← The NewsWorthy
The NewsWorthy
Ceasefire Tested, Louvre Daytime Heist & Happy Diwali - Monday, October 20, 2025
00:13:22
The news to know for Monday, October 20, 2025! We’ll update you on the cease-fire in Gaza after the worst day of violence since President Trump declared peace in the Middle East. Also, why President Trump released former Congressman George Santos...
Loading summary
Transcript1 lines
- [00:00]
A
Today is Monday, October 20th. We'll update you on the ceasefire in Gaza after the worst day of violence since President Trump declared peace in the Middle East. Also, why President Trump released former Congressman George Santos from prison. And how the Louvre got robbed in just seven minutes in broad daylight. Plus, why one British royal is giving up his titles, what new research shows about COVID 19 vaccines and cancer and how Taylor Swift sparked a windfall for sea otters. Those stories and even more news to know coming up. Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Newsworthy. All the day's news in around 10 minutes. Fast, fair, fun and on the go. I'm Erica. Mandy, thanks so much for being here. You ready? Let's do this. The ceasefire President Trump helped broker in Gaza faced its first major test over the weekend, but despite some violence, it's still in place for now. Israel's military accused Hamas militants of killing two Israeli soldiers. So Israel launched a new wave of deadly strikes and paused the transfer of aid into Gaza. Gazan health officials say dozens of Palestinians were killed, including children. Israel's military said it struck dozens of Hamas targets, then later said it would go back to enforcing the ceasefire. Aid deliveries are picking up where they left off today. Meanwhile, mediators in Egypt are working on the next phase of the deal. Talks are expected to focus on disarming Hamas, Israel withdrawing from more areas it controls in Gaza and how the territory will be governed in the Future. Vice President J.D. vance says he may visit Israel in the next few days to, as he said, check on how things are going to be continued. Huge crowds marched all over the country in protest over the weekend. The no Kings protests were meant to express outrage at some of President Trump's policies that critics consider to be authoritarian. For example, immigration raids, troop deployments within the US Cuts to federal programs and more, all policies President Trump says are necessary to rebuild a country in crisis. Organizers say There were nearly 7 million people who protested at more than 2,700 events in all 50 states. Several states, like Texas and Virginia, actually mobilized the National Guard ahead of time, but police say the protests were mostly peaceful. There were even some protests in other countries in solidarity with Americans. President Trump responded on Fox News by saying he's not actually a king and that he works hard to make America great. Then on Truth Social, he posted a video generated by artificial intelligence, seemingly mocking the protesters. It shows him with a crown on his head in a fighter jet labeled King Trump on the side, dumping brown sewage on protesters below. Trump has support from many Republicans who have been calling the no Kings protests hate America rallies. Democrats, though, say their constituents turned out not because they hate America, but because they love it. Either way, no Kings organizers say their movement doesn't end here. Former Congressman George Santos says he knows what he wants to do with his life. Now that President Trump has commuted his prison sentence, he says he wants to dedicate his life to prison reform. Remember, Santos was expelled from Congress after the House Ethics Committee found he stole money from his campaign, deceived donors, created fake loans and more. Plus, he fabricated many details of his background, including degrees he didn't earn, work experience he didn't have, and so on. The former congressman pleaded guilty to identity theft and wire fraud and was sentenced to seven years in prison. Santos ended up serving 84 days in federal prison before President Trump exempted him from the rest of his sentence, all financial penalties and any need for probation. Trump said Santos had been horribly mistreated and said his sentence was too harsh. And as the president wrote on Truth Social, quote, at least Santos had the courage, conviction and intelligence to always vote Republican. After his release, Santos apologized to Americans he had wronged over the years. Beyond working on prison reform, Santos says he hasn't ruled out a future run for office. He also says he's open to TV work, including Dancing with the Stars. At last check, Though he has not yet been invited, Britain's Prince Andrew has decided to give up his titles and honors, meaning he'll no longer be known as the Duke of York. In a statement, Andrew said the continued accusations against him are distracting from the work of his brother King Charles and the rest of the royal