The family of George Floyd met with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House today. From NBC News.

Your Summit Weekly Briefing

By Alex Tananbaum and Ashwath Vimal

 

 Disclaimer: Though the Weekly Briefings are no longer tagged in the Opinions section of Summit News and we try to remain as unbiased as possible, our opinions may show through in this article, especially in the “Actions” section.  

 

 

1. Summit: Online concerts

As we all know, quarantine has led to many changes in the past year, including within the music industry. With large crowds remaining fairly unsafe, many artists have switched to online concerts, streaming from Twitch, Roblox, Fortnite, Youtube and much more. Staff editors Nethan Sivarapu and Ian Vu’s June 2020 piece, “Musicians Keep In Touch With Their Fans During Quarantine Through Online Concerts”, examines this phenomenon. In the article, Sivarapu and Vu examine the various ways artists have streamed live experiences and stayed connected to their fans through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular through the lenses of the “Together at Home”, “ASIA RISING FOREVER” and “Travis Scott x Fortnite Astronomical Concert” events. I myself went to the Twenty One Pilots livestream experience over the weekend and, while it was nowhere near the same as an in person concert, found it quite enjoyable. 

 

2. General News: Family of George Floyd meet with President Biden 

The family of George Floyd officially met with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris this past Tuesday, a year after the killing of Mr. Floyd. The brother of George Floyd, Philonise Floyd, said that the meeting went “great” and that President Biden and Vice President Harris “always speak from the heart.” The main topic discussed in this meeting was the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would “…set up a national registry of police misconduct, ban racial and religious profiling by law enforcement and overhaul qualified immunity for police officers…”. George Floyd’s nephew, Brandon Williams, also said that Biden does want this act to pass, but wants to make sure it is a good bill and not a “rushed” one. It was also said that this meeting was also a personal one, with Biden asking the family how they were doing because that day was the anniversary of George Floyd’s death. Biden said he spent a lot of time with the family and that the meeting went well. Furthermore, President Biden’s press secretary Jen Paski also said, “He has a genuine relationship with them.” Philonise Floyd said things indeed have changed since the killing of his brother and that the police bill would be “one of the best things that you can pass across America.” 

 

3. Covid-19: Booster doses

As COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed across the country, many vaccine makers are starting to really consider whether or not booster shots will be needed in the future. Experts believe that the amount of immunity that COVID-19 vaccines provide will decrease over time and will protect against possible variants in the future. If booster doses are required for COVID-19, they most likely won’t be the same vaccine each time like typical boosters because of this. For now though, it has been confirmed that the three different COVID-19 vaccines in regulation as of now will give immunity for at least six months. While many say a booster will be needed in a year from when the vaccine is taken, many scientists are not in full agreement with this and say immunity may last much longer. The possibility of a needed booster dose has caused researchers to investigate whether or not a booster dose is a different vaccine than the original dose. One piece of evidence found was that while short-term side effects were more prevalent, it was deduced that there were no safety issues that came with doing this. All of the three current vaccine distributors are investigating the possibility of a booster shot. 

 

Stay Informed: CNN reports live, bite-sized updates on Coronavirus here.

 

4. Politics: Bipartisan agreement on surface transportation

Democratic and Republican senators reached an agreement on the segment of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill that includes highways, roads and bridges this Sunday the 23rd. The agreement increased funding by 34%, or to a baseline of $300 billion over 5 years. Senator  Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va and ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which drafted the agreement, stated “Not only will this comprehensive, bipartisan legislation help us rebuild and repair America’s surface transportation system, but it will also help us build new transportation infrastructure.” 

 

However, negotiations on the amount that will be appropriated to the entirety of the bill have stalled, after the White House introduced a $1.7 trillion counteroffer on Friday to the Republican $568 billion infrastructure bill offered in April. The counteroffer is more than $500 billion less than the original package. 

 

5. Sports: Chris Paul once again called a “dirty player”

The Phoenix Suns played the Los Angeles Lakers in game one of the series in the NBA playoffs this past Sunday. Chris Paul, one of the star players of the Suns, made a questionable play in the fourth quarter: after LeBron James missed a free throw, Paul tried to get the ball at the same time James did, grabbing his arm in the process. While James most likely over-dramatized the foul as he has done in the past, the debate is whether or not he intentionally went under LeBron to try to make it easier to get the ball. Lakers Coach Frank Vogel called it an “aggressive boxout” while Paul said he did nothing wrong. While Paul’s response may seem understandable, he has committed more obvious “dirty” plays in the past as well, many of them highlighted in clips. On the other hand, at only six feet, he has had to find loopholes through the rules and play in a “gray area” for the purpose to win games, not to injure his opponents. In the end, Paul’s foul in this most recent game being debated shows that it is not near the top of the list in terms of his “dirtiest plays”, and we may see other plays exceed what he did as the series goes on. 

