Picture by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons

Your Summit Weekly Briefing

By Ashwath Vimal, Lia Bhas and Angela Hwang

Staff Writers

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.

Summit:

As PSATs and SATs are right around the corner, we would like to use this section to remind everyone to study for them and keep persevering despite any obstacles you may encounter. Check your school inbox for when you will be taking these standardized tests!

General News:

Once again, wildfires threaten California as the KNP complex fire enters Sequoia National Park. As a result, the park has been closed, with “a special team of resource managers led by park staff” dealing with the part of the fire in the woods, as stated by the superintendent of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. Unfortunately, the fact that the fire is spreading in a place at the park that has never burned before and the amount of overgrowth could worsen the circumstances.This complex was the result of a merger between the Paradise and Colony fires. Furthermore, the inferno has burned 21,777 acres as of Sunday and was 0% contained on Saturday.
14,516 people. That’s how many U.S. citizens have died from gun violence this year so far, and it’s on the route to be the most in decades. Two incidents that are seen as the main causes of this are the pandemic and the killing of George Floyd. Furthermore, the amount of people buying firearms this year is one of the highest ever. However, not all is bleak, as the numbers are down from last year, which had a 65% increase in rates from 2019. Hopefully President Biden’s efforts on regulating ghost guns (untraceable firearms assembled by the user) and pistol braces (allows a gun to be operated with one hand) can reduce gun violence despite the challenges he is bound to face.
Four people have officially set a record for the first extraterrestrial flight flown entirely by non-astronauts. The aircraft (Crew Dragon) they rode in reached speeds up to 17,00 mph and temperatures up to 3,500ºF. While the flight did have some issues, none of them were life threatening, with one being related to the Waste Management System. The flight was not just a tourist flight, as scientific research was performed. How the individuals’ bodies reacted to space was the main focus of the research. All the participants seemed to have a wonderful experience, which hopefully leads to further missions like this one.

Covid-19:

Covid cases in the last 14 days –

California:

San Mateo County: 1,421 cases

San Francisco County: 1,611 cases

Marin County: 387 cases

Alameda County: 3,523 cases

Santa Clara County: 3,504 cases

Washington:

King County: 7,877 cases

Pierce County: 5,450 cases

Please make sure to wear your mask when you’re out in public places and maintain a 6-feet-distance from others to protect not only yourself but others around you. If we work together, we can beat this virus and slowly get back to normal. Do your part and get vaccinated! For more information, visit the CDC website to learn more about vaccination effectiveness and Covid cases in the world.

Politics:

The California recall election ended on Tuesday, Sept. 14. Gov. Gavin Newsom will be staying in office by gathering more than 60% of the total votes. Recall efforts emphasized the governor’s handling of the pandemic, the homelessness situation and the housing crisis, among other issues. Gov. Newsom fired back by characterizing the election as a Republican effort and running against former President Trump, though there were dissenting voices among Democrats and other parties. President Biden and Vice President Harris both campaigned with Gov. Newsom in the final week as the governor could stand to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) should she leave office before 2025.
The U.S. and Britain announced they would be helping Australia deploy nuclear-powered submarines as a part of AUKUS, a cooperation between Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. France was furious as they had planned to help Australia build those submarines; they have recalled their ambassadors to the U.S. and Australia. China has called AUKUS a “threat to peace in the Indo-Pacific Region”. The deal has made no explicit mention of China, but it is implied that the move is a step on the part of Western nations to push back against China’s expansion in the military and technological fields, the Chinese navy, especially.
Gov. Gavin Newson has signed a housing bill in an effort to combat California’s housing crisis. According to the New York Times, Senate Bill 9 will allow “duplexes to be built in most neighborhoods across the state, including places where apartments have long been banned” and Senate Bill 10 will reduce “environmental rules on multifamily housing and makes it easier for cities to add high-density development”. S.B. 9 would allow owners to update their properties to make up to four units from what was once a single-family unit. Both S.B. 9 and 10 have faced opposition. According to Business Wire, some arguments state the bills do not “provide affordable housing and homeless housing requirements, will fuel gentrification, and will take away the ability of communities of color and working-class residents to build wealth through homeownership. Instead, it is yet another multi-billion-dollar giveaway to deep-pocketed real estate interests”. Polls suggest the majority of voters do not agree with the bills.

