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Charlie Kirk, a far-right political activist, was shot at a rally at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, and officials are still conducting a massive manhunt to search for the suspect. Charlie Kirk was a prominent conservative political activist who supported various far-right and even extremist ideas, but had great success in his field. In 2012, at the age of just 19, Kirk founded Turning Point USA, a major organization that supports conservative politics on high school and college campuses, cementing his arrival into US politics, and he quickly became a close ally of current US President Donald Trump. However, the 31-year-old was shot at a rally in Orem, Utah on Wednesday as part of a targeted assassination. Kirk had been giving a speech at an open amphitheater in the center of the campus as part of his "American Comeback" tour, which was planned to go on to visit 14 other universities as part of his program. At least 3,000 people were attending the rally, which was free to enter. Using surveillance footage from various cameras across the area, authorities found that the gunman arrived on campus approximately 30 minutes before the shooting, heading up the stairs to the roof of a nearby building. This roof had a direct shot at Kirk, and extremely graphic videos posted on social media showed the gunman firing a supersonic bullet towards his neck at around 12:20 pm, instantly killing him. Ironically, the political activist was killed just seconds after he was asked a question about mass shootings in the United States. Nevertheless, the tragic incident sparked fear and concern among the people attending the rally, but several managed to spot the gunman sprinting across the roof of a nearby building. Additional surveillance footage released by the FBI showed the gunman jumping off the edge of the building and sprinting into a small forest, and a manhunt for the culprit has already begun. While a suspect was taken in for questioning on the day of the shooting, he was later released. However, authorities managed to recover the high-powered bolt-action rifle used in the shooting, which had various political messages written on it. Officials are currently analyzing the prints on the gun to try to discover the gunman's identity. The FBI has offered up to $100,000 for anyone with information on the shooter, who they suspect is around college age. They have also released several other photos of who they believe to be the gunman in an attempt to get someone to turn him in. Meanwhile, comments mourning Charlie Kirk have been rapidly pouring in from politicians and citizens – both left-wing and right-wing – for days. Yesterday, his body was carried in a casket by Vice President JD Vance, his wife, Usha Vance, and his family members to Phoenix, Arizona aboard Air Force Two. While Kirk was born in Illinois, his lifelong project, Turning Point USA, is headquartered in Phoenix. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site) : Owners of personalized license plates in Uganda are facing a tax increase of over 300%, which will raise the tax from $1,498 to $5,992. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage . Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness. (Brene Brown) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Zoomorphic (adj, zoh-uh-MOR-fik) - Zoomorphic describes things that have the form of an animal. In a Sentence: The local bakery is famous for its wide variety of zoomorphic treats, from “hedgehog” dinner rolls to delicate, swan-shaped pastries. Image credit to Wikipedia

Oracle, a software and cloud solutions company, made a massive announcement yesterday projecting a dramatic increase in their expected revenue for 2030, sending the entire stock market into a frenzy. Oracle has been on the rise in recent years as a major cloud solutions company, but their success dates back to long before that. In the 1980s, Oracle began marketing its database software, allowing businesses to save time and money using Oracle's entire portfolio of business solutions. Now, Oracle focuses on cloud computing, which involves providing computing services like data storage and software over the internet instead of maintaining a massive server, giving it the name, "the cloud." Cloud computing has risen in recent years to become one of the most important markets in the global economy, as artificial intelligence and other more sophisticated technological programs rely on cloud solutions due to their immense data consumption. The market is also extremely profitable, but requires massive initial investments. Major tech companies like Microsoft and Google have invested hundreds of billions of dollars into building massive data centers to allow for their cloud computing solutions to run, which are primarily fueled by the latest-generation chips from Nvidia, another trillion-dollar company. Despite this high barrier to entry, cloud computing provides great financial benefits to the companies who run the programs, as they earn money from both their computing centers and the AI systems that run on them. However, Oracle's recent announcement was seen as revolutionary for the industry. While their earnings report came in at slightly under expectations, the