The Trash Rat team takes you for an in-depth look at the protests emerging from the death of Masha Amini in Iran. Listen as Gemma, Jordyn, Maia, and Elisabeth give insight into the controversy surrounding her death, the situation that led up to it, and how the fallout may continue to unfold in the coming months.       Intro/Outro Music Credit: Steppin Intro by Poddington Bear https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Gratton/Intros_and_Outros/Scott_Gratton_-_06_-_Wheel_Intro/

How does the stress of school, social media, and being a teen impact today’s young people? Avery Tessler and Grace Viner will fill you in on the changing landscape of teen mental health, common stressors, and how to find help if you need it!  

Junah and Leonie give you the full breakdown on the reality of Monkeypox – both its history and the more recent outbreak. Here you will get hard-hitting analysis, a solid factual understanding, and the statistics you need to understand this disease and how it compares to COVID-19. What is Monkeypox? Monkeypox Statistics Monkeypox vs. COVID-19

Russia has been aggressively attempting to expand its influence and borders west across Eastern Europe. This has most obviously been demonstrated by the illegal invasion of Ukraine this year. The story of Transnistria shows another aspect of this Russian attempt at expansion into territories that were previously part of the U.S.S.R. Follow along as Max, Devon, and Charlie give you the historical background, current situation, and larger implications of conflicts in Transnistria – an unrecognized, breakaway region of Moldova.

Follow the links below to read up on recent developments at NASA and the futuristic space missions they are undertaking. Are we prepared if an asteroid is hurtling towards earth? Ari has the answers you need. Are moon bases in our near future? Jack has the scoop with the Artemis 1 mission breakdown. Finally, what are our journalists’ opinions on these NASA missions and the spending that comes along with them? Space Protection by NASA What is Artemis 1? Our Opinions on Recent NASA Missions  

How are stress, social media, and school pressure affecting mental health in teens today? Listen as Elle and Raina take you through how social media contributes to anxiety and depression in teens and provide strategies for how to avoid common issues with social media use. You will even hear from a special guest star in this episode so be sure to tune in!