Search The Website!

The US elects a president every 4 years, and the process is a super huge deal. But, is it broken? Definitely, and big time, in a major way. The way the system is broken is the way an official is elected in the first place. The country uses a system known as first-past-the-post, or plurality. In this system, the candidate with the most votes wins. Sounds fair enough? No, for two important reasons. Here's a random example: three candidates ran for governor. Candidate 1 received 48% of the vote, Candidate 2 received 35%, and Candidate 3 received 17%. This means Candidate 1 wins. See one of the problems now? Candidate 1 got more votes than anybody else, but more people voted for anybody but  Candidate 1. Many people, like to refer to this as "minority rule." The other problem comes the next election. Suppose the same three candidates ran. The people who voted for Candidate 3 saw that by taking votes away from Candidate 2, they inadvertently helped their least favorite, Candidate 1, win. Not wanting them to win a second time, they strategically voted for Candidate 2. When election time came, Candidate 1 got 48%, Candidate 2 got 52%, and Candidate 3 got 0%. After this, Candidate 3 saw their bad results and dropped out from any elections in the future. This is called the spoiler effect, and it results in a two-candidate, or two-party in real-life, system. There are two solutions to the problem. In order to solve the first-past-the-post problem, we could implement a system like France's, where they have 2 rounds of voting. In the first round, everybody who wants to run runs. The top 2 candidates in the first round immediately qualify for the second round. There, voters are able to focus on the major candidates. Whoever wins the second round wins the position. We could implement this in the U.S., but it would take a lot of time and cost too much. Fortunately, there is another voting method, called instant-runoff voting. It's pretty much the same thing as France's method, but it's automatic. Here's how it works: election time comes and you go to vote. You pick up a ballot and rank the candidates from 1st choice to last choice. If you don't like a candidate, you don't have to rank them. Here's how everyone's 1st choice goes: Candidate 1 gets 48%, Candidate 2 gets 35%, and Candidate 3 gets 17%. Candidate 3 receives the lowest number of votes, so he is eliminated. His voters put Candidate 2 as their second choice, so in the end, Candidate 2 wins the election with 52% of the vote. This way of voting also trends to a two-party system, but voters are able to support third-party candidates without having to let their least favorite candidate win.

Contents: New Travel Articles Out Now! Prominent Hamas Political Leader Killed in Tehran After Israeli Strike Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day We have launched two new Travel articles, which explain some important news in the aviation industry: Delta Airlines has announced that they are looking for compensation from Crowdstrike and Microsoft after last week's IT outage devastated the company. Read more here. At least 20 flight attendants have been injured by exploding drink cans on Southwest Airlines flights. Here's why. Read more here. On another note, a prominent Hamas leader was reportedly killed recently in an Israeli strike, and it could prove detrimental to the chances of reaching a ceasefire. Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas' top political chief, was killed in an airstrike on his house in Tehran, the capital of Iran. Iran is one of the biggest backers of Hamas, and they also back Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, which all have opposing views to Israel. Haniyeh was 62 years old when he was killed and has been the political leader of Hamas since 2017. He has been seen as the face of the organization for years, and it will be tough for them to restructure after this blow. Unfortunately, Haniyeh is also the frontman of Israel-Hamas relations, and was the man negotiating most of the possible ceasefires. Haniyeh was open to a hostage deal, but his main goal was to get Israel to leave Gaza in a permanent ceasefire. He discussed possible options with mediators in Qatar and Egypt for months, trying to put an end to the deadly war. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) will not back off until Hamas is completely eradicated. Since the organization's initial attacks on October 7, 2023, which killed over 1,200 people and kidnapped hundreds of others, Israel has killed over 39,000 Palestinians and driven over 2.3 million Gazans from their homes. Due to these factors, his death may end up being very damaging to any prospects of reaching a ceasefire or hostage deal in the ongoing war between the Gaza-based organization and Israel. While the United States and other allies of Israel attempt to maintain good relations with Hamas to try and reach some sort of ceasefire deal, Israel seems to be noncompliant with those objectives. Within a matter of days, the country has killed both Hamas' most prominent political leader in Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah's senior commander Fuad Shukr. The Middle East is edging closer and closer to an all-out war between Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, with the three groups all being backed by Iran. War is the last thing the world wants, but it seems to be slowly approaching as the groups trade strikes with Israel every other week. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Sloths can actually hold their breath for longer than dolphins can! By slowing their heart rates, sloths can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes, while dolphins need to come up for air around every 10 minutes. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted. Do it now. (Paulo Coelho) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Impeccable (adj)- Impeccable describes that which is free from fault, error, or blame. It is a synonym of flawless. In a Sentence: Although the restaurant was a bit expensive, we found its memorable cuisine, luxurious decor, and impeccable service to be well worth the price.

