🔎 Is there any end in sight for the Gaza conflict?
Also: TikTok strikes back, beauty queens step down and Stormy speaks out
The Gaza conflict, marked by its intensity and humanitarian impact, has entered a new phase with recent shifts in US policy and a growing international outcry. For the first time since the conflict reignited last October, there seems to be a glimmer of hope that we might be edging toward a significant de-escalation.
President Biden has recently signaled a pivotal shift from previous US positions. In a bold move, he stated in a CNN interview that the US would halt certain military aids to Israel if it proceeds with its planned invasion of Rafah. This decision comes amid growing concerns over the use of US-supplied weapons in densely populated areas, leading to significant civilian casualties in Gaza. This isn’t just about military strategy; it’s about protecting lives and adhering to international standards that safeguard civilians in conflict zones.
The timing of Biden's decision is critical. It underscores a cautious but clear message: US support for Israel is not unconditional when civilian lives are at stake. The pause in weapon shipments, especially the heavy bombs intended for urban warfare, reflects a response to both international and domestic pressures. This includes the vocal protests that have erupted on college campuses worldwide, where students are increasingly vocal about their opposition to the war and the humanitarian crisis it has deepened.
Negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages have been fraught with complexity. Recent talks in Cairo, facilitated by Egyptian and Qatari mediators and involving top US officials, suggest that both Israel and Hamas are under intense pressure to find a resolution. The first phase of the deal would see the release of up to 33 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza in return for up to 42 days of ceasefire and the release of about 800 Palestinian prisoners. The main sticking point is Hamas wants an end to the war, something Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly opposes.
Globally, student protests have brought the issue to the forefront of public consciousness, influencing political stances and media coverage. From the US to the UK, and as far as Lebanon and India, young people are rallying for an end to the violence, echoing calls for a ceasefire and humanitarian relief.
The question now is: Are we any closer to ending the war? While the negotiations offer a pathway to a ceasefire and de-escalation, the success of these talks will depend on the willingness of both sides to compromise and the international community's continued pressure for a peaceful resolution.
DIG DEEPER:
↪ Hamas’s offer to hand over 33 hostages includes some who are dead (NYT)
↪ Student journalism shines covering Gaza protests on campus
Thousands of student journalists across the country have gone above and beyond — in many cases during finals — to cover the historic protests that have exploded on college campuses across the country, sparked by the first encampment at Columbia. (Neiman Lab)
📱 TikTok sues the US government
TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, filed a lawsuit this week challenging the new American law that would ban TikTok in the US.
The company is arguing that the law unfairly singles out the platform and is an unprecedented attack on free speech, according to AP News. ByteDance says despite claims made by the US that TikTok is allegedly influenced by the Chinese Communist Party, there is no evidence that TikTok is a threat to US national security.
The law would ban TikTok by January 19, 2025 unless ByteDance sells the app to an approved American buyer within a nine-month period. If a sale isn't finalized, the app would face a shutdown. But legal challenges to the ban, like this lawsuit, will likely delay the timeline. ByteDance would also need permission from the Chinese government, which has said it wouldn’t allow ByteDance to include the algorithm that has led to the success of TikTok in America.
The new law also requires all of TikTok’s software code to be separate from ByteDance, so there would be no relationship between the Chinese company and the new app in the US.
President Biden signed the law as part of a bigger $95 billion foreign aid package that includes support for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. According to AP, it is the first time the US has singled out a social media company for a potential ban.
DIG DEEPER:
↪ TikTok calls the US government’s decision to force a sale of the app ‘unconstitutional’ (The Verge)
↪ Possible TikTok ban could be 'an extinction-level event' for the creator economy. (NPR)
🗞️ In other News
➤ Stormy Daniels testifies in Trump hush money trial
Daniels, an adult film star, has taken the stand in former president Trump’s hush money trial. She first took the stand Tuesday morning, recounting the alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump that she was later paid to stay quiet about during the 2016 presidential election. In this case, which is one of four cases Trump has been indicted in, Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to bury stories that might have hurt his 2016 presidential campaign. (AP News)
➤ Judge’s warning provides dilemma for Trump over whether he will risk jail for a political point
Trump, again, violated a gag order that precludes attacks on witnesses, the jury and others. He had previously been fined $1,000 for nine other violations. Juan Merchan, the judge in Trump’s hush money trial, laid down a red line in saying he may have no choice but to give Trump jail time if he does not start obeying the rules of the gag order. (CNN)
➤ US public school officials push back in congressional hearing on antisemitism
Leaders from public school district in New York City, Maryland and California discussed antisemitism in K-12 schools with a Republican-led panel, disavowing disavow accusations of tolerating hate on their campuses. (Guardian)
🗳️ Politics
➤ RFK Jr. says doctors found a dead worm in his brain
Doctors attribute the presidential candidate’s long-term memory loss to a dead parasite in his brain that “ate a portion of it and then died.” (NYT)
➤ Marjorie Taylor Greene fails in bid to oust House speaker Mike Johnson
The Georgia congresswoman has angered her Republican colleagues, who are frustrated with her antics, including former President Donald Trump, one of her strongest supporters. (Washington Post)
💰 Money
➤ Climate change could cost each American born today $500,000
A new analysis finds that rising temperatures could seriously hurt individuals’ personal finances by $500,000 to $1 million. These would mainly come from cost-of-living expenses and reduced earnings. (Consumer Reports)
➤ TikTok is giving Gen Z ‘money dysmorphia’
Young people, who rely heavily on TikTok for information, are influenced to buy certain things as they are also told that they will not have the financial means to survive in the future. The disconnect between financial reality and perception of financial reality may influence the presidential election this fall and individual financial health. (WSJ)
⚕️Health and wellness
➤ Miss USA and Miss Teen USA suddenly resign
Miss USA and Miss Teen USA both relinquished titles this week, citing personal well-being and values misalignment with their organization. Miss USA Noelia Voigt highlighted the importance of making choices beneficial for one's mental health in her resignation on social media, while UmaSofia Srivastava stepped down as Miss Teen USA, citing a conflict with the organization’s values. Their departures point to ongoing concerns about mental health and a toxic culture within the beauty pageant industry. (CNN)
➤ Are We Talking Too Much About Mental Health?
