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Your Summit Weekly Briefing

By Ashwath Vimal, Angela Hwang and Ethan Ignatovsky

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:

School mask mandates will legally be ending on March 12, so when school is back in session next week, masks will now be strongly recommended in many cases instead of required. While this is an indicator of progress towards normalcy, as citizens of the U.S. everyone still has a responsibility to exercise caution regarding COVID-19 matters. If you are experiencing symptoms or have been in contact with someone with COVID-19, keep your masks on.
Check out this article by Staff Editor McKenna Seegmiller on why the 94th Oscar Awards will no longer announce eight specific awards during the live broadcast of the ceremony, and how that affects the entertainment industry as a whole. The article further goes on to explain a similar situation happening in Broadway as well.
Check out this article by Summit Shasta editor-in-chief Evelyn Archibald on the past, present and future of ongoing negotiations between Summit Public Schools and Unite Summit, the Summit teachers’ union.
Read this article on how feminism has been crushed by our society which has led to the struggle of “dissociative feminism”, and this article on how pornographic material can severely damage one’s life, and also lead to cases of dissociation.

General News:

California and the far western coast of the U.S. are known for constantly experiencing droughts, but 61% of the U.S. has been classified as undergoing drought conditions, which is up 5% from last month and includes the midwest and southwest. Parts of the U.S. are expected to stay in these circumstances throughout the year, with above-average precipitation needed to haul them out of it. That, however, is unlikely to occur this year, as precipitation has seemingly “flatlined” in much of the west since the beginning of 2022. Not only will this ever-lasting drought affect things such as hydroelectric power, but it will also help ignite wildfires, which have plagued the West for decades. One way to help prevent droughts is working against climate change, but steps such as reducing fossil fuel usage still need to occur for that to happen.
The American Psyhncolgical Association (APA) have conducted their “Stress in America” poll for this year, and it found that many Americans are stressed because of the “constant stream of crises without a break over the last two years.” Here are some key takeaways from the study:

Two of the biggest concerns that worry Americans are inflation/financial issues and the Russia-Ukraine war, along with COVID-19.
The group of people most affected by these things seems to be parents and caregivers, who are concerned about how COVID-19 has influenced their children and their future. A majority of parents said their children could have benefited from treatment with a mental health professional during the pandemic
The APA’s associate chief for practice transformation Lynn Bufka stated that the common reasons for stress were odd, as usually, people cite a multitude of social and political issues and not just a few concentrated ones in more recent times
All of these worries have not only impacted people’s mental health but also their physical, as many said they found themselves drinking more alcohol or experiencing weight fluctuations

Covid-19:

The Florida Department of Health has officially released new guidelines that state that “healthy” children between the ages of five and 17 “may not benefit” from getting the COVIS-19 vaccine. Florida is the first state to stray away from recommendations for children made by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Lapado saying, “We are not just going to follow the CDC in the state of Florida,” and that they will do their “own stuff”. One of the main points made against the vaccine was cases of heart inflammation amongst older teenagers. However, these cases have been proven to be very rare. While a clinical trial showcased in the New England Journal of Medicine said that there were no severe cases amongst children from the ages of five to 11 who took the vaccine, the same study states it was “90.7% effective in preventing Covid-19 infection.” Experts such as Dr. Daniel P. McQuillen, the president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America have voiced their opposition to this stance.
A new study shows that Covid-19, even in mild cases, can cause accelerated aging of the brain. The study utilized brain imaging of 401 people who had COVID-19 between March 2020 and April 2021, and compared the imaging to that of 384 people who never contracted the virus. The study shows that people who got infected lost an additional .2% to 2% of gray matter tissue in the memory areas of their brain than what is normal. It is not clear why there is this connection or how it will affect the lives of people who contracted COVID-19, with the study saying “It is likely that the harmful effects of the virus decrease over time… the best way to find out is to scan these participants in one or two years time” However, it is possible these effects could eventually lead to forms of dementia. These findings might sound scary, but other neurologists believe that it’s impossible to know the long-term effects at this point.

