An Israeli soldier was accidentally left behind in the Gaza Strip earlier this week, wandering alone through hostile territory for 40 harrowing minutes before finding safety. The incident occurred on Tuesday following an IDF operation by the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit in the volatile Morag Corridor, nestled between Rafah and Khan Younis — a region known for fierce fighting and terrorist infrastructure. As the unit concluded its mission and withdrew back into Israeli territory, one soldier was inexplicably left behind. According to a statement by the IDF, the soldier—realizing he had been abandoned—began making his way through the danger zone on foot, calling out “IDF! IDF!” repeatedly in an effort to avoid being mistaken for a terrorist and shot by his own forces.

The animal sedative medetomidine is increasingly showing up in the U.S. illegal drug supply, according to three reports released Thursday. Medetomidine, which is used to sedate pets and is somewhat similar to xylazine, was first detected in illegally manufactured opioids in North America in 2022. Investigators say the drug is being mixed in with other illicit drugs, mainly fentanyl, the synthetic opioid behind most overdose deaths. On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published three reports about recent clusters of medetomidine cases in Chicago, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. In Chicago, health officials last May were puzzled by a surge in overdoses. The patients had taken fentanyl, but the overdose-reversing drug naloxone didn’t seem to work.

Steve Witkoff, a former real estate mogul turned makeshift diplomat, has become a growing liability for the Trump administration, drawing scorn from foreign policy experts, career diplomats, and even members of Trump’s own orbit, the NY Post reported in a scathing article. Once hailed for brokering a brief cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, Witkoff’s erratic solo diplomacy is now being widely ridiculed as amateurish, naive, and dangerously out of step with international norms. Witkoff, now serving as President Trump’s special envoy to both the Middle East and Russia, has taken on a role that would overwhelm even seasoned statesmen. But rather than surrounding himself with veteran negotiators and intelligence experts, Witkoff has taken to flying solo — literally.

The U.S. Justice Department filed lawsuits against four states this week, claiming their climate actions conflict with federal authority and President Donald Trump’senergy dominance agenda. The DOJ on Wednesday filed lawsuits against Hawaii and Michigan over their planned legal action against fossil fuel companies for harms caused by climate change. On Thursday, the DOJ sued New York and Vermont, challenging their climate superfund laws that would force fossil fuel companies to pay into state-based funds based on previous greenhouse gas emissions. The suits, which legal experts say are unprecedented, mark the latest of the Trump administration’s attacks on environmental work and raises concern over states’ abilities to retain the power to take climate action without federal opposition.

Rent-stabilized tenants in New York City could see their monthly housing costs rise this fall, after the city’s Rent Guidelines Board voted Wednesday in favor of proposed rent increases for one- and two-year leases. The board approved a range of potential hikes: 1.75% to 4.75% for one-year leases and 4.75% to 7.75% for two-year leases. The final rates will be determined in a binding vote scheduled for June. If approved, the changes would apply to leases beginning on or after October 1. The preliminary decision comes as the board weighs how to support the financial stability of building owners while protecting tenants from cost-of-living increases. Over the past three years, the board has greenlit cumulative rent hikes totaling 9%.

In yet another explosive controversy rocking New York City’s embattled public school system, the Department of Education is under fire for distributing an official newsletter that accused Israel of committing “genocide in Gaza”—a claim that outraged Jewish educators and advocates are calling a dangerous escalation of anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric within the city’s classrooms. According to a NY Post report, the inflammatory statement appeared in the spring 2025 edition of the “Teacher Career Pathways” newsletter—an internal publication bearing the logos of both the NYC Department of Education and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT)—which was distributed to hundreds of “master teachers” across the city’s 1,800 public schools.

VP VANCE ON MIKE WALTZ: “He is being made ambassador to the United Nations — which, of course, is a Senate-confirmed position … We brought Mike on to do some serious reforms to the National Security Council. He has done that.”

The Trump Organization has signed a deal to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar, marking its first real estate venture there since Trump’s return to the White House. The project will include beachside villas and an 18-hole golf course.

Elon Musk confirms that DOGE is here to stay: “If we take our eye off the ball, the fraud will come roaring back.” DOGE Engineer Edward Coristine notes that the government payment system incentivizes wasteful spending due to the lack of oversight when approving requests for funding.

A record 1,120 people accused of being in the U.S. illegally were arrested in less than a week during sweep orchestrated by federal, state and local authorities in Florida, an operation officials credited on Thursday to the burgeoning number of local police departments and state agencies that have joined President Donald Trump’s drive for mass deportations. That cooperation was on display Thursday when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis joined officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to tout the arrests. “We will continue to engage in broad interior enforcement efforts,” said DeSantis at a joint press conference with federal officials. “This is just the beginning.” Local police can make immigration arrests and detain people for immigration violations under specific agreements.