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Over 30 people have been indicted after a massive insider trading scandal involving gambling in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Yesterday, dozens of people were arrested across different parts of the country after the FBI busted two gambling schemes in the NBA. These people involve citizens from various walks of life, including basketball players, coaches, and managers and Mafia members. The investigations uncovered an insider sports-betting scandal and a scheme to rig illegal poker games, with the FBI alleging that the crimes were also associated with several alleged gambling rings. Over 30 people have been indicted for various charges, including conspiring to commit fraud, money laundering, illegal gambling, and extortion. Among the people arrested, several notable ones include Terry Rozier, a point guard for the Miami Heat, Chauncey Billups, the coach for the Portland Trail Blazers, and Damon Jones, a former player and coach. Jones is one of three people that were involved in both schemes, according to the federal government. The first scandal alleges that Rozier and five others used insider information from the NBA to place illegal bets between December 2022 and March 2024, allowing them to make hundreds of thousands of dollars. Proof of this was shown with an example on March 23, 2023, when Rozier was on the Charlotte Hornets. In a game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Rozier tipped off his close friend Deniro Laster, who arranged for the group to bet hundreds of thousands of dollars predicting for a poor performance from him. Using information from Rozier and Jones, they were able to continuously make illegal bets on games and players' performances using online betting apps. The scheme even involved NBA star LeBron James, though he was indirectly brought into the situation by Jones and did not participate in any illegal activities. The FBI found that Jones, who was a former teammate and close friend of James, had been serving as an unofficial assistant coach in February 2023, allowing him to tip off the group that James would not be playing that night. The other scandal found Billups to be a participant in illegal poker games, which took place in Manhattan, Las Vegas, and the Hamptons. These poker games were run by Mafia members who used the money to track down people who were indebted to them. The games were discreetly advertised to innocent victims, who were drawn to join due to the prospect of meeting big stars like Jones and Billups. However, the two had rigged the game using an automated shuffler that informed them of the cards in the deck and special sunglasses that allowed them to read the backs of each player's card, allowing them to defraud participants. According to authorities, one victim lost as much as $1.8 million in one game, and these profits were split between Jones, Billups, and other people involved in the scandal like Mafia members. Both schemes are a huge loss to the NBA, which is now experiencing its worst scandal since 2007, when a referee was found to be participating in illegal betting, and authorities have suggested that even more people could be indicted as the investigation goes on. Lawyers for both Rozier and Billups have argued that both players did nothing wrong, and they will be fighting their case in court. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): There is a specific Scottish plaid design made for Mars exploration. It was officially registered in 2016 to be worn during Mars science, exploration, and outreach activities. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): It is the same life whether we spend it crying or laughing. ( Japanese Proverb) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Litany (noun, LIT-uh-nee) - Litany usually refers to a long list of complaints, problems, etc. It can also refer to a sizable series or set, a lengthy recitation, a repetitive chant, or a particular kind of call-and-response prayer. In a Sentence: Among the television critic’s litany of complaints about the new series is the anachronistic costume design. Image credit to Getty Images

Iceland reported the presence of mosquitoes in the country for the first time in recorded history this week, showing signs of our warming world. Iceland has long been known for its volcanoes, glaciers, hot springs, and waterfalls, but it was also known by many people as the only country in the world without mosquitoes. Due to Iceland's position in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and the cold climate, mosquitoes could never live in Iceland. However, now, they can. A farmer living north of Reykjavík discovered three living Culiseta annulata mosquitoes in Iceland this week, proving that temperatures have warmed enough for them to live there. Researchers deduced that the insects were likely carried to Iceland on some sort of ship, like other mosquitoes that had previously arrived on the island, but no mosquito species had been able to survive in Iceland's barren, harsh climate until now. This leaves Antarctica as the last place on Earth without mosquitoes– a pesky insect that many human beings wish only existed in Antarctica. The sighting is yet another piece of evidence that our world is warming at a rapid pace, with emissions from human activities releasing more and more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Additionally, the Arctic is warming over twice as fast as the rest of the world, leading to a paradoxical albedo effect. The Sun warms the ice at the poles, creating melting. Because of this melting, the white ice, which previously reflected sunlight, gives way to the darker ocean waters below. These darker waters absorb more sunlight, which warms the area further and melts more ice. The finding also comes just after the release of a report that proves that humans are not doing enough