Taiwan earthquake, Moon time zone, and raining caterpillars.

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Big Stories

Taiwan earthquake

Taiwan was struck by its biggest earthquake in 25 years.

• The earthquake killed nine people on Wednesday, injured more than 900, and left 50 workers missing. The 7.2 magnitude quake hit near the city of Hualien, triggering landslides and damaging buildings.

• Despite Taiwan’s familiarity with earthquakes, the quake’s intensity left many residents shaken. Schools evacuated students to open spaces, while transportation services, including trains and subways, were suspended. Landslides and falling debris disrupted traffic.

• TSMC, responsible for 92% of the world's most advanced chips, operates factories along the western coast near the quake's epicenter. While some TSMC plants were evacuated for inspection, no major issues were found and operations are expected to resume soon.

• The quake triggered minor tsunami waves along the coasts of Japan and Taiwan, with reports of shaking felt in Shanghai and across southeastern China. However, no significant damage or casualties were reported in these areas. Authorities in the Philippines issued evacuation advisories for coastal regions, but no major tsunami occurred.

Private browsing modes aren’t really private

A legal settlement regarding Google Chrome's "Incognito" mode shows that the private browsing option doesn’t protect users as much as previously thought.

• The settlement aims to enhance privacy for users browsing in Incognito mode. Though Google isn't paying consumers directly, the settlement's stricter safeguards are estimated to be worth billions in terms of protecting users' personal information.

• Private browsing modes, like Incognito in Chrome, offer users a fresh start by deleting browsing history and cookies once the session is closed. This feature is useful for sensitive searches and browsing on shared or public devices because it ensures the next user won’t have access to browsing history.

• However, private browsing modes do not conceal a user's IP address, allowing websites, internet service providers, and third parties to track their activities. The data gathered by these entities is valuable and is often sold to advertisers for billions of dollars. Also, any downloaded files during a private session are not deleted once the session is closed, meaning users are still vulnerable to viruses, malware, and keystroke loggers.

• Users who want more privacy can use alternatives such as virtual private networks (VPNs), privacy-focused search engines like DuckDuckGo, or specialized browsers like Tor. However, complete anonymity online is difficult and users should be cautious by understanding the risks associated with internet browsing.

$100,000 college tuition on the horizon

Several prestigious universities and colleges in New England are set to charge undergraduate students at least $90,000 for tuition this fall.

• Notable institutions like Yale University, Tufts University, Boston University (BU), and Wellesley College are among those raising their costs, reflecting a broader trend of escalating higher education expenses.

• For the 2024-2025 academic year, Tufts University estimates undergraduate expenses will reach nearly $96,000, surpassing Wellesley College's approximately $92,000. However, many students receive financial aid to alleviate the burden — nearly 60% of Wellesley College students benefit from aid averaging $67,469.

• The US Department of Education awards about $120 billion every year to help students pay for higher education. But, students must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to receive federal aid. This year, problems with the new FAFSA have cut application completions from 17 million to 6.6 million.

• The high school class of 2022 left around $3.6 billion of unclaimed Pell Grant dollars on the table.

Little Stories

• Palestinian American doctor Dr. Thaer Ahmad — who treated injured patients in Gaza — left five minutes into a meeting with President Biden. Ahmad said he wanted to convey the Palestinian community's pain and mourning to the White House. He was among six Muslim American leaders at the meeting with Biden, Vice President Harris, and senior officials. (More)

• Botswana's President threatened to send 20,000 elephants to roam free in Germany amid a dispute over hunting. The conflict arose when Germany proposed restrictions on importing hunting trophies from Africa. Botswana argues that trophy hunting helps fund conservation efforts and manage elephant populations. (More)

• The average resale ticket price for the NCAA women’s Final Four is double that of the men’s semifinals, according to ticket analytics company Logitix. Women's tickets are selling for $2,323 on average, while men's are going for $1,001.21. (More)

• The White House has asked NASA to create a new time zone for the moon and other celestial bodies. NASA must develop this time zone by the end of 2026. Coordinated Lunar Time, LTC, is intended to help future space missions that require precise navigation. (More)

• Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., the largest US fresh egg producer, has temporarily paused production at a Texas facility due to bird flu. Approximately 1.6 million laying hens and 337,000 young chickens, about 3.6% of its flock, were culled to prevent the sickness from spreading. The culling could lead to higher egg prices. (More)

Extra Credit

The 10 most streamed songs of the 20th century. 

This year’s best April Fools’ Day pranks. 

Watch: The Northern lights light up the sky in Finland. 

It’s raining caterpillars in Florida.