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.  

 

Content Warning: Mentions of explicit themes occur in the third section of “General News” and in “Actions”. 

Summit:

1. As the school year comes to a close, the Summit Public Schools administrators want you to take two surveys: The Family Survey and the Expeditions Experiences Survey. They will be used as a form of feedback to improve upon current systems that are already in place.
2. AP scores will officially be available on CollegeBoard on July 5, so note that down on your calendars! Also, make sure to choose which college/university you want to send your free AP score report to by June 20th!

General News:

1. 18-year-old Salvador Ramos mass murdered 19 students and two adults in Uvalde, Texas at Robb Elementary School this Tuesday. The perpetrator, who is believed to have acted alone, was killed by law enforcement, but not before he committed the most fatal school shooting in nearly a decade. Ramos appeared to have hinted at the upcoming atrocity on social media, posting about the guns he bought and warning the kids to “watch out”. At least 13 children are being treated for injuries along with Ramos’s grandmother, who he shot before driving to the school. This devastation comes less than two weeks after a mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, where 10 people perished at a supermarket. These tragedies pile upon the 250+ mass shootings that have already occurred this year alone, leading many to call out officials to take a stand. President Joe Biden is one of these people, asking hours after the attack, “…when in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?”. Other important public figures also joined in, with Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr making a short speech calling out U.S Senators to stop holding the American people “hostage” and to pass the background check legislation that has been collecting dust since the House of Representatives passed it 2021. 
2. The National Rifle Association (NRA) has officially started its annual convention in Houston, Texas, with people such as former Pres. Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz, and Gov. Greg Abbott all spoke at the event which will last through Sunday.  This comes days after the shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, which many Democrats called out,

asking them to move the event out of Texas or postpone it if they had any “decency”. Seemingly in response, Gov. Abbott withdrew from the event in respect to the mourning families in Uvalde and instead sent a video message. The CEO of the NRA, Wayne LaPierre, also spoke at the event, stating that every NRA member is mourning the loss of life in Uvalde, but said the solution to the issue of mass shootings is not regulations on guns, but to fully fund the police and the U.S.’s mental health system. However, many groups such as Black Lives Matter disagree with this sentiment and protested outside the event on Friday. Further action was taken as they called on the Democrat Mayor of Houston Sylvester Turner to cancel the event, but the Mayor responded that he could not due to a “contractual arrangement”. However, he still condemned other politicians speaking at the event, stating it was hypocritical of them to send condolences one day and champion guns the next. 

Health/Medicine: 

1. Early data is showing that Pfizer-BioNTech’s three-dose covid-19 vaccine for children 6 months old to 4 years old is 80% effective in preventing symptoms. The data is promising and we could see rollouts for the age group coming in the next few weeks. The FDA’s outside experts will meet on June 15th to discuss the vaccine, with authorization potentially coming in the days following the meeting. The data was collected on 1,700 kids. It was determined that three doses were necessary after two doses failed to generate the desired immune response to fight the new omicron variants. Moderna is also developing a vaccine for this age group that will be discussed on June 15.
2. More than 1 in 5 American adults who survived COVID-19 are experiencing “Long Covid”. Long Covid is when you continue to experience the symptoms of covid months after contracting covid. A new study by the CDC shows that for adult survivors under 65 years old, 1 in 5 are currently experiencing health conditions that can be linked to Long Covid. Long Covid has been linked by the CDC to affect the heart and blood circulation, the kidneys, the endocrine system as well as the musculoskeletal, respiratory and nervous systems. The CDC’s report concluded Long Covid could, “affect a patient’s ability to contribute to the workforce and might have economic consequences for survivors and their dependents”. One flaw in the study could be the vaccination status of the over 350,000 that participated in the study was not taken into consideration. However, Long Covid has negative effects either way, and the more experts understand the better it can be combated.
3. Snippet: Due to Monkeypox’s close relation to Smallpox, Smallpox vaccines work against Monkeypox. The Jynneos Smallpox vaccine is licensed to fight against Monkeypox. There are 1,000 doses of Jynneos available, and each person receiving the vaccine gets two doses. Nearly all Americans will not be getting the vaccine however, as the vaccination will be only for those that have been directly exposed to Monkeypox, and then at-risk groups.

