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Contents: Rescue Crews Find the Body of the Sixth Victim in the Baltimore Bridge Collapse Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Search-and-rescue crews have finally managed to find the body of the sixth victim of the Baltimore bridge collapse that occurred in late March. Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge went down after a cargo ship, the Dali, hit one of its piers. The piers are the crucial supports that hold up the bridge, and damage to one of them can take down the entire structure. When the Dali smashed into one of its central piers after losing power, it sent the whole bridge crumpling like paper into the Patapsco River below. Thankfully, the crash took place in the early hours of the morning, meaning that there was barely anyone on the bridge when it fell. Unfortunately, construction crews were repairing potholes on the bridge at the time of the collapse, and crews have been working to find their bodies for over a month now. The bodies were extremely tough to reach due to the unstable, mangled metal beams criss-crossing the river, and they have slowly been recovering their corpses, one by one. The bridge was part of Baltimore's I-695, which encircles the main urban areas of the metropolis. Over 30,000 people used it per day, and its demise has created a massive influx of new traffic into other areas of the city. The ruins have also blocked off one of the main routes into the port of Baltimore, which handles a huge amount of cargo each day. Thankfully, the US Army Corps of Engineers, who are working on removing the debris from the river, have stated that they hope to reopen the river by the end of May. Also, so far, over $60 million has been raised to help reconstruct the bridge as soon as possible to get things up and running again in the area. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Walt Disney chose for most of his characters to wear gloves because it made them easier to animate. In addition, at the beginning, they didn’t want Mickey Mouse to have mouse hands because he was supposed to have more of a human feel to viewers. Quote of the Day: Whenever I'm about to do something, I think, "Would an idiot do that?" And if they would, I do not do that thing. (Dwight Schrute from The Office) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Reputation (noun) - A reputation is the common opinion that people have about someone or something. Reputation can also refer to a positive position that someone or something has in public esteem or regard. In a Sentence: She's earned a reputation as a first-class playwright.

Contents: Israel Rejects Ceasefire, Takes Control of Rafah Border Crossing Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Unfortunately, Israel confirmed that they do not agree with the latest draft on a ceasefire with Hamas, dashing the hopes that peace would arrive in the coming days. Hamas accepted a proposal yesterday from Egypt and Qatar, marking one of the first ceasefires that they have agreed with. However, Israel stated that the proposal does not agree with their core demands, but they will continue talks with Hamas. Meanwhile, more chaos has ensued in southern Gaza as Israel invades Rafah. Initially, towards the beginning of the war, millions of citizens were forced to shift south after the northern portion of the Gaza Strip was bombarded with airstrikes. 1.4 million of those evacuees moved to the southernmost city of Rafah, where most of the aid has been pouring in through the Egyptian border crossing. However, Israel claims that there are plenty of Hamas operatives hiding out among the citizens in Rafah, and invading the city is crucial to completely eliminating the terrorist organization. They have issued immediate evacuation orders for all of southeastern Gaza, urging people to move west to the coast. They are not recommended to shift north, as there is extreme famine going on up there. The western area they are moving to includes part of the city of Khan Younis, which has been devastated by Israeli attacks. 80% of the city's buildings are pure wreckage, and most of the rest is considered uninhabitable due to the severe damage. It also includes the smaller town of Deir el-Balah, which has also been pounded by airstrikes. Yesterday, Israeli forces used tanks to take control of the Rafah border crossing, which has been seen as an invasion by many. On the other hand, Israel maintains that it is a limited operation to cut off Hamas' arms smuggling through the crossing-- it is not meant to halt any aid flow, and it should not be considered as a full-scale invasion of Rafah. United States President Joe Biden has reminded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ensure the safety of the 1.4 million Palestinians residing in the Rafah area, but Netanyahu's cabinet is pushing him to launch a tougher offensive and take down Hamas, no matter the civilian consequences. Talks between Hamas and Israel will continue, and we will keep you updated on the latest with the ceasefire, the evacuations, and the Rafah invasion. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): When turkeys are scared or excited, they can actually blush. The pale skin on their head and neck turns bright red, blue, or white, and the flap of skin over their beaks, called a snood, also reddens. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. (Steve Jobs) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Extemporize (verb) - To extemporize means to do something extemporaneously—in other words, to improvise. In a Sentence: A good talk show host must be able to extemporize when interviews don’t go as planned.

