Search The Website!

Millions of pounds of deli meat have been recalled after a massive listeria outbreak linked to numerous products, and this comes just after another huge outbreak earlier this year. BrucePac, a pre-cooked meat producer, announced that they were recalling almost 10 million pounds of their meat over listeria concerns, and many of the contaminated products are still on grocery store shelves or in customer refrigerators-- manufacturing dates for some of the products are as late as October 8. The affected foods include various chicken items, such as tenders, strips, and patties, in addition to a small number of beef products. Listeria, a parasitic bacteria, causes a potentially dangerous disease known as listeriosis, which usually leads to fever, muscle aches, headache, fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. However, in severe cases, several life-threatening symptoms can occur, such as sepsis (a complication in the response to the infection), meningitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord), and encephalitis (inflammation of brain tissues), as well as issues with pregnancy. Symptoms of a possibly severe side effect of the infection include a stiff neck, seizures, and confusion. Individuals with weakened immune systems, such as newborns and elders, are most at risk. Unfortunately, listeriosis is an extremely dangerous disease-- it has a high mortality rate of around 20-30%. In addition, it is tough to know whether you have it or not; symptoms of an infection can begin as soon as a few hours after eating the contaminated food, while symptoms in other cases don't show up for months. This recall comes just after one of the United States' worst listeria outbreaks in history, in which 57 people were hospitalized and 9 people died. The outbreak began at a Boar's Head plant in Jarratt, Virginia, with contaminated deli meats being sent from that facility all over the nation. Operations at the Virginia plant were completely stopped soon after the outbreak, and inspections by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) found countless violations in the plant. According to CBS News, the facility had a history of violations-- inspectors had called them out earlier in the year for numerous issues. Inspectors found leftover meat lying on various surfaces in previous months, and they discovered a large amount of mold and mildew building up in several areas in July. Over the summer, inspectors found multiple problems with leaking water, resulting in puddles and the growth of algae. In July, an inspector reported seeing a fan blowing that algae onto the meat being prepared. In June, inspectors found flies and other "gnat-like insects" buzzing around the plant, in addition to a beetle, a cockroach, and scores of ants. Back in February, one inspector reported seeing large amounts of blood on the floor and a horrible smell coming from one area, adding onto the violations. To stop the spread, customers are being instructed to check their fridges for the affected meats and wipe down all surfaces that may have touched the food; while listeria is not transmissible from person to person, the disease spreads easily on any surface that food touches. This also goes for the BrucePac outbreak-- when in doubt, throw it out. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Crocodiles can go through up to 4,000 teeth over the span of their entire lifetime. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things. (Leonardo da Vinci) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Scapegoat (noun)- A scapegoat is a person who is unfairly blamed for something others have done. In a Sentence: The CFO was made the scapegoat for the company’s failures.

The Electoral College is a complex topic. Read a new US Elections article called "The (Why-Is-US-So-Weird) Electoral College," by journalist Mihir Gupta, to find out more! You can check it out here . At least 10 people are dead and about 3.2 million are without power after Hurricane Milton hammered the Florida Peninsula on Wednesday night. Milton began in the western Gulf as a tropical depression and moved westward, strengthening into a Category 2 as it approached Mexico. On Tuesday, it rapidly intensified to a Category 5, with sustained wind speeds of 180 mph. After that, it slowed down to a Category 3. Cities like Cancun were hit along the way by Milton's outer bands. Milton then slammed into Florida with strong winds, heavy rain, and a serious storm surge, inundating western Florida. Tampa has been particularly hit hard, as the eye went right over it. At 9:00 PM EDT on Wednesday, wind speeds of up to 100 mph hit central-west Florida. Water levels had gone up by over 8 feet in Sarasota, and a storm surge of 2-5 feet was reported to span from Naples to Charlotte Harbor (about 70 miles distance). 18 inches of rain fell overall throughout the peninsula. Fortunately, the Tampa Bay area was spared from extensive flooding. At least 27 tornadoes also touched down during the hurricane. Much damage was done to the area, with rooftops blown away, concrete electric poles snapped, and cars overturned. Tropicana Field, the Tampa Bay baseball team's home field, had its fabric roof "shredded" by the winds. In St. Petersburg, a fallen crane damaged part of the Johnson Pope building. Milton moved quickly, and it passed by Florida by 5 am Thursday. It's expected to reach 60 mph Friday afternoon when it's well into the Atlantic, and it should reach Bermuda by Sunday with sustained wind speeds of 35-40 mph. Fact of the Day (Facts.net): There is a town called Calama that has never experienced rain. It is found in the Atacama desert of Chile . Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): If you must begin, then go all the way because if you begin and quit, the unfinished business you have left behind begins to haunt you all the time. (Chögyam Trungpa) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Numinous (adj)- Numinous is a formal, often literary, word that typically describes things that have a mysterious or spiritual quality. It can also describe something holy or something that appeals to one's aesthetic sense. In a Sentence: We were overcome by the numinous atmosphere of the catacombs.