Hi! My name is Mihir Gupta. I'm one of the journalists at Your News Hub, and today is my birthday! We are excited to announce that we have re-published our "Countries in Conflict: Why?" feature, with some new details. For anyone who subscribed before it was taken down, I'm sure you all can remember that CIC:Y? talked about countries that are fighting with one another and the root causes of those conflicts. Well, now not only will we be doing that, but we will also be showcasing old conflicts like the American Civil War (yes, the Confederacy was a country) and USA vs. Germany! We have also published a new feature called YNH US Elections! This feature will be explaining which candidates are/were in the race, why voting matters, what the branches of the government do, and much more. Be sure to check it out, and share it with all your friends! In addition to these new features, I have written an opinion article on why I think the US election system is broken. Check that out via this link.

Contents: Protests Erupt Across Venezuela After Allegedly Biased Elections Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Riots have erupted across Venezuela after the country's recent elections, which were highly controversial. President Nicolás Maduro has been the leader of Venezuela since 2013, when former leader Hugo Chávez died, and he has served two six-year terms since then. Despite politically being a federal presidential republic, and adopting democracy in 1958, the government has become more authoritarian after the election of Hugo Chávez in 1998. When he died in 2013, Maduro took over, but he has claimed to be shifting the country back to a democracy. Under Maduro's presidency, around 7.8 million Venezuelans have fled the country, and the economy has collapsed completely, motivating citizens to want a change of leader. In 2024, he told the people that there would be completely unbiased elections where everyone could vote, but recent turmoil has occurred after reported corruption in the elections. Maria Corina Machado began to lead the opposition and became extremely popular before being banned from running, supposedly because she failed to include food vouchers in her declaration of her assets. Since then, Edmundo Gonzalez has taken over the main opposing party to Maduro. Freddy Superlano, the leader of another opposition party, was reportedly kidnapped recently, raising more concerns over corruption and unfairness in the election. When voting came around, with 80% of the votes counted, the National Electoral Council (CNE) officially announced that Maduro was the winner, contradicting the strong predictions for the opposition to take the win. The CNE stated that Maduro had won 51.2% of the votes counted, while rival Gonzalez received only 44.2%. However, Gonzalez's party collected 73% of their tallies and found that in the votes for either him or Maduro, he had won a landslide 69%-- he received 6 million votes and Maduro received only 2.7 million. Their party has shared the tally sheets with the global community to verify the results, while the CNE is yet to do so-- hinting at a possible biased count from the organization. The international community is urging for the CNE to publish the tallies, as it would ensure a completely fair election that would represent the will of Venezuelans as a whole. Protests soon broke out on the streets against Maduro's alleged corruption, with Venezuelans taking to the streets and loudly banging pots to grab the attention of officials. Police soon responded to the peaceful protests with tough measures, using tear gas and rubber bullets to repel them. Venezuelan officials stated that the protests were in no way peaceful, claiming that the violent riots had injured at least 48 police and military officers. As a result, over 700 people were detained, and some sources stated that several people were killed as well. If Maduro loses, Venezuela will be sent into a period of reconstruction, in which they can build their economy back up. As for Maduro, he may not be able to leave the country, as he is under investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity. He is also wanted in the United States for charges of corruption and drug trafficking. This is a developing story, so make sure to check back in future articles to view the latest updates on the actual tally count and the results of the Venezuelan election. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Businessman LaMarcus Thompson invented roller coasters in the 1880s to distract Americans from sin-- and New York's Coney Island was born. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The bridge between reality and a dream is work. (Jared Leto) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Purport (verb)- To purport is to claim to be or do a particular thing when this claim may not be true. In a Sentence: The report purports to be objective, but its bias is clear.

