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Israel Kills Hamas Leader In Gaza

Israel Kills Hamas Leader In Gaza

Your unbiased daily news brief

James Kratch
October 18, 2024

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In Today’s Brief

Montana: Grisly mystery
Poverty: Over 1B worldwide
Melania Trump: On the trail
Dow Jones: Another record
Dirty Dancing: Broadway plans

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Top Tips

1) Taken out

Hamas leader Yahwa Sinwar, the alleged mastermind of Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, is dead.

The news: Israel said troops in Gaza came under fire and responded by attacking a Rafah compound with a tank, eliminating Sinwar. Israeli forces reportedly suspected he and other top Hamas officials were in the area and aimed to catch them as they moved between underground bunkers. But it does not appear Israel knew he was present when the attack occurred. Sinwar was killed near where Hamas executed six hostages last month.
The reaction: President Joe Biden said Sinwar's death was "a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "this is the beginning of the day after Hamas," offering amnesty to those who release remaining Israeli hostages and lay down their weapons.
Big picture: Netanyahu said the Gaza war "is not over yet." But there was domestic and international optimism that Sinwar's death could clear the way for a ceasefire in the enclave and a deal to release hostages. Who Hamas chooses to replace Sinwar is expected to have a significant impact, especially if an official from the terrorist group's political wing -- which has been involved in ongoing talks -- gets the nod.

2) 'Deep flaws'

The U.S. Secret Service is as big a mess as it appears to be, according to a new report.

The news: An independent review panel probing the July assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump found "deep flaws" and "a troubling lack of critical thinking" within the USSS. The group of ex-law enforcement and security officials found that "fundamental reform" was needed and warned another major failure would likely occur without it.
Key findings: The panel, commissioned by the Department of Homeland Security, identified six specific lapses that led to late would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks firing on Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, grazing the former president's ear while killing one rally attendee and seriously wounding two others. The report also blasted the agency's internal culture.
The recommendations: New leadership from the private sector is needed, according to the report. The panel also recommended the USSS operate exclusively as a protection agency for top officials. The latter point would be a historic pivot; the Secret Service was originally created to combat counterfeiting and has handled financial crimes for over a decade.

3) Crypto bros

Two college-aged men are accused of stealing over $200M worth of bitcoin ... and that is only the start.

The basics: Malone Lam, 20, and Jeandiel Serrano, 21, are being held in federal prison on conspiracy charges. They reportedly have admitted to stealing $243M worth of cryptocurrency from a victim located in Washington D.C. in August after unlawfully accessing his accounts with other co-conspirators and transferring the funds. The men allegedly impersonated Google tech support workers as part of the scam.
Where it gets wild: Six Florida men were arrested for carjacking, assaulting and kidnapping a Connecticut couple while they were touring real estate. Law enforcement now believe that incident is tied to the crypto heist; the assailants allegedly wanted to hold the couple for ransom because they knew the couple's son was involved in the scam; the son has not been charged yet.
Living it up: At least $100M of stolen bitcoin remains unaccounted for. The alleged scammers were not shy about their ill-gotten gains; prosecutors alleged they bought exotic cars, rented mansions, splurged on a $2M watch and ran up $500K nightclub tabs before the party ended.

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Quick Tips

U.S. News

Montana police said an apparent fatal bear attack is being investigated as a "very heinous" homicide. A man discovered his friend dead in a camping tent in a remote area near Big Sky with significant wounds; officials have found no evidence of bear activity and said there may be an ongoing threat to the public (More)
Tobacco use among U.S. middle and high schoolers has hit a 25-year low. A significant YoY drop in e-cigarette usage is credited for the decrease; the 2024 totals are the lowest ever since the annual federal National Youth Tobacco Survey began (More)
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing a doctor for alleged violations of state law prohibiting gender-affirming care to minors. May Chi Lau is accused of providing hormone-replacement therapy to close to two dozen teenagers and committing fraud to conceal the treatment (More)

World News

Over 1B people worldwide live in "acute poverty," according to a United Nations report. Children account for over half of those affected; poverty rates are 3x higher in countries embroiled in armed conflicts (More)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alleged North Korea will send 10K troops to support Russia's invasion, calling it a "first step" toward a world war. Pyongyang referred to South Korea as a "hostile state," indicating its constitution was revised to remove reunification as an official government goal (More | More)
Lebanese nationals are now eligible for U.S. temporary protected status, federal immigration officials said. The designation will last 18 months and allow migrants to stay in the country and apply for work permits amid Israel's incursion into the Middle Eastern nation to combat Hezbollah (More)

Campaign News

Former First Lady Melania Trump made a rare campaign trail appearance with former President Trump at last night's Al Smith Dinner in New York. Vice President Harris provided recorded remarks; she is the first major party candidate in 40 years to not attend the event after receiving an invite (More | More)
A new poll has Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey up nine points on Republican challenger David McCormick, 48% to 39%. The same UMass Lowell survey has Harris leading Trump, 46% to 45%, in the critical swing state (More)
Google will block digital election advertisements after polls close on Nov. 5. The policy, first instituted in 2020, is designed to prevent confusion and misinformation about voting (More)

Business & Markets

Major indexes closed mixed yesterday. The Dow Jones ended the day with a new record close (Dow +0.37%, Nasdaq+0.04%, S&P 500 -0.02%).
Uber is considering a bid for Expedia. The ride-share giant would look to diversify and expand by acquiring the travel booking company; Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi previously helmed Expedia for over a decade (More)
An Alabama man was indicted on charges he hacked the SEC's X account earlier this year. Federal prosecutors allege Eric Council Jr. and co-conspirators stole a person's identity to access the platform and send out a fake announcement regarding bitcoin ETFs, impacting the cryptocurrency's price (More)

Entertainment & Sports

Lionsgate is developing a Dirty Dancing musical. The stage adaptation of the 1987 romantic drama will debut late next year; producers are aiming for Broadway and North American runs before taking the show international (More)
Virginia men's basketball coach Tony Bennett is retiring effective immediately. Bennett led the Cavaliers to a national championship in 2019 and won six ACC regular season titles; his decision is reportedly not health-related (More)
Mitzi Gaynor died at 93. The actress, dancer and singer was best known for her role in the film version of South Pacific; she also starred in There's No Business Like Show Business and The Birds and the Bees (More)

Quick Hitters

Feel Good: Heartfelt and hilarious obituaries go viral every now and then. But a Texas man's funny farewell to his father is definitely worth a read.
Take Note: Want to be the most popular house on the block at the end of the month? Listen to the kids as they dish on their preferred Halloween candy offerings.
Go Deep: Researchers made a gruesome, but well-kept, discovery inside an Australian museum. It may allow scientists to bring the Tasmanian tiger back to life.
New Idea: A nondescript armband could be life-changing for stroke victims. The wearable contains electrodes that its creators say stimulate nerves and help "rewire" the brain to allow patients great use of their disabled arms.
Life Hack: Sleep hygiene is critical to getting a good night's rest. And there are many things you can do to ensure you are setting yourself up for success.

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