The Week Junior USA - 02 September 2022

32 Pages·2022·32.7 MB·English

This week’s big news
DID YOU
A young scientist
KNOW?
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Brittany
Trang
While working toward her
PhD (top academic degree)
in chemistry at Northwestern
University, Brittany Trang was
a key member of the team that
found a way to break down
forever chemicals. Trang
has since become a science
journalist and said she is
Foam used to put out fires
contains harmful chemicals “excited about helping people
that are difficult to get rid of. understand science.”
A breakthrough on harmful chemicals
On August 18, a team of US scientists announced elements that have been chemically joined). broke down PFAS even more quickly. Dichtel said
that they had found a way to destroy chemicals They are used to make a wide range of everyday the finding is “exciting because of how simple—
that pose a threat to human health around the products, including nonstick pans, carpeting, yet unrecognized—our solution is.”
world. The discovery is considered a breakthrough electronics, and fast-food wrappers. The foam
Why is the finding significant?
in the search for a way to rid the planet of “forever that firefighters use to put out fires is also treated
When companies manufacture products, PFAS
chemicals,” which pollute water, soil, and air. with PFAS. Researchers have linked regular levels
are released into the air and dumped into
of exposure to these chemicals with several
What happened?
waterways. Products containing PFAS end up in
health problems, including liver damage, an
In a study in the journal Science, researchers at landfills and oceans. From there, the chemicals
increased risk of cancer, and reduced immunity
Northwestern University in Illinois reported that make their way into groundwater, soil, and
(resistance to catching illnesses).
they had developed an effective and inexpensive crops around the world. Once the chemicals are
method for breaking down chemicals called How did the team make the discovery? in the environment, they are almost impossible
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). to eliminate because they are designed to
In 2020, William Dichtel, a chemist and
PFAS are known as forever chemicals avoid breaking down. Each molecule is bonded
professor at Northwestern, read a study
because they don’t break down together so it won’t naturally decay and can’t be
in which chemists at the University
naturally and remain hazardous destroyed by water or other natural substances.
of Alberta, in Canada, found an
for hundreds of years. Scientists Dichtel and Trang’s method could be a simple,
easy way to break down chains of
had previously figured out how to inexpensive way to break those bonds.
molecules. He asked a graduate
remove PFAS from contaminated
What will happen next?
student, Brittany Trang, to try
water or soil but, until now, had
the method on PFAS molecules. The scientists will work on ways to destroy PFAS
no safe and effective way to destroy
Trang had spent months in the lab outside the lab so large amounts of forever
PFAS can get into
them once they were removed. The
the water supply. unsuccessfully attempting to pull apart chemicals can be broken down at once. “It’s a
study reported that when the team
PFAS, and at first she thought Dichtel’s huge challenge, but it’s in our grasp,” Dichtel told
boiled PFAS molecules (the smallest portion of
idea was too simple to work. But she tried it, The New York Times. Scientists are also calling for
a substance) with two common substances, the
boiling PFAS with a common solvent (a substance a decrease in the amount of PFAS being released
PFAS quickly broke down and became harmless.
in which other materials dissolve) called dimethyl into the natural world. In June, the US government
What are PFAS?
sulfoxide (DMSO). Trang was shocked when the announced new plans to monitor PFAS, decrease
PFAS, first created in the 1930s, are chemical process destroyed the PFAS. She later mixed DMSO the amount released into the environment, and
compounds (substances made from two or more with a chemical called sodium hydroxide and address the effects of PFAS on human health.
2 The Week Junior • September 2, 2022
This week’s big news
FIRST
Africa’s tallest STRIKE
peak gets wifi Thhei sfitbroysrt ywp l aywobrraaokmsre hrsidste rslbid kiun eiin l Edi n1gi n1ry7egp0c tto .hB redC eEd
The government of Tanzania announced on
August 16 that Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s
tallest mountain, now has high-speed internet
access. Wifi is currently available for the lower two-
thirds of the mountain and should be extended to
the peak, at 19,341 feet, by the end of 2022.
