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The world's largest iceberg is on track to run aground near the British-controlled island of South Georgia, possibly causing an environmental disaster that would wipe out thousands of seals and penguins. A23a, the largest iceberg in the world, broke off from Antarctica's Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986 before getting stuck on the seafloor soon after. It further trapped itself by getting stuck in a Taylor column, which is where water above a seamount spins in circles, having the effect of some sort of massive whirlpool. However, in 2020, the iceberg finally set itself free from the waters of the Weddell Sea, beginning to drift away from Antarctica. The iceberg is over 1,500 square miles in size, which is double that of Greater London -- around the same area as the US state of Rhode Island -- and it weighs over one trillion tons. Now, it is heading into warmer waters, but that path could lead straight into South Georgia. South Georgia is part of the British territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, which is located in the middle of the southern Atlantic. Due to its remote location -- the nearest land is the Falkland Islands, which are over 870 miles away, and there is no airport -- it is extremely hard to get to the island, but it has a staggering amount of wildlife. The island itself has no native species, but the marine ecosystem around it is incredibly biodiverse. It is nicknamed the "Galapagos of the Southern Ocean," and just the island alone is home to over 60 million breeding birds of over 30 different species and over five million seals of four different species. There are also over 450,000 pairs of king penguins (around 50% of the world's population), over 3 million macaroni penguins, over 100,000 pairs of gentoo penguins, and around 6,000 pairs of chinstrap penguins. During the peak of breeding season, one specific area in South Georgia between Elsehul Bay and Salisbury Plain has been confirmed to have more wildlife per square foot than anywhere else on earth. Now, those animals could be at risk as A23a sets its sights on South Georgia. Numerous icebergs have come on that path towards South Georgia, but most of them break apart as they enter warmer waters. However, A23a seems to be staying strong, meaning that it could run aground. It could move with other currents and miss the island completely, but there is still a significant chance that it could hit the seafloor near the island and become stuck. This would have a major impact on the local wildlife, which depend on the waters off the coast for food. Currently, the island is in summer, which is breeding season for the local wildlife. During breeding season, millions of penguins and seals dive into the waters to fetch food for their young, but A23a could impede those efforts. If the iceberg runs aground, it would block the path of the animals, forcing them to travel around the iceberg for food. This could devastate the population, as the obstacle of the iceberg would force them to take much longer to fetch food and would require the animals venturing out to expend significantly more energy. Unfortunately, events like this will only become more common as larger icebergs begin to break off more frequently from the Antarctic ice sheet due to rapidly increasing climate change. Scientists are currently predicting a catastrophic decline of the ice sheet after 2100 if global emissions keep up their current pace, causing a total sea level rise of over 5.5 feet by 2200-- and that number could go even higher if emissions increase in the next few decades. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Scientists believe that there are more than three billion base pairs of DNA in human genes and more than 20,000 protein-coding genes in the human genome. An entire copy of that genome exists in each of the 30 to 40 trillion cells in the human body. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Take a close look at today, because yesterday is but a dream and tomorrow is barely a vision . (Sanskrit Proverb) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Divers (adj, DYE-verz) - Divers is an adjective meaning "numbering more than one." In a Sentence: The tri-county fair offers divers amusements for the whole family.

