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Contents: Nine Injured, Fears Rise After 7.1 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Southeastern Japan Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Nine people have been injured and some structural damage has affected numerous buildings throughout Japan after a massive 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck near Kyushu Island on Thursday. The epicenter was located in the Hyunganada Sea, just east of the town of Miyazaki on the island of Kyushu, and was located at a depth of around 19 miles. Strong rumbling was felt across southern Japan, while the biggest impacts were felt in the Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures. Large waves over 1.5 feet were seen in some parts of the coast and some tsunami advisories were issued, but they were quickly lifted after clear reports that the waves had calmed down. Aftershocks were expected, and several strong ones came soon after the initial quake. Overall, not much damage was done, and the nine people injured suffered relatively minor injuries. However, this has risen a new round of concerns over possible future earthquakes. The area where the quake st ruck is known as the Nankai Trough, which has been the cause of multiple strong earthquakes in the past, including the 1854 Ansei-Tōkai earthquake (magnitude 8.4), 1854 Ansei-Nankai (magnitude 8.4) earthquake , 1944 Tōnankai earthquake (magnitude 8.1) , and the 1946 Nankaidō earthquake (magnitude 8.1-8.4) . The fault is approaching a status of overdue for a major earthquake, with seismologists predicting that there is a 70-80% chance of a strong quake of magnitude 8-9 within the next 30 years. Residents of nearby areas have been asked to stay away from the coast in case this quake was just a precursor to a possible bigger one on the way-- fears of an incoming "megaquake" are rising. Then, the nerve-wracking wait will begin until it occurs in the Nankai Trough, which could be devastating. Due to this, Japanese authorities are planning to increase earthquake and tsunami safety measures over the next few years to mitigate the impacts of a future major earthquake. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): NASA uses countdowns because of a sci-fi film. NASA was inspired to use countdowns because of the countdown Fritz Lang used to create suspense in the rocket launch scene of his 1929 silent film Frau im Mond . Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): It is the work that matters, not the applause that follows. (Robert Falcon Scott) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Fusty (adj)- Someone or so mething described as fusty is rigidly old-fashioned. Fusty is also used as a synonym of musty to describe things that are full of dust and unpleasant, stale odors. In a Sentence: Wanda is quick to admit that the music she prefers is fusty , as it excludes pretty much anything recorded after 1960.

Contents: Two Dead, Six Rescued, One Trapped After Hotel Collapse in German Wine Region Debby Makes Second Landfall in South Carolina as Tropical Storm With Heavy Rain 5.2 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Southern California Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Two people are dead after a hotel collapsed in the small German town of Kröv yesterday, located near the border with Luxembourg in the country's wine region of Mosel. 14 people were inside the Reichsschenke Zum Ritter Götz hotel when the second floor completely collapsed, crushin g the first floor as well. Five people managed to escape before the second floor came down, while nine others were trapped underneath. Once recovery operations commenced, they rescued six survivors buried in the rubble and found the bodies of two others, while one other person remained trapped. The rescue operations have been hindered by the fact that the building is still slowly collapsing, as parts of the hotel are still undamaged and moving. The building dates back to the 1700s, meaning that its age may have contributed to the failing structural integrity of the hotel. However, the upper floors were only added in the 1980s, though, meaning that it may also be due to another cause. The exact cause of the incident is still unknown, but officials are investigating. On another note, Tropical Storm Debby has made a second landfall in South Carolina, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to a state that has already been hit hard by the storm. Debby made its first landfall east of Apalachicola, Florida on the morning of August 5 as a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 80 mph and storm surge of up to 10 feet, devastating the exact same area that was severely impacted by Hurricane Idalia last year. Four people died in Florida and another one person died in Georgia due to slick roads and falling trees. Heavy rain inundated entire towns and forced evacuations across Florida's Big Bend region, and Debby's slow speed made things worse. Debby crossed Florida at a speed of 7-10 mph before slowing down even more over Georgia. By the time it had reached the Atlantic Ocean, it was moving at 5 mph, and at one point in its track, its speed even reached a mere 3 mph. The slow speed gives more time for rain to fall on specific areas-- almost 20 inches of rain fell in Lake City, Florida, over 13 inches of rain were recorded in Rincon, Georgia, and around 17 inches of rain drenched Summerville, South Carolina. Unfortunately, more rain is on the way, with around 3-9 inches expected for most of the Carolinas. According to the National Hurricane Center, this will bring final totals in parts of South Carolina to reach up to 25 inches and totals in North Carolina to reach 15 inches. Then, last