Hurricane Milton made landfall yesterday near Siesta Key, Florida, with raging winds of 115 mph, heavy rain, and a storm surge of 2-5 feet. Milton began in the western Gulf as a tropical depression and moved westward, strengthening into a Category 2 as it approached Mexico. The next day, it rapidly intensified to a Category 5, with sustained wind speeds of 180 mph. After that, it slowed down to a Category 3. Cities like Cancun were hit along the way by Milton's outer bands. Milton has now slammed into Florida with strong winds, heavy rain, and a serious storm surge, inundating western Florida. Tampa has been particularly hard hit, as the eye went right over it. As of 9:00 PM EDT, wind speeds of up to 100 mph have hit central-west Florida. Water levels have gone up by over 8 feet in Sarasota, and a storm surge of 2-5 feet was reported to be from Naples to Charlotte Harbor (about 70 miles distance). 6-14 inches of rain has fallen in southern Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, and Manatee County. Daytona Beach International, Gainesville Regional, Lakeland Linder International, Melbourne Orlando International, Orlando International, Orlando Sanford International, Sarasota Bradenton International, Southwest Florida International, St. Pete-Clearwater International, and Tampa International Airports were closed ahead of Milton's landfall, schools were shut down for the week, and Disney and Universal theme parks also closed. Many alerts were in place ahead of the storm, including a state of emergency and hurricane warnings. Milton is moving quickly, so it should pass by Florida by the end of the day today. It's expected to reach 60 mph Friday afternoon when it's well into the Atlantic, and it should reach Bermuda by Sunday with sustained wind speeds of 35-40 mph. Fact of the Day (Facts.net): We are born with only 2 natural fears: the fear of falling and the fear of loud sounds. All other fears and phobias are learned or acquired later in life.  Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born. (Anaïs Nin) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Coruscate (verb)- To coruscate is to give off or reflect light in bright beams or flashes. Coruscate is used as a synonym of sparkle and may also be used to mean "to be brilliant or showy in technique or style." In a Sentence: She placed a bid on a classic car from the 1950s, replete with yards of coruscating chrome.

Brazil has lifted their nationwide ban on social media platform X after the company agreed to block certain accounts and pay a large fine. Brazil's Supreme Court, led by Alexandre de Moraes, has been working to stop disinformation online recently, one part of which included the ordered suspension of multiple X accounts in April. However, X's Executive Chairman, Elon Musk, reactivated them soon after, citing 'free speech' and claiming that the judge was shutting the accounts down for 'political purposes.' From the political side of things, the issue was related to Brazil's 2022 presidential election, which former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro claims was skewed. Musk accused Moraes of being anti-democratic and left-wing, as the accounts that were forced to close were related to Bolsonaro, a right-wing leader, and his attempted coup on the government back on January 8. As a response, the Brazilian government opened up an investigation onto Musk's actions, with de Moraes leading the case. Then, X immediately shut down all operations in Brazil and withdrew all employees from the country. As another violation, Moraes was forced to take more severe action against the company-- Brazilian law requires for a company to have a legal office in the country. He informed X that if they did not choose a new legal representative within 24 hours, Brazilian authorities would arrest the company's current Brazilian legal representative and block access to the social media network. Soon after, Moraes established that his deadline had not been met, and he announced a complete suspension of X's services in Brazil until they comply with the court's orders and pay the required fines. Read more on the initial banning of X in Brazil here . Now, X has decided to follow their orders, as Brazilians make up a large amount of X users-- around 22 million Brazilians are consistent users of the social media app. After the ban, many of them turned to other sites, such as BlueSky, or began using a virtual private network (VPN) to access the app. However, back in mid-September, X began changing course, and have recently confirmed that they have paid a $5.1 million fine, appointed a new legal representative, and blocked the requested accounts, allowing them to return to the South American country. The company later made a post on their Global Government Affairs account, stating, “X is proud to return to Brazil. Giving tens of millions of Brazilians access to our indispensable platform was paramount throughout this entire process. We will continue to defend freedom of speech, within the boundaries of the law, everywhere we operate.” Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Baby kangaroos are as small as lima beans when they are born. As juveniles, they become joeys, and stay in the pouches of their marsupial mothers as they roam the open areas of Australia. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration. (Ansel Adams) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Exorbitant (adj)- Exorbitant describes something that goes far beyond what is fair, reasonable, or expected (as by being too high, too expensive, etc.). In a Sentence: The cost of our stay was so exorbitant you would have thought that we had bought the hotel and not just spent a few nights there.

