Keeping up with the news is hard, which is why we’ve curated the 10 mind blowing stories that defined this week.
10 Mind Blowing Indonesia Was Hit By A Devastating Tsunami
All week long the death toll from Indonesia’s catastrophic earthquake and tsunami has kept climbing, and there’s little reason to think it will stop rising before you finish reading. By Thursday the death count topped 1,400, with at least a hundred souls still missing. It stands as one of the deadliest natural calamities of the year so far.
The devastation in Sulawesi borders on incomprehensible. Beyond the massive physical ruin, the complete absence of external aid sparked rampant looting, severe medicine shortages, and a dire lack of drinking water. In short, every nightmare scenario imaginable unfolded, leaving the survivors of Palu city to confront a second, humanitarian crisis.
The most heartbreaking element was the failure of the tsunami early‑warning system. The quake knocked out sirens and communications, leaving Palu’s residents blind to the oncoming wall of water. A chilling video even emerged showing hundreds partying on the beach, completely oblivious to shouted warnings of an imminent, deadly wave.
9 Elon Musk Fought The Sec (And The Sec Won)
One of Twitter’s most dubious gifts to humanity is the ability to completely screw yourself up in 140 characters. Over the weekend, Elon Musk found himself on the receiving end of that very gift. The billionaire‑genius‑visionary was slapped with a lawsuit from the Securities and Exchange Commission that could have plunged him into very hot legal water.
The controversy traces back to an August tweet where Musk wrote, “Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured.” The number 420, a well‑known marijuana reference, was meant as a joke for his girlfriend Grimes, but it sent Tesla’s stock into a frenzy. When the company later announced it would stay public, the SEC stepped in.
Musk initially tried to battle the SEC in court but eventually gave in on Saturday. Both he and Tesla will each pay $20 million in fines, and Musk will step down as chairman for three years, though he will remain CEO.
8 We May Have Discovered The First Exomoon
About 8,000 light‑years away, a massive planet roughly the size of Jupiter but ten times its mass circles a distant star. The buzz isn’t about the planet itself—Kepler 1625b—but about what might be orbiting it. Scientists announced that Kepler 1625b could have a moon the size of Neptune, which, if confirmed, would be the first exomoon ever detected.
Exomoons are moons that exist beyond our solar system, akin to exoplanets. While over 3,500 exoplanets have been catalogued since their first joint discovery in 1992, exomoons remain elusive. Current technology makes spotting them extremely tricky, and to date no exomoon has been definitively confirmed. The puzzling data from Kepler 1625b is best explained by the presence of a large moon.
If the hypothesized Kepler 1625b‑i (affectionately dubbed the “Neptmoon”) is verified, it could usher in a new era of exomoon hunting, expanding our understanding of distant planetary systems.
7 The US And Canada Finally Agreed To A New Trade Deal
One of President Trump’s core campaign messages was that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was broken. While his focus was on perceived unfairness to the United States, the deal also hurt Mexico. That frustration helped Mexico join the White House’s replacement pact in August, though the original version left Canada out.
Fortunately, Canada didn’t abandon the effort. On Sunday, Ottawa signed the United States‑Mexico‑Canada Agreement (USMCA). The new pact will run for at least 16 years, with an option to extend.
It’s still early to pinpoint winners and losers. The deal appears favorable for U.S. and Canadian auto manufacturers, thanks to a clause that mandates 40‑45 % of tariff‑free cars be built by workers earning at least $16 hour, effectively sidelining Mexico. Conversely, Canada has been forced to open its traditionally protectionist dairy sector, sparking backlash among Canadian dairy farmers.
6 New York State Opened A Probe Into Trump Family Taxes
While President Trump was still basking in the glow of the USMCA, a potentially explosive report threatened to derail his momentum. The New York Times accused Trump’s father, Fred Trump, of using his son’s companies to dodge millions in taxes.
The story implicated the entire Trump clan in a massive tax‑avoidance scheme. The question loomed: was this evasion (illegal) or avoidance (legal, common among the wealthy for estate planning)? Trump denied the claims, accusing the Times of fabrication and bias, especially given its long‑standing feud with the family.
New York State announced a probe into the family’s state‑tax affairs, covering the president as well. While the IRS had already signed off on the decades‑old transactions, the state investigation could result in fines. However, it’s not a criminal probe, so no charges are expected. The focus may shift to asset valuations, which can be highly subjective after so many years.
