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The Donkey and Elephant duke it out!
The presidential election has caused tons of anticipation! On one side the nominee for the democratic party is Vice President Kamala Harris, and on the other we have Trump returning. Trump says if he loses this time, it'll be the last time he ever runs for president.
Tensions in the world are worsening as of now. The biggest point of tension is Iran, due to Iran launching missiles at Israel once again, massive fears that it could escalate further, beyond the borders of Israel and Iran. This is the main point of concern for the election, beyond handling the issues present in the US as of now, such as inflation, immigration and women's rights. As for inflation, US funding to Ukraine is cited by some to be a part of the issue that is inflation. Kamala and Trump appear to have different attitudes to the war in Ukraine, and how they will handle diplomacy with Russia.
Immigration is something the democratic and republican parties have a strong disagreement about. The democratic party is sympathetic to immigrants and is willing to let anyone in. The republicans see this as a huge problem, arguing a lot of the immigrants are coming to the US, only to start trouble.
Women’s rights is also a heated topic between both parties, since the democratic party is considered liberal and progressive, and the republican party is generally associated with conservative ideals, both of these parties have heavy disagreements over women’s rights, abortion above all. Those who are democrats are more likely to favor abortion being legalized, while those in the republican party are more likely to oppose it.
Due to the circumstances that this election is happening in, mainly world tension, this could be the most consequential election we could ever have.
Written by: Jeremiah Quezada
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Ocean Liners: The most famous form of ocean transportation during the early 20th century. When you think of ocean liners, you may think of the RMS Titanic or the RMS Queen Mary. Which one is the fastest, you may ask? Queen Mary, the pride of the U.K.? Well, you’re wrong! The title of fastest ocean liner belongs to an American one. She still floats, but not for much longer. This is the story of the SS United States—America’s Flagship.
The SS United States is a retired ocean liner, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is the fastest and the largest ocean liner ever built in the United States. Ordered in 1949 by the United States Lines and built in Newport News, Virginia, she held her maiden voyage from July 3rd-7th, 1952, from New York to Southampton, UK. She broke the Queen Mary's 1938 speed record with a time of 3 days, 10 hours, and 40 minutes at an average speed of 40.96 mph, a record she still holds! At 990 feet long, her design, with a sleek modern look, and her two iconic red-white-and-blue funnels, made her an icon for her country. However, as air travel became popular in the ‘60s, ocean liners, including the United States were pulled from service. The ship was laid up in Virginia until 1992 when she was towed to Ukraine for asbestos removal and returned to the U.S. and laid up in Philadelphia in 1994. The SS United States Conservancy was created in 2009 to save and repurpose the United States as a tourist destination. However, a multitude of problems ultimately halted plans for the ship.
In October 2024, Okaloosa County, Florida, finalized a deal, to transform the United States into the world's largest artificial reef. The ship will journey from Philadelphia to Alabama for preparations to sink in the Gulf of Mexico in 2026. The agreement also includes the establishment of a land-based museum run by the Conservancy. The date of the ship leaving Philadelphia has not been set due to weather and logistical concerns, and despite a last-ditch effort in November by a New York concrete magnate to save her, the SS United States is still on track to sink.
Written by: Steven Lopez
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Do you like dinosaurs? Do you wish that we still had dinosaurs around, preferably in a small, fluffy state? Better yet, if such small, fluffy dinosaurs existed, would you like to go and feed them?
Then boy, do I have good news for you.
February is National Bird-Feeding Month (national in the United States, obviously). It was created in the year 1994 by Congressman John Porter. It was created because these cold winter months make it difficult for wild birds to find food. Not to mention, it’s relaxing to watch birds on your feeder.
Bird feeding is a wonderful way to interact with our flying feathered friends. But, if you really want wild birds to be happy, consider going all out. Build a nest box. Watching birds build a nest in one is such a heartwarming experience. To you, building the box could be just a fun DIY project you could do with your family. But for birds, it could be the most important thing in their lives, especially for the birds born inside.
Also, during these frigid times of year, consider buying a heated bird bath. If you had to take a bath in normal water during freezing February, would you feel like singing?
If you own a cat, bring it indoors. It’s not just in kid’s movies: cats kill 2.4 billion wild birds every year. And remember, if your cat is outdoors, you don’t own a cat. You feed a stray (one that probably has another family). Another way to prevent birds dying is by moving your feeder away from a window. They really can’t see glass.
Also, mix up your feed. Some birds prefer some foods to others. You don’t even need to use just birdseed. You can use a suet cake in a cage (do this when it’s cool: this stuff can get nasty quick otherwise). Some birds, like orioles, eat fruit, so consider putting out berries for them. Or, you can fill up a hummingbird feeder. You don’t need the fancy nectar from Home Depot or Lowe’s. All you need to do is mix 1 part sugar with 4 parts water. Make sure to change it so it doesn’t get moldy.
Alright. Let’s review:
Set up bird feeders (tube-shaped, suet-cage, hummingbird, bird seed on the ground, etc.) (tip: for a bird feeder that squirrels won’t get to, use a pole-based one in the middle of your yard and protected with a cone.
Set up your bird feeder away from a window.
Set up a nest box.
Buy a heated bird bath.
Put your cat indoors.
Now that you know what you can do to improve the lives of small living dinosaurs, get to it! Go online to do research about which birds live in your area. I like to use inaturalist.org, because it has users all around the globe who report animal sightings. This is important to specialize which food you want for which birds. Also, consider visiting nationalbirdfeedingmonth.com. And remember, the bird is the word!