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Contents: New Travel Article: Disney Announces Massive Park Expansion Rare Super Blue Moon Happening Tonight: Here's Why It's Special Upcoming Events Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day We have released a new Travel article today detailing a massive new park expansion that was recently announced by Disney. The new attractions include a Stark Flight Lab in Los Angeles, whole new lands dedicated to villains and cars coming to Orlando, and four new cruise ships arriving in the next three to seven years. You can check out the new article here . A rare super blue moon will take place tonight, so make sure not to miss it! Let's take a look at what a super blue moon is and why you should take some time out of your evening to look at the night sky tonight. There are two types of blue moons: monthly blue moons and seasonal blue moons. Monthly blue moons are rarer and happen when two full moons occur in a single calendar month-- this is relatively rare because one lunar cycle is around 29.5 days long, while a month lasts 30-31 days. A seasonal blue moon is when four full moons occur in one season instead of the usual three. The third of the four full moons is considered as the blue moon. The original definition of a blue moon was the seasonal blue moon, but the monthly blue moon definition is more widely known in these days. Monthly blue moons occur around once every 2.7 years, while a seasonal blue moon occurs around every 2.5 years. A supermoon, on the other hand, occurs when the moon is closer to Earth, making it appear bigger. Since the moon's orbit around Earth is an elliptical, not an exact circle, the moon is closer to our planet at certain times of the year, so a full moon during this time is considered a supermoon. During a supermoon, the moon appears approxim ately 14% larger and 30% brighter than the faintest moon of the year, and they occur around three to four times a year. However, when a blue moon and a supermoon coincide, it is known as a super blue moon, which are exceedingly rare. 25% of all full moons are supermoons, while only 3% of full moons are blue moons, meaning that only 0.75% of all full moons are super blue moons. Super blue moons occur around every 10 years, but the next one is predicted to happen in 2037-- making it all the more important to get outside tonight and take a look at one of the largest moons of the year. In case you were wondering, the next seasonal blue moons will occur on May 20, 2027 and December 20, 2029, while the next monthly blue moon will occur on May 31, 2026. Upcoming Events: World Humanitarian Day (Monday, August 19) International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism (Wednesday, August 21) International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief (Thursday, August 22) International Day for the Remembrance of the the Slave Trade and Its Abolition (Friday, August 23) This article has been edited after a mistake in the original publication was found. The next super blue moon will occur in 2037, not 2032. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Celsius and Fahrenheit become equal at -40 degrees. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Practice like you never won, perform like you never lost. (The Eagle) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Impugn (verb)- To impugn something, such as a person's integrity, judgment, etc., is to attack or oppose it as false or lacking integrity. In a Sentence: The defense attorneys did their best to impugn the motives of the prosecution’s key witnesses.

Contents: Hurricane Ernesto Makes Landfall in Bermuda, Sets Sights on Canada Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Hurricane Ernesto made landfall in Bermuda yesterday, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall to the small British territory in the middle of the Atlantic. In case you missed it, Ernesto had some serious effects across the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico earlier in the week. You can read more about that here . After delivering heavy rain to Puerto Rico, Ernesto rapidly moved north, curving west along with the Gulf Stream, a massive current that sweeps through the Atlantic Ocean. Then, it shifted east, setting Bermuda it its direct path. In the end, the storm managed to make landfall on the one piece of land -- only 1.75 miles wide at its widest point -- in the entire North Atlantic. A hurricane warning was issued for the entire area before the arrival of the storm, and Ernesto made landfall early yesterday morning as a Category 1 hurricane. It brought sustained winds of over 85 mph and some storm surge along with heavy rain. Totals of around 6 to 9 inches are expected across Bermuda. Thankfully, the storm struck with weaker winds than it was expected to, arriving as a Category 1 instead of a Category 2. Meanwhile, the true damage done by the system in other areas is just beginning to emerge, with various rivers across Puerto Rico overflowing after the heavy rainfall. Bridges were wiped out and muddy floods turned villages into swamps and roads into rivers. While crews are working quickly to restore crucial resources, hundreds of thousands of people are still out of power and over 100,000 do not have access to clean water. Power companies are primarily working towards restoring power to hospitals first, as several hospitals are running on emergency backup power from generators. In the US Virgin Islands, located just east of Puerto Rico, officials stated that that St. John and St. Croix experienced a total outage across the entire island, and airports were also shut down-- they have since reopened. Offices and schools were forced to close in both US territories and have since