Throughout the month of August the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest faced thousands of fires that affected many plants, animals, and their ecosystems in the process. The Amazon Rainforest is the largest tropical rainforest in the world and contains 10% of the world’s biodiversity and 15% of its freshwater. In addition to that, it also contains 10% of earth’s animal population. With all that said, by the end of August there were 41, 858 fires which destroyed a portion of these vital aspects of the world.

From January to August of 2019, there have been approximately 251 shootings in the United States, making it the country with the most shootings in the world. People all over are astonished and confused as to why this keeps happening and what the cause of it is. Some people blame it on video games, others mental health issues, and recently some have linked these shootings with white supremacy. 

Hurricane Dorian had a path of destruction. The hurricane ruined homes, caused deaths, and has been one of the most detrimental hurricanes in  years to hit the Bahamas. The hurricane struck with winds reaching about 185 miles per hour, rated at a category five, on September 1, 2019. 

In recent developments, largely sparked by the occurrence of protests outside of the VMAs that took place in New Jersey’s Prudential Center in August, awareness about Newark’s water crisis has come to light. The water was unsafe for consumption and bottles were passed out to citizens to use for their cooking, cleaning, drinking, and other needs. The fight to fix the problem is still ongoing.

On Monday, June 3rd, Jeopardy phenomenon James Holzhauer saw his journey come to a close. During his 33rd game, less than $60,000 away from beating the record set by Ken Jennings, another famous Jeopardy contestant, he was defeated by librarian Emma Boettcher. His unexpected loss came as a shock to Jeopardy viewers and set the internet on fire with articles and videos and blogs regarding his defeat. Win or lose, James has managed to catch the attention of the world with his incredible strategies and his prodigious intelligence.

In the last two decades, technology has completely changed the daily lives of most Americans. For example, with a push of a button, a person can come to where you are, drive you where you want to be, and you don’t even have to take out your wallet. With technology, certain privileges have become part of our lives.

Every year, AP Government and Politics teacher Mr. Steven Digregorio invites Nutley’s Representative to talk to students about the issues that matter most. On May 29, 2019, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill took questions from both AP Government and AP Macroeconomic students in the NHS Media Center. She covered everything from the conflicts in Iran to impeaching President Trump, answering every question with detail and precision.

On May 14, 2019, the state of Alabama made national headlines, stirring up controversy with their new bill that addressed one of the most sensitive topics in the country and likely during the 2020 Presidential election. The new bill would be the strictest policy on abortion in the country in decades. What many are calling a proposed “abortion ban” would essentially restrict all legal abortions in the state of Alabama with the exception of very specific circumstances.

Recently, the President of the United States,Donald J. Trump, went to New England on a political visit to discuss the country’s relationship with the United Kingdom and their military ties. The President spent three days in England: June 3rd, 4th, and 5th. This was the President's second visit to the UK since his term began, although the first also included a golf trip.

Following are the details of his June 2019 visit.

Day 1: Monday, June 3, 2019

On June 30, people throughout the New York metropolitan area will gather on 5th Avenue in New York City for the annual Pride March. With explosions of color and sound, and thousands of diverse individuals, the march is a way for people in the LGBTQ+ community to be proud of who they are and celebrate their history. The New York City Pride March is one of the largest in the world, and just one event of thousands across the globe annually.

One million animal species are dying out, and the fingers are mostly pointed at humanity. Examples of well known species that have made the endangered list are giraffes, sea turtles, and Asian elephants. Losing any of these animals will not only be a loss for zoos, but it will also be detrimental to the ecosystem overall. According to wwf.panda.org, the annual extinction rate is 0.01%  which means we are losing at least 10,000 species a year. 

On Tuesday, May 7, Denver, Colorado recently experienced a mass shooting at the STEM School Highlands Ranch. One student died and eight others were wounded. The suspects are two students, one a minor, and the other 18. Due to the fact he is a minor  the first male’s name will not be mentioned in this article, but the other male is known as Devon Erickson.

Around the globe, drivers of rideshare companies Uber and Lyft went on strike on Wednesday, May 8 to demand better pay, better benefits, and job security. As Uber and Lyft have completely changed the game for transportation services, backlash from their drivers has raised questions about their ethics and policies.

Bad Teacher. Dead Poets Society. Mean Girls. High School Musical. Each of these movies has contributed to the societal view of teachers. Whether the teacher is supportive as Ms. Darbus in High School Musical or disinterested as Cameron Diaz’s Elizabeth in Bad Teacher, fictional teachers create false narratives of the real people who shape our lives at a young age and help mold us into the adults we become. Our real teachers put in countless extra hours outside of contracted time to ensure we excel in and out of the classroom.

2019 has been a rollercoaster of a year for Nutley High School, with no shortage of hot topics. The new bathroom security system is the latest in a string of innovations brought to NHS. Beginning in early May, all bathrooms in Nutley High School became locked during school hours and can only be opened with a designated, electronic pass. This new initiative has come to many students with dismay but, will likely prove to be for the greater good of Nutley High School.

In early April President Donald Trump discussed closing the Mexican-American border indefinitely. This effected imports and exports. This issue has quickly become a topic of significant controversy among many, but interestingly, much of the controversy has come not because of the border close itself but rather because of some of the possible ramifications. Trump’s proposed immigration policy would result in several imported goods becoming scarce in the United States. One product which would see an effect is avocados.

The grainy image of red and yellowish hues surrounding a black dot could be mistaken for a strawberry donut at first glance, but it is actually one of the universe’s most peculiar and mysterious objects. On April 10, 2019, a successful algorithm was able to capture the first image of a black hole outside of its event horizon. Katie Bouman is responsible for this algorithm and is currently receiving praise for procuring a major breakthrough in the astrophysics field. 

Uber. Lyft. You’ve probably heard the names in the news recently. Uber and Lyft are the relatively new forms of taxi services, often thought of as simple and quick ways to get where you need to go, but the new incidents appearing in the news are making users question the safety of the services. Users of these taxi services are now trying to figure out which  is safer for their families and themselves.

For many, college has become a staple of post high school life. As humanity progresses, more and more jobs require higher-level skills. As a result, a four-year bachelor’s degree has become a prerequisite for almost any job. Now, high school students have much more to worry about. With GPAs, ACTs, SATs, AP tests, extracurriculars, languages, and so much more, this generation of students have a lot of their plate. As their future may depend on these factors, one must hope that this system is equal and just.