Here’s our new article! If you would like to check it out on the website, here’s the link: https://theweeklynews0.wixsite.com/yourweeklynews/elon-musk-a-twitter-board-member Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, had joined the Twitter Board of Directors. He announced on Tuesday, April 5th, that he had become a board member of Twitter. ​ But how? Let's dive into why. First of all, you can't just join any company's Board of Directors. You have to be invited by the company. Musk did this by buying 9.2% of the company for 2.64 billion dollars, becoming the company's largest shareholder. ​ He was then the 12th member, but another member, Jack Dorsey, has left, so he is now the 11th member.  ​ This also means that Musk will control 9% of Twitter's shareholder votes, so this is a big advantage in business for him.  ​ Surprisingly, he actually backed out of the whole thing, so he is not a board member anymore, but he still controls that 9% of their shareholder votes.    He then made a deal with Twitter to buy the social media giant for 44 billion dollars, was about to go through with the deal, and has just recently backed out of that, too! He will very likely be facing fines in the future for backing out this late.  By Armaan Dhawan

Here’s our latest article! You can read it below or on the website here: https://theweeklynews0.wixsite.com/yourweeklynews/china-simulation-seem-to-threaten-taiwan Taiwan announced that they think that China's military drills seem to simulate an attack on the island, as China continued its military drills in many areas around the small country. The Chinese exercises recently extended into the fourth day, and Taiwan is starting to worry.   The fourth day of the exercises brought what Taiwan calls, "A rehearsal for the real operation." The Taiwan Defense Ministry also said earlier that they had reportedly seen multiple Chinese aircraft and vessels cross the delicate median line in the Taiwan Strait. "Our military has broadcast warnings, deployed combat air patrol and naval vessels, and activated land-based missile systems in response to the situation," said the ministry. 14 vessels and 20 planes controlled by China had been spotted in the area by 5 PM Taiwan time on Friday, and 14 of those 20 aircraft crossed the median line.  ​ The Chinese military, however, had not said a word about these practice drills or why they are doing them. All of this is leading to Taiwan thinking that China was actually doing a simulated attack on the island.  ​ Now that we've discussed what this is leading to, let's go back and try to figure out the cause. It all leads back to the US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi. Despite the Biden administration advising her not to, she chose to visit Taiwan to finish off her Asia tour. Once there, she announced within moments of her arrival that her visit was a sign of the US's "unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy," much to the annoyance of China.   The trip, though, wasn't just opposed by the Biden administration. The visit to Taipei, Taiwan's capital city, was also extremely opposed by China. As she announced her plans to visit Taipei after Taiwan was coming under big pressure from China, China was outraged.   Since then, China has started doing simulated attacks on the island country and Taiwan is getting worried. 68 Chinese warplanes were reported in the Taiwan Strait on Friday, and 49 of those entered a special zone for Taiwan's air defense. 19 of them also crossed that sensitive median line we mentioned before.   On Thursday, China also launched 11 missiles over the island, which landed in a Japanese zone of the ocean. This caused Tokyo to formally complain to Beijing, and this was the first time that China had ever launched missiles over the island. Taiwan's worries of a Chinese invasion are rising, and that is the last thing the world needs after Russia's Invasion of Ukraine . By Armaan Dhawan Image credit: https://www.therwandan.com/the-top-10-best-fighter-jets-ever-developed/

We are currently updating our "Countries in Conflict: Why?" page. We apologize for any inconvenience, and the update will be finished in a few weeks. Just know that something exciting is coming! Image credit: https://www.yournewshub.org/countries-in-conflict-why

