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Contents: Switzerland's Nemo Brings Home Their Third-Ever Eurovision Win Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Eurovision, the famous European song contest, has finally come to an end, with Switzerland's Nemo taking home the win. This year's competition was quite controversial over the topic of Israel, as crowds were constantly booing their representative, Eden Golan, due to their ongoing war with Palestine. She ended up coming home with fifth place for her song, "Hurricane." Protesters also appeared outside the center, motivating others to boycott Eurovision in support of Palestine. Nevertheless, it was an exciting contest hosted by Sweden, the home country of last year's winner, Loreen. A backstage incident that disqualified Joost Klein, the representation for the Netherlands, also added to the controversy. Nemo did a spectacular performance of his song, "The Code," which is about accepting non-binary identities. Nemo has become the first non-binary artist to take home a Eurovision win, and they have helped Switzerland get their first win since Celine Dion's victory in 1988-- and their third-ever overall win. Croatia's Baby Lasagna took runner-up with his song, "Rim Tim Tagi Dim," which is the country's highest-ever placement in Eurovision. There was also a large tribute to ABBA at the contest, as it is the 50th anniversary of when the famous band won Sweden's first-ever Eurovision in 1974. Switzerland will now host next year's Eurovision, as that is Nemo's home country, but the location and date are yet to be announced. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Scientists believe that at the same time when dinosaurs were around, there may have also been active volcanoes on the moon. Quote of the Day: Remember, today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. (Dale Carnegie) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Zhuzh (verb) - To zhuzh something up is to improve its flavor or appearance by way of a small improvement, adjustment, or addition. In a Sentence: He likes to zhuzh up his outfits with brightly-colored ties.nacks before the rest of the party guests arrived.

Contents: Massive Solar Storm Strikes Earth, Auroras Seen as Far as Deep South Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day A massive solar storm slammed into the Earth yesterday, leading to spectacular views of the aurora borealis across North America, and the storm will continue through the rest of the weekend. The geomagnetic storm was rated a G4 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is the second-highest rating a storm can get. However, scientists think that the storms could possibly escalate into a G5 event. The latest strong storm was back in March, and it was also rated a G4. The last time a G5 struck Earth was all the way back in October 2003, which were coined the Halloween Solar Storms. Solar storms can affect voltage controls, and grid systems can blackout or even completely collapse. Transformers, radios, satellites, and power lines may also be damaged due to the waves of plasma coming out of the Sun. At first, NOAA issued a geomagnetic storm watch after some massive bursts of plasma from the Sun, which are called coronal mass ejections (CMEs). These huge waves that erupt from the surface of the Sun blast towards Earth, and the aurora borealis occurs when the CMEs hit the planet's magnetic field. This disruption causes a beautiful array of colors in the night sky. This, combined with strong solar flare activity, is contributing to the especially powerful storm hitting Earth this May. This weekend, five CMEs are all slamming into Earth at once, resulting in a huge G4, maybe G5 storm that is creating a show for millions of citizens and a nuisance for power companies. Citizens have been treated to auroras as far south as Northern California in the west and Alabama, Georgia, and Florida in the Deep South. However, infrastructure companies are on the lookout for damages to their power grids, and radios are already experiencing issues. If you live in one of the areas that could see an aurora this weekend, try and get to a dark location with as low light pollution as possible. Auroras aren't usually visible with the naked eye, so try turning on the night mode feature on your phone camera and increase the exposure to view the colors more vividly. Good luck aurora hunting! Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): In real life, only a quarter of the Sahara Desert is covered in sand. The rest is mostly gravel and rocks. Quote of the Day: I recommend you take care of the minutes and the hours will take care of themselves. (Earl of Chesterfield) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Bogart (verb) - To bogart something is to use or consume it without sharing. In a Sentence: Nelson advised his friends not to bogart all the snacks before the rest of the party guests arrived.