Each year, about 30,000 people try to
climb Kilimanjaro, and 80,000 guides and
other workers help them. The trek is difficult,
and climbers often get hurt. Up to 10 people
die on the mountain each year. Government A closed subway
station in London
officials said that wifi will increase safety,
Massive labor strikes in UK
allowing people on the mountain to more easily
communicate with rescue and medical workers.
Some mountaineering experts, however,
expressed concern that having wifi available Tens of thousands of workers in the UK have goods and services), which the UK government
on the mountain could pose a risk. Climbers gone on strike (when employees stop doing said is the highest it’s been in 40 years.
could be distracted by social media or use their jobs to protest pay or working conditions). Groups representing workers (called unions)
inaccurate navigation apps, they said. Others The work stoppages are disrupting transportation acknowledged the problems caused by the strikes,
said the Tanzanian government should focus and business operations across the nation. including disruptions to the supply chain (process
instead on providing internet access to local On August 18, garbage and recycling workers by which goods move around). “We’re very sorry
communities that don’t have it. in Scotland began an 11-day strike. The next that people are inconvenienced,” said Mick Lynch,
day, rail operators began their sixth strike since a leader of a railroad union. “We’re ordinary men
June, and most subway lines in London, England, and women who want to do our jobs.” Many
came to a halt during a one-day work stoppage. employers said they have offered workers
On August 21, almost 2,000 workers at the UK’s reasonable wage increases and improvements.
largest container port (where goods are received Union leaders said the strikes will continue.
and sent out by ship) began an eight-day strike. Postal workers, lawyers, and staff at a major
Workers are demanding higher pay, better internet provider said they are planning to strike.
working conditions, and job security. They are When The Week Junior went to press, negotiations
Mount Kilimanjaro
struggling with inflation (an increase in prices of between workers and employers were ongoing.
IT’S AN AMAZING WEEK FOR…
BEATING THE HEAT
Squirrels across the US have been seen sprawling
UTS; MAGES A FRUITY NEW FLAVOR on their bellies during recent heat waves. Wildlife
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September 2, 2022 • The Week Junior 3
National news
WOW!
oifn atT hbWheowea u Nes6btiha r.g35oithn7i not g omzfnteneoaoe slndrt Aee ,ot aD raotcchlCrlhh sa,ai . van n er d es Who is Merrick Garland?
As attorney general, Merrick
Garland is the US government’s
top law enforcement officer. He
leads the Department of Justice, a
federal agency that employs more
than 100,000 people, and makes
decisions on a wide variety of
legal matters. Previously, he was
a federal judge and a nominee to
Mar-a-Lago the US Supreme Court.
Materials found in former President’s home
On August 8, about 30 agents from the Federal (agency that handles the nation’s records) became permission to search an area), and Federal Judge
Bureau of Investigation (FBI) searched Mar- concerned that documents created during his Bruce Reinhart approved it. Agents from the FBI
a-Lago, former President Donald Trump’s home term may have been missing. In January 2022, the (part of the DOJ) then conducted the search.
and office in Palm Beach, Florida. Agents removed Archives retrieved 15 boxes of records from Mar-
How did Trump react?
about 30 boxes of materials, including 11 sets of a-Lago that it said had been improperly removed
Trump and his supporters have said they believe
classified documents (sensitive information the from the White House. Archives officials believed
the search was conducted unfairly. He has called
government has determined should be kept from there were more missing documents and asked
on the DOJ to release the document, called an
public view). This was the first time the FBI had the Department of Justice (DOJ), the government’s
affidavit, that was created to justify the warrant.
searched the residence of a former President. law enforcement agency, to investigate.
What led to the search? Why was the search conducted? What will happen next?
Under the Presidential Records Act, every In April, the DOJ issued a subpoena (legal Judge Reinhart said he was open to releasing
document a President generates while in office, order) to require Trump to return any remaining the affidavit but had not done so when The
whether it is classified or not, belongs to taxpayers documents. When additional documents were not Week Junior went to press. Garland said he
and becomes the property of the government returned, Attorney General Merrick Garland, head might make the unusual request to reveal the
on the day the President leaves the job. After of the DOJ, authorized a search of Mar-a-Lago. materials retrieved from Mar-a-Lago to the
Trump left office in 2021, the National Archives DOJ lawyers applied for a search warrant (official public to show why the search took place.

