Posted: July 6, 2020
A lot of things have slowed down since the start of the pandemic. That includes commercial fishing. Fishermen aren’t spending as many hours on the water as before. In some countries, fishing stopped this spring. Boats stayed docked in hard-hit countries like China, Italy, Spain, and France. There was concern about spreading the virus on boats. A pause in fishing might have protected people’s health. Did it also protect fish?
A fishing slowdown could help rare ocean animals survive. For example, there are only about 400 North Atlantic right whales. These whales tend to get tangled in fishing gear. Fewer fishermen mean fewer tangles.
The Mediterranean Sea is where the over-fished Atlantic bluefin tuna lives. It’s also home to many rare species of fish. Fish often get caught up in fishing gear there too. A fishing slowdown could help keep more fish safe.
Does a lull in fishing mean that fish families are growing? Maybe, but maybe not. “It’s much more specific than just give fish a break and they’ll rebuild,” says Gavin Gibbons. He’s a spokesman for the National Fisheries Institute trade group.
One thing is certain: Docked boats are bad news for many fishermen. Millions of people rely on fishing for their livelihoods. If they can’t fish, they can’t provide for their families.
The pandemic caused less demand for seafood. Many restaurants remain closed. People aren’t buying much seafood.
No one knows the long-term impacts of the fishing slowdown. “We’re definitely seeing cleaner water, fewer ships out, and fewer entanglements,” says Jake Bleich. He’s a spokesman for the conservation group Defenders of Wildlife. “We’ll see what happens when the economy restarts.”
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. — Matthew 13:4
Posted: July 3, 2020
WORLD Watch News in 3 is the newest current events resource from WORLD News Group. Each day, it delivers a lively three-minute roundup of top news headlines. News in 3 is a preview of WORLD Watch, coming in August.
WORLD Watch will be a daily, 10-minute current events program for teens that delivers headline news, in-depth feature stories, and thoughtful perspective to help students develop critical thinking skills and discernment.
Posted: July 2, 2020
Saniniu Laizer is a small-scale Tanzanian miner. He’s also an overnight millionaire. Mr. Laizer dug up two gigantic gems. They may be the biggest rough tanzanite gemstones ever found!
Lilac. Sapphire blue. Deep violet. Tanzanite is a sparkling, multi-colored stone. It is one of the rarest gemstones on Earth. The stone’s scientific name is “blue-violet zoisite.” But the name Tanzanite is much more fitting. God took care to hide these precious gems in only one place on Earth––the East African country of Tanzania. “The heavens are yours; the Earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them,” Psalm 89:11 declares to God.
Mr. Laizer hit “pay dirt.” That means he made a valuable discovery when he was mining. The two tanzanite gems he found are the size of books! One weighs 20 pounds and the other comes in at 11 pounds. Tanzania’s government bought both gemstones from Mr. Laizer. The government paid him $3.4 million.
Minerals Minister Doto Biteko said on state television that the government is buying the rare minerals in order to preserve them. President John Magufuli took an opportunity to congratulation Mr. Laizer. “Tanzania is a rich country,” the president says.
It is true that the country is rich in minerals. Gold, diamonds, cobalt, and platinum are also mined in Tanzania. The president is working to protect the country’s precious gemstones from illegal mining. Miners must have a license––even small-scale miners like Mr. Laizer.
“The money that I have received today, I will allocate it to more development activities,” Mr. Laizer shared in a televised interview. He plans to open a shopping mall and a school.
Posted: July 1, 2020
A desert wind blew a massive dust cloud across the Atlantic Ocean. Last weekend, it began arriving at the United States. This dust cloud is huge. It is bigger than the state of Texas. This dust event is a doozy.
Dust plumes from the Sahara in Africa are common this time of year. The Sahara is a giant North African desert. Winds stir up trillions of tiny bits of dust and sand. They form a cloud called a plume. Rushing winds churn the dust cloud away from the desert. It swirls westward, across the Atlantic Ocean.
The sky changes when dust arrives. Dust grains reflect sunlight in every direction. This makes the sky look like milk. Red and orange light break through the dust plume. That makes sunrises and sunsets beautiful.
