Donald Trump was inaugurated as our country’s 47th president on January 20th, 2025 inside of the capitol rotunda due to extremely cold conditions in Washington, D.C. Trump’s inauguration featured guests from former presidents such as Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W Bush, and Bill Clinton, celebrities like Carie Underwood and Tucker Carlson, politicians like Senator Bernie Sanders and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, and billionaire tech CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. In his second inaugural address, Trump promised to usher in a “golden age”, reiterated on his campaign promises like mass deportations of illegal immigrants, and flaunted his election victory. 

Trump’s first day in office was defined by a slew of executive orders. Some of President Trump’s first orders included pardoning January 6th offenders, declaring a national emergency at the southern border, and redefining the role of federal workers. Additionally, President Trump signed an executive order stripping away birthright citizenship, a protection which is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. This executive order has been challenged by district courts throughout the country, and it is unclear whether it will fully go into effect.

As of now, the Trump administration has been focused on imposing tariffs on countries such as Mexico, Canada, and China, stopping the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs at our borders, ending DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) appointments, and reducing the size of the bureaucracy.

Over the past few weeks, the Los Angeles area has been experiencing many bad fires around the city. The fires are spreading rapidly due to the dry conditions and high winds in California and across the US. These fires have destroyed over 40,000 acres and have taken the lives of at least 28 people. The Palisades and Eaton fires are expected to be the costliest in history. Recently, the new Hughs fire broke out and is burning land in record time. It has already burned 10,000 acres in only a few hours west of Los Angeles. All of these fires have raised questions about climate change, especially with the new executive administration coming in just a few days

The Palisades fires have been the deadliest and most destructive, with the Eaton, Hughes, Lidia, and Hurst fires following. 200,000 people have been forced to evacuate. Authorities say the fires have been difficult to contain due to the drying water supply in LA, leading to many fire hydrants being empty. Firefighters are tirelessly fighting the fires, many coming from prisons, Canada, and Mexico to help the efforts. The ongoing strong winds are making it difficult to contain the fire. As of 1/23.25, many of the fires still have yet to be completely contained. These fires have cost over $250 billion in damages and have left many people without somewhere to go. Some businesses like Airbnb are offering a free place to stay for victims of the fires for a week. Other hotels offer free or discounted shelter to victims. There are also many centers for donated clothes, food, toys, pet supplies, and more for the displaced people. They’re overflowing with donations as others look to do anything to help the people affected. However, these fires leave many people looking for a new place to live as hotels are not permanent residences. There is already a housing crisis in LA and now thousands of people are simultaneously homeless. These people are not going to be able to settle for a while.

These fires once again raise concerns about climate change. Last year was the hottest year on record, causing drought in a multitude of areas. The South was also hit with two back-to-back hurricanes. The Trump administration has just taken charge of the country, an administration that will add about 4 billion metric tons of carbon emissions to the atmosphere. This moves away from helping the climate crisis. Climate activists are calling for something to be done or disasters like this will continue and worsen. 

Though these fires have taken a lot from the victims involved, they remain hopeful for the future. Fire insurance and governmental financial aid should help many of the displaced families. People are looking to the future with the hope of rebuilding, despite losing many memories and valuables in their burnt homes. Fundraisers are being held to raise money, accumulating about $100 million on GoFundMe. This is a terrible disaster, but knowing many are doing their utmost to help the situation and the people affected is giving faith for the future of Los Angeles.

In terms of the House, Democratic incumbent representative  Chrissy Houlahan won yet another 2 years in office, beating Republican challenger Neil Young. In the State House and Senate, Democratic candidate Jacklyn Rusnock will replace Mark Rozzi’s seat in the state’s 126th Representative District, beating out Republican challenger James Oswald. Additionally, Republican state representative Mark Gillen won the state’s 127th District in an uncontested race. For the state senate, Democratic Senator Judy Schwank beat out her competition Cumru Township Commissioner Lisha Rowe, winning another 4 years in office. 

Hurricane season is known to occur from the beginning of June to the end of November. These hurricanes usually affect the southernmost part of America and the Caribbean islands. This past September and October, hurricanes Helene and Milton rampaged the southern states and caused immense damage. Many lost their homes, pets, jobs, and priceless memorabilia. Some lost their lives or loved ones. These hurricanes caused billions in damage and it could take cities months to get back to a liveable state. However, a question arises: What do these hurricanes mean for the future of the country and climate change?

Hurricane Helene was the first blow to the US. Arriving on September 24, the category 4 hurricane initially hit the handle of Florida and traveled north into Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. Helene also brought massive floods with it flooding 16 eastern states including North Carolina. North Carolina doesn’t normally see hurricanes and was unprepared for the massive damage the water would cause. Because of the unpredictability of the weather caused by Helene, many people lost their lives in the floods as people weren’t evacuated. The death toll for Helene sits at about 230 people with 26 still missing and caused around $30.5 billion and $47.6 billion. 

Hurricane Milton arrived not long after Helene on October 9, 2024. It made landfall as a category 3 storm, but in the days leading up to this, it was much scarier. The storm was noticed to be a rapidly intensifying storm and quickly got up to category 5 status in a very short window of time. At one point, a scientist on a weather channel was crying, noting how it was reaching the “mathematical limit” for pressure which became a frenzied topic on the internet. Milton was predicted to make landfall in Tampa and decrease in strength. Because of the near-past hurricane Helene, cities were quick to put out evacuation orders to warn citizens in fear of another Helene situation and to save lives. People were quick to leave which in turn left a significantly lower death toll at 14 people. However, any lives lost are still a tragedy. Milton caused around $20 billion in damages bringing the cost of both hurricanes to about $50 billion. 

All these hurricanes brought up the topic of climate change and how it’s influencing our weather patterns. Climate change has caused water temperatures in the Gulf Coast and Atlantic Ocean to increase, making it a perfect storm-creator as tropical storms need warm water to form. Increasing temperatures ensures we are in for more hurricanes that are stronger and deadlier in the future. These events are pushing more people to be activists for climate change-related laws for the government to implement. 

While Hurricane season is coming to an end, the lasting effects of Hurricane Helene and Milton will be remembered for seasons to come. This memory will hopefully encourage people to prepare more for these storms to keep their families and themselves safe from this scary-- but impending-- reality.

On March 14, SpaceX successfully launched their Starship vehicle from Boca Chica, Texas. This rocket was the third in the Starship line and was the first to successfully exit the Earth's atmosphere as the first and second Starships exploded within the first couple minutes of flight. 

This third vehicle marks many new achievements for the Starship line of rockets. During this mission, SpaceX was able to reach their targeted speed goals required for orbit, although they did not actually enter orbit. Additionally, SpaceX was able to test a new layload hatch door mechanism that also proved successful. 

Although the most recent Starship rocket was able to exit the atmosphere, it unfortunately experienced a few mishaps upon re-entry. The engines entered a coasting phase during re-entry, which they did not return from. Because of this, the vehicle missed its intended crash spot and ended up in the Gulf of Mexico instead.

Looking towards the future, the Starship is set to replace SpaceX’s current vehicle, the Falcon 9. As of now, the Falcon 9 is being used to shuttle astronauts to the International Space Station, which is a responsibility that the Starship will most likely inherit as well. Additionally, the Starship will also be used in the upcoming NASA Artemis Mission to the moon.

On January 25, 2024, Kenneth Smith became the first man in the United States to be executed by means of nitrogen gas. After much controversy, the second nitrogen gas execution has been imposed by a judge, with a date yet to be set.

