by Evelyn Wisebourt Image from: https://www.videoblocks.com/video/police-car-stopping-on-road-for-a-fire-scene-at-night-4jqaie6teik9c9ue7 We’re all aware of the increasing rate of fatalities of teens through school shootings. However, things have reached a new level- with a high-school student being shot at a prom after-party.
The shots were fired on the 3rd of May, at 4:00 am at a rented property in Stouffville. A teenage boy, 17 years of age, was shot, and killed. Although police are investigating potential suspects, there has been no evidence leading the shooting to a specific student. This story actually touches me personally, as I had a good friend at the party. The thought that she was in the building at the time of the shooting, and that she could’ve in fact been the victim, is truly horrifying. The main issue is that these shootings are continuous. They occur very frequently, and it doesn't appear as though it would stop anytime soon. Thousands of children dead, all because of these deadly weapons. Gun violence is a rising issue worldwide, and we must take action against stopping it. Whether that be through the creation of new laws or changes to the school curriculum, students need to be aware of the severe consequences affiliated with guns.
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by Maddie Robin The first ever photo of a black hole, captured by the Event Horizon Telescope. In April of 2017, scientists captured the first ever photo of a black hole, the supermassive one that lies in the center of the Messier 87 galaxy, 55 million light years away from Earth. The black hole has a mass 6.5 billion times that of the Sun. Although black holes are invisible, there is a point, known as the event horizon, where matter and energy can no longer escape. This is what researchers captured in the images we see today.
The photo was only unveiled to the rest of the world recently, by astronomers working on the Event Horizon Telescope, which helped to capture the images. The Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, called EHT, is a global network of telescopes with more than 200 researchers who have worked on this project for over a decade to capture these unprecedented images. Researchers used eight telescopes around the world with Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), which creates a virtual telescope that is equal in size to the Earth. All sorts of different types of telescopes were used to create the global collection, including the James Clerk Maxwell telescope, the Submillimeter Array, and many more. According to Daniel Marrone, an associate professor of astronomy, it was a very difficult process to get the image; they had to simultaneously point the telescopes in a carefully planned sequence. They used atomic clocks, an extremely accurate type of clock, to make sure it was completely simultaneous. The telescopes collected 5,000 trillion bytes of data over just two weeks, which scientist processed through supercomputers to retrieve the photos. The details of the observations were published in six different research papers that were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. by Maddie As anyone who has looked at the news in a while may know, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and
his office have been put in the hot seat. The PMO has been accused of trying to influence the former Attorney General, Jody Wilson-Raybould, to prevent the prosecution of SNC Lavalin, an engineering company accused of fraud and bribery. To fully understand the issue at hand, it’d be best to start at the beginning. SNC Lavalin, which is based in Montreal, is accused of paying $48 million worth of bribes in Libya to the family of Muammar Gaddafi, the former Prime Minister of Libya, in order to gain lucrative contracts. If the company is found guilty, they will be barred from bidding on any federal projects for a decade. Executives have been lobbying for a smaller punishment, a fine instead of criminal prosecution. However, federal prosecutors decided to pursue a trial. Now this is where the problem begins. Trudeau and his aides have been accused of pressuring Wilson-Raybould to use her prosecutorial power as Attorney General to override federal prosecutors and give them a lighter punishment. However, the Prime Minister and his office is not allowed to attempt to pressure the Attorney General when it comes to decisions such as these. It is illegal, and is what makes this what it is: a scandal. What did Wilson-Raybould say? In a testimony to parliament justice committee, she gave detailed accounts of concerted efforts to influence her decision on the SNC Lavalin case by the PM and his aides. She says that after repeatedly asserting that she would not change her mind, the pressure intensified and turned into what she called, veiled threats. Her testimony also details when Justin Trudeau himself lobbied her, to the point where she felt the need to tell him that what he was asking of her was inappropriate. Trudeau on the other hand, has not denied that he spoke to Wilson-Raybould but said that all discussions were respectful and within the bounds of the law. He also said that he was just doing his job as Prime Minister, to protect the jobs of canadians, likely referencing the potential job loss if a conviction were to happen, considering SNC Lavalin employs 9,000 canadians. As of right now, it seems that things have come to something of a stand-still. Wilson-Raybould may do a second testimony, the PM has not been directly involved yet and SNC Lavalin is still awaiting prosecution, which has likely been slowed down by these allegations. So for now, this is what’s known. Did the Prime Minister actually break the law and try to pressure his own Attorney General? For now, the jury’s still out. by Maddie Robin Image from 190212232845-rare-black-leopard-exlarge-169.jpg