Contents: Israel Vows Retaliation After Hezbollah Strikes Soccer Field in Golan Heights Upcoming Events Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Israel has vowed retaliation after a recent strike on Golan Heights by Hezbollah, and some strikes have already been executed. 12 children were killed over the weekend after about 30 rockets struck a soccer field in the area known Golan Heights, which is disputed between Israel and Syria. The United States and Israel investigated and blamed the attack on Iran-backed group Hezbollah, which is based in Lebanon. Hezbollah has strongly denied any connection to the strike, but Israel has confirmed that it was an Iranian-made missile and was launched from southern Lebanon. The kids were playing when the missiles smashed into the pitch, located in the Majdal Shams neighborhood, killing 12 and injuring dozens of others in the area. 11 of the children were identified and given funerals, while the 12th one remained missing until his body was found. He later had a funeral of his own. Lebanon then braced for a response from Israel, with numerous flights at Beirut's airport being canceled and delayed in fears of another attack. However, they maintained that while they would not get involved in any sort of war, they would still support Hezbollah. Ministers in Israel later approved any sort of retaliation, and Israeli fighter jets dropped bombs on multiple areas in Lebanon on Sunday and struck several other targets during the night. The incident has increased fears of an all-out war between Hezbollah and Israel, which would further exacerbate the humanitarian crisis going on in the region. Tensions are still extremely high between Israel and other Iran-backed groups, such as Yemen's Houthis, but several nations are attempting to cool the agitation between them. However, Hezbollah and the Houthis have confirmed that they will not back down until Israel ends its war in Gaza, which getting close to its one-year mark-- a grim milestone for the conflict as it approaches a death toll of 40,000 Palestinians. This also comes just after 19 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks on Sunday. 10 of those were killed in a strike on a home in Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza, and another four died on a strike on some tents in the designated humanitarian zone of Al-Mawasi. Multiple bodies were seen at the nearby Nasser Hospital, which has been flooded with distraught patients ever since the war began. Upcoming Events: International Day of Friendship (Tuesday, July 30) World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (Tuesday, July 30) Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Babies sleep 5,400 hours in the first year of their life. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Choose your habits well. Habit is probably the most powerful tool in your brain’s toolbox. (Ray Dalio) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Dulcet (adj)- Dulcet is a formal word used to describe sounds that are pleasant to hear. It is often used in the phrase “dulcet tones.” In a Sentence: Jolie recalled warm memories of falling asleep to the dulcet tones of her grandmother’s lullabies.

Contents: 30 Dead, 100 Injured After Israeli Airstrike on School Sheltering Gazans Update on the Fires in US and Canada-- Park Fire Grows, Canadian Fires Devastate Jasper Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Over 30 people are dead and 100 others have been injured after an Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza, but Israel has justified their actions. The school, located in the city of Deir-al-Balah, was housing thousands of displaced refugees from all over Gaza, who have been shifting from place to place in search of food and water. Israel is also constantly moving their operations, striking a new place each time. After the attack, hundreds of people flooded into the nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital with bodies and survivors who were scraping by, and the hospital quickly ran out of space for new patients. Israel has defended their actions, though, claiming that they had received intel that there was a Hamas operations center inside the school. This comes as Israel seems to be reaching an agreement with the US, one of the main negotiators, over a possible ceasefire and hostage deal, but Hamas has made it clear that they want a permanent end to the war. On another note, the wildfires in the western United States and Canada are not letting up-- here's an update. To read our initial story on the fires, click here. The Park Fire was started by a suspected arsonist on July 24 when he pushed a flaming car into a 60-foot-deep gully, and has now spread to an astounding 353,000 acres across northern California. It has become California's seventh largest wildfire and is very close to the town of Paradise, which was devastated by the Camp Fire in 2018-- the Camp Fire was around 153,000 acres but did serious damage; it is the deadliest wildfire in California history, killing 85 people and destroying 18,804 structures. Strong winds are still continuing to blow the flames despite cooler temperatures and high humidity, and the flames are starting to approach nearby towns. Thousands of firefighters are currently working to battle the blaze, along with dozens of air tankers and helicopters, but the containment rate is still very low-- only 10%. The Durkee Fire, started by lightning, is the largest wildfire currently burning in Oregon, and is maintaining an area of around 288,000 acres. It is now 50% contained due to some help from rain and cooler temperatures, but lots of damage has already been done. Jasper National Park, one of Canada's largest parks and widely regarded as one of the most beautiful places in the world, is also suffering from this year's wildfires. Unfortunately, two fires in the area merged and another fire is burning nearby-- and they have become what firefighters are calling the Jasper Wildfire Complex, reaching 80,000 acres. This makes it the largest wildfire to hit the park in over a century, and the fire has scorched almost half of the historic town of Jasper. Numerous homes and businesses that have been there for decades have been burned to the ground, which is a solemn sight for the town's 25,000 residents and the millions of tourists who visit each year. Firefighters from all over Canada and even from overseas are rushing to help battle the blaze, which will only strengthen with warmer temperatures on the way. However, it has been hard for firefighters to gauge where the flames are and how big the fire is due to the intense smoke covering the area, and it is starting to spread to other parts of Alberta as well. 2024's wildfire season is off to a blazing start, and it will only get worse as climate change causes the planet to become drier and hotter. Over 100 large wildfires are burning across the United States- - 37 large wildfires are burning in Oregon while another 14 are scorching California -- and hundreds are burning in Canada, with 134 fires in the province of Alberta alone. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Ducks shake their tails when they feel happy, and they tend to do it when eating or drinking water. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): We must use time as a tool, not as a couch. (John F. Kennedy) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Jurisprudence (noun)- Jurisprudence is a formal word that typically refers to the science or philosophy of law, or to a system or body of law. In a Sentence: An undergraduate class on jurisprudence inspired her decision to go to law school.

