A very unusual thing happened in a football game, and it’s going to help the families of some ill and physically challenged kids.
The Buffalo Bills football team hasn’t been in the playoffs for a long time. In fact, the last time was in 2000–more than 17 years ago. They were the last team in any of the four major sports in North America (football, baseball, basketball, hockey) to make the playoffs in the 21st Century. Now that’s a drought!*
But that all changed this year and the Buffalo Bills got to go to the playoffs.
Author: Joyce Grant
Looking Forward To The January Thaw
The January thaw is coming. The term describes unusually warm weather for the time of year–and many people in Canada and the United States should experience it around the end of this month.
Many cities in Canada and the U.S. have been hit with blizzards and extremely cold temperatures, as well as high winds and lots of snow.
Many cities in Canada had snow and temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit) or colder. With the “wind chill factor,” -20 degrees Celsius feels like -35 degrees Celsius.
Happy Holidays From TKN!
From the team at TKN (Jon, Kathleen, Joyce, Andrew and Monique), we hope you have a happy and peaceful holiday and a very Happy New Year. Image by Debbie Ohi.
Youthquake, Feminism: Words Of The Year
“Youthquake” is the word that the Oxford English Dictionary has chosen as its word of the year.
Every year, many dictionaries choose their “word of the year.” They may choose it because it had a special meaning for the year, or because it was suddenly being used much more than before.
“Youthquake” was used five times more this year than last year, according to the Oxford dictionary website.
Oxford defines youthquake as “a significant cultural, political or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people.”
California Wildfires
Many people in southern California (on the west coast of the United States) have had to leave their homes.
For more than a week, wildfires have been burning in the “Golden State.”
The fires started after a period with very little rain dried out the grasses on the hillsides. CBC News reports that “hardly any measurable rain has fallen in the region over the past six months.” The new conditions may be due to climate change.
Californians were warned about the fires so they could leave in time. A variety of methods were used to warn residents, including texts sent to their cell phones.
The timely warnings have saved lives, giving tens of thousands of residents time to evacuate their homes.
Harry’s Gettin’ Hitched
Britain’s Prince Harry is going to tie the knot.
He recently proposed to American actress Meghan Markle, and she said “yes.”
They announced their engagement on Nov. 27, appearing together before the media.
Harry, 33, is Queen Elizabeth’s grandson and he’s fifth in line to the throne. His mother is the late Princess Diana and his father is Prince Charles.
Zimbabwe Leadership Uncertain
Robert Mugabe has been the president of Zimbabwe since 1987.
Anyone younger than 37 years old in the African country has never had another leader.
Now, many people in Zimbabwe, as well as the military, want him to step down–to leave the job so they can choose a new president.
There have been demonstrations in the country, as tens of thousands gathered in Zimbabwe’s cities to make it clear that they wanted Mugabe to leave his job. The military placed Mugabe under house arrest.
However, he may try to hold onto power.
US Democratic “Election Wave” In Virginia
Last week, some elections were held in the U.S. state of Virginia, to choose a new governor and other leaders.
There were some surprising results in that election; some key Republicans lost their positions to Democrats.
The new governor, Ralph Northam, was elected on Nov. 7. He is a Democrat.
Republicans are currently in power in the United States; the president, Donald Trump, most of the leaders in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and most U.S. governors are Republican. The Democrats are the other major political party in the United States.
Houston Astros Win Their First World Series
The Houston Astros won the World Series, the biggest achievement in baseball each year, for the first time in their team’s history.
They beat the Los Angeles Dodgers four games to three.
The Astros won the seventh game of the World Series 5 to 1 over the Dodgers on Nov. 1.
It was a hard-fought battle. The two teams were evenly matched. The fact that the World Series even went to seven games means that neither team ran away with the championship.
The Astros won game seven early. They got five points in the first two innings, putting them ahead of the Dodgers right from the start.
Quebec’s Bill 62 Bans Face Coverings For Public Workers
People in Quebec are worried that Muslim women could be denied certain public services, after the government passed a “religious neutrality” bill.
The province’s Bill 62 was passed by the Quebec provincial government on Oct. 18. It says that people who work for the government in certain jobs must have their face uncovered. It also requires people who are using government services — for instance, riding a bus or using a library — must do so with their face uncovered.
It also bans public workers, like doctors and teachers, from covering their face while they are working.
