The Council on American‑Islamic Relations (CAIR) launched a payments program that awards $1,000 to university students who face discipline for anti-Israel protests. The program, called the “Champions of Justice Fund,” comes through CAIR’s California chapter. According to recent filings, CAIR-California raised over $100,000 from affiliates in San Francisco and Los Angeles to fund this support. Some of the payments were distributed in October 2024 when CAIR awarded $20,000 to 20 student protesters as interest-free loans and grants. The students in question had lost scholarships, housing, or faced other penalties after taking part in pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel demonstrations at institutions including Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University.

Senior Israeli officials sounded an urgent alarm as a wave of violent attacks by settlers in the West Bank swept into new levels. Groups of masked settlers torched vehicles, vandalized a mosque and clashed with soldiers near Palestinian villages. The toll of incidents has reached a record monthly high. The Israeli president called the acts “shocking” and demanded decisive action, while other senior military figures described the violence as a “minority of criminals” diverting security resources from serious threats. Critics say the government’s policy of settlement expansion, reduced accountability and weakened investigations helped create the very conditions for the surge. With the regional conflict already stretching Israel’s security forces, the explosion of internal violence adds another volatile front to the country’s challenges.

A cyberattack hit the Living Room Theaters in Portland Thursday night, forcing the arthouse cinema to shut down its downtown location. The company said most of its computer systems were rendered unusable and it has no clear timeline for reopening. Law-enforcement officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Portland field office and cybersecurity experts from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have been called in to assess the damage and determine how the breach happened. The theatrer’s CEO described the incident as “cruel and random.” Ticket holders were told they may have to wait for refunds, because the staff cannot yet access systems to process them. The shutdown also impacted the company’s other locations, showing how far-reaching the attack was.

Several states took fast action this week to tighten rules on antisemitism and anti-Israel speech in public schools. Earlier today, lawmakers in one state filed a new bill that tells school districts to define antisemitism in their conduct codes and apply it when handling student complaints. The move came after parents pressed local officials for clearer standards. Another state moved a step further. Its education agency sent updated guidance to every district. The note told principals to review classroom materials, campus groups, and school events for language that targets Jewish students. The message also asked schools to act quickly if they hear anti-Israel chants used in a threatening way. These new rules aim to give teachers clearer lines to work with and give parents more confidence that schools can respond when trouble starts.

States are now piloting artificial-intelligence tools designed to detect quality problems in nursing homes much earlier than traditional oversight allows. Multiple state health departments have begun testing systems that scan resident care-records, staffing data and incident reports to flag potential trouble spots ahead of routine inspections. The idea is to move from reactive investigations to more proactive oversight. Facility staff report alerts emerging in hours or days instead of weeks, giving them a chance to act sooner. Advocates say this could improve resident safety, reduce emergency transfers and ease strain on inspectors. For families, that means fewer surprises and greater transparency about how care is delivered. While still in early stages, these projects suggest AI may become a key part of how states monitor long-term-care quality going forward.

A long-range drone attack battered one of Russia’s crucial oil‐processing sites late Monday, sparking a large fire that sent black smoke over the adjoining industrial zone. The facility, operated by a major Russian oil producer, sustains output of gasoline, diesel and other refined fuels and sits deep within Russia’s internal supply chain. Local residents heard several explosions before emergency services scrambled to douse the blaze. The regional governor confirmed damage to infrastructure but said no fatalities were reported. Ukraine’s military previously said its drones were targeting Russian fuel sites to disrupt their war-linked economy.

Today, North Korea publicly condemned an agreement between South Korea and United States that allows Seoul to build nuclear-powered submarines with U.S. backing. According to North Korea’s state media, the deal will cause a “nuclear domino” effect throughout the region and destabilize existing security arrangements. The South Korean government says the submarines are purely a defensive measure and part of its strategy to counter growing threats in nearby waters. Intense regional rivalry remains a concern.

