World/National News (page

Communities Around the World Devastated as Flood Levels Rise

By Hunter Maguire

This year, the wettest July in sixty years saturated soils, causing large parts of Pakistan's Sindh and Balochistan provinces to flood. Hundreds of villages and towns across the Indus River Valley were submerged, and over 1,500 people have died across the country. Millions more have been displaced from their homes and are either marooned in their villages or staying in overcrowded displaced people’s camps. The rural poor have been hit hardest, unable to flee and more likely to be affected by water-borne diseases. And, as the Indian Ocean warms, destructive flooding events like this year's will become increasingly common. Every summer, like clockwork, as the land warms relative to the ocean, sea breezes blow torrential moisture and rain toward South Asian countries like India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. This weather feature is called the monsoon season, and it provides farmers with most of the water they need to grow crops and survive. However, these monsoons are a blessing and a word worddcurse, since with heavy rains like these comes flooding, stressing poor-quality housing and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, closer to home, floods have also devastated many of Eastern Kentucky ’s towns and valleys this year. Between July 26th and July 29th, over a foot of rain fell in localized areas, causing severe damage and dozens of fatalities. Due to the mountainous terrain and thin soil, Appalachian states like Kentucky are extremely vulnerable when intense storms hit. Strip mining and economic exploitation by mining companies have also worsened the impact of flooding, preventing the hillsides from absorbing water, and leaving poorer Appalachians (many of whom work for these same companies) to live on floodprone land. As a result of July's floods, 38 people were killed, including one family with four young children. Furthermore, from September-October 2022, a major disaster rocked our nation as Hurricane Ian made worddddd landfall in Western Florida and the Carolinas. Ian practically destroyed coastal communities such as Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, and Captiva as a Category 4 storm, and clocked in as the fifth-strongest hurricane to ever hit the United States. Up to 15 feet of storm surge pushed onto land in Southwest Florida, sweeping some houses all the way out to sea and killing dozens. Rescuers and aid workers are still determining the death toll, but at least 103 people have died, the majority in Lee County, Florida. Dozens are likely still missing or unaccounted for.

Even though New York luckily isn’t prone to flooding, it can and does happen, even at “safe” elevations. Just last year, flooding killed a dozen people in Queens, and caused extensive damage to countless homes (All of the basements down the block from my grandparents' house, which sits atop a hill, severely flooded). As climate change worsens, flooding will continue to turn from a remote possibility to a reality for many people.

Here are some tips from experts to ALWAYS follow in case of a flood.

NEVER drive through flooded areas: Your car will probably hydroplane or suffer some sort of damage, and there’s no real way of knowing how deep floodwaters are. If floodwaters surround your car, abandon it and seek safety yourself!

Learn your risk levels in case of flooding: Many cities have maps available online detailing flood risk, and you should be aware of the landscape around you. If you live in an area with thin soil or a valley, you will be at risk if a flood hits your area.

. word rush to save family heirlooms and other possessions. Having some sort of emergency box or kit ready will help protect you and save time for other preparation.

Have some sort of emergency kit and a flashlight ready if storms are expected: Oftentimes, when disasters like floods strike, people tend to forget basic necessities in the word If you ’ re at risk, try to flee and weatherproof your home beforehand: If you have the ability and warning to flee, do it! When people wait because they don’t feel like leaving or want to protect their valuables, they put themselves in mortal danger. Try and bring your valuables and heirlooms with you if you want them to stay safe.

Know what to keep, what to throw away, and how to salvage objects: Preparing in advance and acting quickly will help you save more of your possessions. Always throw out food and medications contaminated with floodwater. If the floodwaters word were contaminated with sewage, toss all furniture/fabric and plush objects. Wash all fabrics until any scent comes out, and freeze books, photos, and documents to prevent further damage.

Evidently, flooding is an extremely dangerous and destructive natural disaster that, unfortunately, is becoming more and more common. Just six inches of moving floodwater can knock a person down. Floods can rip away family homes or generations of memories, and can even kill a person within a matter of minutes. With climate change showing no signs of stopping, and sea levels slowly rising, many people’s homes and towns might be “swimming with the fishes” sooner than we think.

An Arid Era is Upon Us

By Elaine Wang

In 2022, many parts of the world have suffered extreme weather, from droughts to floods. This year, the western United States has been hit especially hard with droughts. Although California experiences annual droughts during the summer and early fall, recently there have been exceptionally severe swings between wet and dry weather.

