September 27, 2020
US Politics and Economics
After the death of Judge Ruth Bader Ginsberg, President Trump announced his pick to be Amy Coney Barrett, previously a circuit judge on the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Barrett’s nomination further pushes the Supreme Court to the right, with 6 Republican justices and 3 Democrat ones. Barrett, Trump’s third Supreme Court nominee ever, needs to get approved by the Republican-majority Senate, which doesn’t seem to be a problem as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has the support of many Republicans.
Texas Politics
Published on Texas.Gov, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for Brazoria County, where Naegleria fowleri, a brain-eating amoeba, was found in Lake Jackson’s water supply. The amoeba, which may cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis, “a rare and devastating infection of the brain,” “...was identified in three of 11 tests of the water supply, posing an imminent threat to public health and safety.” According to CNN, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) details that the amoeba, which resides in the sediments of warm freshwater, has a 97% fatality rate within five days-- in spite of the very few cases.
Health
According to CDC’s COVID Data Tracker, as of Sep. 27, 2020 12:16 PM, there are over 7 million cases and 204k deaths nationwide. According to the data, California leads with the most infections at 798k, and Texas follows with a total of 733k cases.
(NYTimes) The White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, dismissed reports that he had pressured the FDA to change their guidelines, saying to CBS, “Why would we do that?” He claims that he was merely interested in how strict the guidelines were and continuously denies allegations of pressuring the FDA with political incentives.
Science and Technology
According to the Hindustan Times, it is Google’s 22nd birthday. The company, debuted on Sept. 8, 1998, is celebrating by changing the Google Doodle featured on the search engine.
Per SciTechDaily, scientists from City University of Hong Kong solved the issue of lead-leaking and stabilized perovskite solar cells (PVSC) used to create solar panels, influencing the real-life application of perovskite photovoltaic technology. Co-Leader Professor Alex Jen Kwan-Yue, Chair Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science, states, “To put PVSCs into large-scale commercial uses, it requires not only high power conversion efficiency but also long-term device stability and minimized environmental impact.” He further proclaims, “We are the first team to fabricate PVSC devices with minimized lead leakage, good long-term stability, and high power conversion efficiency simultaneously.”
Southeast US Weather
(Atlantic) The ocean is quiet and disturbances are not expected within the next five days.
(Pacific) The Pacific is also relatively quiet besides a disturbance with a high chance of forming within the next five days.
(Local) In Houston, the temperature has raised to a high of 90 degrees Fahrenheit and a low of 67 degrees Fahrenheit. A cold front likely to be moving in tomorrow may bring temperatures to the lower 60s.
To get live coverage of the latest hurricane updates on the tropics, visit the National Hurricane Center, Tropical Tidbits, CyclonicWx, or watch Force Thirteen. Please stay safe, and for more on local weather, visit the NOAA Graphical Forecast.
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Writers:
US Politics and Economics: Dylan, Miranda, Caleb, and Annabelle
Texas Politics: Stephanie, Vicki, and Megan
Health: Matthew, David, and Owen
Science and Technology: Bryan and Amelia
Southeast US Weather: Jade and Simon
Editor: VIA
(All writers and editors are in middle to high school)
HYNC-September-27-2020
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