Contents: New Travel Article: Southwest Announces the End of Open Seating Multiple Massive Fires Scorching Across the Western US, Canada Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day We have released a new Travel article detailing Southwest's recent announcement that they are ending their longstanding open-seating policy. Check out the new article here. On another note, wildfires are scorching the western United States, with the two largest fires alone burning over 527.000 acres. Firefighters are finally managing to make some progress on the devastating Durkee Fire, which has burned over 288,000 acres across eastern Oregon. The fire began last Wednesday after a lightning strike and has grown to become the largest fire in the West right now. It was fueled by strong winds and dry conditions until merging with the nearby Cow Valley Fire, which is 99% contained. However, the Durkee Fire remained out-of-control until yesterday, when some localized heavy rain gave firefighters the chance to start containing the wildfire. It is currently 27% contained, which is an improvement from the 0% a few days ago, but still quickly spreading north towards the Thompson Fire, which is around 31.000 acres. Evacuation orders are in place for the surrounding area, and the evacuations for the town of Huntington, home to 500 people, have been reduced to a Level 1 - Be Ready. Three firefighters were injured and 14 structures have been destroyed. The busy Interstate 84 has also been intermittently shut down due to thick wildfire smoke that has drastically reduced visibility. Unfortunately, firefighters are not making any progress on the Park Fire, which has scorched over 239,000 acres in northern California. The fire began on July 24 and has since spread to become the 13th largest fire ever in California and the second-largest in the West right now. A suspect has been arrested after reports came in that a man had pushed a flaming car into a gully on the same day the fire started, meaning that the cause is most likely arson. Sadly, that one incident has led to the destruction of 134 structures and hundreds of thousands of acres of land across the counties of Butte and Tehama. 1,600 firefighters are currently battling the blaze, but extremely arid, dry conditions are not helping-- the wildfire is currently 0% contained. Strong winds were also helping it spread at a rate of 4,000 to 5,000 acres per hour, as of last night, but the wind speeds have since died down. Wildfire season in the western United States is off to a blazing start amid blistering temperatures in the middle of the hottest year on record, with at least 111 large wildfires actively burning right now. They have burned a total of over 1.8 million acres across multiple states which are all suffering from the heat. Also, it isn't just the United States. A large wildfire in the town of Jasper, Alberta, located in the middle of Canada's Jasper National Park, is currently burning across the area, scorching 89,000 acres. Half of the town has already been burned, and many of its historic restaurants and stores have been reduced to ashes. Evacuation orders are in place, and the fire is still growing quickly. Many tourists are mourning the destruction of a town that has some of the most picturesque views in the world, but thankfully, cooler weather and some rain are expected to ease the spread and help firefighters contain the wildfire. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): There is a Japanese island named Okunoshima, and it is filled with rabbits that were once used for chemical testing, but now are free to roam around wherever they want. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The future belongs to the competent. Get good, get better, be the best! (Brian Tracy) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Herald (verb)- Herald is a verb meaning "to give notice of"; it is synonymous with announce, publicize, and foreshadow. Herald may also mean "to greet especially with enthusiasm." In a Sentence: The appearance of robins heralded the advent of spring.

