World

Israel is at war with Hamas

Israel is at war with Hamas after the terrorist group launched a surprise attack from Gaza into Israeli territory on Saturday morning, during the Jewish Sabbath and a major holiday. During the attack, military personnel broke through the border fence and charged Israeli towns, firing on civilians.

One of the targets was an outdoor music festival, where 260 people were brutally massacred. In total, more than 700 Israelis were killed by Hamas militants, and over 100 civilians were taken to Gaza as hostages. Among them were children, the elderly, and American citizens, nine of whom have been confirmed dead, according to US and Israeli officials.

In response to the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war on Hamas and retaliated with a barrage of airstrikes on Gaza which killed nearly 500 Palestinians and at least 91 children, per Palestinian health officials.

Israeli ministers ordered a “complete siege” of the already blockaded and impoverished Gaza Strip, one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Food, water, and electricity were cut off to the roughly 2 million residents by Israeli officials.

International reactions:

• President Biden and other Western leaders condemned the attack, reiterating Israel’s right to defend itself. The United States deployed the largest aircraft carrier in the world to the Eastern Mediterranean to potentially support Israel’s counter-offensive.

• Iran praised the Hamas group, which they had previously backed with weapons and technology. Their Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps helped plan the attack, according to the WSJ.

The situation is unfolding as you’re reading this, so check in for updates here.

Humans have been in North America for longer than we thought

What do super-old footprints have to tell us? Apparently, quite a lot. According to the journal Science, ancient footprints found in New Mexico have altered the timeline of human’s arrival in North America.

The new study confirmed previous ground-breaking research that dated old footprints in New Mexico’s White Sands National Park to about 23,000 years ago, making them the oldest dated evidence marking humanity’s presence in the Americas.

What did we used to think?

Before this study, it was widely believed that humans had crossed over to the Americas through the Bering Land Bridge connecting modern-day Alaska and Siberia.

• Early humans may have still crossed the land bridge, but the new study adds to a mounting body of evidence that they were likely not the first ones to arrive in North America.

• As of November 2021, a total of 61 human footprints were found, along with prints from mammoths, dire wolves (which I thought were exclusive to GOT), ground sloths, and American lions.

Who left the prints? Most of the footprints were from teenagers and children, suggesting they were gathering food for the adults, working at the edge of the lake where the prints were discovered.

Your favorite bamboo eaters are leaving U.S. zoos

Everyone’s favorite animal (diplomats?) are postponing their mission of chowing down bamboo to go back home. The three giant pandas currently residing in the DC Zoo are expected to return to their home, China, when the loan agreement for them expires in late December.

This ends the U.S.-China diplomatic tradition dating back to the Nixon administration. The giant panda is China’s national symbol and a diplomatic tool since the bamboo munchers have been loaned to foreign zoos as a gesture of goodwill.

Typically these loans are extended every few years, however, due to rising tensions with Western countries, it seems as if these loans will expire. Some foreign policy experts state that as China starts to end its “panda diplomacy” it will mark a new era in its foreign policy.

Fun facts about panda diplomacy:

• China has been gifting pandas since the Tang Dynasty (618-907)

• The cute bears had a $1 million annual price tag per panda at one point

• Although pandas have been called “co-ambassadors” of China, studies suggest they haven’t done much for their international image

There are all kinds of animal diplomacy

Although they might be the most famous of animal gifts concerning diplomacy, they are part of a larger pattern of animal gifting across the world.

• Australia has gifted koalas to hammer down international cooperation

• North Korea recently got into a political fight after gifting dogs to South Korea

China has also been on the receiving end, getting an elephant from Sri Lanka, and an elite cavalry horse from France.

🐼 Enjoy the cuteness while you can 🐼 : If you want to see what the adorable pandas are up to but don’t have the time or money to go visit by December, check out the live panda cam anytime.

Finance

Mortgage rates hit 23-year high

Hope you aren’t looking to buy a house anytime soon. The average 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate reached 7.8% last week, the highest since 2000.

Why is this happening?

You can blame part of it on Treasury yields. Mortgage rates typically rise along with the 10-year Treasury yield, which usually signifies investor optimism in the economy. The 10-year Treasury yield hit 4.8% last Tuesday, a point it hasn’t hit in 16 years.

This basically means that when investors think the economy is doing well, if you want to buy a house it’ll be more expensive… sorta.

You can also blame the Federal Reserve. Last year, the Fed bumped interest rates, and much more quickly than home buyers are used to. The interest rate hike, according to the Chair of the Fed, Jerome Powell, was to combat inflation. This means mortgage rates spiked, too.

Looking forward…

Housing demand dropped to its lowest level since 1996 last month, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, since owners don’t want to sell and lose their lower mortgage rate. So even if you are looking to buy, there won’t be much out there for the foreseeable future.

The Fed signaled that interest rates are going to stay elevated, so we’re likely to see mortgage rates hit 8% across the nation (in some parts it already has).

If/when the job market weakens, the Fed should finally lower rates, and then hopefully mortgage rates will drop. Hooray?

Ever wanted to be an All-Star?

Shrek music royalties are up for grabs. Since Thursday last week, you can buy $10 shares of an entity that owns the franchise’s music rights.

The catalog, which has 768 songs, accrues royalties whenever the movies are played, broadcast on TV, or played on theme park rides. Each quarter, share(Shrek)holders will get a piece of the money generated.

More than 20 years later the Shrek soundtrack is still pulling in money:

• It generated more than 8% yields in 2021 and 2022 according to Public

• For comparison, the average dividend yield on the S&P 500 is between 2% and 5%

The Shrek sale isn’t new in terms of selling off music royalties. It’s part of a larger trend that's becoming increasingly more popular, music royalties investing.

Unlike stocks or ETFs, music royalties aren’t subject to the whims of economic turbulence, making them an attractive alternative option for those looking to diversify their portfolios… so long as the music stays popular.

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Grab Bag

The GOAT of gymnastics

Biles breaks her own record with 6th all-around gold medal. Simone Biles won her 6th individual all-around title at the world championships, making her the most decorated gymnast in history, counting both the men’s and women’s categories.

The win marks her 27th world medal, the most in gymnastics history. Biles broke the record for total Olympic and world medals combined; with 27 world medals - 21 of which are gold - and seven Olympic medals.

Her individual win came days after she led the U.S. women’s Olympic team to their 7th consecutive gold medal, which marked Biles’ return to international competition after she pulled out in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Biden… builds the wall?

This seems backwards. The Biden administration is waiving 26 federal laws in order to allow the construction of the border wall in South Texas - a tactic often used during the Trump Presidency.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated an “acute and immediate need” to build physical barriers in Starr Country, which has recorded 245,000 illegal entries this year alone, according to government data.

Biden, who as a candidate, vowed there would “not be another foot” of the border wall built under his presidency, defended his decision to reporters. Biden stated he tried to get the funds appropriated for other uses but was unsuccessful in his attempt.

Snippets

Check This Out: The finalists for the Comedy Wildlife Photography awards have been announced and they’re better than you’d think.

Stool Stealer: Customs seized a box of giraffe poop at a Minnesota airport, with the poop-grabber claiming they wanted to make a necklace with it.

BYOB (Bring Your Own Balloon): The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is kicking off, with 107 new special shapes, including Darth Vader and a bottle of Jack Daniels.

Cheesy Chromosomes: YouTuber Max Fosh stole DNA from other creators and made… cheese out of it?

Wedding Weilder: A Nebraska man injured his grandson after shooting a blank round into the air at a wedding.

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