Another massive wildfire has broken out northwest of Los Angeles, adding to the city's woes as fires rage across the city. Here's the latest on all of the fires. Southern California has been suffering from dangerous wildfires in recent weeks, primarily due to the area's strong winds and dry conditions. The Palisades Fire, which ravaged one of the wealthiest regions in Los Angeles just weeks ago, is now 75% contained, posing less of a threat to the western portion of the city. It stands at 23,448 acres, and it has destroyed over 6,380 structures-- the third-most destructive wildfire in the state's history. The Eaton Fire, which leveled the unincorporated area of Altadena in northeastern Los Angeles, stands at 14,021 acres, but it is 95% contained and should not grow much larger. The Eaton Fire destroyed over 9,300 structures, making it the second-most destructive wildfire in California history, ahead of the Palisades Fire and only second to the devastating Camp Fire of 2018. Just as these two major fires were coming under control, a third blaze broke out north of Santa Clarita, near the unincorporated town of Castaic. The Hughes Fire, as it was named, has exploded to 10,396 acres in just two days, and it is only 36% contained. Thankfully, it has not burned any structures, but it has a massive area of forest ahead of it to grow even further. Several other small fires are also burning across Southern California, sparking fear in the hearts of residents across the region. The Laguna Fire erupted near the town of Oxnard, west of Los Angeles, and burned 94 acres before it came under control, and it is now 70% contained. The Sepulveda Fire broke out in Bel Air recently, another one of the richest neighborhoods in Los Angeles-- it grew to around 45 acres but is now 60% contained. The Clay, Gibbel, and Gilman Fires have all burned 39, 20, and 2 acres, respectively, in separate areas, with the latter being located in northern San Diego. Lastly, the Border 2 Fire has exploded in the Otay Mountain Area, located in the wilderness southeast of San Diego. The fire is just miles away from the border and has reached over 800 acres with 0% containment. Now, Los Angeles will receive some major relief as cooler temperatures move in this week along with rain, which will help firefighters take down the last of the fires still burning. However, rain after wildfires brings a new threat: mudslides. Due to the fact that the soil has been loosened by the lack of plants and trees holding it together, rain can quickly turn that loose soil into a raging slide of mud, rock, and wildfire debris that destroys homes, businesses, and roads. To add to those fears, the rain is expected to be substantial, beginning with a light drizzle on Saturday and transitioning into intermittent moderate downpours throughout Sunday. Mudslides happen often in wildfire-ravaged areas, but usually heavy rain is needed for them to occur. Because of this, a strong downpour from the storm would need to pass over a burned area. Otherwise, the storm should bring much-needed precipitation to Southern California, finishing off some of the smaller wildfires and wetting the area to prevent additional fires in the near future. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): There are more trees on Earth than stars in our galaxy. There are around 3 trillion trees on Earth, and NASA estimates that there are around 100 to 400 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): A moment lasts for seconds but the memories last forever. (Unknown) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Wanderlust (noun, WAHN-der-lust) - Wanderlust refers to a strong desire to travel. In a Sentence: During their final semester at college, the two friends were both filled with an insatiable wanderlust and began planning a journey to Patagonia together.

Warning: This article contains sensitive content that may be inappropriate for young children. This is our 800th blog post! At least 80 people have been killed and 32,000 people have been displaced after an outbreak of violence in northeastern Colombia. The fighting is due to conflict between two armed factions in the northeastern region of Catatumbo. The National Liberation Army (ELN) and groups related to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have recently ramped up operations in the region, as it is crucial to their business. Catatumbo produces around 15% of Colombia's coca crop, which is used to make the drug cocaine. In addition, the region's close proximity to the Venezuelan border makes it attractive to criminal factions like the ELN and FARC, who work primarily in the field of drug trafficking. The two groups have had previous battles over Catatumbo, but they reached a peace agreement in recent years that limited the conflict in the area. However, that agreement was shattered last month when the ELN began accusing local citizens of working with FARC, which prompted the organization to slaughter dozens of civilians. Instead of fighting with them, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has attempted to establish peace with the factions in the past, but those peace talks were quickly suspended after the ELN escalated the fighting. Those efforts have been met with criticism from many Colombians, though, who believe that peace should not be the main objective and the factions should be taken down immediately. Petro also accused the ELN of committing war crimes and stated earlier in the week that he would declare a "state of internal commotion," which enables him to pass legislation without the approval of Congress for three months. However, it needs to be approved by his Cabinet first, and the country's constitutional court has the ability to strike down the declaration. Because of the conflict, thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes, heading towards the border with Venezuela. The city of Cucúta alone has received over 15,000 people, with other towns in the area like Ocaña and Tibú receiving thousands of people as well. Some of the displaced people are currently taking refuge in hotels or the homes of friends and family, and the soccer stadium in Cucúta has been temporarily transformed into a center for the displaced civilians-- with officials handing out food, water, and other necessary supplies. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Hot water freezes faster than cold water. This may seem counterintuitive, but the Mpemba effect, as its known, says that the velocities of water particles have specific qualities while they’re hot that allows them to freeze more readily. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The more you praise and celebrate your life , the more there is in life to celebrate. (Oprah Winfrey) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Opine (verb, oh-PYNE) - To opine is to express an opinion about something. In a Sentence: Many people opine that social media platforms should be better regulated.

