海角大神

The White House may not guarantee compensation for hundreds of thousands of federal workers on forced time off during the government shutdown, Axios reported yesterday. The Senate rejected dueling measures to fund federal agencies for a fifth time on Monday, with insufficient support for both a Republican proposal to fund operations through Nov. 21 and a Democratic version that would extend healthcare subsidies. Air traffic control staffing issues affected numerous U.S. airports for a second day yesterday, with over 3,000 flights delayed. 鈥� Reuters

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, appearing before a Senate panel on Tuesday, faced pushback over the Justice Department鈥檚 law enforcement efforts in Democratic-led cities and investigations of President Donald Trump鈥檚 critics. Ms. Bondi said the department under President Trump was 鈥渞eturning to our core mission of fighting real crime,鈥� and ending the 鈥渨eaponization of justice,鈥� even as several political adversaries of Mr. Trump face federal investigations and prosecutions. 鈥� Reuters

Syria announced a nationwide ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, yesterday. The move followed a high-level meeting in Damascus between President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi after clashes in Syria鈥檚 largest northern city, Aleppo. Talks, held under U.S. auspices, aim to revive a stalled March deal outlining the inclusion of Kurdish military and political structures into the new Syrian state, after 12 years of civil war. The Kurds seek to preserve their influence and cultural rights. 鈥� Staff

The European Union proposed new protections on the steel industry, cutting its tariff-free quota by almost half. That would effectively add large tariffs on imports from countries including China, India, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Additional imports will face a 50% tariff, double the current rate and akin to President Donald Trump鈥檚 steel measures. 鈥� The Associated Press

Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in physics for research on the strange behavior of subatomic particles called quantum tunneling. In the 1980s, they took the seeming contradictions of the subatomic world and applied them in the more traditional physics of digital devices. The results of their findings are just starting to appear in advanced technology and could pave the way for the development of supercharged computing. 鈥� AP

Solar energy worldwide grew at a record pace during the first half of 2025, with renewables overtaking coal for the first time, according to a new report by Ember, a clean-energy think tank. Solar, along with some wind power, more than met the rise in global electricity demand. While the United States has expanded fossil fuel production, China did the opposite and led the world in new solar energy generation. 鈥� Staff

California designated Diwali, the 鈥淔estival of Lights,鈥� as an official statewide holiday. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law yesterday to go into effect on Jan. 1, allowing public schools and community colleges to close and state employees to take the day off. The decision follows moves in Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists celebrate Diwali, which symbolizes the victory of light over darkness. 鈥� AP

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Portland, Oregon, is an epicenter of protests and the legal battle over President Donald Trump鈥檚 deployment of the National Guard. At the building, the Monitor finds both law enforcement and protesters grappling with security issues and free speech rights.聽

In Gaza, which experienced tremendous loss from the war, and in the West Bank, facing settler violence and military restrictions, distrust of Israel and the U.S. runs deep. Even if the Trump plan is approved, many Palestinians say it will not bring peace.

Negotiating the thorny obstacles to President Donald Trump鈥檚 peace plan for Gaza could take time. But with so much riding on ending the war, not least a chance to succeed where others have failed and perhaps earn a Nobel, he鈥檚 likely to show patience.

In its new term, the Supreme Court will hear several cases聽on LGBTQ+ rights, including on transgender athletes and conversion therapy聽for minors. At stake are questions about free speech, fairness, and how the Constitution addresses modern questions the Founders did not anticipate.

Many destitute older adults in South Korea are also lonely. One Seoul soup kitchen has been a reliable source of food, warmth, and company for more than three decades.

鈥淲ords create worlds,鈥� Holocaust survivor and civil rights activist Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel often said. According to his daughter, it was a reminder that worldviews and related actions are formed by and flow from speech. Inspiring texts such as the United States鈥� Declaration of Independence or the sermons of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would validate this axiom.

But in today鈥檚 political rhetoric, words increasingly tend toward corrosive and dispiriting. 鈥淚 hate my opponent, and I don鈥檛 want the best for them,鈥� President Donald Trump said in September. And just last Friday it was revealed that Jay Jones, a Democratic candidate for the post of Virginia attorney general, had sent text messages fantasizing about killing a political foe.

However, others in U.S. politics are seeking to shape and model civil discourse and compromise. In an article published the day after the news about Mr. Jones broke, The Wall Street Journal described how state lawmakers are participating in everyday kindnesses and enjoyments together 鈥� whether it鈥檚 volunteering or exercising or putting on potlucks and karaoke events.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 demonize one another when we鈥檝e shared a meal,鈥� one Minnesota legislator observed. 鈥淲e鈥檙e starting a movement,鈥� said another from Kansas, adding, 鈥淚鈥檓 learning about where [members of the other party are] coming from.鈥�

Respectful and trust-based interaction is not just an end in itself. It鈥檚 essential to effective policy creation and consensus making. Partisan loyalties can fuel unwillingness to talk across party lines. And partisan animosity, in turn, can encourage voters to tolerate unethical moves by party leaders, Stanford University researchers have found.

That is why, as Sean Westwood, director of the Polarization Research Lab and a Dartmouth College professor, puts it, 鈥淔rom the top down, we must address the behavior of political elites, ... and from the bottom up, we need a citizenry with the civic skills to engage constructively across differences.鈥� Dr. Westwood co-wrote a recent study that found that 鈥済enuine dialogue鈥� among individuals is most effective in reducing polarization.

Future Caucus is one organization that supports younger legislators with skills in leadership and negotiation to bridge differences. It has more than doubled its membership of lawmakers since 2022 and has trained more than 1,900.

For Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican who launched the 鈥淒isagree Better: Healthy Conflict for Better Policy鈥� initiative in 2023, moving away from polarizing rhetoric requires reaching out 鈥� with respect. 鈥淕etting outside your own bubble is so important,鈥� he said in a talk at Harvard University that year. Echoing Dr. Westwood鈥檚 findings, he noted, 鈥淔inding opportunities to have face-to-face contacts with people who are different from us is powerful and important.鈥