Search The Website!

Typhoon Kalmaegi struck the Philippines several days ago, but the death toll continues to rise as the impacts of the devastating storm are uncovered. Kalmaegi began as a tropical depression near Micronesia's Yap Island in the Pacific, moving westward at a steady rate as it strengthened. By the time the typhoon arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday, winds had increased to around 105 mph, along with heavy rain. Over 200,000 people were evacuated prior to the storm's landfall. Kalmaegi's track took it straight through the center of the Philippines, traveling across the Visayas region before emerging into the South China Sea. The popular, tourist-loved island of Cebu was the hardest-hit, with cars washed away, roadways flooded, and homes inundated. As the floodwaters receded, the scale of the damage was revealed, showing vehicles stuck in previously-flooded areas and hundreds of homes decimated by winds. The largest issue for the country is the waste and debris that the flooding left behind– while waters washed objects downstream, winds whipped up debris that was then strewn everywhere, causing a massive mess. In total, the death toll from the typhoon has reached 114 people with another 127 missing. Authorities fear that the death toll is likely to continue to rise as bodies are discovered, but a new threat is on the way. As Kalmaegi battered Visayas, another tropical depression formed in the Pacific, and it has begun to strengthen as it moves west on a similar track to Kalmaegi. The new typhoon, named Fung-Wong, could maintain winds of over 130 mph upon landfall, though it is expected to impact the Philippines' northernmost and largest island of Luzon. This will likely bring rain to the already-saturated Visayas region, hindering search-and-rescue efforts and possibly leading to additional flooding. However, Typhoon Kalmaegi is also not to be disregarded. As it moved through the South China Sea, the storm strengthened, and it is now packing winds of over 125 mph as it approaches southern Vietnam. Over 350,000 people have been evacuated from the province of Gia Lai, which is expected to bear the brunt of the landfall along with its surrounding regions. Additionally, Vietnam has already been handling severe flooding this week, which have killed over 35 people– the ground is extremely saturated already, and Kalmaegi could have a catastrophic impact. Storm surge of around 26 feet is expected as well. Unfortunately, the frequency and intensity of these storms continues to rise with the amplification of climate change. As humans emit more greenhouse gases, the Earth continues to heat up, leading to warmer waters across the globe. Tropical systems feed off of warm water, allowing them to strengthen and form more often. Kalmaegi is already the 20th tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines this year, and another is already on the way. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Rebecca Felton was the first woman to ever serve in the United States Senate – but she only served for one day. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life. ( Steve Jobs) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Lout (noun, LOUT) - A lout is an awkward brutish person. In a Sentence: It was difficult for us to focus on the movie due to the noise coming from the group of louts seated in front of us. Image credit to AP

A United States federal judge has blocked Trump's deployment of the National Guard to Portland, Oregon, calling the move unconstitutional. The district court judge – Karin Immergut – who made the call decided that the protests around Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities in Portland were not severe enough to justify the deployment of the military, making Trump's actions unconstitutional. Trump claimed that demonstrations at ICE facilities in Portland had gotten extremely out of control, warranting the need for the National Guard to arrive on the scene. More specifically, Trump utilized Title 10 of the federal code, which states that the president is authorized to deploy the military domestically if they see a rebellion or the impending danger of a rebellion. However, the judge found that most conflicts at protest scenes were between people of different political stances, rarely involving federal agents. The decision comes as Trump attempts to deploy the national guard to various cities across the country– he has successfully sent them to Memphis, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. Meanwhile, Chicago and Portland were under consideration by judges, but Immergut's ruling could pave the way for the blocking of military deployment in Chicago as well. Of these cities, Trump has placed significant emphasis on Chicago, calling the city a mess of protests and violence. Locals have disputed this fact, though, accusing Trump of attempting to exert his influence as a Republican president onto what remains an extremely Democratic city. Others suspect that he could be trying to do the same thing with Portland, which is also heavily democratic. Nevertheless, Immergut's decision will prevent the National Guard from being deployed to Portland, which is a huge victory for Democrats and other anti-Trump and anti-ICE groups. The Trump administration is expected to appeal, though, which could send the case to the Supreme Court. Due to the fact that Trump appointed three of the nine current Supreme Court justices, there are still persisting allegations that the court is biased towards Trump and his Republican policies. Trump and the Supreme Court have strongly denied these accusations, of course, but the path forward for the deployment of the military into domestic cities is still relatively unclear. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Amber-colored rear turn signals are statistically proven to reduce collisions by between 3% and 28%. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The healthiest competition occurs when average people win by putting above average effort. ( Colin Powell) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Vamoose (verb, vuh-MOOSS) - Vamoose is an informal word that means "to depart quickly." In a Sentence: With the sheriff hot on their tails, the bank robbers knew they had better vamoose . Image credit to AFP

The Federal Aviation Administration has announced that they will impose a 10% reduction on US flights at 40 major airports amid the ongoing government shutdown. These reductions begin today at around 4%, with airlines beginning to cut some extra flights or routes that are unnecessary for operation. This will further expand over the weekend, reaching 10% by sometime next week. Although the FAA has established that they will cut domestic flights only, leaving international flights on schedule, the reductions apply to both commercial and cargo flights. Airlines are now scrambling to adjust schedules and change flight plans, though major carriers like American, United, Southwest, JetBlue, Frontier, and Delta have reported that the reductions impact a minimal number of planes. Nevertheless, they are still offering refunds and other packages to be shifted to another flight or cancelled, but they have confirmed that the reductions will not have an extremely significant impact on their operations unless they are raised further in the future. The reductions have been caused by the persisting government shutdown in the United States, leading to shortages of air traffic controllers and TSA security officers. During a shutdown, FAA workers, TSA officers, and air traffic controllers are all considered essential workers, meaning that they continue to work despite receiving no pay. While the workers do receive backpay at the end of the shutdown for their work, many do not maintain enough savings to support themselves and their families for months at a time. This forces them to find other side jobs to afford essentials and pay their bills, creating stress for workers. Because of this, many air traffic controllers simply choose not to work for that time period, creating problems at airports. The FAA reported that almost 80% of ATC officers did not come to work last Friday, forcing the remaining 20% to take on additional stress and manage hundreds of flights with less support. Unfortunately, the government remains at an impasse over the shutdown, with both Democrats and Republicans blaming each other. Both sides are trying to capitalize on the fact that they need to pass a new bill for the fiscal year ahead, leaving neither side with a clear majority. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Webster's Dictionary accidentally included the nonexistent word "Dord" for several years. The error occurred in the 1934 edition of Webster's New International Dictionary, Second Edition , and the word was removed after being discovered in 1939, though its complete removal took until 1947. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Time to me is a renewable resource that pays infinite dividends when invested in purposed priorities. ( Richie Norton) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Conciliatory (adj, kun-SILL-yuh-tor-ee) - Something described as conciliatory is intended to reduce hostility or to gain favor or goodwill. In a Sentence: As the customer’s voice rose, the manager adopted a soothing, conciliatory tone and promised that the situation would be remedied. Image credit to Getty Images

Zohran Mamdani, a far-left, democratic socialist candidate, won the New York City mayoral election yesterday, meaning that the city could receive some major changes over the next four years. Mamdani, born to Hindu and Muslim parents in Uganda, won the election with around 50.4% of the vote, edging out Trump-endorsed independent candidate Andrew Cuomo (41.9%), and Republican Curtis Sliwa (7.1%). Cuomo dominated across Staten Island and Southern Brooklyn while winning the Upper East Side of Manhattan and central Queens, but Mamdani scored the votes of most Manhattanites, almost all of downtown Brooklyn, and flipped the Bronx from the primaries in June. Mamdani will now become the mayor of the most populous city in the United States, which could have implications on policies in other cities as well. He is also the first Muslim and first South Asian mayor in New York City's history. The Muslim leader has strongly expressed his support for many policies that can be viewed as socialist, including universal