Photo Credit: Paul Kagame via Flickr

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 Marvel’s “Eternals” prepares to release in theaters this Friday, check out this article by Shasta editor McKenna Seegmiller on the role of female antagonists in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If you want more movie character analysis, check out another article by McKenna and Shasta Writer Ella Rodrigues on morally “grey” characters.

General News:

Facebook has officially announced that they will be stopping their use of facial-recognition software. This comes after the umbrella company Facebook changed its name to Meta and amidst the controversies they are under fire for, led by whistleblower Frances Haugen. They will be deleting all data that was gathered through this software as the company works to improve their facial-recognition technology in the future. While the tool allowed people to interact with each other in new ways by making it easier to tag friends and family in videos and photos, it has been connected with racial bias. For example, black men have been arrested due to inaccurate scans that are prone to mistakes when identifying people of color.
Iran, and other countries will be resuming discussion topics surrounding the Iran nuclear deal (the Joint Comprhensive Plan of Action or JCPOA) at the end of this month in Vienna, Austria. The deal includes certain agreements upon Iran’s nuclear research and weapon development. However, Iran has starting breaking rules of the deal, and the JCPOA are attempting to make sure that does not keep occurring. One of the biggest concerns is about Iran’s recent nuclear progress, and the JCPOA are hoping to negotiate terms about these new developments “quickly” and “in good faith”. The U.S. actively being tried to brought in back to to the fold as well, as it left in 2018.

Covid-19:

California –

California has now allowed COVID-19 vaccines for children 5-11. The goal is to have 3.5 million kids in California vaccinated. The move came after the CDC recommended that more than 28 million children nationwide in that age group get the vaccines. This would allow us to get a step closer in ending the pandemic that has been around for almost 2 years. Santa Clara County, one of the most populous California counties, has been dispersing vaccines to younger children.

Washington –

Covid cases and hospitalization have started to plateau in the state. The number of Covid hospitalizations have come to be around 1,000 in the recent weeks. This number is the same number of hospitalizations as in December 2020 during one of the peaks of Covid. There have been a lot of new reports on anxiety and depression since the pandemic making the situation worse.

Politics:

The Nov. 2 election results are out! According to BallotPedia, Kevin Brobson (R) won a seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Glenn Youngkin (R) won governorship of Virginia, Winsome Sears (R) won as Virginia lieutenant governor-elect and Jason Miyares (R) is the Attorney General-elect. The New Jersey governorship is too close to call.
The G20 summit in Rome ended with world leaders agreeing something must be done about climate change, but failing to commit to measures to combat it. According to the Guardian, some leaders have criticized the leaders, saying the statement they gave was “weak”, while others praise them for their “growing sense of urgency”. There is a commitment to limiting coal use, but no concrete plans for it in place. The summit closes as the UN’s climate conference began on Sunday, which will run through Friday.
President Biden unveiled a framework. It focuses heavily on children (child expenses and schooling), health insurance, climate change and affordable housing. However, paid leave and tax increases on the wealthy have been cut from the bill. For drug prices, there is a Democratic deal to lower the prices on drugs; it is more limited than previous proposals, but Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said “it’s a big step in helping the American people deal with the price of drugs.”

Sports:

Ben Simmons has refused to accept the 76ers’ mental help, who are increasingly frustrated with his refusal to accept this assistance. Simmons has engaged with teammates and coaches, but he has not been involved in team activities. The Sixers have fined Simmons almost 2 million dollars for missing games, practices, and meetings this season, but have stopped since Oct. 22, due to his claims about not being “mentally ready to play”. Bucks forward, Khris Middleton has tested positive for Covid and missed Sunday’s game against Utah. He joins 76ers forward Tobias Harris and Cavaliers Kevin Love who have tested positive for Covid this week.

Upcoming games:

76ers v Pistons, Thu. 11/4

Jazz v Hawks, Thu. 11/4

Pelicans v Warriors, Fri. 11/5

Hornets v Kings, Fri. 11/5

Grizzlies v Wizards, Fri. 11/5

Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers tests positive for Covid and will not play against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Under the league’s conditions, he must quarantine for a minimum of 10 days and can’t return until Nov. 13. Rodgers always follows mask protocols while with his team but he does not wear a mask in the media auditorium during his postgame news. Henry Ruggs II (22 years old), was driving 156 mph while drunk in Las Vegas. He slammed into the rear of a vehicle that burned and killed a 23-year-old woman. The Raiders have released Ruggs late Tuesday just hours after the crash and ensures that he will not play for the Raiders nor any other team for the rest of his career.