family. Those accusations stem from his links to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and a woman who said Epstein sex trafficked her and forced her into a sexual relationship with Prince Andrew. Already, the prince had given up all of his public duties and charity roles. But then this week, emails emerged showing Andrew was in contact with Epstein longer than he previously admitted, writing in an email that they were quote in this together. And news articles recently came out saying Andrew tried to get personal information about his accuser through his police protection in hopes of launching a smear campaign against her. So it's believed he was forced to give up his titles, though Andrew still denies all accusations against him. He he is also still a prince living in the 30 bedroom Royal Lodge mansion. Authorities are now trying to figure out who was behind a brazen robbery at the world's most visited museum. Thieves using power tools broke into the Louvre in Paris Yesterday morning, about 30 minutes after it opened to visitors. No one was hurt, but the security staff had apparently been threatened, and four men were able to make off with what officials describe as priceless jewelry. The pieces were once worn by France's queens and empresses and included thousands of diamonds and other precious gemstones. France's interior minister called the theft a major, highly organized operation that lasted just seven minutes. But the robbers left behind a trail of clues, including a crown apparently dropped during the escape. The museum was quickly evacuated and closed for the rest of the day so investigators could collect more evidence. French President Emmanuel Macron promised to recover the jewelry and bring the suspects to justice. More than a billion people around the world are starting to celebrate Diwali today. Also known as the Festival of Lights, the festival is one of the most important holidays for people in India and Hindus in particular, though people from other countries and faiths celebrate Diwali, too. Millions of people celebrate in the US and this year California became the third state to designate Diwali as an official statewide holiday. The other two are Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Traditionally, Diwali takes place over five days, but some observers celebrate over a shorter time period. The holiday is marked by rows of lights or clay lamps outside their homes. Other traditions include sharing sweets, watching fireworks displays, exchanging gifts and more. We have more news for you still ahead, but first, a quick break because this episode is brought to you by calm. I know these days a lot of people feel overwhelmed by the news, but even when it's not just that, it's the emails, the to do list, maybe the kids, the constant buzz of life. When I start to feel that building up, I turn to calm. It's the number one app for sleep and meditation, and it's like having a little reset button in my pocket. Calm offers guided meditations to help work through anxiety and stress, improve focus and build healthier habits. I appreciate morning meditations to start my day on the right foot, and when I just need a quick break in the afternoon, the grounding exercises and expert LED talks help me feel motivated and refreshed. On nights I'm having trouble calming my mind. Calm has guided meditations, sleep stories, music and relaxation sessions. With over 2 million 5 star reviews, Calm helps you stress less, sleep more, and live more mindfully. Anytime, anywhere. Calm your mind. Change your life. Calm has an exclusive offer just for listeners of our show. Get 40% off a Calm premium subscription at calm.com newsworthy this is an amazing value. Go to C-A-L-M.com newsworthy for 40% off unlimited access to Calm's entire library. Calm.com newsworthy and tell Calm you heard about them from me. Now back to the news. NASA says it's considered to be one of the most beautiful meteor showers of the year, with shooting stars known for their brightness and speed. The Orionid meteor shower is set to peak tonight and into tomorrow morning. In the right conditions between midnight and dawn, you might be able to look up and see more than 20 shooting stars per hour. This year is actually supposed to be a great year to see it, since it's peaking during a new moon, meaning moonlight won't get in the way. For your best chance of getting a glimpse, find a dark spot with an open view of the sky. Lie back, let your eyes adapt to the night, and be patient. It is now the 20th day of the government shutdown, making it the third longest in history. And as of this morning, there's no end in sight. Senators plan to vote for an 11th time today on the GOP backed bill to extend funding levels temporarily and reopen the government. But it's not expected to pass since Democrats are still pushing to include an extension of health care subsidies that are about to expire today. Federal courts are running out of money, so they're cutting