Hundreds protesting outside the U.S. Supreme Court this afternoon, in the wake of last night’s publishing of a leaked draft SCOTUS majority opinion indicating an overturning of Roe v. Wade in the pending Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPtCPYTrXL0
President Trump delivered remarks this morning at a farewell speech and ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. The brief event was held as a send-off for the First Family departing Washington via Air Force One, three hours before the Inauguration of Joe Biden in nearby DC. In his final public appearance as 45th President of the United States, Trump spoke of the administration’s work over the last 4 years, wished the incoming administration “great luck and great success” and thanked his supporters, a few hundred of which had come to the base for the event. Melania also gave brief remarks during the speech in her final public appearance as First Lady.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv6iZD5n0Ls
Hazy sky over the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan today, as smoke from Canadian wildfires makes its way across the Great Lakes. Parts of Michigan have had some of the worst air quality in the country today.
The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre listed hundreds of fires as ‘Out of Control’ as of Tuesday, with wildfires burning throughout Canada and sending polluted air across North America.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yzvh95sgEI
First-year ‘plebes’ at the US Naval Academy build a human pyramid to complete the annual Herndon Monument Climb, a traditional event capping the freshman year at the academy.
Scaling a heavily-greased 21-foot-tall monument Wednesday morning at the Yard, the Class of 2026 completed the climb in 2 hours, 31 minutes and 51 seconds, beating last year’s climb by the Class of 2025 by over an hour. The record for the climb is 1 minute and 30 seconds by the Class of 1972 (the monument was not greased for that climb). The Navy tradition dates back to the mid-20th century.
Marking the end of the first year at the academy, freshman are no longer known as ‘plebes’ after successfully completing the climb, but instead "fourth class midshipmen". The climb is completed after removing a ‘dixie cup’ hat at the top of the monument and replacing it with that of an upperclassman’s.
Midshipman Fourth Class Chris Paris, 20, of 28th Company from Louisville, Kentucky, capped the monument Wednesday morning, followed immediately by cheers and celebration from the Class of 2026 and family & spectators gathered on the campus grounds in Annapolis, Maryland.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_hrFoauLxE
Here at the Kennedy Space Center in Titusville, Florida where tonight's anticipated launch for the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was just scrubbed. Lightning in the area did it in, and so unfortunately we are heading out of the KSC early from this NASA Social. Still an incredible experience to have had, unbelievable sights inside the complex visited, grateful for what I did get to see here!
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Csrz27YMCNQ
A train derailed on Thursday in Michigan, with several cars veering off track in Van Buren Township.
There are no reported injuries or release of hazardous materials at this time. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, Representative of the district that includes the site of the derailment, stated “The car carrying hazardous material has been put upright and is being removed from the area of the other derailed cars, and EPA is dispatching a team to ensure public safety.”
The train was operated by Norfolk Southern, the same company operating the train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio less than two weeks ago. The company has faced scrutiny for the ongoing situation in East Palestine after the release of hazardous chemicals.
It is unclear what caused Thursday’s derailment in Michigan, first reported before 9 in the morning. An investigation is ongoing.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc4YRHKbkO4
3rd consecutive day of protests outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department, after the police shooting death of Daunte Wright. With another curfew order in place, an unlawful assembly was declared by the end of the night as hundreds stayed out in the streets for several hours.
The afternoon began with a march in Brooklyn Center and speeches outside the police station, where protesters laid flowers on a Justice for Daunte banner and created a vigil.
As night fell, some went home while others in the crowd began shaking the fence and throwing bottles and other projectiles at the police, who fired off flash bangs, smoke bombs and other crowd control munitions in response.
A massive line of Minnesota State troopers eventually pushed through to clear the crowd, who launched fireworks as they dispersed into residential areas near the police station.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq6oyJMDMuA