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

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

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

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

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

At least 64 people were killed after police initiated a massive plan to eliminate drug gangs in Rio de Janeiro, leading to clashes between gangmembers and police. Drug trafficking remains a huge problem in Rio, with huge gangs fighting for control over the city's slums, known as favelas. Gangs often hold battles within the favelas themselves, injuring innocent people on the streets, and police operations end up doing the same. Yesterday, early in the morning, over 2,500 police officers arrived in the favelas of Alemão and Penha, hoping to crack down on the Comando Vermelho, or Red Command– one of the city's most notorious drug gangs. According to authorities, they investigated possible suspects and more information about the gang for over a year before conducting their operation. However, as authorities arrived, the group engaged in violent resistance, creating chaos across the favelas at 4 am, when many civilians had been sleeping. Gangmembers quickly responded with gunfire before setting barricades and cars on fire, sparking more fear among citizens. Then, according to some reports, the gang initiated the use of drones, which were used to drop explosives on police cars– something that has never happened before. Several hours later, the situation calmed down slightly, allowing the bodies to be counted– the conflict left at least 64 people dead. Of those 64 people, four were police officers, but it was not exactly clear how many were innocent civilians and how many were gangmembers. Nevertheless, the government later announced that anyone who was killed had resisted their arrival, suggesting that they were involved with the Red Command. 81 additional suspects were arrested, and police managed to seize 93 automatic rifles and a half-ton of drugs following the operation. The Red Command continued to spark chaos, though, stealing dozens of city buses to create blockades on major roads across the city. Schools and universities were shut down as well, disrupting life for people across the city. While battles like this between police and gangs are common in Rio de Janeiro, yesterday's conflict was the city's deadliest-ever– the previous holder of the grim statistic had been an operation from 2021 had been the deadliest, having killed 28 people. Human rights activists and locals asserted that violent crackdowns on drugs are not the way to eliminate these drug gangs, as they end up killing innocent victims and simply spark more hate against the police. Civilians within the favelas claim that the drug trade depends on the poverty of the people, and none of the drugs or guns are actually manufactured in Rio. They believe that the Brazilian government should focus on shutting down the sources of these drugs and weapons, preventing them from reaching the favelas in the first place. Meanwhile, the Brazilian government believes that these crackdowns are the right way to go, eliminating the very people that distribute the drugs and engage in narco-terrorism within favelas. In fact, Rio de Janeiro's governor, Cláudio Bomfim de Castro e Silva, stated that he believed they should have brought even more firepower to the operation, possibly involving the military. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Pulling an all-nighter can actually serve as a temporary antidepressant. This is because the brain gets more active when it goes a long time without sleep. However, going for longer periods of time – like multiple days – without sleep ends up leading to more depression. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): More men fail through lack of purpose than lack of talent . ( Billy Sunday) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Menagerie (adj, muh-NAJ-uh-ree) - Menagerie refers to a collection of animals kept especially to be shown to the public, as well as a place where such animals are kept. It can also refer figuratively to any varied mixture of things. In a Sentence: The aviary featured a menagerie of exotic birds. Image credit to Reuters

