Israel Hamas ceasefire, Rolling Stones tour, and buying happiness.

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Big Stories

Israel Hamas agree on hostage release and ceasefire deal

The Israeli government approved a deal in which Hamas will free dozens of Israeli hostages in exchange for a multi-day ceasefire.

• In the first phase of the deal, Hamas is expected to release 50 Israeli women and children, while Israel is expected to hand over 150 Palestinian prisoners. The prisoner exchange will occur over four days of ceasefire in Gaza. Three hundred aid trucks per day and more fuel will also be allowed into Gaza during the pause.

• In the second phase, Hamas could release dozens more women, children, and elderly in exchange for Israel extending the ceasefire for a few more days. Officials said Israel is ready to give another day of pause for every 10 hostages released.

• What’s next: Over the next 24 hours, the names of the Palestinian prisoners will be made public so Israelis can appeal to court against their release. Israel will not release Palestinian prisoners who have been convicted of killing Israelis.

Oil spills into the Gulf of Mexico

As estimated 1.1 million gallons of crude oil has spilled into the Gulf of Mexico near a pipeline off the coast of Louisiana.

• Coast Guard officials say the leak started near the Main Pass Oil Gathering company’s pipeline system, which is located southeast of New Orleans. Surveyors are still trying to figure out where and when the leak started.

• Significance: While the size of the spill pales in comparison to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in which 134 million gallons poured into the gulf, this incident is still much bigger than average oil spills in U.S. water.

• Impact: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notes that even small spills can have severe impacts on local wildlife and ecosystems. Coincidentally, the Biden administration recently tried and failed to limit drilling rights in the Gulf in an attempt to protect the endangered Rice’s whale.

Binance CEO steps down after pleading guilty to money laundering violations

Binace founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao will plead guilty to criminal charges and step down as the crypto company’s CEO as part of a $4.3 billion settlement with the Department of Justice.

• What happened: CZ plead guilty to money laundering violations. He and his firm were accused of facilitating billions of dollars of crypto transactions on behalf of customers without proper Know-Your-Customer (KYC) procedures. By ignoring those procedures, Binance “allowed money to flow to terrorists, cybercriminals, and child abusers,” said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

• Details: CZ agreed to pay $50 million in fines and is banned from operating or managing the business for 3 years. The company will also pay more than $4.3 billion as part of the settlement agreement.

• Banished: Binance will be under a 5-year monitorship with the financial crimes bureau within the Treasury Department while they work towards compliance and a complete exit from the U.S.

Little Stories

U.S. News

• The University of Tampa and a Florida school district are the latest additions to a growing list of colleges and school districts being investigated by the Department of Education over alleged incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia. (More)

• Elon Musk’s social media company X filed a lawsuit against liberal advocacy group Media Matter for America, saying it fabricated a report to show advertisers’ posts alongside neo-Nazi and white nationalists posts in order to “drive advertisers from the platform and destroy X Corp.” (More)

• A landslide in Alaska ripped down a mountain destroying homes near the small fishing community of Wrangell. One person has died and at least seven others are missing. (More)

World

• North Korea claims to have successfully put a spy satellite into orbit with its third launch attempt this year. The country’s first two attempts earlier this year failed due to technical issues. (More)

• The U.S. military returned fire at Iran-backed militants who injured several troops in Iraq with a ballistic missile attack from a truck. An American gunship that was airborne at the time tracked the vehicle and fired back, killing several of the fighters. (More)

• Chinese authorities have closed hundreds of mosques in the northern regions of Ningxia and Gansu as part of broader efforts to make China’s religious minorities more Chinese. (More)

Business & Economy

• U.S. stock markets closed lower on Tuesday (S&P -0.20%, Nasdaq -0.59%, Dow -0.18%). Stocks slid on Tuesday after the Federal Reserve gave no sign that it intends to cut interest rates anytime soon. (More)

• New Jersey will ban the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035 in an effort to improve air quality and reduce planet-warming pollutants. It is one of 9 other states to do so. (More)

• Ford is scaling back plans for a $3.5 billion battery plant in Michigan as consumers are slower to adopt electric vehicles than expected. The move follows a recent retreat form EVs by automakers worldwide. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Argentina was delayed for 30 minutes due to fights between fans and police at Maracana Stadium in Rio De Janeiro. Argentina won 1-0, handing Brazil its first-ever home loss in a World Cup qualifier. (More)

• United Talent Agency dropped actress Susan Sarandon after she made controversial comments during a pro-Palestine rally in New York. (More)

• The Rolling Stones announced a 2024 North America tour in support of their recently released “Hackney Diamonds” album. They will perform in 16 cities across the U.S. and Canada starting on April 28. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Europe’s EV industry could reduce their dependence on raw materials from China after the launch of a new sodium-ion battery. Swedish company Northvolt has said it has made a lower cost, more sustainable battery which doesn’t use lithium, nickel, graphite and cobalt. (More)

• Researchers have successfully 3D printed a robotic hand with bones, ligaments and tendons made of different polymers for the first time using a new laser scanning technique. (More)

• A new study shows that air filtration systems don’t reduce the risk of picking up viral infections in real world situations. (More)

Extra Credit

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