At least 76 people were killed yesterday after a massive fire at a hotel in northwestern Turkey, and nine people have been arrested as an investigation begins into the cause of the devastating incident. The fire began at approximately 3:30 am at the Kartalkaya Ski Resort, located around 15 miles away from the city of Bolu. Bolu is home to around 185,000 people and is the capital of Bolu Province, which is situated in northwestern Turkey between the country's largest city of Istanbul and the capital of Ankara. Specifically, the fire broke out in the Grand Kartal, a hotel within the resort complex. The hotel is 12 stories tall and had 238 checked-in guests at the time of the fire. Nine people -- including the owner -- have been detained as an investigation begins into the cause of the fire. The hotel is also coming under scrutiny for failing to adhere to safety rules, as survivors of the fire reported that no fire alarms had gone off inside the building. In total, 76 people were killed and another 51 were injured. The bodies of 45 victims have been identified and returned to their families, and the remaining victims are being identified by local police. They have also confirmed that most of the dead were killed due to suffocation and smoke inhalation. 27 people were injured after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan yesterday, dealing moderate damage to some of the island. The quake struck just after midnight and was centered in southwestern Taiwan, with the epicenter located in eastern Chiayi County at a depth of just 6 miles. However, the shaking was felt all the way on the northern side of the island in the country's capital of Taipei. 27 people were sent to hospitals due to minor injuries, but no one was killed. The nearby cities of Tainan and Chiayi were the worst-hit, with damage being done to many buildings. Several bridges also suffered some damage, and some homes collapsed completely after the strong shaking. A printing factory in Chiayi also experienced a fire after the quake, but it was quickly brought under control. Some people were also trapped in damaged buildings or elevators after the shaking had stopped, but they were quickly rescued by locals or the police. Many areas experienced power outages as well, as the quake had shaken up underground electrical lines or taken down power lines. Unfortunately, due to Taiwan's location along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," it experiences frequent strong earthquakes from time to time. Taiwan is located along the boundary of the Eurasian and Philippine Sea Plates, the latter of which subducts under the former. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Bananas are actually radioactive due to the fact that they contain a large amount of potassium and potassium decays. However, you would have to eat around 10 million bananas in one sitting to die of radiation poisoning. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): As you start your journey , the first thing you should do is throw away that store-bought map and begin to draw your own. (Michael Dell) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Gourmand (noun, GOOR-mahnd) - A gourmand is a person who loves and appreciates good food and drink. Gourmand can also refer to someone who enjoys eating and drinking to excess. In a Sentence: He was a gourmand who retired to New Orleans to live close to the cuisine he loved best.

Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States yesterday, confirming the last few details of his jam-packed agenda during his inauguration speech. Throughout the speech, he promised a new "golden age" for the US, labeling his upcoming term as "the greatest four years in American history." He also made several other promises to bring change within the country, addressing some of the most pressing issues to voters, and described January 20, 2025 as America's Liberation Day. He began by indirectly denouncing Biden's government, making comments as to how severe the situation was within the country. He called out the responses to Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and the Los Angeles wildfires, saying that was going to change as well. He also criticized the country's public health and education systems, promising change in those departments as well. Next, Trump moved onto the issue of illegal immigration. He confirmed that he would "declare a national emergency" at the border with Mexico, halt all illegal entry, and send troops to the southern border. He also stated that he would begin deporting illegal immigrants, who he labeled as "criminal aliens," and end the practice of catch and release-- a policy where migrants are released into the community while they wait for their immigration hearing instead of being held in detention. In addition, Trump declared that he would begin designating cartels as "foreign terrorist organizations" and would harness the "full and immense power" of the nation's law enforcement to defeat those organizations. Then, Trump moved onto inflation, another pressing issue facing every citizen in the United States. He claimed that inflation was due to what he called a "national energy crisis," and promised to "drill, baby, drill" to solve the problem. Trump maintained the fact that the United States contains some of the largest oil and gas reserves in the world, and he made it clear that he is aiming to exploit those resources during his term. Next, he confirmed the addition of two new agencies to the US government. The External Revenue Service, or ERS, will be dedicated to collecting tariffs and revenues from other nations, while the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will cut government spending with billionaire Elon Musk at the helm. Politician Vivek Ramaswamy was also expected to lead the organization, but he was ejected yesterday after irritation from Trump and Musk over his lack of involvement in the organization. Trump also mentioned several other initiatives, including halting government censorship online, establishing two genders, taking back the Panama Canal, and reinstating military members who were expelled due to their refusal to accept the COVID-19 vaccine. One of the most interesting moments of the speech was when Trump dropped a comment about renaming two major landmarks-- he declared that the Gulf of Mexico would become the Gulf of America and that the name of North America's highest peak would be reverted to Mount McKinley. The Gulf of Mexico has been known by that name for centuries, dating back to the Aztecs around 500-700 years ago, and other countries would not be required to follow any name change enacted by Trump. Meanwhile, Denali (formerly Mount McKinley) is North America's tallest peak, standing at 20,310 feet tall in the wilderness of Alaska. It was renamed to Denali in 2015 by former President Barack Obama due to the native Koyukon tribe in the area, who call the mountain by that name. Since taking office, Trump has already done good on several of his promises, slowly ticking off the boxes on his full agenda. He has already issued pardons and commutations to the over 1,500 people involved in the January 6, 2021 riot on the Capitol, as well as withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization. He claimed that the organization was charging the US more money than other countries and also denounced their handling of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, but the WHO has warned that pulling out of the organization could make the US less prepared if another pandemic was to hit. Trump has also pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement, as promised. The Paris Agreement is a climate treaty signed in 2016 that aims to keep global warming under 2 degrees Celsius and works toward preventing an increase by 1.5 degrees. Lastly, he is already taking action on the executive orders promised in his speech above, meaning that the United States could see some drastic changes over the next few weeks. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Like humans, rats laugh when they are tickled. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Part of being a winner is knowing when enough is enough. Sometimes you have to give up the fight and walk away, and move on to something that’s more productive. (Donald Trump) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Inimitable (adj, in-IM-it-uh-bul) - Inimitable describes someone or something that is impossible to copy or imitate. In a Sentence: Courtnay delivered the speech in her own inimitable style.

The historic Israel-Hamas ceasefire has commenced, and it is now entering its second day as prisoner exchanges begin and aid pours into Gaza. The three-phase deal began yesterday, with the first phase taking effect. The first phase contains a 42-day ceasefire and has secured the eventual release of 33 Israeli hostages from Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel will release 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and withdraw their forces from the strip. Details on the second and third phases have not been released yet, as those phases will be negotiated during the first phase. Three Israeli hostages have already been returned by Hamas, marking the beginning of an expected peaceful six weeks ahead for the region. Meanwhile, Israel has released 90 Palestinian prisoners, and there are many more to come. The next exchange of prisoners is set for Saturday, January 25, where Hamas will release an additional four hostages and Israel will release dozens more Palestinians. Aid is also pouring into Gaza, as the stricken area is in desperate need of shelter, water, food, and