Contents: 21 Dead After Typhoon Gaemi Batters Philippines, Taiwan, Makes Landfall in China Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day At least 21 people are dead after Typhoon Gaemi wreaked havoc across the South China Sea, striking the Philippines, Taiwan, and then China. The typhoon formed on July 19 hundreds of miles east of the Philippines, and strengthened to become a hurricane with 80 mph winds in four days. However, it continued on a path far from the islands, brushing by with heavy rain in addition to its winds. Unfortunately, the strong waves capsized an oil tanker carrying around 400,000 gallons of industrial fuel, leading to a massive oil leak into the ocean as the ship sank-- stretching over 2.5 miles. Philippine authorities are now trying to contain the spill as fast as possible, as it could have huge environmental implications if not handled properly. As for the crew of the ship, one was killed when the ship sunk but the other 16 crew members were successfully rescued from the situation. Then, on July 24, it made landfall on Taiwan's eastern coast with winds of 125 mph and heavy rain, making it the strongest storm to hit Taiwan in eight years. Floods rapidly engulfed numerous streets and dozens of towns, killing three people. Over 500,000 people have lost power, stock markets were closed, all domestic flights have been canceled, and trains were temporarily stopped. Officials stated that some areas of the island country received up to 40 inches of rain in under 24 hours, while parts of the city of Kaohsiung to the south received up to 53 inches of rain in the same time period. In fact, the calculated total rainfall amounts in some areas could reach over 87 inches. The waves did serious damage to Taiwan's ships as well, with five cargo ships running aground and one sinking. Fu Shun, a Tanzania-flagged cargo ship, went down as the storm arrived, and three crew members were rescued while another six are missing. After passing through Taiwan, it moved through the Taiwan Strait before making landfall yesterday night in China's southeastern province of Fujian, near the city of Fuqing. Since heavy rain already passed through the region recently, locals believe that the already-soaked ground could further exacerbate the extreme flooding expected with the storm. Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated before the storm made landfall, fearing the worst. Gaemi is now continuing through Fujian Province, hitting the major city of Fuzhou along the way, and is expected to keep weakening as it passes through Jiangxi Province while delivering rain to the entire region around it. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Baby chimpanzees sometimes make dolls out of sticks and play with them. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strengths. (Charles Spurgeon) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Fealty (noun)- Fealty is an old-fashioned and somewhat literary word that refers to intense loyalty or fidelity to a person, group, etc. More narrowly, fealty refers to the fidelity of a vassal or feudal tenant to their lord. In a Sentence: Authors who inspire such fealty can guarantee a publisher good sales, no matter the quality of the books they write.

Contents: Earth Experiences Back-to-Back Hottest Days on Record Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Earth recently experienced its hottest day on record-- and then smashed the record a day later. As more fossil fuels emit more greenhouse gases into the air, it is no secret that the world has been heating up because to human activity. 2023, greatly in part due to the weather phenomenon known as El Niño, was Earth's hottest year on record, and the hottest day on record was beat on July 6, 2023, when the global average temperature reached 17.08 degrees Celsius (62.74 degrees Fahrenheit). In 2024, a new record was set when the global average temperature reached 17.09 degrees Celsius (62.76 degrees Fahrenheit) on Sunday, July 21. When it comes to temperatures, such minuscule differences are common. However, that record was then destroyed a day later, when the average temperature reached 17.15 degrees Celsius (62.87 degrees Fahrenheit), marking the hottest day on Earth since records began in 1940. Because of the larger amount of land in the northern hemisphere, global average temperatures are normally hotter when it is summer for the northern hemisphere (winter for the southern hemisphere). Land warms and cools faster than water does, meaning that an area with more land will heat faster than an area with more water. Climate change is slowly warming the Earth as humans burn more fossil fuels and produce more greenhouse gases, and that is also causing more natural disasters. Hurricanes, severe storms, droughts, wildfires, and other devastating disasters are becoming more common because of the changes in temperature, and scientists have created a system of numerous tipping points to summarize one key thing: when will human-inflicted damage to the Earth become irreversible? Some of the tipping points of the Earth's climate include: Greenland ice sheet disintegration-- would cause sea level rise of over 20 ft Permafrost loss-- would cause a massive rise in greenhouse gas emissions because of the collapse of buried peatlands A shift in boreal forests-- would cause forests nearer to the equator to die due to extreme heat, causing the forests to grow into the tundra The melting of Arctic sea ice-- would cause extreme habitat loss for animals like polar bears and lead to a reduction in ice levels, speeding up the albedo effect The