CNN 10 11/15/2021 ~ 11/19/2021

Go to cnn.com/cnn10 for the latest video

Monday, November 15, 2021

Bitcoin has hit a new high of around $64,000 USD. There is a lot of controversy around cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin. There isn't a lot of regulation around it yet, and the money isn't held by any central bank or large corporations, so its value fluctuates frequently. Still, there are many people who believe in the new form of currency, purporting that it is owned by the people and that the deregulation is a benefit. These cryptocurrencies can't actually be used to make everyday transactions like groceries yet - but what they are currently very useful for are selling NFTs, which have been on the rise lately. Another limitation is transaction time - because all transactions are recorded by supercomputers that break codes, it can take a long time for money to go through - as long as 20 minutes for Bitcoin. And because all those supercomputers are needed for transactions, it also sucks up an enormous amount of power and leaves a big carbon footprint. There are analysts on both sides, but it remains to be seen whether cryptocurrencies can stabilize and become useful for everyday consumers. Many things have been hit hard by COVID-19 shortages. Two unlikely subjects are turkeys and Christmas trees. As it gets closer to the holidays, more people are going out to buy those two commodities, and many suppliers say they might be running out.

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Gasoline prices are rising across the country, and nowhere more so than in California, where residents who were used to paying higher prices for gas are seeing costs upwards of 5 dollars in certain areas. Other areas are also seeing major jumps - everything from food to toys are getting more expensive, nowhere more so than in Atlanta, Georgia, where the cost of living has skyrocketed over the past year with an inflation rate of more than 7%. Many people struggle to maintain a consistent workout plan. A new virtual reality gym called Black Box VR is trying to change that through virtual reality. It is using private rooms outfitted with resistance equipment to allow users to work out and play in an immersive, VR game at the same time. Users can earn points and levels, just like in any other game, and it helps time go by much more quickly while also getting lots of exercise in.

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Floods are sweeping across the western United States, and while they might not all be record breaking like the California gas prices reported on yesterday, they are having significant impacts, such as the closure of I-5, a highway running all the way from Canada to Mexico. On the western border of the country of Belarus, the standoff between refugees and Polish border authorities continues. The migrants are mostly from war-torn countries, and they want to get into the European Union by way of Poland. Polish authorities blame Belarusian authorities for sending migrants across the border and vice versa. Researchers at the American University of Cairo believe that they have found a new way to recycle the mask waste produced as a result of COVID-19 - concrete. Based on preliminary tests, they believe that it can replace some natural resources used in concrete mixes and also reduce shrinkage and cracks. Our last story for today are the three newest inductees into the NASA Hall of Fame: Michael Lopez-Alegria, Pam Melroy, and Scott Kelly. Alegria is currently the title hodler for the second most spacewalks in the world, and the most of any NASA astronaut. Melroy was the second woman to command a NASA mission and is a veteran of three missions to help build the ISS. Kelly may be the most recognizable name from the list - he has spent 521 days in space, including a single stretch of a year during a study involving him and his twin brother, Senator Mark Kelly, who is also an astronaut.

Thursday, November 18, 2021

India and the surrounding region in Southeast Asia has some of the worst air quality in the world. India alone had 21 out of the 30 most polluted cities in the most recent rankings. As the country gets more and more industrialized, the air is only expected to get worse, and has been getting worse, despite a plan instituted in 2019 to reduced air pollution levels by 30% by 2024. The government has been implementing stopgap measures like shutting down all unnecessary power plants and trucks for a day, but experts say that larger, regional solutions will be necessary in the long run. Over the past few years, the population of sunflower sea stars off the US West Coast has been declining. They are currently at around 5% of their historic numbers and are listed as critically endangered. Scientists still aren't fully certain what causes the "melting" of stars that they have seen, but researchers in Washington are attempting to breed these animals and reintroduce them into the waters. Loss of top predators like these starfish, which eat a variety of animals on the ocean floor, can have devastating ripple effects. For example, sea urchins, whose main predator is sea stars, have grown rapidly and wiped out many kelp forests, which in turn are home to a diverse range of species.

Friday, November 19, 2021

The opioid epidemic has been a problem since around 2016, when higher death rates from overdoses first came into the picture. Now, a mere half decade later, new projections estimate that someone dies from another overdose every 5 minutes. Chief among the culprits is fentanyl, a particularly potent drug that is also found is many other prescription drugs, meaning many people don't even know they are taking it. Every presidential administration has poured billions of dollars into it, but the problem still remains unresolved. The Special Olympics serves many purposes; it encourages people with intellectual disabilities to participate in sport, but it also aims to reduce discrimination against this group. One of the people supporting this mission is Usain Bolt, once the fastest man alive. He has partnered with the Special Olympics program to further outreach and inspire more young runners. He sees something in them as well - their determination to succeed despite everyone being against them.