other supplies. Over 630 aid trucks entered the strip on Sunday alone, and the United Nations has confirmed that they have thousands of trucks waiting to enter. Around 300 of the trucks that entered were headed to northern Gaza, which has been the hardest-hit by the war-- it was the first area hit by Israel's initial attacks. Health in the region is also a large issue, as people are undernourished and disease is spreading in severely unsanitary conditions. A new report showed that due to Israel's persistent attacks, Gaza no longer has any fully operational hospitals -- around 50% are partially operating, though -- and over 1,000 health workers have been killed. Unfortunately, the problems go on. Shelter is also a massive issue, as Israel's constant bombings and airstrikes have damaged or destroyed 92% of homes in Gaza, according to the UN. They say that 436,000 houses have been affected, 160,000 of which have been completely destroyed, and around 90% of Gazans have been displaced by the conflict. While local agencies and volunteers have a lot of work to do, progress is being made. Countries continue to send aid to Gaza, and that aid is being used to save lives every day. Nations all over the world have celebrated the historic ceasefire deal, which could continue even after the 42 days are over if negotiations are successful. Also, the prospect of more prisoner releases in the future will motivate both sides to hold the ceasefire, giving Gaza time to recover from the damage inflicted by Israel during the war. However, while the situation is improving every day, the ceasefire is still extremely fragile, and could easily fracture if either side breaks the agreement. Upcoming Events: Winter World University Games End (Thursday, January 23) Winter X Games Begin (Thursday, January 23) International Day of Education (Friday, January 24) Winter X Games End (Saturday, January 25) International Day of Clean Energy (Sunday, January 26) Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): Cashews, like most nuts, grow on trees. Cashews grow on the cashew apple tree, which produces fruits known as cashew apples. Underneath the cashew apple is the shell of the cashew nut, inside of which is the cashew we eat. Unlike their counterparts, cashew apples are not widely eaten, though, due to their strong, acidic, and bitter taste. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. (Martin Luther King Jr.) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Virtuoso (noun, ver-choo-OH-soh) - Virtuoso is used broadly to refer to a person who does something very skillfully, and is often used specifically to refer to a very skillful musician. In a Sentence: He’s a real virtuoso in the kitchen, whipping up gourmet dishes for his family not just on holidays but on regular weeknights.

TikTok has officially gone dark in the United States after being banned by the government, but it could in the coming days. TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is one of the most popular social media apps in the world. The platform has over 1 billion monthly users, around 1/8 of the global population, 170 million of which are in the United States. Earlier this year, the US Congress passed a law giving ByteDance nine months to sell TikTok before it was banned across the countries, which would have a major effect on the lives of Americans. The average adult in the US spends almost an hour a day on TikTok, and over half of the country's population uses it. From an economical perspective, the app provides a massive benefit to the US:  7 million small businesses use TikTok for advertising, and the app supports over 224,000 jobs in the country. While TikTok appealed the ban, that appeal was taken down by the Supreme Court, who supported the ban unanimously. Due to this, last night, the ban took effect, with TikTok disappearing from Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store, and users of the app encountered this error when entering the app: "Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now." However, that may change in the days to come. Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States tomorrow, allowing him to take office and begin working on his massive agenda. One of the items that he is expected to take action on after his inauguration will be this topic, where TikTok will need help from the president if it is to continue being available to the American public. The primary thing Trump is considering is granting a 90-day extension to TikTok, which would give them three more months to stay active in the American market as they work out their issues with the US government. Part of the ban stated that the president can delay the ban by up to 90 days, but on one condition: they need confirmation that talks about the purchase of TikTok by an American company are moving forward. ByteDance has strongly rejected any sort of buyer, though, which could prevent Trump from granting the 90-day extension either way. If Trump did grant the extension, it would most likely take place on his inauguration day on Monday, allowing TikTok to come back online within two days of its original shutdown. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): A cool thing called “total internal reflection” happens when you point a laser beam at a jet of flowing water. You begin with a laser positioned on one side of a clear tank of water. When the light travels through the water, it is slowed by the heavier particles in the water, effectively “trapping” the laser beam in the water. Even as the water flow is gradually decreased, the laser beam remains contained inside the jet, until it eventually disappears when the water is turned off completely. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): He who knows no dance, claims the stage is tilted. (Hindi Proverb) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Minuscule (adj, MIN-uh-skyool) - Something described as minuscule is very small. Minuscule can also mean "written in, or in the size or style of, lowercase letters," in which case it can be contrasted with majuscular . In a Sentence: The number of bugs in the latest version of the video game is minuscule compared to the number that surfaced in the beta version.