struggled to open back up due to the number of major roads still blocked by water and trees. Cruises have been avoiding the area for several days, trying to stay away from the weather, but should return soon. Ernesto is now expected to brush the province of Newfoundland, located in Canada, as it curves northeast. It will most likely arrive as a Category 1 hurricane with winds of over 75 mph, along with heavy rain, once again. From there, it should fizzle out in the North Atlantic as it drifts over colder waters. The warnings over Bermuda have ended since the system has quickly moved away from the island, but tropical storm statements are in place across the waters of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland amid the impending brush from Ernesto. Marine warnings are still in place across the eastern coast of the United States, though, because of the dangerous rip currents and high waves that could occur due to Ernesto churning the ocean hundreds of miles away. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): You become taller in space due to the lack of gravity pushing down on your body. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): It’s not complicated to embrace life. You just have to make the choice. (Faith Hill) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Copious (adj)- Copious is a synonym of abundant and plentiful . It is always used before a noun to describe something very large in amount or number. In a Sentence: The pie was served with a copious amount of ice cream.

Contents: Monkeypox on the Rise: Here's What to Know and Why It's a Concern Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Monkeypox, also known as mpox, is on the rise, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global health emergency over the concerning surge in recent cases. Monkeypox is related to smallpox, which has been eradicated for over 40 years, and is spread through close contact or contact with materials that have touched an infected person. It can also be spread between animals and humans. The disease causes mild initial symptoms such as fever, headache, sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes, making it easy to be confused with another virus like the flu or even the coronavirus. However, once the real disease takes effect, serious rashes occur all over the body, and painful lesions soon follow. After a couple of weeks, the lesions usually scab over and go away on their own, but if you have mpox-like symptoms, make sure to get treated as quick as possible to make sure it doesn't spread. The disease isn't normally deadly, but it can be fatal, especially in young children or people with weaker immune systems. There are two types of mpox, clade I and clade II. Clade I is more severe and has a higher death rate-- the fatality rate for clade I is around 10%, while the rate for clade II is under 1%. While a massive outbreak of mpox in 2022 was fueled by a strain of clade II, clade IIb, the a mutation of the deadlier clade I is responsible for the latest outbreak. Unfortunately, not a lot of research has been done on mpox, meaning that some of its long-term effects and easier ways to stop it are still unknown. Due to a lack of clean water resources and vaccines in Africa, the continent as a whole has suffered greatly from mpox. Clade IIb struck western, central, and eastern Africa hard in 2022, and it still occurs commonly across West Africa in countries like Liberia, Ghana, and Nigeria. Meanwhile, clade I is endemic to central Africa, primarily in countries like DRC and the Congo. Millions of vaccines were requested following the severe outbreaks across the continent in 2022, but none were ever delivered, worsening the condition. Now, mpox has struck Africa once again, with clade Ib making waves in the DRC. The mutation has been reported in at least 14 African countries, and the first case of clade I mpox outside Africa was recently reported in Sweden. Many African countries are attempting to curb the spread, but it will be tough with depleted resources to treat the infected and almost no vaccines to help prevent it from infecting others. While many more developed countries, such as the United States and most of Europe, have the resources to vaccinate people who are more at risk, this is a reminder that many countries in Africa don't have those kinds of resources, making their populations much more vulnerable to infections from various diseases. WHO and The Vaccine Alliance are working to supply vaccines to the DRC and Nigeria, which are experiencing some of the worst outbreaks, as soon as possible, hoping to supply almost 3 million of them by the end of the year. They are also funding more mpox research to learn more about the disease and how to further stop its spread, potentially curbing cases across Africa. While mpox is unlikely to become another pandemic like COVID-19 due to the fact that it is not spread as easily, it is still a threat to the public, so make sure to watch out for it -- no matter where you live -- and stay away from anyone experiencing severe rashes or lesions around their body. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Diamonds actually degrade into graphite, the material used for pencil lead, over time. However, the process takes around a billion years, so there's no need to about your jewelry. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Don’t wait for the perfect opportunity . Take the opportunity and make it perfect . (Sam Mendes) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Tchotchke (noun)- Tcho tchke refers to a small object used for decoration. It's a synonym of knickknack and trinket . It is pronounced as "chachka." In a Sentence: Their shelves were cluttered with tchotchkes from a lifetime of vacations.

