Your Summit Weekly Briefing

By Jovani Contreras, Ethan Ignatovsky, Diana Morales and Sean Quigley

Staff Editors

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. Next week, Summit students will take the first step in choosing their courses since the expeditions redesign. An email sent out by the Summit Team on Monday explains the future of expeditions.
2. Read the “Freshman Year Survival Guide” by Staff Editors Jovani Contreras and Rosie Eseteverena here. The article includes advice for incoming freshmen and tips that all students could use to get through the year

General News:

1. A murder investigation is underway after a car bomb killed the daughter of a prominent Russian ultranationalist in a Moscow suburb in late August. The father of the victim, Aleksandr Dugin, was a prominent Pro-Kremlin ultranationalist and a long time supporter of Russia’s reacquisition of Ukraine. Daria Dugina, the victim, shared her fathers views on the invasion of Ukraine, stating publicly that atrocities perpetrated in Kiev by Russian soldiers were staged. Ukraine officials claim that the country played no part in the bombing, while Russian ultra-nationalists claim that the attack was an act of terror perpetrated by the Ukraine government.
2. The car and body of 16 year old Kiely Rodni have been found after two weeks of searching. On August 21, a group of independent searchers found a car containing a body believed to be Rodni in Prosser Reservoir. Rodni was supposedly last seen after midnight on August 6th in Truckee, California. Rodni’s car, a 2013 Honda CRV also went missing around the same time, leading law enforcement to believe that she was possibly abducted. Over 100 volunteers joined a search to find her. A reward of 50,000 dollars was offered for her discovery. 

Health/Medicine: 

1. Dr. Anthony Fauci, face of the Covid-19 pandemic, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and Chief Medical Advisor to the President, is retiring at the end of 2022 after almost 40 years as the United States top infectious disease expert. Dr. Fauci, who will turn 82 in December, has been in the NIAID since since the Reagan administration and has been at the forefront of the US’s fight against not only Covid, but the AIDS epidemic, the anthrax attacks, Ebola virus, Zika virus, the West Nile Virus, and various influenza threats. Despite threats and political pressure, Dr. Fauci has stated that these issues did not play a role in his decision.
2. On Monday, Pfizer asked US regulators to authorize a combination vaccine that could be a key component of another round of booster shots this fall. Pfizer plans on the booster being available to Americans aged 12 and up. The combination vaccine is being called a “second generation vaccine” and will train the immune system like the current vaccine. The vaccine will fight against older variants as well as the BA.5 variant which is the source of almost all current Covid-19 infections as of this writing. Pfizer hopes to get the vaccine out into the public within a few weeks. In other vaccine news, Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine has been approved for emergency use in kids aged 12-17 by the US Food and Drug Administration. The Novavax vaccine is different from other available vaccines, as it uses protein based technology. The vaccine has been shown to have a “broad” response to the BA.5 variant.
3. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released an information packet online about Monkeypox in schools and other services for children last Friday. The CDC says the chances of children catching Monkeypox is very low, as most cases have been spread through sexual contact, although it is possible to be spread through contaminated objects. The CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water, disinfecting surfaces, and other common sense practices to help eliminate the chance of Monkeypox spreading, but notes there is no need for widespread vaccination.

Politics: 