night, it made landfall with winds of around 65 mph east of Charleston, South Carolina, which has been one of the hardest-hit cities by the storm. Tropical storm warnings are still in place for much of the state, and flood watches are in place all the way up through Maryland. Serious flash flooding could occur across the Carolinas and Virginia in the next few days, the the northeastern United States, including New England, could also see heavy rainfall because of Debby's outer bands. Lastly, a rare 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck Southern California yesterday with an epicenter 14 miles southwest of Lamont, California, at a depth of about 7.3 miles. Most of Southern California was affected, with residents across Los Angeles feeling the rumbling over 100 miles away. However, a primary sweep of the area showed no visible damage despite the numerous aftershocks that followed, ranging from 2.5 to 4.5 on the Richter scale, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). This comes amid rising fears of a dangerous earthquake hitting the Los Angeles area, as the San Andreas Fault passes very close to the city. According to the California Earthquake Authori ty, there is a 75% chance of one or more magnitude 7.0 or greater earthquakes striking Southern California in the next 20 years-- the San Andreas Fault is extremely ready for a big earthquake, based on previous trends. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Tim Berners-Lee, who created the main software of the World Wide Web, admitted he regrets one thing: Adding “//” after “https:” in a web address. It was standard for programming but didn’t serve any real purpose, and when looking back in 2009, he said leaving it out would have saved time and space. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): I’m self-made because I was learning , working, exploring, climbing, and moving forward. (Vladimer Botsvadze) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Reify (verb)- Reifying is about considering or representing something abstract as a material or concrete thing. If you reify a concept or idea you somehow give it definite content and form. In a Sentence: The tense personal dynamic between the two musicians was reified by the dissonant yet captivating music they made together.ways seemed to impose deadlines at the last minute.

Today, we have released a new YNH Exclusive article into Google's loss in a landmark antitrust case yesterday, with a federal judge deciding that the company has monopolized the search engine and online advertising market. Let's dive in! Also, we have released a new Deep Dive today about vice president picks in the US Elections race. Check out the article by journalist Mihir Gupta here. Contents: Google Loses Landmark Antitrust Case Against US Justice Department Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Federal Judge Amit Mehta decided on Monday that Google has violated United States antitrust laws with its search engine in a historic case against the Department of Justice. In a 277-page ruling, he confirmed that the court's final decision was that "Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly." The antitrust case was filed in 2020, during the time when Trump was in office, and sued Google for being anticompetitive in the search engine market. According to the ruling, Google spent tens of billions of dollars to monopolize the market with numerous contracts that gave the company exclusive access to become the default search engine across devices across Android and Apple. The ruling included that Google maintains an 89.2% market share for general online search services and a staggering 94.9% market share on mobile devices. According to investment firm BOND, the search engine handles around 8.5 billion queries per day worldwide. Due to its massive market share and incredible amount of daily queries, Google was then able to charge advertisers sky-high premiums due to company's complete monopoly. What evidence do we have that Google monopolized the market? Here's one example. According to the Financial Times, Google paid a certain percentage of its revenue from search advertising to Apple to automatically lead customers to use Google Search by default-- and the payment reached an astounding $20 billion in 2022. Also, Google didn't just do this with Apple. If you take a look at the browser on your device, it is most likely that the browser will default you to Google because of their contracts with huge tech companies-- Apple's Safari, Google's Chrome, and Mozilla's Firefox all default to Google as their search engine because of the contracts detailed above. Only Microsoft browsers like Edge and the now outdated Internet Explorer default to a different search engine-- Microsoft Bing, naturally. Microsoft is looking into creating a possible similar contract for Bing after this trial, with less exclusive rights, as Google's contract with Apple will be heavily impacted. However, since Google has better search advertising, a deal with them benefits Apple more because they get more money from the same percentage of advertising revenue. This is the exact reason why Apple has not developed a search engine of their own-- it would lead to a loss of revenue due to the massive contract they have with Google. This new ruling may motivate them to create one, though, if their contract with Google becomes unprofitable and they feel that a search engine of their own could generate more revenue. Technically, the monopoly ruling only applies to Google's actual search engine and the text advertisements affiliated with it, as the court couldn't find conclusive evidence to prove that Google was monopolizing the entire search advertising market. Due