So far, the 21st century has been the driest 22-year stretch in over 1,200 years, and climate change is likely the main reason behind the severity of the droughts, according to multiple studies. Droughts are classified into D0 (Abnormally Dry), D1 (Moderate Drought), D2 (Severe Drought), D3 (Extreme Drought), and D4 (Exceptional worddddd Drought). In July, more than a third of the land in western states was classified as D3 or D4.

In California, more than 660 wells dried up by early August, resulting in running water shortages. Since 1990, the Colorado River’s flow has shrunk by about 20% and no longer reaches the sea. On August 16, the US Department of the Interior announced for the first time in history that the Colorado River will operate in a Tier 2 shortage condition. This means that Nevada, New Mexico, and Arizona will have to significantly reduce their usage of Colorado River water by January 2023, with Arizona, for example, facing a 21% cut.

Legislators from states in the wordd West will meet at the Colorado River Forum on October 17-20, 2022, in Henderson, Nevada to discuss strategies for cutting water use.

The dry weather has also facilitated the spread of forest fires. As of late September 2022, a total of 6,473 fires have been recorded in California, which have burned over 365,000 acres of land. Over Labor Day weekend alone, 3 major fires were reported. The biggest of these– the Mosquito Fire–burned for 46 days straight and destroyed nearly 80,000 acres before it was fully contained in late October. Smoke from these fires has resulted in unhealthy air quality and mass evacuations.

WORLD/NATIONAL NEWS

2022 US Open: New Brooms Sweep the Courts Clean in Flushing

By Maria Gaztañaga

Most people who watch the US Open have a favorite player that they have been supporting for many years, but sometimes a player's time on the court comes to an end. Although it is sad, it makes room for more tennis champions to emerge.

Tennis fans were devastated to hear that Serena Williams, the winner of 23 Grand Slams and four Olympic Gold medals, and Roger Federer, the 20-time Grand Slam champion and one-time gold medalist, said goodbye to their treasured sport. Williams started playing tennis professionally at the age of fourteen and has impressed audiences with her mastery of the sport ever since. The American legend decided to announce her retirement after losing her third match to Australian Ajla Tomlijanovic. Similarly, Federer amazed crowds with how effortlessly he played the game. Yet, he retired at the end of September after playing alongside Spain's Rafael Nadal at the Laver Cup in London. word

Courtesy of TIME Magazine "I'm happy, not sad,

” expressed the Swiss tennis legend. Both tennis champions will be missed on the court, but with loss comes gain.

Some players were able to prove their worth to the world, one of them being Carlos Alcaraz. Alcaraz won the 2022 US Open at the age of nineteen. The young Spaniard won one of the biggest tennis events in the world fresh out of high school. On the last day of matches, fans rooting for Alcaraz were practically biting their nails out of nervousness. Luckily for his supporters, Alcaraz didn’t disappoint and was able to beat Casper Rudd, a more experienced, but still young Norwegian tennis player. When he got the winning point, Alcaraz was so overwhelmed with emotions that he lay crying on the court. Then he climbed up to his box where his family and team were to hug and thank them. Another player who took audiences by storm was Iga Świątek, the female winner of this year's US Open. Świątek started playing tennis at age five in Poland, where she grew up. Since starting, she has had many notable moments in her career. Along with her victory at the US Open, she also won the French Open in 2020 and 2022.

This year's US Open certainly had many surprises in store. With that in mind, it has still been bringing people together from all over the world to marvel over the amazing men and women that compete every year in one of tennis's premier tournaments.

The Death of Queen Elizabeth II

By Ella Pocock

On September 8th 2022, at Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom died of old age. Elizabeth II was born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, Princess of York, on April 21st, 1926. She served as the late Queen of the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death at age 96.

Born in Layfield, London, under the reign of her paternal grandfather King George V, her parents were Prince Albert, Duke of York, second son to the King and great-grandson to Queen Victoria, and Elizabeth, Duchess of York, the youngest daughter of the affluent Scottish aristocrat Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne. Originally not a direct heir, Elizabeth’s father succeeded the throne to become King George VI after his elder brother, King Edward VIII, abdicated the throne after less than a year as monarch when he left to marry Wallis Simpson, an American commoner and double divorcée, which left Parliament in great scandal.

A young Queen Elizabeth, during the first years of her reign. Courtesy of Bettmann Getty Images

At age 4, her younger sister and only sibling Princess Margaret was born, and during the Second World War the late Queen served as a mechanic, namely in Mechanical Transport. In 1947, she married Phillip Mountbatten (10 June 1921-9 April 2021), Prince of Greece and Denmark, with whom she had four children: King Charles III (b. 1948), Princess Anne (b. 1952), Prince Andrew, Duke of York (b. 1960), and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Forfar (b. 1964). In 1952, at age 25, she ascended the throne following her father’s death, becoming Queen Elizabeth II.