disintegration of the West Antarctic ice sheet-- would cause sea level rise of over 10 ft The death of the Amazon Rainforest-- hotter conditions would kill the thick forest and turn it into open savannah The shutdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), which is a system of currents that circulates water throughout the Atlantic-- would disrupt the entire ocean ecosystem because of more freshwater from melting ice Even if one of these tipping points is crossed, it could cause a large increase in global temperatures, which would then spark a chain reaction. That chain reaction could cause other tipping points to be crossed, which would end in a massive disaster for the environment and humans as we know it. The world is warming more every day, and if humans do not take extreme action within the next decade, Earth could be at risk of an environmental collapse due to the tipping points above. Want to help protect the Earth? Even if it's something as big is starting an eco-friendly business or something as small as recycling your aluminum cans, you can make a difference. Check out this article to help save our oceans. Also, check out this article on YNH Travel talking about Denmark's approach to the large amounts of greenhouse gases that livestock release. Interested in nature? Go no further than YNH Travel's latest article in Earth, which details exactly which United States National Parks to visit before they drastically change by 2030. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Since honeybees have hook-shaped hands, they can hold hands-- and they tend to do it while sleeping. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): A wise man ought to realize that health is his most valuable possession. (Hippocrates) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Sanctimonious (adj)- Someone described as sanctimonious behaves as though they are morally superior to others. Language or behavior that suggests the same kind of moral superiority can also be described as sanctimonious. In a Sentence: While the subject matter was interesting, I found the presenter’s sanctimonious tone rather distracting.

Contents: Microsoft Outage Still Impacting Delta Airlines and US Airports 229 Dead After Massive Landslides Strike Southern Ethiopia Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day The Microsoft outage is still heavily impacting Delta Airlines, leading to hundreds more cancellations each day and numerous delays. Check out the full, updated article on YNH Travel here . On another note, at least 229 people are dead after two deadly landslides in Ethiopia recently, and the death toll could rise further. The first landslide struck on Monday morning on a hillside above a village in southern Ethiopia's Gofa Zone following heavy rains, and as people rushed to help, another one hit an hour later. The initial death toll was found to be around 50, but that number quickly rose past 150 and now 229 as search and rescue crews found more bodies. Not too many people were killed in the first landslide, which collapsed onto multiple homes, but the second one was deadly due to the large number of people and rescuers who had gathered to investigate the situation and start searching for possible survivors. It also happened extremely quickly and with no early warning signs, and only around 20 people were able to escape safely. The landslides were also quite deadly, as only 10 victims managed to survive being hit by the massive cascade of mud and rock. Aid has been sent by the World Health O rganization, according to leader Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is Ethiopian as well, to help out survivors in critical condition. Rescue crews are digging on to find any more bodies or survivors, and more forces have been sent to the area by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Unfortunately, the efforts have been hindered by more rains, and since the area is so remote, no heavy machinery can be brought to help out-- forcing everyone to dig by hand. Ethiopia and most of East Africa is one of the regions of the world that is most at risk from the effects of climate change, and more natural disasters are occurring there every year. They range from droughts to extreme rains, as East Africa is heavily affected by La Niña and El Niño, which bring drier, arid conditions and much wetter conditions, respectively. The region is also strongly affected by the Indian Ocean Dipole, which brings warmer, wetter conditions to East Africa during its positive phase and drought during the negative phase. Scientists currently do not know whether climate change has any impact on El Niño, but they have discovered that the IOD is weakening as a human-imposed effect. Currently, Earth is in a neutral phase for both weather patterns, but La Niña is expected to develop further in the coming months. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): While humans may sneeze due to allergens, dogs usually sneeze to show that they're play-fighting. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): If we continue to practice an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, we’ll eventually end up with a land of people who are blind and toothless. (Andrew Young) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Catastrophe (noun)- A catastrophe is never a good thing. Catastrophe can refer to a momentous tragic event, an utter failure, a violent and sudden change in a feature of the earth, or a violent usually destructive natural event. In a Sentence: Despite her careful planning, the party turned out to be a catastrophe .