Pulse Check

Today's briefing covers Trump's waiver of Russia sanctions, settler attacks on West Bank olive harvesters, and the exit of White House press secretary Katie Zacharia. It also covers Apple's foldable iPhone preorders, Japan's Phobos mission and an Alaska archaeological find.

1. 01 · World Affairs

   Trump Waives Russia Sanctions Two Days Before They Were Due to Take Effect

   President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday night waiving many provisions of a Russia sanctions law he signed in September, saying the suspension was in the US "national interest." The law had given him powers to levy tariffs of up to 100% on the top five purchasers of Russian oil and gas and targeted Russian officials, banks and shadow fleet vessels. Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev called the waiver "an important and truly historic moment." Virginia Congressman Don Beyer, a Democrat, said it defied congressional intent. Zelensky said on Saturday the sanctions "could have helped enormously," pointing to Russian overnight attacks on 15 Ukrainian energy facilities.

   Source: BBC News

2. 02 · World Affairs

   Israeli Settlers Beat Palestinians and U.S. Photojournalist Heidi Levine in West Bank Olive Harvest Attacks

   Masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in the occupied West Bank on Friday, injuring several people including American photojournalist Heidi Levine. Levine, who was wearing a vest marked "press," said at least 50 masked men ran down a hilltop and kept kicking her, and that they stole her cameras and phone. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said there were two dozen settler attacks on Friday, leaving 20 people injured. Israeli police said they would investigate, while the Washington Post's executive editor Matt Murray urged a thorough investigation. The U.S. State Department condemned criminal violence by any party without mentioning the assault.

   Source: NPR News

3. 03 · U.S. News

   Katie Zacharia Ousted as White House Press Secretary After Five Days

   White House press secretary Katie Zacharia was ousted Friday after five days on the job, according to two senior Trump administration officials. Trump told reporters he had urged her to "reconsider," saying the news had been "so nasty to her." She started Oct. 12 and gave her first press briefing the next day, after which questions arose about her legal credentials. A White House official told Axios she was visibly nervous and left the president unimpressed. She is described as the shortest-tenured press secretary in modern history.

   Source: Axios

4. 04 · Technology

   Apple Opens Preorders for $1,999 iPhone Duo Foldable; Delivery Slips to 2027

   Apple announced its first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, and opened preorders at 8AM ET on Friday. It has a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner display, uses Touch ID instead of Face ID, and starts at $1,999 for the 256GB model. Delivery estimates slipped into late January in less than an hour. Apple called preorder demand "extraordinary" and said it will keep accepting orders online. The phone goes on sale in stores Oct. 23.

   Source: The Verge

5. 05 · Science

   Japan's MMX Spacecraft Launches Oct. 20 to Bring Back Samples From Mars's Moon Phobos

   Japan's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft is set to launch on 20 October from Tanegashima Space Center toward Phobos, the larger of Mars's two moons. It should reach Mars in August 2027, and the spacecraft will land once or twice on Phobos to drop off a small rover called IDEFIX and collect samples. The samples are expected back on Earth in 2031. Scientists hope they will settle whether Phobos and Deimos are captured asteroids or formed from an impact on Mars.

   Source: New Scientist

6. 06 · Wildcard

   Archaeologists Find 13,800-Year-Old Alaska Camp With Earliest Known Dwelling in the Western Hemisphere

   Archaeologists digging at a 13,800-year-old site in interior Alaska have unearthed thousands of artifacts and fossils, according to a study published Oct. 14 in Science Advances. The site, about 34 miles southeast of Fairbanks, includes a hearth and a post stain that may be the earliest habitation structure in North America, plus bone needles and an earth oven. Bones from more than a dozen wolf-like animals may be the earliest domesticated dogs in the Americas, the researchers said. Lead author Kelly Graf of the University of Kansas called the base camp "a total surprise."

   Source: Live Science