POLITICS 🏛️

House approves impeachment inquiry

• A divided House of Representatives voted Thursday to endorse the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. The vote, a 232-196 victory, approves a resolution that sets the ground rules for the inquiry
• Two Democrats broke with the party to vote against the measure; Republicans unanimously opposed the vote. This is only the third time in modern history that a vote on an impeachment inquiry into a sitting president has been approved by the House

WORLD 🌎

Iraq’s PM agrees to resign after weeks of protests

• In a speech televised to the nation, Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi agreed to step down on the condition that a successor is found to replace him. The agreement came after weeks of protests that caused hundreds of casualties
• Demands for the PM’s resignation emerged out of protests condemning unemployment, violence and corruption in the country. Iraqi President Barham Salih has shared his plan to draft electoral law for a parliamentary ballot next week

BUSINESS 💰

US mortgage rates are on the rise

• US long-term mortgage rates rose this week for the third consecutive week, reaching 3.78% for a 30-year mortgage and 3.19% for a 15-year one. Despite this increase, rates still remain lower than they were this time last year
• The relatively lower rates have helped revive the housing market: there has been a 15.5% increase in new home sales since last year. However, even with their recent rise, some have predicted that mortgages could be headed towards a decrease

TECH 📱

Apple TV+ to launch on Friday

• Apple’s highly anticipated streaming service, Apple TV+, is set to launch on Friday in over 100 countries. The streaming service is considered Apple’s largest service debut since Apple Music in 2015
• The launch of the new service marks an important moment for the company as it seeks to combat iPhone’s slumping sales. Apple is reportedly spending $6 billion on content for the streaming service

US 🦅

Chicago teachers’ strike ends after 11 days

• The strike, organized by the Chicago Teachers’ Union and CPS teachers, lasted 11 days, leaving 300,000 students out of school. Going up against the third-largest school system in the US, teachers demanded more social workers, librarians and nurses in schools, as well as smaller class sizes and protections for immigrant children
• The strike ended after a tentative deal was reached between officials and teachers on Thursday. Classes will resume on Friday, with five make-up-days of school planned

INTERNATIONAL 🌏

CIA-backed Afghan strike force accused of committing war atrocities 

• A recent report from the Human Rights Watch details Afghan military forces, backed by the Central Intelligence Agency, carrying out extrajudicial executions and other atrocities—some of which amount to war crimes. The report follows September’s failed peace talks between the US and the Taliban, and calls for Afghan military forces’ disbandment
• The CIA has responded that the forces acted “in accordance with law and under a robust system of oversight.” The Afghan government stated that the current situation was “acceptable” 

Extra Bling ✨

Asia 🌏. Japan’s historic Shuri Castle destroyed by a fire in Okinawa
Animal 🐃. Goats saved Ronald Reagan Presidential Library from California fire 
Music 🎸. My Chemical Romance returns from hiatus and announced December show 
Celeb 💃🏻. Trump offers advice to Meghan Markle: Don’t take media scrutiny too personally
Halloween 🧞‍♂️. Here’s a round up of some of the best celeb costumes this year

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