CNN's 5 things 11/17/23 in News stories

1. Trump agenda

While a lot can happen before the 2024 presidential election, former President Donald Trump has already revealed the sheer extent to which he plans to wield executive power if reelected. Trump’s agenda, outlined on the campaign trail, includes a massive operation to detain and deport undocumented immigrants and a purge of the federal workforce of anyone deemed disloyal. Trump and his allies have also promised a sweeping transformation of the government that would utilize the power of federal law enforcement against political enemies. Meanwhile, Trump-aligned outside groups have been crafting executive orders, studying the Constitution in anticipation of legal challenges, and looking for ways to give Trump the means to invoke some of these policies on day one should he win a second term.

1. Israel

The UN human rights chief has called on Israel to grant his team access to Gaza to investigate competing claims about the Al-Shifa Hospital. The situation needs an “independent international investigation,” Volker Türk said. The request comes after Israel released a photo and video of an alleged “operational tunnel shaft” it claimed was found inside the Al-Shifa Hospital complex in Gaza. Hamas has rejected the claim as “baseless lies.” Earlier today, the body of a second hostage was recovered near the medical facility, an Israeli military spokesman said. She was identified as Yehudit Weiss, a 65-year-old Israeli woman who was kidnapped by Hamas militants on October 7.

1. Safe schools

The Department of Education has launched investigations into seven schools after receiving complaints about alleged incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia. They are the first investigations of this kind by the Department of Education since the October 7 Hamas attack. At the conclusion of the investigations, the department will make recommendations to the schools, which risk losing federal funding if they don’t comply. Earlier this month, the Department of Education issued guidance to colleges and K-12 schools to maintain safe learning environments amid a rise in global tension — reminding them that they have a legal obligation to address incidents of discrimination, including against those who are Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Arab or Palestinian.

1. George Santos

Republican Rep. George Santos announced he will not seek reelection to the House next year, following a damning report released by the Ethics Committee on Thursday. The report concluded that there is “substantial evidence” that the New York congressman used campaign funds for personal purposes. The committee said it uncovered additional “uncharged and unlawful conduct” by Santos that goes beyond the criminal allegations already pending against him and would refer the allegations to the Justice Department. The report shows some purchases included personal travel, meals and spa services noted as “Botox.” Santos has remained defiant and denounced the investigation, calling it “biased.”

1. Apple

Apple will make a big change next year that will finally bring iMessage features to Android users. The change will add read receipts, typing indicators, better support for group chats and higher quality media sharing of images and videos, across platforms. The move, however, doesn’t necessarily mean the green bubbles (Android or other users) and blue bubbles (Apple users) that are displayed when messaging someone on the other platform will go away anytime soon. Some experts have said that keeping the colors is an Apple marketing strategy that will likely continue. This also comes nearly two months after Apple said it is adopting USB-C, a universal charging system.

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