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The purpose of the mission was to see whether a collision with a spacecraft could change the trajectory (path) of an asteroid that was headed toward Earth. Scientists say that while it’s not likely that any large asteroid will hit Earth in the next 100 years, it’s important to come up with a defense system. They won’t know whether the spacecraft altered the asteroid’s path for another two months or so.

A live stream showed the collision, which took place nearly seven million miles (nearly 11 million kilometers) from Earth. The event was also captured by the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes. Hubble’s images showed materials spewing out from the 11-billion-pound (5-billion-kilogram) asteroid after the impact.

“When I saw the data, I was literally speechless, stunned by the amazing detail of the [ejected materials] that Hubble captured,” Jian-Yang Li of the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, told USA Today. The institute directs the Hubble’s observations. “I feel lucky to witness this moment and be part of the team that made this happen.”

Two American Indian nations have agreed to buy 40 acres of land around the Wounded Knee National Historic Landmark in South Dakota. The Oglala Sioux and the Cheyenne River Sioux agreed to the purchase in order to preserve the site where, in 1890, between 250 and 300 American Indians were killed at the hands of U.S. soldiers.

“It’s a small step towards healing and really making sure that we as a tribe are protecting our critical areas and assets,” Oglala Sioux Tribe President Kevin Killer told the Associated Press.

The two nations have agreed to buy the land, which has been for sale for many years, for $500,000. The Oglala Sioux will pay $255,000 and the Cheyenne River Sioux will pay $245,000. The nations will now petition the U.S. Department of the Interior to take the land into trust (care for the land). The site will be preserved as a place where the victims of the massacre will be memorialized.

Members of the Oglala Sioux, the Standing Rock Sioux, the Rosebud Sioux, and the Cheyenne River Sioux were all present at Wounded Knee when the 1890 massacre took place. Marlis Afraid of Hawk, of the Cheyenne River Sioux, said her grandfather was at the massacre. He was only 13 years old at the time. He told Afraid of Hawk the story of how he survived, and today she tells the story to her own grandchildren. Afraid of Hawk said she hoped the site would educate people about what happened there.

“They need to know the history. It needs to come through the true, true Lakota [Sioux] people,” she told the Associated Press.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary is serving up some new lewks—on its pages, that is.

The dictionary announced recently that it’s adding 370 words—including lewk—to its print and online dictionary. What makes a word worthy of being in the Merriam-Webster dictionary? Basically, a word becomes part of the English language when it’s been in use for a long time and experts realize it will probably stick around for a while.

“The dictionary chronicles how the language grows and changes, which means new words and definitions must continually be added,” Merriam-Webster wrote on its website. “When many people use a word in the same way, over a long enough period of time, that word becomes eligible [for the dictionary].”

Not surprisingly, the new words reflect the world in 2022. For example, laggy is used to describe a slow website or streaming service. Pumpkin spice is a popular flavor for…just about everything in the autumn. And MacGyvering means making something useful out of whatever materials are on hand.

And then there’s lewk, which refers to a person’s signature style.

If some of the words and terms seem old, it’s because they’ve had to prove their staying power. The fact that they’re now in the dictionary means that they’re part of the English language—at least, according to Merriam-Webster.

A man named Yvon Chouinard just made an amazing announcement. He’s giving away his $3 billion company. 

Chouinard founded Patagonia, a company that sells clothing and equipment for camping, climbing, and other outdoor activities, about 50 years ago. Since then, he’s gained a reputation for speaking out—and taking action—in support of the planet. In the 1980s, Patagonia started donating 1 percent of its profits to environmental groups. Over the years, these donations have added up to $140 million.

In the coming years, the company will generate a lot more for the planet than that. That’s because it will be owned by groups that protect the environment—and all Patagonia profits will be contributed to these efforts. While it costs money to run the business, anything left over will be given to the fight for Earth’s future. Patagonia is expected to earn profits of about $100 million per year, although that amount can go up and down, depending on sales. 