back on work. Meanwhile, some agencies are planning to furlough more workers, something that's already happened to hundreds of thousands of other federal employees. Hundreds of thousands more are still working, but without pay. Senate Majority Leader John Thune says he plans to bring up a bill to pay federal employees, but it's not clear if that one will pass either. So stay tuned. For the first time, the FDA is speeding up the review of certain new drugs. The agency says it will make a decision on them in just one or two months, as long as they are considered national priorities. That's much shorter than the usual review process. That typically takes about 10 months. So far, nine drugs fall in the priority category. They include treatments for type 1 diabetes, vaping, addiction, deafness, blindness, pancreatic cancer, infertility and more. The next group of products set for expedited review will be unveiled in the coming months. A vaccine that could help fight cancer might already be on the market. Researchers from MD Anderson Cancer center presented a new study that found the MRNA Covid vaccines can boost the immune system to help fight tumors during certain cancer treatments. The research is still in the early stages, but experts say it shows a lot of promise. Specifically, the study presented yesterday found patients who received an MRNA Covid shot within 100 days before starting a cancer treatment called immunotherapy lived twice as long as those who didn't. And that's big especially since only about 20% of cancer patients who get immunotherapy actually respond to treatment. So researchers have been looking for ways to boost its effectiveness for years, and this could be the solution. More research will soon be underway. Millions of dollars have now gone to a good cause, all because pop star Taylor Swift wore a certain vintage T shirt in her Life of a Showgirl album release movie. Swift wore an otter conservation tee from Monterey Bay Aquarium in Northern California. The shirt was first printed more than 30 years ago, but when fans saw Swift wearing it, they wanted to get one of their own. So the aquarium decided to re release it and said donors who contribute at least $65 to help injured and orphaned otters will be mailed the shirt. Well, the fundraiser has now raised more than $2 million for sea otter conservation, and now the aquarium is taking backorders. Well, that's it for the main news, but now it's time for Money Monday when we talk about one interesting Money related news story. But first, a quick break to talk about our sponsor. As a parent, I know how hard it can be to find something that's both healthy and something kids actually want to take. But my 4 year old loves his Chaia vitamins and probiotics. He even asks for them like they're a treat. And I love that. I can feel good about it too. Unlike typical kids vitamins that are filled with sugar and gummy junk, Haya is made with a clean formula of fruits and vegetables packed with 12 organically sourced fruits and veggies, 15 essential vitamins and minerals, and zero added sugar. Plus they deliver straight to your door in a fun eco friendly bottle that your kid can decorate with stickers and they refill every month. Hiya was formulated with the help of pediatricians and nutritional experts to fill the gaps in modern kids diets so you can feel confident your kid is getting exactly what they need every day. We've worked out a special deal with Hiya for their best selling children's vitamin receive 50% off your first order. To claim this deal you must go to Hiyahealth.com newsworthy this deal is not available at the regular website, so go to h I y a health.comnewsworthy to get 50% off your first order. Now back to Money Monday. Wealthy Americans seem to be boosting the US Economy. They're doing especially well right now, in part thanks to the stock market that keeps setting records. But lower income households are struggling in the face of inflation in a labor market that's losing momentum. So Moody analytics says the top 10% of U.S. households now account for nearly half of all spending in the US and that's the highest share since the late 1980s. And the trend is not expected to shift anytime soon, especially since the Federal Reserve says these days hourly wages are rising most slowly for the lowest paid workers. So what does this mean long term? Well, some experts say the trend makes the economy pretty fragile. The Federal Reserve is considering this as it decides what to do about interest rates. But right now the exact data is on hold while the government is shut down. The Fed's next interest rate decision is expected later this month. Thank you so much for joining us today. You can get ad free episodes when you become a newsworthy insider. Start your free trial@theneworthy.com Insider and Wonder plus subscribers can listen to episodes of the newsworthy ad free in the Wondery app. We'll be back with even more news to know tomorrow. For now, have a great day.