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:

Since our last weekly briefing, Summit Public Schools and the teacher’s union representing educators have reached their first collective bargaining agreement. This first contract, as said by the Summit Public Schools team, has affirmed: “the many strong practices” that they have “built and refined” and provides “new provisions that reflect our values as a unique public charter school”. These new provisions include a new type of system for teacher evaluations and feedback. This three-year contract will come into effect on July 1 of this year.

General News:

Over the last two months, the U.S. has been experiencing a new shortage on top of the many others that have occurred due to COVID-19. This time, it’s baby formula. However, one of the biggest reasons for this is not the pandemic, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cracking down on regulations surrounding baby formula since February. Companies such as Abbott Laboratories have had to recall several of their formula brands. FDA Commissioner Robert Califf has said that there should be an increase in supply soon due to a rise in manufacturing and imports which will help soothe the issues of American parents in crisis. President Biden has also used the Defense Production Act to shift the focus of formula production suppliers to formula manufacturers over other services.
A Louisiana federal judge has officially ordered the Biden Administration to halt its lifting of regulations that close the border for immigrants seeking asylum due to the pandemic. The order that allows for this is called Title 42, and was first implemented by the Trump Administration. Press Secretary for the White House Karine Jean-Pierre said that despite their thoughts that the “authority to set public health policy nationally” should reside with the Biden administration, they will still comply with the ruling. However, the Department of Justice has said they will appeal the ruling, citing that the Centers for Disease and Control do not think that this regulation is needed at this point in time. The American Civil Liberties Union, which is also fighting a different piece of legislation from Title 42, has condemned the Louisiana ruling, saying that how quickly the White House repeal the ruling will reflect if they truly care about ending Title 42. Under title 42, illegal border crossings have immensely shot up, but Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has stated that the government plans to increase homeland security resources and enact firmer consequences for illegal entries.
Snippet: Two people were killed and seven were injured at a mass shooting outside of a McDonald’s in downtown Chicago this past Thursday. A suspect has been identified and is currently in custody.

Covid-19:

A week after the North Korean Government broke the news of its first official case, the number is now at two million. This number isn’t all confirmed cases, however, but instead COVID-like symptoms. Experts don’t think the country can contain COVID-19 due to rampant mismanagement and the harsh sanctions on the hermit kingdom. The country has also rejected vaccines from the United Nations vaccination distribution program COVAX, most likely due to the international monitoring requirements. North Korea most likely will rely on China during this outbreak, but matters are not looking optimistic for one of the most secretive nations on Earth.
For a while, it looked like the pandemic was coming closer and closer to an eend, but now cases are exponentially rising. The White House cites many easons for the increasing numbers, including the more infectious subvariants, waning immunity from vaccines and previous infections, and fewer people wearing face masks. Each subvariant seems to be even more contagious than the last and the Omicron variant doesn’t offer much immunity, so even if you contract omicron you could very well catch it again.. Per day, 3,000 Americans are being hospitalized and 275 are dying due to COVID-19, which raises questions on the importance of masks once again.
Snippet: Cases of the rare Monkeypox disease have been found in seven first-world countries, including America. Monkeypox is an endemic virus in Western and Central Africa, but is not usual in other parts of the world. Americans should not be worried, however, it is a very mild illness.

Politics:

Sweden has decided to join NATO, Yahoo News reports. This is in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is also a “historic” shift in policy since Sweden has remained neutral for more than two centuries. This comes after Finland also submitted a request to join NATO. The Swedish Prime Minister warned Russia may oppose this decision and take “countermeasures”. Turkey, however, does have some points they want both Finland and Sweden to concede before they join.
The primaries in Pennsylvania, Idaho, Kentucky, North Carolina and Oregon started on Tuesday. The elections will show what will become of the Republican party, as former president Trump’s influence is tested. So far, some notable information is that Oregon looks to have Tina Kotek (D) facing off against Christine Drazan (R) for governor, and John Fetterman (D) appears to be facing off against Mahmet Oz (R) in Pennsylvania for the Senate and Cheri Beasley (D) will face Ted Budd (R) for the Senate.
Congress held a hearing on UFOs. This comes after the report on many UFO sightings reported from 2004 to 2021. The results of the hearing were military officials saying some UFOs could be explained, but others are still a mystery. Some ranking officers have stressed there is no evidence of extraterrestrial activity and have claimed they are not aware of any national security concerns.
President Biden used the Defense Production Act on Wednesday in order to slow the baby formula deficit in the nation. This means suppliers need to send resources directly to manufacturers and the Defense Department’s aircraft will be used to obtain baby formula from overseas.

