Israel Strike Kills 7 Aid Workers of World Central Kitchen [Full News Memo]

Major earthquake hits Taiwan, “Cicada-geddon”, bird flu outbreak spreading, $100 of groceries today vs. 5 years ago, Ukraine lowers eligible military draft age

P.S. In this week’s memo:

• Israel Strike Kills 7 Aid Workers of World Central Kitchen

• Major Earthquake Hits Taiwan Leaving Hundreds Missing

• Trends: $100 of Groceries Today vs. 5 Years Ago

• GetSmart: 🦦 Otters Hold Hands When They Sleep ❤️

  ---

Newsbites

---

“Cicada-geddon”: Trillions of periodical cicadas are set to emerge this spring in forests across parts of the U.S. (map), a potentially historic number (it’s been dubbed “cicada-geddon”). Unlike annual cicadas, periodical cicadas emerge from underground only once every 13 or 17 years, depending on the brood. This year, a 13-year and 17-year brood will arise at the same time. After coming up from the ground, periodical cicadas climb trees, mate, lay eggs, and then die within a matter of weeks. The new eggs fall to the ground, at which point they will develop underground for the next 13-17 years.

More: 4-minute video showing the brief, but spectacular and noisy (collectively cicadas are noisier than a jet engine) life of cicadas.

---

A total solar eclipse is expected to be visible across swaths of the U.S. and Canada on Monday, April 8th. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon crosses between the Sun and Earth, creating a darkened sky. After this eclipse, the next one that will be visible in the U.S. won’t happen until 2044. (read more about when, where, and what to expect).

More: AirDNA, an analytics firm that tracks Airbnbs, posted an image on X that shows Airbnbs being booked at a high-rate along the expected path of the eclipse.

---

Ukraine lowered the eligible military draft age from 27 to 25 on Wednesday. President Zelensky signed three bills into law that change the age requirements, remove some medical draft exemptions, and create an online draft website for men to register. The new strategy is predicted to gain Ukraine roughly 50,000 more troops on the ground in its now two-year long war with Russia. The law was passed in May 2023 by the Ukrainian Parliament but was not signed by Zelensky until this week. The controversial move has sent shockwaves to Ukrainian families who may now have to send their sons into war.

More: In the U.S. the eligible draft age ranges between 18 and 26 years old.

---

Trump vs. Biden Election polls: A new poll from the Wall Street Journal shows Donald Trump leading in 6 of the 7 most important swing states, showing a 2-8 point lead in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and N. Carolina. Biden had a 3-point lead in Wisconsin. The poll shows Biden losing a significant amount of support among men compared to 2020. Just 37% of men chose Biden in the survey. 46% of men voted for him in 2020. In addition, Trump has gained a significant amount of Black and Latino voters. 47% of Latino men support Trump vs. Biden’s 40%. Trump also garnered support from 30% of Black men. Biden won 91% of Black voters of both genders in 2020.

---

The bird flu outbreak that has been circulating for the past few years has now been identified in a number of U.S. dairy cow herds. The strain, H5N1, was first flagged in 2021 in migratory birds, spreading to poultry farms soon after and causing a spike in egg prices. Cases have now been confirmed in cow herds in Texas, Michigan, Kansas, New Mexico, and Idaho, with other locations suspected. At this point, infected cows don’t appear to be dying, but report symptoms of decreased lactation and low appetite. In Texas, there has been one identified human case in an individual that was in direct contact with a sick cow. In its press release, the CDC said the patient “reported eye redness (consistent with conjunctivitis), as their only symptom.” In countries such as Cambodia and Vietnam, however, the WHO has documented the H5N1 as very deadly when contracted in humans.

More: In the USDA’s press release, it said, “initial testing has not found changes to the virus that would make it more transmissible to humans.” Researchers are still trying to understand how transmissible the strain is among cows and other mammals.

---

Oil Prices Climb: Crude oil futures have climbed 18% in 2024 hitting the highest levels since October 2023. Unrest in the Middle East, recent drone attacks in Russia, along with increased gasoline demand have all played a role. According to AAA, average national gas prices have increased by 15% in 2024 to $3.57 a gallon. For context, in 2019 the average cost for a gallon of gas was $2.60. Some analysts predict prices could top $4/gallon this summer.

---

Main Stories

---

Israel Strike Kills 7 Aid Workers of World Central Kitchen in Gaza

What happened?
On Monday, an Israeli military strike killed seven members of the World Central Kitchen (WCK), an important aid distribution organization working in the Gaza strip. The news increased pressure on Israel to protect foreign humanitarian aid workers and civilians in conflict areas.

The aid organization said its crew was hit after delivering food in the town of Deir al-Balah. Upon leaving the warehouse in armored trucks with WKC logos, the team was struck leaving one car entirely burnt and the other with holes throughout the top.