Hurricane Melissa is inching towards Jamaica, with landfall expected today, bringing incredibly strong winds and intense rain to the island country. Melissa, now a Category 5 hurricane, is packing winds of over 175 mph, making it the strongest tropical system of the year. This also makes it the most powerful hurricane to hit Jamaica since Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. Widespread rain totals are projected to be around 15-30 inches, and some areas of the island could receive up to 40 inches of rain, sparking landslides across its mountainous terrain. At least three people have already been confirmed dead due to the storm, but the death toll is expected to rise over the next few days as Melissa moves past the island. Extensive destruction is sure to occur, especially in poorer areas of Jamaica with weaker infrastructure. However, Jamaican officials are doing their best to minimize deaths, with citizens already heading to storm shelters as landfall looms in the distance. The United Nations is also already preparing aid for Jamaica– they are ready to send food, water, shelter, cleaning kits, and more as soon as the storm has moved past. The UN Central Emergency Response Fund has already approved the release of $4 million in anticipation of the aid needs of Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba, and members of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs are already planning trips to the islands later this week. The storm originally formed around a week ago in the Caribbean Sea, moving lazily until intensifying. Due to wind patterns, Melissa reversed course and turned back several times as the storm had slowed to a crawl. From there, the storm inched northwest, zigzagging across the Caribbean as it approached Jamaica and Hispaniola. After brushing Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Melissa underwent a process that meteorologists call "rapid intensification." This occurs when a hurricane's wind speed increases at least 35 mph in a 24-hour window. Melissa had been a tropical storm when passing Hispaniola, but it had become a Category 4 hurricane by the next day– almost doubling its wind speed. In fact, statistics show that Melissa is the fourth-fastest hurricane to ever reach Category 4 status from Category 1, intensifying in a mere 18 hours. It later strengthened to become the Category 5 that is already wreaking havoc on Jamaica. Yesterday, NOAA's storm chasers flew straight into the hurricane to take measurements, as usual, but they were amazed when they encountered the eye of the storm. The incredible video  showed a perfect eyewall around the peaceful center as it moved across the ocean. Satellite footage of Melissa has also displayed its extremely organized formation, with a perfectly circular eye and hundreds of miles of rain bands around it. After passing Jamaica, Melissa is expected to weaken slightly before hitting eastern Cuba as a Category 4 hurricane. However, its large storm bands will extend across the Greater Antilles, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to other island nations like the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos before it emerges into the Atlantic. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Polar bears often hunt walruses by simply charging at a group of them and eating the ones that were crushed or wounded in the mass panic to escape. Direct attacks on walruses are rare, as their tusks can easily kill a polar bear if they are forced to defend themselves. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The noble soul reveres itself. ( Friedrich Nietzche) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Acerbic (adj, uh-SER-bik) - Something described as acerbic is sharply or bitingly critical, sarcastic, or ironic in temper, mood, or tone. In a Sentence: The comedian draws crowds that appreciate his acerbic wit. Image credit to NOAA

The culprits in last week's already-infamous Louvre heist have been arrested by French authorities after a massive manhunt, but they have not confirmed the return of the missing crown jewels. Over the past week, French officials conducted forensics on various items that the thieves used, allowing them to identify small pieces of evidence like fingerprints or fallen hair strands. They also used surveillance footage of the escape to track down their possible locations. Then, they were able to make two arrests over the weekend. One of the perpetrators was caught trying to exit the country on a flight to Algeria at Paris' Charles de Gaulle International Airport, while the other was caught after his DNA was confirmed by forensics teams. However, French authorities have apologized for releasing the information so early, as it can hinder the ongoing operation to recover the jewels. The publicized arrests of groupmembers can often send the other members of a gang or robbery into hiding, making it tougher for officials to find them. Additionally, neither of the suspects arrested were carrying any of the crown jewels on them, meaning that the search for the precious items will continue. The arrests come just after a major heist on the Louvre last week. Four thieves were able to break into the Louvre in broad daylight, stealing various crown jewels from the famed museum's Apollo Gallery and escaping in just eight minutes. The robbers utilized a basket lift to get up to the second-floor gallery before cutting through the window and the glass cases of the items using power tools. The thieves escaped with eight jewels that were collectively worth around $102 million. The heist left French authorities stunned and exposed several major Louvre failures. While the alarms did go off, authorities did not have full surveillance of the exterior of the building, and the only camera on that side of the Louvre happened to be pointing in the opposite direction of the thieves. This slowed police down, as they were not able to pinpoint where the robbers were conducting the heist. However, a massive renovation of the museum will begin next year, with the French government spending around $93 million to include new command centers, more cameras across different facades, and a new badge system for more security. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): The name of the dinosaur “velociraptor” comes from the Latin words “velox” which means swift, and “raptor,” which means robber. This means that the animal's name literally means "speedy robber." Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Those who do not move, do not notice their chains. ( Rosa Luxemburg) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Cognoscente (noun, kahn-yuh-SHEN-tee) - Cognoscente refers to a person with expert knowledge in a subject. It is usually encountered in its plural form, cognoscenti , and preceded by the . In a Sentence: The audience at the club, though small, was full of writers, musicians, and other noteworthy members of the jazz cognoscenti . Image credit to Woolf