Sports:

NFL:

Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens won an intense matchup against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, 36-35. The game was intense from the beginning, as it was 14-7 in less than nine minutes of the first quarter. and Jackson definitely used his legs to rush for 107 yards, scoring two times. Jackson was 0-3 against the Chiefs and this is Mahomes first loss after 11 victories. The 49ers pushed past the Eagles to win 17-11. Gorrapolo threw 1 touchdown pass and ran in for a score leading them to a victory over the Eagles on Sunday having an undefeated season so far. Nick Bosa had 2 sacks and the 49ers defense trampled Jalen Hurts. Hurts only completed 12 or his 23 passes for 190 yards. He ran for 82 yards. Next the 49ers play against the Green Bay Packers in Santa Clara on Sunday night. The Las Vegas Raiders also won in an intense game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, 26-17. Carr threw for 382 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Steelers lost linebacker, T.J Watt, due to a groin injury late in the second quarter. Due to this, Carr completed 16 of 21 for 263 yards in just the second half. The Raiders have beaten the Steelers the past six times in their eight total meetings. Henry Ruggs finished with give receptions for 113 yards. The Raiders will host the Miami Dolphins next Sunday. They are 0-2 against the Dolphins with Grueden as coach, so this will be interesting!

Other scores:

Washington won against the New York Giants, 30-29
Patriots won against the Jets, 25-6
Tampa Bay won against the Hawks, 48-25
Cowboys won against the Chargers, 20-17
Titans won against the Seahawks, 33-30

NCAA:

On Saturday, Sept. 18th, NCAA football teams went into their third week of football. No.2 University of Georgia beat South Carolina. J.T. Daniels completes 23 of 31 for 303 yards. He completed a 21-yard pass to Brock Bowers on his first snap allowing the Bulldogs to get in the endzone during their first two possessions. This performance really showed the sports world that Daniels’ is the No. 1 quarterback. Next, Georgia heads to Vanderbuilt next Saturday for their 1st road game of the season. Fresno State beat UCLA, 40-37 in an astonishing victory. Fresno State’s Jake Haener threw 455 yards. We got to see four lead changes over the final 7-8 minutes after Fresno had a 23-10 lead at halftime. Haener completed 38 of 53 passes and tossed two touchdowns. Fresno State plays against UNLV on Friday. Oklahoma beat Nebraska, 23-18. This game was definitely a competitive rivalry that had been going on for years. Oklahoma led 7-3 at halftime, and later took a 14-3 lead. Nebraska put out a solid performance, but their penalties and mistakes cost them this game. Oklahoma was better defensively, and held Nebraska to 384 yards. Next, Oklahoma plays West Virginia and Nebraska plays against Michigan State.

Other scores:

Texas A&M beat New Mexico, 34-0

West Virginia beat Virginia Tech, 27-21

Michigan State beat Miami, 38-17

Notre Dame beat Purdue, 27-13

Alabama beat Florida, 31-29

Clemson beat Georgia Tech, 14-8

Penn State beat Auburn, 28-20

MLB:

The Oakland Athletics played against the Angels and beat them 3-2 after the tenth inning
The San Francisco Giants played against the Atlanta Braves and lost, 3-0
The Washington Nationals played against the rockies and won, 3-0

NBA:

The Houston Rockets and John Wall have agreed to try and work together to find a trade destination for himself. The franchise wants to start Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green as its starting backcourt. The Rockets do not want to give up first round draft compensation in the Wall trade and are not into a buyout until after free agency, next summer.

Entertainment:

The highly anticipated album “Montero”, by Lil Nas X, has finally been released to the public this past Friday with a total of 15 tracks. Many expected him to be a one-hit wonder after “Old Town Road”, but he has capitalized on the success of that song and has been a very successful artist. This album starts off with one of his most popular and controversial songs , “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)”. Other tracks include “Lost in the Citadel” and “One of Me” (featuring Elton John), which adds to the album’s mix of different genres. Overall, the album really connects us to the person behind Lil Nas X (Montero Hill) and has prominent themes that represent issues in the real world right now. Lil Nas X is known to top the charts with his songs that are made for the world of today and once again succeeds with “Montero”.
Peer pressure and a desire for acceptance are some of the biggest causes for why teenagers make poor choices. “Devious Licks” is the newest example that has been circulating TikTok where students deface school property (bathrooms being targeted especially) and post the results of their “work” on the platform. However, if you try to search the term on this app now, nothing shows up. This is because all content relating to it has been removed from TikTok, as said by a spokesperson from the company. Parents have been advised to speak to their children about how they use social media as well.

Weather:

Atlas (West Seattle): Highs this week rising overall. 67℉ on Monday, 72℉ on Tuesday, 66℉ on Wednesday, 67℉ on Thursday and Friday and 71℉ on Saturday and Sunday. Lows this week will hold pretty steady: 50℉ on Monday, 54℉ on Tuesday, 51℉ on Wednesday, 49℉ on Thursday, 53℉ on Friday, 54℉ on Saturday and 53℉ on Sunday. It will be cloudy all week, except for Tuesday where it will be sunny, and Wednesday where it will rain.