WORD WEEK THE WEEK IN HISTORY
OF
THE Walter
Cronkite
September 2, 1963
DOG
First half-hour news show airs
Most dictionaries list the origins of the On September 2, 1963, the CBS Evening News
words we use, but some words, even with Walter Cronkite became the first daily
common ones, remain a mystery. For news show to double in length from 15 to 30
instance, no one has yet discovered where minutes. For the debut broadcast, Cronkite,
the word “dog” comes from. Only one the news anchor, interviewed President John
record of it exists in Old English. F. Kennedy. Other newscasts soon extended
Until the Middle Ages, the word their broadcasts. The same year, a poll found
most used to describe a canine that for the first time more Americans got
companion was “hound.” their news from TV than from newspapers.
4 The Week Junior • September 2, 2022
National news
Voyager 2
Voyager marks major milestone
On August 20, the spacecraft Voyager 2 marked 45 years
in space, becoming NASA’s longest space mission. NASA
(the US space agency) launched Voyager 2 in 1977 to DID YOU
study the solar system’s outer planets. It was the first, and KNOW?
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About 97% of teenagers
and is now more than 12 billion miles away from Earth.
go online daily.
Study reports on teen internet use
Teenagers in the US are spending more time While online, young people most commonly
online, a new study has found. The report said they watch videos on YouTube, followed by
shows that nearly all young people use the internet TikTok. Many also use the social media platforms
daily, but their feelings about it and the way they Instagram and Snapchat, and a smaller number
engage with it can vary. use Facebook. About 35% said they were on one of
The Pew Research Center, a nonprofit these five platforms almost constantly.
Free meals in California schools
organization that conducts research on public A majority of respondents (55%) think that
A new law in California requires that the state’s public opinions and issues, surveyed US teenagers the amount of time they spend on social media
schools provide free breakfast and lunch to all students ages 13 to 17. The 1,316 and online is about right.
in kindergarten through 12th grade—a total of 6 million respondents—686 boys TEEN USE OF PLATFORMS However, 36% said too
students. A national program offers free meals to students and 596 girls—answered much of their time is spent
from low-income households, but California is the first state questions about their use on social media. About
to provide meals to all students. The law aims to ensure of electronic devices, the 54%, many of them older
95%
that more students have enough healthy food to eat. internet, and social media. 67% 62% 59% teenagers, said it would be
32%
About 95% of teens hard or very hard not to use
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increase from the last young people said that the
time Pew conducted a survey on this topic in pandemic had affected the amount of time they
P 2015. About 90% had access to computers, 80% spent online. When teenagers could not interact
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M they had all three devices at home. In 2015, maintain those connections, said Emily Vogels,
Y I The new stamps
ETT 24% of teenagers said they were online almost who worked on the Pew report. Young people
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AGE: Stamps honor Mexican music constantly. That number has almost doubled, today are highly connected, she said, though the
P
N LEFT reaching 46% in the new study. platforms they use can shift and change.
O The US Postal Service has released stamps that celebrate
PS;
US mariachi, a style of music native to Mexico and important
Y; THE WEEK’S SILLIEST HEADLINE
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ALA to Mexican Americans. The five new stamps feature
A;
AS musicians playing different instruments. The stamps
N “ ‘Guard cat’ credited with
ES (2); were designed by Rafael López, who was inspired by his
MAG childhood in Mexico. “I’m excited and honored to share preventing would-be robbery” AP
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ETT the vibrant spirit of this music with these stamps,” he said.
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September 2, 2022 • The Week Junior 5
Around the world
Republic of Ireland
Hot tubs use
Police force gets updated look
a lot of water.
