5 vital stories to know this week
From devices exploding in parts of Lebanon to the NYPD opening fire in a 'crowded' subway station, here are five stories to know this week.
Israel’s technological attack on Hezbollah leaves Lebanon citizens in shock
Thousands of pagers, walkie-talkies, and other handheld technological devices simultaneously exploded on Sep. 17 and Sep. 18 in Lebanon, killing over 42 people, including four healthcare workers and two children, and injuring over 3,500 more. Although the Israeli military has not officially acknowledged playing a role in the explosions, a U.S. official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, told NPR that Israel notified the U.S. that it was responsible for the attacks, which were intended to target Hezbollah, a terrorist group based in Lebanon that has been trading rocket attacks with Israel.
Photographs and videos filmed by victims and witnesses shared on social media showed pagers exploding in various local areas, such as grocery stores and hospitals. Other videos show adults and children in emergency rooms with severe penetrating traumatic injuries to their heads, torsos, and limbs, which are “consistent with the detonation of high explosives,” according to Human Rights Watch.
“My friend’s father lost his eyes in the blasts. We’ve never seen an attack like this, everyone was shocked,” Saeed, a 25-year-old driving instructor, told the Guardian.
Critics of Israel on social media called the attack ‘terrorism’ and a violation of international law, citing the civilian casualties and the nature of the attack on civilian locations and devices.
“Had the terrorist attack witnessed in Lebanon in the past 48hrs occurred in Europe, western media would be following victims, telling the story of a boy who lost an eye, a girl who lost her life... but these are only brown people, so they celebrate Israel's ingenuity,” said Mona Fawaz, a professor of Urban Studies and Planning at American University of Beirut via X.
The Human Rights Watch and other human rights agencies are calling for a thorough investigation into the attacks.
“Customary international humanitarian law prohibits the use of booby traps – objects that civilians are likely to be attracted to or are associated with normal civilian daily use – precisely to avoid putting civilians at grave risk and produce the devastating scenes that continue to unfold across Lebanon,” said Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa Director at Human Rights Watch.
“The use of an explosive device whose exact location could not be reliably known would be unlawfully indiscriminate, using a means of attack that could not be directed at a specific military target and as a result would strike military targets and civilians without distinction. A prompt and impartial investigation into the attacks should be urgently conducted.”
NYPD shoots 3 bystanders and a fellow officer while cashing a knife-wielding man who did not pay his $2.90 subway fee
The New York Police Department is under fire from New Yorkers after officers shot three bystanders and one of their own officers while pursuing a knife-wielding man for not paying his $2.90 subway fee, which was "crowded," per a witness.
One of the bystanders, 49-year-old Gregory Delpeche who was taking the train to work on Sunday, is in critical condition after being shot in the head, according to Delpeche’s family.
In the days since Sunday’s shooting, police officials have repeatedly said that the officers fired in the crowded subway station after the knife-wielding man, Derell Mickles, “charged" at one of them, and when their attempts to deescalate the situation and use tasers had failed, they were left with little choice but to resort to deadly force.
However, body camera footage released recently shows that police officers opened fire at a subway station while Mickles was standing still, his arms by his side and his back to the train.
Uncommitted National Movement refuses to endorse Kamala Harris over support of war on Gaza
The Uncommitted National Movement says they will not endorse Kamala Harris after she failed to respond to their request to meet Palestinian families in Michigan and discuss a ceasefire and arms embargo in Gaza by Sep 15.
“Vice President Harris’s unwillingness to shift on unconditional weapons policy or to even make a clear campaign statement in support of upholding existing U.S. and international human rights law has made it impossible for us to endorse her,” the group said in a statement released alongside a Thursday morning press conference.
However, they're urging a vote against former President Trump, saying he'd "accelerate the killing in Gaza." They also urge people to "avoid third-party candidates that could inadvertently boost his chances."
Over 700,000 Americans voted uncommitted in the summer during the Democratic primaries.
DC coffee shop owner berates UberEats driver to ‘learn English’ in viral video as health officials shut down store
Gregorio, an Uber Eats delivery driver from Venezuela, is speaking out after a troubling encounter at Canna Coffee in D.C where the coffee shop owner berated and assaulted him while he was picking up an order, simply because he doesn’t speak English. Gregorio captured the exchange on video that was published to TikTok, which has since gone viral with more than 20 million views, sparking outrage and calls for accountability.
In the video, the cafe owner can be heard making offensive comments, saying things like, “If you’re getting money in America, learn English.” D.C. police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime and simple assault. No arrests have been made, but Uber Eats said they will stop doing business with the cafe and D.C’s health officials have shut down the business.
“There is constantly a target on our back,” Haitian American reacts to Trump’s false claims about migrants eating “cats and dogs” in Springfield, Ohio
A wave of threats and heightened tensions has engulfed Springfield, Ohio, following former President Trump’s baseless claims during the 2024 presidential debate that Haitian immigrants in the town are “eating dogs” and “cats.” These false statements have sparked fear and unrest in the small town, leading to multiple school evacuations, hospital lockdowns, and the cancellation of events at universities amid threats of violence against Haitians with over 30 bomb threats.
As tensions continue to rise in Springfield, the situation underscores the broader challenges faced by immigrant communities amid the ongoing political discourse. For many Haitians in the U.S., the fight is not just for survival but also for the right to exist without fear and unfounded blame.
“For me, as I identify as a Haitian American, that definitely draws me back to not really feeling comfortable or safe within this United States of America... there is constantly a target that's on our back,” said Matthew Smith, a 24-year-old Haitian American from New Hampshire, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
“It's disgusting. It's terrifying, it's horrible. And I pray things do change, and this isn't something that sticks within the minds of folks within the US. The fear of Trump returning to office weighs heavily on him and his community…It's definitely fearful for myself, for my family, for my niece and nephew, cousins... there is just that constant looming of fear that we have to live in.”