Summary: Highs rise from upper 60’s early in the week to low 70’s towards the end, lows in the lower 50’s, cloudy, chance of rain.

Olympus (Tacoma): Highs this week will hold pretty steady. 68℉ on Monday, 73℉ on Tuesday, 66℉ on Wednesday, 68℉ on Thursday, 69℉ on Friday and 72℉ on Saturday and Sunday. Lows this week fluctuate – 49℉ on Monday to 52℉ on Tuesday, 50℉ on Wednesday, 47℉ on Thursday, 52℉ on Friday and 53℉ on Saturday and 51℉ on Sunday. It will be mostly sunny all week, except for Wednesday where there will be morning showers.

Summary: Highs in the upper 60’s, lows in the upper 40’s to low 50’s, mostly sunny, chance of rain.

Sierra (Seattle): Highs this week rising overall. 67℉ on Monday, 72℉ on Tuesday, 66℉ on Wednesday, 67℉ on Thursday and Friday and 71℉ on Saturday and Sunday. Lows this week will hold pretty steady: 50℉ on Monday, 54℉ on Tuesday, 51℉ on Wednesday, 49℉ on Thursday, 53℉ on Friday, 54℉ on Saturday and 53℉ on Sunday. It will be cloudy all week, except for Tuesday where it will be sunny, and Wednesday where it will rain.

Summary: Highs rise from upper 60’s early in the week to low 70’s towards the end, lows in the lower 50’s, cloudy, chance of rain.

Denali (Sunnyvale): Highs this week fluctuate. 83℉ on Monday, 90℉ on Tuesday, 82℉ on Wednesday, 81℉ on Thursday, 84℉ on Friday, 82℉ on Saturday and 81℉ on Sunday. Lows this week follow a similar pattern: 60℉ on Monday, 59℉ on Tuesday, 57℉ on Wednesday, 58℉ on Thursday, 60℉ on Friday, 59℉ on Saturday and 57℉ on Sunday. This week will be very sunny, so wear lots of sunscreen!

Summary: Highs in the lower 80’s, lows in the upper 50’s, lots of sun.

Everest and Prep (Redwood City): Highs this week start at 82℉ on Monday, rising to 86℉ on Tuesday, dropping to 78℉ on Wednesday and Thursday, before rising to 81℉ on Friday, dropping to 79℉ on Saturday, and dropping again to 77℉ on Sunday. Lows are holding pretty steady at 60℉ for Monday, 59℉ on Tuesday, 57℉ on Wednesday, 59℉ from Thursday to Saturday and 57℉ on Sunday. It will be mostly sunny throughout the week.

Summary: Highs in the upper 70’s to low 80’s, lows in the upper 50’s, mostly sunny.

K2 (El Cerrito): Highs this week will start at 79℉ on Monday, 84℉ on Tuesday before it drops to 75℉ on Wednesday, 77℉ on Thursday, rising to 79℉ on Friday, 75℉ on Saturday and Sunday. Lows this week: 57℉ on Monday, 55℉ on Tuesday, 54℉ on Wednesday, 55℉ on Thursday, 56℉ on Friday and 55℉ on Saturday and 53℉ on Sunday. It will be mostly sunny, except for Wednesday where it will be partly cloudy.

Summary: Highs in the upper 70’s, lows in the mid 50’s, mostly sunny.

Tam (Richmond): Highs this week will start at 81℉ on Monday, 87℉ on Tuesday before it drops to 77℉ on Wednesday, 79℉ on Thursday, rising to 82℉ on Friday, dropping back to 77℉ on Saturday and Sunday. Lows are holding pretty steady at 58℉ for Monday, 57℉ on Tuesday, 55℉ on Wednesday, 57℉ Thursday and Friday, and 56℉ Saturday and 55℉ on Sunday. It will be mostly sunny, except for Wednesday where it will be partly cloudy.

Summary: Highs in the upper 70’s, lows in the mid 50’s, mostly sunny.

Shasta (Daly City): Highs this week: 69℉ on Monday, 76℉ on Tuesday, 67℉ on Wednesday, 68℉ on Thursday, 70℉ on Friday, 68℉ on Saturday and 67℉ on Sunday. Lows will hold pretty steady: 56℉ on Monday, 55℉ on Tuesday, 53℉ on Wednesday, 55℉ from Thursday to Saturday and 53℉ on Sunday. It will be mostly sunny all week, except Wednesday where it will be partly cloudy.

Summary: Highs fluctuate from the upper 60’s to the upper 70’s, lows in the mid-to-low 50’s, mostly sunny.