Upcoming games:

Raiders v Giants, LV -3.0

Patriots v Panthers, NE -3.5

Bills v Jaguars, BUF -14.5

Chiefs v Packers, KC -7.5

49ers v Cardinals, ARI -1.0

NCAAF:

Upcoming games:

Missouri v Georgia, UGA -38.0

Ohio State, OSU -15.0

Illinois v Minnesota, MINN -14.5

Duke v Pittsburgh, PITT -21.0

Cincinnati v Tulsa, CIN -22.5

Auburn v Texas A&M, TA&M -4.5

Alabama v LSU, ALA -28.5

Entertainment:

Following an argument with a supposed physical altercation between Zayn Malik and his wife’s (Gigi Hadid) mother, Yolanda Hadid, Malik has accepted the charges but has pleaded not guilty. However, due to the level of the charges, his plea was still entered legally as guilty, with Malik accepting 90 days of probation. These charges come after he was accused of harassment four different times in September saying crude and threatening words to Yolanda Hadid, Gigi Hadid and a security guard named John McMahon. Malik has stated that he wants this matter to stay as private as possible to make sure his and Gigi Hadid’s daughter, Khai, can grow up in a “safe space”, with Gigi saying the same.
Netflix has released a documentary on former football star Colin Kaepernick, dubbed “Colin in Black & White”. Filmmaker Ava DuVernay was one of the main pieces of the project, directing all six episodes of the series which included Kaepernicks’s early life and dialogue on U.S. history, race, and inequality as a whole. One important part of the series that combined these two parts was the moment Kaepernick realized that the privilege his white adoptive parents had did not pass down to him, a bi-racial teenager. Overall the series sends a good message that not athletes were not always rich and famous, but the creative mediums they use to send this message and others are not always up to par. If you think you might be interested in watching this, also check out “Swagger”, a series about the pressures and situations that young basketball players face.

Weather:

Atlas (West Seattle): Highs will drop over this next week: 55°F on Thursday, 52°F on Friday, 51°F on Saturday, 50°F on Sunday and Monday, 48°F on Tuesday and 49°F on Wednesday. Lows will follow a similar pattern: 46°F on Thursday, 44o°F on Friday, 43°F on Saturday, 44°F on Sunday, 43°F on Monday and 42°F on Tuesday and Wednesday. It will be raining all week.

Summary: Highs dropping to the upper 40’s, lows in the mid 40’s, rain.

Olympus (Tacoma): Highs will drop over this next week: 56°F on Thursday, 53°F on Friday and Saturday, 51°F on Sunday and Monday, 49°F on Tuesday and 50°F on Wednesday. Lows will also drop overall: 47°F on Thursday, 44°F on Friday, 43°F from Saturday to Tuesday and 41°F on Monday. It will be raining all week.

Summary: Highs dropping to the low 50’s, lows in the mid 40’s, rain.

Sierra (Seattle): Highs will drop over this next week: 55°F on Thursday, 52°F on Friday, 51°F on Saturday, 50°F on Sunday and Monday, 48°F on Tuesday and 49°F on Wednesday. Lows will follow a similar pattern: 46°F on Thursday, 44°F on Friday, 43°F on Saturday, 44°F on Sunday, 43oF on Monday and 42°F on Tuesday and Wednesday. It will be raining all week.

Summary: Highs dropping to the upper 40’s, lows in the mid 40’s, rain.

Denali (Sunnyvale): Highs will hold pretty steady this week: 68°F Thursday through Saturday, 67°F on Sunday, 64°F on Monday, 63°F on Tuesday and 66°F on Wednesday. Lows, too, will hold steady: 50°F on Thursday, 49°F on Friday, 51°F on Saturday, 52°F Sunday and Monday, 55°F on Tuesday and 51°F on Wednesday. There will be rain on Thursday, Tuesday and Wednesday; it will be partly cloudy the rest of the week.

Summary: Highs in the mid 60’s, lows in the low 50’s, partly cloudy, some rain.

Everest and Prep (Redwood City): Highs will drop slightly over this next week: 66°F from Thursday to Saturday, 65°F on Sunday, 64°F on Monday, 62°F on Tuesday and 65°F on Wednesday. Lows will hold pretty steady this week: 51oF on Thursday, 50°F on Friday, 52°F on Saturday and Sunday, 53°F on Monday, 55°F on Tuesday and 52°F on Wednesday. There will be rain on Thursday, Tuesday and Wednesday; the rest of the week will be partly cloudy.