After months of waiting patiently, a team of biologists in Kenya got rare footage and images of the black leopard. While black leopards have been sighted throughout Africa in the past, this is the first time that high-quality imagery confirms it. The last sighting captured in photo of the black leopard was in Ethiopia in 1909, and that photo now sits in the Museum of Natural History in the United States. The team of biologists, led by Nick Pilfold, managed to capture a slew of photos and video footage of the elusive animal in the dark, all looking like something straight out of a movie. Capturing these photos and videos took months of preparation and waiting patiently. Pilfold and his team first placed remote cameras to track the leopard population near a conservation area in Laikipia County last year after hearing about a possible black leopard sighting. After months of waiting, they finally got the images they had been waiting for. These leopards pitch black coats are a result of melanism, a mutation in the genes that causes an overproduction of pigment. And although 11% of leopards globally have melanism, the majority of these leopards live in South-East Asia, making these images captured in Africa all the more rare. The photographer, Will Burrard-Lucas, shot these images using a Contraptions Camera, which focuses on nature and wildlife footage. The cameras were placed near animal trails and water, like pools and springs. They were left on for 24 hours in most places. Burrard-Lucas says that it has been his dream to photograph this leopard in particular. “For many years, they remained the stuff of dreams and of far fetched stories told around the campfire at night,” he wrote on his blog. “Nobody I knew had ever seen one in the wild and I never thought that I would either.” However, leopards are described as being critically endangered on the International Union of Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. While the total population decline of their species unknown, considering how elusive and rare they are, scientist do know that several things such as hunting, habitat loss, and conflict with farmers has already dropped their numbers significantly. That’s why, with these photos, come the cries from people that although it is great that we now have footage of the beautiful animal, to leave it alone. Hopefully, biologists and locals heed these calls and leave these endangered animals alone. Maybe next time images like these are captured, there will be more of them to see. by Alan Nemirovski Image from Washington Post
On February 15th 2019, United States’ President Donald Trump declared a state of national emergency on the country’s border with Mexico, hoping that with this declaration, he will be able to allocate funding towards the construction of a wall along the border, after Congress repeatedly refused to provide such funds. This move comes after he refused to sign a funding bill back in December of 2018, which caused a 35-day government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history. The shutdown ended when the President signed a temporary funding bill, that was to reopen the government until February 15th. However, as the date fast approached, he continued to demand $5.7 billion USD for the border wall, and the bill he ended up signing on that date only contained $1.375 billion USD of funding for “existing technologies”. The move to declare a national emergency was made by President Trump, according to the New York Times, “in hopes of diverting $3.6 billion from military construction projects to build his promised wall”. This move is considered by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as “lawless” and “does violence to our Constitution and therefore our democracy”. As such, she has scheduled a vote on a resolution that would end the declaration. The vote is scheduled for Tuesday, February 26th 2019. According to various media outlets, it seems that the Democratic House is very likely to pass the resolution, and while less-likely, it might even be possible for them to get the Republican Senate on their side. However, even if the resolution passes, it would need to be signed by the President. And that is where President Trump might end up using his presidential veto power for the first time since taking office. That is, the power vested in one branch of government (or one person in this case) to cancel or postpone a decision, enactment, etc. made by another branch of government (as defined per Dictionary.com). Many legal experts say that this national emergency has been declared unconstitutional. Even 16 states have filed a lawsuit against the President. All we know right now is that is that the emergency has been declared, and that Democratic lawmakers are moving swiftly to block it. The declaration of such an emergency may set a dangerous precedent for future presidents, and allow them to declare almost anything as an emergency to further their own agenda. As for us in Canada, we will just have to wait and see what the vote on the 26th will bring, and what consequences will arise from that. by Evelyn Wisebourt Image from daughter_father.jpg
