Shark Scoop is a weekly roundup of five stories that examine developments in local, national, and global news, as well as a top headline in entertainment and sports.
BY: EMMA NIECE / STAFF WRITER
NYC Rats are Out of Control, the City Takes Action
Is NYC winning in its fight against the rats? There are currently an estimated 3 million rats in NYC, "a 50 percent increase from a decade ago." In a CBS News New York street interview, a woman stated that there are rats “the size of crocs” running around Harlem.
An Anti-Rat Day of Action was held in Harlem on Aug. 12 where the rats' food supply, water supply, and shelter were removed in hopes that the rats would leave or die out. The city’s Department of Sanitation showed people how to use containers to keep rats from entering their trash cans as well as how to compost to keep food out of bags.
In addition to this, NYC exterminators have implemented a new weapon that has successfully eliminated nearly 100% of rats from over 100 burrows. The strategy involves pumping carbon monoxide directly into the rat burrows. Some rat researchers, however, have come out stating that the city should focus more on human behavior including the improvement of waste disposal.
Rep. Mike Johnson Elected New Speaker of the House
On Oct. 25, Rep. Mike Johnson was elected the 56th House Speaker in a 220-209 vote from his fellow Republicans. With a 30% chance of a Nov. 17 government shutdown, Johnson has a lot of work to do. The Democratic-led Senate passed three funding bills on Nov. 1 with bipartisan support. Following the passing of these bills, Sen. Tammy Baldwin stated, “...we hope that they [the House] will conclude…that the only way forward is through bipartisanship.” The House passed its fifth appropriations bill last week and Congress needs to pass 12 to fully fund the government.
Just two weeks ago, President Joe Biden requested 105 billion dollars for Ukraine and Israel. However, Johnson desired to split off Israel's aid and pass it separately. Johnson gathered with Senate Republicans Wednesday, informing them of his idea to create a short-term bill that will keep the government open through Jan. 15, which includes automatic funding cuts. This “...would create multiple stopgap bills that fund different parts of the government and have different end dates,” according to Government Executive Senior Correspondent Eric Katz.
Israel's Ground Invasion in Gaza Continues
An Israel ground invasion of Gaza began last week in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. Israel already had 170,000 active military personnel and had drafted 300,000 reservists, mobilizing 4% of the population. They possess over 2,200 tanks, 530 artillery weapons, and 339 combat-capable aircraft. In addition to their arsenal, the U.S. mobilized their most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Ford, along with many kinds of fighter jets.
Israel attacked Gaza’s main city from opposite directions and demolished the house of a senior Hamas leader in the West Bank on Oct. 31. Israeli troops have killed Hamas fighters (death toll unknown) and destroyed Hamas infrastructure, including their network of tunnels that were meant to move people around Gaza undetected.
Hamas has about 30,000 fighters trained in street-combat scenarios with weapons mostly smuggled from Iran. Business Insider news reporter Alia Shoaib reports that Hamas is “using attack drones, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), rocket launchers, and anti-tank weapons.”
The names of 25 Israeli soldiers killed by Hamas fighters have been released. “The elite 669 Unit has carried out 150 ground and rescue operations and evacuated 260 wounded soldiers since the war began”, according to the Israel Defense Forces. The death toll in the Palestine-Israel conflict is currently over 10,800.
With Six Injuries in the Jets-Giants Game on Oct. 29, the Turf Wars Continue…
During the Jets-Giants game on Oct. 29, six players went down with injuries before the completion of the first half. Between 2020 and 2023, there have been thirteen ACL injuries accompanied by many other notable injuries at MetLife Stadium. After a game that resulted in the injuries of four star players in 2020, 49ers coach Kyla Shanahan stated that the players discussed the whole game about how sticky the turf was.
Earlier this year in April The NFL Players Association released evidence that injuries occur more often on turf than on grass due to turf’s harder playing surface, forcing the body to absorb more force of the plays. They found that “7 of the 10 stadiums with the highest number of injuries per game on average use synthetic turf.”
New synthetic turf was installed earlier this year at MetLife Stadium and has gained positive reviews so far. However, the turf wars continue as most NFL athletes still desire to play on grass. Moreover, with these six injuries in the Jets-Giants game plus Aaron Rodgers recent achilles tear at MetLife Stadium, the turf wars are far from finished
The Broncos Played Taylor Swift Music After Upsetting the Chiefs
On Oct. 29, the Broncos delivered a 24-9 loss to the Chiefs, giving them their second loss of the season. With their first victory against the Chiefs since 2015, the Broncos took the opportunity to playfully taunt Travis Kelce’s new-found romance with Taylor Swift by playing her 2014 hit song “Shake It Off.” Swift wasn’t in attendance for the game as she was preparing for “The Eras Tour.”
Kelce finished the game with just 58 yards, 6 catches, and no touchdowns, and was reported to be "clearly frustrated" after the game, leaving for the locker room immediately. Although Swift has attended just four games, recent stats have shown that Kelce plays better with Swift in attendance, averaging 108 receiving yards when she is there versus just 46.5 when she isn’t.