Politics:

Ukraine:

Georgia and Moldova applied to join the EU after President Zelenskiy also requested for the EU to fast-track its application to join the EU. Georgia’s formal request comes two days after its government declared it would not move up the application process that would have started in 2024.
Visa, Mastercard and many other credit cards have suspended their services in Russia. However, Russia appears to have planned for this already since they plan to use China’s UnionPay system instead. Additionally, the U.S. has banned Russian oil.
Russia wants three things; the Kremlin’s spokesperson said Russia would stop the operation “in a moment” if Ukraine met these three conditions. According to Reuters, “Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was demanding that Ukraine cease military action, change its constitution to enshrine neutrality, acknowledge Crimea as Russian territory, and recognize the separatist republics of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states.” Ukraine has not responded yet.

America:

Florida has passed what its opponents dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. It blocks discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools from Kindergarten to third grade, though there have been many student protests. Generally, Republicans say the bill promotes parental control over their children’s education, while Democrats argue it would hurt the LGBTQ community. Reuters reports, “parents would be allowed to sue school districts they believe to be in violation.”
There is a $1.5 trillion spending bill in Congress. It includes a $42 billion increase in defense spending, $14 billion in aid to Ukraine, $15 billion in Covid spending, among other allocations.

World:

Snippet: South Korea has voted in a new president. The president-elect has called for a “stronger alliance with the United States” and “a more confrontational stance against North Korea”, according to the New York Times. He will officially become president in May.

Sports:

NFL:

It was widely thought that the Green Bay Packers would be losing their franchise Quarterback, and 4-time MVP Aaron Rodgers (38-years-old) this offseason. It was reported that prior to the 2021 season, there was frustration between Rodgers and the Packers, and it seemed Rodgers would request a trade following the conclusion of the season. However, after the season ended Rodgers said he had a “good conversation” with the team. The conversation led to a huge contract, and former NFL kicker and host of the Pat McAfee Show, Pat McAfee, first broke the news before NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport released the details of the contract (a four-year one with a guaranteed value of $153 Million and a potential value of $200 million).
After Aaron Rodgers decided to return to Green Bay, the Denver Broncos lost the chance to get their number one target this offseason, but they didn’t wait long to make a splash of their own. The Broncos acquired 9-time pro-bowl Quarterback Rusell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks for Quarterback Drew Lock, Tight End Noah Fant, Lineman Shelby Harris, the 2022 9th and 40th overall picks, as well as a 5th round pick and a 2023 1st and 2nd. A 2022 4th round pick will go to Denver along with Wilson, whose departure signifies the beginning of a rebuild for Seattle.

MLB:

After months, the MLB lockout is finally over. Free agency will continue and spring training will start on March 13th, with opening day on April 7th.

NCAA Basketball:

March Madness is right around the corner, with the tournament starting on Mar. 15. The betting favorites to win their respective conference tournaments are the; Houston Cougars, Duke Blue Devils, Villanova Wildcats, Purdue Boilermakers, Baylor Bears, Arizona Wildcats, and the Kentucky Wildcats.

Entertainment:

“Turning Red”, coming exclusively to Disney+ on March 11, 2022, is Pixar’s latest animated film, featuring a cast with the likes of Sandrah Oh and Jordan Fisher. The movie is about a 13-year old girl named Mei Lee whose family runs a Chinese temple in Toronto, Canada. She and her friends are avid admirers of a boy band called 4*town. However, as a surely comical symbol of puberty, she turns into a Red Panda, amidst having certain “feelings” developing for this boy band. The movie plays upon the coming-of-age trope throughout its duration, dealing with problems teenagers face in the real world, similar to Pixar’s 2015 film “Inside Out”. Animated movies are a big part of Disney’s marketing, and “Turning Red” helps show why that is. This is a film kids AND adults can relate to, whether it’s specific to their culture or in a more general aspect.
The trailer for the highly anticipated Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi show (May 25, Disney+) was finally released on March 9th. The show will take place during the 19-year gap between Star Wars Episode Three and Episode Four. The trailer showed Kenobi on Tatooine, walking around town and watching a young Luke Skywalker. In the trailer, we also see the Inquisitors, who are a group of dark-side force users, under the command of Darth Vader, who hunt down the last remaining Jedis from the massacre in Episode Three. It seems the show will take place mostly on Tatooine (though we do see some other planets), and we see an Inquisitor named Reva (played by Moses Ingram) who seems to be the main inquisitor hunting Obi-Wan.. Hayden Christensen didn’t appear in the trailer, but he will be returning to Star Wars, reprising his role as Anakin Skywalker, now Darth Vader.
Snippet: British indie rock band Glass Animals just had their TikTok famous and biggest song “Heat Waves” (2020) hit number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart after spending 59 weeks on it.