Sports:

MLB:

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers made history on May 10th against the Tampa Bay Rays, as he threw the 12th no-hitter in Angels franchise history and the 316th in MLB history. At just 22-years-old Detmers, is the youngest Angel to accomplish the feat and the youngest in the MLB since 2006. Unlike most pitchers to deal a no-hitter, Detmers didn’t finish with a high strikeout number as he only struck out two Rays batters. Only two Ray’s reached base during the lopsided 12-0 loss. Taylor Walls reached on a walk to start the 6th and Brett Phillips reached on a fielding error by first baseman Jared Walsh in the 7th.
At certain points during Kumar Rocker’s collegiate career, he was the biggest name in college baseball and looked to be in contention for the 1st overall pick. Rocker ended up falling all the way to number 10 where he was drafted by the New York Mets. The Mets didn’t convert their selection into a contract though, as a post-draft physical created concern within the organization about the health of his throwing elbow. Rocker didn’t release medical information to teams prior to the draft and claimed that experts have found no “significant change” to his arm structure after the draft. Rocker decided to forgo another season at Vanderbilt and it was announced last Friday that he will be signing for the Tri-City ValleyCats, an independent team. Right now Rocker’s stock has fallen, but a good showing this summer could prove he is healthy and give the formerly hyped prospect another chance to go in the high first round of this year’s draft.
Snippet: Former MLB all-star Matt Harvey, who is currently on a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles, has been suspended for 60 games due to his violation of MLB’s drug policy. Harvey revealed his violations during his testimony in US V. KAY., a trial regarding the death of Harvey’s former teammate Tyler Skaggs.

Entertainment:

Marvel has officially released their first trailer for their upcoming series “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law”, which will follow the adventures of lawyer Jennifer Walters, played by Tatiana Maslany, as she transforms into her alter-ego, She-Hulk. The cousin of Bruce Banner, or as most people know him, the Hulk, Walters came into her powers after a serious injury required her to get a blood transfusion from none other than the Hulk, which caused similar powers to manifest in herself. While the trailer itself does not reveal much, fans do get to see a sneak peek of what She-Hulk will look like on-screen. Tim Roth will reprise his role as the Abomination and will be joined by newcomer Jameela Jamil, who plays the comic-book character Titania. Mark Ruffalo will also be back to play Bruce Banner/The Hulk, with fans very excited to see him in his first appearance since “Avengers: Endgame”. The series will be comprised of nine episodes and will release on Aug. 17 of this year.
During the first half of May, a man named Isaiah Lee jumped onto the stage while comedian Dave Chappelle was performing at the Hollywood Bowl and tackled him. Lee was subsequently taken down by Chapelle’s security team, however, and no injuries were acquired by Chapelle. Lee did plead guilty to the four misdemeanor charges he was faced with, but is now facing murder charges for an entirely different crime. He once again pleaded not guilty after a former roommate accused Lee of stabbing him during a fight between the two. Lee is currently receiving mental health services from a nonprofit organization, via his lawyer Chelsea Padilla.
Snippet: Famed rapper J. Cole has officially signed a contract with the Scarborough Shooting Stars of the Canadian Elite Basketball League for their upcoming season beginning at the end of this month after playing for the Rwanda Patriots of the Basketball Africa League last year.
Snippet: Check out the full list of winners of this year’s Billboard Music Awards here. Some notable award winners include Drake taking home “Top Male Artist” and Olivia Rodrigo winning “Top Female Artist”, who earned the most awards of the night. Kanye West, Taylor Swift, BTS, Doja Cat and Bad Bunny also secured multiple awards.

Weather:

Atlas and Sierra (Seattle): Highs will rise then fall this week: 58℉ on Thursday, 63℉ on Friday, 68℉ on Saturday, 67℉ on Sunday, 62℉ on Monday and 60℉ on Tuesday and Wednesday. Lows will follow a similar pattern: 42℉ on Thursday, 44℉ on Friday, 48℉ on Saturday, 52℉ on Sunday, 50℉ on Monday and 49℉ on Tuesday and Wednesday. There will be rain on Monday, and the rest of the week will be cloudy.

Summary: Highs in the mid 60’s, lows in the low 50’s, clouds.

Olympus (Tacoma): Highs will fluctuate this week: 59℉ on Thursday, 65℉ on Friday, 70℉ on Saturday, 69℉ on Sunday, 64℉ on Monday, 62℉ on Tuesday and 61℉ on Wednesday. Lows will follow a similar pattern: 42℉ on Thursday, 44℉ on Friday, 49℉ on Saturday, 52℉ on Sunday, 50℉ on Monday and 49℉ on Tuesday and Wednesday. It will rain on Monday and the rest of the week will be cloudy.

Summary: Highs in the upper 60’s, lows in the low 50’s, clouds.

Denali (Sunnyvale): Highs will rise then fall this week: 80℉ on Thursday and Friday, 82℉ on Saturday, 84℉ on Sunday, 87℉ on Monday, 83℉ on Tuesday and 80℉ on Wednesday. Lows will follow a similar pattern: 51℉ on Thursday, 54℉ on Friday, 53℉ on Saturday, 56℉ on Sunday, 57℉ on Monday, 56℉ on Tuesday and 55℉ on Wednesday. It will be sunny all week.

