NOVEMBER 25, 2023 (NORFOLK, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested one person after a pursuit in Madison County.

At approximately 1:15 p.m. Thursday, a trooper observed an Infiniti G35 speeding on Highway 81 near Norfolk. As the trooper attempted a traffic stop, the driver refused to yield and accelerated northbound on Highway 81. The trooper initiated a pursuit.

After a few miles, the vehicle turned eastbound onto East Sherwood Road in Norfolk. The vehicle accelerated again, reaching speeds in excess of 120 miles per hour. After approximately two miles, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the north ditch. The driver then exited the vehicle and fled on foot. A trooper was able to quickly take the driver into custody without further incident.

The driver, Tiffany Robinson, 28, of Plainview, was arrested for willful reckless driving, flight to avoid arrest, driving during revocation, obstructing a peace officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, traffic violations, and outstanding warrants. She was medically cleared at Faith Regional Hospital and lodged in Madison County Jail. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office assisted in this incident.

By Nebraska State PatrolNOVEMBER 25, 2023 (NORFOLK, NEB.)&nbsp;&nbsp;— Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol have arrested one person after a pursuit in Madison County.At approximately 1:15 p.m. Thursday, a trooper observed an Infiniti G35 speeding on Highway 81 near Norfolk. As the trooper attempted a traffic stop, the driver refused to yield and accelerated northbound on Highway 81. The trooper initiated a pursuit.After a few miles, the vehicle turned eastbound onto East Sherwood Road in Norfolk. The vehicle accelerated again, reaching speeds in excess of 120 miles per hour. After approximately two miles, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the north ditch. The driver then exited the vehicle and fled on foot. A trooper was able to quickly take the driver into custody without further incident.The driver, Tiffany Robinson, 28, of Plainview, was arrested for willful reckless driving, flight to avoid arrest, driving during revocation, obstructing a peace officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, traffic violations, and outstanding warrants. She was medically cleared at Faith Regional Hospital and lodged in Madison County Jail. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office assisted in this incident.

 NSP Troopers Arrest Plainview Woman Following Pursuit

JERUSALEM (AP) — The fragile&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-ceasefire-what-to-know-af1cfbc9dcaa1485ed7a9efaca7ec2b7">cease-fire between Israel and Hamas</a>&nbsp;was back on track Sunday as the militants freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis and the first American, in a third set of releases under a four-day truce that the U.S. said it hoped would be extended.

(Click below to watch the President's comments)

Some hostages were handed over directly to Israel, while others left through Egypt. Israel's army said one was airlifted directly to a hospital. U.S. President Joe Biden said the elderly woman was “very sick and was in need of immediate medical help."

The hostages ranged in age from 4 to 84 and included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/children-hostages-israel-palestinians-gaza-orphan-c8e9f6dd703a9c14161eeb6ca9e25417">Abigail Edan</a>, a 4-year-old girl whose parents were killed in the Hamas attack that started the war on Oct. 7. “What she endured was unthinkable,” Biden said of the first American freed, adding he did not know the child’s condition but could confirm she was safely in Israel. He did not have updates on other American hostages and said it was his goal to extend the cease-fire deal as long as possible.

In all, nine children ages 17 and younger were on the list, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. Separately, Hamas said it had released one of the Russian hostages it was holding, “in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin” and as a show of appreciation for Moscow’s position on the war. The Russian-Israeli citizen was the first male hostage to be freed.

Israel was to free 39 Palestinian prisoners later Sunday as part of the deal. A fourth exchange is expected on Monday — the last day of the cease-fire during which a total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed. All are women and minors.

International mediators led by the U.S. and Qatar are trying to extend the cease-fire.

Ahead of the latest release, Netanyahu visited the Gaza Strip, where he spoke with troops. “We are making every effort to return our hostages, and at the end of the day we will return every one,” he said, adding that “we are continuing until the end, until victory. Nothing will stop us.” It was not immediately clear where he went inside Gaza.

The cease-fire agreement has brought the first significant pause in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">seven weeks of war</a>, marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades and vast destruction and displacement across the Gaza Strip.

More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two thirds of them women and minors, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza</a>. The war has claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians killed by Hamas in the initial attack.

Hamas and other militant groups seized around 240 people during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">incursion into southern Israel</a>&nbsp;that ignited the war. Fifty-eight have been released, one was freed by Israeli forces and two were found dead inside Gaza.

Families from the southern Israeli town of Kfar Aza embraced, cried, and applauded at the news that the hostages from their town had arrived in Israel. More than 70 members of the kibbutz of around 700 people were killed and 18 were kidnapped.

“I will be so excited to see her,” Shacher Fuchter, 10, said of her friend Ela Elyakim, Israel’s Channel 12 reported.

Pressure from hostages' families has sharpened the dilemma facing Israel's leaders, who seek to eliminate Hamas as a military and governing power while returning all the captives.

The cease-fire, which began Friday, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-israel-hamas-war-hostage-qatar-0126c6443a9b3b32fe97032b81eaa515">brokered by Qatar and Egypt and the United States</a>. Israel has said the truce can be extended by an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed, but has vowed to quickly resume its offensive once it ends. Sullivan said the U.S. is working “with all sides on the possibility that this deal gets extended to additional hostages beyond the initial 50.”

Hamas announced the death of Ahmed al-Ghandour, who was in charge of northern Gaza and a member of its top military council. He is the highest-ranking militant known to have been killed in the fighting. Israel's military confirmed the death.

Al-Ghandour, believed to have been around 56 years old, had survived at least three Israeli attempts on his life and was involved in a cross-border attack in 2006 in which Palestinian militants captured an Israeli soldier, according to the Counter Extremism Project, an advocacy group based in Washington.

Hamas said that he was killed along with three other senior militants, including Ayman Siam, who Israel says was in charge of Hamas’ rocket-firing unit. The Israeli military mentioned both men in a Nov. 16 statement, saying it had targeted an underground complex where Hamas leaders were hiding.

The Israeli military claims to have killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence, including several mid-ranking commanders it has identified by name.

The pause has given some respite to Gaza's 2.3 million people, still reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-airstrikes-gaza-hamas-war-702f447ff7e52b03476555ec2513008b">driven three-quarters of the population</a>&nbsp;from their homes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-gaza-israel-bombing-destruction-hamas-reconstruction-f299a28410b70ee05dd764df97d8d3a0">leveled residential areas</a>. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, where the offensive has focused, returned to the streets. Entire city blocks in and around Gaza City have been gutted by airstrikes that hollowed out buildings and left drifts of rubble.

In southern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people from the north&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-palestinians-gaza-water-food-f225bf0723bb5b3ae1961ba6cdef1917">have sought refuge</a>, residents lined up outside gas stations, hoping to stock up on fuel. Palestinians who have tried to return to the north to see if their homes are intact have been turned back by Israeli troops.

“Many are desperate to return to their homes, but they open fire on anyone approaching from the south,” said Rami Hazarein, who fled from Gaza City last month.

The Israeli military has ordered Palestinians not to return to the north or approach within a kilometer (around a half-mile) of the border fence. The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said that Israeli forces opened fire Sunday on two farmers in central Gaza, killing one and wounding the other. It didn't provide further details. An Israeli military spokesperson said they weren't aware of the incident.

The United Nations said the truce has made it possible to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-palestinians-truce-red-cross-crescent-14cd8cae0f6e064484167c66bbcecf8f">scale up the delivery</a>&nbsp;of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the start of the war, though it still hasn't reached prewar levels. It was able to deliver fuel for the first time since the war began, and to reach areas in the north for the first time in a month.

The freed hostages have mostly stayed out of the public eye. Hospitals said their physical condition has been good, aside from one who was shot during the attack and required surgery. Little is publicly known about the conditions of their captivity.

Eyal Nouri, the nephew of Adina Moshe, 72, who was freed on Friday, said his aunt “had to adjust to the sunlight” because she had been in complete darkness for weeks.

The released Palestinians included at least two women who had been given long sentences after being convicted by Israeli courts of violent attacks. Many Palestinians view&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-israel-prisons-arrests-west-bank-fc894c6f56318fb6fb2f080555b40b6f">prisoners held by Israel</a>, including those implicated in attacks, as heroes resisting occupation, and have celebrated their release.

The war in Gaza has been accompanied by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-west-bank-war-gaza-hamas-settlers-army-raid-militants-c1386ab6a633971cc18b2497169210d3">surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank</a>. Palestinian health authorities said Sunday that five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin that began the day before. The toll in the West Bank is now 239 since the war began.