Tahoma (San Jose): Highs this week will fluctuate overall. 85℉ on Monday, 92℉ on Tuesday, 87℉ on Wednesday, 85℉ on Thursday, 88℉ on Friday, 86℉ on Saturday and 85℉ on Sunday. Lows this week will hold pretty steady: 61℉ on Monday, 60℉ on Tuesday, 57℉ on Wednesday, 58℉ on Thursday, 60℉ on Friday, 59℉ on Saturday and 57℉ on Sunday. This week will be very sunny, so wear lots of sunscreen!

Summary: Highs drop from the low 90’s to the mid 80’s, lows in the upper 50’s, very sunny.

Cooking: Chicken Biryani

By Swasthi on Swasthi’s Recipes

Prep time: 1 hour

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Marinade for chicken biryani

½ kg chicken

3 Tbsp plain yogurt

1 ¼ Tbsp ginger garlic paste (1 in. ginger and 4 garlic cloves)

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp turmeric

½ to 1 tsp red chili powder (or less spicy paprika)

½ to 1 Tbsp garam or biryani masala

Whole spices (skip if you don’t have any)

1 bay leaf

4 green cardamoms

6 cloves

1 in. cinnamon

1 star anise

¾ tsp shahi jeera

1 strand mace

Other ingredients

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 cups basmati rice

2 Tbsp ghee or oil

1 large onion sliced thinly

½ to ¼ cup mint leaves chopped fine

1 green chili

¼ cup plain yogurt

¼ to ½ tsp red chili powder

1 tsp garam or biryani masala

3 cups water or coconut milk

¾ tsp salt

2 Tbsp fried onions

1 pinch saffron

To prepare:

To a bowl, add yogurt, ginger garlic paste, ½ tsp salt, masala, turmeric, lemon juice and red chili powder
Mix well and taste the marinade. Add more salt and spice if necessary
Make slits on the chicken pieces. Add it to the marinade and mix well. Cover and set aside for 1 hour to overnight.
Rinse basmati rice thrice and soak for 30 minutes. Drain to a colander after 30 minutes.

To make chicken biryani:

Heat ghee or oil in a pot or pressure cooker.
Add whole spices; skip if you do not have them.
When the spices begin to sizzle, add onions and fry them evenly, stirring often until uniformly light brown but not burnt.
Add chicken and saute until pale for 5 minutes on medium heat.
Cover and cook on low flame until the chicken is soft cooked or tender. Saute to evaporate any excess moisture in the pot.
Taste test and add more salt if needed. I added about ¼ tsp salt. Add ¼ cup yogurt, 2 Tbsp chopped mint leaves, 1 slit green chili, ½ to 1 tsp red chili powder or paprika and 1 tsp garam masala.

Layering

Mix everything well and layer chicken evenly at the bottom.
Spread drained rice in a layer over the chicken.
To a separate bowl, pour 3 cups of water. If cooking in a pot, use 3 ½ cups of water.
Add ½ to ¾ tsp salt and mix. Taste the water. It must be slightly salty.
Pour 2 cups of this water across the sides of the cooker or pot. Gently pour the rest on top of the rice.
Level the rice if needed. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp mint leaves. Optionally add 2 Tbsp fried onions and saffron-soaked milk if using.
Pot method – If cooking in a pot, cover and cook on a low flame until the chicken biryani is done to your liking. If the rice is still undercooked or hard, pour ¼ to ½ cup boiling water and cook further. When done, it has to be fully cooked, yet remain grainy.
Cooker method – Set the flame to medium high. Cover and place the whistle. Cook for 1 whistle. Move the cooker away from the burner to stop cooking further.
Rest until the pressure settles. Fluff up the chicken biryani with a fork.
Serve from top to the bottom layer. Each serving gets biryani rice from top and chicken from bottom layer.
Enjoy chicken biryani with raita and sliced veggies, papad and shorba.

Notes:

To make biryani masala or garam masala – Powder together a very small piece of nutmeg, 5 cardamoms, ½ tsp pepper, 5 cloves, 1 to 2 inch cinnamon, ½ tsp fennel seeds and ½ tsp stone flower.

Yogurt or curd: Do not use sour curd. If the curd is slightly sour, then skip using lemon juice.

Actions:

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.

As September is Nation Suicide Prevention Month, we would like to take this chance to say if you are feeling any suicidal or depressive inclinations, thoughts, etc., please contact this hotline: 1-800-273-8255.

Click this link for further hotlines that provide help for any dangerous situation you may be in.
Click this link to understand the different warning signs and risk factors of a possibly suicidal person.
Donate to the Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization that helps prevent suicide among LGBTQIA+ youth.

And, as always:

Watch or listen or listen to this playlist. All advertisement revenue goes to Black Lives Matter. 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-issued Chromebooks due to being in the “Entertainment” category
- Learn more about the crisis at www.monareliefye.org/.