Politics:

1. Russian diplomat to the United Nations Boris Bondarev resigned because he believes the war “unleashed by Putin against Ukraine” is “bloody, witless”. Russia has not responded yet. His letter criticized President Putin and the other leaders of Russia who condoned the war, saying they allowed it to continue because they want “to stay in power forever”. In related news, Phillippine President Rodrigo Duterte berated Putin for killing civilians in Ukraine. He said while he has also been called a killer, he only kills criminals, not “children and the elderly”. He also denied Russia’s claims that the war in Ukraine was a “special military operation”, saying the war was an invasion.
2. The Supreme Court ruled that state prisoners cannot present evidence in court that they were not adequately represented by their lawyers. The vote was 6-to-3. NPR reported this is very different from the 2012 ruling when the court ruled that if a “state court “substantially” interferes with a defendant’s constitutional right to be represented by counsel, the defendant, with a new lawyer, may appeal to federal court to show that he was denied his right to effective counsel”.
3. The Associated Press reported China is pushing for 10 Pacific nations to endorse an agreement. This agreement would cover “everything from security to fisheries in what one leader warns is a “game-changing” bid by Beijing to wrest control of the region”. The U.S. is concerned about this development; they worry China may “take advantage” and “destabilize the region”. U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said China “has a pattern of offering shadowy, vague deals with little transparency or regional consultation”.
4. Snippet: The U.S. has updated the use of force policies in a memo from the Attorney General. This policy states officers must stop other officers from using excessive force; it will go into effect on July 19.
5. Snippet: President Biden, while in Japan, appeared to walk back a decades-old policy of strategic ambiguity toward Taiwan, saying the U.S. would defend Taiwan with its military if China invaded. Later, the White House said the U.S. has not changed its stance regarding Taiwan.

Sports: 

NBA

1. The Golden State Warriors are heading to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2019 after beating the Dallas Mavericks in a 5 game Western Conference Finals Series. Two-time regular season MVP Steph Curry claimed his first individual playoff award, being named the Series MVP after a year where he was named to the All-NBA second team. Curry, as per usual, shot the ball well this series, but did a little bit of everything, averaging 23.8 PPG, 7.4 APG, and even 6.6 RPG. Dallas’s young franchise player Luka Doncic had himself an amazing series, averaging 32 points, six assists, and nine rebounds, but the Slovenian star couldn’t gather enough help from his teammates to take this series. This is the type of year the Mavericks can build off of, however, as they try to make their way back to the top of the NBA. The Warriors will play either the Miami Heat or the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, at the time of writing Boston is leading the Series 3-2. Whether it’s the Heat or the Celtics the Warriors will be facing a tough opponent as they go for their 7th championship in franchise history. 

NFL

1. Colin Kaepernick has been out of football since 2016, the former San Francisco 49er was the teams starting Quarterback for their 2012 Superbowl run, but ended up losing the big game. Kaepernick is more known for his action of kneeling during the National Anthem which he started in 2016 as a form of protest against racial inequality and police violence. Now 34, Kaepernick has completed his first workout with an NFL team since the 2016 season, Kaepernick never gave up trying to make it back to the NFL, but now the Las Vegas Raiders are giving him the chance to prove himself. Whether the workout will lead to a contract will only be known with time, but it’s a good step for Kaepernick in achieving his goal. 

Motorsports

1. The 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 will take place this Sunday, May 29th. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has held the event since its very first year, and although it has gone through revisions the goal is the same. Drivers will traverse the 2.5-mile track that features banking of 9.2° in the turns for 200 laps (aka 500 miles). Scott Dixon starts from the position for the 5th time in his career and is joined on the first row by reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou and Rinus Veekay. Caesars Sportsbooks gives 4-1 odds on Dixon converting his pole to a win as the favorite. CBS Sports’s model predicts that current Championship leader Will Power will win his second 500 despite starting 11th out of the 33 car field. 