The skies may look pretty, but allergy sufferers beware. If the dust plume bumps into a rain shower, bits of dust sink down to Earth’s surface. That’s bad news for people with allergies and asthma.
There is good news too. Tropical storms and hurricanes are less likely to form when a dust plume is around. The dry air carrying the dust removes humidity from the sky. A hurricane needs humidity to form.
It takes very strong winds to carry a dust plume. Believe it or not, those winds are strong enough to blow the top off thunderstorms!
Desert dust gives nutrients to ecosystems. Life in the ocean and on land thrive on––well, dust. Iron in the dust helps algae grow. Phosphorus in the dust is important for rainforests. Desert dust plumes that make it across the ocean help tropical forests in Central and South America grow.
The sky might look odd this week. The sunsets could be brilliant. Look up! When you do, remember that God designed everything with purpose––even dust.
From the rising of the Sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised. –– Psalm 113:3
Posted: June 30, 2020
Two United States warships have been at sea for more than 160 days. The coronavirus made it risky for ships to stop in foreign countries. So these two chose to stay afloat. The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the USS San Jacinto had to avoid all ports. On their 161st day at sea, they steamed through the North Arabian Sea. That broke a previous Navy record of 160 days at sea. Both ships are crushing the record. They won’t be back on dry land until later this year.
The Eisenhower is an aircraft carrier. The San Jacinto is a guided-missile cruiser. Both ships have been at sea for more than five months. Planes drop supplies to the ships. No visitors are allowed.
Isolation is hard. Sailors need land breaks. So do ships. Normally when a ship stops at a port of call, sailors head to land to relax. Experts hop on board the ship to fix things.
The San Jacinto’s helicopter bay door broke. Crew members on board had to get creative. They used a 90-pound exercise dumbbell to make a part to fix the door.
When they aren’t problem-solving, both crews try to have fun. There are “Waffle Saturdays,” swim days, and barbecues on the flight decks. There’s been a slam dunk contest and even an ugliest mustache tournament. There is an old saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun.”
But wait. Which ship will pull up to land last? The last boat into port snags the record of the longest time at sea. “I’ve had a couple requests to see if we could stay out longer to make sure we beat the Ike,” says Captain Crossman. (“Ike” was President Eisenhower’s nickname. The ship named for him inherited the nickname too.)
Captain Higgins’ response? “Time will tell.” For now, neither crew seems bored on board.
Posted: June 29, 2020
On the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, colorful boats rigged with decorative dragon heads and tails sliced through the water. Around 80 teams powered through a two-day boat race in Taipei, Taiwan. The Dragon Boat Festival is an ancient Chinese tradition. It is celebrated every summer. But things are different this year. Taiwan is one of only a few places live races were held.
Why did Taiwan get a green light for its boat races? No one on the island has spread the coronavirus in more than two months. Officials think the island is safe from the virus. That’s why they didn’t cancel Taiwan’s two-day boat race.
The race took place, but no one was there to cheer the teams on. What was it like to compete in a race without fans? “Our team has been training for a whole year just for this race,” said Lydia Lee. “But they do not allow supporters in, and we thought that takes out part of the fun.”
China considers the Dragon Boat Festival a national holiday. This year there weren’t any real boat races on mainland China or in Hong Kong. The coronavirus pandemic made it too risky to hold large gatherings of people. How do you have a boat festival without boats? Online.
All Dragon Boat Festival activities are online this year. Several parks in Beijing have launched online games, quizzes, and websites. Those help people learn all about the dragon boat racing tradition.
Posted: June 26, 2020
WORLD Watch News in 3 is the newest current events resource from WORLD News Group. Each day, it delivers a lively three-minute roundup of top news headlines. News in 3 is a preview of WORLD Watch, coming in August.
WORLD Watch will be a daily, 10-minute current events program for teens that delivers headline news, in-depth feature stories, and thoughtful perspective to help students develop critical thinking skills and discernment.
Posted: June 25, 2020
Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, tremendous changes are hitting tennis courts. Organizers for the United States Open Tennis Championship want to keep athletes and their guests safe. That means big changes for this year’s famous tournament. Some of the new rules include: Only three ball people instead of six. Electronic line-calling instead of actual line judges. Fan-free matches. COVID-19 testing. A three-guest limit for athletes. Without a doubt, the 2020 Grand Slam will be full of surprises.