Apple’s Fall Event took place on Monday, September 9th, under the name “Glowtime”, where they introduced the new iPhone 16 lineup, the Apple Watch Series 10, The AirPods 4, and some new AI features. Here is a rundown of everything they announced at the event:    The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus both bring multiple improvements, and Apple states these are the first phones “built from the ground up” for Apple Intelligence-- Apple’s implementation of AI in their devices. In addition, they spoke about a significant battery life boost, due to an increase in battery size and better optimization. The new colors this year include ultramarine, teal, and pink. Apple mentioned that they will have a screen brightness from 1 to 2000 nits.     Apple made upgrades to the camera this year, with the main camera now being 48-megapixels and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera. The camera now has side by side, instead of the diagonal layout, to allow for spatial photos and videos, and introduced the action button to those models. A new button, called the Camera Control button, is now available, which works off a touch sensor. This button is also used for Apple’s new “Visual Intelligence” feature, which works like Google Lens by enabling search using the camera.     Finally, these models have been upgraded to the A18 chip, with a 16-core neural engine, two performance cores, five efficiency cores, and a GPU with five cores. To improve the gaming experience, Apple has a new thermal design for better heat dissipation and support for ray tracing on certain games.     Starting Price: $799 and $899   The iPhone Pro and Pro Max have been increased in size, to 6.3 and 6.9 inches respectively, with smaller bezels, and the colors this year include black, silver, and rose gold.     The new phones run on the new A18 Pro chip, with larger caches and a new display engine for faster encoding/decoding. Both phones include the 48-megapixel main camera from the base models, and the camera control button, but the Pro models also include an upgraded 48-megapixel ultra-wide and 12-megapixel 5x telephoto lens. The biggest upgrade to the camera is recording quality, and you can now record in 4K at 120fps. A few other improvements include better color grading controls, custom speed previews, and HDR editing.    Apple introduced improvements to the microphones, as there is now a quad mic setup, spatial audio capture, and sound layering. Finally, Apple has released new MagSafe cases with faster wireless charging and the addition of the camera control button.  Starting Price: $999 and $1199.    For the Apple Watch Series 10, Apple has decided to completely redesign the watch, with a bigger display and thinner body, at 7mm. The watch will have a wider aspect ratio and rounder corners with a wider OLED display.     The watch runs on the new quad-core S10 chip, built for improved AI features and more accurate health tracking. The headline feature for the watch is the sleep apnea tracking, which is currently pending approval from the FDA. This will also be coming to the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2.     The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has brought some minor updates in terms of durability, as the watch is now more water-resistant and scratchproof. Both models will be running on the new WatchOS 11, announced at WWDC earlier this year.  Starting Price: $399 and $799  Finally, Apple introduced the new AirPods 4, Max and Pro 2. The AirPods 4 has brought a slightly modified design, with the new H2 chip. The charging case has been updated to USB-C, and the mics and ANC have gotten some improvements.    The AirPods Pro 2 now has some new assistance features, including hearing protection and testing. They are also now certified as a ‘professional-grade’ hearing aid.    The AirPods Max has very few changes, with some new colors and USB-C charging.     Starting Price: $129/$179, $249 and $549  All images are credited to Apple .

What is Labor Day? Why is it celebrated in the United States? Let's find out. History of Labor Day: Back in the late 19th century, workers' rights in the U.S. weren't so much of a thing. Shifts in factories, where a large percentage of the population worked, lasted 10-12 hours, and conditions were dangerous. Workers wanted a break from that. And so the first Labor Day was born, on the first Monday of September. It was made into a national holiday on June 28, 1894, though it only guaranteed the holiday for federal workers. But since then, all 50 states, D.C., and the U.S. territories have made it a required holiday in their respective jurisdictions. Celebration: During Labor Day, there are many forms of celebration throughout the country. Parades, picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, and camping trips are some of them. Because Labor Day is on a Monday, workers and students are given a long weekend. Labor Day has also become an important retail period. Capitalizing on the number of available shoppers, retailers offer Labor Day sales. Fun Facts: It is debated who came up with the idea of Labor Day, Secretary of the Central Labor Union Matthew Maguire, or Vice President Peter McGuire of the American Federation of Labor . An alternate date was suggested for the holiday (May 1), but was never selected due to its close proximity to the Haymarket affair . Labor Day isn't the only holiday fixed on a Monday. Four others, including Memorial Day, always fall on a Monday. Labor Day is generally considered to be the unofficial end of the summer season. Many schools start around this time, people go on their last vacations for a while, and sport seasons begin. We at YNH hope everybody celebrating has a great Labor Day! By Mihir Gupta Image credit: https://www.thechronicle-news.com/labor-day-our-work-can-be-the-most-effective-means-for-improving-the-world/#close-modal

What is American Independence Day? Why is it celebrated? Let’s find out. History of American Independence Day: The 1st American Independence Day was celebrated on July 4th, 1776. It was celebrated because on that day, a document of great importance was ratified. This document was called the “Declaration of Independence,” and it formally announced the independence of the United States of America from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Most of the people in the U.S. at the time hated the King of Great Britain, and so naturally, there was mass celebration. After the Revolutionary War had been won by the U.S. and its allies, American Independence Day was made a federal holiday. Celebration: American Independence Day is usually celebrated on July 4th, with a big party. Barbeques and picnics are held, and communities will usually hold large firework displays. Decorations are colored red, white, and blue - the colors of the American flag. Fun Facts: U.S. Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826 - the 50th American Independence Day celebration. U.S. President Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4, 1872 - the 96th American Independence Day celebration. July 4th is a paid federal holiday. If July 4th falls on a Saturday or Sunday, paid holiday is given on the adjacent Friday or Monday, respectively. The Philippines' Republic Day falls on the same day, July 4th. This is due to the fact that the U.S. granted independence to the Philippines on the same day as their independence day. We at TWN wish you a marvelous American Independence Day! By Mihir Gupta Image credit: unknown