to the fact that other search engines like Yahoo, Microsoft Bing, and DuckDuckGo were being blocked off by Google's monopolizing contracts, it boosted the company's online advertising. The White House stated that the ruling was "a victory for the American people," as it is only the beginning of the government's crackdown on monopolies in the United States market. Google was already defeated in a different antitrust case late last year for monopolizing the app market on Android devices with their Play Store, and another antitrust case, headed by the Biden administration, is currently ongoing against the company. Monopolization has become a serious issue in the United States today, with huge companies running monopolies in every industry from technology and internet services to oil drilling. Despite the numerous antitrust cases going on against Big Tech companies like Apple and Facebook, this is the biggest antitrust case in the technology sector since the major one against Microsoft in 2000, which was a topsy-turvy case that was really the first violation of the country's Sherman Antitrust Act. The government ended up finding Microsoft guilty of violating the act and ordered the company to split up into two parts, but Microsoft appealed the decision, won, and was ultimately given a less severe penalty. As for Google's penalties, they could range from very severe to more easygoing. In the case of internet provider AT&T, they were forced to completely break up the company into various separate entities in 1982, but that is really a worst-case scenario type of situation. Along with some fines, Google's existing contracts with technology companies that give them exclusivity will certainly be affected, in addition to its capability to create new contracts with those companies. They will definitely be forced to give users more options-- one law professor at Vanderbilt University told CNN that one possibility would be that Google may have to add a “choice screen” that would clearly inform users that there are other available search engines apart from Google. All in all, the biggest losers from this case are Google and Apple, while the biggest winner is Microsoft. Google was obviously benefiting tremendously from this entire monopoly in the search engine market, while Apple was profiting off of Google's exclusive contracts with them as Apple implemented Google to become Safari's go-to search engine. Meanwhile, Microsoft will now be able to grow its search advertising revenue as Google's monopolization is stopped, allowing them to make new deals with companies like Apple and Mozilla to offer Bing as a more prominent option as a default search engine. However, Google's president of global affairs, Kent Walker, has stated that the company plans to appeal the decision-- and as we have seen from the Microsoft case of 2000, it could very well end up impacting the final impacts of this decision on Google and its services. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Queen Elizabeth II had a stand-in to make sure the sun won’t get in her eyes. Ella Slack has a similar height and build to the queen, so before big events, she’ll do a rehearsal to avoid any royal pains like the sun getting in Her Majesty’s eyes. She had been doing it for three decades but wasn’t allowed to sit in the throne, so she had to squat above it. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): I think the older I get, the more I realize that the ultimate luxury is time. (Michael Kors) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Balayage (noun)- Balayage is a technique by which a colorist creates highlights or lowlights in a person's hair by painting freehand using long, sweeping strokes. Balayage may also refer to the highlights or lowlights produced by this technique. In a Sentence: The stylist was lauded for his skill in balayage.

On July 17, US Senator JD Vance became Donald Trump's running mate. On August 6, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz became Kamala Harris' running mate. But why were they picked out of several nominees? YNH has covered Trump's decision in several articles, and we have repeatedly said who the top contenders were. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and US Senators Marco Rubio and Tim Scott were the other top contenders. But why was Vance picked? Armaan Dhawan explained in this article that JD Vance is "quite popular with the public" and that his ideals are aligned with Trump. On the other hand, there were three top contenders to Harris' choice: US Senator Mark Kelly, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and Walz. Before the announcement, many mainstream news sources predicted that Josh Shapiro would be her running mate due to his immense popularity in an increasingly Republican state. However, Walz was picked. Why? For starters, Walz has also won a right-leaning congressional district, Minnesota's 1st. He was also in the military and a schoolteacher and football coach, so it is speculated that Harris chose him because he is familiar with the working class, a group she is trying to reach out to. Timothy Walz is 60 years old. He has been the 41st Governor of Minnesota since 2019 and is serving his 2nd term. He served in the House of Representatives for 12 years. He was in the US Army National Guard for 24 years. He is currently a part of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, the Minnesotan Democratic affiliate. Walz has also called Trump and other Republicans "weird," and many Democrats have used this as a line of attack. As the election draws closer and closer (it's already August! OMG!), the race draws more suspense. Who will win? According to Trump and Harris, it may just hinge on their running mates.