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets across the Serbian capital of Belgrade, protesting against corruption in the government after a roof collapse incident in November that killed 15 people. Back in early November, the concrete roof of a train station in the northern town of Novi Sad collapsed, killing 15 people. Protests began almost instantly, with people taking to the streets with claims that the government was corrupt. The protestors believe that government officials have been filling their pockets at the expense of Serbian lives. The train station had recently undergone a renovation, leading locals to believe that the work was made sloppy while officials pocketed the extra cash. In November, some protests were peaceful and others turned violent. One round of protests in Novi Sad turned into a riot as some protestors began throwing objects like rocks and bottles at the town's City Hall, forcing police to use tear gas to drive them away. Now, those protestors have returned, displaying that they have not forgotten their cause. The current protests are led by students from the University of Belgrade, who lead the crowds into the middle of the road. There, they protest in silence in the middle of the road for 15 minutes, blocking traffic to honor the 15 people killed in the incident. Students from other universities have also been taking action, blocking off all of their classes in an attempt to force the government to properly investigate the roof collapse and arrest anyone at fault. While all of the protests are against the government, many signs seem to be directly directed towards incumbent President Aleksandar Vučić, who they claim is the center of the corruption. However, Vučić has maintained that he will not let them take power, and he will continue leading the country. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): pH levels are measured on a scale of 0-14, with the lower numbers being more acidic. Human stomach acids have a pH of 1.0 to 2.0, meaning that they are so acidic that they can even dissolve razor blades. So if you ever swallow a razor blade and it makes it to your stomach, don't worry! Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality. (Warren G. Bennis) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Apprehension (noun, ap-rih-HEN-shun) - Apprehension most often refers to the fear that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen; it’s a feeling of being worried about the future. The word can also refer to seizure by legal process. In a Sentence: There is growing apprehension that next quarter’s profits will be lower than expected.

We have quite a bit of space news today, so let's dive in! Billionaire Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space exploration company successfully launched their New Glenn rocket into space yesterday, marking the company's first possible contender against SpaceX. Blue Origin was founded by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, in 2000, when he began dreaming of space exploration. However, fellow billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX quickly outpaced his company and began earning contracts from NASA, putting Blue Origin behind. Now, Bezos has managed to conduct a successful rocket launch on his first attempt with New Glenn, which was known as Mission NG-1. New Glenn took off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at around 2 am early on Thursday morning, and detached the booster approximately three minutes into the flight. Their primary goal was to successfully get their payload into space, which they did-- New Glenn is officially a heavy-lift rocket that can carry satellites into space. However, this time around, they did not carry a satellite-- rather, they took their Blue Ring Pathfinder to space. Blue Ring Pathfinder has numerous pieces of experimental technology onboard, with Blue Origin aiming to increase communication capabilities. The Pathfinder stayed attached to the upper stage of Blue Origin during the mission, during which it tested abilities like in-space telemetry and tracking services, the latter of which will be used on their Blue Ring space vehicle in the future. They also had an extra bonus goal, though: to guide the booster back down to Earth. Musk's SpaceX rockets are able to do this on a regular basis, but he struggled with it during the initial tests of the technology around 10 years ago. Blue Origin used a platform in the sea known as Jacklyn to catch the booster, which was named by Bezos for his mother. Unfortunately, they were not able to achieve their bonus goal, as the booster ended up missing the platform and falling into the ocean. Blue Origin will now focus on launching more and more rockets into space to draw the attention of NASA, who have primarily been relying on SpaceX for missions. Both billionaires, Bezos and Musk, want to dominate the space market, so many more missions can be expected from Blue Origin in the coming years. SpaceX's latest test of their Starship rocket failed during its mission yesterday, just a day after the company managed to successfully launch a Falcon rocket carrying two privately-built lunar landers to the Moon. While Blue Origin conducted a successful launch on Thursday, SpaceX encountered issues with their seventh Starship launch since 2023. Starship is a massive, completely reusable rocket that stands as the largest rocket ever built-- it is a staggering 