This type of execution, formally known as nitrogen hypoxia, is when the body uptakes so much nitrogen that oxygen intake is depleted. According to Abraham Bonowitz, the director of the anti-death penalty group Death Penalty Action, “It should be called execution by suffocation.” During the execution, the inmate being put to death is strapped to a gurney while pure nitrogen is pumped through a breathing mask until the inmate dies.

Kenneth Smith, 58, was convicted of the murder of Elizabeth Sennett in 1988. He was one of three men hired by Sennett’s preacher husband to kill her. In November of 2022, Smith survived his first set execution, which was intended to be by lethal injection. The executioners failed to detect a vein for hours. Alabama officials decided that execution by nitrogen hypoxia would be the next route for Smith. Contrasting claims have come out about this decision, with some arguing that Smith was against this method of execution and even “terrified” of it, while others claim that Smith himself suggested. 

On that fateful January 25, Smith underwent the typical pre-execution routine: being led into the chamber and strapped down by prison officials, and being anointed by his spiritual advisor Reverend Jeff Hood. Witnesses included numerous reporters and Elizabeth Sennett’s family and friends. Once the gas began flowing, Smith remained conscious and noticeably convulsed and gasped in the search of air for minutes on end. By 8:08 p.m. Smith had been reported to have stopped breathing, and by 8:15 p.m. the curtains to the chamber had closed. 

Relatives of Sennett informed the press that they were not celebrating, but were more so relieved that the execution had finally happened after all these years. Smith’s wife, who married him in 2021 while he was in prison, painfully shared, “Tonight, I watched my husband jerk and convulse and gasp for air for at least 10 minutes.” She specifically called out the lack of humanity in the reporters witnessing the execution, since it seemed that all they cared about was recording the moment. After the execution, one of Smith’s sons and one of Sennett’s sons actually shared an embrace, as Mr. Sennett told him, “You had nothing to do with it.”

Now, Alan Eugene Miller, 59, is set to be the next convict executed by nitrogen gas. In 1999, Miller shot and killed three people in Birmingham. Miller also survived a previous execution attempt like Smith in September of 2022. After the violent and traumatic death of Smith, the request for an execution date is still unfulfilled. According to a lawsuit from another death row inmate, “The results of the first human experiment are now in and they demonstrate that nitrogen gas asphyxiation is neither quick nor painless, but agonizing and painful.”

As the US Department of Education continues to report more and more delays with the FAFSA form, college students and families are starting to sweat.

Since the announcement of the new and improved form, there has been nothing but turmoil for those trying to fill it out. With the original release date of October 1st getting pushed back to the end of December 2023, college students have a very limited amount of time to collect all the information needed. Although the new FAFSA is shorter, it is still time consuming, especially for incoming college freshmen. 

Additionally, the delays in the process have caused more delays to trickle down. Incoming freshmen are having a difficult time choosing a school to go to because they don’t have their full financial aid package yet. This is pushing back decisions of students and making some schools nervous about the time crunch.

Finally, FAFSA does not include a lot of factors previously taken into consideration before, including the sibling discount. Now, students with siblings also in college are not considered when determining financial aid eligibility. The form is solely focused on the income and assets of the person applying for financial aid and of their parents. Little thought is going into the other aspects of a person’s financial needs.

Although there are many problems with the new FAFSA form, there are benefits, one including the reduced length. It is much easier and faster to accomplish, allowing for easier and faster usage in the future. There was also a large expansion in financial aid eligibility, so more students will qualify for aid. 

With the headache of the new FAFSA form comes hope for the future. There is a strong belief that this form will be extremely beneficial in the future when delays don’t occur and the form becomes faster to review. 

Actor Andre Braugher died last Monday, December 12th, at 61 years old. His cause of death was recently reported to be lung cancer. He is survived by his wife (Ami Brabson), his two sons, his brother, and his mother.

Andre Braugher is best known for his roles as a detective and police captain, respectively, in television shows Homicide: Life on the Street and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Mr. Braugher is also known for his roles in Kojak, Hack, Gideon’s Crossing, Men of a Certain Age, and The Good Fight. 

Mr. Braugher was born in Chicago on July 1, 1962. He graduated from Stanford University with a mathematics degree, since his father disagreed with his intentions of becoming an actor, and then attended the Juilliard School to study drama. His first acting role was in the movie Glory, which follows the first Black regiment in the Union Army during the Civil War. Some other movies that Andre Braugher had a role in include Get on the Bus (1996), Poseidon (2006), and Salt (2010). He played the former executive of The Times in She Said, which is about the exposé of Harvey Weinstein’s sexual abuse. In 1997, Mr. Braugher was awarded an Obie Award for his role in Henry V. He proved to be a great actor throughout his career, especially on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Homicide: Life on the Street.

The executive producer on Homicide noted that Mr. Braugher was the “quarterback of the team.” After playing stoic and heroic police officers for much of his career, Braugher questioned the portrayal of these kinds of officers on television, especially during the Black Lives Matter movement. “It’s almost like the air you breathe or the water that you swim in. It’s hard to see. But because there are so many cop shows on television, that’s where the public gets its information about the state of policing. Cops breaking the law to quote, ‘defend the law,’ is a real terrible slippery slope.” Mr. Braugher took action to bring light to his concerns in Brooklyn Nine-Nine. His character in this show was gay, but he acted in a manner for his “sexual orientation [to be] merely a matter of fact, not a source of amusement” (Ives).

Mr. Braugher earned an Emmy in 1998 for his role in Homicide, and another in 2006 for his role in Thief. Andre Braugher’s legacy goes beyond his accumulation of awards, however. He will be known as a man who used his talent to shed light on the issues he saw prevalent in today’s society, of course, while making the audience feel. 

Source: Andre Braugher, Actor on ‘Homicide’ and ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine,’ Dies at 61 

Lewistown, Maine, is home to Bates College, a prestigious liberal arts college with notable alumni such as Robert Kennedy, among hundreds of other powerful and trailblazing figures in American politics and media. Lewistown is praised for its natural beauty, seclusion, and safeness. Now, students, their families, and Lewistown residents are left in shock and disbelief after an active shooter went on a tirade in two separate Lewistown locations on October 25, 2023, leaving 18 dead and 13 others injured. The first location where this mass shooting took place was a bowling alley, where a children's league was playing, the second was a local Bar and Grill.

The suspected gunman, Robert Card, was said to experience paranoia and psychotic episodes frequently. Card was released from a psychiatric facility on August 3, 2023. At his residence in Bowdoin, Maine, only a 30-minute drive from Lewistown, the local police tried to carry out a welfare check on Card requested by concerned relatives of his. They unsuccessfully attempted to contact Card on September 15 and 16, who was reportedly not home and not responsive to their attempts to contact him. They eventually would retreat.

Just a month after this unfortunate negligence by the Maine police, Card is suspected to have gone on a shooting spree in Lewistown. The victims of this shooting are as follows: Tricia C. Asselin, 53; Peyton Brewer-Ross, 40; William Frank Brackett, 48; Thomas Ryan Conrad, 34; Michael R. Deslauriers II, 51; Maxx A. Hathaway, 35; Bryan M. MacFarlane, 41; Keith D. Macneir, 64; Ronald G. Morin, 55; Joshua A. Seal, 36; Arthur Fred Strout, 42; Stephen M. Vozzella, 45; Lucille M. Violette, 73; Robert E. Violette, 76; Joseph Lawrence Walker, 57; Jason Adam Walker, 51; William A. Young, 44; and Aaron Young, 14. This shooting has instilled outrage in Americans across the country, furthering their fear that nowhere is truly safe without proper gun control, a topic that has sparked controversy in our country for decades.