Chouinard explained that the company was looking for a way to preserve its values. Giving it away to groups that are dedicated to environmentalism was the best solution.

“Every dollar that is not reinvested back into Patagonia will be distributed as dividends to protect the planet,” the company said in a statement.

When Sonia Sotomayor was a kid in New York City, a TV show about a lawyer inspired her to dream about working in a courtroom. Eventually, that dream turned into a career—and a seat on the bench of the most powerful court in the country.

Sotomayor is one of the nine justices (judges) on the United States Supreme Court. Supreme Court justices are appointed by the U.S. president and approved by the Senate. Their decisions impact every American because they rule on whether laws are fair according to the U.S. Constitution. When Sotomayor joined the Supreme Court in 2009, she became the first Hispanic justice. 

Sotomayor, whose parents were from Puerto Rico, grew up in a part of New York City called the Bronx. In September 2022, Sotomayor returned to her old neighborhood to see the unveiling of a statue that was created in her honor. The statue is now on display in a shopping center that’s not far from her childhood home.

“[The statue is] quite amazing,” Sotomayor told the Associated Press. “Looks a lot like me.” 

Although Sotomayor now works in Washington, D.C., where the Supreme Court is located, she’s proud to be from the Bronx and continues to feel a connection to it. 

“I love the Bronx. I love my community,” she said.

Sotomayor is still a huge fan of the New York Yankees, the baseball team that plays its home games in the Bronx. When she wasn’t watching baseball games, young Sotomayor watched Perry Mason, a TV show about a lawyer. The show influenced her decision to become a lawyer, which put her on a path that eventually led to the Supreme Court.  

“[Being chosen for the Supreme Court] was the most electrifying moment of my life,” she once told TV host Oprah Winfrey. “[It was] a moment in which you sit and realize that you’ve gone further than any dream you ever had, that you’ve reached something that never seemed possible.”

President Joe Biden has announced that millions of people who borrowed money to pay for college will have their debt canceled or reduced. The plan will affect more than 40 million people, and up to 20 million people could see their debt wiped out completely.

The Biden administration will cancel up to $10,000 in federal student loans (student loans offered by the federal government) for individuals who make less than $125,000 a year or families with an income of up to $250,000 a year. People who received a Pell Grant, which is federal money available to students from low-income families, will be eligible to have an additional $10,000 in debt canceled if their current income is under the limit.

About 8 million people will see their debt reduced or canceled automatically because the government has information on their income levels. Others will need to apply for debt forgiveness at a government website.

The cost of college has risen much faster than the average U.S. income in the past few decades, leading many people to borrow money in order to pay for their education. Currently, Americans owe more than $1.6 trillion in federal student loans. The Biden administration says reducing or canceling loans for lower- or middle-income people will make it easier for them to buy homes, start businesses, or save for retirement. 

News of President Biden’s debt-reduction plan led to a variety of reactions. Some pointed out that the plan doesn’t address the root of the problem: the cost of attending college. Others said that people who choose to go to college should pay their own way, without help. According to multiple polls, however, most Americans support the plan. Pamela Bone, who borrowed money to earn a master’s degree in special education, told CNN that debt reduction means a brighter tomorrow for her family.

“The cancellation of this debt means that I can put more aside for my daughter’s future, to ensure a life that is comfortable and meaningful for us both, and [it’s] something that I am truly thankful to receive,” said Bone.

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (U.K.) died on September 8, 2022. She was 96 years old. 

Queen Elizabeth was the longest-serving monarch in the history of the U.K. She took the throne in 1952, after the death of her father, King George VI. She was 25 years old. Queen Elizabeth’s reign spanned 70 years.

For many British people, the queen was an important part of their national identity. In the U.K., the monarch (the king or queen) doesn’t rule the people or play an active role in making laws and policies. The true head of the British government is the prime minister. Britain also has a lawmaking body called Parliament. But while monarchs don’t create policy, they do have many official and ceremonial duties. Queen Elizabeth made thousands of public appearances in the U.K. and around the world. She presided over charity events and met heads of state when they visited her country.