A Day of Mourning for Israel

What's Happening

International

A Day of Mourning for Israel

What's going on: Today, Hamas returned what it said were the bodies of Shiri Bibas and her two sons, Ariel and Kfir, to the Israeli government. Hamas kidnapped Shiri and her children from Kibbutz Nir Oz during Hamas’s assault on October 7, 2023, along with her husband, the boys’ father, Yarden. Ariel was four at the time, and Kfir was just shy of nine months old. For over a year, many held out hope that the parents and their sons — the youngest hostages taken in the attack — were still alive. (Yarden was released alive earlier this month.) The exact timing of their deaths remains unknown, though Hamas has claimed they were killed in an Israeli airstrike in November 2023. Israel has not confirmed their cause of death. Their bodies are expected to undergo forensic testing in Israel to confirm their identities.

What it means: The Bibas family became a symbol of the brutality of Hamas’s October 7 attacks, their abduction — especially that of such young children — seared into Israel’s national psyche. Their captivity fueled demands within Israel to negotiate the hostages’ release and, from some, calls to fight until Hamas was destroyed. In Tel Aviv, the campaign for their return filled the streets with posters and graffiti of the children’s faces, orange balloons symbolizing the boys, and references to Batman, Ariel’s favorite character. Now, 502 days after their abduction, the return of their bodies is a bleak moment in a war that has left deep scars for Israelis and Palestinians, devastating families and communities.

Related: Palestinian Families Dig Through Gaza’s Debris Searching for Loved Ones (NYT Gift Link)

Politics

The Art of the Squeeze: Trump's Budget Cuts Put GOP in a Bind

What's going on: For nearly a month, DOGE and the White House have been going on a slashing spree, which Republican lawmakers were initially all for. But now that their states are starting to feel the effects, a number of Republican senators want them to put the scissors down. Senators from across the GOP’s ideological spectrum are publicly begging Trump officials to release funds Congress already approved, including Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), who asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio on X to unfreeze food aid, and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), who has been “aggressively” asking the EPA to unfreeze grants for school buses. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said the Trump administration is “moving too fast” and should take a “more surgical approach,” especially given the chaos and recent mistakes DOGE has made (like firing bird flu experts and trying to rehire them).

What it means: Legally, Congress controls the purse strings, but Trump’s push to bypass congressional funding appropriations is frustrating lawmakers, who are beginning to regret handing over power to Trump and Musk so quickly. Some conservative analysts believe Congress will eventually have to reclaim its authority, so the question is whether the Republican-led body will assert its power or continue negotiating for carve-outs and exceptions. Meanwhile, Trump is pushing to undo a 1974 law that would give him even more control over the federal budget through a strategy known as “impoundment,” allowing him to reshape it as he sees fit. And DOGE’s actions are setting the stage for, you guessed it, another legal showdown that could make its way to the Supreme Court.

Related: Trump Calls Ukraine’s President a “Dictator” and Catches the GOP Off Guard (The Hill)

US News

Trump Wants to Make IVF More Affordable — It's Unclear How

What's going on: On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump called himself the “father of IVF” and promised free fertility treatment for all. Now, he’s signed an executive order directing federal agencies to find ways to “protect” IVF and make it more affordable. The order doesn't lay out how it would lower costs, and experts say meaningful changes would require Congress to overhaul insurance policies and expand coverage. That could be a tough sell when lawmakers and the White House are focused on cutting health spending. As one health policy expert put it: “Coverage for IVF costs money, and it’s hard to see where that money comes from.” 

What it means: Trump’s order acknowledges IVF’s high cost (yup, $12,000-$25,000 for just one cycle) but doesn’t actually change much — aside from calling for “policy recommendations” in 90 days. At the same time, anti-abortion policies have put IVF access at risk, most notably in Alabama, where the procedure was temporarily outlawed last year. Some analysts say Trump’s move is a red herring, a way to claim a win for reproductive health while backing policies that restrict it. Others say it’s a way for Trump to look like he’s delivered on a campaign promise without actually doing much at all. 

Related: Planned Parenthood Is in Crisis (NYT Gift Link) 

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Game Time

Brick Breaker meets word search in Spelltower, your new favorite game. For every word you find, letter tiles disappear. The fewer tiles left when you run out of words, the better your score. Try it.

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