The September 2026 News Quiz: Six Questions

This September 2026 news quiz covers six of the week's biggest stories. Between Warren Buffett handing over Berkshire Hathaway, Spider-Man swinging past a Star Wars record, and Brussels trying to keep kids off social media, the week gave readers a lot to track. Answer each question in this September 2026 news quiz before reading the explanation, and keep a running count of how many get answered right.

The format stays simple across this September 2026 news quiz. Read the question, commit to an answer, then scroll to the reveal inside that same section. The score breakdown at the end translates the final tally into a verdict.

1. Who now chairs Berkshire Hathaway?

The first question in this September 2026 news quiz goes to Omaha. Warren Buffett, 96, stepped down as chairman this week, ending a run that began in 1970. His replacement is his son Howard, 71, who has sat on Berkshire's board since 1993. Greg Abel, who took over as CEO late last year, stays in that role. In his farewell letter, Buffett wrote: "Father Time always wins." According to CNN, he added that he had never taken shareholders' trust for granted. Answer: Howard Buffett.

2. Which AI CEO called for the industry to slow down?

The second question in this September 2026 news quiz turns to artificial intelligence. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published a nearly 4,000-word essay on September 12 titled "We Must Pace the Frontier." In it, Amodei wrote: "We must slow the pace at which we improve the capabilities of AI models. Progress will still seem fast, and we must make wise use of the time we gain." OpenAI's Sam Altman and xAI's Elon Musk both said they agreed with him. His proposal starts with giving outside evaluators employee-like access to the biggest labs, then coordinating safety standards between companies and eventually between countries, according to TechCrunch. The essay followed a researcher resigning from Anthropic with a warning that the people building AI believe it could get out of control. Answer: Dario Amodei.

3. How much of TikTok's US company does ByteDance still own?

The third question in this September 2026 news quiz is about the app that would not die. Under the deal that ended the years-long fight over TikTok, its US operations now sit inside a company called TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC. Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX each hold a 15 percent stake, affiliates of existing ByteDance investors hold about 30 percent, and ByteDance itself kept 19.9 percent, just under the legal threshold for divestiture. One of the biggest practical changes involves the algorithm: US officials will retrain, test, and update the recommendation system on American user data, according to Gray DC. Feeds could gradually feel different over time. GenZNewZ's breakdown of the TikTok US deal covers what changes for users at the TikTok US deal explained. Answer: 19.9 percent.

4. Under the EU's Kids Act, when can you get a social media account?

The fourth question of the September 2026 news quiz heads to Brussels. The European Commission proposed banning social media entirely for children under 13. Kids aged 13 and 14 would get parent-supervised "mini accounts" capped at one hour a day, and independent personal accounts would start at 15. The proposal also bans addictive features like infinite scroll and profiling-based feeds for under-18s, and platforms that fail to verify ages face fines of up to 6 percent of global turnover. Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said Brussels looked at Australia, which banned social media for under-16s last year, according to CNN. The law still needs approval from EU countries and parliament, so passage could take years. The details are in the full story on the EU Kids Act. Answer: no social media under 13.

5. Which movie did Spider-Man: Brand New Day dethrone?

The fifth question in this September 2026 news quiz goes to the box office. On September 15, Brand New Day passed Star Wars: The Force Awakens to become the highest-grossing domestic release of all time: $936.7 million against $936.66 million, 47 days after its July 31 release. The Force Awakens had held the record for more than a decade. Globally the film has crossed $2.45 billion, making it the third-biggest movie ever behind Avatar and Avengers: Endgame. It also set the biggest domestic opening weekend ever at $360 million and became only the second film to pass $900 million domestically, according to SlashFilm. The full run of records appears in GenZNewZ's Spider-Man box office story. Answer: Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

6. Which artifact came home after 900 years?

The final question of the September 2026 news quiz is the culture round. The Bayeux Tapestry, the 70-meter embroidery depicting the 1066 Norman Conquest, is on display at the British Museum from September 2026 through July 2027. It is the first time the work has been in Britain in more than 900 years, and children 16 and under get in free. The museum expects up to a million visitors, according to The Times, whose chairman called the show a blockbuster for the generation. In exchange, Britain is lending France the Lewis chessmen and treasures from Sutton Hoo. Answer: the Bayeux Tapestry.

Score yourself

Six out of six on this September 2026 news quiz means the group chat comes to you for headlines. Four or five is solid: the big stories landed, with a detail or two slipping past. Two or three suggests a healthy distance from the phone. Zero or one means the algorithm has decided the feed is only cooking videos now. Next week's quiz offers a rematch.