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Hannah Jewell
President Donald Trump is on a big trip to Asia. That's where we're starting the seven from the Washington Post, I'm Hannah Jewell. It's Monday, October 27th. Let's get you caught up with today's seven stories. In Malaysia yesterday, President Trump oversaw the signing of a ceasefire agreement to resolve a border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia. But the main focus of his five day tour of Asia is trade. China has been a particular target in Trump's global trade war. Yesterday, Chinese and US Negotiators reached a framework of a trade deal. It would avert additional hundred percent tariffs that Trump had threatened to impose on imports from China. The potential deal is a significant de escalation of the back and forth trade war between the world's two biggest economies. And it sets the stage for the President's highly anticipated meeting on Thursday in South Korea with China's leader Xi Jinping speaking on Air Force One. Earlier today, Trump also teased another possible meeting. He made it clear that he really wants to sit down with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Donald Trump
Haven't mentioned it. I haven't said anything, but I'd love to meet with him if he'd like to meet. I got along great with Kim Jong Un. I liked him, he liked me. If he wants to meet, I'll be in South Korea.
Washington Post Announcer
Foreign.
Hannah Jewell
Law firms are taking on the Trump administration An analysis from the Post found that the largest law firms in the US have been far less likely to challenge President Trump's policies than they were during his first term. That means smaller and medium sized firms are picking up the legal slack. They have taken on more of the workload in the nearly 400 lawsuits related to Trump's moves filed between January and mid September. Trump signed more than 200 executive orders in that time period. Some of those orders have targeted major law firms, so some large firms have cut deals with Trump to provide the administration with millions of dollars of free work. That has divided the legal industry over how to respond. Three police arrested suspects in the Louvre museum heist one week after thieves broke into the Paris museum and stole thousands of jewels and diamonds in broad daylight. The Paris prosecutor announced that some suspects have been arrested. We don't know yet whether the jewelry has been recovered or how many arrests were made. But the prosecutor said that one of the men arrested was preparing to leave the country from a Paris airport. The Louvre has estimated the total value of the stolen jewels to be $102 million. Some tourists visiting the museum since the heist have been hoping to get lucky.
Donald Trump
It'd be nice to find a few diner diamonds that they may have missed or dropped on the way out.
Hannah Jewell
That guy who spoke to the Associated Press did not find anything on the ground as far as we know. If you are a little obsessed with this story, we have a great visualization of how the heist unfolded. Find a link to it in our newsletter. Hurricane Melissa Will Soon Make Landfall in Jamaica that's number four Jamaica is bracing for a worst case scenario. Hurricane Melissa continued strengthening overnight, reaching Category five intensity. It will probably be the country's strongest on record and will deliver a devastating blow when it makes landfall on Jamaica's main island tonight or early tomorrow. The storm will bring heavy rain, which could lead to landslides and catastrophic flash flooding. High winds are expected to flatten trees and snap telephone poles. The storm also isn't done hitting Haiti, where there have been reports of three storm related deaths. Later this week, Melissa will move northward to impact Cuba, the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and possibly Bermuda. Number five Cancer rates are rising sharply among young people in America's Corn Belt mackenzie Dryden's happiest childhood memories are of running barefoot through the sunlit cornfields of her hometown of Winterset, Iowa. But when she was diagnosed with cancer two and a half years ago at 18 years old, a disturbing thought began to take hold. Could something in the land she loved have made her sick? Dryden's questioning taps into an unsettling shift in cancer diagnoses in America. Rates of cancer for young adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s are trending up even as overall cancer rates decline, and geography appears to be a key factor in who falls ill. Young rates among young adults in the Corn Belt, which stretches across the heart of the Midwest, are rising more rapidly than in the country as a whole. The data doesn't yet offer a satisfying explanation for why cancer rates among the young have shot up there. But the fact that some areas seem to carry a heavier burden has led residents to worry that something in their environment is to blame. A new study could help explain why electricity costs are spiking. That's number six. Over the past few months, many Americans have looked at their rising electricity bills and blamed them on one clear scapegoat power hungry data centers. But while these data centers, which are central to the artificial intelligence boom, do use a lot of energy, they don't necessarily raise costs for the average Joe. Researchers found that between 2019 and 2024, states with spikes in electricity demand still saw lower prices overall. For example, North Dakota has had a nearly 40% increase in electricity demand partly due to AI data cent, but electricity prices actually fell there in that time period, according to the researchers. The biggest factor in rising prices is actually infrastructure costs like wires and poles and the cost of protecting that equipment from extreme weather events Number seven is a bit of Halloween inspiration for you. Some animals wear costumes for a better shot at survival Animal mimicry is the evolutionary process in which one species develops the ability to resemble another. They do it to gain a survival advantage. Some of their disguises are better than others. So in the spirit of Halloween, we rounded up some of the best disguises in the animal world for a little costume contest. Entries include a frog which pretends to be another, more poisonous frog, and an octopus that can stretch its arms to pretend to be a scary snake or even a toxic fish. You can see these clever creatures at the link in our newsletter today and vote for your favorite. It might just help you with some last minute costume ideas. After all, why be a simple ghost when you could be a spicebush swallowtail caterpillar? All right, you're all caught up. If you like the podcast, I have a favor to ask this week. Share it with someone you know who needs a quick way to catch up on the news. It will help our podcast grow and reach more ears. I'm doing my part. I got two new listeners at a wedding just the other day. So welcome to the seven family, Janet and Donald. I'm Hannah Jewell. I'll meet you back here tomorrow.
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Podcast Summary: The 7 by The Washington Post
Episode Date: Monday, October 27, 2025
Host: Hannah Jewell
In this fast-paced morning episode, host Hannah Jewell delivers a concise briefing on the seven most important and interesting news stories of the day. Topics span international politics, legal industry shifts, a dramatic art heist, a catastrophic hurricane, concerning cancer trends, rising electricity costs, and animal mimicry in time for Halloween. The episode serves up crucial updates with trademark Washington Post insight and a dash of relatable, engaging commentary.
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Hannah Jewell’s delivery is brisk, informed, and punctuated with witty commentary and clear transitions. The episode balances urgent global news with lighter, creative segments for a well-rounded, engaging news rundown.
For More:
The episode links to further visual and interactive content—including a breakdown of the Louvre heist and an animal mimicry costume contest—in The 7's newsletter.