The Israeli army has conducted frequent military raids and arrested hundreds of Palestinians since the start of the war, mostly people it suspects of being Hamas members.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701012372596.png" alt="Abigail Edan as seen in family hand out photo is the first American hostage released-&nbsp; TAL EDAN VIA AP" />
 <figcaption>Abigail Edan as seen in family hand out photo is the first American hostage released-&nbsp; TAL EDAN VIA AP</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM (AP) — The fragile&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-ceasefire-what-to-know-af1cfbc9dcaa1485ed7a9efaca7ec2b7">cease-fire between Israel and Hamas</a>&nbsp;was back on track Sunday as the militants freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis and the first American, in a third set of releases under a four-day truce that the U.S. said it hoped would be extended.(Click below to watch the President's comments)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1007369290378851%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=12" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Some hostages were handed over directly to Israel, while others left through Egypt. Israel's army said one was airlifted directly to a hospital. U.S. President Joe Biden said the elderly woman was “very sick and was in need of immediate medical help."The hostages ranged in age from 4 to 84 and included&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/children-hostages-israel-palestinians-gaza-orphan-c8e9f6dd703a9c14161eeb6ca9e25417">Abigail Edan</a>, a 4-year-old girl whose parents were killed in the Hamas attack that started the war on Oct. 7. “What she endured was unthinkable,” Biden said of the first American freed, adding he did not know the child’s condition but could confirm she was safely in Israel. He did not have updates on other American hostages and said it was his goal to extend the cease-fire deal as long as possible.In all, nine children ages 17 and younger were on the list, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. Separately, Hamas said it had released one of the Russian hostages it was holding, “in response to the efforts of Russian President Vladimir Putin” and as a show of appreciation for Moscow’s position on the war. The Russian-Israeli citizen was the first male hostage to be freed.Israel was to free 39 Palestinian prisoners later Sunday as part of the deal. A fourth exchange is expected on Monday — the last day of the cease-fire during which a total of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners are to be freed. All are women and minors.International mediators led by the U.S. and Qatar are trying to extend the cease-fire.Ahead of the latest release, Netanyahu visited the Gaza Strip, where he spoke with troops. “We are making every effort to return our hostages, and at the end of the day we will return every one,” he said, adding that “we are continuing until the end, until victory. Nothing will stop us.” It was not immediately clear where he went inside Gaza.A BREAK IN THE FIGHTINGThe cease-fire agreement has brought the first significant pause in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">seven weeks of war</a>, marked by the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence in decades and vast destruction and displacement across the Gaza Strip.More than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed, roughly two thirds of them women and minors, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza</a>. The war has claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians killed by Hamas in the initial attack.Hamas and other militant groups seized around 240 people during the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">incursion into southern Israel</a>&nbsp;that ignited the war. Fifty-eight have been released, one was freed by Israeli forces and two were found dead inside Gaza.Families from the southern Israeli town of Kfar Aza embraced, cried, and applauded at the news that the hostages from their town had arrived in Israel. More than 70 members of the kibbutz of around 700 people were killed and 18 were kidnapped.“I will be so excited to see her,” Shacher Fuchter, 10, said of her friend Ela Elyakim, Israel’s Channel 12 reported.Pressure from hostages' families has sharpened the dilemma facing Israel's leaders, who seek to eliminate Hamas as a military and governing power while returning all the captives.The cease-fire, which began Friday, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-israel-hamas-war-hostage-qatar-0126c6443a9b3b32fe97032b81eaa515">brokered by Qatar and Egypt and the United States</a>. Israel has said the truce can be extended by an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed, but has vowed to quickly resume its offensive once it ends. Sullivan said the U.S. is working “with all sides on the possibility that this deal gets extended to additional hostages beyond the initial 50.”HAMAS COMMANDER KILLEDHamas announced the death of Ahmed al-Ghandour, who was in charge of northern Gaza and a member of its top military council. He is the highest-ranking militant known to have been killed in the fighting. Israel's military confirmed the death.Al-Ghandour, believed to have been around 56 years old, had survived at least three Israeli attempts on his life and was involved in a cross-border attack in 2006 in which Palestinian militants captured an Israeli soldier, according to the Counter Extremism Project, an advocacy group based in Washington.Hamas said that he was killed along with three other senior militants, including Ayman Siam, who Israel says was in charge of Hamas’ rocket-firing unit. The Israeli military mentioned both men in a Nov. 16 statement, saying it had targeted an underground complex where Hamas leaders were hiding.The Israeli military claims to have killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence, including several mid-ranking commanders it has identified by name.AID AND RESPITE IN GAZAThe pause has given some respite to Gaza's 2.3 million people, still reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-airstrikes-gaza-hamas-war-702f447ff7e52b03476555ec2513008b">driven three-quarters of the population</a>&nbsp;from their homes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-gaza-israel-bombing-destruction-hamas-reconstruction-f299a28410b70ee05dd764df97d8d3a0">leveled residential areas</a>. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza, where the offensive has focused, returned to the streets. Entire city blocks in and around Gaza City have been gutted by airstrikes that hollowed out buildings and left drifts of rubble.In southern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people from the north&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-palestinians-gaza-water-food-f225bf0723bb5b3ae1961ba6cdef1917">have sought refuge</a>, residents lined up outside gas stations, hoping to stock up on fuel. Palestinians who have tried to return to the north to see if their homes are intact have been turned back by Israeli troops.“Many are desperate to return to their homes, but they open fire on anyone approaching from the south,” said Rami Hazarein, who fled from Gaza City last month.The Israeli military has ordered Palestinians not to return to the north or approach within a kilometer (around a half-mile) of the border fence. The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said that Israeli forces opened fire Sunday on two farmers in central Gaza, killing one and wounding the other. It didn't provide further details. An Israeli military spokesperson said they weren't aware of the incident.The United Nations said the truce has made it possible to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-palestinians-truce-red-cross-crescent-14cd8cae0f6e064484167c66bbcecf8f">scale up the delivery</a>&nbsp;of food, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the start of the war, though it still hasn't reached prewar levels. It was able to deliver fuel for the first time since the war began, and to reach areas in the north for the first time in a month.HOSTAGES FOR PRISONERSThe freed hostages have mostly stayed out of the public eye. Hospitals said their physical condition has been good, aside from one who was shot during the attack and required surgery. Little is publicly known about the conditions of their captivity.Eyal Nouri, the nephew of Adina Moshe, 72, who was freed on Friday, said his aunt “had to adjust to the sunlight” because she had been in complete darkness for weeks.The released Palestinians included at least two women who had been given long sentences after being convicted by Israeli courts of violent attacks. Many Palestinians view&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-israel-prisons-arrests-west-bank-fc894c6f56318fb6fb2f080555b40b6f">prisoners held by Israel</a>, including those implicated in attacks, as heroes resisting occupation, and have celebrated their release.The war in Gaza has been accompanied by a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-west-bank-war-gaza-hamas-settlers-army-raid-militants-c1386ab6a633971cc18b2497169210d3">surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank</a>. Palestinian health authorities said Sunday that five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin that began the day before. The toll in the West Bank is now 239 since the war began.The Israeli army has conducted frequent military raids and arrested hundreds of Palestinians since the start of the war, mostly people it suspects of being Hamas members.

🎥First American included in 3rd hostage release by Hamas

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22Jon%20Dulin%20|%20Wealth%20of%20Geeks%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By Jon Dulin | Wealth of Geeks</a>, via Associated Press

Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of depression and anxiety, as well as feelings of body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem. That’s directly from the United States Surgeon General, reporting on social media and youth mental health.

While there are benefits to social media use, it is crucial not to overlook the worrisome dark side of social media use.

The report,&nbsp;<a href="https://rb.gy/h8g1z6">Social Media and Youth Mental Health</a>, sheds light on social media use among teens and its impact on their psychological welfare. About 95% of young people ages 13 to 17 are on social media. More than a third of them rank their use as “almost constantly.”

Although most social media platforms have a minimum age of 13 for access and use, few enforce that requirement — almost 40% of kids between eight and 12 years old use social media regularly. What is most concerning about this is there haven’t been any substantive studies on the safety of social media and its impact on young people, especially regarding&nbsp;<a href="https://wealthofgeeks.com/mental-health-issues/">mental health</a>.

One of the most commonly cited benefits of social media is that it provides the opportunity for positive social connections and gives a sense of community with others who have similar interests, abilities, and identities. Users are free to express themselves and explore their creativity, gaining exposure to ideas and issues they may never encounter otherwise. It connects people worldwide, allowing for friendships to be forged and cultures to be shared.

Social media can be a haven for those who feel like social outcasts, introverts, or are socially awkward. After repeated failures at in-person interactions, they can feel overwhelmed and alone. Social media can help ease that isolation.&nbsp;<a href="https://unfinishedsuccess.com/when-life-gives-you-lemons/">When life gives you lemons</a>, fire up Facebook.

The exposure to various cultures and ideologies encourages a broader acceptance of diversity on all levels. The potential exists to make the world a better, more accepting place. Several studies have shown that social media may be a tool for supporting individuals who feel marginalized in society, including gender, racial, sexual, and ethnic minorities, or those groups commonly at risk. Many share and learn&nbsp;<a href="https://unfinishedsuccess.com/self-care-ideas/">self-care ideas</a>&nbsp;and the importance of self-love through the interactions they have online on these platforms.

Looking at social media from this standpoint, it’s hard to imagine that anything could go wrong, but it does. It can go very wrong.

Not all social media experiences are positive and helpful. Researchers have repeatedly found it is possible to have too much of a “good” thing. One study looked at the social media use of young people aged 12 to 15 and the impact it had on their mental health. Those who spent more than three hours a day on social media were twice as likely to experience anxiety, depression, and other poor mental health outcomes. In 2021, most eighth and 10th graders averaged three and a half hours on social media daily.

Study after study has shown an increase in depression and anxiety with regular use of social media, including grade school, high school, and college-aged young people. What is most telling is that a reduction in&nbsp;<a href="https://wealthofgeeks.com/things-that-scream-i-want-attention-on-social-media/">social media</a>&nbsp;use typically correlates with a lowered incidence and intensity of depression and anxiety.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2056305120913983">2020 study</a>&nbsp;showed that social media use has the potential to normalize hatred by dehumanization. That may sound extreme, but the perceived anonymity of some users encourages them to do and say things to others online that they would likely never do face-to-face. Another study found that among 14-year-old social media users, the more frequent the use, the more they experienced:

The risk of exposure to harmful or inappropriate content is another factor that needs consideration. The human brain is not fully developed and mature until the person is in their mid to late 20s. Exposing children to this type of harmful content shapes their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-teen-brain-7-things-to-know#:~:text=Although%20the%20brain%20stops%20growing,the%20last%20parts%20to%20mature.">neurological development</a>, affecting not only their psychology but also their logic, decision-making, and ability to reason.

Parents are the gatekeepers of their children’s development and growth. It is the parent’s place to set firm boundaries that keep their children physically and mentally safe. Sometimes, that means making unpopular decisions, such as limiting social media use. Sometimes, it means getting creative and helping children make healthier choices.

A knee-jerk reaction may be to remove social media or substantially limit their children’s access to it.

But a better option for parents is to take a more sensitive approach. Replace time spent on social media with other activities.

In other words, increasing family time, investing in a fun class the child wants to take, or introducing other activities like reading or art. This strategy not only teaches the child the importance of moderation but also expands their interests.

Safe internet and social media use should be fundamental in the home.&nbsp;<a href="https://wealthofgeeks.com/why-parenting-is-challenging/">Parents</a>&nbsp;should have access to their children’s accounts and be able to see any interactions and private messages. At the same time, parents must establish trust and not abuse that right to access.

When dealing with emotional fallout from negative social media experiences, parents must address them head-on with compassion and concern. One of the best ways to combat depression is to remember the&nbsp;<a href="https://unfinishedsuccess.com/small-things-to-be-grateful-for/">things to be thankful for</a>. That isn’t always an easy thing to do independently. A loving parent can help.

Young people should take responsibility for their social media use and have a plan in place when situations turn harmful. Giving them open access to a trusted adult and having a plan of action in place for addressing problems in a sensitive way can help the child’s self-esteem, confidence, and trust. It can also teach them invaluable coping and problem-solving skills.

Social media has its merits, but it has given far too much access to our children, and those children have far too much freedom with social media. The result is overuse, misuse, and abuse. It’s time to pick up the reins and get control of the runaway stagecoach that is carrying our kids into places they should never know.

