CALIFORNIA GAS REBATES
California residents began receiving payments from the federal government on Oct. 7 in an attempt to lessen the financial burden on residents during the ongoing inflation crisis, according to CalMatters. Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed this relief package, which includes a gas tax refund, in March. Those eligible should receive direct deposit checks through December.
IRANIAN WOMEN PROTEST
Death tolls rise as Iranian protests continue to surge a month after the murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, according to VICE News. Amini was arrested by the “Morality Police” for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly in public on Sept. 16. This Iranian law enforcement was created to enforce dress code. Amini died three days later as a result of suspected police brutality. Her death sparked the movement to abolish the Iranian Regime. Participants in the global protest began publicly burning their hijabs and cutting their hair in solidarity. As of Oct. 15, it is estimated that 233 people have been killed in the protests in Iran, according to Iran’s Human Rights Activist News Agency.
NASA NUDGES ASTROID ORBIT
The National Aeronotics and Space Administration (NASA) confirmed on Oct. 11 that their mock trial of a planetary defense mission, Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), conducted on Sept. 26 had been successful. The mission involved a cow-size spacecraft smashing into Dimorphos, a 160-meter-wide moon of a larger astroid, according to science.org. The spacecraft was able to nudge the astroid and shortened its 12-hour oribital period by 32 minutes. NASA previously released a statement saying, “Most astronomers predicted a shortening closer to 10 minutes, an orbital reduction of at least 73 seconds would be considered a success.”
