“This is one of the great moments of American history… Today we are taking a giant, bold and important step on the well-trodden path to fulfilling our country’s founding promise. This is a great moment for Judge Jackson, but it is an even greater moment for America as we rise to a more perfect union,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Ketanji Brown Jackson will become the first African American woman to ever serve on the Supreme Court when she is sworn in this summer. Jackson was confirmed with 53 Senators supporting her nomination to the Supreme Court. Of the 53, only three Republicans voted in favor: Mitt Romney (Utah), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine). Jackson has been praised for her legal mind and will undoubtedly add even more legal prowess to the court. 

Jackson’s appointment was not without challenges. She faced stiff opposition from the majority of Senate Republicans. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.) and Josh Hawley (Mo.) claimed that Jackson was lenient against child abusers. The coalition of Senators claimed that Jackson had given lenient sentences in child pornography cases based on federal statutes. An independent fact-checker has proven those claims false. 

Several Senators, most notably Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), used the hearing as an opportunity to score points back after contentious hearings for President Trump’s Supreme Court appointments. Instead of asking questions that would test Jackson’s legal understanding, they asked her how she would have felt to be treated like other appointees in the past. The behavior of these Senators provided parts of the hearing that came across as jumbled and unorganized.

Before being appointed to the Supreme Court, Jackson attended Harvard Law school and clerked for Justice Stephen Breyer and three other federal judges. Breyer’s retirement created the position she is filling on the Supreme Court. After clerking, Jackson served as a public defender and then as a Federal Trial Court Judge for eight years. Jackson was appointed by Biden to sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington D.C. in June of 2021. Jackson will be a part of what is expected to be a busy and legally important 2022-2023 cycle set to start in October.

“Can’t do much right now… Russia is responsible… This is a step that we’re taking to inflict further pain on Putin, but there will be costs as well here in the United States,” said President Joe Biden about the rising gas prices in America. 

The average gas price in the United States hit a new high at $4.33 per gallon on March 11. The prices have stayed high with the national average at $4.15 on April 7th. These record-high prices resulted from extreme volatility in the energy market due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. That rate is over 48% higher than it was a year ago. 

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine,  the price of gas, on average, has increased daily. The cost of gas is based on the cost of crude oil. The price of crude oil has been increasing since the U.S. and other Western countries have banned the import of Russian oil, liquified natural gas and coal. In 2020, Russia was responsible for ~7% of American oil imports. Some economists predict the oil price per barrel will rise to $150 a gallon. That would result in an average cost of $5 per gallon in the U.S. The reality is the average American consumer will feel the consequences of the war in their wallet until the market adjusts. 

These gas prices have broken a record set in 2008 and stirred fears of a similar economic recession occurring in America. The higher gas prices have led to states taking measures to lessen the effect on consumers and prevent a crippling recession. Some states have used a pandemic budget surplus to offset the cost meanwhile others, like Maryland, have removed their gas tax. 

California has been hit the hardest by rising gas prices with an average cost of $5.91. The average cost in California is nearly 70 cents higher than Nevada, the next highest state. Missouri has the lowest price of gas per gallon in the U.S. at $3.75.

The current gas price is a part of a recent downtrend in the average price across Kansas and Missouri. AAA says that the trend of lower prices resulted from lower demand for gas in Missouri and Kansas. The high prices have forced people to decide if an extra trip is worth the high cost and most have said no. 

“The gasoline that we pump today actually reflects the price of crude [oil] that refineries purchased weeks ago,” explained Kelly Sanders, Associate Professor at the University of Southern California.

The unfortunate reality of the gas crisis is that there is a delayed reaction for consumers. The price of gas today represents the price of oil several weeks ago. So as the U.S. and the West take steps to lower the cost of oil, it will be even longer until your local gas station reflects that effort.

On Feb. 18, the midwest was pounded with a record-breaking winter storm. In the Kansas and Missouri region, snowfall ranged from three to 11 inches with a final count of seven inches in Kansas City alone. The total snowfall broke a record set in 1893 for the most snow on Feb. 17.

The heavy snow made it dangerous to commute both in the city and locally in Liberty. School districts, businesses and government buildings across the Midwest were closed due to dangerous road conditions. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported 350 service calls, 208 stranded motorists, 80 accidents, and 8 injuries in the Kansas City area alone. At Jewell, classes across departments were held over zoom and some in person. 

The snowstorm came on the heels of consecutive days with highs in the 60s. The warm weather and sharp drop off into the single digits created a weather anomaly along with the record snowfall. In parts of Kansas City, people experienced thundersnow, a snowstorm that contains lightning and thunder within it. Thundersnow happens when cold air moves on top of the warmer air and only happens about six times a year across the globe.

The snow has been a part of a tumultuous month of weather. The weather in Kansas City and Liberty has ranged from five degrees to 75 degrees. As Spring Break approaches, the hope is that the snowy weather is past us for the rest of the year. 

For nearly two years, the world has fought to stop COVID-19. The deadly pandemic has rampaged throughout the world, leaving millions dead and changing life forever for practically everyone. As the world approaches the second anniversary of the first reported case, the war against COVID-19 is still raging on.

While millions spent their weekends giving thanks, disturbing news surfaced regarding the pandemic – notably, the discovery of a new mutated strain of the virus. The Omicron variant was first discovered in South Africa and spread to neighboring countries – and in some cases – across continents. 

Preliminary research shows a higher chance of reinfection compared to other variants in the new variant. Omicron has an estimated 30 mutations on the spike protein. The spike protein is the area of the virus that allows for the virus to enter our system – in other words, how transmittable the virus is. The fear is that increased mutations found in the spike protein of the Omicron variant will create the most transmittable version of COVID-19 yet to be seen. 

It is still too early to tell if the virus will be more transmittable and deadlier compared to the Delta and Alpha variants. How the current vaccines will combat the new variant is still unknown. Some experts are confident that the current vaccines and boosters are robust enough to fight the new variant. Others have alluded to having to create a specific vaccine to fight the mutated variant. Moderna, one of the three American vaccine manufacturers, announced on Nov. 28 that they could have a vaccine for the Omicron variant in early 2022.

On Nov. 29 President Joe Biden gave a speech in response to the new variant. Biden called the new variant an area of concern but not of panic. This is in the wake of the U.S. issuing travel restrictions on the following countries based on the recommendation of the CDC: South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique and Malawi. He claimed that the U.S. would fight the new variant with widespread vaccinations, booster shots and testing. Biden reinforced the stance that lockdowns would not be returning to the U.S. 

“If people are vaccinated and wear their mask, there’s no need for lockdown …” said Biden.

As of Dec. 9, 23 states have a confirmed case of the variant. Missouri is one of those states. However, the new variant is far from being the dominant strain within the U.S. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky believes that over 99% of the cases in the U.S. today are still the Delta variant. The 7 day average for new cases is over 100,000 a day and health officials are uncertain of the impact of two possible infectious strains being prevalent in the U.S. 

Until the world knows more about the latest form of COVID-19 there will be much speculation. The World Health Organization (WHO) has begun to coordinate studies on the new variant hoping for greater clarity on what exactly it is and what we should expect as the cold months set in.