Pro-Palestinian protesters block traffic, call for peace

Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched on the streets of Boston to call for Israel to end military operations in Gaza and Lebanon Oct. 6, nearly one year after attacks from Hamas targeting Israel Oct. 7, 2023 led to thousands of deaths and millions of people displaced across the region.

Protesters walked from Boston Common to the Israeli consulate at Park Plaza, according to The Boston Globe. Part of Storrow Drive was blocked by protesters during the march for about half an hour.

The attacks Oct. 7 killed 1,200 people and resulted in about 250 being held hostage, the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust. A majority of those killed in the attacks were civilians. As of Oct. 8, about 100 hostages taken by Hamas remain in Gaza and about one third of those are believed to be dead, according to the Associated Press. 

About 42,000 people, many women and children, have been killed in Gaza by Israeli attacks since Oct. 7 and more than 96,000 wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Millions remain displaced and under evacuation orders from the Israeli military, AP reported. Infrastructure in Gaza has been almost entirely destroyed, leaving those remaining without access to running water, electricity or medical supplies. 

Israel has expanded its military operations to additionally target Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed political militant group in Lebanon. Hassan Nasrallah, who had led the group since 1992, was assassinated Sept. 27 in Beirut with Israeli airstrikes, according to The New York Times.

Massachusetts Attorney General opens lawsuit against Tiktok

Massachusetts followed the lead of 12 other states and Washington D.C. in the suing of popular social media platform TikTok, claiming that the app is purposefully made addictive to increase screen time and results in harmful impacts on the younger generations.

Led by California and New York, the state attorney generals have agreed that the company ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese based parent company, have imposed manipulative and damaging features to the youth through the app including the “endless scroll” feature that allows an infinite amount of formulated content to be accessed at the tips of a users’ fingers.

If the app does not cut ties with the parent company, the United States has threatened a nationwide ban that is predicted to start on Jan. 19, 2025, according to NPR.

“TikTok intentionally targets children because they know kids do not yet have the defenses or capacity to create healthy boundaries around addictive content,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a statement. “TikTok must be held accountable for the harms it created in taking away the time — and childhoods — of American children.”

Though the decrease in mental health in teens cannot be directly correlated with the social media app, state authorities claim that ByteDance prioritizes the growth and success of their company over their users’ well-being.

The app is used by over half of America, and like other social media sites, contributes to mental health issues like body image issues and depression. The use of the platform is not Attorney General Andrea Campbell concern, but the overuse of any social media, and Tiktok displays specific tactics like directed content that keeps users glued to the screen.

The other states included in the joint lawsuit declared Oct. 8 are Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont and Washington.

Milton housing law trial begins

Oral arguments began Oct. 7 at the Supreme Judicial Court in Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s lawsuit against the town of Milton for refusing to follow a state housing law.

The MBTA Communities Act, passed in 2021, requires municipalities served by the T to have zoning rules that allow for more multifamily housing. In February, Milton residents voted against the town’s proposed zoning plan by 54% of the votes cast, according to The Boston Globe.

One of the main questions before the justices is whether the attorney general has the authority to enforce the law. Campbell’s office argues the state legislature has delegated enforcement of the laws it passes to the attorney general, according to the Globe. Lawyers for Milton say a section of the law that details grant funds Massachusetts can withhold from communities who don’t comply with the law is the legislature’s intended punishment. 

The law is part of the legislative effort to tackle the ongoing housing crisis in Massachusetts, which Cambell said at a press conference before the trial began is the most pressing issue in the state.

“Our argument is very simple: When the statute says that covered communities ‘shall’ create a compliant zone, ‘shall’ means ‘shall,’” Campbell said, according to the Globe.. “We’d much rather collaborate with the community than take them to court … but when a choice is made to break the law, my office will be ready to meet our obligation to enforce it.”

Hurricane Milton looms over Tampa as category 5 storm

Hurricane Milton threatens to disrupt the reconstruction of Western Florida after Hurricane Helene devastation, as Milton moved up to a Category 5 storm once again Oct. 8.

After being brought down to a Category 4 storm, Milton’s wind picked back up to 165 mph, surpassing the 157 mph threshold from Category 4 to 5.

It is expected that once Milton hits Tampa’s shore the night of Oct. 9, the storm should die down to a Category 3 storm, reported to continue its path towards the Atlantic Ocean that would avoid other states further inland that were heavily impacted by Helene like Tennessee.

AP News reported that nearly 6 million people have been mandatorily evacuated from 11 counties in Western Florida in case the storm holds strong as it continues its course towards the coast.

It is not common for more than one major hurricane (Category 4 or higher) to hit the U.S., yet Helene’s Category 4 status brought the Southern United States their first storm and if Milton holds strong, it could bring Florida its second.

Tampa has managed to avoid a direct hit from a major hurricane for generations, making Milton a once in a century natural disaster for the Western Florida city.

Residents in the Tampa Bay region that have ignored evacuation orders are on their own for Milton’s destruction as first responders are not required to put their lives on the line for any rescue attempts during the storm’s peak.