The U.S. Open is a hard-court tennis tournament. It is usually the fourth and final tournament of the year for tennis athletes. It comes after the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon. The U.S. Open starts on the last Monday of August and continues for two weeks.
This year’s timing of international tennis tournaments is different than other years. After five months of suspended tournaments, players get to finally resume competitions in August. Oddly enough, that’s the month competitions are usually wrapping up each year.
There will be fewer matches at this year’s U.S. Open. Several qualifying rounds are eliminated. Thankfully, the U.S. Tennis Association doesn’t plan to cancel the entire tournament. Neither does the New York State government. State officials gave the OK for the games to take place. The competition will be held where it always is and when it always is—in Flushing Meadows, Queens, from August 31 to September 13.
No one knows which top players will participate in the U.S. Open matches this year. There will definitely be fewer competitors. Even more new rules limit how many teams can play. There are also rules about where athletes and their guests must stay while they’re in town.
In spite of all the changes, one 23-time major champion is ready to play. Serena Williams said in a video message that she “cannot wait to return” to the championship she has already won six times.
Posted: June 24, 2020
France has big news this week. The Eiffel Tower is ready to reopen. The world-famous Paris landmark closed this spring due to the coronavirus pandemic. It hasn’t been closed this long since World War II. On June 25, visitors can enter the monument again.
The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 for the World’s Fair. It took two years, two months, and five days to build it. Today, it’s one of the world’s top attractions. In fact, it’s the most-visited paid monument in the world.
The tower stands at 1,063 feet, making it the tallest structure in Paris. For 41 years, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest man-made structure in the world. It’s the same height as an 81-story building!
When the tower reopens, things will be different than before. Masks are mandatory for guests. So are the stairs. Elevators will be out of service until at least July 1. “At first, only visits by the stairs will be available,” says Victoria Klahr, a tower spokeswoman.
To slow the spread of germs, the tower will stay sparkling clean. “The day cleaning teams will be able to clean all the points of contact every two hours, from the opening of the site to its closing,” says Eiffel Tower hygiene consultant Alain Miralles.
With limits on how many people can enter the tower, tourists are encouraged to book tickets online. After all, seven million people visit the monument each year!
The pandemic is keeping tourists out of Paris. But many businesses, hotel owners, and tourism groups want to welcome people back to the “City of Light.”
Serge Cachan is president of a hotel group. He has a message for the city leaders: “Hurry and open up all of the tourist attractions and activities.”
Reopening the Eiffel Tower is one big step in that direction.
Posted: June 23, 2020
“Let’s hear it for the heroes!” That’s NASA’s message. The space agency’s next Mars rover is honoring medical teams fighting the coronavirus. The name of the rover is Perseverance.
There is just a month until Perseverance lifts off into space. It will carry a commemorative plate––kind of like a license tag. The rover team calls the tag the COVID-19 Perseverance plate. The plate is only three inches by five inches. It is black and white and made of aluminum. The plate shows Earth on top of a familiar image. You’ve probably seen the symbol on ambulances, doctor’s offices, and other medical providers’ signs. The symbol is a logo for medical things. It shows a staff wrapped with a serpent.
Healthcare workers were “on front lines keeping us safe” during launch preparations. “They really inspired us,” says Matt Wallace. He’s the deputy project manager of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Mr. Wallace hopes the rover’s plate will inspire healthcare workers in return.
It took perseverance to get the rover ready for Mars. Perseverance means working hard with patience, even when things get tough. Romans 12:12 encourages us to persevere in hard times. It says, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
The pandemic made the rover’s preparations hard. Team members had to keep social distance. Some even worked on the rover from home.
What’s the mission? The rover will look for signs of microscopic life on Mars. It will collect rock and soil samples and bring them back to Earth. Scientists will study the samples. NASA scheduled the mission for mid-August. If Perseverance doesn’t launch, NASA will have to wait two more years to blast the rover into space. That’s the next time Mars and Earth will line up in as needed for the trip.
