Author: Julia Mehalko

The Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico recently shared a social media message about the importance of national parks — and how vital it is that people don’t leave anything behind. This criticism comes after park officials found a bag of Cheetos that completely disrupted the ecosystem in the Carlsbad Caverns. Disrespectful Tourists Source: Levi Jones/Unsplash Over the past few years, disrespectful tourists have been increasingly called out by fellow travelers, as well as by city officials and tour guides. Now, a visitor to Carlsbad Caverns has been criticized for the fact that they littered, leaving behind a bag…

As Hurricane Francine nears the Louisiana coast, it will continue to strengthen prior to landfall, leading weather experts to claim that it could even become a Category 2. So far, Francine remains a very strong and powerful Category 1 hurricane. It is set to officially hit Louisiana sometime Wednesday afternoon or evening. A Sudden Hurricane Source: Sebastian Molina fotografía/Unsplash Francine suddenly developed from a disturbance to a tropical storm — and then finally to a hurricane — in just the last week. At first glance, meteorologists didn’t expect to see the storm form so quickly. However, now experts are warning…

Major book publishers have united to sue Florida, claiming that the state’s book ban is unconstitutional. This legal challenge has come after Florida passed a bill that allows school districts to remove any books that parents may disagree with. House Bill 1069 Source: Pixabay/Pexels This recent legal suit conducted by publishers against Florida is the result of the passing of House Bill 1069. This bill requires all state school districts to set up a process that allows parents to object to any book that they may have issues with. The bill explicitly states that parents can deem these books to…

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been accused of trying to “chill the Democratic process” after his administration allowed police to visit the homes of Floridians who have signed abortion petitions. This move by DeSantis’ so-called “election police” has outraged Florida residents and many Democrats, as they believe DeSantis is trying to intimidate regular people. Amendment 4 Source: Karl Callwood/Unsplash During this November’s election, Amendment 4 will be on the ballot. If voted for, this amendment will enshrine abortion rights in Florida’s constitution. DeSantis and many of his Republican allies have been forcefully against the passing of this amendment. Collecting Signatures…

House Speaker Mike Johnson’s attempt to avert a government shutdown has seemingly already failed, as many Republicans have opposed the proposal Johnson put forth. Johnson’s proposal was quickly met with Democrat backlash. However, many GOP members have also criticized it, for a variety of reasons. Now, a potential government shutdown looms. Johnson’s Controversial Plan Source: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons Many have called Johnson’s budget proposal controversial, particularly because the six-month continuing resolution (CR) was paired with a bill that would require Americans to provide proof of citizenship when they register to vote. Leading Democrats have long been against this voting bill,…

SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn space mission has officially launched, sending four humans up into space. This historic mission will see the first-ever commercial spacewalk, as two crew members will exit the Dragon capsule and enter space this week. SpaceX’s Successful Launch Source: Sven Piper/Unsplash The Polaris Dawn mission had a successful launch on Tuesday at 5:23 a.m. ET. The Falcon 9 rocket also contained a four-person civilian crew. The successful launch occurred from the Kennedy Space Center, located in Florida. A Delayed Launch Source: ANIRUDH/Unsplash This launch has had a long delay process as SpaceX engineers worked overtime to ensure that…

As California firefighters continue to battle raging wildfires that have spread throughout the state, reporting has confirmed that at least 17,000 California homes will soon lose their fire insurance. This news comes as many insurance companies have halted new policies in a state that has become rampant with extreme weather disasters. An Ongoing Wildfire Issue Source: Nikolay Maslov/Unsplash Wildfires have always been an issue in the Golden State. However, recent years have seen more extreme and large fires than ever before. So far, more than 832,000 acres have already burned in California this year alone. Experts have sounded the alarm,…

Various tourists have been arrested in Hawaii for illegally hiking up the Haiku Stairs, also commonly called the “stairway to heaven” or a “death trail.” Hawaii has forbidden people from being able to access and hike up this trail. However, tourists and hikers alike have gone out of their way to try to walk this trail throughout the years. Hawaii’s Controversial Trail Source: Kalen Emsley/Wikimedia Commons In World War II, the U.S. Navy built 4,000 metal steps up in a remote area of Kaneohe on the island of Oahu. These steps — now called the Haiku Stairs — have become…

Even more homes in Rancho Palos Verdes have had their power shut off amid an ongoing — and devastating — landslide crisis that has rocked the California community. In the last few weeks, hundreds of homes have lost power, as companies have stated that power shut-offs must happen to keep people safe. Hundreds of California Homes Without Power Source: De’Andre Bush/Unsplash Last week, Southern California Edison officials revealed that 140 homes would have their power shut off in the Portuguese Bend area of Rancho Palos Verdes. One day later, the company then announced an additional 105 homes would also have…

Bill Donohue, the Catholic League President, has stated that Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party are the “anti-Christian” party. Donohue also claimed that every Catholic he knew was voting for former President Donald Trump, even though they were lifelong Democrats. These comments come as Harris and Trump battle for the Christian vote in their bid for the White House. The Democratic Party Is Pushing Christians Away? Source: Pixabay/Pexels In a recent phone interview, Donohue claimed that the Democratic Party was pushing away the religious vote, as they didn’t want it. As a result, many Democrat Christians have chosen…