Tuesday, November 5

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Today is the United States Election! If you live in the US, make sure to get out and vote if you haven't already! We will cover the results of the election in tomorrow's daily update, and make sure look out for a Deep Dive by Mihir Gupta coming soon as well.

At least 10 people are dead after a massive volcano eruption in eastern Indonesia, blanketing the surrounding area in ash and smoke.

The volcano, known as Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, is located on the remote island of Flores in the East Nusa Tenggara province and has been quite active over the past few years. An eruption earlier this year in January, led to over 6,500 evacuations and the closure of the local airport, which has remained closed. Since late October, the volcano has erupted 43 times, and the area has recorded hundreds of earthquakes as well.

However, this week's eruptions were significantly larger. They began on Sunday evening, with the volcano spewing ash and smoke for almost half an hour. During the night, it continued to erupt, with the ash cloud reaching around 1,000 feet by Monday morning. More eruptions continued through Monday, with the smoke cloud reaching a staggering 6,500 feet tall by Monday night. Towns within a 3.7-mile radius of the volcano were blanketed in ash, sparking over 16,000 evacuations across the two districts around it. However, only around 2,500 people have been evacuated so far. In addition, flaming balls of fiery debris and lava also fell from the sky, setting houses on fire amidst the chaos to evacuate. Officials have instructed locals to stay at least 4.3 miles away from the volcano as a precaution, as it could erupt again at any time.

In total, 10 people were killed and another 63 were injured during the eruptions, primarily due to smoke inhalation or being buried under ash. A state of emergency has been declared for the region, allowing the federal government to send extra aid to villages in need. Around 2,400 houses were affected by the eruptions, along with over 25 schools. Several schools outside the damage zone are being prepared for an influx of refugees, as the evacuees from villages near the volcano will be staying in schools and other large buildings as temporary shelters.

Indonesia is one of the many countries in the world that sit on the boundary of the Pacific plate, a tectonic plate that covers most of the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific plate comes together with numerous other plates around its boundary, creating a ring of volcanoes known as the 'Ring of Fire.' Indonesia is located directly on this Ring of Fire, contributing to its major volcanic activity. The archipelago has over 120 active volcanoes, making landslides, earthquakes, and eruptions common. In fact, just last week, the dangerous volcano of Mount Marapi erupted on the island of West Sumatra, sending up a massive cloud of smoke and covering nearby villages in ash. The same volcano also killed 20 people in a major eruption last year.

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): A female donkey is called a jenny.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy. (Leo F. Buscaglia)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Amalgamate (verb)- Amalgamate is a formal verb meaning "to unite (two or more things) into one thing."

In a Sentence: The band became famous for amalgamating different musical styles into a unique, signature sound.