Posted: June 22, 2020
A turtle crossed the same road too many times. The 65-pound alligator snapping turtle grabbed attention in a northern Virginia suburb. People saw him coming. His huge dinosaur-like shell was hard to hide. Fairfax County Police captured the now-famous turtle. He even earned a nickname: Lord Fairfax. He will be relocated (moved to a new home). The reptile’s new home will be at a zoo in Virginia.
The alligator snapping turtle is North America’s largest freshwater turtle. It can weight up to 200 pounds and live between 50 and 100 years. The turtles eat just about anything they can find. Their preference? Other animals, dead or alive. Their appetites for meat are e-n-o-r-m-o-u-s.
It was unusual to find an alligator snapping turtle in Alexandria, Virginia. In the wild, these turtles usually live farther south in the United States. That means that Lord Fairfax was probably a pet.
Some kinds of turtles make good pets. Alligator snapping turtles do not! They have dangerous beaks, powerful jaws, spiky shells, and long claws.
For safety, animal control officers took Lord Fairfax to the county animal shelter. Then they moved him to the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Employees there know a lot about turtles. They say he’s just a juvenile. Watch out! He can be expected to almost triple in size.
Lord Fairfax’s final destination is The Virginia Zoo in Norfolk. He’ll be well cared for there. After all of his travels, he’s probably ready for a big snack.
Posted: June 19, 2020
WORLD Watch News in 3 is the newest current events resource from WORLD News Group. Each day, it delivers a lively three-minute roundup of top news headlines. News in 3 is a preview of WORLD Watch, coming in August.
WORLD Watch will be a daily, 10-minute current events program for teens that delivers headline news, in-depth feature stories, and thoughtful perspective to help students develop critical thinking skills and discernment.
Posted: June 18, 2020
Pediatricians can write a new type of prescription for patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a video game for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. A prescription video game? You bet! But doesn’t screen time make ADHD worse? Not in this case, the developers say. The FDA says the game built by Akili Interactive Labs really may help.
The new game is called EndeavorRx. It’s not for everyone. Players must have a prescription to play. (That means a doctor must write a medicine order for the game.)
EndeavorRx is for children ages 8-12 with certain symptoms of ADHD. Kids that have ADHD can have trouble paying attention. EndeavorRx is designed to help improve the way a child’s brain works. It helps users focus and resist distraction. The big news is that it’s a completely drug-free treatment for ADHD.
The best news? It’s fun! A video of the game shows a character traveling a racecourse-like path on a hover board.
Akili makes it easy to access EndeavorRx. Parents can download it from the App Store and families can use it on mobile devices.
So why did the FDA decide to approve the video game for use like medicine? The federal agency looked at data from multiple studies of EndeavorRx. More than 600 children helped Akili develop the game and prove that it works. This is the first time the FDA has cleared a digital therapy for improving ADHD symptoms. It’s also the first time the agency has approved a game-based therapy for any condition.
My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the Earth. — Psalm 139:15
Posted: June 17, 2020
The Atlanta-based salvage firm RMS Titanic Inc. has a mission: Return to the world’s most famous shipwreck. Retrieve the Titanic’s telegraph. Bring the machine back to Atlanta. The only problem? The United States government will try to stop that from happening.
The mission to get the wireless telegraph would break federal law. It also breaks a promise to Great Britain. The United States promised to leave the shipwreck alone.
RMS Titanic Inc. keeps track of everything brought up from the wreckage. But the company doesn’t have what it wants. “Only one item holds the story of all the survivors,” the company’s president, Breton Hunchak, said in May. He was talking about the telegraph machine. Crew used that machine to call for help when the ship was sinking.
The telegraph lies near the Titanic’s grand staircase. But everything left of the wreck is decaying. It won’t be there forever.
A small underwater boat might be able to slip through the ship’s skylight to get the machine. If not, the salvage team wants to cut through the ship’s roof. United States attorneys don’t think that’s a good idea. They say RMS Titanic, Inc., must have permission if it is going to disturb the wreck. Remember the promise? No one may disturb the main body of the ship. James 5:12 reminds us to let our “yes” be yes and our “no” be no.
Sadly, the “telegraph trouble” has been ongoing. Read more about it here: https://kids.wng.org/node/4771.