Entertainment:

1. At the ongoing civil trial between formerly married celebrity couple Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, the President of DC Films, Walter Hamada, testified through recording that the studio never planned to have Amber Heard in a co-star role in “Aquaman the Lost Kingdom”, the sequel to DC’s highest-grossing film “Aquaman”. This follows claims by Heard that her role in the sequel had been reduced due to the current trial, which Hamada swiftly denied. Hamada also claimed that there were “concerns” about the on-screen chemistry between Jason Mamoa (Aquaman) and Heard, and that post-production was really what gave the pair more of a spark. Apparently, Heard was even in consideration to be replaced but was saved by Mamoa and director James Wan as per witness Kathryn Arnold. Closing statements for the trial are expected to take place this Friday. 
2. A new trailer for Marvel’s upcoming summer blockbuster “Thor: Love and Thunder” was released this past Monday. While not unveiling much more than the previous trailer did, fans did get a first look at the frightening Gorr the God Butcher, played by Christian Bale. The trailer also teases the returning relationship of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) along with a couple more action sequences. “Thor: Love and Thunder” debuts in theaters on July 8 of this year and will also feature the Guardians of the Galaxy, who have the third movie of their trilogy released in the spring of 2023.
3. Stranger Things season four, part one has officially been released on Netflix this Friday. Three years after the season, all of the kids have matured into young adults, bringing in new issues that come with growing up, one of them being an increased amount of bullying. However, the melodramatic aspects of the romance continuing as the characters mature may be a bit overused. Another downfall of the new season is the many different sub-plots which makes the beginning of the season feel particularly bloated. However, fans who have been waiting three years for new Stranger Things content may not be too mad about that. And of course, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brow) drives the emotional side of the series through flashbacks and the inner conflict of whether she is a monster or a hero. With old and new faces, Stranger Things will return on July 1 for the final two episodes. 

Weather:

Atlas and Sierra (Seattle): Highs this week will fall then rise: 66℉ on Thursday, 61℉ on Friday, 59℉ on Saturday and Sunday, 63℉ on Monday, 67℉ on Tuesday and 69℉ on Wednesday. Lows will hold more steady: 52℉ on Thursday, 48℉ on Friday, 49℉ on Saturday, 48℉ on Sunday, 49℉ on Monday, 51℉ on Tuesday and 52℉ on Wednesday. It will rain from Thursday to Sunday, and the rest of the week will be sunny but cloudy.

Summary: Highs in the mid 60’s, lows in the upper 40’s, rain, then sun and clouds.

 

Olympus (Tacoma) :Highs this week will fall then rise: 69℉ on Thursday, 62℉ on Friday, 58℉ on Saturday, 61℉ Sunday, 66℉ on Monday, 71℉ on Tuesday and 74℉ on Wednesday. Lows will hold more steady: 51℉ on Thursday, 47℉ on Friday, 48℉ on Saturday, 47℉ on Sunday and Monday, 49℉, 50℉ on Tuesday and 51℉ on Wednesday. It will rain from Thursday to Sunday, and the rest of the week will be sunny but cloudy.

Summary: Highs in the mid 60’s, lows in the upper 40’s, rain, then sun and clouds.

 

Denali (Sunnyvale): Highs will fall then rise this week: 80℉ on Thursday, 77℉ on Friday, 72℉ on Saturday, 71℉ on Sunday, 73℉ on Monday, 80℉ on Tuesday and 83℉ on Wednesday. Lows will hold more steady: 54℉ on Thursday, 52℉ on Friday, 53℉ on Saturday, 49℉ on Sunday, 51℉ on Monday, 53℉ on Tuesday and Wednesday. It will be mostly sunny the entire week, though there will be some clouds.

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

 

Everest and Prep (Redwood City): Highs will fall then rise this week: 74℉ on Thursday, 73℉ on Friday, 71℉ on Saturday, 70℉ on Sunday, 71℉ on Monday and 77℉  on Tuesday and Wednesday. Lows will hold pretty steady this week: 53℉ on Thursday, 52℉ on Friday, 53℉ on Saturday, 51℉ on Sunday and Monday and 52℉ on Tuesday and Wednesday. It will be a mostly sunny week, though there will be some clouds.

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

 

K2 (El Cerrito): Highs will rise overall this week: 62℉ on Thursday, 70℉ on Friday, 69℉ on Saturday, 71℉ on Sunday, 72℉ on Monday and 78℉  on Tuesday and Wednesday. Lows will also hold steady this week: 51℉  on Thursday, 52℉ on Friday and Saturday, 51℉ on Sunday, 52℉ from Monday to Wednesday. There will be clouds this week, but the majority of the week will be sunny.