company confirmed that they signed four multibillion dollar contracts with three different customers during the quarter, including OpenAI, Meta, and Elon Musk's xAI. Additionally, Oracle stated that they expect cloud infrastructure revenue to reach $144 billion in the 2030 fiscal year, a massive increase from a mere $10.3 billion in 2025. This sent the stock market into a frenzy, with investors scrambling to purchase the stock as the prospect of future gains popped. The company's stock (ORCL) spiked almost 36% by the end of the day and continued gaining after hours, while Oracle's total market capitalization jumped from around $650 billion to $922 billion. Various semiconductor and chip stocks, like Nvidia (NVDA), Broadcom (AVGO), and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) also saw a jump in their stock price due to the rising prospect of additional investments into cloud computing in the next five years. Meanwhile, Oracle's co-founder, Larry Ellison, saw his net worth skyrocket, as he owns around 40% of Oracle. According to Bloomberg, the billionaire saw an increase of $101 billion to his net worth in just 30 minutes as the company's stock soared, allowing him to eclipse Elon Musk as the richest person in the world. However, by the end of the day, the stock settled to some degree, bringing his total gains down to $90 billion. Now, Musk has retained the spot, but only slightly– his net worth is around $384.2 billion, while that of Ellison is approximately $383.2 billion. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site) : The United States is around the same size as Europe, but they see over 900 more tornadoes per year. However, due to the United Kingdom's small size, they experience more tornadoes per square mile than any other country. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): There is a huge difference between being tolerant and tolerating intolerance. (Ayaan Hirsi Ali) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Griot (noun, GREE-oh) - The term griot refers to any of a class of musician-entertainers of western Africa whose performances include tribal histories and genealogies. The term is also used broadly to refer to a storyteller. In a Sentence: Tracing her family lineage back to West African griots inspired the singer to focus on storytelling through her music. Image credit to Shutterstock

Israel struck Qatar yesterday, working to target several Hamas higher-ups in the region and sparking global outrage from nations across the world. The strike hit a residential area in the Qatari capital of Doha, doing significant damage to multiple structures and sending thick smoke high into the sky. It involved 15 Israeli fighter jets and 10 bombs– locals reported hearing a total of around eight explosions during the attack. Hamas reported that the strike killed five of its members but confirmed that members of their negotiating team in Doha are still alive and well. According to Trump and Qatar, he received intel that Israel was about to strike just as the attacks began, meaning that his warning to Qatar was 10 minutes too late to allow them to block the strike. Before these incidents, the US believed that Israel was with them, but the Middle Eastern country has continued to ramp up operations and conduct surprise strikes, pushing their allies further away from them. Earlier in the war, Israel was given the go-ahead by the US to strike countries like Lebanon, Syria, and Iran, but Qatar seems to be a step forward that has gone too far. The US also maintains a strong alliance with Qatar on the global stage, unlike their relationship with many other Middle Eastern countries. Qatar, a historically neutral nation, often hosts negotiations and peace talks within Doha due to their central location and relatively peaceful neighbors as well– in fact, Israel-Hamas negotiations have been taking place there for months. Israel also asserted after the attack that they have given up on peace talks to end the war with Hamas, and will now focus all of their effort on fighting the war rather than trying to stop it. Trump quickly stated that he was "not thrilled" about the incident and is "very unhappy about every aspect of it," as the attack expands the Israel-Hamas War into yet another country– Qatar has reserved the right to respond, and retaliation from Doha could escalate the conflict into a multi-war conflict once again. Additionally, the attack has led to global condemnation, with the entire world denouncing the strike. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called the strike a "flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar," while Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries labeled the strike as "brutal Israeli aggression." Furthermore, countries across Europe, including France and the United Kingdom, also condemned the attack, and the Pope weighed in on the situation as well. However, Israel defended their actions, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claiming that it was necessary to eliminate several Hamas leaders that had helped organize the initial October 7 attacks in 2023. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site) : Nobody knows how the Academy Awards came to be referred to as the Oscars. The earliest mention was in 1932 and was made official in 1939. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment . (Richard J. Foster) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Insinuate (verb, in-SIN-yuh-wayt) - To insinuate something (especially something bad or insulting) is to say it in a subtle or indirect way. Insinuate can also mean "to gradually make (oneself) a part of a group, a person's life, etc., often by behaving in a dishonest way." In a Sentence: When the teacher questioned the students about their identical test answers, they knew she was insinuating that they had cheated. Image credit to Global News