5 Peru Re‑Imprisoned Its Former Dictator
Alberto Fujimori remains Peru’s most polarizing figure. He led the nation from 1990 to 2000, earning credit for crushing the Shining Path rebels while also authorizing death squads that massacred civilians. In 2000 he fled to Japan to escape a corruption probe, only to be extradited in 2007 and imprisoned for ordering the murder of 25 civilians.
After nearly a decade behind bars, he received an unexpected pardon from President Kuczynski, a move widely interpreted as a political bargain to secure his party’s support during an impeachment vote. Kuczynski survived that vote but eventually stepped down months later.
This week a Supreme Court judge annulled Fujimori’s early release. Unless he wins a new appeal, the former president will return to prison, closing a dramatic chapter in Peru’s recent history.
4 Macedonia’s Name Referendum Was A Bust
The headline numbers from Sunday’s referendum suggested a triumph: 91 % of voters who turned out backed Prime Minister Zoran Zaev’s plan to rename the country North Macedonia. On the surface, it looked like a clear victory.
However, turnout was only about 36 %, far below the 50 % threshold required for the vote to be legally binding. The opposition, along with the president, urged citizens to stay home, turning the referendum into a political stalemate.
Zaev now faces the daunting task of pushing the name change through parliament without the referendum’s legitimacy. The stakes are high: Greece has long blocked the nation’s NATO and EU aspirations over the name dispute. If the change passes, Macedonia could finally move toward Western integration; if not, the impasse could linger.
3 A Strange New Dwarf Planet Could Point To Planet X
Is Nibiru out there? Or perhaps Mondas? The ever‑mysterious Planet X may have left a fresh clue: a dwarf planet nicknamed “the Goblin” discovered beyond the Kuiper Belt. Its unusually elongated orbit hints at the gravitational tug of an unseen massive body.
Even setting Planet 9 aside, the Goblin is fascinating on its own. It’s the third Inner Oort Cloud object ever detected—objects that never venture close to Neptune and spend most of their time at extreme distances.
At perihelion, the Goblin comes within 65 AU of the Sun (roughly twice Pluto’s distance). Its aphelion, however, stretches to a staggering 2,300 AU, making it the most distant object ever recorded in our solar system. While its odd orbit merely suggests a hidden planet, accumulating more Inner Oort Cloud discoveries could eventually confirm Planet X’s existence.
2 France Began Retaliating Against An Iranian Bomb Plot
In June, intelligence shared by Israel’s Mossad with Germany, Belgium and France led to the surprise arrest of an Iranian diplomat. Since then, details have been trickling out about the operation.
This week French authorities announced that Iran’s intelligence ministry—directly commanded by Ayatollah Khamenei—had ordered a bombing of an exiled Iranian group’s rally in Paris. The attack was narrowly averted thanks to coordinated raids.
Although no blood was shed on French soil, the foiled plot could have far‑reaching political ramifications. President Emmanuel Macron, a vocal advocate for the EU siding with China and Russia on the Iran nuclear deal, now faces a direct threat from Tehran. Should France adopt a tougher stance, Iran could find itself increasingly isolated on the world stage.
1 Brett Kavanaugh’s Nomination Hung In The Balance
The battle over Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination has become the most acrimonious in a generation. Last Thursday, both Kavanaugh and Professor Christine Blasey Ford—who accused him of a decades‑old sexual assault—testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, each delivering emotionally charged statements.
Evidence suggests that a traumatic event did occur, as confirmed by Ford’s testimony. However, the crux of the dispute centers on whether Kavanaugh was correctly identified as the perpetrator. Ford’s recollection contains gaps, a common pattern among trauma survivors, yet no witnesses have been able to verify the party where the alleged assault took place.
Following the hearings, the FBI conducted a supplemental investigation at the White House’s request—a sixth background check for Kavanaugh’s various appointments. The newly released report is now available to senators but has not been leaked to the press. Two wavering GOP senators, Jeff Flake and Susan Collins, appeared to view the findings as non‑substantive.
All eyes are on the Senate as it prepares to vote. The GOP can afford only one defection to confirm Kavanaugh; while Flake and Collins lean toward confirmation, Senators Lisa Murkowski and Democrat Joe Manchin remain undecided, and Republican Steven Daines will be at his daughter’s wedding on voting day, adding a literal knife‑edge to the proceedings.
Beyond the immediate vote, this saga underscores a broader shift: the Supreme Court has become the most partisan battleground in U.S. politics. In the past, judges of varying ideologies were appointed by presidents of both parties. That era appears to be over, with partisanship now entrenched in the nation’s highest court.