Important General Knowledge Quiz Questions!

Explanation
The board removed the swimsuit category from the pageant as a part of the pageant’s transition into its new era as Miss America 2.0. Despite the fact that the Miss America began as a swimsuit competition on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, the new, mostly-female board of directors made the call to eliminate the most controversial aspect of the pageant. The announcement was accompanied by the release of a Twitter video featuring a disappearing bikini that is replaced by the new logo and the hashtag #byebyebikini. The new pageant emphasizes the scholarships that winners receive and will no longer be judged based on appearance. Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/05/business/miss-america-swimsuit.html

Explanation
Trump emerged from the meeting very optimistic about the future of the two nations and the world. The two world leaders apparently discussed North Korea’s possession of nuclear warheads, which is a topic that Trump said they would continue to discuss in the future. Earlier this week Trump stated that he believes there will be another summit with the dictator. Sources: https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/21/politics/trump-north-korean-kim-summit-intl/index.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/11/world/asia/trump-kim-summitmeeting.html

Explanation
“Incredibles Two” brought in $180 million, beating “Shrek The Third” even after accounting for higher ticket prices.  The movie did well among critics and in an unlikely audience: adults over 35 years old. That group constituted 25% of the films audience, possibly due to its action movie components or its appeal to nostalgia.

Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/17/movies/incredibles-2-box-office-record-animation.html

Explanation
The scientists discovered evidence of an extremely salty lake, about 12 miles wide, hidden under a mile of ice.  The salt in the water could allow it to remain in liquid form, which many previously thought would be impossible in Mars’s freezing climate.  Evidence of the water was discovered through the use of radar signals, and there is not yet definitive proof due to some irregularities in the radar results.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/water-found-mars-wanted-afraid/story?id=56836683

Explanation
Pope Francis declared that the Catholic Church is now adamantly against the death penalty. This change could cause trouble for devout Catholic politicians in the United States who have been vocal supporters of the death penalty for decades.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/02/world/europe/pope-death-penalty.html