In May, a judge ruled that it would be fine to get the telegraph. U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith agrees that the telegraph is an important part of history. But the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) disagrees. The federal agency wants to protect the shipwreck. NOAA says all must obey laws about the wreckage and keep the promise to Britain. NOAA wants RMS Titanic Inc. to stay away from the Titanic.
Judge Smith will decide if NOAA has a point. Should the telegraph be left untouched? There isn’t much time to decide.
Posted: June 16, 2020
The phone rings. People answer, thinking the caller might be a friend or family. Instead, it’s a robot with a message. “For more information, please press 1.” Believe it or not, the United States regulates these robocalls. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) just smacked a $225 million fine against two health insurance telemarketers. The two men spammed people with a billion robocalls.
John Spiller and Jakob Mears used fake phone numbers to sell insurance. Their robocalls said people could buy insurance from big companies like Aetna and UnitedHealth. When people pressed a button for more information, they transferred to a call center. The call center sold insurance plans from Mr. Spiller and Mr. Mears’ companies––NOT the insurance companies mentioned in the robocalls. They tricked people!
The robocalls rang across Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas. The men called people who don’t want those kinds of calls. Those people put their phone numbers on a Do Not Call list. The men rang those mobile phones without permission anyway. They used other companies’ phone numbers to deceive people.
These men lied. They got caught. Zechariah 8:17 says, “Do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord.”
Robocalls can be helpful tools. They can spread important information quickly. But they can also be used for harm. The FCC wants misuse of robocalls to stop. A new law requires phone companies to protect people from “spoofed” or fake calls.
Posted: June 15, 2020
One, two, three, four, five, six––SEVEN! A litter of lobos came out of their den for the first time. (Lobo means wolf.) A zoo camera at the ABQ BioPark Zoo in Albuquerque, New Mexico, captured the Mexican gray wolf family wandering out of its den. The zoo’s Kawi and Ryder are proud parents of the precious pups.
Was the zoo staff surprised to see a litter of seven? Yes! “The supervisor sent me a video and said she thought there were seven pups. I was thinking maybe four or five, but when she said seven, I was shocked,” zoo manager Lynn Tupa told the Albuquerque Journal. Wolf litters usually have between four and six pups.
Zookeepers watch the seven pups through a camera. Kawi won’t let anyone close to the little lobos yet. She wants to protect her family. It’s her job to keep them safe.
What do zookeepers know about the new pups? Not much. They don’t even know how many are boys and how many are girls! They’ll find out as soon as Kawi lets them give the pups a checkup.
People get excited about the birth of a baby. Is it a girl or a boy? How much does it weigh? How long is it? How much hair does it have? What will its name be? God made people in His own image. That’s why the birth of a baby is such a joy!
When an animal has a baby, things are different. Zookeepers can’t get all of that important information immediately. Sometimes they can’t even figure out how many animals are in a litter! It takes time and patience. The Albuquerque zoo will share more about the little lobos as soon as it can.
Posted: July 6, 2020
A lot of things have slowed down since the start of the pandemic. That includes commercial fishing. Fishermen aren’t spending as many hours on the water as before. In some countries, fishing stopped this spring. Boats stayed docked in hard-hit countries like China, Italy, Spain, and France. There was concern about spreading the virus on boats. A pause in fishing might have protected people’s health. Did it also protect fish?
A fishing slowdown could help rare ocean animals survive. For example, there are only about 400 North Atlantic right whales. These whales tend to get tangled in fishing gear. Fewer fishermen mean fewer tangles.
The Mediterranean Sea is where the over-fished Atlantic bluefin tuna lives. It’s also home to many rare species of fish. Fish often get caught up in fishing gear there too. A fishing slowdown could help keep more fish safe.
Does a lull in fishing mean that fish families are growing? Maybe, but maybe not. “It’s much more specific than just give fish a break and they’ll rebuild,” says Gavin Gibbons. He’s a spokesman for the National Fisheries Institute trade group.
One thing is certain: Docked boats are bad news for many fishermen. Millions of people rely on fishing for their livelihoods. If they can’t fish, they can’t provide for their families.
The pandemic caused less demand for seafood. Many restaurants remain closed. People aren’t buying much seafood.
