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Contents: Florida Governor Bans Usage of Social Media for Children Under 14 Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has officially banned the use of social media for children under 14, which is a sweeping new law that could change the lives of millions of tweens and teens across the state. The new law states that the use of social media, such as Snapchat or Instagram, is completely banned for kids 13 and under, and 14 to 15-year-olds need parental consent to create an account. Social media companies are required to delete any accounts that they believe belong to underage users, and the apps must ask for parental consent if the user is between 14 and 15. DeSantis stated that this new law would help teens get out of their devices and allow their parents to have greater control over their online life, limiting the mental damage that social media can do. However, there will surely be backlash against this from the community, and lawsuits may be filed that could nullify the law, such as what happened in Arkansas and Ohio-- judges blocked laws that limited the usage of social media and increased privacy settings to minors. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Denmark has a Law on Personal Names, meaning that parents have to choose their child's name from a pre-approved list of 7,000 names. If you want to choose a different name, government approval is required. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Life, if well lived, is long enough. (Seneca) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Genuflect (verb)- To genuflect is to kneel, or nearly kneel, on one knee and then rise again in worship or as an act of respect. In figurative use, genuflect means "to be humbly obedient or respectful." In a Sentence: Churchgoers genuflected before the altar.

Contents: Geomagnetic Storm Set to Impact Communications Today Upcoming Events Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day A severe geomagnetic storm is on the way, and it could disrupt some communications across Earth. The Sun has a magnetic cycle, and every 11 years its poles switch places. It is now in the most active part of that cycle, a phase called the solar maximum. In this phase, solar storms can happen multiple times per year, while during the solar minimum, there are solar storms about every few years. A G4 strength (the scale goes from 1-5) solar flare is planned to hit Earth's magnetic field today, leading to some disrupted high frequency radio transmissions, which are normally long range transmissions used by aircraft or exploration vehicles. Space tracking may be impacted as well, but there is a good part to it. People living at higher latitudes like Canada or Norway could get the chance to view some striking auroras overnight if the weather permits, and the strength of the storm could allow people at lower latitudes as far south as Washington DC to see the lights in the sky. Upcoming Events: International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade (Monday, March 25) International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members (Monday, March 25) Ash Wednesday (Wednesday, March 27) Major League Baseball Opening Day (Thursday, March 28) Holy Thursday (Thursday, March 28) Good Friday (Friday, March 29) International Day of Zero Waste (Saturday, March 30) Easter (Sunday, March 31) Fact of the Day: Photography in and around airports is illegal in Kazakhstan. Quote of the Day: Time is a created thing. To say “I don’t have time” is to say “I don’t want to.” (Lao Tzu) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Pedantic (adj)- Pedantic describes someone or something that exhibits the characteristics of a pedant—that is, a person who often annoys other people by correcting small errors and giving too much attention to minor details. Pedantic also means “narrowly, stodgily, and often ostentatiously learned.” In a Sentence: Their habit of reminding fellow birders that the bird is called a “Canada goose” and not a “Canadian goose” came across as pedantic rather than helpful.

Contents: 133 Dead, Hundreds Injured After Moscow Concert Hall Shooting Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day At least 133 people are dead and hundreds of others are injured after a deadly shooting at a concert hall in Moscow, Russia. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin originally blamed Ukraine, but the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) later claimed full responsibility. The Crocus City Hall is a large hall that can accommodate over 6,200 people and is located in the western suburbs of Moscow, and the building was left in flames after gunmen burst in and fired at everyone in sight. Witnesses reported that they just came in and silently shot everyone they could see, and chaos ensued. No one could figure out whether they should run or hide, and the hall was set on fire afterwards as well. Russian police arrested four suspects following the incident, and the entire world has condemned the attack. This shooting comes just after Putin was elected for his fifth term after he promised safety to his people amid Russia's war against Ukraine, but that safety may be in question. Nevertheless, this is a deeply saddening incident that the entire world is mourning. Fact of the Day: It is illegal to feed pigeons in San Francisco. Quote of the Day: Never leave ’till tomorrow which you can do today. (Benjamin Franklin) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Megillah (noun)- Megillah is slang for a long, involved story or account. Megillah can also refer to a complicated sequence of events, or it can be used as a synonym of ball of wax meaning “everything involved in what is under consideration.” All three senses of megillah are often preceded by the adjective whole. In a Sentence: Don’t worry about reciting the whole megillah from last night’s game; just give me the highlights.

