An approximately 150-car Norfolk Southern freight train heading to Illinois from Pennsylvania carrying hazardous chemicals derailed and caught fire on Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio, causing a massive chemical spill. Not only have people’s health been at risk, but the environment has suffered too.
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Planetary rings are common among our solar system. All gas giant planets have them, although Saturn’s rings are the most famous for being the largest. There are certain factors that need to be present in order for a planet to maintain its rings. Scientists have recently discovered a dwarf planet with rings when theoretically there should not be any, changing the way that researchers examine planetary rings.
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Millions of Americans have watched the recently-released police body camera videos of Tyre Nichols laying in the street in handcuffs after being beaten by police officers in dread, appall and disbelief. The shocking footage has stirred up controversy across the United States and has drawn widespread attention back to a contested subject that is considered continuously, immensely prevalent for discussion in today’s society: police reform.
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President Joe Biden stood before Congress on Tuesday, Feb. 7 to deliver the State of the Union address, in which he discussed political gains and called on Congress to pass certain legislation. Biden faced some backlash during his speech from some members of the Republican Party for comments he made about various topics.
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An American military fighter jet shot down a white balloon over South Carolina's coast on Feb. 4, under President Biden's orders following speculation that it may have been a Chinese spy balloon traveling across the United States. Tensions are mounting between the two great nations making people wonder what this potential territorial aggression will lead to during this unsettling time.
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You’ve probably noticed that egg prices have increased at your local grocery store. With inflation and the recent outbreak of avian flu, they’re on the rise and other animals may be at risk — including humans.
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On Feb. 1, the College Board released a revised, official curriculum for its new Advanced Placement African American Studies course, stripped of many topics that concerned conservative politicians and commentators, according to NPR. This revision comes after Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida rejected a pilot version of the course for high school students in early January.
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On the weekend of Jan. 23, it was announced that FBI agents discovered classified documents after searching President Joe Biden’s residence in Wilmington, Delaware. The event has been drawing comparisons to the seizure of classified documents from former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in August 2022. Former Vice President Mike Pence has also been implicated in a classified documents controversy.
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NASA scientists announced a newly discovered planet with properties linked to habitability. It’s roughly Earth’s size, rocky and named TOI 700 e, reports USA Today. NASA reports that finding planets with similar Earth-sized planets can help inform the history of the solar system and that there will be a follow-up study that may have more insights in the future.
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Scientists recently created a robot designed to melt and reform, according to a new study published in Matter. The study credits some of the idea to their bioinspiration: sea cucumbers.
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The world on fire, the sun exploding, an asteroid hitting Earth — everyone has a different definition of total annihilation. Most people can agree, however, that it is not a desirable event. The Doomsday Clock symbolizes how close the world is to ending, and it just moved 10 seconds closer.
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Last month, a six-year-old boy was taken into police custody after allegedly shooting his teacher with a handgun at a Virginia elementary school, according to The New York Times. This incident is one of the many school shootings that have occurred recently.
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The Respect for Marriage Act, which would offer federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages, passed the Senate on Nov. 29 when 12 Republicans joined all present Democrats in voting in favor of the bill, according to NBC. On Dec. 8, the bill also passed in the House, gaining bipartisan support in a 258-169-1 vote. Thirty nine Republicans voted to pass the bill, along with all Democrats, according to CNBC.
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President Joe Biden passed a bill on Dec. 2 to block rail strikes after businesses and retailers rushed to prepare for an expected freight rail strike of 100,000 union members. The effects of this strike would have been monumental, from price increases to fuel shortages. Congress was attempting to prevent this strike before it was too late.
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Protests have erupted in major cities across China in opposition to the Chinese government’s strict “zero-COVID” policy. The unrest comes after 10 people were killed in a house fire in the city of Urumqi as a result of lockdown rules interfering with rescue efforts, as reported by the BBC.
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This year’s annual G20 summit aimed to address the war in Ukraine, American-Chinese trade relationship and economic struggles following the recent pandemic. Although discussions took place revolving around these topics, only a few agreements were made.
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Republicans took a narrow majority of the House of Representatives following what many expected to be a “red wave” in the Midterms, which ended up being much more reserved.
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The battle for control of Congress remains up in the air for the House of Representatives as a handful of contests remain uncalled. The fight for House majority appears to be favorable for the Republicans, as the GOP only needs five more seats to overcome the Democrats’ narrow majority, according to CBS News.
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Although not all ballots have been counted, most governor elections have been called with a few exceptions. Democrats flipped Massachusetts, Arizona and Maryland, and Republicans flipped Nevada.
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Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, was assaulted at his San Francisco home on Oct. 28. David DePape, 42, has been charged with six counts relating to the attack, including attempted murder, burglary, assault, false imprisonment and threatening the family member of a public official. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts.
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