Domestic
Rosalynn Carter, who as First Lady worked tirelessly on behalf of mental health reform and professionalized the role of the president’s spouse, died Sunday, Nov. 19 at the age of 96, according to The Carter Center. Rosalynn Carter passed away peacefully with family by her side at her home in Plains, Ga., the center said in a statement. Earlier this week, a funeral service was held for her in Atlanta, where former first ladies, former presidents and many state and local officials gathered to hear remarks on the late spouse of the 39th President of the United States.
Astronomers have discovered a rare in-sync solar system with six planets moving like a grand cosmic orchestra, untouched by outside forces since their birth billions of years ago. The find, announced Wednesday, can help explain how solar systems across the Milky Way galaxy came to be. This one is 100 light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. A light-year is 5.8 trillion miles. A pair of planet-hunting satellites—NASA’s Tess and the European Space Agency’s Cheops—teamed up for the observations. None of the planets in perfect synchrony are within the star’s so-called habitable zone, which means little if any likelihood of life, at least as we know it.
International
Experts say pollution is causing a rise in respiratory illnesses and deaths in northern Java, including Jakarta. Smog in the metropolis of 11.2 million people comes from a combination of coal-fired plants, vehicle and motorcycle exhaust, trash burning and industries, and many in the city are demanding that the government take action. Emissions from coal-fired power plants contribute to greenhouse gases that rise into the atmosphere and help heat the planet, a key focus of the United Nations Climate Conference, or COP28, which begins next week in Dubai.
A U.S. Air Force Osprey based in Japan crashed during a training mission Wednesday off of the country’s southern coast, killing at least one of the eight crew members, the Japanese coast guard said. Japanese Coast Guard spokesperson Kazuo Ogawa said that the cause of the crash and the status of the seven others on board were not immediately known. The Osprey is a hybrid aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter, but during flight, it can rotate its propellers forward and cruise much faster, like an airplane. Ospreys have had a number of accidents in the past, including in Japan, where they are deployed at U.S. and Japanese military bases. In Okinawa, where about half of the 50,000 American troops are based, Gov. Denny Tamaki told reporters Wednesday that he would ask the U.S. military to suspend all Osprey flights in Japan.
