More hostages are set to be released today as the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is extended. And, if you don’t use your Google account too often, you have only a few days left before it gets deleted. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023.
More hostages expected to be released as Hamas-Israel war cease-fire continues
More hostages are expected to be released on Tuesday, Nov. 28, as the temporary truce between Israel and Hamas enters a fifth day. The two sides agreed to extend the limited cease-fire, which would have ended Monday, Nov. 27, by two additional days.
According to an Egyptian official, whose country is among those mediating talks between Israel and Hamas, the two-day extension would see Hamas releasing 10 women and children each day in exchange for 30 Palestinians currently detained in Israeli prisons.
The official said the extension would also see additional humanitarian aid enter Gaza. The two-day extension to the cease-fire between Hamas and Israel was announced Monday, Nov. 27, by Qatari mediators hours before 11 more Israeli hostages were released, including 3-year-old twins.
As part of the deal, Israel released 33 Palestinian prisoners, 30 minors and three women. On Monday night, Nov. 27, a group of Senate Democrats met with senior-level Israel Defense Forces officials at the capitol to discuss the war and the conditions in Gaza.
Senator Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, described the meeting as “extremely frank.” In the two-hour meeting, senators say they discussed the humanitarian situation and Israel’s plans for what will happen the day after the cease-fire with Hamas ends.
Federal judge blocks Trump’s attempt to subpoena Jan. 6 committee records
The judge set to preside over former President Donald Trump’s federal election interference trial has rejected his attempt to subpoena records from the House Jan. 6 committee which investigated the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
“The broad scope of the records that Defendant seeks, and his vague description of their potential relevance, resemble less ‘a good faith effort to obtain identified evidence’ than they do ‘a general ‘fishing expedition,’”
Judge Chutkan
The former president had attempted to subpoena for what his team says are “missing” records from the committee. In a ruling on Monday, Nov. 27, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan called that attempt a “fishing expedition.”
Trump’s legal team had planned to subpoena several people involved in the committee’s investigation, including the U.S. archivist and the clerk of the House of Representatives, among others, as Trump’s team argued that there is “significant overlap between the select committee’s investigation and this case.”
Monday’s ruling, Nov. 27, states that the federal officials will not have to hand over any records for the trial. The judge added that Trump’s team had been given transcripts of interviews from the committee’s investigation and did not illustrate how the records outlined in their request would be relevant to Trump’s defense.
It is just one of the four criminal cases the former president faces and will likely be the first to go to trial. Trump has been charged with unlawfully trying to overturn the 2020 election results; he has pleaded not guilty. Jury selection is set for March 4.
Media Miss: WSJ poll asks voters about the American dream
A new poll shows that many Americans believe the American dream is slipping out of reach, and not all media outlets are covering this story.
The poll, conducted by the Wall Street Journal and NORC at the University of Chicago, asked voters if they think the American dream— that if you work hard, regardless of your background, you’ll get ahead — still holds true.
Only 36% of voters said it does; that number is down significantly from 53% who said the same in a 2012 poll and 48% in 2016. Among all respondents, 18% said the American dream never held true.
Another Wall Street Journal poll last year asked a similar question: whether those who worked hard will likely get ahead. Of those respondents, 68% said yes, nearly twice the share in this new poll.
This story is not getting much coverage from left-leaning media outlets. That’s according to our Media Miss™ tool. We want to highlight this detail so you can get a complete picture of the news.
Those more likely to not believe in the American dream were younger people and women. However, 35% of voters did rate the economy’s performance as good or excellent, an increase from 20% in March. The survey of 1,163 voters was conducted in late October.
Straight Arrow News strives to provide unbiased, fact-based news in addition to offering a comprehensive look at how the media is covering stories that matter most. Learn more about the Media Miss™ tool and decide for yourself.
Passenger jumps out of plane’s emergency door while on tarmac
Authorities have released more information regarding an incident at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport over the weekend, where a passenger climbed onto the wing of a plane and ran onto the tarmac.
According to authorities, the 38-year-old Atlanta man exited the Southwest Airlines flight through an emergency door on Sunday night, Nov. 26, while the plane was not moving and still at the gate.
After leaving the plane, the man climbed onto the wing and then jumped onto the ground, where he was apprehended by law enforcement and then taken to a hospital for evaluation. Officials said the man was believed to be suffering from “a mental health emergency.” He is not expected to face any charges. Officials added that no passengers or crew members were injured in the incident.
Google to delete inactive accounts beginning Dec. 1
Google has announced that it is purging all inactive accounts beginning on Dec. 1. This means photos, calendar reminders, e-mails, and Google documents will be deleted.
So, if you want to save those precious family photos, make sure you log into your account and read through some emails, watch a YouTube video, share a photo, or download an app before the company implements its new policy. The full list of ways to avoid having your inactive account deleted is below.
- Reading or sending an email
- Using Google Drive
- Watching a YouTube video
- Sharing a photo
- Downloading an app
- Using Google Search
- Using Sign in with Google to sign in to a third-party app or service
Google defines an inactive account as an account that has not been used in two years.
This applies only to personal accounts; Google’s updated policy does not affect accounts set up through work, school, or other organizations.
Google said this move is to protect account holder’s privacy. And if you have an account that falls into this category, Google will notify you before it gets deleted.
Merriam-Webster’s word of the year: authentic
With the rise of artificial intelligence being a hot topic in recent months, Merriam-Webster has declared “authentic” its Word of the Year for 2023. The company said “authentic,” whose various meanings include “not false or imitation” and being “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character,” saw a substantial increase in searches this year.
Merriam-Webster points to celebrities like Taylor Swift and Sam Smith using the terms “authentic voice” and “authentic self,” causing interest in the word. X owner Elon Musk said CEOs using social media should be more “authentic.”
And people looked up the word due to reports on deepfake videos and Hollywood actors and writers going on strike over AI.
Merriam-Webster said “authentic” is hard to define and subject to debate, two reasons it sends many people to the dictionary.