News that matters
Authorities in at least two states are currently conducting investigations into a series of suspicious envelopes sent to election offices this week, an incident characterized by one state official as an act…
Unbiased headline news in 60-seconds for Thurs Nov 9, 2023 – G7 foreign ministers convening in Japan issued a statement on Wednesday, urging “humanitarian pauses” in Israel’s military offensive against Gaza. The aim is to facilitate the delivery of aid, ensure the safety of civilians, and secure the release of hostages. The communique underscores the need for urgent action in addressing the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. Benjamin Wright reporting. The United States carried out its second set of strikes within a month on Iran-linked facilities as a response to ongoing attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that these strikes were carried out under President Biden’s directive. The targets of the strikes included a weapons storage facility in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated groups, with the operation executed by two U.S. F-15s. Liam White reporting. Heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, suspected North Korean collaboration with Russia in its conflict with Ukraine, and concerns about China’s increasing assertiveness are at the top of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s agenda during his visit to South Korea. Blinken’s visit follows a G7 foreign ministers meeting in Japan, during which the group previewed many of the issues he will discuss. Wade Addison reporting. SAG-AFTRA, the union representing approximately 160,000 actors, reached a tentative agreement on Wednesday with major TV and movie studios, suspending a strike that had persisted for more than three months. According to the union’s press release, the SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Committee approved the tentative agreement unanimously this afternoon, putting an end to the 118-day strike. Further details of the agreement will be disclosed on Friday, pending review and consideration by the SAG-AFTRA National Board. Jessica Oakley reporting.
Unbiased headline news in 60-seconds for Wed Nov 8, 2023 – President Biden requested a cessation of Israel’s fighting in Gaza from the Israeli Prime Minister on Tuesday. Mr. Biden made this request to reporters traveling with him in Washington, D.C., shortly after Axios reported that he asked for a three-day pause to facilitate the release of hostages. The President did not specify the duration of the pause he sought. This request followed Mr. Biden’s recent campaign speech where he expressed his belief in the necessity of a humanitarian pause in the ongoing conflict. Following a deadly Hamas attack last month, Israelis, and an increasing number of women, have taken up arms and are engaging in martial arts training. Caliber 3, Israel’s largest counter-terror and defense-training school, reports a significant surge in women seeking firearms and training. Additionally, more Israelis are attending krav maga self-defense classes to acquire martial arts skills. The U.S. State Department issued a warning on Tuesday, highlighting the Russian government’s coordination of a well-funded disinformation campaign aimed at Latin America. According to the State Department’s Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community, Russia’s influence actors have adapted their efforts to conceal their involvement, channeling their messaging through an extensive network of Russian proxy websites. Senator Josh Hawley has called on the Biden administration to ban TikTok due to what he perceives as an increase in anti-Israel and pro-Hamas content on the platform. Hawley sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who also chairs the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, urging the prohibition of all ByteDance-controlled apps. In his message, Hawley asserted that TikTok, and its parent company ByteDance, pose threats to American national security.
In 2020, firearms overtook car accidents as the primary cause of death for children and teenagers in the United States. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wonder database, firearms were responsible for almost 19% of childhood deaths (ages 1-18) in 2021, resulting in the tragic loss of nearly 3,600 young lives. This equates to approximately five children per 100,000 children in the United States. Remarkably, no other comparable country lists firearms among the top four causes of child mortality, as per an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on child and adolescent mortality, primarily due to fatal injuries, as indicated by a recent study published in JAMA. In 2020, firearms played a substantial role in the overall increase in mortality, accounting for nearly half of the surge. In this latest radio show segment, listen to a radical gun owner explain his outlandish claim that the more guns we have in this country, the more lives are saved.
Unbiased headline news in 60-seconds for Tues Nov 7, 2023 – In response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, the United States has taken significant steps to increase its military presence in the Middle East. This strategic deployment of Defense Department assets in the region is a deliberate effort by U.S. officials to serve as a deterrent, with the primary objective of preventing the conflict from evolving into a larger and potentially more destabilizing regional war. Benjamin Wright reporting. Despite growing international criticism of Israel’s extensive offensive in Gaza, the majority of Israelis, spanning the political spectrum, remain steadfast in their belief in the justness of the war. Continuously facing rocket and missile attacks on multiple fronts, they have little tolerance for criticism regarding the toll the conflict has taken on the other side, and have united to defeat Hamas, which breached Israel’s borders from the Gaza Strip. Chris Anderson reporting. Senate Republicans are pushing for significant restrictions on asylum and other immigration programs as part of an emergency funding package requested by President Biden. The package also includes billions of dollars for Ukraine, Israel, and other national security priorities, according to an outline of the senators’ priorities released on Monday. A memo from Republican Senators Lindsey Graham, Tom Cotton, and James Lankford delineates the Senate GOP’s border policy demands during negotiations over the Biden administration’s $106 billion national security supplemental request. Lyle White reporting. During an exclusive interview with ABC News “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged his share of responsibility for intelligence failures. Netanyahu stated, “Of course, that’s not in question. It will be addressed after the war. I believe there will be an opportunity to assess that.” He added, “It’s an important question because the government’s primary responsibility is to protect its people, and it’s evident that we fell short in that regard. We encountered a significant setback.” Kyle Norris reporting.
Unbiased headline news in 60-seconds for Mon Nov 6, 2023 – Tuesday marks Election Day in Mississippi, with Republican Governor Tate Reeves seeking a second term at the forefront of statewide and local contests awaiting voter decisions. Reeves, initially elected in 2019 after two terms as lieutenant governor, now faces a challenge from Democrat Brandon Presley, a state utility regulator and cousin of rock ‘n’ roll icon Elvis Presley. Notably, Reeves secured his 2019 victory with a relatively tight 52% of the vote in this traditionally Republican state. The Russian military announced a triumphant test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, intended to transport nuclear warheads, from a newly commissioned nuclear submarine. This report arrives amidst escalating tensions between Russia and the Western world due to the conflict in Ukraine. Compounding these tensions, President Vladimir Putin recently endorsed a bill annulling Russia’s commitment to a global nuclear test ban, a measure Moscow argues is essential to establish parity with the United States. Israeli airstrikes struck two refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip on Sunday, resulting in the loss of many lives, as reported by health officials. These airstrikes occurred at a time when the U.S. continues to call on Israel to implement a humanitarian ceasefire, given the persistent bombardment of Gaza and the mounting civilian casualties. In the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Palestinian death toll has now exceeded 9,700, including over 4,000 children and minors, according to the Hamas-affiliated Health Ministry in Gaza. In the occupied West Bank, violence and Israeli raids have claimed the lives of more than 140 Palestinians. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken extended his intensive Middle East diplomatic efforts concerning the Israel-Hamas conflict to the occupied West Bank. Here, he held a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in his most recent endeavor to alleviate the plight of civilians in the Gaza Strip and formulate a post-conflict vision for the region. Blinken’s visit to Ramallah, though unannounced in advance, unfolded with heightened security and an armored motorcade, mere hours after Israeli airstrikes targeted a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, resulting in a reported 40 fatalities and numerous injuries, according to health officials.