The Republic of Ireland’s police force, the
Garda, has a new look. Their old uniforms
of formal shirts and ties have been replaced
with comfortable clothing, such as polo shirts
and waterproof jackets. It is the first time the
uniform has been completely redesigned since
The new uniforms
the force was launched 100 years ago.
Gérardmer, France
Protester drills holes in hot tubs
A man in the town of Gérardmer, in northeastern France,
has been detected on home security cameras drilling holes
in homeowners’ hot tubs around the town, allowing all the
water to escape. According to notes left at the homes, he
is angry about water being wasted during the country’s
drought (extreme lack of rain). His illegal actions are thought
to have cost the owners nearly $80,000 in damages.
The stones are exposed.
Caceres, Spain
Stone circle reappears
A stone circle named the Dolmen of Guadalperal that dates
back to about 5000 BCE has been spotted in central Spain.
The circle, which was first found in 1926 but has been
underwater since 1963, was revealed as the water level fell
in the Valdecanas reservoir due to a drought in the country.
Archaeologists said they are eager to get a closer look at it
before the water levels rise again.
Nigeria Workers want
Electricity is turned off better treatment.
On August 17, electricity workers
in Nigeria shut down the country’s
power grid as part of a strike to
A classroom protest their pay and working
in Dhaka
conditions, causing a nationwide
2)
Bangladesh blackout. After a meeting with the ERS (
UT
Schools and offices cut hours to save fuel minister of power, the workers A; RE
N
restored power supplies and agreed HÁ
Schools and offices in Bangladesh will be open for fewer OC
to suspend the strike for two weeks A SÍ
hours each week, due to a power shortage. The country RD
while they try to reach an agreement. GA
has had to close all 10 of its power plants that run on diesel AN
Blackouts are common in Nigeria, and 7);
because of high fuel prices. Schools will close one additional ES (
many homes have to use their own G
A
day per week, resulting in a four-day school week, and M
offices will cut each workday by about two hours. generators when the power goes out. GETTY I
6 The Week Junior • September 2, 2022
Around the world
Pakistan
YouTuber reunites families
In 1947, the Partition of India divided British India
into two nations, India and Pakistan, and as a result
many families were divided. Now YouTuber Nasir
Dhillon is using his channel,“Punjabi Lehar,” to
reunite them. The channel became famous in India
The teacher’s
in January after it aired an emotional reunion of
cat jumped at
Nasir Dhillon
brothers who were separated as children.
the camera.
Guangzhou, China
Judge rules in favor of cat owner
An art teacher, identified only as Luo, who was fired because her
cat made an appearance during an online lesson, has received
about $6,000 after a court ruled she was treated unfairly. Luo’s cat
had jumped at her camera five times during her lesson, after
which the education tech company she worked for fired her for
taking part in “non-teaching” activities during working hours. The
judge in the case said employers should be “fair and reasonable.”
Students must
wear masks
at school.
Philippines
Students return to school
On August 22, schools in the Philippines reopened for the
first time since 2020, when they closed at the start of the
Covid-19 pandemic. Precautions such as mandatory masks
and handwashing are in place. Many pupils struggled with
homeschooling because at least 80% of homes do not have
internet access. One teacher told Reuters news agency, “I am
happy to see the children face-to-face.”
Sudan The aftermath
Floods cause harm of the floods
More than 70 people have died and
130,000 people have been displaced
from their homes due to rains since
the monsoon season began in Chickens are kept
close together.
Sudan in May. One of the largest
dams in South Darfur was also
Australia
damaged. In many areas, people are
Less cramped quarters for hens
facing a shortage of clean drinking
Animal rights groups in Australia have won a victory for hens.
water and food. Although the
Egg companies must phase out the use of battery farming
United Nations and other groups
(a type of farming that keeps chickens caged very close
have distributed relief supplies to
together) for egg-laying chickens by 2036 and set aside more
more than 40,000 people, residents
space for them. New Zealand ended the use of battery cages
said more needs to be done.
this year after a 10-year phase-out plan that began in 2012.
September 2, 2022 • The Week Junior 7
The big debate
Should take-out apps be banned?
