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November 13: Van Hollen Challenges Schumer as Indonesia Wildfires Spread Toxic Haze
In international law enforcement
U.S. and international authorities say they have arrested hundreds of people suspected of drug trafficking in a global crackdown on the dark web. The operation targeted suspected sellers operating through online markets.
At Microsoft
Microsoft 365, Outlook, Teams and other apps were disrupted for thousands of users for more than nine hours across Thursday and Friday. Microsoft said its initial fixes had failed to restore service. A company spokesperson said Microsoft had “no indication of a cyber-attack.”
In Congress
Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen says he will challenge Chuck Schumer to lead Senate Democrats in the next Congress. The Wall Street Journal reports that Van Hollen is seeking to lead the party in the majority next year, following Democratic midterm wins. Schumer currently serves as minority leader.
Meanwhile, top congressional Democrats are discussing extending government funding into March or April as they negotiate a stopgap bill before a December eleventh deadline. Politico, citing two anonymous sources familiar with private strategy discussions, reports that Democrats want to avoid an early spending confrontation with President Trump and Republicans.
In Mississippi, Scott Colom has been elected to the Senate, becoming the first Black senator elected to represent the state since 1881.
Indonesia’s wildfires
Scientists say El Niño, warming driven by fossil fuels and the conversion of forests into plantations amplified Indonesia’s fiercest wildfires in at least a decade. The fires have burned almost three million hectares this year and spread toxic haze across much of Southeast Asia. The smog has been blamed for 400,000 respiratory infections.
New York’s pricing rules
The New York City Council approved legislation on November twelfth banning businesses from using algorithms and personal data to charge different customers different prices for identical goods or services. The measure authorizes fines of up to one thousand dollars per violation, with each affected consumer or transaction potentially counting separately. Loyalty rewards, student and veteran discounts, and buy-one-get-one-free offers remain allowed.
In the Middle East
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it struck a U.S. radar site in Bahrain. The force described the strike as retaliation for what it called an enemy air attack on a telecommunications tower in Iran’s Hormozgan province.
In Gaza, a British volunteer surgeon filmed the aftermath of an Israeli strike on Nasser Hospital.
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