childcare, free buses, government-owned grocery stores, and a rent freeze, helping New Yorkers with the city's largest problem: affordability. Mamdani, as a Muslim, also maintains an anti-Israel stance and supports Palestine in their fight against the Jewish state. Nevertheless, his plans rely on a funding program that taxes the rich. To supply the New York City government with the money to implement his plans, Mamdani has proposed a 2% increase in taxes on millionaires – New York City is the city in the world with the most millionaires, encompassing 1 in every 24 people – and an increase of the corporate tax rate from 8.85% to 11.5%. Additionally, many critics have pointed out that Mamdani has never held a real job for a long period of time and has remained in subsidized housing for most of his post-graduate life. This drew ire among citizens, many of whom believe that he does not have their interests in mind and cannot deliver on his promises. Mamdani also faces opposition from US President Donald Trump, who is far-right and strongly rejects the mayor's socialist ideologies. In fact, Trump has even threatened to halt federal funding for the city if Mamdani was elected, but it is unclear whether he will go through with that decision. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): The 8-year-old Grinch in The Grinch (2000) was actually played by an 18-year-old with dwarfism. Unfortunately, he passed away just two years after the film was released, at the age of 20. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): True friendship comes when the silence between two people is comfortable. ( David Tyson) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Spontaneous (adj, spahn-TAY-nee-us) - Spontaneous describes something that is done or said in a natural and often sudden way and without a lot of thought or planning. It can describe a person who does things that have not been planned but that seem enjoyable and worth doing at a particular time. In a Sentence: The kitten captured our hearts, and we made the spontaneous decision to adopt. Image credit to AP

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) recently launched their heaviest-ever communications satellite, yet another one of India's advancements in space technology over the past few years. The launch took place on Sunday at the Satish Dhawan Space Center, located in the town of Sriharikota in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The spacecraft is known as CMS-03 or GSAT-7R, and is the heaviest satellite that India has ever launched from their soil– weighing a staggering 9,722 pounds (4,410 kilograms). Meanwhile, the launch was conducted using a Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3) rocket, colloquially known to Indians as "Bahubali" because of its sheer size– the rocket stands at 142.7 feet high (43.5 meters) and weighs around 705 tons (640 tonnes). Around 16 minutes after being launched at 5:26 pm local time, the rocket released the satellite into geosynchronous orbit, meaning that its orbit takes the exact same amount of time as a day on Earth. The satellite serves primarily for military communications purposes, particularly the Indian Navy, and it contains complex systems like advanced transponders and multi-band communications which enable faster, more efficient communication and prevent atmospheric and positioning errors. The new spacecraft will take over from an old Indian satellite, GSAT-7, and should have a lifespan of around 15 years. However, the launch is a bigger achievement than it appears to be. The weight of CMS-03 is actually larger than the LVM3's maximum payload for geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) missions, but efficiency improvements by ISRO allowed the team to flawlessly launch the satellite into space, on time, without needing any additional attempts or fixes. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): There is an insurance policy issued against alien abduction. Around 50,000 policies have been sold, mainly to residents of the U.S. and England. They offer low premiums of around $20 and large payouts of over $10 million, but many of these payouts are paid as $1 each year for millions of years. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t  belong . ( Mandy Hale) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Fidelity (noun, fuh-DELL-uh-tee) - Fidelity is the quality or state of being faithful to a person, such as a partner or spouse, or a thing, such as one’s country. Fidelity can also refer to accuracy or exactness in details, or the degree to which an electronic device (such as a television) accurately reproduces its effect (such as sound or picture). In a Sentence: After almost three decades on the job, no one can doubt their fidelity to the company. Image credit to ISRO