No one knows the long-term impacts of the fishing slowdown. “We’re definitely seeing cleaner water, fewer ships out, and fewer entanglements,” says Jake Bleich. He’s a spokesman for the conservation group Defenders of Wildlife. “We’ll see what happens when the economy restarts.”
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. — Matthew 13:4
Posted: July 3, 2020
WORLD Watch News in 3 is the newest current events resource from WORLD News Group. Each day, it delivers a lively three-minute roundup of top news headlines. News in 3 is a preview of WORLD Watch, coming in August.
WORLD Watch will be a daily, 10-minute current events program for teens that delivers headline news, in-depth feature stories, and thoughtful perspective to help students develop critical thinking skills and discernment.
Posted: July 2, 2020
Saniniu Laizer is a small-scale Tanzanian miner. He’s also an overnight millionaire. Mr. Laizer dug up two gigantic gems. They may be the biggest rough tanzanite gemstones ever found!
Lilac. Sapphire blue. Deep violet. Tanzanite is a sparkling, multi-colored stone. It is one of the rarest gemstones on Earth. The stone’s scientific name is “blue-violet zoisite.” But the name Tanzanite is much more fitting. God took care to hide these precious gems in only one place on Earth––the East African country of Tanzania. “The heavens are yours; the Earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them,” Psalm 89:11 declares to God.
Mr. Laizer hit “pay dirt.” That means he made a valuable discovery when he was mining. The two tanzanite gems he found are the size of books! One weighs 20 pounds and the other comes in at 11 pounds. Tanzania’s government bought both gemstones from Mr. Laizer. The government paid him $3.4 million.
Minerals Minister Doto Biteko said on state television that the government is buying the rare minerals in order to preserve them. President John Magufuli took an opportunity to congratulation Mr. Laizer. “Tanzania is a rich country,” the president says.
It is true that the country is rich in minerals. Gold, diamonds, cobalt, and platinum are also mined in Tanzania. The president is working to protect the country’s precious gemstones from illegal mining. Miners must have a license––even small-scale miners like Mr. Laizer.
“The money that I have received today, I will allocate it to more development activities,” Mr. Laizer shared in a televised interview. He plans to open a shopping mall and a school.
Posted: July 1, 2020
A desert wind blew a massive dust cloud across the Atlantic Ocean. Last weekend, it began arriving at the United States. This dust cloud is huge. It is bigger than the state of Texas. This dust event is a doozy.
Dust plumes from the Sahara in Africa are common this time of year. The Sahara is a giant North African desert. Winds stir up trillions of tiny bits of dust and sand. They form a cloud called a plume. Rushing winds churn the dust cloud away from the desert. It swirls westward, across the Atlantic Ocean.
The sky changes when dust arrives. Dust grains reflect sunlight in every direction. This makes the sky look like milk. Red and orange light break through the dust plume. That makes sunrises and sunsets beautiful.
The skies may look pretty, but allergy sufferers beware. If the dust plume bumps into a rain shower, bits of dust sink down to Earth’s surface. That’s bad news for people with allergies and asthma.
There is good news too. Tropical storms and hurricanes are less likely to form when a dust plume is around. The dry air carrying the dust removes humidity from the sky. A hurricane needs humidity to form.
It takes very strong winds to carry a dust plume. Believe it or not, those winds are strong enough to blow the top off thunderstorms!
Desert dust gives nutrients to ecosystems. Life in the ocean and on land thrive on––well, dust. Iron in the dust helps algae grow. Phosphorus in the dust is important for rainforests. Desert dust plumes that make it across the ocean help tropical forests in Central and South America grow.
The sky might look odd this week. The sunsets could be brilliant. Look up! When you do, remember that God designed everything with purpose––even dust.
From the rising of the Sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised. –– Psalm 113:3
Posted: June 30, 2020
Two United States warships have been at sea for more than 160 days. The coronavirus made it risky for ships to stop in foreign countries. So these two chose to stay afloat. The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the USS San Jacinto had to avoid all ports. On their 161st day at sea, they steamed through the North Arabian Sea. That broke a previous Navy record of 160 days at sea. Both ships are crushing the record. They won’t be back on dry land until later this year.
