: "Ontario’s provincial funding programs for skilled trades have faced criticism, but the federal government recently announced a major package aimed at attracting and retaining trades workers. What is one of the incentives included in the new plan?", options: [ "Student loan forgiveness for apprentices who complete their training early", "Tax-free income for apprentices under the age of thirty", "Subsidized housing for apprentices who relocate for work", "A one-time $5,000 bonus for apprentices who earn Red Seal certification", ], answer: "A one-time $5,000 bonus for apprentices who earn Red Seal certification", correct: "In April, the federal government earmarked $6 billion over five years to support skilled trades. This includes subsidies up to $10,000 for hiring apprentices, expanding union-run training centres, a weekly income top-up for apprentices attending technical training, and a one-time bonus of $5,000 for apprentices who successfully get certified in a Red Seal trade. In total, the program aims to attract 100,000 new workers and halve the time it takes to get certified.", incorrect: "In April, the federal government earmarked $6 billion over five years to support skilled trades. This includes subsidies up to $10,000 for hiring apprentices, expanding union-run training centres, a weekly income top-up for apprentices attending technical training, and a one-time bonus of $5,000 for apprentices who successfully get certified in a Red Seal trade. In total, the program aims to attract 100,000 new workers and halve the time it takes to get certified.", }, ];