After over two decades of construction, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) has finally opened, giving visitors access to thousands of artifacts and the entirety of King Tut's legendary tomb. Reports state that the building cost around $1 to $1.2 billion, and has been under construction since 2002– delays like the Gaza war, coronavirus pandemic, and a lack of funding had hindered progress. The museum's structure was completed in early 2024 and encompasses over 5.4 million square feet, making it the largest archaeological museum on Earth. Following its completion, the GEM partially opened, allowing visitors to come see many artifacts, but a large portion of the museum had not been finished yet– including the exhibit of the legendary King Tutankhamun. The GEM then closed to the public in June 2025, allowing them to prepare for its grand opening, which took place several days ago. In total, the museum contains over 100,000 artifacts from one of the oldest civilizations on Earth– a culture that has been around since 3100 BC when Menes united Upper and Lower Egypt, beginning the Early Dynastic period. However, their collection contains even more than that. In fact, the GEM even contains artifacts from Egypt's pre-dynastic times, which stretched back to 6000 BC when the first Nile communities emerged. One of the most revered exhibits within the new museum is the section dedicated to King Tutankhamun and his renowned tomb. In 1922, Tutankhamun rose to fame after his tomb was discovered almost completely intact, making it the only royal Egyptian tomb to have ever been discovered untouched. Other burial sites had been looted by tomb robbers or impacted by the shifting of geographical features, but King Tut's provided archaeologists with a look into the mummification process, the Egyptian life and afterlife, and more. Now, for the first time, visitors can see the artifacts found in King Tut's tomb for themselves, including his sarcophagus, mask, throne, jewelry, weapons, and chariots, all of which are made of solid gold. Museum curators are trying to display as many pieces as possible to get an authentic feel of the tomb, and around 1,800 of the original 5,500 pieces found in his tomb are being shown. However, the museum contains various other wonders, including the Grand Staircase lined with ancient statues, King Khufu's 4,500-year-old funerary solar boats, a 3,200-year-old, 52-foot-long hanging obelisk, and a 36-foot-tall statue of King Ramesses II. In total, the GEM is expected to draw around 5-7 million visitors each year, boosting Egypt's stalling tourism industry and providing visitors with a look inside true Egyptian life and ancient Egyptian culture. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): The Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in 1911, which drew more visitors to see the empty space than actual painting had ever attracted. In fact, that's how the painting rose to fame in the first place– not many people knew about da Vinci's masterpiece until the extensive media coverage popularized it after the theft. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you. ( Oprah Winfrey) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Arbitrary (adj, AHR-buh-trair-ee) - Arbitrary describes something that is not planned or chosen for a particular reason, is not based on reason or evidence, or is done without concern for what is fair or right. In a Sentence: Because the committee wasn’t transparent about the selection process, the results of the process appeared to be wholly arbitrary . Image credit to GEM

The Los Angeles Dodgers are now back-to-back World Series champions after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays in a tight battle for the crown. After a full season of Major League Baseball, the contestants for the World Series had been narrowed down to two teams: last year's defending champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Toronto Blue Jays, whose last titles were their back-to-back wins in 1992 and 1993. Game 1 of the World Series saw a crushing defeat for the Dodgers, with the Blue Jays winning 11-4 after three separate home runs of at least two RBIs. Game 2 saw several homers from the Dodgers, propelling them to the lead and allowing for an LA win, 5-1. Game 3 was much more intense, with the teams tied at 5-5 after the bottom of the 9th. The game went on to become the tied-longest game in World Series history, lasting a staggering 18 innings over a total of 6 hours and 39 minutes. In the end, the Dodgers took home the win after a walk-off home run from Freddie Freeman. The Blue Jays managed to complete another decisive victory in Game 4, though, winning 6-2 and bringing the score of the series to 2-2. Game 5 saw another strong win from the Blue Jays, winning 6-1. This set up a win-or-go-home situation for the Dodgers in Game 6, but they were able to pull out a win (3-1) in a relatively boring game with not a single home run. Following the Dodgers' win, a Game 7 was required to determine the champion, which took place last night. The Blue Jays started off well, scoring three runs after second baseman Bo Bichette slammed a home run off of Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani in the second inning. By the bottom of the 6th inning, the score was 4-2 with the Blue Jays in the lead, but solo home runs in the 8th and 9th innings allowed the Dodgers to bring the game back to 4-4. After a scoreless 10th inning, Dodgers catcher Will Smith stunned the crowd with a home run in the 11th, bringing the score up to 5-4. The Blue Jays were unable to respond after a stellar effort from Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, sealing the win for Los Angeles to bring home the title for the second year in a row. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Bi-weekly has two different definitions: Twice a week or once every two weeks. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The power of imagination created the illusion that my vision went much farther than the naked eye could actually see. ( Nelson Mandela) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Ostracize (verb, AH-struh-syze) - To ostracize someone is to exclude them from a group by the agreement of the group's members. In a Sentence: She was ostracized by her community after refusing to sign the petition. Image credit to Getty Images