Your News Hub journalist Mihir Gupta has published an important forum post regarding what you would like to learn about this year's US Elections. After all, US Elections Info is focused on educating you about systems in the government, so Mihir would like you to respond with what election info you would like to read about next. You can respond to the post here . Contents: Typhoon Ampil Slams Tokyo, Transportation Heavily Affected Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Typhoon Ampil is slamming Tokyo as the storm brushes by Japan's heavily populated eastern coastline with sustained winds of over 125 mph. Ampil began as a tropical depression in the middle of the western Pacific, quickly moving north towards Japan. As it moved over extremely warm waters, the storm strengthened from a tropical storm with winds of 70 mph to a raging typhoon with winds of 100 mph in just one day, beginning to approach Japan as a strong typhoon on Wednesday. By Thursday, it had strengthened to 115 mph and ended up passing Tokyo with winds of 125 mph-- equivalent to that of a Category 3 hurricane in the Atlantic. The last system of equivalent strength to hit the Kanto region, where Tokyo is located, was Typhoon Faxai in 2016. By Thursday, some winds and heavy rain from Ampil's outer bands began to impact the eastern coast of Japan, primarily the Tokyo metropolitan area and its surrounding cities. Thunderstorm advisories were put into place across the country's largest island of Honshu, stretching from the southern province of Shizuoka all the way up past the city of Sendai, located in the Miyagi province. Heavy rainfall warnings were put in place across the Tokyo area, and gale advisories were announced along all of Honshu's eastern coast. Japan's two major airlines, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, canceled a total of over 350 flights yesterday, while both Tokyo's biggest international airports, Haneda and Narita, topped yesterday's list of airports with the most canceled flights-- Haneda canceled 32% of all outbound flights and 49% of inbound flights while Narita canceled 22% of all outbound flights and 41% of inbound flights as the storms approached. Both airlines and both airports have already canceled hundreds more flights scheduled for today, which will heavily impact Japan's busy travel industry. In addition, Central Japan Railway, which primarily operates in the neighboring Chubu region, has shut down all of its major Shinkansen bullet train lines, the most popular of which travels between Tokyo and Osaka (through Nagoya), and East Japan Railway Company has shut down many of its train lines as well. Shipping has also been impacted, with cargo ships and ferries told to leave Tokyo Bay yesterday for calmer waters before the storm arrived. Ampil is currently brushing by Tokyo with heavy rain, with widespread totals of up to 8 inches expected, and serious winds as the storm gets closer. Soon after passing the Kanto region, the system will curve northeast and weaken into a Category 1 as it moves farther away from Honshu, eventually fizzling out in the middle of the Pacific. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Sound travels faster in water than air. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Absorption in things other than self is the secret of a happy life. (James Cagney) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Encumber (verb)- Someone or something that is encumbered is burdened or weighed down (as in “tourists encumbered by heavy luggage”) or hindered (as in “negotiations encumbered by a lack of trust”). In a Sentence: The children found it difficult to climb down the river's steep embankment, encumbered as they were by inner tubes and towels.

