Politics: Biden Administration Proposes 100 Billion Dollars for National Security and Foreign Aid
This past week, the Biden administration has requested more than 105 billion dollars in the form of a national security package that will fund advancements in national security and military assistance for foreign conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars. According to “The New York Times,” President Biden made this decision in response to ongoing foreign conflicts, citing that aid for crises overseas is crucial in protecting United States of America national security. The package includes funds of 22.8 billion dollars to enhance U.S. border security and extend humanitarian aid to Palestinian, Israeli, and Ukrainian citizens who have been impacted by war. However, “The New York Times” also reported that Biden’s foreign aid proposal faces opposition from members of both the Republican and Democratic parties. Conservative Republicans believe that providing more aid for Ukraine is unnecessary, while some Democrats strongly reject the idea of sending arms and military equipment to Israel.
Sports: Bobby Charlton, Famed English Soccer Player, Passes Away After Four Decades with Manchester United
On October 21, soccer player Bobby Charlton passed away at age 86. Charlton was highly regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time, having been a star player in England’s 1966 World Cup victory and Manchester United’s director for nearly four decades. According to “CNN,” Bobby Charlton made his Manchester United debut in 1956 after graduating from the club’s academy. In 1958, he survived a plane crash in Munich, Germany, a tragedy involving most of his teammates at the time. After recovering from minor injuries, Bobby Charlton formed a new soccer team in the hopes of reviving Manchester United. He captained this team to their first European title by scoring two goals in the 1968 European Cup final. The Manchester United great also played a key role in England’s 1966 World Cup victory, winning 4-2 over West Germany. Over the course of his career, Bobby Charlton scored 249 goals, a long-standing English record that stood for over four decades.
Climate: Atlantic Hurricanes Are Twice as Likely to Increase in Severity in 2023
A study published on October 19 in the journal Scientific Reports reveals that Atlantic hurricanes this year are more than twice as likely to advance from Category 1 to Category 3 storms in comparison to historical counterparts. These categories are part of the Saffir-Simpson wind scale, a method of rating hurricanes from 1-5 based on their maximum sustained wind speed. Category 1 storms are generally weak, with a wind speed of 74 to 95 miles per hour, whereas Category 3 storms are more intense, with wind speeds in the range of 111-129 miles per hour. According to “Smithsonian Magazine,” the probability of a weak storm phasing into a Category 3 storm was three percent between 1970 and 1990. From 2000 to 2020, this probability has increased to eight percent. Andra Garner, assistant professor of environmental science at Rowan University and author of the study, found that the key factor behind this trend is higher ocean surface temperatures. In the past few decades, a rise in global warming has contributed to a warmer ocean surface near the Atlantic coast, generating more thermodynamic power for Atlantic hurricanes. Garner predicts that these hurricanes will become even more extreme without working to mitigate global warming in the future.
Economy: Biden Administration Imposes Restrictions on Microchip Sales to China
The Biden administration has restricted American companies from selling advanced semiconductors, also known as microchips, to China. Their argument for imposing this measure is to reduce potential national security risks, which may be caused by China’s access to advanced technology. These new rules will limit shipments and play a crucial role in slowing down AI development. American companies will now need special licenses to export advanced chips and/or related equipment to China. These restrictions will affect Chinese AI-related businesses and potentially weaken China’s economy, impacting industries like retail and healthcare. United States of America chip manufacturers such as Nvidia, AMD, and Intel are just as likely to face sales limitations. According to “The New York Times,” most of these microchip companies draw about a third of their income from Chinese buyers, and have protested against these limitations in recent months. Critics argue that such restrictions could push China to develop alternative technologies, weakening U.S. global influence and straining U.S.-China relations.
Ethics and Technology: Israel-Hamas War Demonstrates Need For Better Moderation of Content
Researchers from the “Institute for Strategic Dialogue” found that young users are highly vulnerable to potentially misleading material related to the Israel-Hamas War on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. After evaluating posts on each account for 48 hours from October 14 to 16, the researchers reported finding more than 300 graphic posts, more than 78 percent of which were on Instagram. The report concluded that even with the apps’ sensitivity features turned on, young users are able to find graphic imagery related to the warfare between Hamas and Israel, including pictures showing dead children and adults. According to “The New York Times,” in addition to TikTok and Instagram opening moderation centers to remove Hamas-related posts, schools have prompted parents to ban their children’s social media accounts, as Hamas may be using social media in their potential attempts at psychological warfare. Although popular media companies have banned nearly all content related to Hamas, Telegram has recently become a prominent center for pro-Hamas messaging. Pavel Durov, chief executive at Telegram, states that millions of instances of clearly harmful content have been removed from Telegram’s public platform. Durov claims that Hamas accounts on Telegram have not been terminated outright in order to preserve unique sources of first-hand information for journalists, researchers, and fact-checkers.