The French National Assembly voted to oust the current Prime Minister after a no confidence vote yesterday, forcing the country deeper into their already-concerning political trouble. The no confidence vote, taken yesterday, saw 364 Members of Parliament (MPs) vote against Prime Minister François Bayrou, while a mere 194 MPs voted in his favor. The vote to oust Bayrou came as the Prime Minister announced a massive bill to halt all government spending and cut two public holidays, which was unpopular but saved the French government over €44 billion ($51 billion). He called the vote to enforce support for the bill, but the vote went against him, meaning that he will be forced to resign from his position. Now, French President Emmanuel Macron will be forced to choose his third Prime Minister in one year, displaying the country's serious political instability crisis. But how did they get here? Last year, their economy began showing signs of a downturn, with the country's debt and budget deficit increasing at dangerous levels. Macron scrambled to fix the issues while preventing a recession, but those efforts proved unsatisfactory. Then, Macron took the entire country by surprise after calling for snap parliamentary elections to reinforce the support for his party. However, his plan backfired, allowing other parties to gain significant support during the same time period, but a new prime minister came into office: Michel Barnier. Nevertheless, with their newfound power, Macron's opposition parties came together to oust Barnier in December , making his three-month term the shortest in French history. This forced Macron to choose Bayrou as his next prime minister– a man with great experience in political positions, and he held similar views to Macron. He has taken a more aggressive approach to bringing down their national debt, which has soared to unprecedented levels: France's current budget deficit stands at around €169 billion ($199 billion), which is around 5.8% of their total GDP. By comparison, the limit imposed by the eurozone – the region of Europe that utilizes the euro as their currency – is 3%. Furthermore, the national debt now stands at €3.35 trillion, which is around 116% of their GDP, making them one of the most indebted nations in the eurozone. This is primarily due to their staggering spending over the last five years, the majority of which was due to dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and protecting the country from an energy crisis after the Russia-Ukraine War. As investing in France becomes riskier and riskier, interest rates are rising as well, forcing the nation to pay even more– in 2020, France spent €26 billion on interest. This year, that number is projected to be as high as €66 billion, displaying a drastic uptick in interest payments. Meanwhile, Macron also cut taxes during the same time period, focusing on the reduction of taxes for the rich to allow for more foreign investments into the country's economy. While this has allowed for more investment, it has also led to a loss of over €50 billion ($59 billion) in tax revenue. Despite these factors, the French National Assembly decided yesterday that Bayrou and his new government have not done enough to help France escape their financial troubles, ousting him in yet another no confidence vote. Now, Macron will need to choose another prime minister, but there are only so many options for him to choose from, and the country's crisis is only getting worse. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site) : Chicken Run is the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film, even beating The Nightmare Before Christmas after grossing $227 million at the box office. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The struggles we endure today will be the ‘good old days’ we laugh about tomorrow. (Aaron Lauritsen) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Sanguine (adj, SANG-gwin) - Sanguine is a formal word that today almost always describes someone who is confident and hopeful, or something that shows confidence and hopefulness. Sanguine can also describe something that is bloodred in color, something involving or relating to bloodshed, or a person’s reddish complexion. In a Sentence: The young group of entrepreneurs is sanguine about the future of their business. Image credit to Wikimedia Commons

