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The Global Climate Strike is happening today, with marches and rallies planned in more than 100 countries to demand action from world leaders. See if a rally is happening near your area below.
The “Storm Area 51” event, which had been meant as a joke, was planned for today. Read on to see how fans are celebrating “them aliens.”
Would you consider cheese on a bun an adequate lunch? A Minnesota student is drawing attention to her school’s lunch options.
And a mom surprises her daughter at the bus stop dressed in a costume, and the moment is going viral.
Here’s what you need to know in the daily roundup.
TOP STORY: Climate Protests Are Happening Around the World Today
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Millions of people across the world are taking to the streets today for climate strike demonstrations. The idea was to attract attention to the issue of climate change and demand that world leaders take action to protect the globe for future generations. More than 4,600 events were planned in 139 countries, with students making up a large portion of the attendees. The marches began in Australia, with an estimated 300,000 people participating in more than 100 cities.
In the United States, rallies were planned in cities including New York, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia, Portland, and Washington D.C. More than a million public school students in New York City were given permission to skip school today in order to attend the march, as long as their parents allowed it. You can find out if a climate march is happening near your area by typing your zip code into the website here.
The Global Climate Strike was inspired by Swedish high school student Greta Thunberg. Today’s marches were planned ahead of the United Nations emergency climate action summit, which is scheduled to begin on September 23.
WHAT’S BUZZING THAT HAS EVERYONE TALKING: The ‘Storm Area 51’ Event Has Arrived
The “Storm Area 51” event that went viral on Facebook, with more than two million people pledging to go and “see them aliens,” was hypothetically supposed to happen today. The person who started the phenomenon later admitted it had been just a late-night joke and had never expected the fake event to become as popular as it did.
Fans were encouraged to attend a different event called “Alienstock” in Rachel, Nevada. According to the Las Vegas Journal-Review, groups of campers began arriving on Thursday. Some displayed flags with alien themes as part of the fun. Today, a few dozen people showed up near the gate, some wearing spacesuits or lugging green inflatable “aliens” but it doesn’t appear anyone actually “stormed” the site.
People are also having fun by pretending to storm Area 51. There were several “live streams” on YouTube that attracted thousands of views but many appeared to have been made in jest.
The Air Force has warned people to stay away from the site, which is an active training range. A statement earlier in the summer cautioned, “We would discourage anyone from trying to come into the area where we train American armed forces. The U.S. Air Force always stands ready to protect America and its assets.”
OFF-BEAT: Minnesota Student’s School Lunch Goes Viral
A high schooler in St. Cloud, Minnesota was stunned by the lunch menu choices at Apollo High School. Maryn Holler shared a photo, embedded above, of the lunch she paid for on September 13. The lunch included an opened hot dog bun with melted cheese on it, a few carrots, and a packet of marinara sauce.
Holler wrote on Facebook, “I thank God everyday that my family has the money where i get to go home and eat actual food. there are kids at this school who this is ALL THEY GET TO EAT.”
The post attracted the attention of school administrators. The district posted an apology that read, “Oops! We goofed. Tried a new menu item today at lunch and we hear it was not a winner! Going forward, we will gather input from our students on new menu options. Thanks for the feedback!”
The reaction did not sit well with many commenters, including parents who slammed school officials for making light of the situation. In the aftermath, Holler shared that she would be meeting with the district’s nutritionist. The teen wrote that she hopes that by speaking up, she could help to implement meaningful change in her school district.
DAILY NEWS ROUNDUP
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- Alexei Saab of New Jersey is accused of scouting American landmarks for the Hezbollah terrorist group.
- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio drops out of the Democratic primary race.
- Tropical Depression Imelda has dumped nearly four feet of rain in southern Texas, flooding streets and promoting a state of disaster in 13 counties.
- More than 2,000 nurses are on strike in Chicago.
- Walgreens will start making deliveries by drones next month.
CHECK THIS OUT
A mother in Spring, Texas, decided to have more fun than usual when meeting her daughter at the bus stop after school. Somer Scandridge had just received her pink unicorn Halloween costume in the mail and thought 6-year-old Madison would get a kick out of seeing it.
Scandridge’s husband documented the moment. In the video, which has since gone viral, you can see Scandridge dancing around as her son, Hudson, and the family dog stood beside her. Madison got off the bus and ran up to her mom with a great big hug.
Scandridge explained to KTRK-TV that the family always matches their costumes for Halloween. “We’re a super close family and do a lot of stuff together. I’m the mom who’s a big kid at heart, so (Madison) wasn’t at all surprised that I dressed up and ran out to the bus to get her.”
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