Contents: Ukrainian Forces Gain 386 Square Miles of Russian Territory After Surprise Attack Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reported that the country's armed forces have gained hundreds of square miles of Russian territory since their initial surprise attack earlier this week, and it could gain even more territory in the coming days. Currently, Russia maintains control over a large section of eastern Ukraine, including the regions of Crimea, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson. Crimea was originally annexed in 2014, but the last four have been taken over in the last two years after the war began in February 2022. Ukrainian counteroffensives are taking place throughout the eastern portion of the country, but dating back to World War II, no army had gone across the Russian border-- until now. Due to a large number of Russian forces attacking the Ukrainian area of Sumy, located in northeastern Ukraine next to Kharkiv, where heavy fighting is taking place, Ukraine was forced to retaliate. They launched an unexpected cross-border attack into the Russian region of Kursk, which borders Sumy, which completely surprised Russia. In just a couple of days, Ukrainian forces had taken over approximately 386 square miles of area, including 74 different settlements, in Kursk, and they are now approaching the neighboring region of Belgorod. This has also weakened the strength of Russia's attacks in other areas, such as Kharkiv, as the Russian army is being forced to pull soldiers and equipment from their primary offensives. Citizens across Kursk have been forced to evacuate, and people living in western Belgorod are now also being advised to evacuate as Ukrainian forces approach the area. Attacks also took place in the neighboring Russian regions of Bryansk to the west and Voronezh to the northeast, further increasing the total strength of the offensive. This is being considered as a major embarrassment for the Kremlin, as their offensive into Ukraine is having to be halted because Ukraine has invaded their own territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised to "kick the enemy out," but despite the numerous troops that have been relocated to counter the attacks, the Ukrainian forces continue to gain territory. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): The study of mushrooms and other fungi is called mycology. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Freedom is not the right to live as we please, but the right to find how we ought to live in order to fulfill our potential. (Domain Gary) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Gadabout (noun)- A gadabout is a person who flits about in social activity, as by going to many places and social events for pleasure. In a Sentence: She was a gadabout who was rarely home, and her tiny apartment was cluttered with playbills and other souvenirs of her adventures.

Contents: New Travel Article: World's Most Affordable and Most Expensive Cities Ernesto Reaches Hurricane Status, Sets Sights on Bermuda After Battering Puerto Rico Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day We have released a new Travel article today about some of the most and least affordable cities in the world. The leaders in each list might surprise you-- New York City and London didn't even make the top ten most expensive cities! Check out the new article here to find out what the world's most expensive and most affordable cities are. Did your city make the list? On another note, Hurricane Ernesto has moved past Puerto Rico after delivering some serious damage, and is now setting its sights on the island of Bermuda. Ernesto originally formed in the middle of the Atlantic as a potential tropical cyclone, meaning that it is a system that is expected to develop, and stayed that way for two days until organizing into a tropical storm on Monday. Then, it strengthened slightly but continued its rapid pace toward the Lesser Antilles, making landfall on the small island of Guadeloupe yesterday morning with winds of 40 mph and some heavy rain. As Ernesto was not too strong of a system, the rains were the primary problem, and they still are. After hitting Guadeloupe, Ernesto quickly moved on. The system strengthened its winds by 25 mph, reaching sustained wind speeds of 65 mph, as it headed towards Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, both US and British, with more heavy rain. Before Ernesto arrived, tropical storm warnings were put in place around all of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, and a hurricane watch was later put in place after warm waters led the system to strengthen earlier than expected. It made a second landfall on the island of Tortola, which is the largest island in the British-controlled archipelago, but dumped rain across both sides of the boundary. All of Puerto Rico was under flood watches until 7:45 am this morning, while the northern portion of the island, including the capital of San Juan, is continuing with a flood watch until tomorrow morning as Ernesto's outer rain bands continue to batter the region. Widespread totals of around 4-6 inches are expected once the rain has finished off, with localized totals reaching up to 10 inches in some areas. Flash flooding and power outages are already taking place, and it will take time for them to recover-- Puerto Rico's power grid is already extremely fragile after the continuous battering of storm after storm each year, beginning with 2017's Category 4 Hurricane Maria. Ernesto is now a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds moving through extremely warm waters, which are prime for what is known as rapid intensification-- when a system strengthens 35 mph or more in under 24 hours. This could set the system up for becoming a major hurricane in just a couple of days, and this phenomenon is just becoming more and more common due to climate change contributing to warming oceans. Ernesto is now setting its sights on the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, which is very isolated from any other landmass. Bermuda, home to around 64,000 people, is commonly hit by stray systems that move away from the mainland United States, but Ernesto could have a major impact on the island territory. Forecasts show the storm being as strong as Category 3 with wind speeds of over 115 mph as it reaches Bermuda, which is already saturated due to some strong thunderstorms going on already in the area. However, Ernesto will only reach the island by Friday, meaning that we will not know how far the storm will be from Bermuda until later this week. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Bamboo is a grass, not a tree. It is actually the largest member of the grass family. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): I f life gives you lemons, don’t settle for simply making lemonade – make a glorious scene at a lemonade stand. (Elizabeth Gilbert) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Sentient (adj)- Sentient is a formal term that typically describes beings conscious of or responsive to the sensations of seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, or smelling. In a Sentence: An avid gardener, Dorothy has recently been absorbed in books that examine the question of whether, and to what degree, plants are sentient .