The US Open Finals took place this weekend, with Carlos Alcaraz defeating Jannik Sinner in the Men's Final and Aryna Sabalenka beating Amanda Anisimova in the Women's Final. The US Open is one of four major tennis tournaments each year, with the other three being the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon. This year, Italy's Jannik Sinner and Spain's Carlos Alcaraz met three times in major finals, with Alcaraz winning the French Open in an epic, five-and-a-half hour final and Sinner taking home the Wimbledon trophy in four sets. Then, at the US Open Final yesterday afternoon, Alcaraz and Sinner faced off again, with Alcaraz taking a comfortable win in four sets. The match begun with Alcaraz winning the first set 6-2 before Sinner came back in the second set, 6-3. Amazingly, that was the only set that the Spaniard lost in the entire tournament, displaying his incredible current form. Alcaraz went on to win the next two sets 6-1 6-4, completing his dominant win– in total, he racked up 10 aces, no double faults, and 42 winners throughout the two-and-a-half hour final, contrasted to Sinner's 2 aces, 4 double faults, and 21 winners. With yesterday's victory, Alcaraz now moves up to become the world No. 1 once again– in 2022, Alcaraz rose up to No. 1 after winning the US Open at the age of 19, becoming the youngest male player to ever reach the rank. Alcaraz also becomes the first-ever player to win multiple grand slams on all three surfaces – hard court, clay, and grass – before the age of 23. Meanwhile, in the Women's Final, Belarus' Sabalenka battled against the home favorite, Anisimova, beating her opponent in straight sets, 6-3 7-6 (3). With the win, Sabalenka defended her title and became the first woman to win back-to-back US Open Finals since Serena Williams won three straight from 2012 to 2014. Anisimova, on the other hand, reached her second consecutive grand slam final after losing out to Poland's Iga Świątek at Wimbledon in July. However, her 29 unforced errors – Sabalenka had just four – heavily contributed to her significant loss. An update has been released on the Hyundai plant arrests in the US state of Georgia, with South Korea confirming that they will bring 300 of the workers back home. The news comes just after a massive immigration raid on the plant, located just outside the city of Savannah, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers shut down operations and arrested 475 people thought to be illegal immigrants. Read more into the initial arrests here . While some had legally traveled to the US, South Korea has confirmed that they will bring 300 of the detained workers home following their release by ICE. This is because many of the workers had illegally crossed the border to enter the US, entered legally but had an expired visa, or entered using a visa that did not allow for maintaining a job. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site) : Over 50% of Niger's population is under the age of 16, making it the country with the lowest median age in the entire world. This is primarily due to the nation's incredibly high fertility rate, with an average of 6.89 kids per mother. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Failure after long perseverance is much grander than never to have a striving good enough to be called a failure. (George Eliot) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Behest (noun, bih-HEST) - Behest can refer either to an authoritative order or an urgent prompting. In a Sentence: The committee met again at the senator’s behest . Image credit to BBC

At least 43 people are dead and farmers have lost hundreds of thousands of acres of crops amid record-breaking flooding in northern India and Pakistan. The flooding's primary impacts have been within the region of Punjab, which stretches into the northern side of both countries, inundating fields and destroying structures. At least 2,000 villages have been affected by the rains within the Indian state, which have also devastated the livestock population as the high floodwaters drowned cows, pigs, chickens, and other farm animals. Homes have collapsed due to the rising waters, roads are submerged, and the entire region's annual crop has been eliminated completely. Additionally, river flooding has impacted various communities farther away from the site of the rains after floodwaters rushed downstream, inundating other villages within the region. Many farmers across Punjab have no other means of earning for their families, and their only options are to sell the land and move elsewhere or bear the brunt of losing their entire crop for this year. Among the crucial crops in the region are rice, cotton, and sugarcane– in fact, the Indian state of Punjab alone supplies around 12% of the country's total rice exports. The region is known for its high-quality rice, as it is known as one of the most fertile areas in the world due to its nutrient-rich water supply from the Himalayan Mountains. However, now, farmers have been left without seeds to plant, crops to water, livestock to feed, and homes to sleep in, and most homes that made it through the disaster are currently unable to access electricity or fresh water. Numerous farmers have begun to criticize their local governments for their slow response to the disaster, but flood alert systems are often sparsely distributed in rural India, and cellular service is spotty in most areas. Unfortunately, the conditions are only expected to get worse in the coming years. South Asia's monsoon season, which typically lasts from June to September, continues to become more intense and lasts for longer periods of time– a key effect of climate change, which continues to warm the region during the summer months as well. Many Punjab farmers worry for the futures of their children and grandchildren as the monsoons worsen, bringing more and more devastating impacts to the region each year. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site) : A man with severe OCD and a phobia of germs attempted to commit suicide with a gun to his head. Instead of killing him, the bullet eliminated his mental illness without any other damage. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. What is soft is strong. (Lao Tzu) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Mollify (verb, MAH-luh-fye) - To mollify someone is to make them less angry. Mollify can also mean "to reduce in intensity." In a Sentence: The celebrity's statement was intended to mollify critics. Image credit to AP

Almost 500 South Korean workers at an under-construction battery plant in the southern US state of Georgia were detained by ICE yesterday after being accused of illegally immigrating to the country. The arrests are part of the largest-ever Homeland Security operation at a single location, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detaining over 475 South Koreans at the plant. The factory, once complete, will produce batteries for electric vehicles and is officially co-owned by LG and Hyundai, two major South Korean companies. However, Hyundai has confirmed that none of their employees have been detained in the process. Meanwhile, another section of the factory is fully operational and manufactures EVs, but they were unaffected by the raids. The construction of the plant is also the largest single industrial development project in Georgia's history, costing a staggering $7.6 billion to construct, but it is one of the state's largest plants for any sort of manufacturing– once complete, it will employ over 1,200 people. While the factory was slated to be completed by the end of the year, that deadline could be pushed back if this matter is not resolved quickly– all construction has halted at the site, which is over 3,000 acres in size. According to the Department of Homeland Security, an investigation had taken place in the months prior to the arrests, with officials working to find out the legality of the immigrants working at the plant. Following their research, the team then obtained a search warrant from an official judge, claiming that the actions inside the plant involved "unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes ." Then, the operation went into action yesterday, with ICE raiding the plant and arresting everyone inside. However, the department later realized that various "illegal" immigrants were actually legal citizens and are working to release those who were wrongfully detained. Nevertheless, many of the South Koreans in custody have legally entered the United States for a short period of time. Furthermore, the plant is relatively far from the major city of Atlanta– instead, it is located extremely close to the town of Savannah – more specifically, the town of Ellabell – which does not have a significant Korean population. Due to this, many workers are struggling to find lawyers or people who can support their claims, preventing them from proving to ICE that they are legal. Now, LG and South Korea are working hard to get their people out as soon as possible. Several officials from the South Korean embassy have arrived in Ellabell to deal with the situation, and LG is working remotely to ensure the safe release of their employees and the employees of their partner companies. On a separate note, the raid comes just after South Korea agreed to invest over $350 billion into the US economy, much of which involves battery manufacturing. Their products are already facing steep tariffs from the US, and the arrests of their citizens could further damage ties between the two allies. Various South Koreans have also commented on how the US urges the country to invest in America but refuses to issue visas to South Korean citizens, preventing them from arriving in the US. In this situation, the South Koreans which have managed to obtain a visa have been arrested as well, deterring their citizens from coming to work in the US. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site) : During WWII, a U.S. naval destroyer won a battle against a Japanese submarine by throwing potatoes at them. The USS O'Bannon threw them as a distraction, as the Japanese thought they were grenades, allowing the Americans to sink the ship using their depth charges. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): I always assumed that the reason I’ve never run a marathon is because I haven’t bought a pair of shorts and arrived at the start line. (Sue Perkinsk) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Histrionic (adj, his-tree-AH-nik) - Histrionic is a word used disapprovingly to describe someone or something that is too emotional or dramatic. In a Sentence: The head chef had a penchant for dish throwing, door slamming, and other histrionic displays of temper whenever a dish was sent back to the kitchen. Image credit to Hyundai Motor Group