Summary: Highs in the mid-to-low 60’s, lows in the low 50’s, partly cloudy, some rain.

K2 (El Cerrito): Highs will drop this week: 64°F on Thursday, 63°F on Friday and Saturday, 61°F on Sunday, 59°F on Monday, 58°F on Tuesday and 61°F on Wednesday. Lows will fluctuate a bit this week: 48°F on Thursday and Friday, 49°F on Saturday and Sunday, 50°F on Monday, 52°F on Tuesday and 47°F on Wednesday. It will rain Thursday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week, with the rest of the week being partly cloudy.

Summary: Highs in the low 60’s, lows in the upper 40’s, partly cloudy, some rain.

Tam (Richmond): Highs will drop overall this week: 66°F on Thursday, 65°F on Friday and Saturday, 63°F on Sunday, 61°F on Monday and Tuesday and 64°F on Wednesday. Lows will hold pretty steady this week: 51°F on Thursday and Friday, 52°F on Saturday, 51°F on Sunday, 52°F on Monday, 54°F on Tuesday and 50°F on Wednesday. It will rain Thursday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week, with the rest of the week being partly cloudy.

Summary: Highs in the mid 60’s, lows in the low 50’s, partly cloudy, some rain.

Shasta (Daly City): Highs will fluctuate a bit this week: 63°F on Thursday, 62°F on Friday and Saturday, 61°F on Sunday, 59°F on Monday, 60°F on Tuesday and 61°F on Wednesday. Lows will hold pretty steady this week: 51°F on Thursday and Friday, 52°F on Saturday, 51°F on Sunday, 52°F on Monday, 54°F on Tuesday and back down to 50°Fon Wednesday. It will be partly cloudy all week, with rain on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Summary: Highs in the low 60’s, lows in the low 50’s, partly cloudy, some rain.

Tahoma (San Jose): Highs will drop overall this week: 69°F Thursday through Saturday, 67°F on Sunday, 63°F on Monday, 62°F on Tuesday and 65°F on Wednesday. Lows will hold pretty steady this week: 49°F on Thursday, 48°F on Friday and Saturday, back to 49°F on Sunday and Monday, 52°F on Tuesday and 48°F on Wednesday. It will rain Thursday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week, with the rest of the week being partly cloudy.

Summary: Highs dropping to the low 60’s, lows in the upper 40’s, partly cloudy, some rain.

Cooking: Lemon Bars

By Jennifer Segal on Once Upon A Chef

Makes 20 squares

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Confectioners’ sugar, plus more to decorate finished bars
2 sticks (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

For the lemon topping:

6 large eggs
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest (be sure to zest the lemons before juicing)
2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 5 to 6 lemons
2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions:

Make the crust:

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Cover a 9×13-in metal baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil (see note below). Push the foil neatly into the corners and up the sides of the pan, using two pieces if necessary to ensure that the foil overlaps all edges (the overhang will help removal from the pan). Spray the foiled pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Place the flour, corn starch, salt and Confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and mix for a few seconds. Add the butter and mix to blend until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 10 to 15 seconds. Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly with your fingers into an even layer, building up a thin 3/4-inch edge around the sides (this keeps the filling from spilling beneath the crust). Refrigerate for 30 minutes or freeze for 15 minutes.
Bake the crust until lightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

Make the filling:

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and flour. Be sure no lumps of flour remain.
When the crust is ready, give lemon mixture a quick final stir and then pour over top. Immediately return the pan to the oven and bake another 30 to 35 minutes, or until the topping is set and firm. Let the bars cool on a rack to room temperature; it will take several hours.
To cut, use the foil overhang to lift the baked square out of pan and onto a cutting board. Carefully loosen the foil from the edges of the crust, using a knife if necessary. Using a sharp knife, cut into squares or triangles. Use a fine sieve to dust the squares with Confectioners’ sugar. Store the bars in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Serve chilled or room temperature.

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.

Popular YouTuber Mr. Beat and former NASA engineer and internet celebrity star Mark Rober have started a project called #TeamSeas, similar totheir 2019 project #TeamTrees. They are working with multil non-profits to raise $30 million to get rid of as much trash as possible from the world’s oceans!

Click here to donate to TeamSeas. Every dollar is equal to one pound of trash removed from our seas!
Click here to check out their social media for all updates on #TeamSeas!

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/.