Weather:

Atlas and Sierra (Seattle): Highs will hold relatively steady this week: 49℉ on Thursday, 52℉ on Friday, 55℉ on Saturday, 52℉ on Sunday and Monday and 51℉ on Tuesday and Wednesday. Lows this week will rise: 35℉ on Thursday, 37℉ on Friday, 43℉ on Saturday, 44℉ on Sunday, 46℉ on Monday and 42℉ on Tuesday and Wednesday. It will rain every day except Thursday and Friday, when it will be cloudy.

Summary: Highs in the low 50’s, lows in the mid 30’s, rain.

Olympus (Tacoma): Highs will hold relatively steady this week: 50℉ on Thursday, 53℉ on Friday, 56℉ on Saturday, 52℉ on Sunday and Monday and 51℉ on Tuesday and Wednesday. Lows this week will rise: 33℉ on Thursday, 36℉ on Friday, 42℉ on Saturday, 44℉ on Sunday, 45℉ on Monday and 41℉ on Tuesday and Wednesday. It will rain every day except Thursday and Friday, when it will be cloudy.

Summary: Highs in the low 50’s, lows in the mid 30’s, rain.

Denali (Sunnyvale): Highs will rise then fall this week: 64℉ on Thursday, 69℉ on Friday, 68℉ on Saturday, 67℉ on Sunday, 68℉ on Monday, 65℉ on Tuesday and 64℉ on Wednesday. Lows will generally rise this week: 38℉ on Thursday, 40℉ on Friday, 43℉ on Saturday, 45℉ on Sunday, 46℉ on Monday, 45℉ on Tuesday and 44℉ on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday will be sunny, but the rest of the week will be cloudy.

Summary: Highs in the mid-to-upper 60’s, lows in the mid 40’s, clouds.

Everest and Prep (Redwood City): Highs will rise then fall this week: 64℉ on Thursday, 68℉ on Friday, 66℉ on Saturday, 64℉ on Sunday, 66℉ on Monday, 63℉ on Tuesday and 62℉ on Wednesday. Lows will rise this week: 40℉ on Thursday, 41℉ on Friday, 44℉ on Saturday, 46℉ on Sunday, 47℉ on Monday, 46℉ on Tuesday and 45℉ on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday will be sunny; the rest of the week will be cloudy.

Summary: Highs in the mid 60’s, lows in the mid 40’s, cloudy.

K2 (El Cerrito): Highs will hold relatively steady this week: 64℉ on Thursday, 67℉ on Friday, 64℉ on Saturday, 63℉ on Sunday, 65℉ on Monday and 64℉ on Tuesday and Wednesday. Lows will also hold steady: 41℉ on Thursday and Friday, 44℉ on Saturday, 45℉ on Sunday, 46℉ on Monday and 45℉ on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday and Friday will be sunny, but the rest of the week will be cloudy.

Summary: Highs in the mid 60’s, lows in the mid 40’s, cloudy.

Tam (Richmond): Highs will hold pretty steady this week: 64℉ on Thursday, 67℉ on Friday, 63℉ on Saturday, 64℉ on Sunday, 65℉ on Monday and 64℉ on Tuesday and Wednesday. Lows will follow a similar pattern: 42℉ on Thursday and Friday, 44℉ on Saturday, 46℉ on Sunday and Monday and 45℉ on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday and Friday will be sunny, but the rest of the week will be cloudy.

