Good morning! The weekend edition is 719 words, a 3-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• María Corina Machado wins Nobel Peace Prize

• Rescue dog becomes pet rescuer

• Butterfly wing transplant

First-time reader? Sign up here!

*Editor’s Note: I’ll be taking Monday off. The Neutral will be back in your inbox on Tuesday morning. Enjoy your long weekend! -Adam

Today’s Big Story

Ceasefire Takes Effect

• The US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect Friday, and tens of thousands of Palestinians began their journey home to heavily destroyed northern Gaza. Those returning found flattened buildings throughout Khan Younis and Gaza City, with one saying, 'there was nothing left except a few clothes.’

• The UN received approval to begin scaled-up aid deliveries on Sunday, including 170,000 metric tons positioned in Jordan and Egypt, to address severe famine conditions. Only 20% of needed aid has reached Gaza in recent months due to Israeli restrictions. UN officials are pushing Israel to open more border crossings for aid workers and returning civilians.

• All 48 remaining hostages, around 20 believed alive, are set to be released by Monday in exchange for 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, which helped mediate the deal, now face pressure to ensure Hamas disarms and aid safely flows. A follow-up summit in Paris next week will determine Gaza's reconstruction plan and the role of foreign peacekeepers.

Saturday’s Quick Hits

• Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for fighting for democracy against authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro. She has been hiding since August after being blocked from running for president last year. The Nobel Committee honored her courage, saying she represents defenders of freedom who refuse to stay silent despite grave risks. (More)

• MIT rejected a Trump administration offer that would give universities federal money and priority access to grants if they followed new rules on transgender students, foreign enrollment, and tuition. The proposal went to nine major schools, but MIT became the first to say no, arguing research funding should depend on scientific merit alone, not political conditions. (More)

• The Savannah Bananas are creating a five-team league that will play wild, rule-breaking baseball in 75 stadiums across 45 states starting in 2026, including NFL venues and major league parks. Founder Jesse Cole said the entertainment-focused Banana Ball drew 2.2 million fans this year. Two new teams join the league, including the Indianapolis Clowns, honoring the original Negro Leagues barnstorming team, with former MLB star Ryan Howard coaching. (More)

• Two powerful earthquakes struck near the southern Philippines on Friday, killing at least seven people and damaging buildings. The first quake measured 7.4 magnitude and hit on Friday morning, followed by a 6.9 magnitude quake that evening. Both triggered tsunami warnings and evacuation orders for coastal areas. The Philippines gets more than 800 earthquakes yearly and experienced another deadly quake just weeks ago. (More)

• The Trump administration started laying off federal workers on Friday, the tenth day of the government shutdown, budget chief Russell Vought announced. His office said the cuts are "substantial" but gave no details. The largest federal employee union immediately sued. Permanently firing workers during shutdowns is unusual since agencies typically only furlough employees temporarily. (More)

• A powerful explosion ripped through a Tennessee military explosives plant on Friday, killing multiple people and leaving 19 others missing. The blast at Accurate Energetic Systems shook homes miles away and scattered debris across the site near Nashville. Sheriff Chris Davis confirmed deaths but wouldn't give numbers out of respect for families. Emergency crews couldn't initially enter because small explosions continued at the facility. (More)

Weekly Dose of Positive

• Conservationists released 19 pine martens in England's Exmoor National Park, bringing back the weasel-like animals after hunting and habitat loss drove them out over 100 years ago. (More)

• Dog trainer Rachel Rodgers saved Rico from a Portuguese kill shelter and trained him to track lost pets, leading to over 20 rescues, including an escaped capybara. (More)

• Hawaii opened Ka La'i Ola, a tiny home village for 900 Maui wildfire survivors who missed out on FEMA help, offering free rent through 2027. (More)

• When his daily customer of 10 years stopped showing up, Pensacola cook Donnell Stallworth found him trapped at home with broken ribs, likely saving his life. (More)

Extra Credit

Watch Oregon State demolish its football stadium.

How popular candy bars got their names.

Anguilla is cashing in millions from its 1980s .AI web domain.

Monarch butterfly gets a wing transplant.