We apologize that Upcoming Events was not included in yesterday's update. It has been added in, and you can view the updated article here . Contents: Greece Wildfire Scorches Dangerously Close to Capital of Athens With 80-Foot Flames Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day At least one person is dead and hundreds of evacuation orders are in place as a massive fire scorches Greece, and it is getting dangerously close to the city of Athens. The wildfire began of unknown causes on Sunday in the northern portion of the peninsula near the town of Varnavas, and has spread south to reach Athens in just one day. They do not know the exact area, but some estimates say that the fire has burnt an area of land in eastern Greece that is over 19 miles long, and it is beginning to enter a heavily populated area. One arm of the fire is burning some of the busy suburbs of Athens, while the west side of the fire is approaching the dense Tatoi Forest and the National Park of Parnitha-- the latter of which was devastated by Greek wildfires last year. To the southeast of the fire is more wooded area around Mount Pentelicus, which will fuel the flames even more. Due to continued arid conditions and hot weather through the summer, forests are extremely dry and easy to burn-- the slightest spark could turn the tinderbox into a blazing wildfire in minutes. Residents of surrounding towns have been forced to evacuate, and hundreds of farms and homes have been burned to the ground by the flames which reached over 80 feet high in some areas. Almost everyone has been able to survive the fire, but many animals have died after owners were forced to leave them behind in their scramble to escape. Smoke has turned skies gray and sunsets to a deep orange, becoming a serious hazard-- air quality in the city and its suburbs has dropped significantly. At least a dozen citizens and several firefighters were treated for respiratory issues and burn injuries, but it has been hard to find help for many citizens. Since the wildfire has affected hospitals as well, some of the evacuees have had to evacuate from the hospitals treating them, while others have struggled to even find a hospital due to the fast-moving nature of the wildfire. Authorities are racing to control the blaze, as it has entered the suburbs on Athens' northeastern side. According to the local fire department, they have dispatched over 700 firefighters with 190 vehicles, 17 water-dropping planes and 16 helicopters. France, the Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, Serbia, Romania, and Turkey have responded to Greece's calls for help with more vehicles and personnel as well. According to officials, France will lend Greece a water-bombing helicopter and 200 firefighters with 28 fire trucks, the Czech Republic will give 75 firefighters and 25 vehicles, Italy will give two planes, and Turkey is sending two water-dropping planes and a helicopter. Spain, Serbia, and Romania are still deciding on their aid, but have promised to send support. However, in order to stop the fire, they will also need help from the weather. Hot temperatures will continue into the next few days, reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) this week with low humidity and absolutely no precipitation. Due to the large amount of forest surrounding the fire, it will have plenty of fuel, and strong winds of up to 12 mph are expected later in the week. However, some lighter winds today will allow firefighters to contain some of the blaze and try to prevent more spreading on Thursday and Friday. All of this is due to climate change, and Greece has been one of the hardest-hit countries amid the global heat crisis. As temperatures rise around the world, Greece and the Mediterranean is only becoming hotter, with summer temperatures consistently reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). June and July were the country's hottest months on record, along with a record-warm winter, and numerous fires devastated the entire Balkan region in 2023-- but it isn't just Greece. Around 1.25 million acres of land were burned in Europe in 2023, contrasting to the United States' 2.7 million acres. However, on the other hand, due to rising summer temperatures, only 2,300 people died due to heat in the US, while there were at least 47,000 heat-related deaths in Europe in 2023-- and that was lower than 2022, which reached a staggering 61,000 heat-related deaths. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): D id you know that household bleach expires? This cleaning product actually lasts about six months. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): You will continue to suffer if you have an emotional reaction to everything that is said to you. True power is sitting back and observing things with logic. True power is restraint. If words control you that means everyone else can control you. Breathe and allow things to pass. (Warren Buffett) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Iota (noun)- An iot a is an infinitesimal amount of something. The word iota is used synonymously with the etymologically related jot , and by its oldest definition refers to the 9th letter of the Greek alphabet. In a Sentence: There's not an iota of doubt regarding the defendant's guilt.