As of now, the FBI, the Federal Government, and the Maine Government are taking action to figure out the exact facts of this case and combat the epidemic of mass shootings experienced in the United States.

The Writers Guild of America has finally come to a deal with the studios of Hollywood to end one of the longest strikes the city has ever experienced. 

Members of the WGA (a union that advocates for the rights of writers) have been on strike since May 2nd due to the decrease in writer-salary and have had difficult time finding writing opportunities because of television show seasons becoming shorter for streaming purposes. This has created hardships for writers making a living for themselves, especially in costly cities to live in like Hollywood. One anonymous studio executive claimed that “The endgame is to allow things to drag on until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses” (James & Lee, 2023). This strike has caused the writing and production of movies like Dune: Part Two to be pushed back. In mid-July, actors began to strike along with the writers, and are represented by The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). This is a union that advocates for the rights of media professionals.  The WGA has been joined in its efforts by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Teamsters (AMPTP).

After three months of no attempt to come to an agreement, the WGA and Hollywood studios met, but failed to reach a deal. Since then, no progress has been made, until Wednesday 27th. A tentative deal has been struck between the Hollywood studios and the WGA, which will provide writers with more protections (to be released). However, SAG-AFTRA still has yet to reach a deal with the Hollywood studios.

Source: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2023-09-24/writers-strike-over-wga-studios-reach-deal-actors

As of September 12th, the Food and Drug Administration panel concluded that the key ingredient in many decongestants, phenylephrine, doesn’t actually help to relieve congestion. They found that little of the drug actually reaches the nose when taking the medicine orally, and is no better than taking a placebo. The FDA will later vote to remove these medicines, such as Sudafed PE, NyQuill, DayQuill, and Benadryl, from shelves entirely. 

Phenylephrine has been around for 60 years, becoming most popular in the early 2000s when other drugs containing a more potent decongestant, pseudoephedrine, were moved behind the counter. This is because pseudoephedrine is a main ingredient in methamphetamine, a highly addictive stimulant. Besides not working when taken orally, phenylephrine is also known to cause harmful side effects such as headaches, insomnia, and increased blood pressure. While you may continue to be stuffy when taking these medicines, the other ingredients will still help the other symptoms of a cold. But, if you are in desperate need of a decongestant, nasal and sinus researcher and physician Michael Platt suggests a nasal spray. Similarly, pseudoephedrine continues to prove helpful, though an ID is required for purchase.

On Sunday evening September 17th nine teens escaped the Abraxas Academy Juvenile Detention Center. Right before the nine kids escaped there was a riot. These teens were ages 15 to 17 and they overpowered two female employees and took their keys. They then used the keys to get out of the facility and then crawled under exterior fences to escape. This event was very alarming after Danilo Cavalcante escaped jail only a couple of days before. Monday morning on September 18th is when the teens were caught. Early Monday morning four of the teens were captured after knocking on a homeowner's door. Boehm said during a news conference about the case, "They were done, they were tired, they were cold. They basically gave up." This is probably the reason those four kids knocked on a homeowner's door. 

Five of the other teens stole a vehicle and later four of those kids were captured while being pursued by the police. The last teenager ran off through a field and got captured soon after the other four. All of the teenagers ended up getting captured only 4 miles from the Juvenile Detention Center. Trooper Dave Boehm said, "I don't know that 15 to 17-year-olds have the resiliency to not have to go back." Boehm was comparing these teens to Danilo Cavalcante basically saying that since he would be having a life sentence to jail he was doing anything he could to not go back to jail, but these kids don't have a life sentence so they didn't put up as much of a fight. But, there is no need to fear since all nine kids are back in the Juvenile Detention Center and Danilo Cavalcante is also back behind bars. So please just try to make good decisions everyone, so you don't have to go to jail or detention. 

On May 6, 2023, the coronation of King Charles III was held in Westminster Abbey. Most of the traditional customs reappeared, with a couple of changes. 

The coronation of the king has always been a somewhat religious event, with the Church of England being classified as Protestant with Anglican origins. During this coronation, however, the archbishop acknowledged many religions in an attempt “to foster an environment in which people of all faiths may live freely” (Kottasová). He also asked the British citizens and others to join him in a pledge of allegiance to the king. Some people took this invitation as a demand; in response to this, the Church of England revised the invitation. Another “first time” for a coronation occurred when Charles prayed out loud. 

Camilla was also crowned as queen after Charles was officially king. Many elite guests attended the coronation, with United States’ First Lady Jill Biden being one of them, as President Joe Biden did not attend. After the coronation, King Charles III and Queen Camilla rode back to Buckingham Palace in a grand parade. The media noted that Prince Harry was not present with the royal family after the coronation, as he is no longer a “working royal” (Kottasová).

The Met Gala is an annually held event with the goal of raising funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City. Each year the Gala has a theme based on what is currently on exhibition within the museum itself. Said theme is chosen by Anna Wintour, who is also in charge of approving all the A-list celebrities who are to walk the carpet in May of every year. 

Usually, these theme’s spark great debate across the internet, though this year’s notably more so. This year's theme, “In Honor of Karl”, was dedicated to the late German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. While it cannot be denied that he had a profound impact on the fashion industry, pulling Chanel into modernity, he was also known for making his controversial remarks heard.

What is it that he said, though, that has made him so disliked? Well, here’s a quick rundown:

In 2018, in an interview he claimed he was ‘fed up’ with the #METOO movement (a movement against sexual abuse/harrassment and rape culture). Many of the women speaking out in this movement were models, who had been assaulted in the workplace. He defended his point by claiming “If you don’t want your pants pulled about, don’t become a model! Join a nunnery, there’ll always be a place for you in the convent”.

He spoke out against same-sex couples in 2010, claiming it was unnatural. While later in 2013, he would show support for same-sex marriage, he followed up the display of support by claiming he wouldn’t want to see same-sex couples be allowed to adopt.

Throughout his career, Lagerfeld was openly fatphobic, claiming that ‘fat people’ (more specifically anyone who fell above a size 0-2) should strive to be able to wear high end fashion the way it was meant to be worn. He would only go further by critiquing designers who pushed for size equality. 

In 2017, Lagerfeld made his feelings on immigrants very clear after Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that Germany would be opening their borders to Syrian migrants during the refugee crisis. He would go on to share an anecdote, translated to “I know someone in Germany who took a young Syrian and after four days said: ‘The greatest thing Germany invented was the Holocaust’”.

Because of these contentious opinions, many celebrities have dressed in defiance, or even gone so far as to decline the invitation to this year's Gala. On the internet, many have differing opinions. Some feel Lagerfeld should have never been picked for the theme, subsequently putting him on a pedestal, the other arguing that there should be a line dividing art and the artist. Which do you agree with?

Jack Teixeria is a  21-year-old member of the 102nd Intelligence Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, who is believed to be behind a massive leak of U.S. government secrets that has exposed spying on allies and revealed the grim prospects for Ukraine’s war with Russia.

This started when a group on the platform Discord, got together to play some online games when a man called  “OG”,  or later known as Jack Teixeria, posted a message with strange acronyms and jargon. The words were unfamiliar, but one of the members explained that OG claimed to know secrets that the government withheld from regular people. Half of these members were located overseas such as post-Soviet countries. 