This article was produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mediadecision.com/lifestyle/more-than-one-third-of-teens-use-social-media-almost-constantly/article_f62a4f62-8251-11ee-b77f-df4977305fb0.html">Media Decision</a>&nbsp;and syndicated by&nbsp;<a href="https://wealthofgeeks.com/teens-use-social-media-constantly/">Wealth of Geeks</a>.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22Jon%20Dulin%20|%20Wealth%20of%20Geeks%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By Jon Dulin | Wealth of Geeks</a>, via Associated PressAdolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of depression and anxiety, as well as feelings of body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem. That’s directly from the United States Surgeon General, reporting on social media and youth mental health.While there are benefits to social media use, it is crucial not to overlook the worrisome dark side of social media use.Social Media and Teens: By the NumbersThe report,&nbsp;<a href="https://rb.gy/h8g1z6">Social Media and Youth Mental Health</a>, sheds light on social media use among teens and its impact on their psychological welfare. About 95% of young people ages 13 to 17 are on social media. More than a third of them rank their use as “almost constantly.”Although most social media platforms have a minimum age of 13 for access and use, few enforce that requirement — almost 40% of kids between eight and 12 years old use social media regularly. What is most concerning about this is there haven’t been any substantive studies on the safety of social media and its impact on young people, especially regarding&nbsp;<a href="https://wealthofgeeks.com/mental-health-issues/">mental health</a>.Benefits of Social MediaOne of the most commonly cited benefits of social media is that it provides the opportunity for positive social connections and gives a sense of community with others who have similar interests, abilities, and identities. Users are free to express themselves and explore their creativity, gaining exposure to ideas and issues they may never encounter otherwise. It connects people worldwide, allowing for friendships to be forged and cultures to be shared.Social media can be a haven for those who feel like social outcasts, introverts, or are socially awkward. After repeated failures at in-person interactions, they can feel overwhelmed and alone. Social media can help ease that isolation.&nbsp;<a href="https://unfinishedsuccess.com/when-life-gives-you-lemons/">When life gives you lemons</a>, fire up Facebook.The exposure to various cultures and ideologies encourages a broader acceptance of diversity on all levels. The potential exists to make the world a better, more accepting place. Several studies have shown that social media may be a tool for supporting individuals who feel marginalized in society, including gender, racial, sexual, and ethnic minorities, or those groups commonly at risk. Many share and learn&nbsp;<a href="https://unfinishedsuccess.com/self-care-ideas/">self-care ideas</a>&nbsp;and the importance of self-love through the interactions they have online on these platforms.Looking at social media from this standpoint, it’s hard to imagine that anything could go wrong, but it does. It can go very wrong.The Dark Side of Social MediaNot all social media experiences are positive and helpful. Researchers have repeatedly found it is possible to have too much of a “good” thing. One study looked at the social media use of young people aged 12 to 15 and the impact it had on their mental health. Those who spent more than three hours a day on social media were twice as likely to experience anxiety, depression, and other poor mental health outcomes. In 2021, most eighth and 10th graders averaged three and a half hours on social media daily.Study after study has shown an increase in depression and anxiety with regular use of social media, including grade school, high school, and college-aged young people. What is most telling is that a reduction in&nbsp;<a href="https://wealthofgeeks.com/things-that-scream-i-want-attention-on-social-media/">social media</a>&nbsp;use typically correlates with a lowered incidence and intensity of depression and anxiety.A&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2056305120913983">2020 study</a>&nbsp;showed that social media use has the potential to normalize hatred by dehumanization. That may sound extreme, but the perceived anonymity of some users encourages them to do and say things to others online that they would likely never do face-to-face. Another study found that among 14-year-old social media users, the more frequent the use, the more they experienced:<ul>
 <li>Exposure to explicit content: 71%</li><li>Pressure to act a particular way: 59%</li><li>Bullying or harassment by others: 54%</li><li>Lowered self-esteem: 54%</li><li>Depression or anxiety: 53%</li>
 </ul>The risk of exposure to harmful or inappropriate content is another factor that needs consideration. The human brain is not fully developed and mature until the person is in their mid to late 20s. Exposing children to this type of harmful content shapes their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-teen-brain-7-things-to-know#:~:text=Although%20the%20brain%20stops%20growing,the%20last%20parts%20to%20mature.">neurological development</a>, affecting not only their psychology but also their logic, decision-making, and ability to reason.Setting Boundaries for Social Media UseParents are the gatekeepers of their children’s development and growth. It is the parent’s place to set firm boundaries that keep their children physically and mentally safe. Sometimes, that means making unpopular decisions, such as limiting social media use. Sometimes, it means getting creative and helping children make healthier choices.A knee-jerk reaction may be to remove social media or substantially limit their children’s access to it.But a better option for parents is to take a more sensitive approach. Replace time spent on social media with other activities.In other words, increasing family time, investing in a fun class the child wants to take, or introducing other activities like reading or art. This strategy not only teaches the child the importance of moderation but also expands their interests.Safe internet and social media use should be fundamental in the home.&nbsp;<a href="https://wealthofgeeks.com/why-parenting-is-challenging/">Parents</a>&nbsp;should have access to their children’s accounts and be able to see any interactions and private messages. At the same time, parents must establish trust and not abuse that right to access.When dealing with emotional fallout from negative social media experiences, parents must address them head-on with compassion and concern. One of the best ways to combat depression is to remember the&nbsp;<a href="https://unfinishedsuccess.com/small-things-to-be-grateful-for/">things to be thankful for</a>. That isn’t always an easy thing to do independently. A loving parent can help.Young people should take responsibility for their social media use and have a plan in place when situations turn harmful. Giving them open access to a trusted adult and having a plan of action in place for addressing problems in a sensitive way can help the child’s self-esteem, confidence, and trust. It can also teach them invaluable coping and problem-solving skills.Social media has its merits, but it has given far too much access to our children, and those children have far too much freedom with social media. The result is overuse, misuse, and abuse. It’s time to pick up the reins and get control of the runaway stagecoach that is carrying our kids into places they should never know.This article was produced by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mediadecision.com/lifestyle/more-than-one-third-of-teens-use-social-media-almost-constantly/article_f62a4f62-8251-11ee-b77f-df4977305fb0.html">Media Decision</a>&nbsp;and syndicated by&nbsp;<a href="https://wealthofgeeks.com/teens-use-social-media-constantly/">Wealth of Geeks</a>.

More than one-third of teens use social media “almost constantly”

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas released 13 Israelis and four foreigners late Saturday in the second round of swaps under a cease-fire deal, the Israeli military said, after the militant group initially delayed the exchange for several hours and claimed that Israel had violated the terms of a truce deal.

Shortly after midnight, the Israeli military said the released hostages, including four Thais, had been transferred to Israel. They were being taken to hospitals for observation and to be reunited with their families.

Israel was to free 39 Palestinians later Saturday as part of the deal that ultimately went through after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-israel-hamas-war-hostage-qatar-0126c6443a9b3b32fe97032b81eaa515">international mediation efforts</a>.

The Israeli hostages released Saturday by Hamas included seven children and six women, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced. Most of the released hostages were from Kibbutz Be’eri, a community Hamas militants ravaged during their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-displaced-hamas-dead-sea-beeri-hotel-94d57fc34dd18a73e38eea8437d15801">Oct. 7 cross-border attack</a>, a spokesperson for the kibbutz said. The children ranged in age from 3 to 16, and the women ranged from 18 to 67.

It was a bittersweet moment for the residents of Be’eri. A kibbutz spokesperson said all the released hostages either had a family member killed in the Oct. 7 rampage or had left a loved one in captivity in Gaza.

The mother of one of the released hostages, 12-year-old Hila Rotem, remained in captivity, the spokesperson said.

Another,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-hostages-emily-hand-226eb289c8f69158c6fec4fb2ffaaf6d">Emily Hand</a>, is a girl whose father believed her to be dead for weeks before finding out she was held as a hostage.

The last-minute delay had created a tense standoff on the second day of what's meant to be a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-ceasefire-what-to-know-af1cfbc9dcaa1485ed7a9efaca7ec2b7">four-day cease-fire</a>. By nightfall, as the hostages should have emerged from Gaza, Hamas alleged that the aid deliveries permitted by Israel fell short of what was promised and that not enough of it was reaching northern Gaza — the focus of Israel's ground offensive and main combat zone. Hamas also said not enough veteran prisoners were freed in the first swap on Friday.

“This is putting the deal in danger,” Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, said in Beirut. But Egypt, Qatar and Hamas itself later said obstacles had been overcome, and Hamas listed six women and 33 teenage boys it said were expected to be released by the Israelis. Two women, Maysoun Jabali and Israa Jaabis, were imprisoned in 2015 after being convicted of carrying out attacks on Israelis. Jaabis suffered severe burns during the incident.

While uncertainty around some details of the exchange remained, there was some optimism, too, amid earlier scenes of joyous families reuniting on both sides.

On the first day of the cease-fire, Hamas released 24 of the roughly 240 hostages taken during its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-war-hamas-attack-border-wall-aa0b0f5f3613b6c6882cf37168e8e8ed">Oct. 7 attack</a>&nbsp;on Israel that triggered the war, and Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison. Those freed in Gaza were 13 Israelis,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-hostages-thai-workers-qatar-iran-1e712be6ab4446574128f36a5c6130e8">10 Thais and a Filipino</a>.

Overall, Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners, during the four-day truce — all women and minors.

Israel has said the truce can be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed — something U.S. President Joe Biden said he hoped would occur.

Separately, a Qatari delegation arrived in Israel on Saturday to coordinate with parties on the ground and “ensure the deal continues to move smoothly,” according to a diplomat briefed on the visit. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details with the media.

The start of the pause brought quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-airstrikes-gaza-hamas-war-702f447ff7e52b03476555ec2513008b">driven three-quarters of the population</a>&nbsp;from their homes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-gaza-israel-bombing-destruction-hamas-reconstruction-f299a28410b70ee05dd764df97d8d3a0">leveled residential areas</a>. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.

War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza returned to the streets, crunching over rubble between shattered buildings and at times digging through it with bare hands. At the Indonesian hospital in Jabaliya, besieged by the Israeli military earlier this month, bodies lay in the courtyard and outside the main gate.

For Emad Abu Hajer, a resident of the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza City area, the pause meant he could again search through the remains of his home, which was flattened in an Israeli attack last week.

He found the bodies of a cousin and nephew, bringing the death toll in the attack to 19. His sister and two other relatives are still missing.

“We want to find them and bury them in dignity,” he said.

The United Nations said the pause enabled it to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-palestinians-truce-red-cross-crescent-14cd8cae0f6e064484167c66bbcecf8f">scale up the delivery of food</a>, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the resumption of aid convoys on Oct. 21. It was also able to deliver 129,000 liters (34,078 gallons) of fuel — just over 10% of the daily pre-war volume — as well as cooking gas, a first since the war began.

In the southern city of Khan Younis, a long line of people with containers waited outside a filling station. Hossam Fayad lamented that the pause in fighting was only for four days.

“I wish it could be extended until people's conditions improved,” he said.

For the first time in over a month, aid reached northern Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed there on Saturday, the largest aid convoy to reach the area yet. The U.N. said it and the Palestinian Red Crescent were also able to evacuate 40 patients and family members from a hospital in Gaza City to a hospital in Khan Younis.

In Tel Aviv, several thousand people packed a central square called “the square of the hostages,” awaiting news of the second release.

“Don’t forget the others because it’s getting harder, harder and harder. It’s heartbreaking,” said Neri Gershon, a Tel Aviv resident. Some families have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hostages-hamas-gaza-israel-freed-6395a6113301e677bcac713f8db914b1">not doing enough</a>&nbsp;to bring hostages home.

In the Balata refugee camp in the West Bank, the family of 16-year-old Wael Mesheh was frantically getting the house ready for his homecoming as part of the second swap. “We are going to hug him so tight," his mother, Hanadi Mesheh, said by phone.

The first group of freed Israelis included nine women and four children ages 9 and under. They were taken to Israeli hospitals for observation and were declared to be in good condition.

Hours later, 24 Palestinian women and 15 teenage boys held in Israeli prisons in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem were freed. The teenagers had been jailed for minor offenses like throwing stones. The women included several convicted of trying to stab Israeli soldiers.

“It’s a happiness tainted with sorrow because our release from prison came at the cost of the lives of martyrs and the innocence of children,” said one released prisoner, Aseel Munir al-Titi.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, an advocacy group, Israel is holding 7,200 Palestinians, including about 2,000 arrested since the start of the war.

On Saturday, at least two Palestinians were injured at a tense West Bank checkpoint where Israel was to free prisoners. Israeli security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at Palestinians gathered at Beitunia checkpoint. It was not clear how the two were injured.

The war erupted when several thousand Hamas militants&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">stormed into southern Israel</a>, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking scores of hostages, including babies, women and older adults, as well as soldiers.

