News Brief #2: Cucumber shortage, astronauts stuck in space, and robot taxis

Georgia school shooting at Apalachee High school

Terror and shock struck the faculty and students of Apalachee High School on Sep. 4 when shots were fired. At around 9:45 a.m, Gunman Colt Gray asked to go to the bathroom and came back with an AR-15. He tried to go back to his classroom with the rifle but many students in the hallway and the class saw him. Gray killed two 14-year-old students and two teachers and sent nine injured to the hospital. Gray was charged and is currently in jail with his father, who legally bought the gun. More information and answers continue to be revealed about the shooting by students and law enforcement.

Astronauts stuck in space for eight months

In June of this year, Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams were sent to space for an eight-day mission on the International Space Station (ISS). During these eight days, the pair experienced troubles with helium leaks and thruster failures, leaving the two veteran Navy pilots stranded in space. NASA revealed in a statement that Wilmore and Williams will return to Earth in February aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members.

TikTok craze leads to Iceland cucumber shortage

Over the past few months, TikTok creator Logan Moffit, known as the “Cucumber Guy,” has captivated his audience with his cucumber recipes. His viral videos, which feature him tossing cucumbers and other flavorful ingredients into a container, gained massive popularity in July and August. As his fans rushed to recreate the recipes, cucumber sales soared globally, even leading to a cucumber shortage in Iceland, as farmers struggled to meet the sudden demand.

Shanghai hit by strongest typhoon in 75 years

A powerful typhoon recently slammed into the Philippines, triggering flash floods and landslides that wreaked widespread devastation. Three days later, the storm reached Southern China as a Category 4 hurricane. As Super Typhoon Yagi crossed warm waters, it rapidly intensified. Upon hitting China, over a million people were forced to evacuate, four lives were lost, 12 individuals went missing at sea, and more than 800,000 homes were left without power. Yagi unleashed destruction through flash floods, toppling trees, and flattening buildings, leaving China reeling from its worst storm in a decade, with the nation stunned by the extent of the damage.