Another tense day and night in Ferguson. A Colorado river turns orange. And Google learns some new ABCs.
It’s Tuesday, and here are five things to know for your new day.
FERGUSON
More unrest: A state of emergency. Acts of civil disobedience. And frozen water bottles. That pretty much sums up the day in Ferguson, one day after the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown’s death and a night of unrest that left the city on edge. That violence led a top St. Louis county official to declare a state of emergency yesterday, while protesters marched in downtown St. Louis and temporarily blocked an area interstate. Later in the evening, a peaceful protest in Ferguson devolved into chaos after police said frozen water bottles were thrown at officers.
NEW MEXICO DEATHS
Tragic hike: David and Ornella Steiner died last week while hiking in the desert, but managed to keep their son alive by giving him extra water. That’s what New Mexico authorities believe happened. The Steiners apparently were underprepared for a desert hike in White Sands National Monument on a 100-degree day, bringing only two bottles of water (the park advises hikers to carry 1 gallon per person). The couple’s 9-year-old son was found next to his father’s body, dehydrated but alive. The parents reportedly gave their son twice as much water to drink than they consumed, contributing to his survival.
RIVER SPILL
‘A real mess’: There’s no other way to describe what’s happened on the Animas River in Colorado, after the EPA caused 3 million gallons of pollutants to be dumped into the waterway last week. The Animas turned orange as a toxic mix of iron, zinc and copper flowed between its banks. Testing done right after the spill showed pollutants were at “maximum contaminant levels,” but those have dropped the past few days. The spill’s effect on wildlife and businesses along the river is unclear, but there’s already talk of taking legal action against the EPA.
THE UNIVERSE
Getting old: Studying how the universe ages is such a complex topic, so mind-boggling, that its really hard to break it down where regular folks can understand it. But let astronomer Simon Driver give it a try. “The universe has basically sat down on the sofa, pulled up a blanket and is about to nod off for an eternal doze.” Nailed it. Driver led a team that put out a new study that says the universe is dying. Why is this happening? Basically the universe is running out of energy, just like the rest of us. But don’t worry about finding a new place to live just yet. The death of the universe won’t happen for trillions of years.
‘G is for…’: Did Google just recreate the alphabet? Um, no. The Internet behemoth announced yesterday a corporate restructuring that places co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin as heads of a new outfit, named Alphabet, that will operate as the parent company for Google and all of its associated products. A new CEO for Google was also named. Page said the change will allow the Alphabet companies to keep some independence and take more risks.