Contents: 4 Dead, Multiple Injured After Tornadoes Strike Southern US Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day At least four people are dead and multiple others have been seriously injured after severe storms struck the southern United States this week. The region had just been recovering from some other strong storms from last week, and more storms earlier this week killed multiple people. Those storms sparked multiple tornadoes, but the ones on Tuesday mainly affected the Midwestern area like Indiana and Michigan. During the latest storm, a powerful front moved through Texas and Oklahoma before sweeping into the southeast with strong winds and heavy rain. There were numerous delays at many of the area's major airports, including Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson, which is the busiest in the world. There were reported tornadoes in Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama, which knocked down trees and sent homes, cars, and even people flying into the air. Over 150,000 people lost power, and multiple people were injured as well. One young 10-year-old boy was swept into a storm drain after extreme flooding occurred on the street he was playing on. He was swept under roads until he ended up in a drainage ditch. The boy was discovered with major injuries and is still in critical condition-- his heartbeat has resumed after CPR but his lungs are severely damaged and he seems to have serious brain damage. Most of the deaths and injuries during these storms occurred due to tornadoes or falling trees, and it will be tough to recover. Unfortunately, there will be no stop to these storms. Spring is peak season for severe weather, especially tornadoes, and this year was particularly bad-- this April had the second-most tornadoes in the month on record (300), only beaten by 2011's monster tornado season. More storms are on the way today; they are already pounding the southeast right now. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Cows, sheep, and goats don't have upper front teeth. Instead, they have a thick layer of gum called a dental pad, which is used to pull out grass, and they use their molars in the back to chew their food. Quote of the Day: The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. (Leo Tolstoy) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Grudging (adj) - Grudging is an adjective used to describe something that is said, done, or given unwillingly or reluctantly. It can also describe someone who is unwilling or reluctant to do something. In a Sentence: Her theories have begun to win grudging acceptance in the scientific community.

Contents: Rescue Crews Find the Body of the Sixth Victim in the Baltimore Bridge Collapse Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Search-and-rescue crews have finally managed to find the body of the sixth victim of the Baltimore bridge collapse that occurred in late March. Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge went down after a cargo ship, the Dali, hit one of its piers. The piers are the crucial supports that hold up the bridge, and damage to one of them can take down the entire structure. When the Dali smashed into one of its central piers after losing power, it sent the whole bridge crumpling like paper into the Patapsco River below. Thankfully, the crash took place in the early hours of the morning, meaning that there was barely anyone on the bridge when it fell. Unfortunately, construction crews were repairing potholes on the bridge at the time of the collapse, and crews have been working to find their bodies for over a month now. The bodies were extremely tough to reach due to the unstable, mangled metal beams criss-crossing the river, and they have slowly been recovering their corpses, one by one. The bridge was part of Baltimore's I-695, which encircles the main urban areas of the metropolis. Over 30,000 people used it per day, and its demise has created a massive influx of new traffic into other areas of the city. The ruins have also blocked off one of the main routes into the port of Baltimore, which handles a huge amount of cargo each day. Thankfully, the US Army Corps of Engineers, who are working on removing the debris from the river, have stated that they hope to reopen the river by the end of May. Also, so far, over $60 million has been raised to help reconstruct the bridge as soon as possible to get things up and running again in the area. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Walt Disney chose for most of his characters to wear gloves because it made them easier to animate. In addition, at the beginning, they didn’t want Mickey Mouse to have mouse hands because he was supposed to have more of a human feel to viewers. Quote of the Day: Whenever I'm about to do something, I think, "Would an idiot do that?" And if they would, I do not do that thing. (Dwight Schrute from The Office) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Reputation (noun) - A reputation is the common opinion that people have about someone or something. Reputation can also refer to a positive position that someone or something has in public esteem or regard. In a Sentence: She's earned a reputation as a first-class playwright.

