Food charity leaves Gaza, Trump airport, and a mindfulness hack.

Adam Rogers
April 03, 2024

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Big Stories

International food charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) is stopping operations in Gaza after an Israeli airstrike killed seven of its workers.

The charity said that the workers were killed while leaving a warehouse on Monday. All three vehicles in the convoy were hit even though WCK coordinated its movements with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) beforehand.
WCK is one of the main suppliers of aid to Gaza. It has served over 42 million meals to people in the enclave since October. The team had just unloaded more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid into the warehouse when it was hit.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu released a statement on Tuesday admitting that Israeli forces were responsible for the deaths. IDF spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari said an investigation has been launched and promised transparency in uncovering the cause of the tragic incident.
A second US-based charity, The American Near East Refugee Aid, will also pause its operations in Gaza.

Two recent studies found that Americans need to make more than $100,000 per year to afford a typical home in the US.

A Zillow analysis revealed that house hunters would have to earn more than $106,000 annually to buy a typical US home — an 80% increase from its $59,000 estimate in 2020. Separately, Bankrate suggested Americans would need to bring in $110,871 per year to afford a median-priced home, which costs $402,343.
The figures are based on national data and vary based on location. Bankrate found that 22 states and Washington D.C. require a six-figure income for typical home ownership, up from 6 states (and D.C.) in 2020. Buyers will find better deals in the South and Midwest than in the West and Northeast.
In Seattle, NYC, Boston, and four major metro areas in California — San Jose, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego — homebuyers would have to earn $200,000 per year to own a typical home.
Zillow found only three major metro areas in the US where median income earners could afford a typical price home: Pittsburg, St. Louis, and Detroit.

Deadly severe weather raged across multiple states on Tuesday

Destructive storms struck multiple states across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, with severe weather warnings spanning the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes. Violent wind gusts and heavy rain caused significant damage to buildings and forced highway closures. Crews are working to clear debris across affected areas.
The most serious risks were concentrated in large sections of Ohio, Kentucky, and far-eastern Indiana, with Level 4 severe weather outlooks issued before noon CDT. Forecasters issued tornado watches in central Kentucky, Tennessee, and parts of Alabama and Georgia.
Strong storms will continue to impact the East Coast through the end of the week.

President Joe Biden had a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, their first since their in-person summit in November. They discussed global issues like conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, North Korea's nuclear program, as well as sensitive topics like Taiwan and human rights abuses. They also explored areas of potential cooperation, such as countering narcotics, advancing artificial intelligence, and addressing climate change. (More)

A group of House Republicans want to rename Washington Dulles International Airport to "Donald J. Trump International Airport." Currently named after former Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, the airport is located in Virginia, west of Washington, D.C., and is one of three major airports in the D.C. area. (More)

Former President Trump secured a $175 million bond in his civil fraud case, preventing the seizure of his properties as collateral. The bond ensures that New York Attorney General Letitia James cannot enforce the full judgment until after the appeal process. (More)

A new study published Tuesday found that people who use e-cigarettes are 19 percent more likely to develop heart failure compared to those who have never used them. The study, which included data from over 175,000 participants, is one of the largest prospective studies on the link between vaping and heart health. (More)

Taylor Swift has joined Forbes' annual billionaire list, with her net worth estimated at around $1.1 billion. This year's list boasts a record 2,781 billionaires collectively worth $14.2 trillion. Swift achieved billionaire status in October 2023, making her the first musician to do so solely through earnings from her music and performances. (More)

Watch: A mysterious streak of light is seen across the southern California sky.

How human milk could help repair the gut microbiome.

Why are bagpipes played at police funerals?

How to use mindfulness to be more productive.

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