Two courts decided in separate rulings that the Trump administration's suspension of SNAP benefits for low-income during the government shutdown was unlawful. The United States government remains shut down due to a government impasse in Congress, preventing them from passing a spending bill for the new fiscal year. Because of this, the government is without approved funding, forcing them to close down all non-essential programs like the National Park Service. Other essential programs like Homeland Security and air traffic controllers continue to operate, but employees in these sectors often go without pay and are recompensated for their work at a later date. Last week, as the shutdown persisted, the Department of Agriculture announced that they would be suspending the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, on November 1. The organization provides food stamps to over 42 million low-income Americans across the country, making up over 12% of the United States population. The Trump administration supported this decision, claiming that the department would be unable to pay for SNAP benefits until a spending bill was passed. The move quickly sparked alarm among recipients of benefits, who would soon be unable to pay for food. However, those efforts were rejected in two separate rulings yesterday. Issuing food stamps to the low-income population who needs them costs the government around $8.5 to $9 billion each month, spurring Trump to hastily announce that the benefits would have to be suspended. One case was brought to a federal judge in Rhode Island by several cities, nonprofits, and a trade union, and the judge ruled that the Trump administration did not have the power to suspend SNAP benefits, and there was additional funding to keep the program going during the shutdown. Evidence presented in the court elucidated that the USDA maintains a contingency fund of over $23 billion for situations like this, and an additional $5.25 billion can be provided by the federal government if needed. The other case, brought to a district judge in Massachusetts by several Democratic attorney generals and three governors, confirmed that the government would be able to pay for SNAP benefits and gave them the option to decide whether to utilize contingency funds or approve additional funding by November 3. In total, both cases are a huge win for the low-income population of the United States, who could have plunged into dangerous, uncharted territory if SNAP benefits were truly suspended during the shutdown. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Disappointment Island is an uninhabited island off the coast of New Zealand. Over 100,000 of white-capped albatross live there, making up over 95% of their population, and while the island has no humans living there and no trees, it is teeming with bird life and biodiversity. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence, seeing how you react. If you’re in control, they’re in control. ( Tom Landry) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Hobgoblin (noun, HAHB-gahb-lin) - A hobgoblin is a mischievous goblin that plays tricks in children’s stories. When used figuratively, hobgoblin refers to something that causes fear or worry. In a Sentence: This Halloween we were greeted at our door by werewolves, mummies, and a wide assortment of sweet-toothed hobgoblins . Image credit to New York Times

Tanzania has fallen into chaos as protests rage across the country following a highly controversial presidential election. The Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) took control of the Tanzanian government in 1961 after their independence and has maintained leadership of the democratic country since then. Tanzania is a multi-party democracy, meaning that they allow candidates from parties of different types to run for president, but the CCM has never lost an election. Then, on Wednesday, this year's elections took place, and CCM candidate Samia Suluhu Hassan quickly announced their incredible victory– winning around 97% of Tanzania's total votes. However, the election came after both leaders of Tanzania's leading opposition parties were jailed, leaving unorganized parties with unconvincing candidates as the only ones left in the election, apart from the CCM. Tundu Lissu, the leader of Chadema, an opposition party that challenged the CCM and its laws, was arrested in April on the charge of treason. He was placed in an area of the jail designated for prisoners facing the death penalty