Pressed Prez- On Friday November 8, 2024, a group of Seattle community members and parents filed a petition to recall current Seattle School Board President Liza Rankin. Amidst the displeasure of school closures, budgeting and deficit issues, the group accused Rankin of misfeasance (wrongful use of lawful authority) and malfeasance (wrongdoing). The group states that Rankin was hasty to close schools, did not communicate with the public about district decisions, and has not been accountable for improving academics.

Poisonous Plastic- On November 14, 2024, The New York Times published an article in which they explained that cooking utensils with black plastic could contain high levels of toxic chemicals. According to a Harvard study, cooking with any plastic is dangerous as the heat expels plastic compounds into food, however black plastic, usually made from recycled electronic waste, is particularly harmful. Many technological devices are treated with flame retardant, in order to prevent overheating and fires, and when that is recycled into cooking devices, the consumption of those chemicals has the potential to cause hormonal and developmental impacts, or even cancer. Instead of plastic, the NYT recommends stainless steel, wood, or silicone for cooking utensils.

Trump Cabinet Under Fire- On Sunday, November 18, news broke that another Trump cabinet member is embroiled in controversy. Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, paid an undisclosed amount to a woman who accused him of sexual assault. The President-elect praised his work, saying he used his “platform to fight for our Military and Veterans.” Hegseth is the second member of Trump’s cabinet to face sex controversies, after Attorney General pick Matt Gaetz, who resigned abruptly from his position in the house days before the Ethics Committee concluded an investigation into whether he had had sex with a 17-year-old girl and engaged in illicit drug use.

Mount Fuji Sees Snow- On November 6, Mount Fuji saw its first snowfall of the year, a month later than usual. Last summer was Japan’s hottest on record, and this was the latest first snowfall of the season ever recorded. While scientists cannot directly link the late snow to climate change, it is in line with what scientists expect a warming world could look like.

Save The Trees- On November 7, 2024, Dave Upthegrove won the race to become the next Washington state land commissioner. The job entails overseeing around six million acres of public land in order to preserve forests and prevent logging. Upthegrove’s campaign was focused mainly on promises of conservation efforts, stating that we need to preserve land with minimal cutting. However, logging on public land is a source of funding for K-12 schools. Upthegrove has not specified how he will make up for that loss, but this new age of conservation is sure to lead to more climate change focused policy.