World

Biden finishing trip to Israel after pledging support

Biden’s trip comes to a head as he reiterates US support for Israel. Biden arrived in Israel Wednesday to iron out a plan concerning humanitarian aid for citizens in Gaza and reducing the spread of a larger conflict in the Middle East.

The visit came a day after a hospital in Gaza was destroyed, killing hundreds, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. Conflicting reports on who caused the explosion have been proliferating the internet for days, with Palestinian health officials claiming it was an Israeli airstrike, and the Israeli military stating it was a failed rocket launch from Hamas.

During Biden’s last hours in the country, he said US intelligence supported Israel’s position that the bombing was caused by the Islamic Jihad militant group.

• Independent security experts have also backed up the claim

What’s the purpose of the visit?

The main issues were to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to reduce the spread of a larger conflict, as well as Biden’s objective of reiterating the US’s support of Israel.

The humanitarian crisis: The president said the US would provide $100 million in new funding for humanitarian aid in Gaza, asking Congress for unprecedented aid as a part of a new $100 billion package. Shortly after, Israel said it would allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza via Egypt, with Biden later saying Egypt is prepared to let 20 truckloads of supplies cross the border.

Reducing the spread of conflict: After Biden’s initial meeting with Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, he was supposed to head East to meet with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas — but after the hospital blast, the summit was scrapped as anti-Israel and anti-US protests skyrocketed throughout the region.

Biden also wants his presence to serve as a message to Iran, whose foreign minister warned on Monday that its allies — which include Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and the authoritarian Syrian government — will attack Israel on “multiple fronts” if Israeli strikes on Gaza continue.

Putin leaves Russia for second time since he was accused of war crimes

Xi Jinping welcomed his “dear friend” back to China. Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in China on Tuesday to attend the Belt and Road Forum, making this appearance one of the only major international summits he has attended this year.

Putin was notably absent from the G20 summit and UN National Assembly earlier this year, so attending Xi’s summit makes a statement the rest of the world is sure to keep in mind.

What is this about?

Representatives from just 23 countries (down from 37 in 2019) were in attendance for the Chinese President’s forum on the massive infrastructure and trade project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Xi has been pushing to make the BRI cleaner, pushing away from big projects like dams to high-tech ones like digital finance and e-commerce platforms. The aim is to give the global south more agency and move away from a world directed by the US and its allies.

Moving on from a world led by the West was a big talking point, with Putin praising what he described as the emergence of a “multipolar world”, suggesting an alternative to the US-led international order. Other discussions revolved around the Israel-Hamas war, with Russia and Beijing calling for a ceasefire.

What’s next?

Recent issues like the threats to Taiwan and the trade disruptions caused by the pandemic added urgency to China’s desire to limit its dependence on the West. China will continue to try and bolster initiatives in strategic emerging industries and deepen regional cooperation while it looks to restructure the international balance of power.

Domestic

Ivy League schools are losing out on big donors

Major donors are backing out of prestigious schools over response to the Israel-Hamas war. UPenn and Harvard's financers made it clear they’re disgruntled enough to cut off their funding - or just leave altogether.

Jon Huntsman, a key UPenn donor whose last name is adorned on Wharton’s main building, joined Wharton advisory board chair and billionaire Apollo CEO Marc Rowan in withholding support from the college over what they see as UPenn’s failure to condemn antisemitism.

Who’s had enough from Harvard?

Billionaire donors Bill Ackman and Kenneth Griffin are among those who have criticized Harvard for not taking a stronger stance against Hamas; Griffin has donated more than $300 million to Harvard this year alone. A letter signed by student groups blamed Israel for all violence, spurring discontent among Harvard donors. It wasn’t until three days later Harvard condemned the attack.

A nonprofit founded by Leslie Wexner, who made billions running Victoria’s Secret, is cutting ties with the university entirely.

The most intense demands have come from Wall Street financiers who make up a large portion of powerful donors to schools including the University of Pennsylvania, New York University, Stanford University, and Cornell University, according to the NYT.

Harvard President Claudine Gay has struggled to appease some critics, which include the former president, Larry Summers. Over the years, Harvard’s endowment has soared to $51 billion, so getting smitten with its donors again should prove to be a top priority.

Working from home hasn’t been this uncommon for years

Reading this on your way to work? You aren’t alone. Work-from-home rates are the lowest they have been since the start of the pandemic. Less than 26% of American households still have someone at home for at least one day a week as opposed to the office.

Why the decline?

That percentage is down 37% from 2021, according to the latest surveys by the Census Bureau. Now only seven states plus Washington D.C. have above a 33% remote work rate, down from 31 states during the pandemic.

Remote work has gotten the brunt of the blame for many issues post-pandemic businesses are facing, such as reduced profits, productivity, and fears of a recession.

Because of these reasons, looking for remote work won’t be an easy task, especially jobs with the benefits offered during the pandemic. However, you might just be in luck, my neighbor posted on Facebook looking for a dog sitter this weekend.

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Grab Bag

Five new major sports are coming to the Olympics

Look for some new sports to watch when the US hosts the Olympics in 2028. The International Olympic Committee officially permitted cricket, flag football, baseball/softball, lacrosse, and squash for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles on Monday.

It will be an Olympic debut for flag football and squash, while cricket and lacrosse are returning for the first time in more than a century. While there isn’t any guarantee they will stay for the long run, if they prove to be popular enough it’s certainly possible they’ll be permanently added (much like surfing has been).

• The NFL is endorsing the addition of flag football, which could add a bigger audience to the NFL while simultaneously raising viewership for the new Olympic event

• India’s Olympic broadcasting rights are projected to increase by as much as $200 million due to the popularity of the sport back home

There may be some popular talent joining the next Olympics… Both the NFL and MLB are suggesting they’ll be letting players compete in their respective sports, even though neither league has done so in the past.

Move aside, Carolina Reaper

After years of testing, there’s finally a new pepper to melt your face off. Thank god. Ed Currie, known for breeding the ex-hottest pepper in the world, the Carolina Reaper, has broken his own world record with Pepper X.

The Carolina Reaper is no sissy pepper, as it boasts a higher Scoville rating than most pepper sprays used by police to subdue criminals. And yet, Pepper X blows it out of the water. Why anyone would want to make this? I don’t know.

How hot can it be?

Pepper X wields an average of 2.69 million Scoville heat units. For a little reference, bear spray is 2.2 million, the Carolina Reaper has 1.64 million, and a jalapeno sits around 5,000.

The devilish little thing was named the world's hottest pepper on Oct. 9th by the Guinness Book of World Records. Currie said he is only one of five people to eat the entire pepper so far, and the results were disastrous, as you could imagine.

Currie said he was “laid out flat… [for] an hour in the rain, groaning in pain”. Sounds like a fun experience. He went on to say “[this] is not the pinnacle”, which makes me think Pepper X’s next use will be for WMDs.

Snippets

Rock out: Check out Rolling Stone’s list of the top 250 guitarists to ever live.

Cookie Costs: Even the Girl Scouts are affected by inflation. The price of the sought-after cookies will be raised, so be ready to empty your pockets for some Thin Mints.

DJ Distractor: Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon has decided to stop DJing because it was “a distraction” to the Wall Street firm.

The CIA Now Has Its Own… Podcast? If you’ve ever wanted to feel like an undercover operative on the way to your cubicle, The Langley Files are for you.

Pricey Pencil: Apple claimed its new Apple Pencil was “affordable” at the low price of $79. Nice.

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