 

6. Entertainment: BTS single “Butter” breaks YouTube records

One of the biggest Korean pop (K-pop) groups in the world, BTS, released their music video for their newest song “Butter” on YouTube last Thursday. Within an hour, the video amassed over 21 million views, along with the 3.89 million concurrent viewers during the live premiere, beating their own record they set with their song “Dynamite” last August. The song includes the typical pop and rap-like verses we have seen in previous hit songs from BTS. The video starts off in black and white but soon transitions into a multitude of colors, and also includes the typical well-coordinated group dance moves. 

 

Watch “Butter” here.

 

7. Weather

Atlas (West Seattle): Highs this week will bounce around a bit, starting at 62℉ today, then rising to 66℉ Weds, then down to 58℉ Thurs, back up to 62℉ Fri, 68℉ Sat, 75℉ Sun and 78℉ Mon. Meanwhile, lows today will be 48℉ today, 50-51℉ Weds-Thurs, back down to 48-49℉ Fri-Sat, 54℉ Sun and 56℉ Mon. While the majority of the week will be partially cloudy, Thurs will be rainy and Fri will see scattered showers. Stay dry, wear a mask, and have a good week. 

Summary: Highs in the high 50’s-high 70’s. Lows in the high 40’s-mid 50’s. Partial clouds, rain, scattered showers. 

 

Olympus (Tacoma): Highs this week will rise overall, with today’s being 64℉, rising to 66℉ Weds, then down to 57℉ Thurs, back up to 62℉ Fri, 68℉ Sat, 78℉ Sun and 80℉ Mon. Lows will start at 47℉ today, then rise to 50℉ Weds, fall to 48℉ Thurs, 44℉ Fri, 47℉ Sat, 51℉ Sun and 54℉ Mon. The majority of the week will be partially cloudy, though Thurs will be rainy and Fri will see scattered showers. Wear a mask, stay dry, and have a good week. 

Summary: Highs in the mid 60’s-high 70’s, lows in the mid 40’s-mid 50’s, partial clouds, rain, scattered showers. 

 

Sierra (Seattle): Highs this week will rise sharply towards its end, though they will start at 63℉ today, 65℉ Weds, down to 57℉ Thurs, back up to 61℉ Fri, 66℉ Sat, a steep rise to 74℉ Sun and up again to 77℉ Mon. Lows will bounce around a bit with today’s being 48℉, Weds-Thurs’ 49-50℉, Fri-Sat 47-48℉, 52℉ Sun and 55℉ Mon. While the majority of the week will be partially cloudy, Thurs will be rainy and Fri will see partial showers. Stay dry, wear a mask, and have a good week. 

Summary: Highs in the low 60’s-high 70’s, lows in the high 40’s-mid 50’s, partial clouds, rain, scattered showers. 

 

Denali (Sunnyvale): Highs this week will remain in a fairly similar range, with today’s being 73℉, Weds 75℉, Thurs-Sat 72-73℉, Sun back up to 75℉ and 81℉ Mon. Lows will start today-Weds in the 48-49℉ range, then rise to 52℉ Thurs, back down to 49-50℉ Fri-Sat, then up again to 52℉ Sun and up again to 55℉ Mon. While the majority of the week will be partially cloudy, Weds and Mon will be fully sunny. Enjoy that sun, wear a mask, and have a good week. 

Summary: Highs in the low 70’s-low 80’s, highs in the high 40’s-mid 50’s, partial clouds and full sun. 

 

Everest and Prep (Redwood City): Highs this week will rise overall, starting at 65℉ today, rising to 70℉ Weds, then falling again to 67℉ Thurs and 65-66℉ Fri-Sat, then rising back up to 68℉ Sun and 74℉ Mon. Meanwhile, lows will mostly stay in the 47-48℉ range, though Thurs and Sun could be 49℉ and Mon 51℉. The entirety of the week will be partially cloudy. Find some sun, wear a mask, and have a good week. 

