Monday, May 5

United States President Donald Trump has announced that he plans to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the notorious island prison off the coast of San Francisco, to hold some of America's worst criminals once again.

Trump made the announcement yesterday on Truth Social, his social media platform, saying that America has been "plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat offenders" for too long. He will work with the Bureau of Prisons, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Department of Justice to expand the prison before reopening it-- Trump plans to house the nation's "most ruthless and violent offenders" at Alcatraz, which it has not done since 1963.

Alcatraz is located on a small island around 1.25 miles off the coast of San Francisco, developed in the mid-1800s for military purposes. It also included a lighthouse to guide ships through San Francisco's famous fog, but it began being used as a military prison in the early 1900s.

In 1934, the government converted Alcatraz into a federal penitentiary, and it quickly became infamous as the worst prison in the country. The dangerous waters around the island, which include freezing waters and strong currents, prevented escape for some of the country's most notorious criminals.

In 1963, the prison was shut down due to the huge costs of operating it, and it is primarily known today as a famous tourist destination for visitors of San Francisco. However, that may soon change, as Trump plans to expand the existing prison and bring major criminals back to Alcatraz.

Upcoming Events:

• World Portuguese Language Day (Monday, May 5)

• Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives During the Second World War (Thursday, May 8)

• International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship Begins (Friday, May 9)

• World Migratory Bird Day (Saturday, May 10)

• International Day of Argania (Saturday, May 10)

Fact of the Day (BBC): Your brain is constantly eating itself. This process is called phagocytosis, where cells envelop and consume smaller cells or molecules to remove them from the system. However, phagocytosis isn't harmful-- it actually helps preserve your grey matter.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The boundary to what we can accept is the boundary to our freedom.(Tara Brach)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Risible (adj, RIZZ-uh-bul) - Risible is a formal word used disapprovingly to describe things that deserve to be mocked or laughed at because they are absurd or unreasonable.

In a Sentence: Although the teachers derided the students’ slang as risible nonsense, the same had been said about their own generation’s lingo.