Contents: Bangladeshi Prime Minister Flees to India After Serious Unrest, Military Takes Over Upcoming Events Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Bangladesh's Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, is still sheltering in India after massive protests in her country recently, and plans to return soon for the upcoming elections. In case you missed it, almost hundreds of people were killed after protests in mid-July and more in early August turned violent because of deadly protests. Police officers sprayed tear gas onto crowds and firing rubber bullets into masses of people, but other reports stated that some police officers had actually fired live ammunition. Numerous civilians were also killed by fires set by the protestors, which scorched buildings and cars across the country. All of the protests were due to the reinstitution of the government's job quota system, which allocates around one-third of government jobs to Bangladeshi veterans to honor them for their war for independence against Pakistan in 1971. In 2018, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stopped the quota system due to extreme protests from young students, but after Bangladesh's High Court reinstated it in June after veterans protested, the uproar against the system began once again. Soon afterwards, the students stopped solely fighting the quota system, and ended up taking strong stances against other major political issues. Continued unrest led to the arrival of violent protestors on her private property, forcing Hasina to leave the country and flee. She is now in New Delhi, the capital of Bangladesh's only neighbor nation, India. However, she maintains her position as prime minister, as she refused to resign from her fourth term, which was won in a controversial January election that was called out by many residents of Bangladesh. While she is gone, a military-controlled interim government has taken office, consisting of 16 advisers-- two of which are leaders of the student protests against Hasina. Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, confirmed that she will only return to Bangladesh once the elections are held, which are scheduled in three months' time. She has been the leader of the country for over 15 years, but her time may be coming to an end this year, as she has not decided whether she wants to continue running or not. Wazed claimed that his mother had done nothing wrong, and had tried everything she could to end the unrest. Hasina's party, the Awami League, continues to gain strong support for the election, and their primary opponent will be Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-- Zia and Hasina have traded leadership of Bangladesh in the past. However, Zia has stated that she will try to work with Hasina, not against her, to restore peace to their nation, as they need the Awami League's millions of supporters to stay peaceful in order to put a complete halt to the unrest. Upcoming Events: International Youth Day (Monday, August 12) Tour de France Femmes Begins (Monday, August 12) Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): The Eiffel Tower took exactly 2 years, 2 months, and 5 days to create. That's a long time! Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): A lion doesn't concern himself with the opinions of sheep. (Lionel Messi) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Vitiate (verb)- To vitiate something is to ruin it or render it ineffective. In a Sentence: A single inaccuracy in the spreadsheet that supported the data vitiated the entire proposal.

Contents: Thousands Protest Against Planned Lithium Mine in Serbia Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Thousands of people have joined a massive protest against lithium mining in Serbia, and it is becoming a big problem for the country's Prime Minister. Deep under multiple farms located in a beautiful, blooming valley lie some of the largest lithium deposits in Europe, and it has been a major topic of controversy recently. Lithium is widely used in battery-powered machines like electric cars and almost all technology, and it will only get more popular as the world slowly shifts away from fossil fuels. This does mean that more lithium will need to be mined, and these massive deposits could be the key to boosting Serbia's lithium exports and speeding up the country's shift to more sustainable practices. However, the creation of a mine would mean widespread destruction of the natural valley, completely destroying the land that has been passed down through generations to the farmers who currently own the area. In fact, some studies have shown that the exploratory tests conducted by the mining company, Rio Tinto, have already significantly impacted the surrounding environment. Rio Tinto has also been called out in previous years for damaging the environment and multiple human rights violations, portraying that they may not be as trustworthy as they seem. To protest the planned mines, tens of thousands of people showed up to a huge protest on Saturday, but Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić claimed that the protests were purely political, set up by some sort of other organization, possibly attached to China or Russia. The mining of lithium would decrease Serbia's dependency on the two for lithium, strengthening its ties with the EU. The Jadar Valley contains over 158 million tons of lithium, which is around 17% of the total amount of lithium in Europe. Obtaining those massive resources could immensely speed up the country's trajectory towards becoming more sustainable while helping other countries do the same as well. However, mining it could have a devastating impact on the surrounding environment. The final question is, to mine or not to mine? Tell us in the poll below. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Have you ever wondered why passports only come in specific colors? The reason is actually because most countries prefer dark shades of red, green, and blue since these dark colors look more official and if they’re dirty, it’s not as noticeable. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The attitude with which we approach the situation can determine our success or failure . (Peyton Manning) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Durable (adj)- Durable describes people or things that last, or remain strong and in good condition over a long period of time. It is often used figuratively, as in "a durable athlete." In a Sentence: The fabric was durable enough to withstand chewing from the family dog.