Contents: New Travel Article About One of the World's Most Stunning Destinations: Banff, Canada Hurricane Debby Makes Landfall in Florida, Delivering Heavy Rain to Georgia, Carolinas Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day We have released a new Travel article which has been listed as upcoming for a while. Click here to check out our brand-new article on one of the world's most beautiful destinations: Banff National Park. Hurricane Debby has made landfall in Florida and is currently pummeling southern Georgia as it moves into the Carolinas. Debby formed over Cuba last week and strengthened into a tropical storm as it entered the Gulf of Mexico. However, due to the area's unusually high water temperatures, Debby rapidly intensified into a hurricane before slamming into Florida, which makes it the second hurricane to make landfall in the United States this season out of just four named storms. The storm made landfall yesterday morning in the middle of Florida's Big Bend region, located between Tampa and Panama City Beach, with sustained winds of around 80 mph and storm surge of up to 10 feet, along with heavy rain on the east side of the storm. The state capital of Tallahassee to the west received only half an inch of rain, while the city of Gainesville to the east received upwards of 5 inches. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 61 out of the state's 67 counties, and various watches and warnings for tropical storms, hurricanes, and floods were issued by the National Weather Service. Airports were affected as well, with airports canceling over 1,800 flights yesterday-- led by majorly impacted Florida airports like Orlando, Tampa, and Miami International. Five people were killed across the state due to intense flooding and falling trees, and the death toll could rise as Debby continues its destruction into other states this week. The storm is currently passing through southern Georgia with heavy rain and 45 mph winds, but the serious flooding is the real issue. Because of the storm's slow-moving nature, more rain is falling on the surrounding region-- up to 30 inches could come down in some areas. The rains have inundated entire towns while the winds have knocked out power to over 150,000 people across Florida. Around 30,000 people lost power in Georgia and another 13,000 in South Carolina are out, and those numbers are expected to rise as Debby moves through the region. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm, which will allocate special resources to help alleviate its effects before, during, and after Debby hits. A curfew has been put into place for Charleston, which started at 11 pm yesterday local time. to stop citizens from being impacted by the heaviest rain, which will hit during the night. Debby, now a tropical storm, will roar past Savannah, Georgia and move out into the Atlantic tonight, sliding along the coastline before sharply turning back in to make a second landfall near Charleston, South Carolina on Thursday morning. From there, the storm will slowly weaken into a tropical depression as it passes over North Carolina and Virginia, and then deliver some rain to the northeastern United States later in the week as a more minor threat. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Michelangelo wrote a poem describing how much he hated painting the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, one of his most famed masterpieces. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Sometimes you need to get knocked down before you can really figure out what your fight is and how you need to fight it. (Chadwick Boseman) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Capricious (adj)- Capricious is a formal word that describes someone or something governed or characterized by impulsivity or unpredictability. In a Sentence: The employees were at the mercy of a capricious manager who always seemed to impose deadlines at the last minute.