Contents: Dozens Dead, 17,000 Homeless, 33,000 Fleeing Haiti Capital Amid Gang Violence Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Amid a huge escalation of gang violence in Port-au-Prince, thousands of people are fleeing the Haitian capital. Control over the city has slipped recently, leading to gangs taking over Port-au-Prince. They are breaking into homes and stealing whatever they can, and they are not being stopped by Haiti's National Police, an organization which is heavily understaffed with untrained officers. 17,000 people have been left homeless and over 33,000 people have fled the capital in search of refuge in other parts of the country, in fear that they could end up like other victims of gang violence-- losing everything or being killed. The gangs continue to swarm peaceful communities and pillage the entire area, killing dozens in the process. However, the rural towns of eastern Haiti do not have the capacities to handle the influx of citizens from Port-au-Prince, but they don't have any other choice. The gangs have taken over the entire city, shut down the international airport, burned down police stations, and released over 4,000 prisoners from Haiti's two major jails, making the city as dangerous as it can be right now. Prime Minister Ariel Henry is stuck outside the country, as he was on a diplomatic trip to Kenya to push for a UN-backed force to battle gangs in Haiti when the country's international airport closed and the violence broke out on February 29. Countries like the United States have been urging their people to avoid traveling to Haiti and have been evacuating any citizens currently in the country. Leaders of various Caribbean countries have been voting for a new leader for the island country, as Henry has announced that he will step down once a new leader is chosen. This new leader and his council will aim to curb the massive amount of gang violence that has broken out, and maybe even come close to restoring the country to its original state. Fact of the Day: To preserve its natural beauty, Hawaii has an official ban on billboards, introduced in 1927 as part of an 'urban beautification' initiative. Quote of the Day: A determined person will do more with a pen and paper, than a lazy person will accomplish with a personal computer. (Catherine Pulsifer) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Dragoon (verb)- When used with into, dragoon means "to force or convince someone to do something." Without into, dragoon means "to subjugate or persecute by harsh use of troops." In a Sentence: Employees complained that they had been dragooned into working overtime without adequate compensation.

We have a YNH Exclusive for our daily update today, which will do a deep dive into the 2024 Global Happiness Report! Contents: 2024 Global Happiness Report Released: Here are the Highlights Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day This year's Global Happiness Report is out, and Finland has ranked as the World's Happiest Country once again. The system rates countries on a scale of 0-10 in terms of the population's happiness. They rate their lives and how happy they are, and the average scores are between 3-7. Here are the highlights from each continent: North America: Costa Rica was North America's happiest country (7.0), while the Dominican Republic was the continent's least happy (5.8), but it was still happier than over half of the countries in the survey. The United States dropped out of the top 20 for the first time, placing 23rd, and Canada was one of the only two countries in the top 20 with a population of over 30 million. However, similar to the Nordic countries of Europe, the old were much happier than the young, who tended to be much unhappier. South America: Uruguay was South America's happiest country (6.6) and Venezuela was its least happy country (5.6). Uruguay was the fifth-happiest country in the Americas, after Mexico, the US, Canada, and Costa Rica. Europe: The happiest country in Europe was Finland (7.7), while Ukraine was its least happy (4.9). Europe was the world's overall happiest country, with Northern Europe dominating the rankings. Across the entire world, Finland placed first (7.7), Denmark second (7.6), Iceland third (7.5), Sweden fourth (7.3), Netherlands sixth (7.3), Norway seventh (7.3), Luxembourg eighth (7.3), and Switzerland ninth (7.1). Western Europe averaged around 6, while Central and Eastern Europe were slightly less happy but still around 5.5 on the rankings. The lowest ranked was Ukraine after its ongoing two-year war with Russia, which led to its 4.9 rating on the happiness scale. Africa: Africa ranked as the world's least happy continent, and its happiest country was Libya (5.9) while its least happy country was Lesotho (3.2). Libya has managed to solve most of its issues to rank highest in Africa with a 5.9, while Mauritius placed next highest in Africa with a 5.8. However, most of Western Africa ranked around 4.5, and Southern Africa's average was extremely low, only around 3.5. 