Contents: Israel Rejects Ceasefire, Takes Control of Rafah Border Crossing Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Unfortunately, Israel confirmed that they do not agree with the latest draft on a ceasefire with Hamas, dashing the hopes that peace would arrive in the coming days. Hamas accepted a proposal yesterday from Egypt and Qatar, marking one of the first ceasefires that they have agreed with. However, Israel stated that the proposal does not agree with their core demands, but they will continue talks with Hamas. Meanwhile, more chaos has ensued in southern Gaza as Israel invades Rafah. Initially, towards the beginning of the war, millions of citizens were forced to shift south after the northern portion of the Gaza Strip was bombarded with airstrikes. 1.4 million of those evacuees moved to the southernmost city of Rafah, where most of the aid has been pouring in through the Egyptian border crossing. However, Israel claims that there are plenty of Hamas operatives hiding out among the citizens in Rafah, and invading the city is crucial to completely eliminating the terrorist organization. They have issued immediate evacuation orders for all of southeastern Gaza, urging people to move west to the coast. They are not recommended to shift north, as there is extreme famine going on up there. The western area they are moving to includes part of the city of Khan Younis, which has been devastated by Israeli attacks. 80% of the city's buildings are pure wreckage, and most of the rest is considered uninhabitable due to the severe damage. It also includes the smaller town of Deir el-Balah, which has also been pounded by airstrikes. Yesterday, Israeli forces used tanks to take control of the Rafah border crossing, which has been seen as an invasion by many. On the other hand, Israel maintains that it is a limited operation to cut off Hamas' arms smuggling through the crossing-- it is not meant to halt any aid flow, and it should not be considered as a full-scale invasion of Rafah. United States President Joe Biden has reminded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ensure the safety of the 1.4 million Palestinians residing in the Rafah area, but Netanyahu's cabinet is pushing him to launch a tougher offensive and take down Hamas, no matter the civilian consequences. Talks between Hamas and Israel will continue, and we will keep you updated on the latest with the ceasefire, the evacuations, and the Rafah invasion. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): When turkeys are scared or excited, they can actually blush. The pale skin on their head and neck turns bright red, blue, or white, and the flap of skin over their beaks, called a snood, also reddens. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. (Steve Jobs) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Extemporize (verb) - To extemporize means to do something extemporaneously—in other words, to improvise. In a Sentence: A good talk show host must be able to extemporize when interviews don’t go as planned.

Contents: Hamas Accepts Temporary Ceasefire Proposal From Egypt and Qatar Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day We have some huge news today: Hamas has accepted a temporary ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar. The nations have been constantly working for months to try and get both sides to agree on a proposal, and the day has finally come. It will require the release of 20 to 33 hostages by Hamas, and Israel will halt the war for a few weeks. During the ceasefire, they will further exchange prisoners of war from both sides, and the bodies of some of the deceased hostages will also be returned. Israel has not confirmed their approval, though. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still reviewing the proposal that he helped to create, making sure that it is in his best interests. He previously stated that an invasion into the city of Rafah, where over 1.4 million people are sheltering from the war, was guaranteed in the near future, and he would not back down because much of Hamas had hidden in Rafah to avoid being taken out. This week, he issued immediate evacuation orders for the entire city, sending citizens into panic. His cabinet is also urging him to take action and take over Rafah, and they have stated that accepting a ceasefire now could set back their progress. Unfortunately, the invasion of Rafah would inevitably lead to more loss of life and more suffering for hundreds of thousands of people, worsening the already-horrible humanitarian crisis. However, the Israeli public and most of the world is imploring Israel to accept a ceasefire deal, and it could be horrible publicity if he turns down the proposal-- possibly sparking riots and protests all over the country. It is still unclear whether he plans to accept the ceasefire deal and stop the Rafah invasion, accept the deal and still invade Rafah, or deny the deal altogether. We also do not know which version of the proposal Hamas has accepted-- these details are part of an outline that was released last week, so changes may have been made. Updates are sure to arrive in the coming days. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Blue whales eat 457,000 calories in one mouthful-- that's a lot of krill! Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments. (Rose Kennedy) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Plangent (adj) - Something, such as a sound, that is described as plangent is loud, deep, and often expressive of sadness or suffering. The word is a synonym of plaintive. In a Sentence: The campers were awoken by the plangent howl of a coyote off in the distance.