Contents: New Travel Article About Proposed Requirement for Fee-Free Family Seating 90 Dead After Deadly Protests in Bangladesh Spread to Complete Anti-Government Stance Upcoming Events Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day We have released a new Travel article about a new proposal in the United States that would ban airlines from charging extra fees to families for sitting next to each other. Check out the details of the possible new rule here. At least 90 people were killed over the weekend after deadly protests in Bangladesh in a fight against the government, marking the second round of protests this month that have killed numerous people. Almost 200 people were killed after protests in mid-July turned violent. Police reported spraying tear gas onto crowds and firing rubber bullets into masses of people, which shouldn't kill people, but other civilian reports stated that some police officers had actually fired live ammunition. Many people were also killed by fires set by the protestors, which scorched buildings and cars. The protests were against the government's job quota system, which allocates around one-third of government jobs to Bangladeshi veterans from their war for independence in 1971. In 2018, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stopped the quota system due to extreme protests from students. However, Bangladesh's High Court reinstated it in June following protests from veterans, sparking the rallies once again. Unfortunately, the most recent protests have taken it a step further, protesting against the government in total. The reinstation of the quota system was just the spark for Bangladeshis, who have now taken a strong stance against major political issues. Students and other protestors have blocked streets held massive marches as they call for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to step down, spurring police to release tear gas and fire rubber bullets again in addition to implementing an indefinite curfew. Sadly, more police have been reported firing actual bullets into crowds, contributing to the rising death toll. Another mass march is planned for today in the capital of Dhaka, which could prove deadly as well. The government claims that the protestors are "terrorists," while the public believes that the government and police are taking too violent of an approach to the situation. Live ammunition is not the right answer, according to them, and the police have responded that all of the firing was in self-defense. Prime Minister Hasina has stated that she wants to understand the motives of the protestors and try to help stop the violence, but they have rejected her offer and continue to demonstrate across Bangladesh. One policeman described Dhaka as having "turned into a battleground," and the city is in a huge mess. Internet services have been shut down across Dhaka, and many protestors are refusing to pay taxes and electricity and water bills while avoiding going to work. At least 10,000 people have been detained, worsening the situation at offices and factories whose employees are not showing up. Upcoming Events: International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples (Friday, August 9) Paris Olympics End (Sunday, August 11) World Steelpan Day (Sunday, August 11) Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Before toilet paper was invented, Americans used to use corn cobs in the bathroom. They would also use newspapers like the Farmers Almanac, which was designed with a hole so it could hang in outhouses. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The only way you make it through life is to fight. You don’t get there the easy way. If you feel sorry for yourself, and you let yourself go down, you will drown. (Sharon Salzberg) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Hoopla (noun)- Hoopla refers to talk or writing that is designed to get people excited about or interested in something, often with the implication that the person using the word does not find the thing exciting or interesting. In a Sentence: Marvin didn’t understand all of the hoopla surrounding the new frozen yogurt shop in his neighborhood.

Contents: 37 Dead, Hundreds Injured After Attack by Islamic Extremist Group on Somalia Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day At least 37 people were killed and hundreds of others were injured after an attack by an Islamic extremist group on Somalia's capital of Mogadishu. Islamic groups linked to terrorist organization al-Qaeda have been attacking Somalia for years, trying to take over the country. This particular organization, known as al-Shabaab, used to be the militant wing of the Somali Council of Islamic Courts, and took over a large portion of southern Somalia in 2006, according to the National Counterterrorism Center. Despite their defeat in 2007 by East African forces, al-Shabaab has continued to carry out bombings and shootings across Somalia and Kenya. The organization's primary goal is the overthrow East African governments and create fundamentalist Islamic states, but the nations of Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia are holding strong despite the consistent attacks. The shooting took place on Friday, beginning when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive at Lido Beach, which has been struck before by al-Shabaab due to the fact that government officials are often present in that area. Gunmen then stormed the area, firing randomly at whoever they could see. Due to the rather unorganized nature of al-Shabaab, they tend to create as much chaos as possible instead of targeting a specific target. Police forces quickly arrived at the scene and shot down multiple gunmen, while a another attacker reportedly blew himself up in the bombing. The entire incident left some extremely gruesome remains on the beach, with one graphic video showing the true devastation and loss of life that occurred that day. The wounded were immediately rushed to nearby hospitals, which were quickly flooded with patients suffering from gunshot wounds, blast wounds, or even just severe shock. The line for blood donors rapidly reached an hour-long wait as people lined up to assist in the response to the attack, and local doctors and nurses are trying their best to help the 100+ victims of the attack who are still in the hospital, 11 of which are in critical condition. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time this sort of incident has happened, and it most likely won't be the last. Bomb blasts and shootings are relatively common occurrences in the area, with one normally taking place every few months. The Somali and Kenyan governments are working hard to track down operatives of al-Shabaab and other terrorist organizations linked to al-Qaeda to make sure these events don't end up repeating, but it will take time to eradicate them and stop the attacks completely. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Adolf Hitler was actually nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 1939. However, the Swedish politician who sent the letter meant it ironically and quickly withdrew the nomination. In an even more ironic twist, Hitler had banned Germans from accepting the awards four years before his own name was even nominated. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): We need the courage to learn from our past and not live in it. (Sharon Salzberg) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Extemporaneous (adj)- Extemporaneous describes something that is made up or done without special preparation. It is usually used to describe public speaking. In a Sentence: Now a seasoned professional, Abby is no longer unnerved when asked to make the occasional extemporaneous speech.