The Los Angeles Clippers, a major National Basketball Association (NBA) team, have been accused of a massive scandal involving forward Kawhi Leonard to avoid exceeding their salary cap. The Clippers, which maintain their home base at the Crypto.com arena in Los Angeles, are one of the city's two NBA teams, with the other being the famed LA Lakers. However, the Clippers have a much smaller fanbase and have never won a championship. Now, the team has been accused of creating of the NBA's biggest scandals– paying forward Kawhi Leonard using an external company to avoid exceeding their salary cap. The entire scandal began when sports reporter Pablo Torre uncovered thousands of pages of documents revealing a Clippers plot to skirt their salary cap, releasing the information on his show, "Pablo Torre Finds Out." The scandal began with Clippers owner Steve Ballmer allegedly making a significant investment into a financial services company known as Aspiration, which focused on sustainability and went bankrupt in April after co-founder Joseph Sanberg was convicted on two counts of wire fraud. Between 2021 and 2023, Aspiration became a primary sponsor for the Clippers, and a four-year contract for marketing and endorsements was then signed with Kawhi Leonard. However, one clause of the contract confirmed that Leonard would only get paid as long as he remained a player on the Clippers, suggesting additional compensation from the team that was not part of his contract. Furthermore, the contract included several clauses that hinted that Leonard would not be required to work, and Torre confirmed that Leonard never completed any sort of advertisements for the company. Despite this, Leonard was still paid over $28 million by Aspiration as part of their alleged plan to circumvent the NBA salary cap, allowing Leonard to receive additional pay without receiving it directly from the team. Torre also interviewed an employee of Aspiration's finance department who explicitly confirmed these theories. Nevertheless, the Clippers have strongly denied the allegations and claimed that the team had zero involvement in Leonard's advertisement deal with Aspiration. As a defense to Ballmer's generous contribution to the company's funding, they claimed that he had been defrauded as well, similar to the situations of various other investors who put money into the company. If the Clippers were to be found guilty of conducting the scandal, it would have significant implications for the team. According to Article XIII of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the team could be fined up to $4.5 million for the scandal, up to $7.5 million, forfeiture of draft picks, voiding of player contracts, a fine for Leonard of up to $350,000, a ban preventing Leonard from signing another contract with the Clippers, and a one-year suspension of any team members who participated in the scandal. The NBA has launched an investigation into the matter, but have refused to say anything other than acknowledgement of the accusations. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site) : Small as they may be, ladybugs have a unique smell that humans are incredibly sensitive to. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Someone once asked me “Why do you always insist on taking the hard road?” I replied, “Why do you assume I see two roads?” (Unknown) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Abeyance (noun, uh-BAY-unss) - Abeyance is a formal word that is almost always used in the phrase “in abeyance” to describe something in a temporary state of inactivity—that is, something in a state of suspension. In a Sentence: The legal case is now being held in abeyance while the parties attempt to find a mutually acceptable solution. Image credit to NBC News

A federal judge ruled yesterday that Trump's cuts to the funding of Harvard University were illegal, but the ruling may not be the final say. Earlier in the year, US President Donald Trump demanded that Harvard change their curriculum and eliminate programs like those for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). After the university refused to do so, Trump froze over $2.2 billion in government grants to Harvard, claiming that he was preventing antisemitism. However, Harvard did not budge, and they made a significant legal victory yesterday after a federal ruling went against the cuts. After the cuts, Harvard sued, alleging that the stoppage of funding for their research programs infringed on the university's First Amendment and due process rights. Harvard lawyers called Trump's actions "blatantly unconstitutional" as he tried to force the university to implement his desires, with the Trump administration defending their decision by mentioning unchecked antisemitism across the Harvard campus. While Trump plans to halt federal grants to hundreds of schools across the nation, Harvard was the only university that sued. Then, yesterday, Judge Allison Burroughs of the US District Court in Boston, Massachusetts, ruled in favor of Harvard, releasing an 84-page ruling explaining her decision. The document centered around how Harvard seemed to be taking adequate steps to fight antisemitism and how the protection of free speech is also crucial. Nevertheless, it also called on the entire Justice