403 feet tall and over 30 feet wide. Elon Musk's Starship rocket lifted off from their launch site in Boca Chica, Texas, around 5:30 in the evening, successfully separating the Super Heavy booster and the upper portion of the rocket around four minutes into the flight. However, the upper part of the rocket, which carries the payload, disintegrated mid-flight due to unspecified reasons. SpaceX did manage, though, to land their Super Heavy booster back at the launchpad, which is another major accomplishment in itself. The company has only landed the Super Heavy booster one other time, which came in October 2024 when they caught the booster over the landing pad using their "chopsticks" mechanism. The failed mission comes just one day after a SpaceX Falcon 9 was successfully launched from Florida's Kennedy Space Center, carrying two lunar landers to the moon. The lunar landers were constructed privately, though, by the Texas-based Firefly and Japan's ispace. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): The world's oldest functional grapevine is over 500 years old, located in Maribor, Slovenia. The vine has been around since 1500 and still produces grapes, and in turn, wine. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails. (William Arthur Ward) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Parlay (verb, PAHR-lay) - To parlay something is to use or develop it in order to get something else of greater value. Parlay is often used with the word into . In a Sentence: He hoped to parlay his basketball skills into a college scholarship.

Today is our second anniversary of writing daily updates! Two years ago, on January 16, 2023, we began writing the daily updates you read today! Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire deal that will secure the release of dozens of hostages while providing relief to the millions of displaced Palestinians within Gaza. The talks are taking place in Qatar's capital of Doha, where Egypt and Qatar are acting as mediators. On one side, Qatar is pressuring Hamas to agree to a deal while the United States is pressuring Israel to agree to the deal on the other side. Earlier this week, Israel and Hamas seemed to be getting close to a deal, but there have been several instances of possible deals that were denied at the last moment by either side. There was also quite a bit of doubt over the details of the deal, which had not been worked out. The three-phase deal is expected to begin on Sunday, with the first phase taking effect. The first phase contains a 42-day ceasefire and will secure the release of 33 hostages from Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel will release hundreds of their prisoners and withdraw their forces from the strip. The deal will also secure the return of the bodies of those killed during the war, Details on the second and third phases have not been released yet, as those phases will be negotiated during the first phase. The deal would also allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, which has been celebrated by many countries and organizations around the world. The United States has stated that they aim to be sending up to 500 trucks of aid into Gaza each day, and UNRWA has called on both Israel and Hamas to stay peaceful during the ceasefire and allow easy access for aid. UNICEF has also confirmed that they will be sending in aid in the form of vaccines to prevent disease among young children. Numerous countries, including Russia, China, Indonesia, and Japan have all welcomed the deal, confirming the world's approval of a ceasefire deal between two sides that have been fighting intensely for over 15 months. However, the deal still faces several hurdles before it goes into effect. Israel's security cabinet still needs to vote on the agreement, but that vote has been temporarily delayed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he claimed that Hamas had gone back on parts of the deal. Hamas, though, has maintained that they are fully committed to the ceasefire agreement. After the security cabinet, the deal will also need to be passed by Israel's government, posing another obstacle. While the ceasefire is coming closer, there is still a long way to go to achieve complete peace in the region. Negotiations over the second and third parts of the deal will begin on the 16th day of the first phase, and the United States, Qatar, and Egypt have all pledged to make sure that those three phases are completed. The deal is still extremely frail, though, and any rash action by either side could cause the entire agreement to crumble. Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): The United Nations has 193 member countries, but they only have six official languages. When the organization was first created, there were five official languages -- English, Spanish, French, Chinese, and Russian -- but Arabic was added in 1974 due to popular request. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): If we have not quiet in our minds, outward comfort will do no more for us than a golden slipper on a gouty foot. (John Bunyan) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Hackneyed (adj, HAK-need) - Something is considered hackneyed when it is not interesting, funny, etc., because of being used too often; in other words, it's neither fresh nor original. In a Sentence: The new crime drama's characters are shallow stereotypes who engage one another in hackneyed dialogue.