Here’s the 2009 edition of the AARP Bulletin’s annual current-events challenge, prepared by Editor Jim Toedtman. Copy the quiz, share it with friends and check the results in a year. Send your answers by Feb. 1 to Bulletin Today editors, 601 E. St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20049.
 
1. Broken Promises. Which campaign promises will Barack Obama NOT fulfill in 2009?
a) renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

b) close the Guantanamo prison in Cuba

c) reduce the number of U.S. troops in Iraq

d) reform the health care system

e) create a $15 billion energy investment fund

f) cut taxes for the middle class
 
2. My Way Or… As president, Barack Obama will veto how many bills this year?
a) 0
b) 1-5
c) 6 -10
d).11 or more
 
3. You Betcha! Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will:
a) run for the U.S. Senate
b) resign as governor
c) seek to chair the Republican Party
d) divorce her husband, Todd
e) appear with comedian Tina Fey on “30 Rock”
f) raise money for her 2012 presidential bid
 
4. Somewhere Out There. In April, the United States hopes to mark the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first use of a telescope by launching the Kepler space telescope. NASA’s powerful new eye on the universe will simultaneously track 100,000 stars with the aim of spotting other galaxies and “exoplanets.” In 2009, Kepler will:
a) spot new exoplanets (on top of the 333 already found)
b) find new galaxies
c) find life in outer space
d) not launch
 
5. Bonanza II. In 2008, ExxonMobil announced its 2007 profit was $40.6 billion. ExxonMobil’s 2008 profit will be:
a) down 1 to 5 percent
b) down 6 percent or more
c) unchanged
d) up 1 to 5 percent
e) up 6 percent or more
 
6. Famous Breakups. What famous partnerships will end in 2009?
a) Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
b) Phil Jackson and the L.A. Lakers
c) Newt Gingrich and Callista Gingrich
d) Katie Couric and CBS Evening News
e) Bill O'Reilly and Fox News
f) Arthur (Pinch) Sulzburger and the New York Times
g) Boone Pickens and his windmill energy project
 
7. Leading Indicators. The national economy was mired in a recession in 2008, despite a series of attempts at jump-starting recovery. In 2009:
a) the recession will end
b) unemployment will exceed 9 percent
c) the Federal Reserve will cut its federal funds rate to 0 percent
d) Congress and the president will be unable to agree on a stimulus package
e) the federal package of loans and spending will exceed $2 trillion
 
8. Champions: Who will win the 2009 Super Bowl game?
a) Tennessee Titans
b) Carolina Panthers
c) Indianapolis Colts
d. Pittsburgh Steelers
e) N.Y. Jets
f. New England Patriots
g) N.Y. Giants
h) Jacksonville Jaguars
 
9. Recovery. Which of the following will survive intact in 2009 and repay its loan to the federal government?
a) GM
b) Chrysler
c) Ford
d) Citigroup
e) Goldman Sachs
f) Bank of America
 
10. Royal Succession. Prince Charles turned 60 in 2008. In 2009, he will:
a) become king
b) renounce the crown in favor of his older son, William
c) have another well-publicized affair
d) become a grandfather
 
11. Judicial Succession. Of the nine U.S. Supreme Court justices, five are over 70. Who of the following will resign in 2009?
a) Stephen G. Breyer (born 1938)
b) Ruth Bader Ginsburg (born 1933)
c) Anthony M. Kennedy (born 1936)
d) Antonin Scalia (born 1936)
e) John Paul Stevens (born 1920)
 
12. Iraq Turnaround. Which of the following will occur in Iraq in 2009?
a) The number of U.S. troops, now 143,000, will grow.
b) The number of U.S. troops will drop.
c) The oft-delayed provincial elections will be held.
d) President Obama will visit the troops.
e) Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will resign.
f) All U.S. troops will meet their deadline and withdraw from cities and onto U.S. bases by June.
 
13. Persian Peril. In 2009, Iran will:
a) develop a nuclear weapon
b) launch a satellite
c) be attacked by Israel
d) reelect President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the August election
 
14. Global Crises. Which of the following international challenges will occur in 2009?
a) Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir will be tried for genocide in the International Criminal Court.
b) A cease-fire will take hold in the Congo.
c) Israeli-Palestinian peace talks will resume.
d) North Korea will collapse.
e) Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will be replaced.
f) In Myanmar (formerly Burma), Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi will be freed.
 
15. Dollar Watch. Which of the following will occur in 2009?
a) OPEC will switch its trading currency from dollars to euros.
b) The price of a barrel of oil will exceed $100.
c) The Dow Jones industrial average will reach 13,000.
d) The national average of a gallon of regular gas will reach $3.
e) The resale price of a home will rise 2 percent or more.
 
16. Friends and Enemies. President Obama will meet which of the following world leaders:
a) Cuba’s Fidel Castro
b) North Korea’s Kim Jong Il
c) Afghanistan’s Hamid Karzai
d) Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
e) Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez
f) Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
g) Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani
h) Russian President Dmitri Medvedev
i) Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama
 
17. Wedding Bells. Who of the following will marry in 2009?
a) Britney Spears
b) Alex Rodriguez
c) Madonna
d) Prince William
e) Condoleezza Rice
f) Jennifer Aniston
g) George Clooney