Summary: Highs in the mid 60’s, lows in the mid 40’s, cloudy.

Shasta (Daly City): Highs will hold pretty steady this week: 60℉ on Thursday, 62℉ on Friday, 59℉ on Saturday, 58℉ on Sunday, 60℉ on Monday and 57℉ on Tuesday and Wednesday. Lows will also hold relatively steady: 41℉ on Thursday and Friday, 43℉ on Saturday, 44℉ on Sunday, 45℉ on Monday and 44℉ on Tuesday and Wednesday. It will be sunny on Thursday and Friday, but the rest of the week will be cloudy.

Summary: Highs in the low 60’s, lows in the low 40’s, cloudy.

Tahoma (San Jose): Highs will increase then decrease this week: 65℉ on Thursday, 72℉ on Friday and Saturday, 70℉ on Sunday, 72℉ on Monday, 69℉ on Tuesday and 67℉ on Friday. Lows will follow a similar pattern: 38℉ on Thursday, 41℉ on Friday, 43℉ on Saturday, 45℉ on Sunday, 46℉ on Monday, 44℉ on Tuesday and 43℉ on Wednesday. It will be sunny on Thursday and Friday, but the rest of the week will be cloudy.

Summary: Highs in the low 70’s, lows in the mid 40’s, cloudy.

Cooking: Chili Con Carne

By Elise Bauer on Simply Recipes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3 to 4 tablespoons water
4 strips bacon
2 1/2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Kosher salt
1 medium white onion, chopped
3 clove garlic, minced
2 jalapeño chili peppers, seeded, ribs removed, minced
1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes
2 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 (14-ounce) can kidney beans drained
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in a couple tablespoons of water
Kosher salt
Grated cheddar cheese, garnish
Red onion, garnish

Instructions:

Make the chili paste: In a small bowl mix the chili powder, chipotle chili powder, ground cumin, oregano, thyme, and ground coriander seeds. Mix in water so that chili forms a light paste. Set aside.
Cook the bacon: Cook the bacon in a large skillet on medium high heat until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove from pan and set aside on a paper towel. Pour bacon fat from the pan into a separate container, reserve. When the bacon cools, crumble it into smaller pieces and set aside.
Brown the beef chunks in bacon fat: Increase heat to medium high, add back in 1 tablespoon of bacon fat. Working in batches so that you don’t crowd the beef (crowding will steam cook the meat instead of browning it), brown the beef cubes on all sides, lightly salting as you cook the beef. Remove beef from pan, set aside.
Cook the onions: Add another tablespoon of bacon fat to the pan. Add the chopped onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeño, cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the chili paste and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes.
Combine the chili ingredients in a big pot, simmer, then cook slowly: Into a 6-quart, thick-bottomed Dutch oven, put onion-chili mixture, beef, bacon, tomatoes (break up the whole tomatoes with your fingers as you put them in the pot), water, lime juice and sugar. Heat the chili on medium high heat until it comes to a simmer. Then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Then uncover and cook for another half hour, keeping the temperature at a place where you can maintain a simmer.
Thicken with cornstarch: Mix the cornstarch powder into a little water to dissolve the corn starch (otherwise you’ll have lumps to deal with) and add to the chili to thicken it.
Add the kidney beans: Gently mix in the kidney beans. Add salt to taste. Adjust seasonings. Depending on the acidity of the tomatoes and lime juice you may need a little more sugar to bring the stew to balance. At this point you can also add a little more chili powder if you desire more heat.
Add toppings to serve: Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese and chopped red onion. Serve with cornbread, tortilla chips, and/or rice.

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.

In light of the two new Summit articles that focused on different causes of dissociation, this actions section will further highlight what it is:

Visit this website link from the American Psychological Association to read first-hand experiences of dissociative identity disorder and other texts to help you better understand this topic
Click on this link from MIND, a British mental health charity on the potential causes, diagnoses, and self-care methods of dissociation (there is also a donation tab if you are able to make one)
Research further on the articles made by our Summit writers, make yourself more aware of topics that are affecting our nation behind the limelights

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/.