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Brazil
COVID Reaches Critical Peak
Brazilian health institute Fiocruz is warning the country’s health services are near collapse as COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise past their previous peaks. According to this map from BBC News, COVID-19 units in 25 of Brazil’s 27 states are at 80% capacity or higher. In the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, there are no intensive care beds available. The health care crisis comes as the country announced 2,841 people died from the virus yesterday, its highest ever COVID-19 daily death toll. More than 282,000 people have died of the virus in Brazil, the second highest rate in the world behind the U.S., which has recorded nearly 537,000 deaths. On Monday, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announced Dr. Marcelo Queiroga will be taking over as the country’s health minister, the fourth person in the job since the pandemic began.
This map depicts the ICU capacity in Brazil. Click on the map to learn more.
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United States
Shootings in Atlanta Spas
A suspect has been arrested for a series of shootings at three spas in and around Atlanta, Georgia on Tuesday afternoon. Eight people, including at least six women of Asian descent, were confirmed dead at three separate spas, two in Atlanta proper and one in the northern suburb of Acworth. While the identities of the victims have not yet been made public, the government of South Korea has confirmed four of the victims were of Korean descent. The shooter’s motives remain unknown, but this incident comes as the U.S. has seen an uptick in violence directed towards Asian-Americans, amid a rise in rhetoric blaming them for the release and spread of COVID-19.
This map depicts the locations of the three shootings in and around Atlanta and the location of the suspected shooter’s arrest. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC
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Greenland
Ice Core Discovery
In 1963, scientists began extracting a 1 mile long ice core from the Greenland ice sheet that led to the discovery of 12 feet of frozen soil. At the time, tools were not available to properly examine the soil, but now, the forgotten ice core holds lessons about climate change. Scientists re-examined the soil under a microscope and found remnants of leaves and twigs. This provided enough evidence to support the theory that the ice sheet was previously a tundra landscape. Upon further research, scientists discovered the Greenland ice sheet melted to the ground in the past 1 million years, allowing the sun to warm the exposed soil long enough to grow vegetation. The new discovery shows the vulnerability of the Greenland ice sheet to changes in climate and the potential for melting to occur quickly as global warming continues.
This map depicts the comparison of Greenland’s landscape with and without the presence of the ice sheet. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Which U.S. city is the only airline hub within 10 hours of the major markets of North America, Europe, and Asia?
A: Anchorage, Alaska
Due to the curvature of the earth, Anchorage’s location nearer to the North Pole and at the far western edge of the North American continent and just east of Asia makes it an ideal location to serve as a hub to move deliveries between major markets on both those continents and in Europe. Flights to Europe from Anchorage actually pass through the Arctic Circle, reminding us that effective geographical thinking is three-dimensional.
Source
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Q: Which Spanish city hosted the first Saint Patrick’s Day parade in 1601?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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