8 of the 10 least happy countries in the world were located in Africa, with the exception of Afghanistan. The Middle East and Central Asia: The Middle East had Israel as its happiest country (7.3), while its least happy was Afghanistan, which was the world's saddest country with a rating of 1.7 (an entire point below the next lowest, Lebanon). Western and Central Asia had countries across the scale, ranging from the upper end with Israel (7.3), UAE (6.7), and Saudi Arabia (6.6), to the lower end with Afghanistan (1.7), Lebanon (2.7), and Yemen (3.6), with everything in between. South and East Asia: South and East Asia's most happy was Singapore (6.5) and its least happy was Bangladesh (3.9). East Asia's scores hovered around 5-6, with South Asia having the lowest scores with Bangladesh (3.9), Sri Lanka (3.9), and India (4.1), and East Asia having scores a little higher, like Singapore's 6.5, Taiwan's 6.5, and Japan's 6.1. Oceania: Lastly, not much data was collected from Oceania, but Australia and New Zealand came in with very good scores of 7.1 and 7.0, respectively. Overall, Europe was the happiest continent, with 8 of the top 10 countries being located in Europe and 5 of those 8 being in the Scandinavian region. The top 10 were Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Australia. Africa was the unhappiest continent, with 8 of the bottom 10 countries being located there. The bottom 10 were Afghanistan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi, Eswatini, and Zambia. Fact of the Day: In Montana, it is illegal to play "folf," or frisbee golf. Playing "folf" anywhere not designated a "folf course" could cost you $500 or up to 6 months in jail. Quote of the Day: It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves. (Sir Edmund Hillary) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Scurrilous (adj)- Scurrilous is a formal adjective that most often describes language that contains obscenities, abuse, or, especially, slander—that is, a false statement that damages a person’s reputation. Scurrilous can also describe someone who uses or tends to use scurrilous language, or it can describe a person or thing as evil or vulgar. In a Sentence: The press secretary made a point at the briefing not to address the scurrilous rumors surrounding the senator.

2024 NCAA March Madness is kicking off today! You can stay updated with the latest info on the tournament at our article on it! Check out the article here. Good luck on your brackets! Contents: Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen Foods Released, Strawberries Top the List Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day The 2024 list of clean and pesticide-covered foods is out, and strawberries have topped the list once again. The Environmental Working Group reports foods with detectable levels of pesticides versus other natural foods that don't have them each year, and the top ones are labeled the 'Dirty Dozen' while the cleanest are the 'Clean Fifteen.' The Dirty Dozen this year consisted of numerous nonorganic fruits and vegetables: strawberries, leafy greens like spinach and kale, collard and mustard greens, grapes, peaches, pears, nectarines, apples, bell and hot peppers, cherries, blueberries, and green beans, respectively, while the Clean Fifteen was made up of carrots, sweet potatoes, mangoes, mushrooms, watermelons, cabbage, kiwis, honeydew melons, asparagus, frozen sweet peas, papaya, onions, pineapples, sweet corn, and avocados. In total, 254 pesticides were detected across the list on the 47,510 samples from 46 different fruits and vegetables that were tested, but the comparisons aren't exactly fair. Depending on the food, farmers may need to use more or less pesticide based on how many bugs like nibbling on it: for example, they need to spray less on avocados because bugs stay away from their thick skins, but more pesticide on strawberries because they are sweeter and more easily consumable to bugs searching for food. Consuming pesticides can lead to a slew of problems, including a higher cancer risk, brain and nervous system issues, birth defects, reproductive problems, and issues with various organs like the lungs, liver and kidneys. The most common pesticides found on the foods were fungicides, which are sprayed onto fruits and vegetables to prevent them from molding as they begin their journey to your home. However, don't stay away from these healthy foods completely-- they are vital to human health! To keep away from the pesticides, look for organic produce and make sure to thoroughly wash any fruits or vegetables that would end up in your mouth with water -- don't use soap or any other cleaner -- to remove as much pesticide from the food as possible. Fact of the Day: Throwing snowballs is illegal in Topeka, Kansas. Quote of the Day: Discipline automates habits which, in turn, determine your outcomes. (David Khalil) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Flora (noun)- Flora refers to all the plants that live in a particular area, time, period, or environment. It can also be used broadly to refer to plant, bacterial, or fungal life. In a Sentence: Lisa admired the aquatic flora in the pond as she gazed out at the horizon.