Summary: Highs in the mid 80’s, lows in the mid 50’s, sun.

Everest and Prep (Redwood City): Highs will rise then fall this week: 72℉ on Thursday, 75℉ on Friday, 76℉ on Saturday, 77℉ on Sunday, 80℉ on Monday, 77℉ on Tuesday and 75℉ on Wednesday. Lows will hold pretty steady this week: 51℉ on Thursday, 53℉ on Friday, 52℉ on Saturday, 54℉ on Sunday, 56℉ on Monday and 54℉ on Tuesday and Wednesday. It will be sunny all week, but there will be clouds on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Summary: Highs in the mid 70’s, lows in the mid 50’s, sun.

K2 (El Cerrito): Highs will hold pretty steady this week, though they will fluctuate a bit: 78℉ on Thursday and Friday, 76℉ on Saturday, 77℉ on Sunday, 82℉ on Monday, 79℉ on Tuesday and 76℉ on Wednesday. Lows will also hold pretty steady this week: 53℉ on Thursday and Friday, 51℉ on Saturday, 55℉ on Sunday, 56℉ on Monday, 54℉ on Tuesday and 53℉ on Wednesday. It will be sunny all week, though there will be some clouds.

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

Tam (Richmond): Highs will fluctuate a bit this week: 80℉ on Thursday and Friday, 77℉ on Saturday, 79℉ on Sunday, 83℉ on Monday, 80℉ on Tuesday and 77℉ on Wednesday. Lows will follow a similar pattern: 54℉ on Thursday, 53℉ on Friday, 51℉ on Saturday, 55℉ on Sunday, 56℉ on Monday, 54℉ on Tuesday and 53℉ on Wednesday. It will be sunny all week, though there will be some clouds.

Summary: Highs in the low 80’s, lows in the mid 50’s, sun.

Shasta (Daly City): Highs will hold pretty steady this week: 65℉ on Thursday, 66℉ on Friday, 67℉ on Saturday, 68℉ on Sunday, 71℉ on Monday, 68℉ on Tuesday and 66℉ on Wednesday. Lows will follow a similar pattern: 50℉ on Thursday, 51℉ on Friday, 50℉ on Saturday, 53℉ on Sunday and Monday, 52℉ on Tuesday and 51℉ on Wednesday. It will be very windy on Thursday and the rest of the week will be sunny, though there will be clouds.

Summary: Highs in the upper 60’s, lows in the low 50’s, sun and clouds.

Tahoma (San Jose): Highs will rise this week: 81℉ on Thursday, 82℉ on Friday, 84℉ on Saturday, 86℉ on Sunday, 90℉ on Monday, 86℉ on Tuesday and 83℉ on Wednesday. Lows will follow a similar pattern: 52℉ on Thursday, 55℉ on Friday, 54℉ on Saturday, 58℉ on Sunday, 59℉ on Monday and 57℉ on Tuesday and Wednesday. It will be a sunny week.

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

Cooking: Tiramisu

By Lauren Allen on Tastes Better From Scratch

Serves 9

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
8 ounce container mascarpone cheese, room temperature
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups cold espresso
3 Tablespoons coffee flavored liqueur, optional (Kahlua or DaVinci brands)
1 package Lady Fingers, Savoiardi brand can be found in the cookie aisle at your local grocery store, or online
Cocoa powder for dusting the top

Instructions:

Add whipping cream to a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed with electric mixers (or use a stand mixer). Slowly add sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until stiff peaks. Add mascarpone cheese and mix just until combined. Set aside.
Add coffee and liqueur to a shallow bowl. Dip the lady fingers in the coffee (Don’t soak them–just quickly dip them on both sides to get them wet) and lay them in a single layer on the bottom of an 8×8” or similar size pan.
Smooth half of the mascarpone mixture over the top. Add another layer of dipped lady fingers. Smooth remaining mascarpone cream over the top.
Dust cocoa powder generously over the top (I use a fine mesh strainer to do this). Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours or up to overnight before serving.

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.

This actions section will be in honor of Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month (APIDA). APIDA Heritage Month was first recognized by the government as Asain-Pacific Heritage Week in 1978 before Barack Obama officially signed into law that the month of May would be APIDA Heritage Month in 2009.

For more information and interaction with APIDA Heritage Month, visit here
Visit here to become more aware of Asian hate crimes and to learn about the different campaigns against and click this link to see how you can contribute to the fight against Asian hate through the nonprofit Stop AAPI Hate.
Link up with your school’s Asian Student Union (or other simioalr clubs) to learn more about Asian culture and figures, or if your school sends out emails in support of APIDA Heritage Month, read those!

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/.

FEATUED IMAGE (at the top of the page): A depiction of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un and the North Korean Flag; PHOTO CREDIT: Pixabay via Vic_b