Department to prevent schools from being "improperly subjected t o arbitrary and procedurally infirm grant terminations, even if doing so risks the wrath of a government committed to its agenda no matter the cost" as a reference to the Trump administration. The document also acknowledged that antisemitism is still present on the Harvard campus and that they should have taken stronger steps to address it, as they are doing now. However, the judge confirmed that antisemitism is not a legitimate basis to cancel funding, and Trump's earlier demands to the university had nothing to do with mistreatment or hate against Jewish people– according to Judge Burroughs, the true reason for Trump's funding cuts were his "power and political views." The Trump administration quickly denounced her decision, reinforcing their claims of discrimination on the Harvard campus, and Trump plans to appeal the decision in the Supreme Court, similar to what he plans to do with the latest ruling against his tariffs . Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Cruise ships have morgues that can store up to 10 bodies at once. The average amount of people that die on cruise ships per year is 200. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important. (T. S. Eliot) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Trivial (adj, TRIV-ee-ul) - Something described as trivial is of little worth or importance. In a Sentence: Although her parents initially dismissed her love of pop music as a trivial matter, it became clear as she applied to colleges with strong popular music programs that much of her life was going to be dedicated to it. Image credit to Harvard University

At least 1,000 people are dead after a devastating landslide struck western Sudan yesterday, wiping out an entire village. The landslide occurred in the region of Darfur, located on Sudan's western border, above the village of Tarseen in the Marra mountains. Based on their approximations of the village population, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army, a local rebel group, have deduced that around 1,000 were killed. Only one person in the entire town survived the disaster. Unfortunately, Darfur lacks many of the supplies needed to build up a solid town, and they do not have the resources to rescue people from disasters once they happen. Many villages have no access to major roads, making them only accessible by helicopter, and are built in dangerous locations at the foot of unstable mountains. Furthermore, authorities, which have been caught up in the fighting, have no resources to assist the people affected by the disaster. Tarseen, a remote village, can only be reached by donkey or a three-hour walk without a helicopter, and there is no cellular service and little governmental authority that controls the region. This, in addition to continued rainfall and a lack of heavy machinery, is hampering their rescue efforts, meaning that the true death toll may be unknown for an indefinite period of time. Also, nearby villages are now scrambling to take action to avoid a similar disaster, as heavy rains continue to fall across the region. This underdevelopment is one of the primary effects of Sudan's civil war, with the region of Darfur at the forefront of the situation. Unfortunately, that conflict continues today as Sudan's civil war persists due to ethnic differences and battles over natural resources. This keeps the country in a constant state of civil war due to the improper borders and unequal development set by colonialists hundreds of years ago. Now, in recent years, as the war has ramped up, a humanitarian crisis has unfolded, and the humanitarian situation in Sudan is currently the worst in the world. Millions of people from major cities have fled into small villages in the mountains to avoid the fighting, where soldiers often attack innocent civilians. However, the influx of refugees has greatly exceeded the capacity of these remote towns, with thousands of people cramming into small buildings. Additionally, diseases spread extremely quickly in tightly-packed spaces, and deadly epidemics of fatal conditions like cholera are becoming more and more common. Meanwhile, the forces fighting in Sudan have stopped international aid from reaching citizens, leading to an even larger disaster. Armies have killed aid workers and stolen supplies, preventing the help from reaching those who need it. Furthermore, landslides and mudslides will only become more common in the mountains as the impacts of climate change become more severe, leading to longer, heavier rainfall events followed by large stretches of drought, leading to famine. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): If you heat up a magnet past a certain temperature called its Curie point, it will permanently lose its magnetism. This happens because the thermal energy causes the atoms within the material to vibrate randomly, disrupting the magnetic alignment of the substance. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration , the rest of us just get up and go to work. (Stephen King) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Carp (verb, KAHRP) - To carp is to complain in an annoying way. In a Sentence: They’re always carping about their boss. Image credit to Sky News