to stop climate change. The Paris Agreement, established in 2015 to stop warming of 1.5°C before 2030, outlined 45 key indicators that would determine if humans were doing enough to decrease the world's warming. The new report found that not a single one of the 45 key indicators is on track to meet 2030 goals, with some even traveling in the opposite direction. According to the study, six of them are "off track," 29 are "well off-track," five are going in the wrong direction, and five were left undetermined due to a lack of sufficient data. Solutions that were working before have slowed down– EV manufacturing was growing at a rapid rate across the world, but new policies from the United States and European countries have slowed that growth back down. Meanwhile, financing for climate projects from both the private sector and the public has increased, but not enough to stop global warming. The study found that there were numerous parameters needed to reach the Paris Agreement's goals, and many of them already seem out of reach. Coal must decline over 10 times faster than today's rate, deforestation must decrease nine times faster, alternative transit services must grow five times faster, and climate financing must grow by almost $1.1 trillion annually– as a comparison, current climate financing is growing at a rate of around $81 billion per year. While these statistics may make these goals seem unattainable, preventing the worst scenario of global warming is still possible. Climate change will have effects on our environment, but with swift action, the world can still limit those changes for a better world in the future. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Walt Disney was struck with the inspiration to create Disneyland w hile watching a Merry-Go-Round from a bench in Griffith Park, Los Angeles. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think. ( Benjamin Disraeli) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Frolic (verb, FRAH-lik) - To frolic is to play and move about happily. In a Sentence: We watched the seals as they frolicked in the harbor. Image credit to Getty Images

Warner Bros. Discovery plans to split the company in two, and various companies, including Paramount Skydance, have taken interest in buying one or more of the two future corporations. In June, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) made a huge move by announcing that the company would split, dividing the company's assets into two independent corporations. Currently, Warner Bros. Discovery has hundreds of subsidiaries in the TV and news market, including HBO Max, Discovery+, CNN, Cartoon Network, HGTV, and Food Network. The plan, outlined in their announcement, will see the company divided into Warner Bros. and Discovery Global. Warner Bros. will encompass all of their live entertainment and cable channels, ranging from sports to news. Meanwhile, Discovery Global will retain their entire production capability and include other streaming services like HBO and HBO Max. This would allow both companies to be more highly valued and increase their individual financial stability and flexibility. However, that split may not go through, as other corporations have already taken interest in acquiring WBD's assets. Last week, Paramount Skydance handed them a generous offer of $24 a share (around $60 billion in total) for the entire company– around $5-6 more than the company was worth at that time. The WBD board, though, rejected the offer, saying their valuation of the conglomerate was too low. According to several reports, Comcast and Netflix have also taken interest in the streaming and studios portion of the company, as both corporations would be eager to take control of WBD's popular production lineup. This idea is also in greater alignment with WBD's idea of what will happen with the corporation. Now, WBD has several options with what to do with the company, but it will take time before they can confirm a final decision. A split is now unlikely due to the incredible interest in WBD's assets, meaning that they are likely to sell at least a portion of the corporation to a buyer. The most likely scenario is that a large streaming service or other media conglomerate purchases Warner Bros., while Discovery Global would be spun off to shareholders. Other possibilities include the sale of the entire company, like the proposal from Paramount Skydance, or individual sales for Warner Bros. and Discovery Global after the split. Of the potential buyers that have been disclosed, Paramount Skydance is the most likely to acquire the corporation. Netflix is unlikely to make a move for Warner Bros., considering its smaller status as a streaming service. Meanwhile, if Comcast were to buy Warner Bros., it would merge with their NBCUniversal division, creating antitrust issues with the federal government. Paramount Skydance, on the other hand, is a newly merged company with an ambitious CEO, David Ellison. Ellison is also the son of Larry Ellison, founder of cloud infrastructure giant Oracle, giving him the financial capability to raise his offer for WBD if he desires. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Between North and South Korea lies 155 miles of no man’s land, known as the demilitarized zone (DMZ). However, what most people don't know is that the lack of human activity in the DMZ has allowed nature to thrive, and thousands of rare and endangered animal species have been allowed to flourish in the de facto wildlife refuge. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. ( Franklin D. Roosevelt) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Sedentary (adj, SED-un-tair-ee) - Something described as sedentary does or involves a lot of sitting. Sedentary can also mean "not physically active" (as in "a sedentary lifestyle") or "not migratory" (as in "sedentary birds" or "a sedentary civilization"). In a Sentence: Editing the dictionary is a sedentary job. Image credit to Getty Images