Contents: Death Toll in China Highway Collapse Rises to 48 75 Dead, 103 Now Missing After More Flooding in Brazil Upcoming Events Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day The death toll in the massive highway collapse in the Chinese province of Guangdong has risen to 48 after 23 cars went tumbling down a hillside following heavy rains. However, locals are praising a man who may have saved many more. After seeing cars traveling the wrong way on his side of the highway, he talked to one of them and discovered that there was a collapse up ahead. Then, he bravely drove his truck up to the scene and parked it horizontally across the road, signaling to other drivers that there was no road ahead of him. Meanwhile, his wife got out to tell other drivers that there was a collapse. The couple were given a total of 20,000 Chinese yuan ($2,828 USD) by multiple companies as a reward, and the man stated that they would donate it to the relatives of the victims of the highway collapse. On another note, the death toll of the deadly flooding in southern Brazil has risen to 75, and 103 people are now missing. Over 88,000 people have been forced to evacuate and 800,000 people across the region have no water. Rivers have reached record levels and swept away bridges, and the heavy rain has inundated towns and sparked landslides across the state of Rio Grande do Sul after raining for almost 7 straight days. Upcoming Events: Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives During the Second World War (Wednesday, May 8) Feast of the Ascension (Thursday, May 9) International Day of Argania (Friday, May 10) IIHF World Championship Begins (Friday, May 10) World Migratory Bird Day (Saturday, May 11) International Day of Plant Health (Sunday, May 12) Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Cats have five toes on the front, but they only have four toes in the back. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): It will never rain roses. When we want to have more roses, we must plant more roses. (George Eliot) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Proliferate (verb) - To proliferate is to increase quickly in number or amount. In a Sentence: Problems have proliferated in recent months; every day seems to present a new challenge that needs sorting out.

Contents: 39 Dead, 68 Missing After Flooding Strikes Brazil Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day This seems to have become a recurring theme in our daily updates: flooding. At least 39 people are dead after severe flooding in southern Brazil, with 68 others still missing. Thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes as rivers burst their banks and dams break, engulfing their homes. These rains are even worse than a massive round of storms that hit the state of Rio Grande do Sul in 1941, which were the previous record holders. One hydroelectric dam, located on the Taquari River, partially collapsed recently, sending water rushing into nearby cities downstream of the disaster. The towns were quickly inundated, sending citizens scrambling to their highest floors and rooftops as the water approached. Other rivers have also caused damage in various areas. The Caí River in the city of Feliz burst its banks a few days ago, sending one of the city's two bridges crashing into the water. All electricity, water, and internet has been cut to most communities in the state, and it is most likely going to take a while to recover. It has been raining for a continuous five days, and this can all be linked to climate change. Climate change leads to a more severe version of the phenomenon of El Niño, which means that there are warm waters in the Atlantic Ocean, among other things. This brings drier weather to northern Brazil and wetter weather to southern Brazil. Due to the extreme El Niño effects this year, the Amazon Rainforest has been undergoing a huge drought, and more and more precipitation is expected for the southern part of the country in the coming years. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Giant Pacific octopi lay 56,000 eggs over the course of a month. The babies float around in the surrounding water without being attached to anyone, but the mother brings all of the eggs together. She then weaves them into braids so she can supervise all of them at the same time. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Courage is the foundation of determination. Determination and courage are the cornerstones of success. (M.K. Soni) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Agrarian (adj) - Something described as agrarian has to do with farms and farming. In a Sentence: Joan hopes to leave city life behind and move to a more agrarian region where she plans to raise lambs and grow heirloom vegetables.

