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United States
U.S. Tariff Rates Jump
New United States tariffs on 66 countries went into effect at midnight last night, raising the prospect of Americans paying an average of 18.3% more for imported products. Although almost the entire world has been subject to at least a 10% tariff since April, today’s tariffs start at 15% and reach up to 50%, representing import tax levels not seen in nearly 100 years. These tariff rates also continue to be highly volatile. Just yesterday, Trump signed an executive order placing an additional 25% tariff on India for the country’s purchase of Russian oil, bringing their total tariff rate to 50%.
This map depicts the trade deals and tariff rates to which each country is subject. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: New York Times
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France
Largest Wildfire in 75 Years
A massive wildfire in southern France, the country’s biggest since 1949, has burned 39,537 acres (16,000 hectares) across the Corbières massif near the Spanish border. The blaze, which began on Tuesday, has devastated an area one-and-a-half times larger than Paris, destroying at least 36 homes and forcing evacuations. One elderly woman has died, three people remain missing, and 13 others – including 11 firefighters – have been injured, with two in critical condition. Despite cooler temperatures and reduced winds slowing the fire’s spread since Wednesday, it remains active and dangerous. Over 2,000 firefighters, along with 500 fire vehicles, gendarmerie, and army personnel, are engaged in firefighting efforts. Meanwhile, France’s weather office has issued a warning for another heatwave expected to hit the southern parts of the country on Friday.
This map depicts the spread of wildfires in France’s Aude region, with active fire zones marked over the past 48 hours. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC News
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China
Battle Against Chikungunya Virus
Chinese health authorities are taking measures against an outbreak of chikungunya virus that has emerged in the city of Foshan, in Guangdong province. As of Wednesday, over 7,000 cases of the disease, which causes high fever and joint pain, have been reported. Health officials are engaging in a multi-pronged effort to control populations of the mosquitos that carry the virus, including imposing fines on individuals with standing water around their homes where mosquitos lay eggs, spraying insecticide, and distributing nets for people to protect themselves. Workers are even releasing fish that eat mosquito larvae into waterways and ponds, and “elephant mosquitos” whose own larvae eat the larvae of disease-bearing mosquitos. Chikungunya was first identified in Tanzania in 1952, and has never previously been established in mainland China, meaning the population has no natural immunity to ward off the virus. A few vaccines exist but are largely targeted to travellers and are not produced on a large scale.
This map depicts the city of Foshan, in green, within China’s province of Guangdong, where a large outbreak of chikungunya virus has sickened over 7,000 people. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Challenger Deep, the deepest known point in the ocean, lies within which trench near the U.S. territory of Guam?
A: Mariana Trench
Challenger Deep is the deepest known point in the ocean, located in the Mariana Trench east of the Philippines and about 200 miles (322 km) southwest of Guam. The trench itself is over 1,500 miles (2,550 km) long and averages 43 miles (69 km) wide. Challenger Deep reaches a depth of roughly 35,876 feet (10,935 m). For comparison, if Mount Everest were placed inside, its peak would still lie more than a mile (1.6 km) below the ocean surface. The site was first measured by the HMS Challenger in 1875 and has only been reached by two people. Today, most of the trench lies within the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, a U.S.-protected zone established in 2009.
Source
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Q: Which U.S. state has the longest freshwater shoreline?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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