Contents: Hamas Accepts Temporary Ceasefire Proposal From Egypt and Qatar Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day We have some huge news today: Hamas has accepted a temporary ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar. The nations have been constantly working for months to try and get both sides to agree on a proposal, and the day has finally come. It will require the release of 20 to 33 hostages by Hamas, and Israel will halt the war for a few weeks. During the ceasefire, they will further exchange prisoners of war from both sides, and the bodies of some of the deceased hostages will also be returned. Israel has not confirmed their approval, though. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still reviewing the proposal that he helped to create, making sure that it is in his best interests. He previously stated that an invasion into the city of Rafah, where over 1.4 million people are sheltering from the war, was guaranteed in the near future, and he would not back down because much of Hamas had hidden in Rafah to avoid being taken out. This week, he issued immediate evacuation orders for the entire city, sending citizens into panic. His cabinet is also urging him to take action and take over Rafah, and they have stated that accepting a ceasefire now could set back their progress. Unfortunately, the invasion of Rafah would inevitably lead to more loss of life and more suffering for hundreds of thousands of people, worsening the already-horrible humanitarian crisis. However, the Israeli public and most of the world is imploring Israel to accept a ceasefire deal, and it could be horrible publicity if he turns down the proposal-- possibly sparking riots and protests all over the country. It is still unclear whether he plans to accept the ceasefire deal and stop the Rafah invasion, accept the deal and still invade Rafah, or deny the deal altogether. We also do not know which version of the proposal Hamas has accepted-- these details are part of an outline that was released last week, so changes may have been made. Updates are sure to arrive in the coming days. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Blue whales eat 457,000 calories in one mouthful-- that's a lot of krill! Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments. (Rose Kennedy) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Plangent (adj) - Something, such as a sound, that is described as plangent is loud, deep, and often expressive of sadness or suffering. The word is a synonym of plaintive. In a Sentence: The campers were awoken by the plangent howl of a coyote off in the distance.

Contents: Death Toll in China Highway Collapse Rises to 48 75 Dead, 103 Now Missing After More Flooding in Brazil Upcoming Events Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day The death toll in the massive highway collapse in the Chinese province of Guangdong has risen to 48 after 23 cars went tumbling down a hillside following heavy rains. However, locals are praising a man who may have saved many more. After seeing cars traveling the wrong way on his side of the highway, he talked to one of them and discovered that there was a collapse up ahead. Then, he bravely drove his truck up to the scene and parked it horizontally across the road, signaling to other drivers that there was no road ahead of him. Meanwhile, his wife got out to tell other drivers that there was a collapse. The couple were given a total of 20,000 Chinese yuan ($2,828 USD) by multiple companies as a reward, and the man stated that they would donate it to the relatives of the victims of the highway collapse. On another note, the death toll of the deadly flooding in southern Brazil has risen to 75, and 103 people are now missing. Over 88,000 people have been forced to evacuate and 800,000 people across the region have no water. Rivers have reached record levels and swept away bridges, and the heavy rain has inundated towns and sparked landslides across the state of Rio Grande do Sul after raining for almost 7 straight days. Upcoming Events: Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives During the Second World War (Wednesday, May 8) Feast of the Ascension (Thursday, May 9) International Day of Argania (Friday, May 10) IIHF World Championship Begins (Friday, May 10) World Migratory Bird Day (Saturday, May 11) International Day of Plant Health (Sunday, May 12) Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Cats have five toes on the front, but they only have four toes in the back. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): It will never rain roses. When we want to have more roses, we must plant more roses. (George Eliot) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Proliferate (verb) - To proliferate is to increase quickly in number or amount. In a Sentence: Problems have proliferated in recent months; every day seems to present a new challenge that needs sorting out.

Contents: 39 Dead, 68 Missing After Flooding Strikes Brazil Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day This seems to have become a recurring theme in our daily updates: flooding. At least 39 people are dead after severe flooding in southern Brazil, with 68 others still missing. Thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes as rivers burst their banks and dams break, engulfing their homes. These rains are even worse than a massive round of storms that hit the state of Rio Grande do Sul in 1941, which were the previous record holders. One hydroelectric dam, located on the Taquari River, partially collapsed recently, sending water rushing into nearby cities downstream of the disaster. The towns were quickly inundated, sending citizens scrambling to their highest floors and rooftops as the water approached. Other rivers have also caused damage in various areas. The Caí River in the city of Feliz burst its banks a few days ago, sending one of the city's two bridges crashing into the water. All electricity, water, and internet has been cut to most communities in the state, and it is most likely going to take a while to recover. It has been raining for a continuous five days, and this can all be linked to climate change. Climate change leads to a more severe version of the phenomenon of El Niño, which means that there are warm waters in the Atlantic Ocean, among other things. This brings drier weather to northern Brazil and wetter weather to southern Brazil. Due to the extreme El Niño effects this year, the Amazon Rainforest has been undergoing a huge drought, and more and more precipitation is expected for the southern part of the country in the coming years. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Giant Pacific octopi lay 56,000 eggs over the course of a month. The babies float around in the surrounding water without being attached to anyone, but the mother brings all of the eggs together. She then weaves them into braids so she can supervise all of them at the same time. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Courage is the foundation of determination. Determination and courage are the cornerstones of success. (M.K. Soni) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Agrarian (adj) - Something described as agrarian has to do with farms and farming. In a Sentence: Joan hopes to leave city life behind and move to a more agrarian region where she plans to raise lambs and grow heirloom vegetables.