1. In Jacksonville, Florida, activists say “Black voters are being wiped away from their right to vote.” This is because of the new election laws and congressional redistricting of the primary elections on Tuesday. Since the 2020 election, laws were passed that place new restrictions on voters and third-party groups as well, who are in charge of registering racial minorities. Volunteer organizations have gone out to help Black voters update their voting registration. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a new policing unit that is charging convicted felons and taking away their voting rights even though they weren’t informed they did not have the right to vote. Activist Ben Frazier said, “We know that this is one of many attempts to suppress the Black vote.” The state used to have four seats filled by African-American candidates, this way they had enough votes to elect the candidate of their own choice. Now there are only two seats in the state, and one of those seats was for Black communities in Jacksonville. 
2. U.S officials have stated that the Biden Administration will be expecting to give Ukraine $3 billion in military aid. The U.S is sending new equipment like drones, weapons, ammunition, etc. Although, this equipment won’t be used in battle for another year or two. The U.S is going to be supporting Ukraine long term. Other NATO allies like Germany and Canada have been choosing to support Ukraine by providing more equipment and helping the country’s defense ministry. The U.S has already provided $10.6 billion in aid for Ukraine, with 19 total shipments of weapons. Wednesday will be Ukraine’s independence day and the six-month point in the war.
3. In Texas abortion has been banned and the Biden Administration tried to enforce hospitals to provide emergency abortions to women regardless of the state ban. The overturning of Roe v. Wade allows states to regulate and in some cases completely ban abortion. Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton summarized that what the U.S Department of Health and Human Services was trying to do was unauthorized and contradicted federal law. A bill protecting emergency abortions was recently declined and U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix even agreed and stated that the guidance went “too far” in extending the 1986 federal law, which is hospitals providing emergency abortions. 

Sports:

MLB:

1. 2021 National League MVP Bryce Harper nears his return to the Philadelphia Phillies after his left thumb was fractured by San Diego Padres starter Blake Snell’s 97mph fastball on June 25th. Harper took part in batting practice last week, which was the first time he swung a bat since being placed on the injured list. The Phillies plan to play Harper in rehab games through Saturday for their Triple-A affiliate, the Leigh Valley IronPigs, and return to the major league lineup on Monday to play the Diamondbacks in Arizona. Harper looks ready to go now though, he went 3-2 with two home runs and two walks in his first rehab game on Tuesday. The return of Harper to the lineup will be a huge boost to a Phillies team in the midst of fighting for a playoff spot. 
2. Dodgers star pitcher Walker Buehler likely won’t be back on the mound in dodger blue until 2024 after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery. Although the surgery was successfully performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, this being his second time having the UCL repairing surgery, the recovery time is expected to be longer than the standard 12 months. Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman spoke about the operation saying, “It went as well as could possibly be expected… but there’s no sugarcoating it, it’s a tough blow.” There is a small possibility that Buehler could return late in the 2023 season, but Friedman said that Buehler is going to be “really smart about it.” Buhler also underwent flexor tendon surgery, but it will not lengthen his recovery process.  

NBA:

1. The 2022 offseason has been a headache for the Brooklyn Nets to say the least. First there was drama with Kyrie Irving about his contract and a potential trade before it became clear that he would stay in Brooklyn. The Nets weren’t out of the woods yet though, as Kevin Durant requested a trade and later made it clear to Nets Governor Joe Tsai that the team needed to choose between him or Coach Steve Nash and General Manager Sean Marks. Durant seemed to not want anything to do with the Nets in their current form, but on Monday him and the team seemed to make up as he met with Nash, Marks, Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, another governor for the Nets, and the sides agreed to move forward together. The collective focus being to bring a championship back to Brooklyn. In contrast to Durant’s initial demands, this agreement included both Durant and the current team management staying in the picture. For the 2022-23 season, at least the Nets will have another chance at a title with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving leading the way.
2. The New York Knicks are the team most likely to land Utah Jazz Shooting Guard Donovan Mitchell, but talks have reached an impasse as the two teams are in disagreement over how many unprotected first round picks should be included in the deal. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the latest offer is Power Forward Obi Toppin, Shooting Guard Evan Fournier, two unprotected first round picks, three protected first round picks, and cash. Jazz President Danny Ainge doesn’t want two unprotected first round picks though, he want’s four. Giving up four picks would obviously limit the Knick’s ability to grow through the draft but if they want to add another player through trade, giving up four picks to the Jazz limits that ability as well. Danny Ainge is reportedly high on Knicks Shooting Guard Quentin Grimes, so if the Knicks are willing to give him up they could potentially keep a pick. The Jazz are asking a lot, and if the Knicks end up agreeing to their terms they will have to add another star in free agency to help accomplish to goal of making a playoff run. If they don’t though, the Lakers could emerge as a new favorite to land the young three time All-Star. 