and claimed that he was not allowed to pray inside the jail, violating his basic human rights. For over two months, Lissu was denied access to his lawyers, and he has expressed his frustration over how slow the courts were with his due processes to bar him from running in the election. Meanwhile, Luhaga Mpina of the ACT-Wazalendo party was disqualified for the second time in September, preventing him from running. Mpina was originally disqualified but was able to reverse the decision in court, allowing him to run. However, the court later reversed their decision and disqualified him from the election. Now, protests have erupted across Tanzania, with citizens rioting against the biased election. According to AP, protestors burned a gas station and a bus and attacked police stations and poll centers. At least two people died in the demonstrations, one of which was a police officer. Nevertheless, the government quickly responded. Police officers were equipped with tear gas and water cannons, firing onto protestors, and a curfew was announced in the major city of Dar es Salaam. Additionally, barriers were set up across major roadways but protests continued. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): There is a United Arab Emirates enclave named Nahwa inside an Omani enclave named Madha which is inside the United Arab Emirates. This is because of the complex differences when tribes pledged allegiance to countries in the mid-20th century. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops a clock to save time . ( Henry Ford) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Truculent (adj, TRUCK-yuh-lunt) - Truculent describes a person who is easily annoyed and eager to argue or fight. It can also describe the mood or attitude of such a person. In a Sentence: The approach of multiple deadlines had put me in a truculent mood, and I could tell my colleagues were avoiding me. Image credit to Getty Images

US President Donald Trump ordered the US military to resume nuclear testing just minutes before his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but the two leaders were able to reach a successful agreement. Just before his meeting with Xi, Trump announced on social media that he had instructed the newly-named Department of War to resume nuclear testing, matching the actions of other countries. The US maintains the second-largest nuclear arsenal in the world, but they have not tested nuclear weapons since 1992. Other nations like North Korea, Russia, and China are already conducting nuclear tests, and they are all making advancements with new weapons and strategies. Now, Trump has told the military to bring back these tests in order to be ready for attack and advance their own nuclear program. He did not specify where these tests will take place, but they will likely resume testing in the Nevada desert, which is mostly government land and has been used for nuclear testing in the past. Then, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived. Trump talked with Xi for less than two hours in the city of Busan, South Korea, but he was quick to acknowledge that they had made some major progress. When asked to consider their agreements during the meeting on a scale of 1 to 10, Trump declared that he thought of it as a 12. The first and most important item on Trump's agenda was to settle their argument over rare earths, which could have proven costly for the United States. China is the world's largest supplier and processor of rare earths and critical minerals, which are used for various technological purposes, allowing them to keep a tight grip over the world's supply. However, this also puts other countries at risk, and tension between the US and China quickly escalated after the latter announced new export restrictions on rare earths several weeks ago. After the meeting, though, Trump confirmed that he had discussed the issue with Xi, and they had established a framework for a one-year deal that would be extended each year. This deal would allow for no restrictions on rare earths from China in exchange for the removal of 50% economic sanctions and export controls from the US. Another major topic, among others, that was discussed was tariffs. According to Trump, Xi plans to take significant action to stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States. Because of this, Trump has lowered the US fentanyl tariff on China to 10% from 20%, and China has lowered their levies on US goods as well. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): When shuffling a deck of cards, the number of possible arrangements is approximately 8 × 10 67 . That’s more than the number of stars in the observable universe. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): I ndeed, the test of orderliness in a country is not the number of millionaires it owns, but the absence of starvation among its masses. ( Mahatma Gandhi) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Deliquesce (verb, del-ih-KWESS) - Deliquesce can mean "to dissolve or melt away" or, in reference to some fungal structures (such as mushroom gills), "to become soft or liquid with age or maturity." In a Sentence: The mushrooms deliquesced into an inky fluid. Image credit to Getty Images