The Friday news quiz

Puzzle Point

In the news

Welcome to this week’s news quiz, based on recent events. As usual, provide the answer for each clue, one letter per blank. The first letter of each answer, taken in order, spells the name of a former Trump administration official who tweeted this in response to the Jan. 6 committee testimony of former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson: “This is explosive stuff. If Cassidy is making this up, they will need to say that. If she isn't they will have to corroborate. I know her. I don't think she is lying.”

A link to the answers appears below.

_ _ _ _ _    _ _    _ _ _ _ _ Hershel Williams, the last living World War II veteran to receive this award, the nation’s highest military award, died at age 98.

_ _ _ Sen. Chuck Schumer is seeking a reversal of a ruling from this agency that levied tax hikes on Suffolk homeowners who received grants to replace failing septic systems.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi received this during a visit to the Vatican.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ She was sworn in to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ U.S. health officials expanded the group of people recommended to get vaccinated against this slowly spreading exotic virus.

_ _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _ _ Nation that said it would set up a permanent military headquarters in Poland to make it safer from Russian belligerence.

_ _ _    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Officials in this California county voted to return an oceanside property known as Bruce’s Beach to the descendants of its Black owners nearly 100 years after it was wrongfully seized.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _ _ Smithtown Town clerk who defeated four-term Suffolk County Clerk Judith Pascale in a Republican primary.

_ _ _ _ _ _ Company that made permanent a ban on parties held in homes listed on its website as short-term rentals.

_ _ _ _ _ _ Automaker that recalled 323,000 SUVs in the U.S. because the hoods can unexpectedly fly open and block the driver’s view.

_ _ _ _ _   &  _ _ _ _ _ Multinational accounting firm fined $100 million by the Securities and Exchange Commission for ethics test cheating by hundreds of its auditors.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ Suffolk County hamlet whose 18th century Hawkins Family Cemetery is scheduled for restoration work this weekend.

Click here for the answers to the clued words and to the identity of the former Trump administration official.

— Michael Dobie @mwdobie

Programming Point

The Point will be back on Tuesday, July 5. Happy July Fourth!