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United States
Court Clears Alabama Re-Map
In a 6-3 decision yesterday, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the state of Alabama to update its congressional district map. The 3-judge minority opposed to the decision contended that with elections in the state set for next week, the Supreme Court’s decision could result in confusion for Alabamians. The “new” map in question had been approved by the Alabama legislature in 2023, but has been held up in legal challenges since then. A map selected by a three-judge district court panel creating two majority-Black congressional districts was in effect for the 2024 elections. The map cleared by the Supreme Court will reduce the number of majority-Black districts to one, which Democrats have contended will reduce Black representation in Congress. The decision on the Alabama map comes in the wake of a more monumental decision by the Supreme Court on Lousiana’s redistricting efforts, establishing that race cannot be the primary factor in the drawing of district maps, changing prior interpretations of section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
This map depicts the congressional district map imposed by courts for use in the 2024 election and the “new” map, originally approved by the Alabama legislature in 2023, which has been cleared for use in upcoming elections by the United States Supreme Court. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: AL.com
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World
Hondius Passengers Disembark
As of Sunday, May 10, all passengers and many crew members of the cruise ship MV Hondius, which saw a wave of infections of the deadly hantavirus, disembarked at Spain’s Canary Islands and almost all the passengers have returned to their countries of origin. Following the confirmation of hantavirus among the passengers last week, the Hondius was redirected from its originally-planned final destination of Cabo Verde to Spain’s Canary Islands, where officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) were prepared to assist in monitoring the health of the passengers and crew and the possible spread of the virus. As of this morning, WHO has confirmed 11 total cases of hantavirus from the Hondius, including the three who previously died from the infection. The 18 American passengers are currently back in the United States in quarantine for an indeterminate period of time, with one testing mildly positive for the virus and another displaying symptoms. The WHO is continuing the investigation on the condition of 30 passengers who disembarked from the Hondius at the remote Atlantic island of St. Helena on April 24, before the outbreak of hantavirus was confirmed.
This map depicts the returns by passengers and crew of the MV Hondius to their countries of origin, following confirmation of an outbreak of deadly hantavirus on the ship. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: CNN
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World
Antarctic Ice Melt ‘Triple Whammy’
Scientists believe they have identified the ‘triple whammy’ behind Antarctica’s dramatic collapse, shedding new light on the chain reaction that has pushed its sea ice to record lows. A new study in Science Advances found that a combination of deep ocean heat, powerful winds, and a self-reinforcing feedback loop has destabilized the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica since 2015, preventing the sea ice from recovering. The feedback loop kicks in when, with less sea ice left to melt, the ocean surface remains warmer and saltier, making it harder for new ice to form. The research also found some big differences in how the losses are unfolding across the continent. In East Antarctica, the decline is largely due to warm water rising from the deep. In West Antarctica, warm air from the subtropics and persistent cloud cover trapped heat near the ocean surface, contributing to major melting events during the summers of 2016 and 2019. Researchers warn that the losses could disrupt ocean currents, accelerate warming and contribute to rising sea levels worldwide.
This map summarizes the processes driving Antarctic sea ice loss. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What desert is home to the Skeleton Coast?
A: Namib Desert
The Skeleton Coast is the northern part of the Atlantic coast of Namibia. The term is often used to describe the entire Namib Desert coast. The indigenous San people of the Namibian interior called the region “The Land God Made in Anger”, while Portuguese sailors once referred to it as “The Gates of Hell”. On the coast, the upwelling of the cold Benguela current gives rise to dense ocean fogs for much of the year. The winds blow from land to sea, rainfall rarely exceeds 0.39 in (10 millimeters) annually, and the climate is highly inhospitable. The area’s name derives from the whale and seal bones that once littered the shore, partly due to the whaling industry, although in modern times the coast also harbors the skeletal remains of the shipwrecks caused by offshore rocks and fog.
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Q: What country is home to the highest density of lightning in the world?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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