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United States
Mask Mandates
Cases of COVID-19 are continuing to surge across the United States and hospitals in many areas are stretching to capacity as the winter approaches. State governors are re-imposing limits on businesses and imposing mask mandates. For example, as of last Saturday, New Yorkers must live under the new restrictions of bars and restaurants closing their doors at 10 p.m. Similar measures are being introduced in other states. This map by The New York Times looks at individual states’ mask mandates. The majority of states have made masks mandatory while out in public. Others have it as a requirement when social distancing is not possible, and some have no restrictions or mandates for mask-wearing.
This map depicts the states in the U.S. where masks are either mandatory, sometimes required, or not required. Click on the map to learn more.
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Western Sahara
29-Year Ceasefire Abandoned
Following a confrontation at the border between Western Sahara and Morocco, the leader of the Polisario Front, Western Sahara’s independence movement, said the group has ended their 29-year ceasefire with Morocco. Ibrahim Ghali, leader of Polisario, has signed a decree announcing the end of the ceasefire and blamed Morocco for initially breaking it. Polisario fighters have started attacking Moroccan positions at different points along the frontline. This conflict comes after Moroccan forces entered a buffer zone on Friday to open up a road blocked by the independence group. The road is Morocco’s main connection to the rest of the continent, although Polisario believes it to be an illegal crossing point, and has had it blocked since October 21st. Morocco’s Head of Government, Saad Eddine El Othmani, stated that “Morocco wants a political solution and has no problem with dialogue and negotiations…” however his army is prepared to respond to any provocations.
This map shows how much of Western Sahara is controlled by Polisario and the location in which confrontation has occurred at the border of Morocco. Click on the map to learn more.
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United States
SpaceX Launch
Last night, four astronauts were successfully launched on the SpaceX Crew Dragon ‘Resilience’ to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will take the three Americans and one Japanese astronaut twenty-seven hours to reach the two Russians and one other American already on-board the ISS where they will stay for six months. SpaceX will now operate a rotation of journeys to the station on behalf of NASA, acting as a taxi service to the station. The Crew Dragon capsule earlier this week became the first spacecraft to be certified by NASA in 40 years. The SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle is a reusable rocket and at the end of its missions, the Crew Dragon deploys parachutes and then splashes down in water, just as in the Apollo era.
This map depicts the route of the SpaceX Crew Dragon ‘Resilience’ on its journey to the International Space Station. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: At 11,034 meters (nearly seven miles) deep, the Marina Trench holds the title of being the word’s deepest ocean trench, but which trench is the second deepest?
A: Tonga Trench
Located in the south-west Pacific Ocean and at a length of about 850 miles (1,375 km), the Tonga Trench lies around 6.7 miles (10.882 km) below sea level. The trench has an average depth of 20,000 feet (6,000 m) and a width of about 50 miles (80 km). It reaches a maximum depth of 35,702 feet (10,882 m), known as the Horizon Deep, considered to be the second deepest point on earth after the Challenger Deep. The Tonga Trench also holds the title of being the deepest trench in the Southern Hemisphere.
Source
Click here to learn more about our upcoming Fall Symposium Geography 2050: The Future of the World Ocean.
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Q: At about 40 miles (65 km) long, which coastal lake is Asia’s largest brackish lagoon?
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