If you're a Star Wars fan, May the Fourth be with you! Contents: Heavy Rains Strike Middle East Again, Dubai and Abu Dhabi Inundated Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day Just two weeks after the record-breaking downpours that inundated Dubai recently, the heavy rains have returned. Strong winds and floods came back to the UAE in these past few days, sparking multiple flight cancellations from Dubai-based luxury airline Emirates and prompting the government to tell people to work/learn from home. Most of the rain has ceased and flight schedules are back to normal, but there is still a large amount of standing water on the roads. This round of severe weather comes just after multiple days of downpours and intense thunder and lightning recently, which brought life in many UAE and Oman cities to a halt and killed a total of around 24 people. The latest storms weren't as bad as the ones from two weeks ago, which were the region's worst storms since 1949, but they still brought the equivalent of double the rainfall Dubai receives throughout April and May combined. No deaths or injuries have been reported as of right now. The effects also were not as severe, as citizens and authorities seemed to be more prepared this time around. They recommended that citizens stay home and keep away from coastal or low-lying, flood-prone areas to prevent loss of life like last time. Contrary to prior beliefs that the rains were due to botched cloud seeding by the UAE government, scientists have connected the unusual weather patterns to climate change. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Firefighters actually use special chemicals to make their water wetter. The chemicals lessen the surface tension of the water, making it easier to spread and soak into objects. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try. (Beverly Sills) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Melee (noun) - Melee refers to a confused fight or struggle, especially one involving hand-to-hand combat. In a Sentence: What started as a verbal disagreement at the football game soon turned into a general melee involving scores of spectators.

Contents: 343 Dead After Months of Heavy Rain Across East Africa Fact of the Day Quote of the Day Word of the Day 188 people are dead in Kenya and another 155 are dead in Tanzania after months of heavy rain. The Indian Ocean Dipole is a weather event that occasionally occurs in the area during this time of year, sparking heavy rains and unpredictable storms. Warmer ocean temperatures, all thanks to climate change, create stronger, more persistent storms that cause this severe flooding across eastern Africa. Floods have inundated numerous cities in Kenya and Tanzania, leading to multiple mudslides and landslides as well-- one of which killed 50 people near the town of Mai Mahiu. Numerous tourists and staff became stranded at the popular destination of Maasai Mara National Reserve, which is known for its famous savannah tours and safaris, following life-threatening flooding in the area. In total, over 150,000 people have been displaced due to the disaster across the region. Unfortunately, the situation is only expected to get worse. Cyclone Hidaya is on its way, carrying more rain and flooding with the addition of 70-85 mph winds. It is expected to make landfall tomorrow night near the city of Dar es Salaam, which is the largest city in Tanzania with over 2.7 million people. Since the ground is already heavily saturated due to the recent rains, flooding will be even more serious. Ahead of this round of storms, the Kenyan government has ordered everyone living near any of 178 dams and reservoirs to evacuate due to the risk of water overflow. Shelters and food have been set up for the evacuees, which will be surging into safer areas. Human rights groups all over the world are now pressuring the Kenyan government to stop this from happening again, as they ignored the lessons they could have learned from last year's rainy season that killed hundreds of people and displaced thousands of others. Money was set aside to be put toward citizen safety this year, but no one knows what happened to the funds and if they may have been misused. Kenyan citizens are also blaming the government of sending an extremely slow response and being unprepared despite being aware of the situation, and rescue teams have still not arrived in some towns to find bodies and survivors. The Kenyan government has promised to try harder to lessen the impact of climate change on our world to prevent severe weather events like this from happening again. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Peanuts actually aren't nuts, they're legumes. Technically, a nut is defined by being a hard-shelled dry fruit or seed with a separable rind or shell and interior kernel. Due to this, walnuts, almonds, cashews, and pistachios are actually classified as seeds instead of nuts. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting. (Buddha) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Forfend (verb) - Forfend is used in contexts relating to some kind of real or pretended danger or other unpleasantness. In humorous and ironic use, forfend typically appears in the phrase “heaven forfend,” and, like “heaven forbid,” expresses a usually ironic desire that something not happen or be done. In general use, if you forfend something unwanted or undesirable, you ward it off or prevent it; and if you forfend yourself from or against something, you protect or preserve yourself from it. In a Sentence: Heaven forfend that people actually pick up dictionaries and read them!