A Discord member read these messages for months that appeared to be transcripts of classified intelligence documents that OG indicated he had brought home from his job on a military base. OG lectured his Discord members about these documents, world affairs, and secretive government operations. OG believed that the government hid horrible things from the public and truly is corrupt. An example of this is that OG believed they knew about the shooting at a Buffalo supermarket before it occurred, since law enforcement officials could argue then for increased funding.

After a while, OG was tired of writing these documents by hand so they began posting hundreds of photos of the documents themselves that have been steadily spilling into public view recently, disrupting U.S. foreign policy and irritating American allies. Some of these photos featured detailed charts of battlefield conditions in Ukraine and satellite images of the aftermath of Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian electrical facilities. They also showed that the U.S. was keeping close tabs on its allies such as concerns expressed by South Korea's leaders about sending ammunition to Ukraine.

The government wanted to find out who “OG '' was, so they asked his second account member who told them OG’s real name and other information. The FBI arrested Teixeria on April 13th and OG’s last words to his fellow players were to “keep low and delete any information that could possibly relate to him”.

“FBI Arrests Massachusetts Airman Jack Teixeira in Leaked Documents Probe.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jack-teixeira-leaked-documents-pentagon-suspect/. 

“Discord Member Details How Documents Leaked from Closed Chat Group.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 14 Apr. 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/04/12/discord-leaked-documents/. 

On February 6, 2023, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and Syria at around 4:15 am local time. This earthquake was caused by decades of movement along the Anatolian and Arabian Plates that built up tension along the fault. This ultimately caused the initial quake to strike at a depth of 11 miles, which is relatively shallow for an earthquake. The strength of this earthquake has resulted in thousands of aftershocks, some almost as powerful as the original quake. 

It is estimated that over 50,000 people were killed due to the earthquake, 44,218 from Turkey alone. Over 500,000 people have been evacuated from the disaster area in Turkey, 173,000 buildings have been reported as collapsed or severely damaged, and more than 1.9 million people are staying in temporary shelters, hotels, and public facilities. Many survivors are still left homeless in freezing winter temperatures with little access to basic necessities. 

Around 240,000 rescuers are continuing to work to help the people affected by the quake and search for survivors. Dozens of countries have sent rescue teams to help Turkish authorities. A rebel-held region in northwestern Syria was asked to open up more border crossing points to allow more aid in. 

Most successful rescues occur within 24 hours of the initial earthquake. However, after 10 days trapped under rubble in Turkey, two men were found alive by rescue teams. The rescue of these two men were followed by the rescue of a 13-year-old boy 12 days after the earthquake. 

Donations and rescue teams are still needed in Turkey and Syria. Many people are without shelter and other necessities. Aid has not reached some of the disaster areas, especially areas in Northwestern Syria. More aid is essential for the survival of the people in Turkey and Syria. 

On New Year’s Day, a gas explosion caused the collapse of 2 houses and damaged over 40 others, as well as injuring at least five people. Four of the five people were released a day later, with cuts and bruises, but one person remains in the intensive care unit.  

The incident remains under investigation, but appears to have been caused by a natural gas leak, yet the gas company, PGW, claims that they received no calls complaining about gas odors. There have been other issues with gas leaks in the area, though. In 1999 a gas explosion leveled an entire corner in the area, and it remains empty to this day.

On June 7, 2021, a new Alzheimer’s treatment received an accelerated approval from the FDA. The drug responsible for this treatment is called Aducanumab or Aduhelm™. This is a great scientific breakthrough in the treatment of Alzheimer's.

Although it is not a cure, Aducanumab will likely address the underlying biology to this disease. The purpose of this treatment is to reduce the beta-amyloid plaques which are thought to be the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. This will not cure the individual, but it will give them extended time to be an active part of society and spend more time with loved ones. 

The drug does not prevent the body from making beta-amyloid plaques, but it does reduce the amount produced. This reduction of the beta-amyloid plaques will slow the cell death in tissue damage in the brain. As a result, memory, thinking, and learning behaviors will not be lost as quickly.  This treatment will not restore any memories of behaviors that have already been lost. 

With Aducanumab, patients can live longer, happier lives with an active role in society. They will be able to keep their memories and spend time with their loved ones for longer. 

Kanye West, also known as Ye, has been all over all the news recently. Not only has he announced he will be running for president in the 2024 election, but he has also been criticized for his continually anti-Semitic tendencies. 

On December 2nd, Ye posted a swastika on his Twitter account in order to jump start his presidential campaign. This led to him being immediately banned from Twitter. On November 22nd, Kanye West had dinner with past president Donald Trump and well known white Supremacist Nick Fuentes, further damaging his public image. 

These two events have led Ye to lose many partnerships with prominent companies and there have also been recent petitions to remove his music from streaming platforms 

Prince William and his wife Kate have traveled to the U.S. this December, the first time in eight years, to showcase how they plan to adapt their own roles in society by supporting what they believe in. On December 14th, the Earthshot Prize Awards took place in Boston, Massachusetts. Five winners received around $1.12 million dollars to fund their solutions to climate change. William founded this prize back in 2020, with the hope of attracting smart minds to confront present climate challenges in our world. Annie Lennox, Billie Elilish, and Ellie Goulding performed at the event, and the winners were announced by Oscar winner Rami Malek, actress Shaliene Woodley, and Catherine O’Hara. 

During their trip, the couple met with local indigenous leaders of Boston, President Biden, and Boston organizations working to solve its rising sea levels. Their three-day visit was jam-packed but very productive. 

Prince William also met with former President Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, to pay tribute to her father with his moonshot speech in 1962. William is very inspired by Kennedy to achieve the believed “impossible” at the time and hopes to lead the world with Kate with that mindset so climate change can be solved in the future. 

Wright, Tracy. “Prince William Plans First US Visit in 8 Years with Kate Middleton for Global Environmental Awards Ceremony.” Fox News, FOX News Network, 28 Nov. 2022, https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/prince-william-plans-first-us-visit-8-years-kate-middleton-global-environmental-awards-ceremony. 

Said-Moorhouse, Lauren, et al. “Prince William and Kate Make First US Trip in Eight Years as Racism Controversy Simmers Back Home.” CNN, Cable News Network, 2 Dec. 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/30/world/william-kate-us-visit-boston-intl-scli/index.html. 

Around November 24, 2022 ancient mummies with gold tongues were found in a cemetery near Cairo, Egypt that dates back to about 332 BC to 395 AC.

According to Artnews, “In some of the mummies’ mouths, a number of golden chips in the form of human tongues were found in a poor state of preservation.” It is believed that the tongues are removed during the embalming process and replaced with gold so they can communicate with the Egyptian god of the underworld, Osiris. 

The bodies were also wrapped in gold underneath linen. Golden tongues were popular during the Greco-Roman period around 332 BC when Alexander the Great took over Egypt to 395 AD when the Roman Empire split into two.

Mummification is a method of embalming or treating the dead body. Egyptians remove the moisture from the body, drying it out, so it took longer to decay. In their religion, they believed that the body should be preserved in a life-like manner for as long as possible. They were so successful in doing so, we can look at a body that went through the mummification process and still have an idea of what that person looked like 3,000 years ago, when they were still alive. The process of mummification started around 2600 BCE, during the fourth and fifth dynasties, and lasted over 2,000 years into the Roman Period.