More Americans are now falling behind on their utility bills as energy prices continue to climb. Many power companies report more late accounts this month, and the number keeps growing each week. Families say the higher bills hit fast. The cost of running heat, cooling, and basic appliances rose over the past year. For many homes, the monthly total is now far above what they paid last fall. Some people paid part of the bill. Others pushed payments to the next month and hoped their income would stretch further. Customer-service teams in several regions say they are getting more calls from people who want extended payment plans. Some callers ask for extra time. Others ask to split the bill into smaller amounts. Workers say these requests used to come in during winter, but they now arrive year-round. The rising balances worry local officials because unpaid electric or gas bills can turn into deeper debt. When a family falls behind on basic utilities, it often means they are cutting food, medicine, or other essentials to keep the lights on.

Sundar Pichai warned people not to blindly trust answers from AI tools. He said many people now turn to these systems for quick facts, directions, and decisions. But he stressed that the tools can still get things wrong. Pichai pointed out that some users treat the output as final, even when the system makes a clear mistake. He wants people to slow down and check facts before acting. He explained that AI works by predicting likely answers, not by knowing the truth, and that this can lead to confident but incorrect statements. His message came as more people use AI for schoolwork, health questions, and legal forms. Some workers even rely on it for daily job tasks. Pichai said this rise in use makes it more important for people to stay alert and keep their own judgment active. AI tools continue to grow more convincing. They write in clear language and respond fast, which makes errors easy to miss. Pichai’s point is simple: treat the tools as helpers, not final authorities.

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the U.S. will approve the sale of advanced F‑35 Lightning II fighter jets to Mohammed bin Salman’s Saudi Arabia. The deal comes just ahead of the crown prince’s visit to Washington.Trump said the Saudis “have been a great ally … we will be selling F-35s.” This marks a major shift in U.S. policy, as Israel has long held exclusive access to the jets in the region.While the move signals deeper defense ties between Washington and Riyadh, it also raises concern among U.S. officials about whether sensitive U.S. technology could be exposed, particularly given Saudi Arabia’s growing ties with China.

A drone attack struck a Turkish-flagged tanker, the MT Orinda, while it was offloading liquefied petroleum gas at I͞zmāil port in the Odesa region of Ukraine on Monday. All 16 crew members escaped without injuries after the vessel burst into flames just across the Danube from the Romanian border. Romanian authorities evacuated two nearby border villages over concerns the tanker’s cargo might explode. The strike came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a deal to import U.S. liquefied natural gas through the region. The attack is the latest in a string of Russian drone and missile strikes aimed at Ukraine’s southern port and energy infrastructure, underscoring the increasing hazards in this key corridor.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy will travel to Turkey this week to restart stalled peace talks. He plans to meet leaders there and present new proposals aimed at easing the long war with Russia. A senior U.S. envoy will join him to support the effort and help guide the talks. Turkey agreed to host the meetings and prepare a neutral setting. Officials say the goal is simple: get both sides talking again after months of silence. Zelenskyy views this trip as a chance to open a narrow path toward reduced fighting. Russia, however, says it will not attend the meetings. That choice limits what can be achieved, but it does not stop Ukraine and the U.S. from pushing ahead with their plan. Both believe a structured dialogue still matters, even if one side stays away for now. The visit comes after a difficult stretch on the battlefield and rising pressure to reduce losses. Ukraine hopes the talks can reset the tone and give other countries a reason to stay engaged. For now, the outcome rests on whether these meetings can create even a small opening. The effort signals that Ukraine and the U.S. still want a diplomatic track alive, even when progress looks slow.

The United Nations Security Council approved a resolution supporting Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan for the Gaza Strip. The vote was 13 in favor, with China and Russia abstaining. The plan calls for a new “Board of Peace,” a transitional governance body for Gaza, and an international force to oversee the region’s security and disarmament efforts. It also outlines a possible future path toward Palestinian statehood, although it sets no firm timeline. Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders welcomed the decision, saying it advances full demilitarization of Gaza and opens the way for peace and prosperity. In contrast, Hamas rejected the resolution outright, calling it an imposed “international guardianship” that strips Gaza of sovereignty and favors Israel. This marks a rare moment of broad international diplomatic support for a post-war Gaza framework. But the sharp divides over sovereignty, disarmament and regional security underline how many hurdles remain before the plan can be implemented.

