Loading summary
Transcript6 lines
- [00:02]
Reni Swarnofsky
Israel carried out more deadly strikes in Gaza. France's most famous museum fell victim to a heist. And you might be able to spot two comets tonight. That's some of what we'll get to on the 7. From the Washington Post, I'm Reni Swarnofsky in for Hannah jewel. It's Monday, October 20th. Let's get you caught up with today's seven stories. Number one, Israel launched another wave of attacks in Gaza. The strikes Yesterday killed about 44 people, according to local hospitals. The escalation came after Israel accused Hamas of violating a nine day old truce by attacking Israeli troops behind the ceasefire line. The Israel Defense Forces said that Hamas militants had fired at troops in southern Gaza. Later, it announced that two Israeli soldiers had been killed. Hamas's armed wing said it was unaware of any clashes in the area. President Trump spoke to that on Air Force One yesterday and insisted that the ceasefire he backed was still in place.
- [01:10]
Donald Trump
We think maybe the leadership isn't involved in that, you know, some rebels within. But either way it's going to be, it's going to be handled properly. It's going to be handled toughly but properly.
- [01:21]
Washington Post Announcer
Is the ceasefire still in place?
- [01:22]
Donald Trump
Yeah, it is. Yeah, it is.
- [01:24]
Reni Swarnofsky
Israel and Hamas had signed on to the first phase of a deal which required Israel to partially withdraw troops from Gaza, allow the free flow of humanitarian aid into the enclave and release more than 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Hamas had agreed to release its remaining Israeli hostages, including the bodies of those who either died on October 7, 2023 or were killed in captivity. So far, the group has freed 20 living hostages and the remains of 12 others. Hamas has said it will take time to find and exhume the bodies of another 16. Number two is a post exclusive. Marco Rubio promised to betray US informants to secure an El Salvador prison deal. In March, the Trump administration deported hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants to a notorious prison in El Salvador. At the time, many wondered what was in it for El Salvador. Well, its president, Nayib Bukele, had asked to secure the return of nine leaders of the MS.13 gang from US custody. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio promised the request would be fulfilled, according to officials familiar with the conversation. But there was one obstacle. Rubio told Bukele that some of the MS.13 members he wanted were informants under the protection of the US Government. To deport them, Attorney General Pam Bondi would need to terminate the Justice Department's arrangements with those men, which Rubio assured Bukele that Bondi would do. Rubio's extraordinary pledge illustrates the extent to which the Trump administration was willing to meet Bukele's demands to make this prison deal happen. It would become one of the signature agreements of President Trump's early months in office. Number three A shell detonated over a California highway during a Marine exercise this weekend. On Saturday, a major stretch of highway between Los Angeles and San Diego was temporarily closed. It was for a live fire exercise that the US Marine Corps was holding for its 250th anniversary. The event had sparked yet another fight between California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom and the Trump administration. Newsom's office had questioned the wisdom of firing live munitions in the area, and yesterday officials said an artillery shell detonated prematurely during the exercise. It sent shrapnel toward Interstate 5 and California Highway Patrol officers who were part of Vice President J.D. vance's protective detail. No officers were injured in the incident. Also on Saturday, huge crowds gathered across the country for no Kings protests. They demonstrated against Trump's immigration, crack, domestic military deployments and efforts to go after critics. Here they are in New York. Donald Trump has got to go away. Organizers estimate that nearly 7 million people attended the demonstrations. President Trump says he beat inflation, but most experts say it's gotten worse. That's number four. Inflation helped elect Trump. It took off during the Biden administration as the economy roared back from the coronavirus pandemic, climbing to near double digit levels. And while price growth has slowed over the past two years, it's remained above pre pandemic norms. The costs of everyday goods and services are about 25% higher than before the pandemic. Trump says he brought inflation down. As proof, the White House points to a seven month stretch of data showing that prices are increasing at a very low rate. But most experts agree that inflation has been ticking up in recent months in part because of Trump's tariffs. And economists expect more tariff driven price increases in the months to come. Five thieves stole precious jewels from the Louvre in broad daylight. The thieves moved in just after the famous museum opened in Paris yesterday and managed to pull off the heist in under seven minutes, officials said. They forced their way into the Apollo Gallery of the Louvre using a furniture elevator attached to a truck. They cut through display cases with a grinder and they fled the scene on motorbikes. They took nine objects, including a tiara, a necklace and an earring from the sapphire jewelry set of former French royalty. The stolen pieces were studded with thousands of diamonds and many precious jewels. The French interior minister told French media that the items were of inestimable value. One item was recovered near the the crown of Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon iii. The thieves are believed to have dropped it on their Four Surprising things could cut your risk of developing Parkinson's. That's number six. Parkinson's disease was once considered relatively rare, but in the past 25 years, the number of people living with it has doubled to more than 8.5 million. And while up to 15% of cases are linked to inherited genetic mutations, the rest have no known cause. Now, studies suggest that making small changes can help people lower their risk of developing the disease. Drinking coffee and tea, for instance, can help because caffeine can prevent cell damage. Researchers also suggest being careful with your dry cleaning, as some of the chemicals used can increase your risk. They say that eating organic foods, avoiding pesticides and using water filters can help. And at Number seven Space News My favorite kind of news. You and I could see two bright once in a lifetime comets tonight. Stargazers have already spotted the striking green tails of Comets Lemon and Swan. That's all caps on cameras and telescopes, but now we have the rare opportunity to see them with the naked eye. Both comets are expected to be closest to Earth around October 21's new moon. The best window for seeing Comet Swan closes tomorrow, so head to the Show Notes for a link to our newsletter, which has tips for how to get a glimpse. It won't be visible from Earth again for about 700 years, and if you miss Comet Lemmon this time around, you'll have to wait another 1300 years to try again. Personally, I don't plan on living that long. All right, you are all caught up. Thanks for listening. If you like the podcast, a great way to support our work is through a subscription to the Washington Post. A core monthly subscription is only $4 every four weeks or $40 for the first year. Subscribe to the Post by going to washingtonpost.com subscribe I'm ready, Srinofsky. I'll meet you back here tomorrow.
- [09:18]
Washington Post Announcer
Think about why you listen to podcasts. It's like having a friend who makes you think or can help you wind down right. Well, the Washington Post has a lot of people you can turn to at any hour. You can read the most important and interesting stories. We can help you cook something delicious, give you advice on a tricky friendship. Rave about a movie or book that you shouldn't miss. When you become a Washington Post subscriber, you have a companion for whatever part of your day needs it most. Get it all for just $4 every four weeks that's for an entire year. After that, it's just $12 every four weeks. Cancel anytime. Go to washingtonpost.com subscribe. That's washingtonpost.com subscribe.