“We will return immediately at the end of the cease-fire to attacking in Gaza, operating in Gaza,” Herzi Halevi, Israeli chief of staff, told soldiers.

Israeli leaders have said they won't stop until Hamas, which has controlled Gaza for the past 16 years, is crushed. Israeli officials have argued that only military pressure can bring the hostages home. But the government is under pressure from hostages' families to prioritize the release of the remaining captives.

The Israeli offensive has killed more than 13,300 Palestinians, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry</a>&nbsp;in the Hamas-run Gaza government. Women and minors have consistently made up around two-thirds of the dead. The figure does not include updated numbers from hospitals in the north, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-health-ministry-gaza-hamas-fe30cbc76479fa437d5f5a0e96c36e52">communications have broken down</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700950654978.png" alt="This September 2023 photo shows Emily Hand near Kibbutz Be’eri, Israel. Her father believed her to be dead for weeks before finding out she was held as a hostage. (Yael Shahrur Noah via AP)." />
 <figcaption>This September 2023 photo shows Emily Hand near Kibbutz Be’eri, Israel. Her father believed her to be dead for weeks before finding out she was held as a hostage. (Yael Shahrur Noah via AP).</figcaption>
 </figure>KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas released 13 Israelis and four foreigners late Saturday in the second round of swaps under a cease-fire deal, the Israeli military said, after the militant group initially delayed the exchange for several hours and claimed that Israel had violated the terms of a truce deal.Shortly after midnight, the Israeli military said the released hostages, including four Thais, had been transferred to Israel. They were being taken to hospitals for observation and to be reunited with their families.Israel was to free 39 Palestinians later Saturday as part of the deal that ultimately went through after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-israel-hamas-war-hostage-qatar-0126c6443a9b3b32fe97032b81eaa515">international mediation efforts</a>.The Israeli hostages released Saturday by Hamas included seven children and six women, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced. Most of the released hostages were from Kibbutz Be’eri, a community Hamas militants ravaged during their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-displaced-hamas-dead-sea-beeri-hotel-94d57fc34dd18a73e38eea8437d15801">Oct. 7 cross-border attack</a>, a spokesperson for the kibbutz said. The children ranged in age from 3 to 16, and the women ranged from 18 to 67.It was a bittersweet moment for the residents of Be’eri. A kibbutz spokesperson said all the released hostages either had a family member killed in the Oct. 7 rampage or had left a loved one in captivity in Gaza.The mother of one of the released hostages, 12-year-old Hila Rotem, remained in captivity, the spokesperson said.Another,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-hostages-emily-hand-226eb289c8f69158c6fec4fb2ffaaf6d">Emily Hand</a>, is a girl whose father believed her to be dead for weeks before finding out she was held as a hostage.The last-minute delay had created a tense standoff on the second day of what's meant to be a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-ceasefire-what-to-know-af1cfbc9dcaa1485ed7a9efaca7ec2b7">four-day cease-fire</a>. By nightfall, as the hostages should have emerged from Gaza, Hamas alleged that the aid deliveries permitted by Israel fell short of what was promised and that not enough of it was reaching northern Gaza — the focus of Israel's ground offensive and main combat zone. Hamas also said not enough veteran prisoners were freed in the first swap on Friday.“This is putting the deal in danger,” Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, said in Beirut. But Egypt, Qatar and Hamas itself later said obstacles had been overcome, and Hamas listed six women and 33 teenage boys it said were expected to be released by the Israelis. Two women, Maysoun Jabali and Israa Jaabis, were imprisoned in 2015 after being convicted of carrying out attacks on Israelis. Jaabis suffered severe burns during the incident.While uncertainty around some details of the exchange remained, there was some optimism, too, amid earlier scenes of joyous families reuniting on both sides.On the first day of the cease-fire, Hamas released 24 of the roughly 240 hostages taken during its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-war-hamas-attack-border-wall-aa0b0f5f3613b6c6882cf37168e8e8ed">Oct. 7 attack</a>&nbsp;on Israel that triggered the war, and Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison. Those freed in Gaza were 13 Israelis,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-hostages-thai-workers-qatar-iran-1e712be6ab4446574128f36a5c6130e8">10 Thais and a Filipino</a>.Overall, Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners, during the four-day truce — all women and minors.Israel has said the truce can be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed — something U.S. President Joe Biden said he hoped would occur.Separately, a Qatari delegation arrived in Israel on Saturday to coordinate with parties on the ground and “ensure the deal continues to move smoothly,” according to a diplomat briefed on the visit. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss details with the media.The start of the pause brought quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians reeling from relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-airstrikes-gaza-hamas-war-702f447ff7e52b03476555ec2513008b">driven three-quarters of the population</a>&nbsp;from their homes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-gaza-israel-bombing-destruction-hamas-reconstruction-f299a28410b70ee05dd764df97d8d3a0">leveled residential areas</a>. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel also went silent.War-weary Palestinians in northern Gaza returned to the streets, crunching over rubble between shattered buildings and at times digging through it with bare hands. At the Indonesian hospital in Jabaliya, besieged by the Israeli military earlier this month, bodies lay in the courtyard and outside the main gate.For Emad Abu Hajer, a resident of the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza City area, the pause meant he could again search through the remains of his home, which was flattened in an Israeli attack last week.He found the bodies of a cousin and nephew, bringing the death toll in the attack to 19. His sister and two other relatives are still missing.“We want to find them and bury them in dignity,” he said.The United Nations said the pause enabled it to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-palestinians-truce-red-cross-crescent-14cd8cae0f6e064484167c66bbcecf8f">scale up the delivery of food</a>, water, and medicine to the largest volume since the resumption of aid convoys on Oct. 21. It was also able to deliver 129,000 liters (34,078 gallons) of fuel — just over 10% of the daily pre-war volume — as well as cooking gas, a first since the war began.In the southern city of Khan Younis, a long line of people with containers waited outside a filling station. Hossam Fayad lamented that the pause in fighting was only for four days.“I wish it could be extended until people's conditions improved,” he said.For the first time in over a month, aid reached northern Gaza. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 61 trucks carrying food, water and medical supplies headed there on Saturday, the largest aid convoy to reach the area yet. The U.N. said it and the Palestinian Red Crescent were also able to evacuate 40 patients and family members from a hospital in Gaza City to a hospital in Khan Younis.JOY AND EXPECTATIONIn Tel Aviv, several thousand people packed a central square called “the square of the hostages,” awaiting news of the second release.“Don’t forget the others because it’s getting harder, harder and harder. It’s heartbreaking,” said Neri Gershon, a Tel Aviv resident. Some families have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hostages-hamas-gaza-israel-freed-6395a6113301e677bcac713f8db914b1">not doing enough</a>&nbsp;to bring hostages home.In the Balata refugee camp in the West Bank, the family of 16-year-old Wael Mesheh was frantically getting the house ready for his homecoming as part of the second swap. “We are going to hug him so tight," his mother, Hanadi Mesheh, said by phone.The first group of freed Israelis included nine women and four children ages 9 and under. They were taken to Israeli hospitals for observation and were declared to be in good condition.Hours later, 24 Palestinian women and 15 teenage boys held in Israeli prisons in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem were freed. The teenagers had been jailed for minor offenses like throwing stones. The women included several convicted of trying to stab Israeli soldiers.“It’s a happiness tainted with sorrow because our release from prison came at the cost of the lives of martyrs and the innocence of children,” said one released prisoner, Aseel Munir al-Titi.According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, an advocacy group, Israel is holding 7,200 Palestinians, including about 2,000 arrested since the start of the war.On Saturday, at least two Palestinians were injured at a tense West Bank checkpoint where Israel was to free prisoners. Israeli security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at Palestinians gathered at Beitunia checkpoint. It was not clear how the two were injured.A LONGER PEACE?The war erupted when several thousand Hamas militants&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">stormed into southern Israel</a>, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking scores of hostages, including babies, women and older adults, as well as soldiers.“We will return immediately at the end of the cease-fire to attacking in Gaza, operating in Gaza,” Herzi Halevi, Israeli chief of staff, told soldiers.Israeli leaders have said they won't stop until Hamas, which has controlled Gaza for the past 16 years, is crushed. Israeli officials have argued that only military pressure can bring the hostages home. But the government is under pressure from hostages' families to prioritize the release of the remaining captives.The Israeli offensive has killed more than 13,300 Palestinians, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry</a>&nbsp;in the Hamas-run Gaza government. Women and minors have consistently made up around two-thirds of the dead. The figure does not include updated numbers from hospitals in the north, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-health-ministry-gaza-hamas-fe30cbc76479fa437d5f5a0e96c36e52">communications have broken down</a>.

2nd group of hostages freed in Gaza includes 7 children 

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/nathanielcline/">NATHANIEL CLINE</a>

College financial aid applicants can expect the release of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, on Dec. 31, according to an<a target="_blank" href="https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/library/electronic-announcements/2023-11-15/update-simplified-streamlined-redesigned-2024-25-fafsa">&nbsp;announcement</a>&nbsp;by the U.S. Department of Education on Wednesday.

Schools and applicants in Virginia and elsewhere have been waiting eagerly for the announcement after the agency said on March 21 that it would roll out the form in December but did not provide an exact date, creating uncertainty about how financial aid processes would unfold this year.

“The department has been working closely with all of our partners to prepare for the many changes to the better FAFSA experience,” the education department said in a statement. “To ensure a smooth experience for students and families, the department is issuing guidance, hosting webinars, and offering training support in the coming months.”

During the past three years, the department has been redesigning the form to make it less complex and allow more students access to financial aid after Congress passed the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/article/fafsa-simplification-act">FAFSA Simplification Act</a>.

Justin Draeger, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, a nonprofit representing financial aid professionals across the country, said in a statement that the association is pleased with the announcement. However, he said schools need the federal government to quickly provide applicant data to institutions and “clearly” communicate updates.

Draeger said once financial aid offices receive applicant data, the distribution of financial aid offers will take at least several more weeks.

“A successful partnership between the financial aid community and [Education Department] means goodwill is extended by all stakeholders,” Drager said. “Financial aid professionals will work to shield students from the adverse effects of any truncated timelines. In addition to working as quickly as possible to deliver a completed FAFSA process, the department can partner in this effort by giving students realistic timelines and top-notch customer service, and giving schools the space and resources they need to focus solely on students for the next several months.”

