Extra, Extra
Presence Tense: Can the shifts in Lebanon and Syria lead to a peace deal in Gaza? We’ve been hopeful before, but there does seem to be positive momentum. Hamas has agreed to temporary IDF presence in Gaza in potential hostage deal.
+ Travis Scot Free: “A man identifying himself as an American from Missouri, Travis Timmerman, was found Thursday in Syria after he said he was freed from a prison earlier in the week, when longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad was forced from power by a shock rebel offensive.”
+ Person of Interest: “He will also see just how far the nation is willing to let him go. If he succeeds, he could reshape the country. Along the way, he risks tearing down the constitutional norms and institutions that have seen America’s great experiment in democracy through 2 1⁄2 centuries.” Time names Donald Trump the Person of the Year. (Trump had quite the year. Seems like Elon Musk would have made a more appropriate choice, though.) In the interview, Trump lays out his plans (and concepts of plans). He also criticized a side in the Russia/Ukraine war. Our side. “Trump criticized Kyiv for launching U.S.-made missiles into Russian territory last month.” And about bringing down those high grocery prices at the center of his campaign. Yeah, not so much. “It’s hard to bring things down once they’re up.” (Let’s hope the same holds true for democracies.)
+ Cartel Hell: The high profile arrest of key cartel leaders made global headlines a few months ago. The fallout back in Sinaloa has been brutal and deadly. “The conflict burst into the open on 9 September like a delayed-action bomb, six weeks after the arrest of two of Mexico’s most powerful crime bosses in El Paso, Texas.” ‘Mother of all battles’: terror for Mexicans as war rages inside Sinaloa cartel.
+ Incomplete Sentence: “President Biden on Thursday announced he is commuting the prison sentences for nearly 1,500 people and pardoning 39 others in what the White House said was the largest act of clemency in a single day in modern presidential history … Most committed non-violent drug offenses in their late teens and early 20s. Many served in the U.S. military and all are active in their communities, either through church or volunteer work — including helping others with addiction recovery and navigating life after incarceration.”
+ The Obsession: House passes major Pentagon bill despite Dem revolt over transgender health care.
+ G Force: “While Taylor Swift has dominated the headlines and concert ticket sales over recent years, it is actually the 33-year-old Latin American pop star whose videos are the most watched online. That’s according to Vevo, which is the main provider of official music videos to YouTube. Karol G’s were the most streamed around the world for each of the past four years, 2021 to 2024. This year, Karol G’s Vevo videos were watched 3.5 billion times.”
