Lebanon- After exchange firing over the border, Israel officially took the offensive against the Lebanese paramilitary group Hezbollah, and launched explosions in the capital of Lebanon, Beirut, on September 18 and 19. This year, Israel and Lebanon have launched various air strikes at one another that have caused the displacement of over one million civilians and killed over 2,000 people. This weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Hezbollah attempted to assassinate him via drone on October 19. Bombs are still flying with no end in sight.
Climate Commitment Act- On Washington’s ballot this November there’s a measure to repeal the Climate Commitment Act, one of the most progressive climate policies ever passed. The law requires companies to pay “allowances” for each metric ton of pollution. Each year the number of allowances available for purchase drops, forcing companies to cut emissions. Many state programs face cuts if the act is repealed. King County Metro, for example, has planned to receive about 20% of their budget for the next two years from the act. The organization will cut many programs if the act is repealed, including rethinking the free youth transit policy.
Space X Booster Catch- On October 13 SpaceX launched and then successfully landed one of its Starship rocket’s boosters for the first time. The booster, spanning 233 feet, was caught mid air by a pair of mechanical arms. The launch teases the possibility of reusable rocket ships to be used in Elon Musk and SpaceX’s long term goal of populating the moon and Mars. Musk has promised that the first starships will depart to Mars in 2026.
Trump’s Dance Party- On October 14, Donald Trump was 30 minutes into an event in Philadelphia when an attendee had a medical emergency. Trump had staff play the song “Ave Maria” while care was administered. After another person collapsed, there was no going back, the event was off the rails. “Let’s not do anymore questions,” Trump said. “Let’s just listen to music. Who the hell wants to hear questions, right?” He had staff play his campaign playlist. He swayed, bobbed, and rocked to hits like the Village People’s Y.M.C.A., Hallelujah and a Sinéad O’Connor song. After over half an hour of his very best dancing, the former president walked off the stage. Kamala Harris posted a video from the event captioned: “Hope he’s alright.”
Death of Yahya Sinwar- On October 16, 2024, Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, was killed by an Israeli military trainee group in Rafah, southern Gaza. The unit stumbled on a small group of Palestinian fighters and while battling, Israeli shots toppled and brought down a building. It was only after searching the building that Israeli soldiers noticed one of the bodies seemed to match Sinwar. Many have proposed that Sinwar’s death poses a new opportunity for the Biden administration to push for ceasefire agreements, although no agreement is in place. Sinwar has been succeeded by his brother Mohammed Sinwar.