If you're a Star Wars fan, May the Fourth be with you! Contents: Heavy Rains Strike Middle East Again, Dubai and Abu Dhabi Inundated Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Just two weeks after the record-breaking downpours that inundated Dubai recently, the heavy rains have returned. Strong winds and floods came back to the UAE in these past few days, sparking multiple flight cancellations from Dubai-based luxury airline Emirates and prompting the government to tell people to work/learn from home. Most of the rain has ceased and flight schedules are back to normal, but there is still a large amount of standing water on the roads. This round of severe weather comes just after multiple days of downpours and intense thunder and lightning recently, which brought life in many UAE and Oman cities to a halt and killed a total of around 24 people. The latest storms weren't as bad as the ones from two weeks ago, which were the region's worst storms since 1949, but they still brought the equivalent of double the rainfall Dubai receives throughout April and May combined. No deaths or injuries have been reported as of right now. The effects also were not as severe, as citizens and authorities seemed to be more prepared this time around. They recommended that citizens stay home and keep away from coastal or low-lying, flood-prone areas to prevent loss of life like last time. Contrary to prior beliefs that the rains were due to botched cloud seeding by the UAE government, scientists have connected the unusual weather patterns to climate change. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Firefighters actually use special chemicals to make their water wetter. The chemicals lessen the surface tension of the water, making it easier to spread and soak into objects. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try. (Beverly Sills) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Melee (noun) - Melee refers to a confused fight or struggle, especially one involving hand-to-hand combat. In a Sentence: What started as a verbal disagreement at the football game soon turned into a general melee involving scores of spectators.

Contents: 343 Dead After Months of Heavy Rain Across East Africa Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day 188 people are dead in Kenya and another 155 are dead in Tanzania after months of heavy rain. The Indian Ocean Dipole is a weather event that occasionally occurs in the area during this time of year, sparking heavy rains and unpredictable storms. Warmer ocean temperatures, all thanks to climate change, create stronger, more persistent storms that cause this severe flooding across eastern Africa. Floods have inundated numerous cities in Kenya and Tanzania, leading to multiple mudslides and landslides as well-- one of which killed 50 people near the town of Mai Mahiu. Numerous tourists and staff became stranded at the popular destination of Maasai Mara National Reserve, which is known for its famous savannah tours and safaris, following life-threatening flooding in the area. In total, over 150,000 people have been displaced due to the disaster across the region. Unfortunately, the situation is only expected to get worse. Cyclone Hidaya is on its way, carrying more rain and flooding with the addition of 70-85 mph winds. It is expected to make landfall tomorrow night near the city of Dar es Salaam, which is the largest city in Tanzania with over 2.7 million people. Since the ground is already heavily saturated due to the recent rains, flooding will be even more serious. Ahead of this round of storms, the Kenyan government has ordered everyone living near any of 178 dams and reservoirs to evacuate due to the risk of water overflow. Shelters and food have been set up for the evacuees, which will be surging into safer areas. Human rights groups all over the world are now pressuring the Kenyan government to stop this from happening again, as they ignored the lessons they could have learned from last year's rainy season that killed hundreds of people and displaced thousands of others. Money was set aside to be put toward citizen safety this year, but no one knows what happened to the funds and if they may have been misused. Kenyan citizens are also blaming the government of sending an extremely slow response and being unprepared despite being aware of the situation, and rescue teams have still not arrived in some towns to find bodies and survivors. The Kenyan government has promised to try harder to lessen the impact of climate change on our world to prevent severe weather events like this from happening again. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Peanuts actually aren't nuts, they're legumes. Technically, a nut is defined by being a hard-shelled dry fruit or seed with a separable rind or shell and interior kernel. Due to this, walnuts, almonds, cashews, and pistachios are actually classified as seeds instead of nuts. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting. (Buddha) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Forfend (verb) - Forfend is used in contexts relating to some kind of real or pretended danger or other unpleasantness. In humorous and ironic use, forfend typically appears in the phrase “heaven forfend,” and, like “heaven forbid,” expresses a usually ironic desire that something not happen or be done. In general use, if you forfend something unwanted or undesirable, you ward it off or prevent it; and if you forfend yourself from or against something, you protect or preserve yourself from it. In a Sentence: Heaven forfend that people actually pick up dictionaries and read them!