Several tombs that date back to 332 BC to 395 AC had gold in the shape of human tongues that were found at about 40 miles of Cairo, Egypt. They are still being analyzed. Excavation is still ongoing and not yet completed. Who knows what else they are going to find when they continue their excavation.

Websites Used:

https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/mummies-gold-tongues-egypt-cairo-qewaisna-1234648336/ 

https://www.si.edu/spotlight/ancient-egypt/mummies#:~:text=About%202600%20BCE%2C%20during%20the,the%20price%20paid%20for%20it. 

https://www.livescience.com/gold-tongues-ancient-egypt-roman-period 

On October 28th, Paul Pelosi, husband of the current Speaker of the House of Representatives was attacked inside of his own home in San Francisco, resulting in a skull fracture and several other serious injuries. Within that same day, the suspect, identified as David DePape, was arrested and sent to the hospital for the dislocated shoulder he suffered during arrest. 

On October 31st, DePape was released from the hospital and incarcerated. His first court appearance was scheduled for November 1st. At his court appearance DePepe plead not guilty to the state level offenses and a new court date has been scheduled for December 14th. On November 9th, DePape was indicted for federal level charges including attempted kidnapping and assault, to which he pleads not guilty. His federal court date is scheduled for November 30th.  With his charges combined, DePape faces the possibility of a maximum of 50 years in prison. 

DePape claims his reasoning behind attacking the Pelosi household was to use Speaker Pelosi  in order to gain access to another individual, though they have not yet been identified. Police also found a secondary target in their collected digital evidence, though they also have not yet been named. 

The night of October 29th was a deadly and certainly a scary Halloween accident that occurred in South Korea. Halloween festivities were taking place at the country’s capital, Itaewon, where over 100,000 people were celebrating. The trouble started at 4 a.m. in a narrow alleyway outside of a subway station near some bars. At least 149 people were killed and an additional 150 people were injured.There were only 137 officers assigned that night and their only job was to look out for crime like theft and drug use; not to provide traffic and crowd control. 

“130,000 passengers used the station in Itaewon on Saturday, compared with 96,000 per day during the Halloweeen weekend in 2019 and 60,000 to 80,000 per day during the Halloween weekends during the coronavirus pandemic”, stated The New York Times. 

People went through the alleyway since they wanted to avoid the traffic of the subways, but this backfired for them. Hundreds of people were jammed, barely able to breathe, and nowhere to escape. Some people were yelling to push as they were going down a hill and the people in front of them were falling like dominoes. 

Police are investigating the situation and are analyzing videos taken on surveillance cameras. Overall, the law enforcement and the organizers of this event were really underprepared for this post-Covid celebration. Hopefully they learn from this deadly mistake in the future. 

Sang-Hun, Choe. “At Least 151 Killed as Halloween Crowd Surge Turns Deadly in South Korea.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 Nov. 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/10/29/world/korea-halloween-stampede-itaewon. 

The Iranian protests have taken a lot of coverage from the news lately. Mahsa Amini was a woman in Iran who was arrested for the crime of not wearing a Hijab. On September 16, 2022, she died in police custody, with them saying she died of a heart attack. This unfortunate event led to the Iranian protests that are raging across the country right now.

To show resistance to the government, women in the country have begun to remove their headscarves in public. This goes against the Iranian law of wearing them in public, which has been there since 1979. Since then, there have been acts of suppression of the people: restricted internet access, beating, and arresting the protesters. These events have added fuel to the fire and the country is gaining support from around the world. Many are calling for this law to be removed, arguing that women should have the right to decide how they want to live. This ties to the ongoing war of bodily autonomy women around the world are facing. When asked about the situation, the foreign minister of Iran, Hossein Amirabdollahian, says things like this happens all the time all over the world. The protesters have shown their difference of opinion, shouting “Death to the dictator” at protests. Though the government says they’re investigating her death, there are still serious doubts. 

The protests continue around the world; people are seeming to not back down until change is seen. But as the people continue to resist, the government continues to downplay the situation. Questions have arisen regarding the government: will they take action against those responsible for Amini’s death? Will women continue to die at the hands of those who are supposed to protect them? The world wonders while also waiting for Iran to finally seek peace with its governed people and Iranians around the world.

On October 11th, 2022, NASA confirmed that their DART mission had successfully redirected the orbit of an asteroid. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) was designed to test our planetary defenses against celestial bodies that may pose possible threats to Earth.

The DART spacecraft was contracted through the company SpaceX, and the launch took place on November 24th, 2021. It was targeted to hit the asteroid Dimorphic and change its orbit around a larger asteroid named Didymos, which it appears to have accomplished. Since the craft’s impact on September 26th, NASA personnel have been closely tracking the orbit patterns of  Dimorphic. After following the data for nearly two weeks, NASA released an article claiming that the DART mission had been successful, and affirms it provides an insight into future defense systems. 

While DART seems to have been a major success, some have questioned the amount of federal spending that went into the project. Essentially, NASA used tax-payer’s money to destroy a multimillion dollar vehicle. They justify this act, though, by claiming it will protect Americans, and possibly the world, in case of emergency.

The brain-teaser game Wordle was bought by the New York Times on January 31st. The thought-provoking puzzle is said to have been sold for a price “in the low seven figures.” 

The name Wordle is actually a take on the software engineer’s name, who created the game, Josh Wardle. Mr. Wardle has created popular software inventions in the past, like The Button and Place on Reddit. Wordle, however, was created by Mr. Wardle for his partner Palak Shah, during the pandemic. As Ms. Shah loves guessing games, she greatly appreciated this gift, which then became popular among Wardle’s family, and then the world. User numbers climbed from 90 in November, to 300,000 in January, and now millions!

To win, users must guess a five-letter word correctly within six attempts. There is no hint or theme to the word of the day, however, the more you guess, the more clues you get. If a letter turns green, then that letter is already in its correct position within the word. If a letter turns yellow, then it is used in the word, but it is not in its correct position. Lastly, if a letter turns gray, then it is not used in the word at all.

This easy-to-decipher color code allows for users to share their game results without spoiling the word. The New York Times hopes that these improvements on their website will increase digital users.

On November 30, 2021, at Oxford High School, students and staff thought that it would be a normal day. However, this day turned out to be a devastating tragedy. 

Ethan Crumbley, a 15 year old sophomore at Oxford, shot four students and injured several others. The four students who died were Tate Myre, 16; Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Hana St. Juliana, 14; and Justin Shilling, 17 (Elamroussi, 2021). 

Timeline of before, during, and after the shooting:

On Friday, November 26, James Crumbley buys a gun from Acme Shooting Goods in Oxford, according to Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald. In an Instagram post later that day, it shows his son Ethan holding the semi-automatic handgun, and he writes: "Just got my new beauty today. SIG SAUER 9mm. Any questions, I will answer." He includes an emoji showing a smiling face with heart eyes (Ziegler, 2021).

On Saturday, November 27, Jennifer Crumbley wrote on social media that it is a "mom and son day testing out his new Christmas present," the prosecutor says. The day before the shooting, a teacher at Oxford observes Ethan looking online for ammunition with his cellphone during class and notifies school officials. School personnel calls, leaves a voicemail, and emails her, but she does not respond. She texts her son, “Lol. I’m not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught.” According to Sheriff's Lieutenant Tim Willis, that night, Ethan Crumbley recorded a video where he discussed killing students (Ziegler, 2021).

