An Ignoble Experiment: The 7: A shutdown breakthrough; why baby boomers are buying up houses; a ‘vampire’ virus; and more

2023/11/15

The 7: A shutdown breakthrough; why baby boomers are buying up houses; a ‘vampire’ virus; and more

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By Jamie Ross and Hannah Jewell

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Good morning. It's Wednesday, Nov. 15, and we're trying to keep it together after reading this story about a hiker who died and his incredibly loyal dog. Now let's catch up.

Israeli forces have entered the Gaza Strip's largest hospital.

What's happening? Israel said it was carrying out a "targeted operation against Hamas" inside al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, which is sheltering thousands of people.
Why? Israel claims Hamas uses the hospital and tunnels underneath to conceal military operations and hostages, which doctors and aid workers have denied.

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The House passed a bill yesterday to avert a government shutdown.

What happened? The legislation, which would keep the federal government operating past this weekend, passed on a 336-95 vote. See how your lawmaker voted here.
What it would do: Extend funding for about 20% of the federal government until Jan. 19, and the other 80% until Feb. 2. It now goes to the Senate ahead of Saturday's deadline.
Tensions are high: A senator challenged a witness to a fistfight in a hearing yesterday, and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was accused of elbowing another lawmaker.

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President Biden is set to meet with China's President Xi today.

What to expect: The leaders will try to reset their relations in San Francisco. It follows several disputes, including one over a Chinese spy balloon, since they last spoke in 2022.
There's already been a breakthrough: The world's two largest greenhouse gas emitters agreed to restart climate talks and speed a transition away from fossil fuels.

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Donald Trump will be allowed on the Republican primary ballot in Michigan.

Why? A judge made the ruling yesterday. It was a setback to those who argue Trump should be barred from running for president after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.
In other Trump news: The Georgia trial over alleged election interference might not conclude until early 2025, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis told The Post.

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Extreme weather events in the U.S. are getting worse and more frequent.

What to know: Climate change has claimed lives and upended livelihoods in every region, and costs the country $150 billion each year, a new government report said.
Across the world: Society is "woefully off track" on dozens of climate goals, a separate report found. We're moving fast enough on only one goal: the uptake of electric vehicles.

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Baby boomers are dominating the housing market.

The numbers: The median age for a repeat buyer was 58 this year, according to new data. For perspective: In 1981, it was 36.
Why? Many older buyers are wealthier and are selling homes before buying new ones. That means they can pay in cash and avoid high mortgage rates.

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Scientists have discovered what may be the first "vampire" virus.

The MiniFlayer latches onto the MindFlayer to infect cells and make copies of itself. (Courtesy of Tagide deCarvalho/University of Maryland, Baltimore County)

What you're looking at: A virus with another, smaller virus latched onto its "neck." It appears to be a clever workaround for viruses that have lost the ability to reproduce.
The discovery: The joined microbes were found in a clump of dirt in Maryland, a recent study said. Scientists said they saw "bite marks" where the viruses were attached.

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Before you go … looking for a great book? Here are the 10 best mystery novels of the year. If sci-fi and fantasy are more your thing: Try a novel from this list.

And finally … test your news knowledge with The Post's daily quiz, On the Record. Click here to play. Or try our word game, Keyword.

You're all caught up. See you tomorrow.