Food delivery apps make life easier. Some SLICE OF
say the convenience has a high cost. HISTORY
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45 million Americans used them for
delivery to their homes or workplaces.
(cid:79) The apps send delivery people by car,
bike, or foot to pick up the food at
restaurants and take it to customers.
(cid:79) The apps charge restaurants a
percentage of every sale, and
customers pay for delivery.
(cid:79) Some local governments have
banned the apps or placed limits
on the fees they can charge.
Whether a customer is craving pizza, sushi, Yes—the convenience isn’t worth it No—they provide an important service
or a burrito, it’s at their fingertips with Many restaurants say take-out apps are more Food apps bring restaurants more customers, many
take-out apps such as DoorDash, Grubhub, and trouble than they’re worth. Some apps take a huge of whom might not have known about their
Uber Eats. All a hungry person has to do is open bite of the money from each sale—as much as business otherwise. More customers means more
the app, scroll through an endless number of 30%. Restaurants must either increase their prices orders, so even if the apps charge a fee, the
restaurant options, and have the food delivered or earn less, in an industry where profits are already restaurant still wins. The apps helped struggling
to their door. That convenience and variety has slim. The apps affect small, family-owned places businesses stay afloat during Covid-19 lockdowns,
made food delivery apps hugely popular, the most. Not only do they make less to begin with, when people couldn’t go out to eat, and provided
specifically in North America, Asia, and Europe, but they can’t always keep up with the number of millions of restaurant and delivery jobs. Delivery
and especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. app orders they receive. That makes them look bad people work hard, but they also have flexibility to
Many users say apps that bring provisions to to customers. Meanwhile, delivery workers say work when and where they choose. And for busy
people make life easier. Other people think they’re not paid enough for a difficult, dangerous people, the apps provide convenience and access to
they’re bad for local businesses. What do you job in which they have to speed through busy a variety of food after a long day at work or school,
think? Should take-out apps be banned? streets. There are too many downsides to delivery. allowing for more time with family and friends.
Three reasons why take-out apps Three reasons why take-out apps
YES NO LAST WEEK’S POLL
should be banned should not be banned
1 They take money away from restaurants, 1 The delivery apps bring more customers Last week, we asked whether
which is particularly hard for smaller to local restaurants. people should take their
businesses that already make less. shoes off indoors. It was a
2 T hey provide jobs for millions of people,
2 R estaurants can get slammed with allowing them to work independently pretty clean
orders and have a hard time keeping up, on their own schedule. sweep: 82% 18%
which can cause them to lose customers. 82% NO
3 T hey make meals convenient for of you said
YES
3 T hey create difficult and dangerous customers, which allows people more yes, while
conditions for delivery workers. time for the important things in life. 18% said no.

What do you think?
The goal of the big debate is to present two sides
of an issue fairly in order to stimulate discussion and
Now that you’ve read a bit more about this issue, have a parent or guardian visit
allow our readers to make up their minds. The views on
theweekjunior.com/polls with you so you can vote in our debate. Vote YES if you think this page do not reflect those of The Week Junior, and GES
A
take-out apps should be banned or NO if you don’t. We’ll publish the results next week. M
the page is not funded by third parties. Y I
ETT
G
8 The Week Junior • September 2, 2022
People
Driven to succeed
NBA star Steph Curry talks to The Week Junior about dreaming big.
Growing up, Stephen “Steph” Curry was dad, former NBA player Dell Curry. Because
told he didn’t have what it takes to Curry is considered small by NBA standards
make it in pro basketball. He has since won (he is about 6 feet, 2 inches tall), he’s been
four National Basketball Association (NBA) called an underdog success. “No one
titles with the Golden State Warriors and thought I would ever amount to being the
broken numerous records. greatest at anything,” he said.
Defying the odds is now the “I had to experience failure
theme of his debut picture and overcome self-doubt to
book, I Have a Superpower. get to where I am today.”
