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

Go to cnn.com/cnn10 for the latest video

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.

Tuesdays With Morrie

By Mitch Albom

My thoughts: It is important to connect with others, especially during time like this, when people are separated for extended periods of time. This book emphasizes the importance of human connection in a society that propels us to ignore all else for the sake of getting ahead.

    Morrie Schwartz was Mitch's old professor at Brandeis University. He taught sociology like no one else, and Mitch took every class he taught. During that time, he developed a close friendship with the professor and learned to look at life in a different way. Yet after graduating, he failed on his promise to keep in touch, and only remembered him after an ABC Nightline report on how Morrie had contracted ALS and was dying. The disease was weakening his muscles bit by bit until he could no longer breathe. Already he was mostly confined to his chair.

    By the time Mitch arrives at Morrie's house, he has been meeting with many, many people coming to see him, and he could have just been another visitor. But after all these years, Mitch is still Morrie's favorite student. While he is still alive, he wants to transfer everything he has learned, so that his unique experience and outlook will not be lost. They begin meeting on Tuesdays, just like back in the university days.

1984

By George Orwell

    In a dystopian world where a single party has taken over all of the information in the Oceanic sphere of power, Winston is a low-down Party member who works at the Ministry of Truth. There, contrary to its name, the past and present are continually altered to fit the current reality, such as what country Oceania is at war with, who is a traitor and who is not, etc. In fact, the Party even alters language in and of itself to Newspeak, where unnecessary words and meanings are purged to make the thought of freedom or anything the Party doesn't want impossible. Winston is what is called a thought criminal. He thinks unorthodox thoughts. For instance, he has grown tired of the endless telescreen broadcasts promoting war against either Eastasia or Eurasia and propaganda of Big Brother, the figurehead of the Party. He has bought a diary (a banned substance) and has begun to record his thoughts, his history. Of course, he knows that one day, the Thought Police will catch up to him, but until that point, he shall live in defiance.

    At work, he meets a kindred spirit in Julia. They both do not believe in the party's blatant lies, and get involved in an affair with each other. In the process, they both believe that by pretending to believe the Party and be a faithful member, they will somehow survive. They even meet a member of the fabled Brotherhood, an organization purportedly working against the Party and continually hated by them, who turns out to be a Party official.

CNN 10 3/22/2021 ~ 3/26/2021

Go to cnn.com/cnn10 for the latest video

Monday, March 22, 2021

The IOC just announced that the postponed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo will not have any viewers from outside the country. The Olympics, originally scheduled for last year, are still called the 2020 games, even though they will be held in July of this year. For athletes, this has both been good and bad. For some, it has taken a mental toll as the intense physical and mental training they go through every day has been extended for a full year, while others are grateful for the extra practice. A CNN hero named David Flink who has learning disabilities is helping other children who are like him get through school. His nonprofit, Eye to Eye, has helped many children express themselves through art with college mentors who are just like them and know what they are going through. Though the program has moved online, its efforts to help are still continuing.

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Last year, Australia suffered from a record-breaking bush fire season. Now, it's being deluged by floods. A series of overlapping storms is dumping feet of rainfall into many areas still recovering from the fires. Spring break travel is hitting levels not seen during pandemic times as college students across the students return home to see family. This comes as many states are beginning to offer COVID vaccines to individuals 16-64 in age. Many secondary schools are reopening as well. In Space, there is a lot of debris from old spacecraft that we don't use anymore. Some of these pieces are big, but others are small. These small pieces moving at fast speeds can have catastrophic impacts on both current satellites and our spacecraft. A company called Astroscale is trying to help solve this problem. Its satellites have magnets, and once it gets close enough to an object, it can use it to attach then return to Earth, burning up in the atmosphere.

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

There is a worldwide shortage of computer chips. This is due largely to the COVID-19 pandemic. The average car uses around 50-150 chips, but when car production stalled, many chip makers redirected production to device makers, leading to a shortage as the world economy reopened. Many of them are now scrambling to reroute wafer fabrication plants once again, but many car manufacturers fear the shortage will end up impacting production, especially for low-demand models. A volcanic eruption in Iceland is attracting lots of sightseers. The eruption is a slow, calm one, so people can get nearby and even cook food on the partially cooled lava.

Thursday, March 25, 2021

The Suez Canal is a canal through Egypt that connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, and it has a traffic jam. A massive transport ship called the Ever Given got stuck diagonally across the narrow canal after heavy winds. The Suez Canal is a key waterway between Europe and Asia, and as many as a hundred ships could be lined up at either end to wait for the canal to be clear again, which could take days. When we order takeout, the environmental cost is high - we throw away all of the plastic utensils, the container, the bag - all contributing to massive amounts of waste. A company called DeliverZero is trying to change that. They partner with restaurants across the New York area to deliver food in reusable containers that can be returned either via a courier or in person, then reused by the restaurant. This eliminates almost all the waste that comes out of delivery, and the ordering process is almost the same as any other service like Doordash.

Friday, March 26, 2021

The Ingenuity helicopter that landed on Mars recently with the Perseverance rover is almost set to fly. It will go through preliminary tests for a couple more weeks before attempting to become the first object to ever fly on another planet. Australia is getting some reprieve after days of heavy rain. Many areas that almost always dry have seen inches of rain. In fact, at the Uluru historic site, waterfalls have formed on the famous monument, a rare occurrence. Parts of Australia are still flooded even as the rain has stopped. Nearly a third of the Earth's land is covered by forest, but that number is steadily decreasing. In recent decades, deforestation has had a devastating impact on forest species, and one of the conservation groups trying to stop that is working in São Paolo, Brazil, where the Atlantic forest is now a series of small fragments. They plan to build corridors leading from each of the fragments to give the animals in them more diversity from other places.