On the day of the shooting, a teacher finds a disturbing note on Ethan’s desk. This alarms her enough to take a picture. In addition to a drawing of a handgun, it depicts the words: "The thoughts won't stop. Help me." As well as a bullet with the caption, "blood everywhere," it depicts a stricken person who appears to have been shot twice and is bleeding. A laughing emoji is drawn beneath the figure. Also included in the note are the phrases "my life is useless" and "the world is dead." Immediately, the parents are called to the school for a meeting around 10 a.m. A school counselor takes Ethan out of class and takes him to the office with his backpack.  Upon obtaining the drawing, the counselor discovers that Ethan had already scratched around sections. A note is shown to his parents, who are urged to get him counseling within 48 hours. According to McDonald, they don't want Ethan to immediately leave school and depart without him. Ethan returns to his classroom. At about 12:51 p.m., Ethan comes out of a bathroom with the gun that his father bought for him four days prior. He shoots at students in a hallway, killing four and wounding six students and one teacher. He is captured by deputies within minutes of the shooting. Jennifer Crumbley texts her son at 1:22 p.m, saying, “Ethan don’t do it.” At 1:57 p.m., James Crumbley calls 911 to report that a gun is missing from his house. He also reports that he believes his son may be the shooter. The gun had been kept unlocked in a drawer in the parents' bedroom, McDonald says. 

On Wednesday, December 1, Ethan is charged as an adult with first degree murder and terrorism. On December 3, Ethan’s parents, Jennifer and James Crumbley, are charged with involuntary manslaughter. Authorities begin searching for both of them when they do not show up for their 4 p.m. arraignment. Later that day, U.S. Marshals announced a reward of up to $10,000 each for information leading to their arrests. During the manhunt, a sentimental vigil honoring the victims is attended by thousands. On December 4, they were arrested at a commercial building in Detroit. Later that morning, they both plead not guilty during a hearing over zoom, and a judge sets bond at $500,000 for each. Two $100 million lawsuits are being filed against Oxford officials, claiming that they had knowledge about threats, and could have prevented the deadly shooting. 

References: 

Elamroussi, A. (2021, December 4). Timeline of the Oxford High School shooting tragedy - CNN. Retrieved December 22, 2021, from https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/04/us/michigan-oxford-high-school-shooting-timeline/index.html 

Ziegler, M. (2021, December 4). Oxford High School shooting timeline: Key moments in the case. Retrieved December 22, 2021, from https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/oxford-high-school-shooting-timeline-key-moments-in-the-case 

In February of 2020, the United States government announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics. This was quickly followed by other countries, such as Australia, Britain, and Canada.

Many believe this boycott means that athletes will not be competing in the games, but that is simply not true. In reality, a diplomatic boycott means that U.S diplomats will not be attending the games, but the athletes will continue to compete as normal. Besides summits and other planned international meetings, the Olympics has become the site of the biggest international gatherings. When announcing the boycott, the White House press secretary claimed the “genocide and crimes against humanity” as the reason for the absence of the diplomats. Recently, the Chinese government has become harsh with the ethnic Muslims and other minorities, by using mass detentions and other forms of oppression. In response to this, America, as well as many other countries have decided to boycott the games. Additionally, Beijing has not done much in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, and many countries are worried for their athletes and spectators. 

While this may seem like a controversial decision on America’s part, there has been next to no backlash. If anything, many Republicans have been calling for more harsh action against the Chinese government than what America has already displayed.

On November 19, a spectacular lunar eclipse lit up the sky. This golden orange masterpiece was the longest-lasting partial lunar eclipse for over 560 years, lasting 3 hours, 28 minutes, and 46 seconds. The last one surpassing this time occurred on February 18, 1440 and scientists estimate that the next lunar eclipse this long won’t occur until 2669, well beyond our lifetime!

So what causes these lunar eclipses? And what causes some of them to be longer than others? According to NASA, a lunar eclipse appears when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align, causing the Moon to pass into Earth’s shadow, known as the umbra. For every lunar eclipse, both partial and total, the Moon passes through the umbra. However, in a partial lunar eclipse, such as the one on November 19, not all of the moon is covered completely by the umbra. Another difference between total and partial eclipses is that partial eclipses occur nearly three times a year, while total eclipses appear about two every three years

In addition, some eclipses can be longer than others for two reasons: the speed of the Moon’s orbit and how close the partial eclipse is to totality. The farther the moon is away from the Earth, the slower it passes through the umbra. For that reason, the Moon moved slowly on November 19, 2021 because it was at one of its farthest points away from the Earth. This also caused the moon to be closer in totality because the slower it traveled, the more it stayed in Earth’s shadow appearing as a total lunar eclipse. 

While lunar eclipses themselves occur quite often, happening around three times a year, a lunar eclipse lasting this long is quite a rare occurrence. With an occurrence that only happens every 600 years, we can be grateful that we were the lucky ones who got to see such a spectacular event within our lifetime!

A round trip flight to Mars and back has been the aspiration of generations of astronauts, physicists, and engineers. The idea that humans could travel through space to another planet has been the fascination of space-lovers for years, however, they are faced with a major problem. As Earth has an incredibly large gravitational pull, a massive amount of fuel is necessary to lift a rocket off the ground. A one-way trip to Mars could take up to three years. This presents a problem that scientists have worked endlessly to solve: is it possible to load a rocket with enough fuel to break through Earth’s gravity and fly to Mars and back?

Not only is it an immense challenge to get approximately 30 tons of methane and liquid oxygen onto a rocket, but it is also extremely costly, leaving scientists with a challenge that desperately needs to be solved. Some scientists believe they have found materials that can help solve this problem. They believe that they can ship two microbes along with the astronauts to space to help produce fuel while on Mars. Cyanobacteria is an example of such a microbe that can be taken to Mars to create energy. Through photosynthesis, cyanobacteria can produce nearly 44 tons of oxygen for the crew on board. In addition, a type of genetically modified E.Coli can help ferment those sugars and create a usable fuel source for the return trip to Earth. 

One of the drawbacks of this method is that the fuel E.Coli would produce is much weaker than that of methane and liquid oxygen. This may not be as large of a problem as it seems, though, as Mars’ gravitational pull is much weaker than Earth, so therefore less energy is needed to overcome it. Another issue that has arisen is the fact that special equipment is necessary to extract the fuel from E.Coli, which will have to be brought along on the trip to Mars. This could pose new challenges that engineers will need to overcome in addition to the usual space-travel problems they must solve. 

Scientists admit that they still have a great deal to improve upon, but they are confident this could become a viable option for fueling Mars space travel. Although they have a long way to go, scientists are thrilled over the recent discoveries.

Over the centuries, technological advancements have been tremendous. One that is currently being developed is called Destination Earth.  The full development of Destination Earth will provide tremendous benefits to our society.  Europe's executive branch, the European Commission, has launched Destination Earth, a vital initiative. The overall goal is to produce a high quality digital model of the Earth (a 'digital twin') to monitor and predict environmental changes. 

To accomplish the goal, Europe's scientific and industrial excellence will join forces with the Commission to demonstrate how digital technology can contribute effectively to a sustainable and digital future (“Destination Earth | Shaping Europe”).

The features Destination Earth will have include the following: monitoring and simulating the Earth's system developments (land, sea, atmosphere, biosphere) and human involvement, predicting environmental disasters and preceding socio-economic crises, and developing and testing scenarios for sustainable development.

