Under U.S. pressure, Israel agreed to begin "tactical localized humanitarian pauses" in the fighting in northern Gaza neighborhoods for four hours a day, Israeli and U.S. officials said Thursday.
Why it matters: The decision is a shift in policy for Israel, which for weeks had largely resisted the Biden administration's push for pauses in Israeli forces' assault on Gaza for humanitarian reasons. Israeli officials initially saw the pauses as a pathway to a ceasefire that the Israeli public doesn't want.
Jewish Democrats on Capitol Hill and in the Biden administration are rallying around the president for his support of Israel, amid protests and criticism from the party's left wing.
Why it matters: The protests have highlighted divisions among Democrats but also have prompted an outpouring of support for the president from Jewish politicians and leaders across the country.
President Biden said Thursday it has taken Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "a little longer than I hoped" to meet Biden's request to briefly pause the fighting in Gaza, after saying he doesn't believe a full ceasefire is possible.
Why it matters: The criticism was unusual for Biden, who has publicly given Netanyahu his full backing since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7,
The mainstream successof artists like Bad Bunny has opened the door for U.S audiences and the music industry to discover different and diverse Latin music genres, sources tell Axios Latino.
Why it matters: U.S. venues are starting to book more Latino artists from non-mainstream genres, illustrating audiences' more welcoming attitudes toward varied Latino music and creators.
A new bill introduced in the House Thursday would require the U.S. intelligence community to share unclassified, open-source intelligence with other government agencies and Congress.
Why it matters: A growing number of offices and agencies across the U.S. government are now focusing on sustained competition with China, but many lack in-house Chinese language and regional expertise. Greater access to translated unclassified U.S. intelligence could help bridge that gap and improve policy-making and implementation.
Transgender people can be baptized in the Catholic Church and serve as godparents, per an official Vatican document published Wednesday.
Why it matters: The decision builds on Pope Francis' support for LGBTQ+ people, who have faced marginalization from the church — though the pope has previously approved a Vatican doctrine that Catholic priests cannot bless same-sex unions because God "does not and cannot bless sin."
The U.S. military conducted an airstrike on Wednesday on a facility controlled by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and affiliated groups in eastern Syria, the Pentagon said.
The big picture: This is the second such airstrike in recent weeks and it comes after 41 attacks by pro-Iranian militias against U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq since the Israel-Hamas war started, Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary Dana Stroul told reporters on Wednesday.
Why it matters: It's a surprisingly early departure — the bears were slated to leave before early December, and then mid-November — that leaves D.C. panda-less for the first time in more than two decades.
Attitudes in China have become friendlier to the U.S. this year, according to a new survey from Morning Consult. One factor could be the slowdown in China's economy.
Why it matters: After several years of spiraling bilateral relations and deepening distrust, the shift in views could help support a thaw as both U.S. and Chinese leaders work to improve dialogue and stabilize relations.