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

 

Tam (Richmond): Highs will rise overall this week: 62℉ on Thursday, 72℉ on Friday, 70℉ on Saturday, 72℉ on Sunday, 73℉ on Monday and 79℉ on Tuesday and Wednesday. Lows will hold pretty steady this week: 51℉ on Thursday, 53℉ on Friday, 52℉ on Saturday, 51℉ on Sunday, 53℉ on Monday and 52℉ on Tuesday and Wednesday. It will be sunny for the majority of the week, though there will be some clouds.

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

 

Shasta (Daly City): Generally, highs will hold pretty steady this week: 58℉ on Thursday, 61℉ on Friday, 62℉ from Saturday to Monday, 67℉ on Tuesday and 66℉ on Wednesday. Lows will also hold pretty steady: 49℉ on Thursday and Friday, 50℉ on Saturday and 49℉ from Sunday to Wednesday. There will be a lot of wind on Sunday and clouds from Thursday to Saturday, but the rest of the week should be sunny.

Summary: Highs in the mid 60’s, lows in the upper 40’s, sun, some clouds.

 

Tahoma (San Jose): Highs will fall then rise this week: 82℉ on Thursday, 79℉ on Friday, 74℉ on Saturday, 73℉ on Sunday, 75℉ on Monday, 83℉ on Tuesday and 85℉ on Wednesday. Lows will follow a similar pattern: 55℉ on Thursday, 54℉ on Friday and Saturday, 50℉ on Sunday, 52℉ on Monday, 56℉ on Tuesday and 55℉ on Wednesday. It will generally be a sunny week, though there will be clouds.

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

Cooking: Blueberry Scones

By Sally on Sally’s Baking Addiction

 

Makes 8 scones

 

Ingredients:

•  2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled), plus more for hands and work surface
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick; 115g) unsalted butter, frozen
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream (plus 2 Tbsp for brushing)
• 1 large egg
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 heaping cup (180g) fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw)
• for topping: coarse sugar and vanilla icing

 

Instructions:

1. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Grate the frozen butter using a box grater. Add it to the flour mixture and combine with a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers until the mixture comes together in pea-sized crumbs. See video above for a closer look at the texture. Place in the refrigerator or freezer as you mix the wet ingredients together.
2. Whisk 1/2 cup heavy cream, the egg, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the flour mixture, add the blueberries, then mix together until everything appears moistened.
3. Pour onto the counter and, with floured hands, work dough into a ball as best you can. Dough will be sticky. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour. If it seems too dry, add 1-2 more Tablespoons heavy cream. Press into an 8-inch disc and, with a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut into 8 wedges.
4. Brush scones with remaining heavy cream and for extra crunch, sprinkle with coarse sugar. (You can do this before or after refrigerating in the next step.)
5. Place scones on a plate or lined baking sheet (if your fridge has space!) and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
7. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. After refrigerating, arrange scones 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet(s).
8. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and lightly browned on top. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes before topping with vanilla icing.
9. Leftover iced or un-iced scones keep well at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days.

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 light of the tragic Uvalde shooting at Robb Elementary School in Texas. 

 

America has been plagued by shootings far more than any other country. Many of you may be asking why is that. Some will say it is because of very loose gun regulations, others will say it’s not guns to blame but the people who are using them. However, the fact is, that is not either,  but a combination of both.  A balance between more regulations and better mental health practices is what will lead to a more peaceful society where schoolchildren don’t have to fear for their lives somewhere where they are supposed to feel safe. 

 

Here are some things you can do to help prevent these tragedies:

• Visit the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation online and donate to help support their movement to protect children from gun violence, learn about their programs and research which you can help implement at YOUR school, and/or learn how to take action through advocacy.
• Visit change.org to sign and spread many petitions such as this one to help convince officials to change their stance on gun laws and to spread awareness about this issue
• Visit March For Our Lives, an organization dedicated to protesting against gun violence across the U.S to see how you can get involved in different protests and marches. 

 

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/.

 

FEATURED IMAGE: Teenagers protesting against gun violence and for gun reform; PHOTO CREDIT: Lorie Shaull via Wikimedia Commons