US President Donald Trump has begun his trip across Asia, allowing him to make some major deals that could resolve conflicts, alleviate tariffs, and strengthen ties. Trump's trip will cross Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and China across the span of almost one week, the latter of which is likely to be the most crucial. One of the most important points on Trump's agenda will be to strengthen US ties with Southeast Asia, where China has been working to assert their dominance in recent years. This will be Trump's first visit to Southeast Asia since 2019, with the president visiting the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. His primary goals will be to sign a trade agreement with Malaysia, allowing them to avoid some of his reciprocal tariffs, and confirm a ceasefire deal between Thailand and Cambodia, which experienced violent border skirmishes earlier this year . While Trump's only visit to Southeast Asia will be in Kuala Lumpur, the agreement he establishes with the Malaysian government will likely serve as a basis for his agreements with other countries in the region. He will also work against China's increasing influence in the area. The president's second destination will be Japan, where he will meet the new Japanese Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, for the first time. There, he will work to finalize a trade deal to lower tariffs on Japan, in exchange for significant investments into the US economy over the next few years. Takaichi shares a similar stance to Trump on military and China, though, allowing them to build their new relationship on some sort of common ground. Next, Trump will head to South Korea, where he signed a major trade deal several months ago . While the agreement was finalized, further negotiations over some of the more specific details of South Korea's investments were not fully established. Trump will work to clear up the uncertainty over the deal and further strengthen US-South Korea ties. Finally, he will close out his tour with a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the South Korean city of Busan, where they will negotiate over several topics. China desires for the United States to decrease tariffs and reduce their export restrictions on technology, which have hindered American tech firms like Nvidia. Meanwhile, Trump has told Xi that he wishes for more Chinese investment into the US economy. However, China maintains an all-powerful bargaining chip– access to critical minerals. China contains around 60-70% of the world's rare earth minerals and around 90% of the factories used to process them, giving them a tight grip over the critical minerals market. These minerals are used in every technology-related sector, ranging from electronics to big tech to AI to automobiles, and China possesses the ability to cut off the world's supply at any time. While the US is attempting to circumvent this by striking deals with other nations , maintaining strong ties with China is crucial to keeping the American economy running, and this will be one of Trump's most important goals when he meets Xi later this week. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): When you exercise, the burned fat metabolizes to become carbon dioxide, water, and energy. This means that you actually exhale the fat that you lose. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): You are the one thing in this world, above all other things, that you must never give up on. ( Lili Reinhart) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Wreak (verb, REEK) - Wreak means “to cause something very harmful or damaging.” It is often used with on or upon . In a Sentence: The virus wreaked havoc on my laptop. Image credit to The New York Times

Tropical Storm Melissa is already wreaking havoc across the Caribbean, and it is expected to rapidly intensify over the next few days. Melissa formed around four days ago in the Caribbean Sea, slowly strengthening over time. Winds initially began pushing the storm at extremely fast speeds, frightening nearby islands who believed they would have no time to prepare. However, winds began reversing, and several Caribbean islands could now be at extreme risk because of the exact opposite. Due to wind patterns, Melissa reversed course before turning back once again, and the storm had slowed to a crawl. From there, the storm has inched northwest, zigzagging across the Caribbean as it approaches Jamaica and Hispaniola. Melissa's rain bands have expanded in recent days and are already impacting Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti, the latter of which experienced three deaths yesterday. Two people were killed in a landslide in Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince, while a third person was killed earlier in the week after a tree fell on him. One person was also killed and another remains missing in the Dominican Republic. Haiti remains one of the Caribbean countries that is most at risk during hurricanes, because gang violence is quite prevalent and has caused chaos within the island country. Rampant gang violence has taken over the country, forcing people out of their homes and killing hundreds. Due to this, many Haitians are still living in shelters with poor infrastructure that can be easily flooded, sparking major concern as Melissa approaches. Over the next few days, the tropical storm is expected to undergo rapid intensification but remain at the same speed, spelling danger for islands in its path. By tomorrow, experts predict that the storm will already be a Category 4 hurricane, and it is expected to make landfall on Jamaica on Tuesday. The storm will bring strong winds of over 145 mph, but the storm's incredibly slow speed will drop a massive amount of rain across Jamaica and Haiti as it moves through. Meteorologists expect Melissa to drop around 25 inches of rain across Jamaica and up to 35 inches on Haiti's Tiburon Peninsula– not accounting for storm surge, which will give Jamaica an additional few feet of flooding. After moving through Jamaica, the storm will move forward and drop around 12 inches of rain across eastern Cuba as it crosses through before emerging into the open Atlantic. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Santa Claus was issued a pilot’s license by the U.S. government in 1927. They also gave him airway maps and promised to keep the runway lights on. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it. ( Olin Miller) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Rancid (adj, RAN-zid) - Rancid usually describes something edible that has a strong and unpleasant smell or taste because it is no longer fresh. In figurative use, rancid describes things that are very distasteful or offensive. In a Sentence: The corpse flower, which is the largest known individual flower of any plant species, stays open five to seven days and emits a rancid odor. Image credit to NOAA