Contents: IQAir's Top 100 Most Polluted Cities List is Released, and 83 Are in One Country Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day IQAir's annual pollution report is out for 2023, and it is not looking good for Asia. Their list of the top 100 most polluted cities contained just one city outside Asia (Benoni, South Africa), and 83 of the 99 cities in Asia were located within one country: India. The city of Begusarai, in the eastern state of Bihar, was ranked number 1 on the list, followed by Guwahati, Assam, Delhi, and Mullanpur, Punjab. 29 out of the top 30 most polluted cities were located in either India, Pakistan, or Bangladesh. Pakistan's Lahore came in at 5th, India's New Delhi at 6th, and Bangladesh's capital of Dhaka at 24th. According to the research, over 96% (1.3 billion people) of India's population live in an area with pollution levels over 7 times above the World Health Organization (WHO)'s recommended amount of extremely tiny, dangerous particulate matter (PM2.5), which is 5 micrograms per cubic meter. Also, in total, over 92.5% of the 7,812 cities included in the report had pollution levels over the WHO's PM2.5 guidelines, which is the main reason why so many people die each year due to pollution. Millions of people are killed by high pollution levels in unhealthy air every year, and millions of others have their lifespan shortened and suffer from diseases due to the effects of high PM2.5 levels-- and pollution continues to increase every year due to the burning of fossil fuels. After the coronavirus struck, pollution levels all over the world began to decline, but they rebounded in 2023. However, awareness for pollution levels has been rising, and new research is done each year to discover the real impacts of pollution on the Earth. For example, almost all of Africa is normally underrepresented on these statistics, but a good amount of the continent was included on the 2023 report after an expansion of their research area. Fact of the Day: Silly string, confetti, and stink bombs are all illegal in Alabama. Quote of the Day: It takes determination to see a dream come to pass. The question is not will you start, but will you finish. (Joel Osteen) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Allege (verb)- To allege something is to assert it without proof or before proving it. In a Sentence: Consumer advocates allege that the company knew about the faulty switches but sold the product anyway.

Today is the first day of spring! Also, NCAA Men's March Madness is beginning soon, so we have published an article with our predictions where you can stay updated with the latest March Madness news! Check the new article out here. In addition, we have a new article this morning by Mihir Gupta on the holiday of Nowruz! Check that article out at this link. Contents: Lava Rushes Towards Grindavík Once Again Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Multiple new fissures have opened up again near Grindavík, on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula, and the lava is speeding toward the town. Both Grindavík and the area's famed Blue Lagoon were evacuated over the weekend when two new fissures opened up and lava started rushing towards the area, but anti-lava barriers constructed recently have been able to stop the lava from getting closer to any infrastructure.However, the lava is getting dangerously close to Grindavík's main road, the Grindavíkurvegur road, and scientists expect the lava to reach it. Thankfully, the impact on surrounding areas has not been as great, as all airports remain functional and the volcanic ash and gas have not gone very far. Unfortunately, some scientists believe that this is opening up a whole system of magma chambers under the area, and more fissures could continue to form in the coming months. This comes after continuous seismic activity and an eruption on February 8 following an evacuation of the area over eruption concerns back in November, and the worries for the small town are still increasing by the day. Fact of the Day: Out of the original eight, there is only one Shell gas station left that is actually shaped like a shell-- it is in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Quote of the Day: Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude. (Zig Ziglar) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Tawdry (adj)- Something described as tawdry is cheap and gaudy in appearance or quality. Tawdry is also often used to describe something considered morally bad or distasteful, as in "a tawdry tale of political skulduggery." In a Sentence: Tawdry decorations cluttered the tiny house.

