By ishaan bhattacharya
     Welcome to the fifth edition of the Giannini Politics Update. Today we will discuss Venezuela’s failing but once-immense oil industry.
      Venezuela’s oil industry was once the base of South America’s most affluent nation but is now in ruins. “The workers, who years ago enjoyed some of the best benefits among Venezuela's public and private employees, have paid the highest price for their country's spiral into hyperinflation. Their salaries are now worth just a handful of dollars.” (CNN.com) This means that the workers in this field have sacrificed hyperinflation for salaries of a significant amount. Many employees can no longer afford even the most inexpensive foods. Salaries used to be more than enough to feed workers’ families.
      According to Bank of America, oil prices could hit $100 a barrel. In January the price of one barrel of oil was $69.08 and in December the price of one barrel of oil was $64.37. Over the last 12 months, the price has already risen 26.57%. This shows that the oil supply is low and it is running out. This could mean an economic crisis for many nations including Venezuela.
      In conclusion, Venezuela’s oil industry and economy is collapsing. This is quite a difference from the past when Venezuela was among one of the richest countries economy wise. The future could hold change so stay tuned to news involving Venezuela’s oil industry and economy.

By everett smith and sebastian haas

1. The team at Pixar came up with the ideas for “A Bugs Life,” “Monsters Inc.”,” Finding Nemo,” and “Wall-E” in one lunch meeting.
2. A mantis shrimp can swing its claw so fast it boils the water around it and creates a flash of light.
3. The Spanish national anthem has no words.
4. The state sport of Maryland is jousting.
5. Wooly mammoths still roamed the earth in the time that the Great Pyramids were built.
6. A single game of chess can have more possible iterations than there are atoms in the universe.
7. The word “gorillas” comes from a Greek term meaning “a tribe of hairy women.”
8. Many scientists suspect that on Jupiter and Saturn it can rain diamonds.
9. The mathematical name for the shape of a Pringle is hyperbolic paraboloid.
10. The first toy to be advertised on television was Mr. Potato Head, in 1952.
11. A duel between three people is called a truel.
12. When you feel a sense of déjà vu, but you think you might have dreamed it before, it’s called déjà rêvé.
13. The 100 folds in a chef's hat are said to represent 100 ways to cook an egg.
14. Some cats are allergic to humans.
15. Queen Elizabeth II is also a trained mechanic.
16. In Japan, letting a sumo wrestler make your baby cry is considered good luck.
17. In Great Britain and Japan, black cats are considered good luck.  In the English Midlands, new brides are given black cats to bless their marriage.
18. Portland was named by a coin flip. Had the coin landed the other way, the city would be Boston, Oregon.
19. The Starry Night depicts Vincent van Gogh's view from the Saint-Paul de Mausole asylum.
20. A solar eclipse helped end a six-year war in 585 BCE. When the sky suddenly darkened during a battle between the Lydians and the Medes in modern Turkey, soldiers took it as a sign to cease fighting.
21. Dogs are capable of understanding up to 250 words and gestures. 22. Bubbles keep your bath water warmer for longer.