Australia and the United States just agreed on a major, $8.5 billion deal that will diversify America's supply of critical minerals and rare earths while benefiting the Australian economy. The deal was confirmed on Monday after a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House. While the deal seemingly involves just these two countries, the bigger picture is much more complex. The agreement is a framework for the United States to make investments into Australian rare earths projects, specifically into certain companies like Alcoa. One of the projects also involves Japan, with the three countries working together to ramp up Australia's critical mineral and rare earth exports. Rare earths are specific elements on the periodic table like scandium, yttrium, and the lanthanides, located below the table. However, due to their usage in technology, defense, magnets, and the rapidly growing renewable energy industry, they have become increasingly valuable. Contrary to their name, "rare earth elements" are not actually rare, but they are found in extremely small deposits and are therefore very costly to extract and purify. Due to this, the term has also grown to encompass other critical minerals that have similar traits and uses, like gallium and germanium. One of the largest new projects will be the creation of a massive gallium refinery in western Australia, which will have an export capacity of around 100 metric tons per year. Albanese stated that the deal would foster around $1 billion in investments over the next 6 months, but the official report released by the White House bumped this number up to $3 billion. The move comes as the Western world attempts to move away from China's supply of critical minerals and rare earths– an industry that they continue to maintain a tight grip over. China contains around 60-70% of the world's total critical mineral and rare earth supply, including almost every element used in electronics and technology, but they also have around 90% of the world's rare earth refining and processing capacity. Because of this, the US is highly dependent on China for its rare earths and critical minerals, an industry that it cannot afford to lose. When China announced that they were implementing export controls on rare earths earlier this month, it drew the ire of Trump, leading to the announcement of 100% tariffs on China by November 1 if they refuse to rescind the controls. The move has sparked fear among Americans of another trade war, but Trump does not plan to be unreasonable. He is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea in several weeks to discuss the matter. Nevertheless, Australia is one of the few countries on Earth other than China that contains a significant supply of critical minerals and rare earths, and Trump is trying to diversify the industry's sources to move away from his dependence on China's goods. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Bees actually have knees– one of the rare examples where a saying ("the bee's knees") is actually factually correct. These knees are similar to those of a human, but they are considered to be ball-and-socket leg joints because they lack a kneecap. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): They’re on our right, they’re on our left, they’re in front of us, they’re behind us; they can’t get away from us this time. ( Chesty Puller) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Etymology (noun, eh-tuh-MAH-luh-jee) - An etymology is an explanation of a word’s history—that is, where the word came from and how it developed. In a Sentence: As a word nerd, I’m always eager to learn a word’s etymology and trace it back to its earliest known origins. Image credit to Getty Images

Several crown jewels from Napoleon's time were stolen from the famed Louvre yesterday, leaving officials stunned after the thieves waltzed into the museum in broad daylight. The heist lasted just a few minutes as the thieves entered the building, grabbed the jewels, and escaped, successfully executing one of the most – if not the most – notorious heists in France's history. Meanwhile, the jewels were priceless and have immense historical value, as they belong to Napoleon's time. The heist began at around 9:30 am local time and was complete just a few minutes later, involving four perpetrators. They arrived on the scene in ski masks, assembling on the side of the museum that faces the Seine River. Construction work had already been going on in this area, allowing the robbers to utilize a basket lift to bring themselves up to a second-floor balcony. From here, two of the thieves entered directly into the Apollo Gallery, home to France's crown jewels, after using an angle grinder and several other power tools to slice through the glass. Once inside, the thieves threatened the guards in the exhibit, who quickly moved away from the area, before smashing the glass display cases surrounding the jewels using a disc cutter. This triggered alarms across the museum, but the two robbers quickly made it out of the gallery and climbed down the ladder of the basket lift, where the other two were waiting. All four thieves successfully escaped on motorcycles, only dropping one item throughout the process. The entire heist was extremely professional, planned, and clean, with no violence or injuries throughout the process. Nevertheless, the loss of the jewels is a huge loss to France. In total, after an assessment of the situation, authorities determined that the thieves had stolen a total of nine jewels from the museum. One jewel, the Crown of Empress Eugenie, was dropped in the process, with police discovering the damaged item outside of the museum. According to one expert, the crown alone was likely worth tens of millions of dollars, and there were other items of greater importance in the collection, hinting at the incredible value of the items stolen by the robbers. Officials have launched an intense investigation into the heist, hoping to recover the jewels within several days. Forensics teams, analysis teams, and dozens of others are currently sweeping the area for any evidence as to where the thieves could have gone, but they have not released their findings yet. However, France's greatest fear is that the thieves will melt the jewels down– this would fail to preserve their true value, but ensures that the robbers are not caught for their actions. If this happens, it would be a huge loss for France as a nation, as that process of melting them down is irreversible. Because of this, authorities are working to find the items as soon as possible, before they could be lost for eternity. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): While shedding, geckos will eat their skin in order to prevent predators from finding and eating them more easily. This also allows them to regain proteins and minerals that are lost with the shed skin. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Your life does not get better by chance , it gets better by change . ( Jim Rohn) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Veritable (adj, VAIR-uh-tuh-bul) - Veritable is a formal adjective that means “being in fact the thing named and not false, unreal, or imaginary.” It is often used to stress the aptness of a metaphorical description. In a Sentence: The island is a veritable paradise. Image credit to Getty Images

Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire after conducting negotiations in Qatar's capital city of Doha. The two countries had been experiencing border clashes for over a week, leading to the deaths of dozens of citizens. Read more into the initial stages of the conflict here . Pakistan believed that the Taliban in Afghanistan were harboring members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban, also known as the TTP or Pakistani Taliban, which aim to destabilize the Pakistani government. The TTP believes that their ways of strict, Sharia Law-focused Islamic law are the only ways that will further the development of Pakistan, but they are considered to be a terrorist organization due to their violent actions against the Pakistani government. These violent actions include suicide bombings, missile barrages, and kidnappings of innocent workers, giving them this label. The Afghani Taliban, on the other hand, strongly denied these claims, arguing that the Pakistani allegations were completely baseless and that the Taliban have absolutely no affiliation with the TTP. Nevertheless, Pakistan launched several strikes on Afghanistan, targeting TTP members in a similar fashion of how Israel targeted members of Hamas. The Taliban were then forced to respond, triggering a wider border conflict. Multiple intermittent agreements and ceasefires were made for the short term, but none of them were able to put a permanent end to the battles. However, Pakistan's defense minister confirmed on social media yesterday that both sides have accepted an official ceasefire meant to end the fighting. The ceasefire was the product of several days of intense negotiations in the Qatari capital of Doha, with mediators from both Qatar and Turkey participating in the process. They did add, though, that both sides will meet in Istanbul on October 25 to work out several final details, suggesting that the ceasefire is still fragile. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Samsung means “three stars” in Korean. This was chosen by the founder because he wanted the company to be powerful and everlasting, like stars in the sky. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Be willing to share your blessings. The only riches that last are the ones that are given away. ( David Khalil) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Muse (verb, MYOOZ) - When muse is used to mean "to think about something carefully or thoroughly," it is usually followed by about , on , over , or upon . The word can also mean "to become absorbed in thought," or "to think or say something in a thoughtful way." In a Sentence: He mused on the possibility of pursuing a master's degree. Image credit to Al Jazeera

Battles on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan erupted several days ago and have continued through this week, with different on-and-off ceasefires and truces taking place. The conflict began on October 9 after several strikes on the Afghani capital of Kabul. The Tehrik-i-Taliban, also known as the Pakistani Taliban or the TTP, are a jihadist terrorist group aiming to overthrow the Pakistani government and replace it with their own extremist, Sharia Law-based form of government. Meanwhile, Afghanistan is controlled by the Taliban, who are allies with the TTP and maintain many of the same ideologies but are not the same organization. The TTP are known for committing acts of terrorism like suicide bombings and strikes on Pakistan to arouse chaos and disorder, but Pakistan has taken measures to prevent this from happening. Because of this, many TTP members have shifted operations to Afghanistan, where the Taliban allow them to maintain bases and continue attacks on Pakistan. The Taliban, though, has argued that these Pakistani allegations are completely baseless and they are providing absolutely no support to the TTP. On October 9, Pakistan conducted several strikes on Kabul, targeting several senior officials of the TTP which the Taliban had been harboring. Both sides continued to trade fire for several days, with Pakistan rejecting a ceasefire proposal from the Afghani Taliban. However, on October 15, the Afghani Taliban and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire– Pakistan claimed the stoppage would only last 48 hours, while the Taliban did not confirm a duration. While it was set to expire in the middle of the day on Friday, the truce was extended after an agreement from Afghanistan and Pakistan. Nevertheless, Pakistan reported that a TTP suicide car bomber had attacked a group of border patrol officers, prompting a fresh round of airstrikes in southern Afghanistan that killed dozens of people. Now, both sides are at an impasse, and the death toll continues to rise. Pakistan strongly believes that the Taliban is harboring members of the TTP, enabling them to conduct terrorist attacks on their country. On the other side, the Taliban has refuted this claim– they allege that Pakistan is attempting to spread misinformation about Afghanistan to undermine the stability of the country. Qatar has proposed that they meet in Doha for negotiations, but neither side has responded, and despite their supposed ceasefire, Pakistan and Afghanistan continue to battle at the border. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Mount Rushmore cost less than one million dollars to construct. It took 14 years to build – from 1927 to 1941 and took 400 workers. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing. ( Abraham Lincoln) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Kibosh (noun, KYE-bosh) - Kibosh refers to something that serves as a check or stop. It is usually used in the phrase “put the kibosh on” to mean “to stop or end (something)” or “to prevent (something) from happening or continuing.” In a Sentence: I downloaded an app to help me put the kibosh on my high screen time. Image credit to AFP

The European Commission has announced a slew of new defense projects in the coming years, helping the EU build a massive system to defend from Russia. The commission announced four main projects, all within the Readiness Roadmap 2030 to prepare them for any sort of Russian incursion. The largest of these four projects is a counter-drone system to defend against Russia's constant drone incursions. Over the last few months, Russia has expanded drone attacks on Ukraine, but various drones have been spotted across ten different European countries –  Lithuania, Latvia, Denmark, Norway, Romania, Poland, Estonia, Germany and France – many of which are quite far from Ukraine. This European Drone Defense Initiative will aim to create a continent-wide network of anti-drone systems that can take down incoming Russian drones in any place, at any time. Several European officials have referred to the system as a "drone wall," suggesting that they may be targeting a design similar to Israel's Iron Dome but with anti-drone weapons. The system is expected to become operational by the end of 2026 and will be complete by the end of 2027. The second project is the Eastern Flank Watch, which will improve infrastructure, defense systems, and surveillance to protect the EU's eastern borders by land, air, and sea. They expect this project to become operational by the end of 2026, but it will only be fully complete by the end of 2028. The third and fourth projects were less urgent, but they still considered them necessary for the protection of the EU. The European Air Shield will defend against incoming missiles and other projectiles, while the European Space Shield will protect their stations and satellites outside of the atmosphere. Now, the member governments of the European Union will come together and decide whether to agree on the proposal or not, but they are likely to approve the projects. The EU has maintained a strong focus on defense since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine War, with various countries ramping up defense spending and motivating others to do so as well. Ukraine also praised the new plan, suggesting that it would increase the collective security of not just the EU, but all of Europe. Other European officials commended the detail within the plan, with each and every deadline and goal outlined for member governments to see and meet. However, the plan did not contain a total cost, as that estimate can only be confirmed after negotiations with other member nations, who may want to add or remove certain parts of the agreement. Nevertheless, the plan represents a larger initiative as Europe prepares to fend for itself, with US President Donald Trump urging them to bolster their own militaries instead of depending so heavily on the United States. This defense plan is just the first step in the EU's plan towards military self-sufficiency, allowing them to reduce their dependence on the NATO alliance. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): 12% of the world’s total languages are found in Papua New Guinea, which has over 820 indigenous languages. There are more languages on this island than in any other country. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words. ( Robert Frost) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Biannual (adj, bye-AN-yuh-wul) - Biannual is an adjective used to describe something that happens twice a year, or something that happens every two years. In a Sentence: The art show is a biannual event that won’t happen again for two more years. Image credit to European Council on Foreign Relations