The Eisenhower is an aircraft carrier. The San Jacinto is a guided-missile cruiser. Both ships have been at sea for more than five months. Planes drop supplies to the ships. No visitors are allowed.
Isolation is hard. Sailors need land breaks. So do ships. Normally when a ship stops at a port of call, sailors head to land to relax. Experts hop on board the ship to fix things.
The San Jacinto’s helicopter bay door broke. Crew members on board had to get creative. They used a 90-pound exercise dumbbell to make a part to fix the door.
When they aren’t problem-solving, both crews try to have fun. There are “Waffle Saturdays,” swim days, and barbecues on the flight decks. There’s been a slam dunk contest and even an ugliest mustache tournament. There is an old saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun.”
But wait. Which ship will pull up to land last? The last boat into port snags the record of the longest time at sea. “I’ve had a couple requests to see if we could stay out longer to make sure we beat the Ike,” says Captain Crossman. (“Ike” was President Eisenhower’s nickname. The ship named for him inherited the nickname too.)
Captain Higgins’ response? “Time will tell.” For now, neither crew seems bored on board.
Posted: June 29, 2020
On the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, colorful boats rigged with decorative dragon heads and tails sliced through the water. Around 80 teams powered through a two-day boat race in Taipei, Taiwan. The Dragon Boat Festival is an ancient Chinese tradition. It is celebrated every summer. But things are different this year. Taiwan is one of only a few places live races were held.
Why did Taiwan get a green light for its boat races? No one on the island has spread the coronavirus in more than two months. Officials think the island is safe from the virus. That’s why they didn’t cancel Taiwan’s two-day boat race.
The race took place, but no one was there to cheer the teams on. What was it like to compete in a race without fans? “Our team has been training for a whole year just for this race,” said Lydia Lee. “But they do not allow supporters in, and we thought that takes out part of the fun.”
China considers the Dragon Boat Festival a national holiday. This year there weren’t any real boat races on mainland China or in Hong Kong. The coronavirus pandemic made it too risky to hold large gatherings of people. How do you have a boat festival without boats? Online.
All Dragon Boat Festival activities are online this year. Several parks in Beijing have launched online games, quizzes, and websites. Those help people learn all about the dragon boat racing tradition.
Posted: June 26, 2020
WORLD Watch News in 3 is the newest current events resource from WORLD News Group. Each day, it delivers a lively three-minute roundup of top news headlines. News in 3 is a preview of WORLD Watch, coming in August.
WORLD Watch will be a daily, 10-minute current events program for teens that delivers headline news, in-depth feature stories, and thoughtful perspective to help students develop critical thinking skills and discernment.
Posted: June 25, 2020
Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, tremendous changes are hitting tennis courts. Organizers for the United States Open Tennis Championship want to keep athletes and their guests safe. That means big changes for this year’s famous tournament. Some of the new rules include: Only three ball people instead of six. Electronic line-calling instead of actual line judges. Fan-free matches. COVID-19 testing. A three-guest limit for athletes. Without a doubt, the 2020 Grand Slam will be full of surprises.
The U.S. Open is a hard-court tennis tournament. It is usually the fourth and final tournament of the year for tennis athletes. It comes after the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon. The U.S. Open starts on the last Monday of August and continues for two weeks.
This year’s timing of international tennis tournaments is different than other years. After five months of suspended tournaments, players get to finally resume competitions in August. Oddly enough, that’s the month competitions are usually wrapping up each year.
There will be fewer matches at this year’s U.S. Open. Several qualifying rounds are eliminated. Thankfully, the U.S. Tennis Association doesn’t plan to cancel the entire tournament. Neither does the New York State government. State officials gave the OK for the games to take place. The competition will be held where it always is and when it always is—in Flushing Meadows, Queens, from August 31 to September 13.
No one knows which top players will participate in the U.S. Open matches this year. There will definitely be fewer competitors. Even more new rules limit how many teams can play. There are also rules about where athletes and their guests must stay while they’re in town.
In spite of all the changes, one 23-time major champion is ready to play. Serena Williams said in a video message that she “cannot wait to return” to the championship she has already won six times.