We have a boatload of upcoming events this week, so make sure to get to that after reading today's news highlights! Contents: Vladimir Putin Wins His Fifth Term as Russian President Upcoming Events Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Russian incumbent President Vladimir Putin won the country's election again by a massive margin, as there was no other serious opponents, leading to his fifth term as Russia's president. He was first elected in 1999 for his first six-year term, and just won the right to his fifth by an overwhelming 87.8%. This term will make him Russia's longest-ever serving president (beating Joseph Stalin), but everyone knew that there was no chance of anyone else winning the election. Many countries, including Ukraine, the US, and the UK, have accused the election of being rigged and not democratic. They believe that many strong candidates were imprisoned for going against him, but Putin strongly denied this and shot back by criticizing the US political system. This election comes as Ukraine ramps up their war efforts to get Russia to back off, striking multiple bases and oil refineries. Putin is sure to lead Russia's war effort once again, and he has stated that a strong retaliation is on the way. However, there is no end in sight to the war. Upcoming Events: NCAA March Madness Kicks Off (Tuesday, March 19) International Day of Happiness (Wednesday, March 20) French Language Day (Wednesday, March 20) International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination World Poetry Day (Thursday, March 21) Nowruz (Thursday, March 21) World Down Syndrome Day (Thursday, March 21) International Day of Forests (Thursday, March 21) World Water Day (Friday, March 22) World Meteorological Day (Saturday, March 23) Purim (Sunday, March 24) World Tuberculosis Day (Sunday, March 24) Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix (Sunday, March 24) International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims (Sunday, March 24) Palm Sunday (Sunday, March 24) Fact of the Day: "Albert Einstein" is an anagram for "ten elite brains." Quote of the Day: To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. (Ralph Waldo Emerson) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Blarney (noun)- Blarney refers to false but charming talk that often flatters the listener. In a Sentence: The bartender laughingly asked her gregarious patron if anyone ever believed his blarney.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! This holiday celebrates Irish culture and is known for its shamrocks and prominent green color. Contents: First Shipment of Aid by Sea Delivered to Gaza Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day The first round of aid by sea has been successfully delivered into Gaza, and groups are getting ready to dispatch more after this huge step forward in the aid delivery process. Aid has been stuck at the Rafah border crossing for months, which is not getting Palestinians the help they need. However, the World Central Kitchen Charity prepared over 200 tons of food like rice, lentils, flour, tuna, beef, and chicken, and it was all packed onto a ship in Cyprus. While the food was being prepared, workers constructed a makeshift pier on the coast of Gaza out of rubble from damage done by Israeli attacks, and the ship successfully unloaded its cargo recently. Following a crush in front of aid trucks in which 20 people were killed, the WCF charity made sure that their distribution strategies would help prevent another situation like that. Sadly, this is not even a fraction of the aid that will be needed. Palestinians in Gaza continue to suffer from extreme starvation, and the situation is only getting worse. About 150 trucks of aid enter Gaza each day, while the 200 tons delivered on this ship is a mere 10 truckloads. On the other hand, those 150 trucks are entering southern Gaza, where most of the population is sheltering, but the WCF shipment was delivered to northern Gaza, which is in even deeper food deprivation. They are currently preparing a second shipment in Cyprus, but it won't be enough to solve the problem. The United States is working to create a larger pier on the coast that will allow more efficient unloading of shipments by sea, and they hope to deliver about 2 million meals per day by the end of it. There is still a long way to go, though. Israel continues to face more pressure to open up the border crossing even more to allow more truckloads to enter Gaza, as truckloads are much more efficient than other strategies like sea or air, and Israel and Hamas are coming closer and closer to a temporary ceasefire agreement. This comes amid announcements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that they are planning to advance their attacks into the southern city of Rafah, where over half of Gaza's population of 2.3 million is currently sheltering. Fact of the Day: Despite the celebrations in his name, St. Patrick wasn't even Irish! He was actually born in Roman Britain and brought to Ireland at 16 years old after being captured by pirates. Quote of the Day: A way there always is. (Yoda) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Querulous (adj)- Someone described as querulous is constantly or habitually complaining. Querulous can also be used synonymously with fretful or whining when describing something, such as a person's tone of voice. In a Sentence: She shows an impressive amount of patience when dealing with querulous customers.