This story was originally published by the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.virginiamercury.com/blog-va/u-s-department-of-ed-announces-dec-31-rollout-for-new-fafsa/">Virginia Mercury</a>, a States Newsroom affiliate.&nbsp;

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/nathanielcline/">NATHANIEL CLINE</a>College financial aid applicants can expect the release of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, on Dec. 31, according to an<a target="_blank" href="https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/library/electronic-announcements/2023-11-15/update-simplified-streamlined-redesigned-2024-25-fafsa">&nbsp;announcement</a>&nbsp;by the U.S. Department of Education on Wednesday.Schools and applicants in Virginia and elsewhere have been waiting eagerly for the announcement after the agency said on March 21 that it would roll out the form in December but did not provide an exact date, creating uncertainty about how financial aid processes would unfold this year.“The department has been working closely with all of our partners to prepare for the many changes to the better FAFSA experience,” the education department said in a statement. “To ensure a smooth experience for students and families, the department is issuing guidance, hosting webinars, and offering training support in the coming months.”During the past three years, the department has been redesigning the form to make it less complex and allow more students access to financial aid after Congress passed the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/article/fafsa-simplification-act">FAFSA Simplification Act</a>.Justin Draeger, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, a nonprofit representing financial aid professionals across the country, said in a statement that the association is pleased with the announcement. However, he said schools need the federal government to quickly provide applicant data to institutions and “clearly” communicate updates.Draeger said once financial aid offices receive applicant data, the distribution of financial aid offers will take at least several more weeks.“A successful partnership between the financial aid community and [Education Department] means goodwill is extended by all stakeholders,” Drager said. “Financial aid professionals will work to shield students from the adverse effects of any truncated timelines. In addition to working as quickly as possible to deliver a completed FAFSA process, the department can partner in this effort by giving students realistic timelines and top-notch customer service, and giving schools the space and resources they need to focus solely on students for the next several months.”This story was originally published by the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.virginiamercury.com/blog-va/u-s-department-of-ed-announces-dec-31-rollout-for-new-fafsa/">Virginia Mercury</a>, a States Newsroom affiliate.&nbsp;

U.S. Department of Education sets date for rollout for new FAFSA

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd">convicted of murdering George Floyd</a>, was stabbed by another inmate and seriously injured Friday at a federal prison in Arizona, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

The attack happened at the Federal Correctional Institution, Tucson, a medium-security prison that has been plagued by security lapses and staffing shortages. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the attack and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.

The Bureau of Prisons confirmed that an incarcerated person was assaulted at FCI Tucson at around 12:30 p.m. local time Friday. In a statement, the agency said responding employees contained the incident and performed “life-saving measures” before the inmate, who it did not name, was taken to a hospital for further treatment and evaluation.

No employees were injured and the FBI was notified, the Bureau of Prisons said. Visiting at the facility, which has about 380 inmates, has been suspended.

Messages seeking comment were left with Chauvin’s lawyers and the FBI.

Chauvin’s stabbing is the second high-profile attack on a federal prisoner in the last five months. In July,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/larry-nassar-gymnastics-stabbed-prison-98c5ca2052f0ebce4a785f5fa2b2ede2">disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar was stabbed by a fellow inmate</a>&nbsp;at a federal penitentiary in Florida.

It is also the second major incident at the Tucson federal prison in a little over a year. In November 2022, an inmate at the facility’s low-security prison camp&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-arizona-tucson-government-and-politics-319595c5a1a393f0734641443dd46df4">pulled out a gun and attempted to shoot a visitor in the head</a>. The weapon, which the inmate shouldn’t have had, misfired and no one was hurt.

Chauvin, 47, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ahmaud-arbery-death-of-george-floyd-minnesota-minneapolis-2375e5b10ec6e2976059f1eb0e261c28">sent to FCI Tucson</a>&nbsp;from a maximum-security Minnesota state prison in August 2022 to simultaneously serve a 21-year federal sentence&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-of-george-floyd-george-floyd-minneapolis-race-and-ethnicity-st-paul-a8b12b1e3e0fedc1270c659e3428134e">for violating Floyd’s civil rights</a>&nbsp;and a 22½-year state sentence&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/derek-chauvin-trial-live-updates-04-20-2021-955a78df9a7a51835ad63afb8ce9b5c1">for second-degree murder</a>.

Chauvin’s lawyer, Eric Nelson, had advocated for keeping him out of general population and away from other inmates, anticipating he’d be a target. In Minnesota, Chauvin was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-of-george-floyd-prisons-minnesota-minneapolis-d067afde1589c5175a7b553b68f7eef0">mainly kept in solitary confinement</a>&nbsp;“largely for his own protection,” Nelson wrote in court papers last year.

Last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-george-floyd-officer-convicted-2c08301003ebb4ed83f53679e179d5e2">the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Chauvin’s appeal</a>&nbsp;of his murder conviction. Separately, Chauvin is making a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/george-floyd-derek-chauvin-police-murder-civil-rights-56c9768ad08c4f1a4913c93d75a00536">longshot bid to overturn his federal guilty plea</a>, claiming new evidence shows he didn’t cause Floyd’s death.

Floyd, who was Black, died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin, who is white, pressed a knee on his neck for 9½ minutes on the street outside a convenience store where Floyd was suspected of trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill.

Bystander video captured Floyd’s fading cries of “I can’t breathe.” His death touched off protests worldwide, some of which turned violent, and forced a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/george-floyd-death-anniversary-police-reform-protests-506efdec8275364db1b652cb6436339b">national reckoning with police brutality and racism</a>.

Three other former officers who were at the scene received lesser&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/george-floyd-minneapolis-officer-tou-thou-sentencing-586deaeb4d14807ef3f2bdd0196d0b86">state and federal sentences</a>&nbsp;for their roles in Floyd’s death.

Chauvin’s stabbing comes as the federal Bureau of Prisons has faced increased scrutiny in recent years following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-jail-suicide-prison-death-8d194a756f2b429067f009a0c70f96c0">wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein’s jail suicide in 2019</a>. It's another example of the agency’s inability to keep even its highest profile prisoners safe after Nassar’s stabbing and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ted-kaczynski-unabomber-1197f597364b36e56bdbcaca9837bdc4">“Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski’s suicide</a>&nbsp;at a federal medical center in June.

An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-crime-prisons-only-on-ap-c7a1cfc4aee226570c375fc015ee322f">ongoing AP investigation</a>&nbsp;has uncovered deep, previously unreported flaws within the Bureau of Prisons, the Justice Department’s largest law enforcement agency with more than 30,000 employees, 158,000 inmates and an annual budget of about $8 billion.

AP reporting has revealed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-california-united-states-prisons-00a711766f5f3d2bd3fe6402af1e0ff8">rampant sexual abuse</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-prisons-5be574b4103a2f5420e0d9da2daf5c9c">other criminal conduct</a>&nbsp;by staff,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-prisons-prison-breaks-business-c1979d6ad6e7b3531968dab0e61eb22d">dozens of escapes</a>, chronic violence, deaths and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-prisons-government-and-politics-88fff925b1901a36a10581c28d826916">severe staffing shortages</a>&nbsp;that have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/only-on-ap-suicides-business-prisons-government-and-politics-0eba20833af541730b5e71bc4d2efbfe">hampered responses to emergencies</a>, including inmate assaults and suicides.

Bureau of Prisons Director Colette Peters was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-crime-government-and-politics-prisons-treatment-of-prisoners-f1f5ee0553770dcb75783d05e4327a11">brought in last year to reform the crisis-plagued agency</a>. She vowed to change archaic hiring practices and bring new transparency, while emphasizing that the agency's mission is “to make good neighbors, not good inmates."

Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee in September, Peters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-prisons-colette-peters-senate-judiciary-committee-ca053cfe5170a755771392498153a420">touted steps she'd taken to overhaul problematic prisons</a>&nbsp;and beef up internal affairs investigations. This month, she told a House Judiciary subcommittee that hiring had improved and that new hires were outpacing retirements and other departures.

But Peters has also irritated lawmakers who said she reneged on her promise to be candid and open with them. In September, senators scolded her for forcing them to wait more than a year for answers to written questions and for claiming that she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-prisons-colette-peters-senate-judiciary-committee-ca053cfe5170a755771392498153a420">couldn’t answer basic questions about agency operations</a>, like how many correctional officers are on staff.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1619012623324.png" alt="Derek Chauvin's booking photo following his guilty verdict in April of 2021- Minnesota Dpt. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Derek Chauvin's booking photo following his guilty verdict in April of 2021- Minnesota Dpt. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd">convicted of murdering George Floyd</a>, was stabbed by another inmate and seriously injured Friday at a federal prison in Arizona, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.The attack happened at the Federal Correctional Institution, Tucson, a medium-security prison that has been plagued by security lapses and staffing shortages. The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the attack and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.The Bureau of Prisons confirmed that an incarcerated person was assaulted at FCI Tucson at around 12:30 p.m. local time Friday. In a statement, the agency said responding employees contained the incident and performed “life-saving measures” before the inmate, who it did not name, was taken to a hospital for further treatment and evaluation.No employees were injured and the FBI was notified, the Bureau of Prisons said. Visiting at the facility, which has about 380 inmates, has been suspended.Messages seeking comment were left with Chauvin’s lawyers and the FBI.Chauvin’s stabbing is the second high-profile attack on a federal prisoner in the last five months. In July,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/larry-nassar-gymnastics-stabbed-prison-98c5ca2052f0ebce4a785f5fa2b2ede2">disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar was stabbed by a fellow inmate</a>&nbsp;at a federal penitentiary in Florida.It is also the second major incident at the Tucson federal prison in a little over a year. In November 2022, an inmate at the facility’s low-security prison camp&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-arizona-tucson-government-and-politics-319595c5a1a393f0734641443dd46df4">pulled out a gun and attempted to shoot a visitor in the head</a>. The weapon, which the inmate shouldn’t have had, misfired and no one was hurt.Chauvin, 47, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ahmaud-arbery-death-of-george-floyd-minnesota-minneapolis-2375e5b10ec6e2976059f1eb0e261c28">sent to FCI Tucson</a>&nbsp;from a maximum-security Minnesota state prison in August 2022 to simultaneously serve a 21-year federal sentence&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-of-george-floyd-george-floyd-minneapolis-race-and-ethnicity-st-paul-a8b12b1e3e0fedc1270c659e3428134e">for violating Floyd’s civil rights</a>&nbsp;and a 22½-year state sentence&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/derek-chauvin-trial-live-updates-04-20-2021-955a78df9a7a51835ad63afb8ce9b5c1">for second-degree murder</a>.Chauvin’s lawyer, Eric Nelson, had advocated for keeping him out of general population and away from other inmates, anticipating he’d be a target. In Minnesota, Chauvin was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-of-george-floyd-prisons-minnesota-minneapolis-d067afde1589c5175a7b553b68f7eef0">mainly kept in solitary confinement</a>&nbsp;“largely for his own protection,” Nelson wrote in court papers last year.Last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-george-floyd-officer-convicted-2c08301003ebb4ed83f53679e179d5e2">the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Chauvin’s appeal</a>&nbsp;of his murder conviction. Separately, Chauvin is making a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/george-floyd-derek-chauvin-police-murder-civil-rights-56c9768ad08c4f1a4913c93d75a00536">longshot bid to overturn his federal guilty plea</a>, claiming new evidence shows he didn’t cause Floyd’s death.Floyd, who was Black, died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin, who is white, pressed a knee on his neck for 9½ minutes on the street outside a convenience store where Floyd was suspected of trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill.Bystander video captured Floyd’s fading cries of “I can’t breathe.” His death touched off protests worldwide, some of which turned violent, and forced a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/george-floyd-death-anniversary-police-reform-protests-506efdec8275364db1b652cb6436339b">national reckoning with police brutality and racism</a>.Three other former officers who were at the scene received lesser&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/george-floyd-minneapolis-officer-tou-thou-sentencing-586deaeb4d14807ef3f2bdd0196d0b86">state and federal sentences</a>&nbsp;for their roles in Floyd’s death.Chauvin’s stabbing comes as the federal Bureau of Prisons has faced increased scrutiny in recent years following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-jail-suicide-prison-death-8d194a756f2b429067f009a0c70f96c0">wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein’s jail suicide in 2019</a>. It's another example of the agency’s inability to keep even its highest profile prisoners safe after Nassar’s stabbing and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ted-kaczynski-unabomber-1197f597364b36e56bdbcaca9837bdc4">“Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski’s suicide</a>&nbsp;at a federal medical center in June.An&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-crime-prisons-only-on-ap-c7a1cfc4aee226570c375fc015ee322f">ongoing AP investigation</a>&nbsp;has uncovered deep, previously unreported flaws within the Bureau of Prisons, the Justice Department’s largest law enforcement agency with more than 30,000 employees, 158,000 inmates and an annual budget of about $8 billion.AP reporting has revealed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-california-united-states-prisons-00a711766f5f3d2bd3fe6402af1e0ff8">rampant sexual abuse</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-prisons-5be574b4103a2f5420e0d9da2daf5c9c">other criminal conduct</a>&nbsp;by staff,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-prisons-prison-breaks-business-c1979d6ad6e7b3531968dab0e61eb22d">dozens of escapes</a>, chronic violence, deaths and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-prisons-government-and-politics-88fff925b1901a36a10581c28d826916">severe staffing shortages</a>&nbsp;that have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/only-on-ap-suicides-business-prisons-government-and-politics-0eba20833af541730b5e71bc4d2efbfe">hampered responses to emergencies</a>, including inmate assaults and suicides.Bureau of Prisons Director Colette Peters was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-crime-government-and-politics-prisons-treatment-of-prisoners-f1f5ee0553770dcb75783d05e4327a11">brought in last year to reform the crisis-plagued agency</a>. She vowed to change archaic hiring practices and bring new transparency, while emphasizing that the agency's mission is “to make good neighbors, not good inmates."Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee in September, Peters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-prisons-colette-peters-senate-judiciary-committee-ca053cfe5170a755771392498153a420">touted steps she'd taken to overhaul problematic prisons</a>&nbsp;and beef up internal affairs investigations. This month, she told a House Judiciary subcommittee that hiring had improved and that new hires were outpacing retirements and other departures.But Peters has also irritated lawmakers who said she reneged on her promise to be candid and open with them. In September, senators scolded her for forcing them to wait more than a year for answers to written questions and for claiming that she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-prisons-colette-peters-senate-judiciary-committee-ca053cfe5170a755771392498153a420">couldn’t answer basic questions about agency operations</a>, like how many correctional officers are on staff.