Entertainment:

1. “House of the Dragon” – a prequel to the fantasy show “Game of Thrones” premiered to 10 million viewers for its first episode across HBO Max and Linear platforms in the US. According to HBO, the debut, titled, “The Heirs of the Dragon,” is “the largest audience for any new original series in the history of HBO.” The first season currently has an 83% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes.
2. The finale of the drama series “Better Call Saul” launched as the series’ most watched episode since 2017. The series finale was the most watched episode in its season with an audience of 2.7 million on AMC, and was the most watched episode since the show’s season 3 finale back in 2017. The show is nominated for a total of seven Emmy awards including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Bob Odenkirk. 
3. The film “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero” beat out the film “Beast” starring Idris Elba at the box office last weekend. “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero,” topped the charts in its debut weekend with $20.1 million in ticket sales, overcoming the action film “Beast” starring Elba which only debuted to $11.6 million. “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero” produced by Toei Animation, was released by Crunchyroll on 3,900 screens in North America, making it the widest distributed anime film ever. The film is a continuation of the “Dragon Ball” franchise and was directed by Tetsuro Kodama and was supported by the series creator Akira Toriyama. The film “Beast” opened on 3,743 screens in North America. 

Weather:

Atlas and Sierra (Seattle): Expect mid-high 80℉ temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday, with cloudy, mid-low 70℉ temperatures on Friday and Saturday; Sunday will be partly sunny, 74℉

Summary: Temperatures will range from mid 80s to low 70s

 

Olympus (Tacoma): Wednesday and Thursday will both be sunny days; temperatures will remain in the mid 80℉ range. Friday will be mostly cloudy, remaining in the mid 70s with a drop to low 70s on Saturday.  Expect partly sunny skies on Sunday.

Summary: Temperatures will range from mid 80s to mid 70s

 

Denali (Sunnyvale): Expect sunny days the entire week; temperatures will stay between the high 70s to mid 80℉ range.

Summary: Temperatures will range from mid 80s to high 70s

 

Everest and Prep (Redwood City): Partly sunny skies on Wednesday will be followed by sunny days on Thursday and Friday; temperatures will stay in the mid 70s. Expect clouds on Saturday and Sunday; temperatures will drop to low 70℉ range.

Summary: Temperatures will range from mid to high 70s

 

K2 (El Cerrito): Wednesday and Thursday will be very cloudy. Expect temperatures in the low 70s all week. Saturday and Sunday will be especially cold; temperatures will stay in the high 60℉ range.

Summary: Temperatures will stay in the high 60s

 

Tam (Richmond): Expect cloudy skies across the entire week; temperatures will remain in the low 70℉ range 

Summary: Temperatures will stay in the low 70s

 

Shasta (Daly City):  Expect cold and cloudy skies all week; temperatures will range from  the high 50s to high 60s

Summary: Temperatures will range from high 50s to high 60s

 

Tahoma (San Jose): Looks like the sun is gonna be out all week; expect low 80℉ temperatures from Wednesday to Sunday.

Summary: Temperatures will stay in the low 80s

Cooking: Easy Five Minute Ice Cream

By Pamela Euless-Barker on allrecipes.com

Total Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1(10 ounce) package of frozen strawberries
• ½ cup sugar
• ⅔ cup heavy whipping cream
• ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
• Splenda (optional)

Instructions: 

1. Combine the frozen strawberries and sugar in a food processor or blender. Process until the fruit is roughly chopped. 
2. With the processor/blender running, slowly pour in the heavy cream and vanilla extract until fully incorporated. Add Splenda sweetener to your liking.
3. Serve immediately, or freeze for up to one week.

Nutrition Facts:

258 calories; protein 1.1g; carbohydrates 32.5g; fat 14.8g per 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.

Contribute directly to “Doctors Without Borders” Staffers with the medical relief organization remain in Ukraine and are “seeking ways to respond to the medical and humanitarian needs as the conflict evolves.” Offer support here.

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• Learn more about the crisis at www.monareliefye.org

FEATURED IMAGE: Kyrie Irving (left) and Kevin Durant (right) on the Brooklyn Nets bench PHOTO CREDIT: Ryan via US Gambling Sites