Preview: The World this Week
The World this Week - Ceasefire in Gaza, Senate confirmation hearings begin, TikTok faces shutdown, private space flight takes off
Welcome to NewsLight, where we don't just focus on the doom and gloom, but give at least as much attention to solutions and reasons for hope.
In short...
🕊️ Israel and Hamas signed a much-celebrated ceasefire deal that came after Trump pressured both sides to reach a deal before his first day in office.
🏛️ Trump's cabinet appointments faced a grilling in the Senate, but most (if not all) of his top team are expected to be approved.
👏 Six in ten Americans say Trump "will do a good job" as President, according to a recent poll by CNN.
☄️ Private space flight saw successful launches by Blue Origin and Firefly, as well as a SpaceX Starship explosion that Musk called "entertainment".
👩⚕️ America's "most trusted professions" were revealed in a new poll and nurses took the top spot by far.
📱TikTok is preparing to shut itself tomorrow due to Congress forcing its Chinese parent company to sell it, but Trump may be exploring ways to save the app.
Why is TikTok being targeted?
The app is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, which is under the control of the Chinese Communist Party, a sworn enemy of America. Congress passed a law to force its sale to a US company, but instead TikTok intends to simply shut itself down rather than to allow a sale.
Why is Trump a fan of TikTok?
It's a good question because Trump spoke against the app in his first term. However more recently, he said "I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok" after the app gained him tens of millions of followers, and his national security advisor said: “we’re going to find a way to preserve it but protect people’s data.”
Israel and Hamas reach ceasefire deal
Under pressure from America, both Israel and Hamas signed a ceasefire deal that will end the fighting in Gaza (for now), while hostages and prisoners are released.
- In the first phase, which will last six weeks, Hamas will incrementally release 33 civilian hostages, including two children aged 2 and 5 years old, in exchange for Israel releasing 1,900 Palestinian fighters.
- In the second phase, Hamas will release the final 65 civilian hostages, while Israel will completely withdraw its military from Gaza.
- In the third phase, Hamas will release the deceased hostages' bodies in exchange for a Gaza reconstruction plan which will be overseen by a yet-to-be-decided international group.
Will this ceasefire hold?
This is unlikely, because the "second" and "third" phases of the deal are very unfavorable to Israel, which will not want to withdraw its military from Gaza, or let Hamas regain control over Gaza.
What's the good news then?
Phase one is more likely to be achieved, and it involves all women, children and elderly hostages being released, beginning tomorrow. After that, Israel (and Trump) will likely prioritize preventing Hamas from regaining power and control over Gaza.
Team Trump faces Senate confirmation hearings
- Senate hearings for several of Trump's cabinet picks were held this week, with nominees like Pete Hegseth (Defense), Pam Bondi (Attorney General) and Marco Rubio (State) appearing before committees.
- Pam Bondi faced tough questioning on her loyalty to Trump and the 2020 election, while Pete Hegseth dealt with allegations of misconduct but managed to secure Republican support. Marco Rubio had a relatively smooth hearing, commended for his high level of preparedness.
What are these Senate confirmations?
When an incoming President chooses his "cabinet" (top team), the Senate must approve it. This ensures accountability and transparency in the President's team, because his nominees must face harsh public questioning. Unfortunately, the process has become heavily politicized.
Are Trump's picks likely to be confirmed?
Yes. With a Republican-controlled Senate (53-47), most if not all of Trump's picks are likely to be confirmed, unless Republican senators suddenly defect. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune has indicated a desire for rapid confirmations, especially for national security positions.
Brighter horizons...
🚀 Private space flight made large advances this week, with launches of the New Glenn rocket, Firefly's Blue Ghost, and SpaceX's Starship. While the Starship performed another booster catch, the spaceship itself exploded like stratospheric fireworks, leading Musk to post "success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed”.
👏 Six in ten Americans say Trump will do a "good" job as President, with the majority approving of his handling of the transition. The poll, conducted by CNN, also showed that most respondents expect the economy to be in a better shape one year from now.
💼 Americans' "most trusted" professions were published this month. Nurses took first place by a long shot, with 75% of Americans viewing them as "highly honest and ethical", followed by grade-school teachers, military officers, pharmacists and medical doctors, who all had majority-positive ratings.
📉 Inflation is falling worldwide, expected to reach 3.5% by the end of 2025, which is below the 2000-2020 average. This means living costs are still high, but are not rising as fast as they were. The job market recovery around the world has also led to the lowest global unemployment rates since 1991.
⚕️Childhood cancer death rates have dropped six-fold in America for children under five since 1950, with major advancements in treating leukemia and other blood cancers, as well as brain and nervous system cancers.
Other news...
💲 Trump has said he will create an "External Revenue Service", the flipside of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which will be tasked with collecting tariff income from foreign countries, including allies who are "delinquent" in their payments.
🏢 Office vacancy rates reached a new high of 20% in the largest U.S. metro areas in 2024, indicating many companies are still doing remote work. Meanwhile, older office buildings and their soul-less cubicles are being replaced by modern workspaces, restaurants and fitness centers.
📱TikTok is preparing to shut down its app for U.S. users on Sunday in a response to a federal ban due to fears of China's control over the company, unless the Supreme Court intervenes. Trump is reportedly exploring ways to "preserve" TikTok, possibly by delaying the ban through an executive order.
👫 The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday to prohibit men from participating in women's sports at federally funded schools, defining sex based on biology and genetics at birth. Supporters of the law, which now moves to the U.S. Senate, said it protects the integrity of women's sports.
🇰🇷 South Korea's President was arrested and is facing charges of insurrection due to his short-lived martial law imposition. He has refused further questioning as his lawyers argue his arrest is illegal, and investigators will seek an extension on his detention.
What in the world...
🍩 Dunkin' Donut stores experienced a sudden "donut drought" across several US states, and no one knows why. The shortage of donuts went unexplained by the company, which only said the snacks were "not available due to a manufacturing error", affecting about 350 of its stores nation-wide.
🎬 Trump appointed "special envoys to Hollywood": actors Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone, who will be Trump's "eyes and ears" in Hollywood. Gibson, who recently lost his house in the LA fires, said he was surprised to hear about it, but added "I heed the call" and asked "any chance the position comes with an Ambassador's residence?"
Dive deeper...
- Mark Zuckerberg appeared on Joe Rogan's podcast for a three hour interview to criticize censorship and signal a new direction for Meta. 🎙️
- Pete Hegseth's testy Senate confirmation hearing went rather well for him, demonstrating his ability to stand up to criticism on all things Defense. 🎥
- See viral footage of SpaceX's Starship debris streaming across the sky, and the second "chopstick catch" of its booster rocket. 📹
That's all for this preview!
If you enjoyed this preview, sign up below to get a summary like this every week.