The US Senate voted against a resolution that would have required the State Department to provide Congress with detailed reports on violence in the occupied West Bank, including incidents involving Israeli settlers or security forces that resulted in the deaths of nine American citizens over recent years. The measure was largely divided along party lines, with most Republicans opposing the resolution.
In a separate international aviation incident, a passenger aircraft en route to Israel made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a dispute arose between the plane’s two pilots. The flight had departed from Dubai, raising initial concerns about a potential hijacking that prompted Israel to scramble warplanes as a precaution. Authorities later confirmed that all passengers and crew were safe and that the emergency was related to the internal conflict between the pilots.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled a comprehensive strategy aimed at combating antisemitism. The plan proposes increased security funding for synagogues and a greater emphasis on integrating Jewish history into the public school curriculum. Observers interpret the move as an effort to address criticism that Mamdani’s vocal criticism of Israel has at times been perceived as antisemitic.
In Los Angeles, two authors—Jenan Matari, a Palestinian-American, and Nora Lester Murad, a Jewish-American—are suing the city following the cancellation of their scheduled talks during Read Palestine Week at public libraries. The authors say the cancellation, carried out by library officials, amounts to censorship and infringes on free speech.
Legal developments emerged in the Cornell University gang-rape case after new excerpts of text messages reportedly exchanged between the defendant and the alleged victim were made public. The Plymouth County District Attorney’s office has yet to disclose whether it intends to proceed with a retrial, as defense attorneys seek to have the defendant acquitted.
In Wisconsin, a group of skydivers used their paramedic skills to provide initial aid to survivors of a plane crash before emergency responders arrived. Meanwhile, a Brazilian independent news outlet, Tapajós de Fato, announced it would abstain from covering upcoming elections due to threats against its journalists and their families.
In environmental news, a recent nor’easter that struck New England exposed large portions of a 19th-century schooner shipwrecked in the Atlantic Ocean, often referred to as the “graveyard of the Atlantic.”
In sports, the Liberty, seeded eighth in the WNBA playoffs, achieved a historic upset over the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx. The New York team now awaits the winner of the matchup between Atlanta and Washington.
Finally, a federal judge terminated court oversight of the Oakland Police Department after 23 years. The oversight began in response to a scandal involving a group of officers known as the “riders,” who were implicated in planting evidence, falsifying reports, and excessive use of force primarily targeting young Black men. The reform program that followed is now concluded.