Local: Assembly bill allows six California cities to install speed cameras
Assembly bill 645, introduced by representative Laura Friedman, will allow San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland and three Southern California cities to implement a five-year speeding camera pilot program starting on Jan. 1, according to NBC News. The bill was passed to reduce speeding-related incidents, allowing up to 33-speed cameras to be placed in areas with high incident rates such as school zones. Installation of speeding cameras means that drivers can receive speeding tickets without being pulled over, with fines ranging from $50 to $500, according to NBC News.
National: College board releases new AP African American studies curriculum
In response to arguments by Florida Gov. Ron DeStantis that the AP African American studies curriculum contained a “political agenda,” CollegeBoard decided to revise the course’s framework in April, according to CNN News. The newly revised curriculum was released on Dec. 6 and contains added information on the Tulsa Race Massacre, the involvement of African Americans in World War II, and the contributions of African Americans to the entertainment industry. The course itself will be offered in the 2024-2025 school year. As of now, around 13,000 students in the U.S. are in an experimental version of the course, according to CNN News.
International: World’s largest iceberg moves for the first time in 35 years
A23a, the world’s current largest iceberg, has an area of 1,500 square miles — five times the size of New York City — and a thickness of 1,300 feet — the height of the Empire State Building — according to the New York Times. The iceberg broke off from Antarctica in 1986 and it soon got stuck in the Weddell Sea; scientists say that the iceberg’s breakaway from Antarctica acts as a reminder of the harmful effects of the rise of global sea levels, according to CNBC News. Now, the iceberg is moving toward Iceberg Valley, an area in the Southern Ocean where icebergs tend to gather, where it will probably disappear into the ocean, according to the New York Times.