Ex-officer, convicted in George Floyd's killing, stabbed in prison

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal inspectors have twice found hundreds of defects in the locomotives and railcars Union Pacific uses at the world’s largest railyard in Nebraska, but none of those seem to explain why a shipping container filled with toxic acid exploded there this fall.

Investigators haven’t confirmed the cause of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railroad-railyard-fire-hazardous-materials-9527651cde6c629f18bb947f95ab9f42">Sept. 14 blast</a>&nbsp;in a remote corner of the railroad's Bailey Yard in North Platte, Nebraska, about 250 miles west of Omaha. The explosion didn't spread far, but investigators appear to be delving into the questionable decision to load dozens of plastic barrels of perchloric acid inside a shipping container with a wood floor and possibly atop wooden pallets, even though that acid is known to react with wood or any other organic material.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever read about perchloric acid, but when it comes in contact with organic material, it becomes highly volatile. So that car was doomed from the day it was loaded,” said Andy Foust, a Nebraska leader of the largest rail union that represents the workers who were switching those railcars just before the explosion.

The explosion highlighted not only potential problems at the sprawling railyard but also the national rail network's reliance on everyone involved in shipping hazardous materials taking proper precautions. As the Nebraska explosion made clear, there can be problems that are hard to spot before potentially disastrous accidents occur.

Some details about the explosion might never be known because the shipping container carrying the acid was destroyed. Federal Railroad Administration spokesman Warren Flatau said “the leaked acid reacted with the wooden floor of the intermodal container, and any other organic material within the container (i.e., pallets).”

The resulting explosion propelled shrapnel up to 600 feet away and prompted first responders to evacuate everyone within a mile outside the railyard. After the first container exploded, a second metal shipping container — believed to hold memory foam — fell down on top of it and caught fire, but no other cars ignited.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told a gathering of rail labor leaders in Nebraska the explosion could have been much worse and "grabbed national headlines had the wind been blowing a little bit different or had things gone just a little bit different in the yard that day” — much like Norfolk Southern’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-pete-buttigieg-evacuations-ohio-explosions-64908a6416662b5866809387f210aee5">fiery derailment</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-updates-bf5a60de2243cd6f7f730096aa33294c">eastern Ohio</a>&nbsp;did.

That February derailment — and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-train-derailment-evacuation-ethanol-fire-73cc3e80f616070806f8f8b35191a616">others</a>&nbsp;that followed — put the focus on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/railroad-safety-derailments-tank-car-ohio-minnesota-c60f33b64e9c7dc05768a78ae20f3ce5">railroad safety</a>&nbsp;and prompted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/derailment-ohio-safety-senate-legislation-brown-vance-82c55dc95aca9524d6ae8e6d01336dbe">Congress</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-accidents-transportation-pete-buttigieg-ohio-pennsylvania-f1cd9d79cdd66b1f45d1dcdf1e53ff58">regulators</a>&nbsp;to propose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-congress-6288cdfb0b4381de4c9bfb05199b8ba6">reforms</a>, which have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/east-palestine-train-derailment-safety-regulations-railroad-4db52c68daf68da05425b5b70363fb0a">largely stalled</a>.

Foust said Union Pacific never evacuated the railyard. Nearby workers left the area on their own, but most in the railyard continued working. Foust expects that to change because he said UP is revising its emergency response plan.

“There was a large part of that yard that had no idea what was going on, and they were told to continue doing their job,” said Foust, who has discussed the explosion with FRA inspectors, the railroad and first responders because of his role with the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division union.

Railroad officials said at the time that the wind blew smoke away from the facility, and because the railyard is up to eight miles (13 kilometers) wide, most UP workers were a safe distance away.

Despite the explosion, the method of loading 56 barrels of acid doesn't appear to violate any regulations, so such shipping methods could still be occurring. A Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration spokesman said that “as the regulations prohibit any leakage from a package, the regulations do not specify what materials the drums are loaded onto.”

Shippers are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-172/subpart-H/section-172.704">required</a>&nbsp;to take precautions when loading hazardous materials, including ensuring that plastic drums can’t tip over. The drums used to ship hazardous materials also must undergo extensive testing.

In this case, the FRA spokesman said investigators couldn’t determine what loading precautions were taken because the container was destroyed.

The perchloric acid, used in explosives and some industrial processes, was produced at a company in Ohio that hasn’t been publicly identified. Norfolk Southern transported the acid, then handed it off to Union Pacific. Both railroads declined to comment on the explosion, citing the ongoing investigation.

Given the timing of the explosion, the leak likely happened inside UP's railyard.

Railroads inspect railcars before they pick them up for mechanical problems or signs of tampering, but they assume shippers have properly packed them.

“We really rely on them to know best how to package and do it in a safe way, so it isn’t going to become an issue for us,” said North Platte Fire Chief Dennis Thompson, who led the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railyard-explosion-railroad-safety-3bdef4a60fef58836eb2773e370cf0bc">response to the explosion</a>.

Thompson said the emergency response went smoothly because the weather conditions and location were favorable, and the railroad let him know within 25 minutes exactly what they were dealing with.

Before the explosion, inspections at the railyard in July and August prompted the head of the FRA to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railroad-safety-fra-defects-a3727942095fc3bd585b42d60c45fa6e">write a letter</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railroad-ceo-jim-vena-06b2fbdf515e7f5aa8d82c0b2cafbc88">UP’s CEO</a>&nbsp;highlighting that the rate of defects was twice the national average. In September, the week after the explosion, inspectors returned to follow up and turned up more than 500 additional problems.

Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena said he understands and welcomes the agency's scrutiny.

Vena said Union Pacific and other major railroads have become safer over time. But there were still&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-territories-ohio-canada-business-accidents-d57651e17b2f9e0163c50298106950a3">more than 1,000 derailments</a>&nbsp;last year, and as the East Palestine derailment demonstrated, just one train crash can be disastrous if hazardous materials are involved.

“Do we have more to do? Absolutely,” said Vena, who became CEO in August. “And that’s what I’m challenging the team with here at Union Pacific is we have to get better ... We’ll invest in it. We’ll spend money on technology. We’ll spend money on people.”

FRA regulators who oversee the inspectors aren’t overly concerned, with the head of the agency’s Office of Railroad Infrastructure and Mechanical saying violations are common when he sends a team out.