There are four main things that DestinE (Destination Earth) will impact in our society; climate change, natural disasters risk management, energy, and farming. The program will develop efficient adaptation strategies to help decrease the impact on climate change. In addition, it will predict extreme natural disasters to save lives and structures. New knowledge will be acquired to enable projects like harvesting Earth’s inner heat and converting the geothermal energy and storing it. Lastly, it will increase irrigation, fertilization, and harvesting and monitor its response to extreme weather (“Destination Earth | Shaping Europe”).

Destination Earth will likely be implemented gradually over the next five to six years. There will be two digital twins: Digital Twin on Weather-Induced and Geophysical Extremes and the Climate Change Adaptation Digital Twin. The first twin will address the assessment and prediction of environmental extremes, and the second twin will address the evaluation of climatic adaptation and mitigation policies on a decadal timescale, at a regional and national level. A key milestone is the launch of these two digital twins by December 2030 (“European Space Agency Moves Forward With Destination Earth”). 

References: 

“Destination Earth | Shaping Europe.” European Commission, 19 Mar. 2021, https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/destination-earth. Accessed 19 Nov. 2021. 

“European Space Agency Moves Forward With Destination Earth.” scitechdaily, 31 Oct. 2021, https://scitechdaily.com/european-space-agency-moves-forward-with-destination-earth/. Accessed 19 Nov. 2021. 

On September 11, 2021, a woman was reported missing. 8 days later, her body was discovered. This woman was Gabby Petito. 

Gabby Petito was a 22-year-old woman, who was dating a man by the name of Brian Laundrie. They had been dating since 2019 and decided to move in together. No one else knows what their relationship was like, but their friends have given input. Petito’s friend Alyssa Chen said that "They had times they were toxic and times where everything seemed a lot more healthy. “They had very low lows and very high highs. But they really seemed to love each other." Laundrie’s friend Ben Matula said he felt like “there was always something below the surface”  These statements are chilling because there is a high possibility that Brian Laundrie murdered Gabby Petito (“Gabby Petito’s Inner Circle Shares Insight Into Alleged ‘Toxic’ Relationship With Brian Laundrie'').

The timeline starts in June. Petito and Laundrie left their home in North Port, Florida, in a white 2012 Ford Transit van, to attend Petito’s brother’s high school graduation. On July 2nd, they left New York and headed west to go on a relaxing road trip. On July 4th through July 22nd, Petito posted numerous pictures on social media as they drove through Kansas, Colorado, and Utah. On August 12th, a 911 caller reported Laundrie and Petito fighting in front of the Moonflower Community Cooperative in Moab, Utah. The caller said that Laundrie was hitting and slapping Petitio. Police officers stopped the van on a highway. A body cam video shows very heartbreaking scenes of Petitio describing the argument that led to the violence. The police officers only said that they should spend the night apart. On August 24th, Petitio was seen for the last time. A day later, she posts her final pictures to Instagram, with no location. She also speaks to her mom for the last time. Petitio says that they are headed to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. On August 27th, travel bloggers recorded what they thought was the white van parked near Spread Creek Dispersed Campground (“Timeline: ’Van Life’ Road Trip Ends in Death of Gabby Petito”).

Laundrie returned alone to his home in Florida on September 1st - with the white van. It is likely that he did not speak of Petito at all. On September 11th, Petito was reported missing by her family, and a search began. Three days later, Laundrie’s family states that he has an attorney and will not speak to law enforcement. This made him a person of interest since he refused to speak to investigators. On September 17th, Laundrie’s family reported him missing and said that they had not seen him in three days. The police then started to search for him in a swampy reserve. On September 19th, a body was found in  Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. This was less than 1,000 feet from where the travel bloggers spotted the van near Spread Creek Dispersed Campground. On September 21st, an autopsy was conducted on the remains. FBI agents confirmed that they belonged to Petitio and that her death was a homicide. On October 12st, Dr. Brent Blue, a corner, says that Petito was killed by strangulation about three to four weeks before her body was found. On October 21st, dental records were conducted on human remains found in a Florida wilderness park. These were identified in which they belonged to Laundrie (“Timeline: ’Van Life’ Road Trip Ends in Death of Gabby Petito”).

Resources: 

https://www.eonline.com/news/1303660/gabby-petitos-inner-circle-shares-insight-into-alleged-toxic-relationship-with-brian-laundrie 

https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2021-10-21/timeline-van-life-road-trip-ends-in-death-of-gabby-petito 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/timeline-gabby-petito-brian-laundries-215129456.html 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCGsW41aQEw 

The Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics are just around the corner. Sports fans across the globe are waiting anxiously to watch their favorite returning athletes and prospective newbies compete in contests beginning on July 23, 2021. However, due to the COVID-19 virus, this year’s competition will look a little different than normal. In addition to it’s typical hurdles, the International Olympic Committee encounters a variety of new obstacles this year such as the amount of spectators allowed, where events can be held, temperature checks, and regular coronavirus testing. The IOC knows that these challenges will make planning the event much harder than usual, but they are up to the challenge and willing to make this Summer Olympics the best one yet. 

One of the most frequently asked questions regarding the Summer Olympics has been “who will be able to come”? While this answer still remains uncertain, many speculate that the IOC will only allow Japanese spectators to the event. Because of this, NBC has stepped up to make watching the games easily accessible to everyone. Pete Bevacqua, chairman of the NBC Sports Group, says “Given the magnitude of this event, we want to provide viewers with as many ways to connect to it as possible, live or in primetime”. NBC plans to stream the events live on all of their platforms, both on TV and online. In addition to the amount of spectators, many also wonder how athletes will be kept safe from contracting the coronavirus from other competitors. The IOC’s plan is to temperature check and test athletes for the virus regularly, as well as limit an athletes stay to the duration of their event. Once athletes no longer compete in any events, they will be sent home to minimize the spread of the virus among the mass amount of people in attendance. 

While all of the previously mentioned changes are COVID-19-related, the IOC does have some exciting news regarding changes to sporting events. In order to attract a wider array of younger athletes, BMX and skateboarding competitions will be added, both featuring difficult and risky obstacles. Half court 3-on-3 basketball is another sporting event that will make its debut for the first time ever in the Summer Olympics. 

While sporting events and COVID precautions may be changing, the country’s favorite Olympic athletes will still be returning to compete for the gold. Simone Biles, a 5 time world champion for women’s gymnastics, returns to compete at the games. The US Olympic women’s soccer team features a number of players from the USA women’s team that won the World Cup in 2019. Olympic swimmers, Katie Ledecky, Simone Manuel, and Caeleb Dressel all plan to attend as well. There are also some new athletes to watch out for! Sydney McLaughlin made her first debut at the Olympics in 2016 as the youngest ever US Olympic track athlete. This year, she returns for her second time to compete in the 400 m hurdles. Michael Norman (23) and Noah Lyles (24) are two other young athletes who plan to race as sprinters for the US team. 

The games are just a few short months away and it’s time to get ready for all the excitement! “I'm excited for the new challenge. I'm excited for another opportunity. It's definitely an exciting time," says soccer player Julie Ertz.

With the 2020-2021 school year coming to a close, many students and families are left wondering what next year will be like: more zoom classes or will we finally see classrooms filled with students? Well, some college officials are finally releasing statements about what college students can expect in the months ahead.

