The world's fastest animal, researchers announced this week, is not the cheetah. Paratarsotomus macropalpis, a tiny species of mite native to California, is much faster—if you measure speed in terms of body lengths. The tiny arachnid can run at a speed of 322 body lengths per second, roughly 50 times as "fast" as Usain Bolt. Tall readers can rest easy: We'll pay no mind to body length when rating your speed on this week's news quiz.

Question 1 of 12

On Monday, the U.S. unveiled a new round of sanctions against seven people and 17 organizations from whose inner circle?

Question 2 of 12

The rapper and producer Soulja Boy has mounted a petition drive to protest what being taken off the market last week?

The pharmaceutical company Actavis announced it will no longer be selling promethazine codeine, the active ingredient in the popular hip-hop concoction.

Question 3 of 12

In a new study published this week in Nature Methods, scientists were surprised to find that mice are not afraid of what?

The finding—that mice fear men but not women—is a big deal, because it could cast doubt on years of other research using lab mice.

Question 4 of 12

About 220 girls are reportedly being sold to Islamic extremists for $12 each after being kidnapped from their secondary school in what country?

The terrorist group Boko Haram has been targeting schools in northeastern Nigeria since the early 2000s.

Question 5 of 12

A middle school teacher in Houston has been arrested after giving a student what as a birthday present?

Felicia Smith, 42, says the boy's classmates persuaded her to perform the full-contact four-minute routine.

Question 6 of 12

Oklahoma lawmakers this week tried to impeach the state Supreme Court for attempting to delay what?

One of the executions proceeded on Tuesday using an unproven drug cocktail, but the botched procedure led to a stay of execution for the second inmate.

Question 7 of 12

What caused a rampage of mayhem and destruction in six states from Iowa to Alabama this week?

Question 8 of 12

In the past eight days, judges have struck down laws in both Wisconsin and Arkansas that would have required what?

Question 9 of 12

According to the Donald Sterling recording, which of these should you not do with black people?

Sterling received a lifetime ban from the NBA on Tuesday for the outrageous opinions revealed on the recording.

Question 10 of 12

A computer club at Carnegie Mellon has salvaged what remarkable find from a stash of unlabeled 25-year-old floppy disks?

Warhol produced the never-before-seen digital images on the Commodore Amiga, a personal computer for which he was a spokesman in the 1980s.

Question 11 of 12

A new Gallup poll this week found that 62 years—an all-time high—is now the average age of what?

Gallup noted that the increase may be due to reluctance to retire or the Great Recession.

Question 12 of 12

Librarians in Toronto have been pressed to ban which Dr. Seuss book?

The text "encourages children to use violence against their fathers," said the complainant, who demanded an apology and damages.