Russian drones hit several power sites near Odesa. The strikes damaged parts of the grid and sparked small fires that crews put out within hours. Local officials moved key buildings onto backup generators to keep water pumps and hospitals running. Ukraine’s air teams stopped many drones, but some still reached energy targets across the region. Engineers checked damaged lines through the morning and worked to keep the system stable. Odesa enters a colder period with a weaker grid. Each new strike makes the winter power supply harder to protect and raises pressure on repair crews already stretched thin.

The Justice Department said it found North Korean IT workers secretly hired by U.S. companies. These workers used stolen names and fake addresses to get jobs that looked completely normal on the surface. They logged in from overseas while posing as people who lived in American cities. Investigators say several helpers inside the United States made the scheme possible. These helpers set up bank accounts, handled company laptops, and kept the real locations of the workers hidden. Their actions let the workers blend into remote-job teams without raising alarms. The DOJ believes more than a hundred companies were pulled into the scheme. Many of them thought they were hiring ordinary remote staff for programming or tech support. Instead, the workers quietly sent their earnings back to North Korea. Federal agents recovered a large amount of money tied to the operation. Officials say the funds would have supported programs run by the North Korean government. The announcement puts remote-hiring practices back under the spotlight. The DOJ is urging companies to review identity checks and watch for strange login patterns, mismatched documents, or equipment routed through unexpected places.

Iran said that its nuclear sites are no longer enriching uranium. Officials explained that recent Israeli and U.S. strikes damaged key equipment across several facilities. The government described the stoppage as a direct result of the attacks, not a policy shift. Engineers on the ground are still assessing the broken systems. They shut down machines that were running at the time of the strikes. Workers also sealed several rooms where power lines, cooling units, and control panels were hit. Iran’s foreign minister said the country is now focused on restoring basic operations, like electricity and monitoring gear. He noted that inspectors can enter the sites, but they will see limited activity. Regional diplomats are watching closely. Some hope the pause could lower immediate nuclear tensions. Others worry Iran may rebuild quickly once repairs begin.

More workers are stacking several jobs at once to stay afloat. Many say their main salary no longer covers rent, food and basic bills. Some also worry about sudden layoffs, so they add extra work to feel safer. This shift shows up in simple ways. A person may work a full-time office job during the day, then spend evenings running a small online shop. Another may pick up weekend tutoring or late-night delivery shifts. These extra roles bring variety, but they also fill income gaps that one job no longer covers. People describe it as a mix of pressure and control. They feel stretched, but they also feel less exposed. If one job slows or disappears, another can help bridge the gap. Workers are relying less on a single employer and more on a patchwork of income streams. It offers stability for some, but it also leaves less time to rest. Still, for many, polyworking has become the most practical way to keep up in today’s economy.

A new national poll reveals that most Americans support the tax proposals of Zohran Mamdani, the incoming mayor of New York City. The survey, conducted in early November, found that about 69% of adults endorse raising taxes on millionaires and corporations to help fund public services. Support for this measure spans political lines — roughly 40% of self-identified Republicans said they back it. Beyond the tax hikes, the poll also finds strong backing for other parts of Mamdani’s agenda: 66% support free childcare for children under five, 65% favor freezing rent for lower-income tenants, and 56% agree with increasing the minimum wage to $30 by 2030. The results suggest that the policy direction Mamdani ran on has appeal beyond just his New York base. With the mayor-elect set to take office in January, this level of national support gives him a stronger mandate as he prepares for governance.

Washington — The U.S. has quietly moved away from insisting that Hamas fully disarm before a major reconstruction push begins in the Gaza Strip. U.S. officials now say the disarmament issue will be delayed, allowing billions in reconstruction funds and humanitarian aid to flow more quickly. The shift comes after months of warnings from regional partners that enforcing an immediate disarmament for Hamas was unrealistic. Israeli leaders had made disarming Hamas a pre-condition for approving reconstruction efforts, but the U.S. now appears to be prioritizing rebuilding infrastructure and restoring civilian life. Under the changed posture, the United States is instead pushing for a phased approach: start reconstruction and stabilize Gaza first, then tackle the harder question of military control later. The move responds to mounting humanitarian urgency and pressure to show progress on the ground.

