Latest news headlines for Thursday December 14, 2023 – Destruction in Khan Yunis has surpassed other areas of Gaza for the first time as Israel’s military operation against Hamas extends to the south, satellite data analysis by university researchers shows.
By Dec. 11, about 20% of buildings in Khan Yunis have been either damaged or destroyed, according to data analyzed by Corey Scher of CUNY Graduate Center in New York and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University. Israeli military began operations in central Khan Yunis, Gaza’s second-largest city.
—
Norway has announced additional support for Ukraine coinciding with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Oslo to seek further backing from allies.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere announced the aid as part of a five-year, $6.8 billion commitment to Ukraine, agreed upon by Norway in February. “We are actively consulting with Ukraine to understand its most urgent needs and, along with our allies, are committed to providing the necessary support,” Stoere stated.
—
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, at a Washington, D.C. press conference, indicated that the Fed anticipates reducing interest rates next year.
Powell added that policymakers at the central bank view current interest rates as possibly at their highest point, expressing cautious optimism about the Fed significantly easing its anti-inflation measures by the end of 2024. This announcement followed the Fed’s decision to maintain current interest rates, continuing a halt in its series of substantial rate hikes aimed at combating inflation.
—
The Senate has passed a defense policy bill that includes the largest troop pay raise in over two decades but omits many social conservatives’ policy goals, leading to an unusually contentious debate over what is typically a bipartisan measure.
After months of negotiation following distinctly different versions passed by each chamber in July, the final bill emerged, omitting several social conservatives’ priorities to gain Democratic support. The bill passed the Senate with an 87-13 vote and now proceeds to the House, where it faces more outspoken opposition.
—
The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) is investigating six more schools for alleged discrimination incidents reported on their campuses. The Office for Civil Rights clarified to the schools that initiating an investigation does not imply guilt.
New Jersey’s Rutgers University, Washington’s Whitman College, Stanford University in California, the University of California-San Diego, University of Washington-Seattle, and the University of California-Los Angeles have recently joined the list of institutions under investigation.
—
Two men wrongfully imprisoned for decades have been declared innocent and released, as announced by the Los Angeles County district attorney on Wednesday.
Giovanni Hernandez and Miguel Solorio had their convictions overturned earlier this year, and on Wednesday, a judge declared them factually innocent, according to the District Attorney’s Office. At a press conference, District Attorney George Gascón extended an apology to both men, noting the profound impact of wrongful convictions, particularly given their young age at the time of arrest.
—
A 44-year-old man faces charges for a violent assault on a Jewish couple near a Beverly Hills synagogue, as reported by Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon, amidst a national rise in anti-Semitic incidents.
Jarris Jay Silagi is accused of attacking a 75-year-old man and his wife on Saturday night in Beverly Hills as they headed to a synagogue for Shabbat. Silagi allegedly used a belt in the assault, causing a head laceration to the man.
—
In the U.S., major retailers Amazon, Target, and Walmart have decided to discontinue selling water beads, following increased pressure and reports of child injuries and fatalities from ingesting or inserting these items.
Water beads, often sold as sensory toys or for children with developmental disorders, may seem innocuous but pose significant risks. These small polymer balls can swell up to 150 to 1,500 times their original size, resembling a tennis ball, when in contact with liquids, warns the National Capital Poison Center.