Many colleges are planning for a full re-opening for the 2021 fall semester. Some of the most student-populated campuses in Pennsylvania such as Pennsylvania State University, University of Pittsburgh, and Temple University are planning on re-opening at more than ninety percent capacity, opening up residence and dining halls and most classrooms. However, plans for re-opening are not because it is now completely safe to go back to “normal.” Many colleges are forced to re-open to keep their doors open. Forced to go virtual in 2020, many colleges lost money as residence and dining halls were closed and classes went completely virtual. Going virtual for another school year would further hurt colleges, and even force some smaller colleges to shut their doors 

College officials do warn students that although most of their campuses are returning in person, everything will not go back to the way it was before the pandemic. Masks will still have to be worn, vaccinations will be offered on campus as well as regular covid-tests.

Even though the college experience won’t be exactly like pre-covid times this fall, a full re-opening of campuses across the country, with some restrictions, of course, sheds hope for our nation getting closer to a return of normalcy.

On February 19, 2021, the United States officially rejoined the Paris Climate agreement, which is designed to avert catastrophic global warming. 

Four years after the U.S. initially walked away from the Paris agreement during former President Trump’s administration, President Joe Biden signed an executive order recommitting to the accord. Biden said “We can no longer delay or do the bare minimum to address climate change. This is a global existential crisis. And we’ll all suffer the consequences if we fail.” His actions prove to sharply contrast that of former President Donald Trump and his administration, who were eager to cut regulations that were placed to protect the environment. Former President Donald Trump stated in 2017 that the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris Climate accord, but the withdrawal was not official until November 4, 2020. The United States was officially declared “out” of the agreement for 107 days. 

In upcoming months, the Biden administration must develop a Nationally Determined Contribution, or emissions-cutting target, which will line out the scope of the United States’ goals over the next decade. Under the Paris Climate agreement, the commitments are revisited every five years. The previous target set by former President Barack Obama committed the United States to cutting emissions by a minimum of 26 percent by 2025 compared to 2005. In the years following this target, U.S. emissions have declined in part due to the Obama administration’s efforts to curtail emissions. 

The Biden administration plans to announce its Nationally Determined Contribution in April, when Biden convenes a World Leaders’ Summit regarding climate, and the world is watching closely as to how ambitious the Biden administration will be with its target.

Our universe contains billions of galaxies, stars, and planets. The technology at NASA is beyond advanced, but we will not be able to uncover all of the mysteries that reside in our world. If we were to go back hundreds of years ago, landing on the red planet would be seen as difficult and near impossible. Today, that is not the case.

On July 30th, 2020, at 4:50 am, the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover launched from earth for its journey to Mars. For the rover to successfully launch, scientists had to perform many pre-launch activities such as landing site selection, science definition and instrument selection, and assembly and testing. “Perseverance launched on an Atlas V-541 rocket from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.” 

When the rover was cruising through space, scientists had to keep many tabs on it, such as checking the spacecraft health and maintenance, conducting navigation activities, preparing for entry, descent, landing, and surface operations. The engineers also “...have several opportunities to adjust the spacecraft’s flight path, to make sure its speed and direction are best for arrival at Jezero Crater on Mars. The first tweak to the spacecraft’s flight path happens about 15 days after launch.” For the rover to be able to launch Earth and Mars have to be in good positions relative to each other. This makes it the most energy efficient trip to Mars. 

Perseverance successfully landed on Mars on February 18th, 2021. Since then, NASA has released videos and pictures of the Rover’s entry, descent, and landing. 

“While exploring Mars during surface operations, Perseverance:

• finds rocks that formed in, or were altered by, environments that could have supported microbial life in Mars’ ancient past (Objective A)

• finds rocks capable of preserving chemical traces of ancient life (biosignatures), if any existed (Objective B)

• drills core samples from about 30 promising rock and “soil” (regolith) targets and catches them on the Martian surface (Objective C)

• tests the ability to produce oxygen from the carbon-dioxide Martian atmosphere, in support of future human missions (Objective D)”

Overall, NASA is continuously making history and we’re witnessing it. In about a decade from now, in 2031, it will bring back rock samples from Mars. Scientists have never before brought a piece of another planet back to Earth. In our lifetime, it’s happening. 

Landing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS1CWAkbRu0 

Resource: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/  

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nasa-mars-landing-perseverance-rover-rock-sample-return-mission/ 

Kamala Harris has been inaugurated as vice president meaning that she has broken a long-lasting barrier as the first woman and woman of color elected to the second-highest office. Harris symbolizes the future of a country that is growing to become more racially diverse and embodies the fight for gender equality. 

The Biden-Harris inauguration concluded the grueling election season characterized by false accusations of fraud and even a push to overturn the election by storming the Capitol. Her victory comes four years after Hillary Clinton lost the presidential election to former President Donald Trump and after Harris herself attempted to vie for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Harris dropped out in December and eventually was chosen by Biden to be his running-mate. While Harris did not break through the “highest, hardest glass ceiling” Clinton spoke about when conceding in 2016, she has achieved an incredible milestone. 

Harris has created a lengthy list of “firsts” during her career. As the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants she was the first Black and South Asian American attorney general in California, the first Black district attorney in California, the first South Asian American woman and second Black woman elected to the U.S Senate in the history of the United States. In her victory speech, Harris said “While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last . . . because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.” She hopes that her victory will pave the way for future generations of female leaders and has shifted former precedents to open up a new chapter for women and women of color in America. The country has a long way to go in terms of racial and gender equality, but Harris’ win seems like a promising step forward. 

What took social media by storm in the days following the inauguration were the outfits of the various figures in attendance. Vice President Harris and former First Ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton all wore shades of purple, a symbol of unity during political division. Lady Gaga wore a navy blue jacket with a red skirt, which many compared to a Hunger Games-style outfit, with a dove brooch representing peace. Jennifer Lopez wore a white Victorian-style outfit. White can be used to symbolize the 1900 women’s suffrage movement.

Although the inauguration was a day full of firsts and many eye-catching moments, with American citizens yearning to return to normalcy, this new administration is tasked with guiding America through and, hopefully, out of the pandemic in their next four years in office.

With unique candidates and alleged cheating, to recounting and legal controversies that plagued the media, the 2020 presidential election was beyond a doubt unlike anything we have seen before. Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden went head to head debating and campaigning to be the next president of the United States, and while the COVID -19  global pandemic made it difficult, it certainly wasn't impossible. 

Towards the end of the race, the candidates seemed to be neck and neck, with Trump pulling ahead slightly. Because of the high amount of mail in ballots, it took much longer than usual for votes to be cast. While it seemed that Trump was ahead, many of the democratic votes had not yet been counted. In the end, Joe Biden ended up winning 306 electoral votes to Donald Trump’s 232. 

Once the results had been released, there was immediate backlash, and the democrats were accused of trying to steal the election. They were accused of supposedly stuffing the ballots in their favor and rigged the devices that counted the votes. 

Mail in ballots have also been a major point of controversy. Many states have different rules about when mail in ballots can be counted. In some states the mail in ballots were only counted if they were there the day of election, some were counted if they arrived over a week later. Because of this, Trump also believes some mail in ballots were fraudulent, too. While Trump continues to stand by his accusation, there is no hard evidence to prove it. 

Trump had been fighting tooth and nail to prove the supposed election fraud, but he has been unsuccessful. He has fought to void millions of votes due to fraud, but has lost almost every single case. Because of Biden’s supposed fraudulence, Trump has asked for a recount. This has been a very controversial undertaking, though. The number of mail in votes has made it difficult for recounting, and many states still do not agree on what makes a valid vote. Some States did submit to a recount, while others did not.

On December 14, the Electoral College certified Joe Biden as the next president.