An Ignoble Experiment: Fears rise of a widening Middle East war

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Wednesday 12.27.23

Blizzard and ice storm warnings across the Central and Northern Plains are due to expire today, but parts of the region could still see snow and freezing rain. Travel safe out there! Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day.

By Harmeet Kaur

Smoke rises following an Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip.

Gaza

Israel's defense minister says the country is in a "multi-arena war," facing attacks from multiple directions. On the diplomatic front, an ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US officials on Tuesday to discuss the transition to the next phase of the conflict to maximize the focus on high-value Hamas targets, among other issues. Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains devastating. World Health Organization officials detailed harrowing accounts of suffering after recent visits to Gaza hospitals — and communications and internet services are down. After last week's UN Security Council resolution, a veteran Dutch diplomat has been tasked with getting more humanitarian aid to Gaza. As Israel's war in Gaza rages on, attacks on US troops and commercial shipping in the region and other incidents are raising new concerns of a widening Middle East war.

Immigration

More than 11,000 migrants are waiting in shelters and camps in Mexico, hoping to enter the US as the nation grapples with an unprecedented surge at the southern border. In recent weeks, thousands of migrants have crossed the border each day, overwhelming federal authorities and straining US border cities. Despite the hope many migrants carry, their chances are slim. The federal government has deported or returned more than 445,000 migrants since last May and has closed ports of entry in multiple states, shifting resources to process migrants waiting in the US. Still, many migrants at a shelter in Eagle Pass, Texas, recently told CNN that they felt they had no other option but to leave their home countries.

China

Chinese President Xi Jinping called the "reunification" of Taiwan with China "inevitable" in a speech on Tuesday. Xi, who has made taking control of Taiwan a cornerstone of his goal to elevate China's power and stature globally, has made similar comments before — but they're especially relevant now just weeks before Taiwan is set to choose a new president in a highly consequential election. Elections in the self-ruled island democracy are often a litmus test of public sentiment of Beijing, and Taiwan faces a flood of disinformation from China leading up to the vote. The election comes at a time of heightened tensions as Beijing has been ramping up military, political and economic pressure on Taiwan.

Hospital care

Private equity firms have been taking over hospitals, nursing homes and other health care delivery systems in recent years, and a new study finds the trend is making care riskier for patients. Researchers examined how often patients experienced certain adverse outcomes at hospitals before they were bought by private equity firms and after — and found that rates of hospital-acquired complications for patients increased by 25% at hospitals after they were purchased. The study doesn't answer how exactly private equity ownership diminishes care, but one of its authors said that previous research shows these kinds of acquisitions are often linked to staff cuts and replacing doctors and nurses with lower-paid employees.

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Apple Watch

If you were hoping to get your hands on the latest Apple Watch, it's now going to be a lot harder. President Joe Biden had until the end of Christmas Day to overturn a US International Trade Commission ruling that prevented the tech giant from selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 — among other newer models — because they violated another company's patents. But the White House declined to intervene. Apple has already pulled the offending models from its website and physical store locations, but there are still a few places where you can buy one. The company has filed an appeal to overturn the ITC ruling.

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in memoriam

South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun, known internationally for his role in the Academy Award-winning film "Parasite," has died while being investigated for alleged illegal drug use, police confirmed Wednesday. He was 48.

Editor's note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 to connect with a trained counselor, or visit the 988 Lifeline website.

That's the number of consecutive games lost by the Detroit Pistons, who on Tuesday set an unfortunate record for the longest losing streak in a single NBA season.

It was never my intention to hurt or disrespect, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused.

— Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, apologizing to the Jewish people in an Instagram post written in Hebrew. Ye has repeatedly made antisemitic comments over the years, including as recently as this month. His apology comes ahead of the release of a project called "Vultures," which has attracted criticism for offensive lyrics about Jews.

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Where 'OK' comes from
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