Recent studies call into question the success of large-scale mental health interventions for young people. Some even suggest they can lead young people to overanalyze their symptoms and see themselves as more troubled than they actually are. (NYT)
👩💻 Technology
➤ Will the new electric humanoid robot take your job?
Boston Dynamics created Atlas 2.0, which will tackle dull, dirty and dangerous tasks in commercial and industrial applications in the real world. The company plans to sell Atlas 2.0, though the price for the robot has not yet been disclosed. (Fox News)
➤ Native-Led forensics lab dedicated to solving missing and murdered Indigenous people cases
Montana’s Ohkomi Forensics is the first Indigenous-owned forensics organization dedicated to addressing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) epidemic. The nonprofit serves as a beacon of hope in what has begun to feel like a hopeless situation. (Atmos)
➤ Car tracking can enable domestic abuse. Turning it off is easier said than done.
Even some domestic abuse survivors with restraining orders on their past partner have not been able to turn off car tracking on their internet-connected cars. There are currently no laws strong enough to help these survivors, though some are in the works. (The Markup)
⭐ Gen Z in the Spotlight
➤ Bianca Bustamante is out to make history in Formula 1
Bianca Bustamante has known she wanted to race cars since she was six years old. She grew up in the Philippines racing against boys and has spent most of her young lifetime preparing for the moment she’s currently in — racing in the F1 Academy’s series in Miami. (Vogue)
➤ How the country of Georgia’s Gen Z are taking on teargas, rubber bullets and the threat of arrest
The Georgian government’s bid to pass a controversial Russia-style law that would require NGOs, civil rights groups and media outlets receiving foreign funding to register as “foreign agents” has met spirited opposition, mostly from young people keen to lean towards Europe. (The Guardian)
🎓 College Corner
➤ An NYU professor is set to teach again after he disappeared during a misconduct investigation
An investigation found Tisch professor Robert Benevides’ behavior toward a student in 2023 constituted sexual and gender-based harassment. Benevides is scheduled to teach two classes next semester. (NYU’s Washington Square News)
➤ Ole Miss fraternity expels member from viral racist video
A member of Phi Delta Theta at Ole Miss targeted a Black woman protester last week by making ape-like sounds toward her. “The racist actions in the video were ... antithetical” to the fraternity’s values, Phi Delta Theta said of its member, who appeared to be targeting the woman in a video that has gone viral. (NBC News)
➤ UChicago says free speech is sacred. Some students see hypocrisy
The university’s president sent in the police to dismantle encampments, which he said had disrupted campus life. Protesters say the school is going against its brand that declares free speech to be an “essential element” of its culture. (NYT)
🍿 Culture
➤ Pro-Palestinian protesters arrested outside the Met Gala
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters marched in Manhattan’s Upper East Side May 6 as celebrities attended the annual Met Gala. “No Met Gala while bombs drop in Gaza,” protesters chanted during a march near the event. (HyperAllergic)
➤ Kim Kardashian’s tiny waist at the 2024 Met Gala
In an op-ed, Teen Vogue Features Director Brittney McNamara reminds readers why celebrities like Kim Kardashian should not set the bar for beauty standards that can be harmful and unhealthy. At this year’s Met Gala, Kim wore a corset “so tight she seemed barely able to breathe.” McNamara writes that the look is both incredible and unrealistic — and that’s the problem. (Teen Vogue).
📡 On the radar
➤ How easy is it for migrants to enter the US through the Mexican border?
A team of NPR journalists went to the US border with Mexico to see what it is like to cross the border. Hundreds to thousands of people reach the border each day, but US Customs and Border Patrol only conducts 100 asylum interviews each day in Nogales. (NPR)
➤ Can #MeToo coexist with protections for defendants?
New York’s highest court overturned Harvey Weinstein’s sex crimes conviction, leading to outrage from advocates for justice in sexual harassment cases. In the 4-3 ruling, judges found that the judge should not have allowed testimony from women who were not part of the charges in the case. But some experts worry about if there can simultaneously be protections for the accused and justice for the women. (The Marshall Project)
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Choose peace.