Contents: Tropical Depression Four Forms, Expected to Hit Florida as Tropical Storm Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Tropical storm watches and warnings have been issued across southern Florida and a state of emergency has been declared as a possible system closes in on the southeast US state. Tropical Depression Four formed yesterday as a Potential Tropical Storm over Cuba and has since moved westward towards the Gulf of Mexico. It formed in eastern Cuba before shifting southwest into the Caribbean Sea later in the day, and it is now moving across Cuba as a tropical depression with winds of around 35 mph. By this evening, the storm will move into the Gulf of Mexico, where it could begin to pose a minor threat. Upon reaching the Gulf of Mexico, it would begin strengthening into a tropical storm, which would be named Debby. Its cone, or possible path, is rather uncertain right now, but here are some possibilities, ranging from most likely to least likely: The storm could continue straight and move slightly to the east, making landfall in the center of what is known as the Big Bend. From there, it would move east into the Atlantic, most likely impacting Jacksonville on the way, and move northeast up the Carolina coast. The storm could bank east and make landfall closer to Tampa, where it would most likely weaken before crossing Florida and emerging into the Atlantic. The storm could continue on a straight path, making landfall near the state capital of Tallahassee and almost certainly moving into southern Georgia. As it makes landfall sometime on Monday, Debby will most likely pack winds of 65-70 mph, and it will bring heavy rain as well. Tropical storm warnings are in place for the Florida Keys and most of southwestern part of the state, including the Everglades and Naples, while tropical storm watches are already in place for most of western Florida, beginning at the Big Bend and passing down through Tampa. Tropical weather statements are in place across the Florida peninsula, stretching all the way up to Daytona Beach, and flood watches have been issued for the southern portion of the state, going from the Everglades and Miami up to West Palm Beach and Lake Okeechobee. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has also issued a state of emergency in dozens of counties, which gives them access to extra funding to respond to the storm. While Debby may not be very strong, it still poses a threat-- up to 5-10 inches of localizaed rain are expected in some areas. It could also be an indicator of an intensifying Atlantic hurricane season, which is entering its peak months,August, September, and October, and is expected to be busier than normal. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Apples found at the grocery store can be up to a year old. They’re usually picked between August and November, covered in wax, hot-air dried, and sent into cold storage. After six to twelve months, they are finally sent to stores and are put on the shelf. So much for fresh! Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The only limitations that I can have are the ones that I set on myself. (Omar Epps) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Parry (adj)- Parry has two basic meanings. To parry can be to defend yourself by turning away from or pushing aside a weapon, assault, etc., or to evade something, such as a question, especially by using a clever response. In a Sentence: Players of the game must unfailingly parry blows from multiple varied attackers while progressing through a series of worlds.

Contents: Americans, Germans, and Russians Released in Landmark Prisoner Exchange Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is just one of the three Americans returning home to the United States after a massive prisoner swap involving multiple countries, the main two being the US and Russia. In the largest prisoner swap since the Cold War, involving 24 detainees across six different countries, 16 Americans, Russians, and Germans were released by Belarus and Russia while 8 Russians were released from western countries like the US, Poland, and Germany. Marine veteran Paul Whelan was arrested in December 2018, formally charged with espionage in early 2019, and later sentenced to 16 years in prison in June 2020. By the time he was released yesterday, he had been in a Russian prison for over five and a half years. Meanwhile, WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested in March 2023 and was kept in detainment for another year as the trial continued to be delayed. Then, in June 2024, his trial begun behind closed doors, and it ended in July with a sentence of 16 years in a penal colony for spying. The third prisoner, Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, was visiting Russia to see her mother when she was detained in June 2023 as she was leaving for Prague, and her dual US-Russia passport was confiscated. Then, in October 2023, she was formally arrested and charged with "failing to register herself as a foreign agent," and she was then accused of spreading misinformation about the Russian military in December. In July 2024, she was found guilty of spreading the false information, and was given 6 years in prison. This is a huge success for the Biden administration, who were also partly responsible for the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner from Russia in 2022-- and administrating the release of prisoners is no easy task. It took months to organize this complex deal, as this exchange includes the most countries ever involved in any single prisoner swap, and there was always a fear that the deal could be called off at