Summary: Highs in the mid 60’s-mid 70’s, lows in the high 40’s, partial clouds. 

 

K2 (El Cerrito): Highs this week will stay mostly within a similar range, with today’s being 74℉, Weds down to 72℉, Thurs up to 75℉, Fri-Sun back to the 71-72℉ range and Mon up again to 75℉. Lows will also stay fairly clustered, starting at 49℉ today-Weds, 52℉ Thurs, 50℉ Fri-Sat and back to 52℉ Sun-Mon. Though the majority of the week will be partially cloudy, Weds and Fri will be fully sunny. Enjoy that sun, wear a mask, and have a good week.

Summary: Highs in the low-mid 70’s, lows, in the high 40’s-low 50’s, partial clouds and full sun.

 

Tam (Richmond): Highs this week will mostly remain in the 67-68℉ range, though Thurs and Mon could be up to 71℉ and Sun 69℉. Lows will start in at 49℉ Tues-Weds, then rise to 50-51℉ Thurs-Sat and 52℉ Sun-Mon. While the majority of the week will be partially cloudy, Weds will see full sun. Enjoy that sun, wear a mask, and have a good week.

Summary: Highs in the high 60’s-low 70’s, lows in the high 40’s-low 50’s, partial clouds and full sun. 

 

Shasta (Daly City): Highs this week will mostly remain in the 57-58℉ range, though Thurs and Sun could be up to 60℉ and Mon a whopping 62℉. Lows will start at 48℉ today, 49-50℉ Weds-Sat and 51℉ Sun-Mon. The entirety of the week will be partially cloudy. Find some sun, wear a mask, and have a good week. 

Summary: Highs in the high 50’s-low 60’s, lows in the high 40’s-low 50’s, partial clouds.

 

Tahoma (San Jose): The majority of highs this week will remain in a similar 70℉ range, starting at 72℉ today, then up to 75℉ Weds, back down to 73℉ Thurs-Fri, down again to 71℉ Sat, then up to 79℉ Sun and 85℉ Mon. Lows will rise overall, with today-Weds’ being 48-49℉, Thurs 52℉, Fri back down to 49℉, Sat 51℉, Sun 54℉ and Mon 58℉. While the majority of the week will be partially cloudy, Mon will be fully sunny. Enjoy that sun, wear a mask, and have a good week. 

Summary: Highs in the low-high 70’s, lows in the high 40’s-low 50’s, partial clouds and full sun. 

 

8. Cooking: Ravioli lasagna

I am still wondering how I have never heard of this idea before. It’s kinda genius? I’m very excited to make it.

By Cassie Best from BBC Good Food. 

 

Ingredients

• oil , for frying
• 6 sausages (we used Italian sausages with herbs and fennel)
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes with garlic & basil
• 200g baby spinach
• 500g spinach & ricotta ravioli (or any flavour you like)
• 75g mixture of grated cheddar and mozzarella

 

Method

1. Heat a drizzle of oil in a pan. Squeeze the sausagemeat from the skins and fry until browned, using a wooden spoon to break it up. Add the tomatoes and half a can of water and season. Simmer for 20 mins.
2. Meanwhile, put the spinach in a colander. Pour over boiled water from the kettle to wilt. Leave to cool, then squeeze out as much of the excess water as you can.
3. Heat the oven to 390F/200C. Spoon a third of the sauce into a medium baking dish (about 18 x 20cm). Top with a third of the spinach and a third of the ravioli, then scatter over some of the cheese. Repeat the layers twice, making sure the final layer of ravioli is nestled into the sauce. Bake for 35-40 mins until bubbling and hot all the way through. Cover if the top starts to get too dark. Will keep in the freezer for up to two months.

 

9. Actions: George Floyd

Editor’s note: The “Actions” section includes petitions to sign, prompts and scripts to write officials with as well as other opportunities to engage in your local, national and global communities.

 

• Visit the “Take Action” page of the George Floyd Memorial Foundation to find ways to honor the life of Mr. Floyd, who was killed by police one year ago today. 

 

And, as always:

• Watch or listen or listen to this playlist. All advertisement revenue goes to Black Lives Matter. I currently have it on in the background as I am writing this brief. Do not skip the ads, the donations will not go through otherwise.

 

• Watch or listen to this video. All advertisement revenue goes to various aid organizations easing the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Please note it is blocked on school Chromebooks due to being in the “Entertainment” category
  • Learn more about the crisis at www.monareliefye.org/.