Contents: 36 Dead, 30 Injured After China Highway Collapse Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day 36 people are dead and another 30 people have been injured after a devastating highway collapse in China. Following consistent rainy conditions and strong storms in the Guangdong region, a large section of the S12 highway collapsed, sending asphalt, concrete, and cars tumbling down a steep hillside. About 59 feet of the road fell down the hillside, bringing 23 cars with it. A massive crane had to be brought in to lift out the damaged vehicles, leading to a closure of the entire highway. This comes after heavy rains that have been going on for months, which is quite unusual for this time of year. It is only the latest incident due to this severe weather, leading to dead, injured, or missing citizens. Tornadoes have struck populated areas and flooding has sparked hundreds of thousands of evacuations in China's most populated province, which also contains the megacities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Researchers believe that the unusual rains are due to climate change, which continues to cause more and more severe weather across the world. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): The hybrid of a cow and a bison is called a beefalo. You can even buy beefalo meat in 21 US states. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success. (David Sarnoff) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Cohesive (adj) - Something described as cohesive sticks together and forms something closely united. The word is usually used with abstract terms in phrases like "a cohesive social unit" or "a cohesive look/aesthetic." Cohesive can also be used to describe something, such as the design of a room or the plot of a movie, that is coherent—in other words, logically or consistently ordered. In a Sentence: The couple chose their wedding colors and designs carefully to make sure everything had a cohesive look.

Contents: Columbia University Protests Escalating Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day The New York Ivy League school has been facing pro-Palestinian protests for many days now, and things are escalating quickly. Protesters have occupied the school's Hamilton Hall and symbolically renamed it Hind's Hall, after a 6-year-old Palestinian child who was killed by the Israeli military. The 8-story building has been occupied by student protesters at one point or another since 1968. The entrance to the building has been barricaded by tables and the protesters' linked arms, and they chanted pro-Palestinian slogans. Columbia University has called the New York Police Department to handle the situation, a situation reminiscent of the protests this previous Monday when 100 people were arrested on campus. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): It is impossible for a kangaroo to walk backwards. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Those of us who ask little of life, get little. Those who ask much, get much, but those who ask for too much get nothing. (Thomas Phelps) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Demagogue (noun) - A demagogue is a political leader who tries to get support by making use of popular prejudices, as well as by making false claims and promises and using arguments based on emotion rather than reason. In a Sentence: His opponent called him a bigoted demagogue for demonizing those who don't intend to vote for him.

Contents: Scotland's First Minister Resigns After 1 Year Columbia University Suspends Student Protesters Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf has resigned after only one year in office, due to his coalition falling apart. Yousaf gained power as the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), the first minister, and the leader of the parliamentary coalition with the Scottish Green Party in March 2023. But he accidentally threw it away when he made an unforced error in dismissing two Green Party members out of the legislature. He failed to gather enough support to overturn a no-confidence vote, and so he has resigned. He has stated a vote for a new first minister will commence soon. On another note, Columbia University, NY, has taken to suspending pro-Palestinian protesters who stayed on campus after the 2:00 p.m. EDT deadline. They will not be able to complete the semester or graduate, and they are not allowed inside school buildings and housing. To ensure that its 15,000 graduates could still have their commencement ceremony as scheduled, this decision was made. People have started to question whether the university has crossed the line between protection against anti-semitism and violation of the freedom of expression. However, many Jewish students have participated in the protests, and freshman Nicholas Fink said the movements are not anti-semitic. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): H&M actually stands for something. The clothing retail shop was originally called Hennes - Swedish for “hers” - before acquiring the hunting and fishing equipment brand Mauritz Widforss. Eventually, Hennes & Mauritz was shortened to H&M. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer. (Albert Einstein) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Inviolable (adj) - Inviolable is a formal term that is used to describe something too important to be ignored or treated with disrespect. In a Sentence: She considers herself a person with inviolable moral standards.