The book is about a boy In high school, Curry was
who loves basketball and overlooked by talent scouts
learns that being the tallest or from major college basketball
strongest player on the court Curry’s programs. While attending FUN FACT
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that truly anything is possible if they dream Player and a six-time NBA All Star. “I want
big and put their minds to it,” Curry told The every kid to know that they have
Week Junior. superpowers of their own that are special,”
Curry first picked up a basketball when Curry told The Week Junior. “The only limit to
he was 5 and learned the game from his their achievements is their imagination.” Steph Curry
Chef makes history
OVERHEARD
Robynne Maii has become the first Hawaiian
woman to win a James Beard Award, one of
the most prestigious honors in the food world. Maii
grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii, and worked in New
York City before returning to her home state to
open her restaurant, Fête. Its menu showcases
simple dishes made with ingredients from local,
sustainable farms. Maii told Honolulu magazine Olivia Newton-John
that after winning the award for Best Chef in the
Remembering an icon
Northwest and Pacific region, she feels “even more
responsibility to continue to do good work.”
Singer and actress Olivia Newton-John, who
3) was known for playing Sandy in the 1978 hit
ES (
AG movie musical Grease and for popular songs such
M
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GES; 8 at age 73. Born in the UK and raised in Australia, is the most valuable
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E VI she hit the US charts with a solo album in 1973. Award-winning author Jason Reynolds, the
A
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N National Ambassador for Young People’s
NT/ Throughout her career, she received four Grammy
A Literature, on why so many of the stories he
R
B Awards (top music honor) and sold more than 100
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GA million albums. “I’ve had many lives in music,” she
D. Robynne Maii
ESSE once told CNN. “I feel very grateful.”
J
September 2, 2022 • The Week Junior 9
Animals and the environment
DID YOU
KNOW? Fun facts about canines
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so they hear sounds people can’t.
• NO SWEAT Dogs sweat only
through their paws. They (mostly)
cool down by panting.
• DOMINANT PAW To tell
whether a dog is right- or
left-pawed, see which leg it leads
with when it starts to walk.
Dogs may come in all shapes and
A right-pawed beagle
sizes—but they have a lot in common.
A wolfish discovery about dogs
Dogs are our oldest animal companions and be the descendants of two different groups of shared an ancestor and help the team to make a
have probably lived alongside humans for at wolves that learned to live alongside humans rough family tree (diagram of relatives).
least 15,000 years. Over many centuries, in separate events. When the scientists compared DNA from
careful breeding has produced dogs An international team of ancient and modern dogs with the DNA from the
that vary greatly in shape and researchers, led by Pontus prehistoric wolves, they found the closest match
behavior. All dogs are said to Skoglund of London’s Francis was to wolves from eastern Asia. But some dog
share the same wolf Crick Institute, collected breeds from western Asia and Africa, such as the
ancestors, but do they? remains from 72 wolves basenji, also had DNA that could only have come
For a long time, scientists found across Europe, Asia, from European wolves.
have wondered where and and North America. This suggests that either the ancestors of
when humans and wolves The wolves lived at various these particular dogs bred with local wolves
first learned to live together (a times over the past 100,000 after reaching Europe or the wolves were
Dogs mostly descend
process called domestication). years. The team studied their DNA domesticated twice and their dog descendants
from Asian gray wolves.
However, different approaches to the (a complex chemical that carries bred later when they met each other. However,
question have produced different answers. instructions for how a living thing should grow none of the ancient wolf DNA was a perfect
Now a new study suggests an explanation for and develop). Differences in the wolves’ DNA match for dogs, so the exact spot where wolves
the confusion. Our modern canine friends may could be used to determine how far back they became dogs remains a mystery—for now.
PLACE OF THE WEEK
Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California
Established in the 1920s, the Prairie Creek Redwoods State
Park is located by the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the larger
Redwood National and State Parks, which is recognized as a
World Heritage Site for having some of the tallest, oldest, and
most imposing redwood trees in the world. The region has
hiking trails, open meadows, and sandy beaches. By the
coastal redwoods, visitors can spot herds of Roosevelt elk,
brightly colored banana slugs, and marine creatures such as
A banana slug
Pacific gray whales and California sea lions.
10 The Week Junior • September 2, 2022