“We did not find any systematic issues that would indicate they are operating unsafe equipment that put the public at risk,” the FRA's Charlie King said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700869565501.jpeg" alt=" Smoke emanates from a railroad car after an explosion at Union Pacific's Bailey Yard, Sept. 14, 2023, in North Platte, Neb. The explosion of a shipping container filled with toxic acid inside the world’s largest railyard, combined with hundreds of rules violations inspectors found there, raises questions about Union Pacific's safety and the effectiveness of the rules for shipping hazardous materials. The Sept. 14 blast fortunately happened in a remote corner of the railyard and the resulting fire did not spread widely. (Ryan Herzog/The Telegraph via AP, File)" />
 <figcaption> Smoke emanates from a railroad car after an explosion at Union Pacific's Bailey Yard, Sept. 14, 2023, in North Platte, Neb. The explosion of a shipping container filled with toxic acid inside the world’s largest railyard, combined with hundreds of rules violations inspectors found there, raises questions about Union Pacific's safety and the effectiveness of the rules for shipping hazardous materials. The Sept. 14 blast fortunately happened in a remote corner of the railyard and the resulting fire did not spread widely. (Ryan Herzog/The Telegraph via AP, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal inspectors have twice found hundreds of defects in the locomotives and railcars Union Pacific uses at the world’s largest railyard in Nebraska, but none of those seem to explain why a shipping container filled with toxic acid exploded there this fall.Investigators haven’t confirmed the cause of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railroad-railyard-fire-hazardous-materials-9527651cde6c629f18bb947f95ab9f42">Sept. 14 blast</a>&nbsp;in a remote corner of the railroad's Bailey Yard in North Platte, Nebraska, about 250 miles west of Omaha. The explosion didn't spread far, but investigators appear to be delving into the questionable decision to load dozens of plastic barrels of perchloric acid inside a shipping container with a wood floor and possibly atop wooden pallets, even though that acid is known to react with wood or any other organic material.“I don’t know if you’ve ever read about perchloric acid, but when it comes in contact with organic material, it becomes highly volatile. So that car was doomed from the day it was loaded,” said Andy Foust, a Nebraska leader of the largest rail union that represents the workers who were switching those railcars just before the explosion.The explosion highlighted not only potential problems at the sprawling railyard but also the national rail network's reliance on everyone involved in shipping hazardous materials taking proper precautions. As the Nebraska explosion made clear, there can be problems that are hard to spot before potentially disastrous accidents occur.Some details about the explosion might never be known because the shipping container carrying the acid was destroyed. Federal Railroad Administration spokesman Warren Flatau said “the leaked acid reacted with the wooden floor of the intermodal container, and any other organic material within the container (i.e., pallets).”The resulting explosion propelled shrapnel up to 600 feet away and prompted first responders to evacuate everyone within a mile outside the railyard. After the first container exploded, a second metal shipping container — believed to hold memory foam — fell down on top of it and caught fire, but no other cars ignited.U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told a gathering of rail labor leaders in Nebraska the explosion could have been much worse and "grabbed national headlines had the wind been blowing a little bit different or had things gone just a little bit different in the yard that day” — much like Norfolk Southern’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-pete-buttigieg-evacuations-ohio-explosions-64908a6416662b5866809387f210aee5">fiery derailment</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-updates-bf5a60de2243cd6f7f730096aa33294c">eastern Ohio</a>&nbsp;did.That February derailment — and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-train-derailment-evacuation-ethanol-fire-73cc3e80f616070806f8f8b35191a616">others</a>&nbsp;that followed — put the focus on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/railroad-safety-derailments-tank-car-ohio-minnesota-c60f33b64e9c7dc05768a78ae20f3ce5">railroad safety</a>&nbsp;and prompted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/derailment-ohio-safety-senate-legislation-brown-vance-82c55dc95aca9524d6ae8e6d01336dbe">Congress</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rail-accidents-transportation-pete-buttigieg-ohio-pennsylvania-f1cd9d79cdd66b1f45d1dcdf1e53ff58">regulators</a>&nbsp;to propose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ohio-train-derailment-congress-6288cdfb0b4381de4c9bfb05199b8ba6">reforms</a>, which have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/east-palestine-train-derailment-safety-regulations-railroad-4db52c68daf68da05425b5b70363fb0a">largely stalled</a>.Foust said Union Pacific never evacuated the railyard. Nearby workers left the area on their own, but most in the railyard continued working. Foust expects that to change because he said UP is revising its emergency response plan.“There was a large part of that yard that had no idea what was going on, and they were told to continue doing their job,” said Foust, who has discussed the explosion with FRA inspectors, the railroad and first responders because of his role with the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division union.Railroad officials said at the time that the wind blew smoke away from the facility, and because the railyard is up to eight miles (13 kilometers) wide, most UP workers were a safe distance away.Despite the explosion, the method of loading 56 barrels of acid doesn't appear to violate any regulations, so such shipping methods could still be occurring. A Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration spokesman said that “as the regulations prohibit any leakage from a package, the regulations do not specify what materials the drums are loaded onto.”Shippers are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-172/subpart-H/section-172.704">required</a>&nbsp;to take precautions when loading hazardous materials, including ensuring that plastic drums can’t tip over. The drums used to ship hazardous materials also must undergo extensive testing.In this case, the FRA spokesman said investigators couldn’t determine what loading precautions were taken because the container was destroyed.The perchloric acid, used in explosives and some industrial processes, was produced at a company in Ohio that hasn’t been publicly identified. Norfolk Southern transported the acid, then handed it off to Union Pacific. Both railroads declined to comment on the explosion, citing the ongoing investigation.Given the timing of the explosion, the leak likely happened inside UP's railyard.Railroads inspect railcars before they pick them up for mechanical problems or signs of tampering, but they assume shippers have properly packed them.“We really rely on them to know best how to package and do it in a safe way, so it isn’t going to become an issue for us,” said North Platte Fire Chief Dennis Thompson, who led the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railyard-explosion-railroad-safety-3bdef4a60fef58836eb2773e370cf0bc">response to the explosion</a>.Thompson said the emergency response went smoothly because the weather conditions and location were favorable, and the railroad let him know within 25 minutes exactly what they were dealing with.Before the explosion, inspections at the railyard in July and August prompted the head of the FRA to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railroad-safety-fra-defects-a3727942095fc3bd585b42d60c45fa6e">write a letter</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/union-pacific-railroad-ceo-jim-vena-06b2fbdf515e7f5aa8d82c0b2cafbc88">UP’s CEO</a>&nbsp;highlighting that the rate of defects was twice the national average. In September, the week after the explosion, inspectors returned to follow up and turned up more than 500 additional problems.Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena said he understands and welcomes the agency's scrutiny.Vena said Union Pacific and other major railroads have become safer over time. But there were still&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-territories-ohio-canada-business-accidents-d57651e17b2f9e0163c50298106950a3">more than 1,000 derailments</a>&nbsp;last year, and as the East Palestine derailment demonstrated, just one train crash can be disastrous if hazardous materials are involved.“Do we have more to do? Absolutely,” said Vena, who became CEO in August. “And that’s what I’m challenging the team with here at Union Pacific is we have to get better ... We’ll invest in it. We’ll spend money on technology. We’ll spend money on people.”FRA regulators who oversee the inspectors aren’t overly concerned, with the head of the agency’s Office of Railroad Infrastructure and Mechanical saying violations are common when he sends a team out.“We did not find any systematic issues that would indicate they are operating unsafe equipment that put the public at risk,” the FRA's Charlie King said.

Railyard explosion, inspections raise safety questions about Union Pacific’s hazmat shipping

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas on Friday released 24 hostages it held captive in Gaza for weeks, and Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison in the first stage of a swap under a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-ceasefire-what-to-know-af1cfbc9dcaa1485ed7a9efaca7ec2b7">four-day cease-fire</a>&nbsp;that offered a small glimmer of relief to both sides.

(Click below to watch&nbsp;President Biden deliver remarks on the release of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza.)

Israel — wrenched by the abduction of nearly 240 people in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-war-hamas-attack-border-wall-aa0b0f5f3613b6c6882cf37168e8e8ed">Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack</a>&nbsp;that triggered the war — cheered as 13 Israeli women and children emerged free from Gaza. Most were in their 70s or 80s, and the youngest was a 2-year-old. Also released were 10 people from Thailand and one from the Philippines.

In Gaza, the truce’s start Friday morning brought the first quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians reeling and desperate from relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-airstrikes-gaza-hamas-war-702f447ff7e52b03476555ec2513008b">driven three-quarters of the population</a>&nbsp;from their homes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-gaza-israel-bombing-destruction-hamas-reconstruction-f299a28410b70ee05dd764df97d8d3a0">leveled residential areas</a>. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel went silent as well.

Increased supplies of food, water, medicine and fuel promised under the deal began to roll into Gaza, where U.N. officials had warned that Israel’s seal on the territory threatened to push it to starvation.

But relief has been tempered — among Israelis by the fact that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hostages-hamas-gaza-israel-freed-6395a6113301e677bcac713f8db914b1">not all hostages will be freed</a>&nbsp;and among Palestinians by the briefness of the pause. The short truce leaves Gaza mired&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-gaza-israel-bombing-destruction-hamas-reconstruction-f299a28410b70ee05dd764df97d8d3a0">in humanitarian crisis</a>&nbsp;and under the threat that fighting could soon resume.

Israel says the cease-fire could be extended if more hostages are released, but it has vowed to resume its massive offensive once the truce ends. That has clouded hopes that the deal could eventually help wind down the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">conflict,</a>&nbsp;which has fueled a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-west-bank-war-gaza-hamas-settlers-army-raid-militants-c1386ab6a633971cc18b2497169210d3">surge of violence in the occupied West Bank</a>&nbsp;and stirred fears of a wider conflagration across the Middle East.

Under the deal, Hamas is to release at least 50 hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners over the four days. Both sides were starting with women and children. Israel said the four-day truce can be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed.

After nightfall Friday, a line of ambulances emerged from Gaza through the Rafah Crossing into Egypt carrying the freed hostages, as seen live on on Egypt’s state-run Al-Qahera TV. The freed Israelis included nine women and four children 9 and under.

The released hostages were taken to three Israeli hospitals for observation. The Schneider Children’s Medical Center said it was treating eight Israelis — four children and four women — and that all appeared to be in good physical condition. The center said they were also receiving psychological treatment, adding that “these are sensitive moments” for the families.

At a plaza dubbed “Hostages Square” in Tel Aviv, a crowd of Israelis celebrated at the news.

Yael Adar spotted her mother, 85-year-old Yaffa Adar, in a TV newscast of the release and was cheered to see her walking. “That was a huge concern, what would happen to her health during these almost two months,” she told Israel’s Channel 12.

But Yael’s 38-year-old son, Tamir Adar, remained in captivity. Both were kidnapped on Oct. 7 from Kibbutz Nir Oz. “Everyone needs to come back. It’s happiness locked up in grief.”

The hostages included multiple generations. Nine-year-old Ohad Munder-Zichri was freed along with his mother, Keren Munder, and grandmother Ruti Munder. The fourth-grader was abducted during a holiday visit to his grandparents at the kibbutz where about 80 people — nearly a quarter of all residents of the small community — are believed to have been taken hostage.

The plight of the hostages has raised anger among some families that the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not doing enough to bring them home.

Hours later, 24 Palestinian women and 15 teenagers held in Israeli prisons in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem were freed. In the West Bank town of Beituna, hundreds of Palestinians poured out of their homes to celebrate, honking horns and setting off fireworks that lite up the nights sky.

The teenagers had been jailed for minor offenses like throwing stones. The women included several convicted of trying to stab Israeli soldiers, and others who had been arrested at checkpoints in the West Bank.

“As a Palestinian, my heart is broken for my brothers in Gaza, so I can’t really celebrate,” said Abdulqader Khatib, a U.N. worker whose 17-year-old son, Iyas, was freed. “But I am a father. And deep inside, I am very happy.”

Iyas had been taken last year into “administrative detention,” without charges or trial and based on secret evidence. Israel often holds detainees for months without charges. Most of those who are tried are put before military courts that almost never acquit defendants and often don’t follow due process, human rights groups say.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, an advocacy group, Israel is currently holding 7,200 Palestinians, including about 2,000 arrested since the start of the war.

Friday’s halt in fighting brought Gaza’s uprooted population a moment to catch their breath after weeks of fleeing for shelter, searching for food and fearing for family.

After the truce began Friday morning, four trucks of fuel and four trucks of cooking gas entered from Egypt, as well as 200 trucks of relief supplies, Israel said.

Israel has barred all imports into Gaza throughout the war, except for a trickle of supplies from Egypt.

Its ban on fuel, which it said could be diverted to Hamas, caused a territory-wide blackout. Hospitals, water systems, bakeries and shelters have struggled to keep generators running.

During the truce, Israel agreed to allow the delivery of 130,000 liters (34,340 gallons) of fuel per day — still only a small portion of Gaza’s estimated daily needs of more than 1 million liters.

Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people are crowded into the southern portion of the territory, with more than 1 million living in U.N. schools-turned-shelters. The calm brought a chance for displaced residents of the south to visit homes and retrieve some belongings.

But the hundreds of thousands who evacuated from northern Gaza to the south were warned not to return in leaflets dropped by Israel. Israeli troops hold much of the north, including Gaza City.

Still, hundreds of Palestinians tried walking north Friday. Two&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-11-24-2023-f0a8acd3926fda71bd1a0c3750e3b695">were shot and killed</a>&nbsp;by Israeli troops and another 11 were wounded.

Sofian Abu Amer decided to risk checking his home in Gaza City.

“We don’t have enough clothes, food and drinks,” he said. “The situation is disastrous. It’s better for a person to die.”

Israel’s northern border with Lebanon was also quiet on Friday, a day after the militant Hezbollah group, an ally of Hamas, carried out the highest number of attacks in one day since fighting there began Oct. 8.

Hezbollah is not a party to the cease-fire agreement but was widely expected to halt its attacks.