CNN 10 10/25/21 ~ 10/29/21

Go to cnn.com/cnn10 for the latest video 

Monday, October 25, 2021

There is violent weather in store this week across the US. On the California coast, heavy rains are expected as an atmospheric river moves in from the Pacific Ocean. This is good news in terms of the fires still raging in the state, but it comes with its own dangers as the ashes that have piled up could turn into dangerous debris slides. In the central US, a cold front from the north will collide with warmer air, turning into a huge severe weather system that will result in hail, rain, and even flooding. This front will carry cold air into New England, which, if the conditions are right, could spark a weather pattern called a nor'easter, bringing coastal flooding along the East Coast. This coincides with the beginning of fall, which is more commonly associated with the fall colors of trees. The phenomenon occurs because the chlorophyll that normally appears as the green pigment in leaves as a result of photosynthesis goes away in the winter when there is no sunlight, allowing the red and yellow pigments underneath to show through. Hundreds of people across the Midwest saw what appeared to be a failed Russian satellite reentering the Earth's atmosphere last Wednesday. It was described as a "long-lasting fireball". COVID-19 has disrupted supply chains around the world, and it isn't going away any time soon. Toy stores are being hit particularly hard by the shortages as they try to stockpile for the holiday season; it's hard to know if and when any orders are coming, and they are telling people to do their holiday shopping early.

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

An apparent military coup has taken place in Sudan. The African country is not a stranger to power struggles, and has seen several in the past. This time, amid rising tensions, the military has dissolved a power sharing government it had with civilian leaders and said that it will maintain power until an election is held in 2023. Many are taking to the streets - some in favor of the coup, others in opposition to it. Several countries including the United States have called for an end to the coup and a return to peace. A cold front has been traveling quickly across the United States. It has hit several states with tornados, storms, and floods. For the state of California, its effects have been two-fold. On the one hand, it has helped firefighters gain full control over the Dixie Fire; on the other hand, it is also causing flooding and mudslides from the dirt loosened by the fires. While only a few types of potatoes can be found in supermarkets, over 4,000 species exist in the wild, many of them cultivated by "potato custodians" in the Peruvian Andes. These custodians have grown potatoes for many generations, and many conservationists believe they are one of the best ways to maintain genetic diversity - they go through the natural cycle over and over and adapt to the changing world.

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

The troubles on the Caribbean Island of Haiti continue. The US government and Haitian authorities have been working to free the American missionaries captured by a Haitian gang for a ransom of $17 million. Another issue in the country is a lack of fuel. There is a law there that restricts the maximum price of gas, and when international prices exceed that, the government has to make up for lost revenue. However, as one of the poorest countries, Haiti doesn't have enough money to buy additional fuel, and when it can buy it, it often can't distribute it effectively, leading to shortages and protests. While we explore space, there is a vast portion of our planet that remains unexplored - the ocean. We have a more complete map of Mars than we do of our oceans, but the Nippon Foundation's GEBCO Seabed 2030 project along with many startups are hoping to change that before the end of the century. Ocean mapping is usually a costly process involving a large crew and countless hours of analysis. New experimental methods involve autonomous mini submarines equipped with sonar that can scan and map the ocean floor.

Thursday, October 28, 2021

The 100 day countdown to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing has begun. Like the 2020 Tokyo games, held just a few months ago after being postponed for a year, this one will be full of restrictions from COVID-19. Japan did show that the Olympics could be held without a massive increase in cases, and China, with its no COVID policy, has increased restrictions over the past week to bring cases back down from below double digits. Outside its ability to hold the games safely, China will also be battling politics. Most of the world views the rising superpower as a dangerous enemy, and the country is taking the opportunity to market themselves as much of a progressive leader as possible. The first nor'easter of the year has ripped across the New England coast, leaving many homes and businesses dark and dumping rain. A nor'easter forms when a low pressure front moves up the coast, causing northeasterly winds. Facial recognition may soon be used for security checks at airports. While there are privacy and security concerns, for those who opt in, the technology may significantly speed up transit through TSA checking lines.

Friday, October 29, 2021

Scientists believe that they have found the first planet outside our own galaxy. What is believed to be a planet was found in the whirlpool galaxy 28 million light years away. A telescope that picks up x-rays "found" the planet when it passed in front of some of the radiation given off by stars in the galaxy, temporarily making it appear as if the signal has gone away. Scientists will attempt to confirm the discovery in 70 years when the planet should pass by the same area again. Mount Etna has released more plumes of ash into the air. The most active volcano in Europe has seen activity some 50 times already this year, but none of them have been harmful to residents. Tons of plastic packaging, often designed for single use, are thrown away every year. The problem is that they take centuries, even millennia to degrade, piling up in our landfills more and more as time goes on. Notpla is one of the companies trying to fix that problem. The new plastic alternative that they have developed is based on seaweed, and it can biodegrade in a matter of weeks. It isn't as strong as traditional plastic, but it can still be used in applications like storing small amounts of liquid or to line take out containers.