Roopesh Rajkumar, a 41 year old man accused of abducting and murdering his 11 year old daughter, Riya Rajkumar, died in a Toronto hospital on the 20th of February, 2019. He was admitted into the trauma center after self-inflicting a bullet, seconds after being taken into custody by police on the 14th. Roopesh was allegedly taking his daughter out to celebrate her birthday. However, Riya’s mother, with whom lived the girl, grew worried after they failed to arrive at the prearranged time at 6:30 pm. She contacted the police as soon as Roopesh claimed that he would kill the young girl. The police issued an amber alert at around 11:30 pm, alerting the community about the situation, as well as to where the vehicle was last spotted. Roopesh was taken into custody once Peel Police stopped him on Highway 11. Simultaneously, the police made their way into his Brampton home, where they found the murdered child. Her exact cause of death is yet to be released. by Emily Gerstein Image from britain-attack-tribute-concert-e1519238072630.jpg As the current decade comes near its end, a transition in our music top charts has become more apparent than ever. If you look back at Billboard’s top 40 in 2010, you’d see names like Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Lady Gaga, and Miley Cyrus. Pop had reigned superior for years, but in the later 2010’s, rap has come to a rise. Giants like Drake, Post Malone, Travis Scott, Migos among countless others are all that makes up the best of the best nowadays. Now, I have nothing against the genre, and even I can’t resist rapping along to Cardi B when I’m in that kind of mood. But then again, there’s a rather somber undertone to this movement. Pop has always been what I listen to when I need to lift my spirits, whether I’ve had a stressful day at school or I need some motivation during a study session or a workout. So why is it that pop isn’t getting the same recognition that it used to less than ten year ago? Enter Ariana Grande. Sure, she’s been around for quite some time, but it always felt like she was overlooked, or not taken as seriously as the other popstars. Her insane vocals have always been the focus of her music, but as her audience I could never quite connect to her lyrics and messages. On May 22, 2017, everything changed in the world of Ariana Grande. After her concert at The Manchester Arena during her Dangerous Woman Tour, an Islamist terrorist detonated a handmade bomb as fans were leaving the venue. There were 23 deaths, hundreds of injuries, and a lasting impact on the city of Manchester and the heartbroken singer. It surprised her fans and everyone else how quickly Grande returned to the spotlight. Two weeks later, she held Manchester United, a benefit concert to raise money for the victims and the city, as well as to give hope to a city who had lost so much. Grande’s first single after the attack, no tears left to cry, shook the world with its maturity and meaningfulness, in contrast to her earlier projects. For the first time, we could feel what she was feeling, and her message was strong and empowering and one I was finally able to relate to. Since then, Grande has refused to slow down. She puts out chart-topper after chart-topper, with god is a woman, a feminist anthem, and breathin, in which she opened up about her mental health. Her new album thank u, next, released only six months after its precedent sweetener has broken countless world records and every song off of the album reached the top charts. Grande has realized her power to relate to her audience, and for that reason she currently sits as the most influential person in music. She has revitalized pop music from basic bubblegum to intricate trap beats and soulful lyrics. I don’t see Ariana Grande going anywhere for awhile now, so I’m going to say thank u, next to everyone else. by Alan Nemirovski Image from: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/same-sex-penguin-parents-sphengic-baby/index.html In October of 2018, a baby penguin (a chick), was brought into this world by a couple — comprised of two male gentoo penguins — weighing in at just 91 grams. Days ago, the chick’s gender was finally revealed to the world: it’s a girl!
The couple was given a dummy egg to incubate first, however, when another couple of penguins laid two eggs during the breeding season, the same-sex pair took one in. Gentoo penguin usually lay two eggs, one acting as a “backup”. They only have ressources to care for one chick, while the “backup” usually dies, so while the couple who laid the eggs cared for one of them, they entrusted the same-sex couple to take the other one in to raise as their own. According to staff at the aquarium, Sphen and Magic, also referred to sometimes as Sphengic, developed a strong bond during breeding season. They were also seen together by many visitors of the aquarium. The chick is nicknamed “Baby Sphengic”, after her parents, as the staff at the aquarium were not aware of her gender until recently. This is because male and female penguins don’t have defined gender roles. Even during incubation, Sphen and Magic shared duties; one would incubate the egg, while the other would be on the lookout for any threats. Because of the undefined gender roles, it takes about two months and even a blood test to confirm the gender of a penguin. Baby Sphengic is said to be just over 5 kilograms, and is said to have a healthy appetite. She is “a fully fledged bird”, and is even receiving swimming lessons. It will be exciting to follow and see what she will be up to in the coming months, and even years. |
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