The war erupted when several thousand Hamas militants&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">stormed into southern Israel</a>, killing at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking scores of hostages, including babies, women and older adults, as well as soldiers.

The hope is that “momentum” from the deal will lead to an “end to this violence,” said Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Qatar, which served as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-israel-hamas-war-hostage-qatar-0126c6443a9b3b32fe97032b81eaa515">mediator along with the United States and Egypt</a>.

But hours before it came into effect, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told troops that their respite would be short and that the war would resume with intensity for at least two more months.

Netanyahu has also vowed to continue the war to destroy Hamas’ military capabilities, end its 16-year rule in Gaza and return all the hostages.

The Israeli offensive has killed more than 13,300 Palestinians, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry</a>&nbsp;in the Hamas-run Gaza government. Women and minors have consistently made up around two-thirds of the dead, though the latest number was not broken down. The figure does not include updated numbers from hospitals in the north, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-health-ministry-gaza-hamas-fe30cbc76479fa437d5f5a0e96c36e52">communications</a>&nbsp;have broken down.

The ministry says some 6,000 people have been reported missing, feared&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-buried-rubble-airstrikes-89c0e8d0934d573d94d2fbfeba44d933">buried under rubble</a>. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and militants in its death tolls.

Israel says it has killed thousands of Hamas fighters, without presenting evidence for its count.

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas on Friday released 24 hostages it held captive in Gaza for weeks, and Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison in the first stage of a swap under a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-ceasefire-what-to-know-af1cfbc9dcaa1485ed7a9efaca7ec2b7">four-day cease-fire</a>&nbsp;that offered a small glimmer of relief to both sides.(Click below to watch&nbsp;President Biden deliver remarks on the release of hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza.)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F2055360164824251%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=21" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Israel — wrenched by the abduction of nearly 240 people in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-war-hamas-attack-border-wall-aa0b0f5f3613b6c6882cf37168e8e8ed">Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack</a>&nbsp;that triggered the war — cheered as 13 Israeli women and children emerged free from Gaza. Most were in their 70s or 80s, and the youngest was a 2-year-old. Also released were 10 people from Thailand and one from the Philippines.In Gaza, the truce’s start Friday morning brought the first quiet for 2.3 million Palestinians reeling and desperate from relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed thousands,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-airstrikes-gaza-hamas-war-702f447ff7e52b03476555ec2513008b">driven three-quarters of the population</a>&nbsp;from their homes and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-gaza-israel-bombing-destruction-hamas-reconstruction-f299a28410b70ee05dd764df97d8d3a0">leveled residential areas</a>. Rocket fire from Gaza militants into Israel went silent as well.Increased supplies of food, water, medicine and fuel promised under the deal began to roll into Gaza, where U.N. officials had warned that Israel’s seal on the territory threatened to push it to starvation.But relief has been tempered — among Israelis by the fact that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hostages-hamas-gaza-israel-freed-6395a6113301e677bcac713f8db914b1">not all hostages will be freed</a>&nbsp;and among Palestinians by the briefness of the pause. The short truce leaves Gaza mired&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-gaza-israel-bombing-destruction-hamas-reconstruction-f299a28410b70ee05dd764df97d8d3a0">in humanitarian crisis</a>&nbsp;and under the threat that fighting could soon resume.Israel says the cease-fire could be extended if more hostages are released, but it has vowed to resume its massive offensive once the truce ends. That has clouded hopes that the deal could eventually help wind down the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war">conflict,</a>&nbsp;which has fueled a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-west-bank-war-gaza-hamas-settlers-army-raid-militants-c1386ab6a633971cc18b2497169210d3">surge of violence in the occupied West Bank</a>&nbsp;and stirred fears of a wider conflagration across the Middle East.FIRST HOSTAGES FREEDUnder the deal, Hamas is to release at least 50 hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners over the four days. Both sides were starting with women and children. Israel said the four-day truce can be extended an extra day for every additional 10 hostages freed.After nightfall Friday, a line of ambulances emerged from Gaza through the Rafah Crossing into Egypt carrying the freed hostages, as seen live on on Egypt’s state-run Al-Qahera TV. The freed Israelis included nine women and four children 9 and under.The released hostages were taken to three Israeli hospitals for observation. The Schneider Children’s Medical Center said it was treating eight Israelis — four children and four women — and that all appeared to be in good physical condition. The center said they were also receiving psychological treatment, adding that “these are sensitive moments” for the families.At a plaza dubbed “Hostages Square” in Tel Aviv, a crowd of Israelis celebrated at the news.Yael Adar spotted her mother, 85-year-old Yaffa Adar, in a TV newscast of the release and was cheered to see her walking. “That was a huge concern, what would happen to her health during these almost two months,” she told Israel’s Channel 12.But Yael’s 38-year-old son, Tamir Adar, remained in captivity. Both were kidnapped on Oct. 7 from Kibbutz Nir Oz. “Everyone needs to come back. It’s happiness locked up in grief.”The hostages included multiple generations. Nine-year-old Ohad Munder-Zichri was freed along with his mother, Keren Munder, and grandmother Ruti Munder. The fourth-grader was abducted during a holiday visit to his grandparents at the kibbutz where about 80 people — nearly a quarter of all residents of the small community — are believed to have been taken hostage.The plight of the hostages has raised anger among some families that the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not doing enough to bring them home.Hours later, 24 Palestinian women and 15 teenagers held in Israeli prisons in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem were freed. In the West Bank town of Beituna, hundreds of Palestinians poured out of their homes to celebrate, honking horns and setting off fireworks that lite up the nights sky.The teenagers had been jailed for minor offenses like throwing stones. The women included several convicted of trying to stab Israeli soldiers, and others who had been arrested at checkpoints in the West Bank.“As a Palestinian, my heart is broken for my brothers in Gaza, so I can’t really celebrate,” said Abdulqader Khatib, a U.N. worker whose 17-year-old son, Iyas, was freed. “But I am a father. And deep inside, I am very happy.”Iyas had been taken last year into “administrative detention,” without charges or trial and based on secret evidence. Israel often holds detainees for months without charges. Most of those who are tried are put before military courts that almost never acquit defendants and often don’t follow due process, human rights groups say.According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, an advocacy group, Israel is currently holding 7,200 Palestinians, including about 2,000 arrested since the start of the war.CEASE-FIRE TAKES HOLDFriday’s halt in fighting brought Gaza’s uprooted population a moment to catch their breath after weeks of fleeing for shelter, searching for food and fearing for family.After the truce began Friday morning, four trucks of fuel and four trucks of cooking gas entered from Egypt, as well as 200 trucks of relief supplies, Israel said.Israel has barred all imports into Gaza throughout the war, except for a trickle of supplies from Egypt.Its ban on fuel, which it said could be diverted to Hamas, caused a territory-wide blackout. Hospitals, water systems, bakeries and shelters have struggled to keep generators running.During the truce, Israel agreed to allow the delivery of 130,000 liters (34,340 gallons) of fuel per day — still only a small portion of Gaza’s estimated daily needs of more than 1 million liters.Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people are crowded into the southern portion of the territory, with more than 1 million living in U.N. schools-turned-shelters. The calm brought a chance for displaced residents of the south to visit homes and retrieve some belongings.But the hundreds of thousands who evacuated from northern Gaza to the south were warned not to return in leaflets dropped by Israel. Israeli troops hold much of the north, including Gaza City.Still, hundreds of Palestinians tried walking north Friday. Two&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-11-24-2023-f0a8acd3926fda71bd1a0c3750e3b695">were shot and killed</a>&nbsp;by Israeli troops and another 11 were wounded.Sofian Abu Amer decided to risk checking his home in Gaza City.“We don’t have enough clothes, food and drinks,” he said. “The situation is disastrous. It’s better for a person to die.”Israel’s northern border with Lebanon was also quiet on Friday, a day after the militant Hezbollah group, an ally of Hamas, carried out the highest number of attacks in one day since fighting there began Oct. 8.Hezbollah is not a party to the cease-fire agreement but was widely expected to halt its attacks.A LONGER PEACE?The war erupted when several thousand Hamas militants&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-attack-military-war-a8f63b07641212f0de61861844e5e71e">stormed into southern Israel</a>, killing at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking scores of hostages, including babies, women and older adults, as well as soldiers.The hope is that “momentum” from the deal will lead to an “end to this violence,” said Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of Qatar, which served as a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-israel-hamas-war-hostage-qatar-0126c6443a9b3b32fe97032b81eaa515">mediator along with the United States and Egypt</a>.But hours before it came into effect, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told troops that their respite would be short and that the war would resume with intensity for at least two more months.Netanyahu has also vowed to continue the war to destroy Hamas’ military capabilities, end its 16-year rule in Gaza and return all the hostages.The Israeli offensive has killed more than 13,300 Palestinians, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-health-ministry-health-death-toll-59470820308b31f1faf73c703400b033">Health Ministry</a>&nbsp;in the Hamas-run Gaza government. Women and minors have consistently made up around two-thirds of the dead, though the latest number was not broken down. The figure does not include updated numbers from hospitals in the north, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-israel-health-ministry-gaza-hamas-fe30cbc76479fa437d5f5a0e96c36e52">communications</a>&nbsp;have broken down.The ministry says some 6,000 people have been reported missing, feared&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-buried-rubble-airstrikes-89c0e8d0934d573d94d2fbfeba44d933">buried under rubble</a>. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and militants in its death tolls.Israel says it has killed thousands of Hamas fighters, without presenting evidence for its count.___

🎥No US citizens in first group of hostages freed as Gaza cease-fire begins

WASHINGTON (AP —U.S. health officials recalled three more brands of whole and pre-cut cantaloupes Friday as the number of people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cantaloupe-salmonella-malichita-recall-b0e630ffcab3aff0936d7c43d3c3b323">sickened by salmonella more than doubled this week</a>.

Nearly 100 people in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/sundsvall-11-23/map.html">32 states</a>&nbsp;have gotten sick from the contaminated fruits. Arizona, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio have the highest number of cases. Two people have died of the infections in Minnesota, and 45 people are hospitalized nationwide.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700856554341.png" alt="FDA image" />
 <figcaption>FDA image</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP —U.S. health officials recalled three more brands of whole and pre-cut cantaloupes Friday as the number of people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cantaloupe-salmonella-malichita-recall-b0e630ffcab3aff0936d7c43d3c3b323">sickened by salmonella more than doubled this week</a>.Nearly 100 people in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/sundsvall-11-23/map.html">32 states</a>&nbsp;have gotten sick from the contaminated fruits. Arizona, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio have the highest number of cases. Two people have died of the infections in Minnesota, and 45 people are hospitalized nationwide.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's original recall included Malichita brand whole cantaloupe, Vinyard brand pre-cut cantaloupe and ALDI whole cantaloupe and pre-cut fruit products. Rudy brand whole cantaloupes and Freshness Guaranteed brand and RaceTrac brand pre-cut cantaloupes joined the list Friday.Health officials say anyone who bought&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/sundsvall-11-23/index.html">the recalled fruits</a>&nbsp;should throw them away and wash surfaces that touched them with hot, soapy water or in a dishwasher.Most people infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps within six hour to six days after consuming food contaminated with the bacteria. Illnesses typically last four to seven days. Vulnerable people, including children, people older than 65 and those with weakened immune systems may develop severe illnesses that require medical care or hospitalization.