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to move away from Russian oil, marking a significant shift in global geopolitics. Trump stated yesterday that Modi had agreed to taper off India's usage of Russian oil, helping them to avoid major tariffs from the United States. In August, Trump expressed his discontent with India over Russian oil– prior to the Russia-Ukraine War, India did not purchase much Russian oil, but their demands surged during the war, making them Russia's largest buyer. Trump tried to convince Modi to move away from Russian oil, as he has done with the European Union, but Modi refused. Trump was left bristling at this and placed an additional 25% tariff on India, bringing the levy to a staggering 50%. However, Modi confirmed yesterday that they would slowly decrease their reliance on Russian oil, meeting Trump's demands. While the change will not take place immediately, India will gradually diversify its oil suppliers, putting further pressure on Russia to end their war in Ukraine. The move is a dramatic shift of alliances for India, which has historically remained neutral between the powers of China and Russia and the Western world. Now, India has taken its first step in the direction of the West, strengthening their alliance with the US while weakening ties with Russia. Crucially, Trump is likely to remove a large portion of his tariffs on India, bringing relief to the Indian market after a tough period where Indian exports to the US have dropped significantly. Other countries have managed to score deals to bring down their reciprocal tariff rates, but India has not been able to do so. Because of this, they had faced this 50% tariff since late August and had no means of working around it, with trade negotiations at a stalemate. Nevertheless, this new development should strengthen their ties with the US and bring them some relief from Trump's tariffs while putting pressure on Russia– exactly the move that the United States needed. Trump quickly expressed his approval of the move, and confirmed that he will now focus his efforts on doing the same with China– a much harder goal to achieve. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Apart from being the only non-quadrilateral flag in the world, Nepal also has the most mathematical flag in the world. It even has an article in its constitution that details the steps of drawing the flag. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Obstacles can’t stop you. Problems can’t stop you. Most of all, other people can’t stop you. Only you can stop you. ( Jeffrey Gitomer) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Coalesce (verb, koh-uh-LESS) - To coalesce is to come together to form one group or mass. In a Sentence: The club’s community service projects provide students with a common goal to coalesce around. Image credit to Politico

Following the acceptance of US President Trump's ceasefire deal from both sides, Hamas has returned Israel's remaining hostages that have been held captive for years. Over two years ago, dozens of Israeli citizens were taken from their homes by Hamas militants, who invaded Israel and destroyed everything in their path. A massive war ensued, with Israel vowing to destroy each and every member of Hamas until the organization was truly no more. However, the conflict between the two sides has finally come to an end, and the remaining Israeli hostages being held in Gaza have been returned. Throughout the war, many of the Israeli hostages died in captivity under torturous conditions, but some were returned to Israel through temporary ceasefires. Still, many of the dead hostages' bodies remained with Hamas, and they maintained control over dozens of other hostages. Trump's new deal, which was accepted by Israel and Hamas last week, facilitated the release of this hostages by Hamas, in exchange for a ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israel. The bodies of 28 others are still being collected before their return, but the 20 living Israeli hostages were released, uniting Israel in a time of extreme division– the country was split over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to continue the war. Despite this, Israel seems to have already moved on, with the entire country rejoicing over the arrival of the hostages. Meanwhile, Israel released over 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, many of which had been in captivity for decades. While Israel views these prisoners as convicted criminals, Palestinians see them as young citizens fighting for the independence of Palestine, whose territory has been constantly encroached upon by Israel over the past few decades. Many were held in Israel without trial or access to a lawyer, as recent Israeli rulings have made it legal to do so if they are labeled as "unlawful combatants." Additionally, various reports have confirmed extreme violence against Palestinians in Israeli prisons, including frequent beatings and starvation of prisoners. Israel denies these claims, though. Nevertheless, Netanyahu emphasized that Israel desires for this to be a time of peace, both inside and outside Israel, implying that he is unlikely to attack Hamas again in the near future. Trump also asserted this idea, confirming that this is not a temporary pause in the war, but a permanent end to the conflict. In the meantime, Trump's deal is also facilitating the arrival of aid into Gaza, which has been struggling with a severe humanitarian crisis for years. Serious shortages of food and water persist and electricity and internet are almost nonexistent, but aid is now flowing freely into the strip. Trump also met with the leaders of Qatar, Türkiye, and Egypt, allowing them to sign a landmark deal that secures peace in the region and outlines the next steps to ensure a safe and lasting end to the conflict. Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): The line “Born and raised in South Detroit” in Journey’s “ Don’t Stop Believin ” actually makes no sense, as there is no South Detroit. Detroit, Michigan, lies on the northern side of the Detroit River, and Ontario, Canada, lies to its south. Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Seeing a miracle will inspire you, but knowing you are a miracle will change you. ( Deborah Brody) Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Penultimate (adj, pih-NUL-tuh-mut) - Penultimate means "occurring immediately before the last one," or in other words, "next to last." A formal adjective, it is always used before the noun it modifies. In a Sentence: The penultimate episode of the TV series features some shocking plot twists that set up what will surely be a thrilling series finale. Image credit to Al Jazeera