Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who ended his Army career in 2010 as the head of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan, has a new book out on how to handle risk.
Why it matters: From conventional military threats to infectious diseases to economic catastrophes, we live in a world defined by risk — and shaped by our response to it.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday plans to overhaul the gifted and talented program in the city's elementary schools, the New York Times reports.
Why it matters: The announcement marks a shift away from the highly selective program that has been criticized for exacerbating inequality in public schools in the nation's largest school district, per the Times.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday warned Haitian migrants in Mexico that they would not succeed in making it to the United States, calling the journey "profoundly dangerous," Reuters reports.
Driving the news: "The journey is profoundly dangerous and it will not succeed," Blinken said at a news conference in Mexico's capital, per Reuters.
Weeks before he was to start his professional basketball career in Europe, in the summer of 2009, Aswad Thomas walked out of a Hartford, Conn., convenience store and into an armed robbery. Two shots to the back ended his career — and nearly his life.
Why it matters: Police talked to Thomas about the case but never asked about his recovery or told him about the services he was entitled to as a victim of a crime.
Experts in philanthropy are gradually coming around to the idea that simply giving poor people cash — rather than services or in-kind benefits — is the most efficient way to make progress on severe poverty.
The big picture: The divergent economic experiences between rich and poor countries during the pandemic has shown the value of directly giving money to those in need.
Why it matters: The three-judge panel's decision will allow Texas to once again enforce the ban despite a lower court judge's earlier ruling that the law is unconstitutional.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill Friday to require all students to complete an ethnic studies course in order to graduate from high school.
Why it matters: Ethnic studies programs encourage a more expansive recounting of history to include Native Americans, Latino and Black experiences. The legislation comes as more states are starting to offer such courses.
An Uber driver who plotted to join the Taliban and kill Americans was convicted Friday on two terrorism-related charges, the Washington Post reports.
The big picture: The Taliban's swift takeover of Afghanistan earlier this year was in part enabled by recruiting fighters like Delowar Mohammed Hossain and spreading propaganda to potential members all around the world, per the New York Times.
A U.S. delegation will meet with "senior Taliban representatives" in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday and Sunday, a State Department spokesperson confirmed to Axios.
Why it matters: It will be the first in-person meeting at a senior level since the Taliban reclaimed Afghanistan.