Anthropic, a ChatGPT competitor, announced this week that it disrupted a large-scale hacking campaign that it attributes to a Chinese state-sponsored group. The campaign, discovered in mid-September, used AI to automate much of the operation. According to the company, the attackers manipulated Claude’s “agentic” capabilities—getting the system to act autonomously rather than simply respond to commands—to break into nearly 30 global targets. The victims included technology firms, financial institutions, chemical manufacturers and government agencies. Anthropic said the hacking group used so-called “jailbreaking” techniques on Claude that allowed it to bypass internal safeguards. Once inside, the AI executed phishing, network infiltration and data extraction with limited human oversight. While the company detected and halted the campaign early, it views it as a watershed moment for cybersecurity. The idea that an AI system can run large parts of a cyber-espionage operation marks a sharp shift in how threats might evolve. This event raises urgent questions for every business that uses AI agents or cloud-based models. If one system can be bent into attack mode, many more could follow—and the automated scale of such threats could outpace traditional defenses.

President Trump’s much-publicised peace proposal for the Gaza Strip has hit a major hurdle as dozens of Hamas fighters remain trapped in tunnel networks inside southern Gaza. U.S. and Israeli officials are locked in disagreement over whether these militants should be granted safe-passage under the agreement. Mediators report the number of fighters ranges from about 100 to 200, located in a zone under Israeli control near the town of Rafah. Hamas leaders insist their fighters won’t surrender. Meanwhile Israeli authorities say permitting safe exit would be politically unacceptable. The stalemate has rippled into implementation plans. Trump’s 20-point roadmap calls for disarming Hamas, releasing hostages, and ending the war. But the trapped fighters issue now threatens to derail a key phase. Israel’s security concerns and Hamas’s refusal to disarm are core obstacles.

The federal government reopened after a 43-day shutdown, the longest in U.S. history. President Trump signed the funding bill late Wednesday, bringing most agencies back to work. The legislation covers operations through January and restores paychecks for hundreds of thousands of federal employees who were unpaid during the impasse. Officials say most services, including benefit programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, will resume in the coming days. Some systems had paused or run at reduced levels during the shutdown. Agencies are now working to clear backlogs and resume full operations. For federal workers who went without pay, the back-pay provisions mean wages will arrive soon — though the exact timing depends on each agency’s payroll system. Travel services, application processing and other public-facing operations are expected to ramp up steadily. The shutdown had widespread effects: federal workers missed paychecks, food-aid programs were disrupted, and airports and national parks saw staffing issues. Now that funding is restored, those interruptions begin to ease.

The Russian government announced that it is ready to resume direct peace negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul. A senior Russian diplomat said Moscow has previously laid out proposals — including online working groups — and is willing to meet “at any moment.”Ukraine, however, has not responded positively to those initiatives so far. The talks between the two sides have been stalled since their last session in Istanbul in July.Turkey has reiterated that the Istanbul venue remains open and available for future discussions. Russia said the “ball is in Ukraine’s court.”Renewed dialogue could open pathways toward prisoner exchanges, humanitarian relief, or even an eventual cease-fire. The next move now depends on Kyiv.

President Trump said that the United States would hit an economic and national-security disaster if the Supreme Court of the United States ruled against his sweeping tariffs. He warned the court could require the U.S. government to refund billions in duties if those tariffs are struck down. He said his plan includes issuing a $2,000 payment to lower- and middle-income Americans using tariff revenues, and using the rest to reduce national debt. He pointed to recent court hearings where justices questioned whether the tariffs exceeded his emergency-powers authority. Trump said estimates of required refunds are too low and that “there would be an economic disaster” if he lost the case. The court’s ruling could reshape U.S. trade policy and affect government revenue, debt levels, and the cost of goods for households.

