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Monday, August 17, 2020
CNN 10's fall season is back! For the first time ever, political conventions are being held virtually. Conventions are usually held by the major political parties to formally nominate their candidates and gives them a chance to define their goals. Traditionally, the party that doesn't currently hold the White House goes first, so the Democratic National Convention will be held online through Thursday, with a small delegate gathering in Milwaukee. Former Vice President Joe Biden will be nominated. The Republican convention will be next week, with incumbent President Trump being renominated. This year will be an extra challenge as parties will have to get people to the polls without in-person meetings. Conventions have undergone many changes over the years. Conventions were first held to provide more transparency to the democratic process in the 1800s. The delegates were hand-chosen by their respective parties and could vote for whomever they wanted, often leading to rowdiness. Eventually, today's system of the voters choosing who the delegates vote for was instituted. They are now also used to boost their candidates before the election and have often provided increases in the polls. Schools have reopened, some virtually, others in person. But both have created concerns. Thousands of kids accessing the same learning portals at once has crashed servers and invited in hackers. In-person learning has led to anxiety for kids as well as parents, along with resigning teachers over COVID rules not being enforced.
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
New Zealand's parliamentary elections were postponed due to a recent spike in coronavirus. The country has been one of the most effective at controlling the disease, having had weeks of 0 cases until the recent dozens. The election has been postponed for one month. Also due to COVID-19, world GDP's have been falling, by as much as 20% in Great Britain. Things are heating up in the South China Sea. China has been building artificial islands there for years in an effort to gain control of the waterway and its airspace. The US, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines have all stepped up their military presence in the region to protect the region, through which 1/3 of the world's trade passes. With so many countries fighting for control, it's only a matter of time before a shot is fired. There are many disinfectants that can kill COVID-19, but what about UV light? A company in India has created a new robot that would map its way around a building while no one is inside (because UV light is harmful to all organisms) and disinfect the entire area.
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Coronavirus immunity could be on its way. Many studies are underway about how our body detects COVID-19 and prevents us from contracting it multiple times. Some of them investigated our T-cells, which can kill virus cells. They found that up to 50% of Americans may have T-cells that can identify COVID, even if they have never contracted the virus. We don't know why, and we don't know if recognizing the virus helps fight it, but it is some good news. Scientists have also found that coronavirus antibodies are effective for up to 4 months after catching the disease. Researchers have also found new origins for penguins. It was previously thought that they originated in Antarctica, but new analyses of flesh and blood samples have brought the conclusion that they are actually from New Zealand and Australia, which have temperate climates. Scientists believe that today's king and emperor penguins traveled to the Antarctic in search of better food supplies. Many college students are upset that universities are still requiring full admission fees for college, leading to many petitions to lower prices. Rutgers, Princeton, and others are all offering 15% discounts. However, many others are not, because they are in a difficult situation. Despite not having students, they still need to pay professors and building upkeep, making it necessary to receive full tuition.
Thursday, August 20, 2020
Because of the concerns over COVID-19 during voting, many states have decided to allow mail-in ballots. This is when a voter requests a ballot over the mail. The state then sends the official ballot to them and they fill it out. Many states currently allow voters to get an absentee ballot without an excuse, while 7 states require a reason. A few states have even decided to send a mail ballot to every registered voter, even those who haven't requested one. President Trump has decided to sue over this, and many Republicans complain that it increases the chances of fraud. Democrats say that it has already been tested and allows more of the population to vote. It is still unclear whether mail voting favors one party. Another problem is the USPS itself. It has been losing money for a while and had been taking measures to cut costs. Democrats claimed that it came over pressure from Trump, but the Postmaster General says they have been a long time coming, and all additional cuts will be postponed. California has been hit with a massive heatwave, with records broken around the state. It has also fueled wildfires, which are now burning all around the state. Today, we also have a COVID-19 update. The disease affects everyone differently, from little to no symptoms to death. It affects those age 65 and older, and people with underlying medical conditions. In America, it also reportedly affects more Black Americans, probably because of social and economic disparities. Sex can also be a factor, with men potentially reacting more strongly. Still, the odds are that if you get the disease, you will recover. Various countries are handling the virus differently, from restrictions bordering on violation of liberty, to effective measures that have prevented it from spreading.
Friday, August 21, 2020
Last night, the mostly-virtual Democratic National Convention wrapped up. Former Vice President Joe Biden was officially nominated for the presidency with California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. Monday through Thursday, the Democrats pushed Joe Biden and spoke out against incumbent President Trump. Many former presidents and nominees spoke during the events. Next week, a similar event will take place with the Republican National Convention. The first Presidential debates will take place in late September. There is a new controversy in the Florida Keys. The state has decided to release GMO mosquitos of the type that usually carry viruses. But only females bite humans, and these new mosquitos are all male. They are genetically modified so that any female offspring they have will die before biting any humans. There are many critics, with some saying it's a Jurassic Park experiment, but the company is sure that it will work. There is also new research that shows that mosquitos may bite people based on DNA. The study used fraternal and identical twins and found that identical twins got bitten in similar amounts, while fraternal twins varied. The researchers collected body odors of those bitten a lot to see what could attract the mosquitos. This year's Atlantic hurricane season has the worst prediction ever, and it's because of La Nina. This is when Pacific waters cool, heating Atlantic waters. On top of that, winds in the area are blowing just right, so this season's hurricanes could be extra bad.
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