A Man Called Ove

By Fredrik Backman

    Ove is a different kind of man. He sticks strongly to what he calls "principles" which other people think make him look hard and stubborn. He is also extremely adept at doing various handy jobs and cars. So, he lives in his row house where he has lived since it was just development still surrounded by trees, to now, when it is just another house in rows of houses just like it. In that time, he has grown older and his life has changed, but he has always gone his job every morning after his morning rounds of the neighborhood. Until today. He has been laid off from his job because he has "gotten too old". So he goes around the neighborhood making sure everything is as it should be, then returns to his house to put up a hook.

    The next morning, he does the same thing, then returns to his house and puts a noose on the ceiling around his neck. Right when he is about to end his life, he hears a massive noise outside. New neighbors are moving in next door, and they have backed their trailer into Ove's flower bed. It seems that the man driving cannot back up with a trailer, and Ove has to do it for him, all the while grumbling about how people don't know how to do anything anymore. Then he walks back inside without answering Parvaneh and Patrick's thank yous.

    His wife, Sonja, died a few years ago. She was the only person, the only thing that Ove had ever loved. She was assertive from the very beginning when he met her on a train. He saw her while she was going home and decided to sit down across from her. Luckily for him, he didn't have to say much because she loved to talk, and he loved hearing her talk. He rode the train the wrong way from where he should have been going for weeks, sleeping in the train station so he wouldn't miss his job shift. Then finally, she told him he should ask her out, and he does. She finally gets Ove to talk about his future aspirations as a builder or engineer, and she helps him go through the coursework to get certified. Then they finally get married, move into that housing development along with Anita and Rune, one of the first people to move in. He and Rune become friends and form a Residents' Association. Anita and Sonja get pregnant, and Ove and Rune, being similar types of men, try to help each other through it. Then, disaster strikes.

    Sonja decides that they should go on a vacation to Spain. Sonja sleeps through most of the day, but they have fun nonetheless. While she sleeps, Ove helps the residents of the neighborhood figure out their building projects. Then, on one tour bus, Ove notices that the driver appears drunk. Sonja does not, however, and insists they get on anyway. Sure enough, the bus crashes and Sonja is permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Ove is furious, tries writing to so many different officials, but all of the white-shirt men ignore him until he has no one left to write to. It's just the way it has been his entire life. When his childhood home burned down, the firemen couldn't put it out in time. He was scammed into buying fake home insurance, and now his home is gone forever. The white shirts have ignored him his entire life. And now, Sonja is dead, and he doesn't have a job anymore, and he is ready for it all to be over.

    But Parvaneh and Patrick just can't seem to let him rest. They send over thank you meals, ask him for help, and even force him to take in a street cat that frequents his yard, though he continues to insist that it belongs to no one. He inadvertently saves a man from a subway crash during his own attempt to be part of a crash. He even gives Parvaneh driving lessons when Patrick gets hurt and can't drive anymore.

    Then, of course, there is Rune. In the years since he and Ove began a war over leadership of the Residents' Association, ultimately ending when Rune bought a BMW, much to Ove's horror (either you understand it or you don't: Ove is very loyal to manual, domestic manufacturers), Rune has deteriorated. He hardly remembers anything anymore; in fact, he remembers Ove as a friend. And when men in white shirts come to try to put him in a home against Anita's will, he decides that it is finally time for their ways to stop. He gets the local reporter, who has been following him ever since he saved that man in the subway, to dig up all the information about the man's "home" in return for an interview. They discover that the man has broken all sorts of regulations and laws, taking people away so that his company can make money. And somehow, Ove becomes indispensable to the neighborhood. People come to him to fix all sorts of things, and there is purpose in his life again. He dies, several years later, peacefully in his bed, with instructions for what should be done with his possessions. He asks for a quiet funeral, but hundreds show up to pay their respects anyway. And when Parvaneh sells his house, it is to a couple, not so different from Ove and Sonja - a young, excited woman and a sulky but enterprising man.

I enjoyed reading this book because it transitions from a somewhat dark image at the beginning to a happier note at the end, all mixed in with various chapters from Ove's life. I thought it was interesting that it sent a message that everyone matters, and I wonder if the author as experienced someone die in their life. I especially liked that it came full circle in the end with the selling of Ove's house.

CNN 10 10/11/2021 ~ 10/15/2021

Go to cnn.com/cnn10 for the latest video 

Monday, October 11, 2021

The US jobs report that came out last week was disappointing to many. While jobs were gained, it was less than half of what economists had expected. Employers have been blaming a variety of factors, including the increase in coronavirus cases and the emergence of the more infectious Delta variant, as well as government stimulus funding for the unemployed. But the stimulus checks ended in late August and early September, and COVID-19 cases have been going back down over the past few weeks. Analysts say that next month's jobs report, which should see an uptick due to the holiday season and the end of stimulus. Off the coast of the UK, the Royal Mail service is experimenting with drones to deliver mail to the chain of islands known as the Orkney Islands. Delivering mail to its hundred inhabitants has been costly, and they hope that drones will decrease the economic and environmental costs. A Homecoming Queen honored a fellow student and her mom, who had passed away from cancer that morning. She was a vibrant figure at the school, even during her battle with cancer, and everyone felt the loss. Senior Nyla Covington help soften the pain by giving the Brittany Walters the crown.