Throughout her 70-year reign, Elizabeth saw her silver, gold, and platinum jubilees, was served by over 170 prime ministers, met with 5 popes and 13 U.S. presidents, and became the longest reigning British monarch. Her eldest son, Charles, will be crowned on June 3, 2023, and will be the oldest British monarch to ascend the throne.

An older Queen, taken at a royal banquet in Berlin. Courtesy of Sean Gallup, Getty Images

WORLD/NATIONAL NEWS

The James Webb Space Telescope: Peering Into the Cosmic Past

By Elaine Wang

On December 25, 2021, NASA launched the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), named after the scientist who led NASA during the Apollo missions. JWST reached the Second Lagrange Point, which it orbits as part of a larger solar orbit, in January 2022. On July 11, JWST sent back its first picture, an infrared view of the universe and the deepest view to date, showcasing galaxies dating back over 13 million years.

This telescope specializes in making observations with infrared light, whereas the older Hubble Space Telescope (HST) specializes in making observations with ultraviolet and visible light. JWST has a foldable mirror 6.5m in wordddd diameter, the biggest ever launched into space. This mirror contains plenty of cutting-edge technology–including microshutters to remotely block out stray light, and Wavefront Sensing and Control algorithms to align the 18 segments of the mirror–allowing it to see 13.6 billion light years away.

Since July, many images produced by Webb have been displayed to the public. One of these images portrays a stunning infrared view of the Carina Nebula, and has revealed new insights about the impact and process of star formation. Furthermore, in late July, JWST spotted two galaxies that looked as they did just 300-400 million years after worddddddd the Big Bang, which proved to be a new record for the most distant astronomical observations. JWST broke its own record the next month, observing galaxies as they were just 200 million years after the Big Bang (the distance is not yet confirmed). On September 9, JWST discovered an exoplanet similar to Jupiter, but 20 times bigger and located 72 lightyears from Earth. To this day, Webb continues to produce stunning images of the universe, particularly of exoplanets and deep space, and is expected to continue working for many years to come.

By Emma Rathgeber

The Artemis I mission, carried out by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), was a planned uncrewed expedition to the Moon. Launched at 1:47 AM, November 16 of this year, it sent the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket with the Orion spacecraft roughly 280,000 miles to orbit the Moon. This mission is the first part of NASA’s Artemis program. The goal of this program is to explore the lunar surface and set up a base on the Moon, which will ultimately aid in sending crewed missions farther out into the solar system. In addition, the Artemis program will send the first woman and person of color to the Moon. Artemis I was the first integrated test of NASA’s SLS rocket, Orion spacecraft, and ground systems at Kennedy Space Center, where the launch word took place. The mission ensured that these systems are able to safely perform the operations necessary for future crewed missions to space.

During takeoff, tremendous amounts of lift were produced by the SLS rocket in order to carry Orion into orbit. After approximately ninety seconds, the boosters, service module panels, launch abort system, and core stage separated from the spacecraft. Orion exited Earth’s orbit with a boost from the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS), which separated from the craft about two hours later. With this last major push, Orion was on its way to the Moon.

Aided by a European service module, Orion zipped past communication satellites orbiting Earth. From that point forward, it used the Deep Space Network to communicate with word Houston mission control. The spacecraft took several days to get to the Moon, during which engineers analyzed the rocket’s systems and made any necessary corrections to its trajectory.

Upon reaching the moon, Orion carried out a close flyby within 62 miles of the lunar surface. In this way, Orion harnessed the Moon’s gravitational force and entered into a retrograde orbit (i.e., an orbit in the opposite direction of the Moon’s orbit around Earth). It stayed in this orbit for several days, collecting data while mission control examined its performance.

In order to initiate its return home, Orion performed another flyby to accelerate towards Earth. After reentering the atmosphere at about 25,000 mph, it landed off the coast of

Baja, California, where wordddd

members of the US Navy and NASA were waiting for recovery. In total, Orion traveled over 1.4 million miles by the end of its journey.

The Artemis I mission is just the first step in advancing deep word space exploration. It has proven to be a vital step in preparation for manned tests of Orion and the SLS rocket. With further testing and improvements, more people and cargo can be sent to the Moon and beyond. As word space travel becomes less reliant on Earth and more reliant on the lunar surface and orbit, it will become possible to explore deeper into the depths of space than ever before.

Courtesy of nasa.com

Courtesy of nasa.com