International
Israel-Hamas
At the start of the week, Israel ordered civilian evacuations to prepare for further ground invasions. By Tuesday, Israel pushed into southern Gaza, forcing Palestinians to flee the Southern Strip, a place where many sought refuge during the early stages of the conflict. The UN estimates that more than 1.8 million Gazans have been internally displaced. On Thursday, the Rafah Border Crossing opened, allowing displaced Gazans to escape into Egypt.
The US outwardly condemned the forced relocation of Gazans and urged Israel to do more to protect civilians. The US imposed visa bans on extremist Israeli travelers who have committed violent crimes against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Presidents of UPenn, Harvard, and MIT are under criticism for their controversial testimonies during a House Education and the Workforce Committee. Upon being asked if genocide would violate UPenn’s code of conduct, Magill responded: “It is a context-dependent decision.” Soon after, she resigned from her position.
Aid Bill
The White House has reported that funding for Ukraine and Israel will run out by the end of the year if Congress does not pass a new emergency spending bill. On Wednesday, Republicans blocked an aid bill after Democrats failed to comply with their demands for border and immigration policy changes.
US Politics
4th Republican Debate
On Wednesday, the 4th debate of the 2024 Republican presidential primary season took place in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Chris Christie, and Vivek Ramaswamy engaged in a tense debate, all vying to become Trump’s primary alternative.
Donald Trump
Donald Trump’s election subversion case’s federal judge refused to dismiss the charges, saying that he does not enjoy absolute immunity for what he said and did after the 2020 election. His trial is set for March 2024.
Tommy Tuberville
Tommy Tuberville ended his holds against military promotions due to bipartisan pressure. For months, the senator served as a one-man blockade on military promotions in protest of the Pentagon’s abortion policies.
Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthy announced on Thursday that he will leave the House by the end of December. In October, he was ousted from his position as House speaker by fellow Republicans.
Hunter Biden
Hunter Biden has been indicted on 9 counts related to tax charges. If convicted, he could face up to 17 years in prison.
Climate
COP28
Leaders continue to debate on fossil fuel reduction through either a “phase-out” or “phase-down”
President of COP28 Sultan Al Jaber’s shocking claims that there is “no evidence” that says phasing out fossil fuels is necessary to limit global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius was met with criticism. Scientific reports have shown that fossil fuels need to be limited to keep global warming below this threshold.
Other
Prescription Drugs
Biden is preparing a package of health care measures that he plans to pass in a second term, centered around cutting prescription drug prices, specifically insulin, that were enacted for Medicare enrollees last year as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.
Oxford High School
Ethan Crumbley, the Michigan teen responsible for the 2021 Oxford High School shooting, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Las Vegas Shooting
On Wednesday, December 6, a shooting at the University of Nevada Las Vegas left 3 people dead. The suspect was a former professor in North Carolina. This marks the 80th school shooting of the year.
Manuel Rocha
Cormorant Garamond is a classic font with a modern twist. It's easy to read on screens of every shape and size, and perfect for long blocks of text.
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