CNN 10 4/12/2021 ~ 4/16/2021

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Monday, April 12, 2021

On the Caribbean Island of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the volcano La Soufrière has erupted. One dangerous effect of this is pyroclastic flows, which are mixtures of lava, ash, and gas that rush down the slopes and destroy everything in their path. Many homes have lost power, and dust in coating everything in the volcano's vicinity. The government there has already evacuated hundreds of people who could potentially be in danger. A US probe called OSIRIS-REx recently left the asteroid of Bennu. Its mission is to bring back samples of the dust and rock there, and upon its return, it would become the second satellite to ever do so. The full moon in April is called the Pink Moon. This signals the coming of one of the first flowers of spring, which is pink. The second moon in a month is called the Blue Moon, and the Harvest of Blood Moon is the one in October. One thing to note is that none of these moons actually change color. The Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg, Germany just set another world record. It already held the record for longest toy train track and that track just set the new record for the longest classical music medley played by a train.

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

President Joe Biden has now reached 100 days in office, a day that is often used to see how productive a president has been. In his early days in office, Biden signed dozens of executive orders, most of which saw a reversal from Trump-era policies back to Obama. On day 51, he signed the latest $1.9 trillion stimulus package. On his 58th day, he reached his original goal of 100 million adults at least partially vaccinated, but he increased that to 200 million shortly before, and it is unclear as of now whether that has been met. The history of this assessment goes back to the time of FDR, who announced on his hundredth day that he had signed 15 bills into law. Since then, many presidents have held events to commemorate the day, such as speeches and formal receptions. However, some, like JFK, have said it is unreasonable to judge presidents by their first 100 days since it doesn't provide enough time for the leader to advance their agenda. Yesterday marked 40 years since the beginning of the space shuttle program, and even though the program was ended in 2011 with the explosion of Columbia, its iconic shape and legacy lives on. It was the first of its kind - an orbiter, a rocket, and an airplane that promised easier access to space and a delivery system that built the ISS. Also having built the Hubble Space Telescope, the 5 shuttles flew over 135 missions over their 30 years. And though not everything went as planned, with the notable failures of Challenger and Columbia, they have left an indelible mark.

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

The police shooting of yet another Black man is rocking the state of Minnesota. On Sunday, Daunte Wright was stopped by police in Minneapolis because his car's license sticker had expired. During the arrest, they found that he had an outstanding warrant for carrying a pistol without a permit and running from police. They asked Wright to step out of the car, after which there appeared to be a scuffle when he reportedly tried to get back into his car. An officer then yelled "Taser!" several times in reference to a shock weapon that she was about to pull. However, she actually pulled out a gun instead, and the one-shot she fired killed Wright. Police say this was a tragic accident, while the Wrights' attorney said that it was a preventable incident. The officer involved and the Brooklyn Center police chief have resigned. Just miles away, the trial of the officer who killed George Floyd last summer was taking place. The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, which until recently was cleared by the FDA for emergency use, has now been put on hold after rare brain blood clotting events have occurred in several people who received it. the cause is still unknown, and it is just 6 of 6.8 million people who have gotten the single shot, but the CDC and FDA are pausing distribution "out of an abundance of caution". US tensions with China are on the rise again. The Chinese military recently flew its planes in Taiwanese airspace, asserting its control over what it considers to be under its control. Both China and Taiwan say that they are sovereign over all China, and the US has agreed to help Taiwan in case of a military invasion. However, it has stopped short of acknowledging Taiwan's independence, something that crosses a red line for Beijing.

Thursday, April 15, 2021

The Biden administration recently announced its plan to remove all but a few strategically necessary troops from Afghanistan by September 11th of this year, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. These initiated the US involvement in Afghanistan because the government there had housed the terrorists who attacked America. The old government, known as the Taliban, was removed, and though the country is currently led by elected leaders, the Taliban still creates great unrest there, which is what is generating the bipartisan divide in Congress. For its part, the Biden administration says that right now, the conflict there has no foreseeable end and analysts believe it wants to focus on other threats like Russia and China. In another Middle Eastern country, Egypt, archaeologists have found an ancient city that they believe could be the biggest thing since King Tut's tomb. The city is mostly intact, with countless pieces of pottery, a full bakery, and even a mummy. In India, many farmers live close to wild animal reserves, and these animals often end up ruining crops, killing animals, and even humans. The nonprofit Wild Seve founded by Krithi Karanth is trying to change that dynamic. They provide more accessible relief to affected peoples.

Friday, April 16, 2021

The US has imposed new sanctions on Russia. They will prevent US banks from doing business with certain Russian banks and kick at least 10 diplomats out of the country's mission in Washington D.C. The Biden Administration says that some of the diplomats worked for Russian intelligence, and the US government also said that Russia had interfered in US elections. In addition, the country was accused of encouraging Afghans to harm US soldiers and allies in the region, all of which constitute a national security threat. All of these have been denied, and Russia says it will respond in the coming days. Heather Abbott was one of the hundreds who were injured at the Boston Marathon Bombing in 2013, and one of just over a dozen who permanently lost a limb. Because her injury was so public, she was able to get help and afford a variety of prostheses that kept her moving and her life intact. However, these devices are far too expensive for most, so she started a foundation to help others get funding, and it has helped dozens to date. Scientists at MIT have mapped spider webs and used them to create music. They described it as eerie.