The Federal Reserve is widely expected to cut its key interest rate again in December, driven by signs of a softening U.S. job market. According to a recent poll, about 80% of economists anticipate a 25-basis-point cut at the December meeting.In recent weeks, private-sector surveys have reported employer layoffs and sluggish hiring, raising concerns that the labor market is losing steam. At the same time, inflation measures are inching closer to the Fed’s target, which gives policymakers more room to ease.Despite this consensus, Fed Chair Jerome Powell has cautioned that a rate cut in December is not guaranteed, citing conflicting views among committee members and delays in key economic data caused by the government shutdown.Markets are already reacting: the dollar has slipped slightly and Treasury yields have edged lower in anticipation of looser monetary policy.A December cut would mark a further shift from fighting inflation to bolstering employment and growth—and could change borrowing costs for consumers and businesses heading into next year.

Researchers at the University of California San Diego discovered that a broken connection between two gut-immune proteins plays a central role in Crohn’s disease. The team found that a protein called girdin must bind to the gene product of NOD2 to keep gut immune cells balanced. When that bond breaks, inflammation takes over. Using artificial intelligence, scientists mapped more than 50 genes in intestinal immune cells and observed how NOD2 mutations disrupt the link to girdin. In lab tests, mice missing girdin developed intense gut inflammation and showed major changes in their gut microbes. It’s the first time researchers have shown how a long-known Crohn’s gene drives inflammation through a specific protein partner. It opens the door to treatments that restore this bond instead of broadly suppressing the immune system. The discovery could lead to more precise and less disruptive therapies for people living with Crohn’s disease.

President Trump announced that Kazakhstan will join the Abraham Accords, extending the Israel-normalization pact outside its usual region. He said Kazakhstan is the “first country of my second term” to sign on. Kazakhstan already has full diplomatic ties with Israel, but this move formalizes their membership in the Accords framework. The announcement came during a summit in Washington with Kazakh President Kassym‑Jomart Tokayev and other Central Asian leaders. U.S. officials described the step as largely symbolic, but said it signals broader diplomatic momentum for the Accords beyond the Middle East. By bringing Kazakhstan—situated in Central Asia and far from the Gaza or Arab-Israeli arenas—the Accords show a new geographic reach. For Israel and the U.S., it means a fresh diplomatic partner and expanded cooperation in trade, technology and regional strategy.

Researchers have reviewed multiple studies and found growing evidence that the bacteria in your gut may influence how well you sleep. Using data from recent trials, the review reveals that people with sleep issues—such as insomnia or apnea—often show altered gut-microbe profiles compared with those who sleep well. The scientists noted that certain microbial strains appear less abundant in sleep-impaired individuals, and that these changes may affect inflammation and the nervous system during sleep. While it’s too early to say that gut bacteria-fixing treatments will cure sleep disorders, this link opens a fresh area for investigation. Improving diet and gut health may play a role in better rest.

A Republican congressman filed a bill today that would block federal funding for Zohran Mamdani’s incoming administration in New York City. The proposed “MAMDANI Act” would suspend unobligated federal dollars to the city so long as Mamdani serves as mayor. The draft text specifies that no federal funds may be obligated or spent for any purpose in the city during his term. Mamdani ran on a progressive platform of free buses, universal child care and a higher minimum wage. Supporters say the bill is a direct attack on democratic self-governance, while opponents argue it’s a defense of national priorities. The legislation signals an early clash between the incoming mayor’s agenda and federal political forces. Its passage would reshape the financial relationship between New York City and Washington — and set a precedent for federal oversight of local governments.

A string of drone sightings across Europe has spurred the U.S. government to sharpen its national security posture. U.S. officials say several unmanned aircraft have flown near critical military sites, airports and allied bases in recent days. These incursions have raised fresh alarm over vulnerabilities in allied air-defense networks. In response, the U.S. is working closely with NATO partners to increase intelligence sharing, review drone detection systems and coordinate counter-measures at key bases. One senior official said the focus is shifting from “reacting to random threats” to “standing guard for systematic probing of our defenses.” The same official emphasized that improved joint training and rapid-response protocols are now under review. Unmanned aircraft can gather intelligence, disrupt operations or signal wider aggression.