The race to find a COVID-19 vaccine: virologists are closer than expected
Faizan Azhar, Assistant Web Manager
September 14, 2020
Rumors are spreading of a potential COVID-19 vaccine available for public use as soon as Nov. 2020. However, many issues come along with the discovery of this vaccine. It seems like an unlikely occurrence, but the speed of development would be a remarkable progression in the world of vaccination....
France ban on chick culling takes step forward for animal rights
March 21, 2020
Countless chickens are hatched in order to produce the 65 billion chickens that are consumed each year. However, male chicks are deemed unpalatable, resulting in the deaths of seven billion chicks annually. This process, known as chick culling, is more common than we like to think: most of us hav...
Coronavirus (COVID-19) updates for Contra Costa residents
Daniel Shen, Daniela Wise, Shereen Ahmed, and Ananda Mayuri Chakkenchath
February 25, 2020
In this situation, the information could change rapidly. Although this story is updated frequently, please refer to the San Ramon Valley Unified School District (SRVUSD), Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), or other simil...
Bushfires devastate Australian wildlife
Amruta Baradwaj and Megan Dhillon
February 7, 2020
Australia has been engulfed in numerous wildfires since the fire season began in late July. As of Jan. 13, 28 casualties and over 2,000 destroyed homes have been recorded. While there are several speculated causes for the fires, the main source has been attributed to an intense drought that spread out...
Trump withdraws from Paris Climate Accord
Shruthi Narayanan, Assistant Arts and Entertainment Editor
December 27, 2019
On Nov. 4, President Donald Trump put in a notice that the U.S. would leave the Paris Climate Accord in exactly one year, which will be exactly one day after the upcoming presidential election. By United Nations rules, the first day Trump would have been allowed to do so was Nov. 4, three years aft...
The implications of Jakarta’s water crisis hit close to home
Aditi Lappathi, News Editor
October 9, 2019
Like many cities around the world, Jakarta, the current capital of Indonesia, is sinking. Home to around 10 million people, Jakarta is slowly sinking into the Jakarta Bay. According to Heri Andreas of the Bandung Institute of Technology, the northern part is estimated to be almost fully submerged by...
Protests in Hong Kong escalate as demonstrators call for democratic reforms
Vivian Kuang, Public Relations Editor
September 30, 2019
Protests in Hong Kong near the six-month mark as demonstrators escalate their opposition to a controversial extradition bill, demanding democratic reforms and increased autonomy from China. The protests, which began in March 2019, sparked in opposition to a now-shelved bill proposed by Hong Kong Chie...
Scientific breakthroughs promise progress in environmental restoration efforts
Steven Deng, Copy Editor
May 26, 2019
Many headlines today warn of climate change. They cite statistics showing data that global temperatures are increasing, among other effects. Other articles strongly urge action as they emphasize the limited time we have left to mitigate the effects of global warming. We also see and hear about political actions...
Global warming: Should you be worried?
Steven Deng, Copy Editor
February 4, 2019
After trying to save his home from the Woolsey Fire on Nov. 9, Ethan White was forced to abandon his house in Malibu, California. His wife, Nikki, had already fled with their two children, aged five and two, earlier that day. As the flames destroyed his home, White with a group of his neighbors. ...
A new perspective: How transfer students acclimated to Dougherty
Sarah Kim, Maitri Parikh, and Harshita Neralla
May 27, 2018
The school year is drawing quickly to a close for all Dougherty Valley students, but for Max Gaasvik, Kaushika Uppu and Ishika Rakesh, the last day at school will probably hold a little more significance than the first day of summer break. The students — three out of a few dozen that transferred to...
Why climate change still matters: investigating impact, involvement and uncomfortable truths
Taylor Atienza, Features Editor
April 20, 2018
Climate change. You’ve heard the term at least once, but likely more than you’d really care to. It’s repeated constantly, in reports about those poor starving polar bears, the gradually rising ocean levels, the dying bees. You’ve heard it, certainly, but let’s face a fact: we mourn those poor bea...