Contents: 61 Dead After Devastating Plane Crash in Southeastern Brazil Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day 61 people are dead after a passenger plane violently crashed in Brazil yesterday, killing everyone onboard. Flight 2283, operated by regional airline Voepass, took off from the Brazilian town of Cascavel, located in the state of Paraná, and was heading towards São Paulo's Guarulhos Airport at an altitude of around 17,000 feet when it suddenly dropped around 250 feet. Then, it recovered around 400 feet, and soon plummeted to the ground in under a minute. Dramatic videos of the incident were soon flooding social media and other platforms like YouTube, with some showing the airplane slowly spinning wildly in the air as it went down and others showing the fiery wreckage strewn all over a residential area after the crash. Unfortunately, all 61 people onboard were killed, 57 passengers and 4 crew. The previous death toll was estimated at 62, but they soon discovered that there were 57 passengers, not 58. According to one neighbor on the street, the plane came down on a house that belongs to an elderly couple, but they were uninjured. As the flight came down, the sound sent residents running for cover, while others sheltered in place. Thankfully, no one on the ground was injured, but they were very shaken up. The aircraft was an ATR 72, which is powered by two propellors, one mounted on each wing. According to CNN, the plane has a history of problems, as at least 15 fatal accidents have occurred since it was first released by ATR, but turboprop planes are known to be more dangerous than jet-powered aircraft. 10 other extremely lucky people missed that flight that day-- they had been waiting at the wrong gate and rushed to catch the Voepass flight to São Paulo just before pushback. Despite their pleads to board the plane, airport security stated that the plane was already ready to go, and they could not board. Then, after they discovered that the flight had ended up in a devastating crash, they immediately thought about what would have happened if those staff members had not stopped them before they stepped onto that fatal flight. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula de Silva asked everyone to stand and observe a minute of silence in honor of the victims during a speech, and he has declared three days of mourning for them. An investigation is in progress, and they will be hoping to uncover the true cause of the crash in the coming days. Experts tried to take a crack at it, though. Here's what they came up with. After analyzing the footage of the plane wildly spinning before it went down, they were able to come up with a few clues to aid the ongoing investigation. They described it as an aerodynamic stall, meaning that the plane was struggling to fly due to the lack of airflow under the wings. An aerodynamic stall occurs when the angle of attack of the plane is too high, causing the air to cease its flow under the wings because of the steep upward angle. While the wind pushes the front of the plane backwards, an area of turbulent airflow ends up behind the plane, further destabilizing the aircraft. At the time of the incident, the aircraft had dramatically slowed by over 160 knots, which would have also contributed to the lack of airflow. After the changes in elevation, the plane entered a downward spiral toward the ground, but we can tell that the plane was still functioning because of the fact that the sputtering of the engines is clearly audible in the video, meaning that they were still running. However, the one unknown fact is why the plane slowed down so much with such a high angle of attack, leading to that aerodynamic stall. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Researchers once turned a live cat into a telephone. Princeton researchers Ernest Wever and Charles Bray took out a cat’s skull and most of its brain to connect the animal to electricity. When they spoke into the cat’s ear, the sound could be heard through a phone receiver in another room. The twisted experiment paved the way for cochlear implant developments. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Cherish those who seek the truth but beware of those who find it. (Voltaire) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Acumen (noun)- Acumen refers to keenness and depth of perception, discernment, or discrimination—in other words, the ability to think clearly and make good decisions, especially in practical matters. In a Sentence: The fictional detective possesses a superior acumen that enables her to solve the most bizarre and puzzling of mysteries.