any time. Finally, on Thursday night, the three Americans arrived in Ankara, Turkey, which was the central meeting spot for the exchange. Then, when the plane was wheels up, celebrations began as the prisoners began their journey home after months of waiting. Another 12 prisoners from Russia were released to Germany, who reluctantly gave Russia a criminal convicted of murder. That man, Vadim Krasikov, shot a former Chechen fighter in 2019 who fought against Russia, on direct orders from a Russian intelligence agency. Putin indicated that the exchange was likely to not go through if that prisoner had not been handed over, as he specifically wanted that man back in Russia-- western diplomats are still perplexed over why Putin believed that he was such a key man to get back. As for Russia, they were given a total of eight prisoners: three from the US, two from Slovenia, and one each from Norway and Poland. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): A woman was actually elected to the United States Congress before women were given the right to vote. American women were given the right to vote in 1920, but Jeanette Rankin became the first woman in the US federal office in 1916. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars. (Og Mandino) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Midriff (noun)- Midriff refers to the area around a person’s middle, that is, the front of their body between the chest and the waist. In a Sentence: Even the store’s winter line of clothing includes a number of midriff-baring tops, albeit paired with oversized cardigans or flannel shirts.

Contents: US President Joe Biden Calls for Supreme Court Reforms Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day US President Joe Biden has called for reforms of the Supreme Court, but those laws have a very small chance of being passed before his term comes to an end. Amid deep concerns over the neutrality of the United States Supreme Court, Biden has finally taken a stance on the issue. Due to the timing of the exits of multiple justices, former President Donald Trump was able to appoint three new justices -- those being Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett -- skewing the court to become a 6-3 conservative majority. Despite the fact that justices are supposed to be impartial, a large portion of public views the Supreme Court as heavily politicized, and according to a recent study, the number of people who approve of the court's decisions has dropped from 60 percent to 40 percent in two decades, while the percentage of people who disapproved came up from 29 percent to 53 percent in the same period of time. Due to the Supreme Court's extreme power, they have the authority to completely overturn laws, an example of which was the recent overturning of 1973's Roe v. Wade case. President Biden is now trying to make the most of the little term he has left, and is speeding up his agenda to try and complete as many tasks as he can before Kamala Harris takes over as the frontman for the Democratic Party. One of those is completely changing the Supreme Court, but any sort of law passed to execute that would most likely extend well past his term, which ends this year in January. The reforms include several important key points, including preventing presidential immunity, implementing term limits for Supreme Court justices, and mandatory ethics rules, which focus on the years-long controversy over bribes to justices. The prevention of presidential immunity would reverse the court's recent decision to give former presidents full immunity from being prosecuted, coming during Trump's run for presidential immunity. For the term limits, Biden suggests a new law that would state that the incumbent president would have to choose a new justice every 2 years to serve for 18 years on the court, slowly rotating through justices to assure that there wouldn't be any sort of political majority for a long period of time-- right now, justices can serve for as long as they would like to after appointed. Polls have shown that the public agrees with having some sort of age limit on the justices as well-- both Democrats and Republicans. Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, as Republicans, quickly wrote it off as ”a typical Biden con" and "dead on arrival in the House," respectively. Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, another Republican, described Biden as trying to "shred the Constitution," and many other Republicans also responded strongly to Biden's proposal. Whether any of these reforms for the Supreme Court will actually take place is unknown, but it is a tight race in the November elections, and a win for Democrats could mean that the rules could start being implemented in the next four years. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Flamingos bend their legs at the ankle, not the knee-- the joint in the middle of their leg is their ankle. They essentially stand on tip-toe, since their knees are much farther up and are very close to the body. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): If you’ve got to work for the rest of your life, you’d better do something you’ll enjoy. (James Sinegal) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Aspersion (noun)- To cast aspersion (or aspersions) on someone is to criticize them harshly or unfairly: aspersion is defined as "a false or misleading charge meant to harm someone's reputation, or the act of making such a charge." Aspersion may also refer to a sprinkling with water, especially in religious ceremonies. In a Sentence: Melissa believed that Roger had unjustly cast aspersions on the quality of her research.