Posted: June 24, 2020
France has big news this week. The Eiffel Tower is ready to reopen. The world-famous Paris landmark closed this spring due to the coronavirus pandemic. It hasn’t been closed this long since World War II. On June 25, visitors can enter the monument again.
The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 for the World’s Fair. It took two years, two months, and five days to build it. Today, it’s one of the world’s top attractions. In fact, it’s the most-visited paid monument in the world.
The tower stands at 1,063 feet, making it the tallest structure in Paris. For 41 years, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest man-made structure in the world. It’s the same height as an 81-story building!
When the tower reopens, things will be different than before. Masks are mandatory for guests. So are the stairs. Elevators will be out of service until at least July 1. “At first, only visits by the stairs will be available,” says Victoria Klahr, a tower spokeswoman.
To slow the spread of germs, the tower will stay sparkling clean. “The day cleaning teams will be able to clean all the points of contact every two hours, from the opening of the site to its closing,” says Eiffel Tower hygiene consultant Alain Miralles.
With limits on how many people can enter the tower, tourists are encouraged to book tickets online. After all, seven million people visit the monument each year!
The pandemic is keeping tourists out of Paris. But many businesses, hotel owners, and tourism groups want to welcome people back to the “City of Light.”
Serge Cachan is president of a hotel group. He has a message for the city leaders: “Hurry and open up all of the tourist attractions and activities.”
Reopening the Eiffel Tower is one big step in that direction.
Posted: June 23, 2020
“Let’s hear it for the heroes!” That’s NASA’s message. The space agency’s next Mars rover is honoring medical teams fighting the coronavirus. The name of the rover is Perseverance.
There is just a month until Perseverance lifts off into space. It will carry a commemorative plate––kind of like a license tag. The rover team calls the tag the COVID-19 Perseverance plate. The plate is only three inches by five inches. It is black and white and made of aluminum. The plate shows Earth on top of a familiar image. You’ve probably seen the symbol on ambulances, doctor’s offices, and other medical providers’ signs. The symbol is a logo for medical things. It shows a staff wrapped with a serpent.
Healthcare workers were “on front lines keeping us safe” during launch preparations. “They really inspired us,” says Matt Wallace. He’s the deputy project manager of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Mr. Wallace hopes the rover’s plate will inspire healthcare workers in return.
It took perseverance to get the rover ready for Mars. Perseverance means working hard with patience, even when things get tough. Romans 12:12 encourages us to persevere in hard times. It says, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
The pandemic made the rover’s preparations hard. Team members had to keep social distance. Some even worked on the rover from home.
What’s the mission? The rover will look for signs of microscopic life on Mars. It will collect rock and soil samples and bring them back to Earth. Scientists will study the samples. NASA scheduled the mission for mid-August. If Perseverance doesn’t launch, NASA will have to wait two more years to blast the rover into space. That’s the next time Mars and Earth will line up in as needed for the trip.
Posted: June 22, 2020
A turtle crossed the same road too many times. The 65-pound alligator snapping turtle grabbed attention in a northern Virginia suburb. People saw him coming. His huge dinosaur-like shell was hard to hide. Fairfax County Police captured the now-famous turtle. He even earned a nickname: Lord Fairfax. He will be relocated (moved to a new home). The reptile’s new home will be at a zoo in Virginia.
The alligator snapping turtle is North America’s largest freshwater turtle. It can weight up to 200 pounds and live between 50 and 100 years. The turtles eat just about anything they can find. Their preference? Other animals, dead or alive. Their appetites for meat are e-n-o-r-m-o-u-s.
It was unusual to find an alligator snapping turtle in Alexandria, Virginia. In the wild, these turtles usually live farther south in the United States. That means that Lord Fairfax was probably a pet.
Some kinds of turtles make good pets. Alligator snapping turtles do not! They have dangerous beaks, powerful jaws, spiky shells, and long claws.
For safety, animal control officers took Lord Fairfax to the county animal shelter. Then they moved him to the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Employees there know a lot about turtles. They say he’s just a juvenile. Watch out! He can be expected to almost triple in size.
Lord Fairfax’s final destination is The Virginia Zoo in Norfolk. He’ll be well cared for there. After all of his travels, he’s probably ready for a big snack.
Posted: June 19, 2020
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