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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Hamas carried out a devastating attack on <keyword id="19900599" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="israel" source="keywords">Israel</keyword> one year ago, killing about 1,200 people.</li><li>The terror attack has helped push the Middle East to the brink of a wider regional war.</li></ul>On the early morning of October 7, 2023, air raid sirens began blaring in Israel, warning its citizens that an attack was in progress. Hamas, a militant group much of the West has designated a terrorist organization, launched a highly coordinated strike that the Israel Defense Forces would later say killed about 1,200 people. One year after the massacre, the Middle East has only plunged deeper into violence and is on the brink of a broader war. Paths to de-escalation, largely facilitated by the US, have repeatedly failed. And Israel appears to be inching closer to a direct conflict with Iran, a grim prospect that has been avoided for years as the two countries limited their fight to proxies in a shadow war. The results of the yearlong conflict, with origins that date back decades, have been costly for both Israel and the Iranian-led "Axis of Resistance," noted Chuck Freilich, a former deputy national security advisor who served for over 20 years in Israel's security establishment. "Israel has turned the tide and has the Axis of Resistance on the defensive. Hamas has been defeated militarily, though not politically, and remains in political control in Gaza," Freilich told Business Insider, adding that Iran had come to be in a vulnerable position. "Conversely, Israel was in the midst of a multi-front war which may result in significant damage to its homefront and is deeply isolated in the world," he added. <h2>A year of bloodshed</h2>Israel's response to Hamas' attack on October 7 was a massive bombardment campaign and later ground incursion in Gaza, which Palestinian authorities say have left about 42,000 people dead. Amid the early stages of that campaign, the first high-profile <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-navy-warship-missiles-intercepted-2f5fc9c8a3737f762b29d5c53ec08a5b">expansion of the greater conflict blew open in late October,</a> when Yemen's Houthi rebels <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-iran-idf-houthi-rebels-hijack-ship-red-sea-2023-11">began attacking commercial ships</a> seeking passage through the Suez Canal and the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis, historically backed and armed by Iran, said they were declaring a show of support for Hamas by attacking ships linked to Israel, though they were often found to have used drones, missiles, and raiding parties to harass vessels with no direct relation to it. <div type="image" title="Houthi supporters in Yemen brandish rifles and Yemeni and Palestinian flags in July." height="3840" width="5760" msid="114014767" hostid="261"></div>With the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-are-houthis-yemen-rebels-attacking-ships-red-sea-2024-1">Houthi attacks</a> threatening to close off a vital international shipping lane, the US and its allies and partners established a heavy military presence in the Red Sea to fend off the rebels. January saw the West's most direct and overt military involvement in the conflict, when the US, UK, and their allies <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-launches-strikes-houthis-following-shipping-attacks-2024-1">barraged Houthi targets</a> with airborne, surface, and subsurface-launched strikes after <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-launches-strikes-houthis-following-shipping-attacks-2024-1">warning the rebels repeatedly</a> to cease their attacks. The campaign has dragged on for almost a year with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-the-west-cant-stop-houthi-missile-attacks-on-ships-2024-1">no end in sight</a>, and the US has been <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-aircraft-carrier-left-middle-east-ending-show-force-2024-9">rotating multiple aircraft carrier groups</a> into the region while carrying out further strikes on Houthi territory. To the north, Syria became the site of further conflict in April, when Israel launched a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/deadly-israeli-strike-syria-could-put-us-forces-crosshairs-iran-2024-4" target="_blank">strike on the Iranian Consulate in Damascus</a>, killing several senior officials of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including two generals. Farzin Nadimi, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, previously told BI that the strike was significant because it was the "first time Israel struck an official Iranian government-affiliated site with high-ranking people inside." <div type="image" title="Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, and other officials check the site of Israeli attack on Iran consulate in Damascus in April," height="2080" width="3040" msid="114014764" hostid="261"></div>Iran followed up with a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-forces-destroyed-iran-missiles-drones-massive-air-defense-battle-2024-4">long-range attack on Israel at an unprecedented scale</a>, launching what Israeli authorities said were 170 attack drones, 120 ballistic missiles, and 30 cruise missiles — almost all of which were intercepted. Israel then responded with its<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/explosion-heard-in-iran-according-to-state-media-2024-4"> own strikes on multiple cities in Iran</a>. And in July, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ismail-haniyeh-top-hamas-leader-killed-in-iran-2024-7">Ismail Haniyeh</a>, the political leader of Hamas, was killed just after he attended the swearing-in of Iran's new president. <keyword id="20394829" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="haniyeh" source="keywords">Haniyeh</keyword> was widely reported to have been killed by a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/01/world/middleeast/how-hamas-leader-haniyeh-killed-iran-bomb.html?smid=tw-share">remotely detonated explosive device</a> that was planted months before his death in a guesthouse he was using in Tehran. Israel also claimed responsibility that week for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-tried-killing-top-hezbollah-commander-beirut-with-us-bounty-2024-7" target="_blank">killing the Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr</a>, a senior advisor to the Lebanese militant organization's top leader, Hassan <keyword id="20081934" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nasrallah" source="keywords">Nasrallah</keyword>, via an air-launched strike in Beirut. <div type="image" title="A billboard in Beirut. depicts Ismail Haniyeh, Qasem Soleimani, and Fuad Shukr." height="3067" width="4600" msid="114014762" hostid="261"></div>Meanwhile, Hezbollah, a longtime enemy of Israel, has been <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hezbollah-lebanon-israeli-positions-gaza-hamas-2023-10">exchanging fire</a> with Israel on its southern border since the October 7 attack, forcing hundreds of thousands of civilians on both sides to flee. In one of the most dramatic attacks the region has yet seen, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-backed-hezbollah-members-hurt-after-pagers-just-weirdly-exploded-2024-9">thousands of pagers and communication devices</a> used by Hezbollah detonated in September, injuring more than 2,800 people and killing at least eight. Mossad, Israel's spy agency, is widely believed to have orchestrated the attack by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hezbollah-pagers-had-dark-feature-made-them-more-gruesome-2024-10">planting explosives inside the devices</a> before they were distributed, but Israel has not claimed responsibility. <div type="image" title="This picture shows a fire that emerged after an Israeli bombardment in south Lebanon." height="1588" width="2408" msid="114014770" hostid="261"></div>Later in September, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-was-hassan-nasrallah-the-hezbollah-leader-killed-by-israel-2024-9" target="_blank">Israel launched a strike</a> that killed Nasrallah at Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut, bringing an end to his 32-year leadership of the militant group. Then, at the start of this month Israel began what it called a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-launches-ground-offensive-into-lebanon-destroy-hezbollah-targets-2024-9" target="_blank">limited ground incursion into Lebanon</a>, saying it sought to dismantle Hezbollah's positions and artillery in the south. Iran moved soon after to launch a second major attack on Israel. Tehran is reported to have fired about 200 missiles, including its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-used-one-of-most-advanced-missiles-massive-israel-attack-2024-10" target="_blank">advanced Fattah missile</a> capable of reaching speeds of Mach 5. It's unclear whether Israel might expand its scope in Lebanon, where it faces difficult terrain and Hezbollah troops who have had years to embed and prepare. Lebanon's health ministry has said more than 2,000 people have been killed so far in the ensuing strikes and raids. Tehran is reported to have fired about 200 missiles at Israel on October 2, including its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-used-one-of-most-advanced-missiles-massive-israel-attack-2024-10">advanced Fattah missile</a> capable of reaching speeds of Mach-5. <h2>Escalations don't bode well for the Middle East</h2>History shows there's little chance that Israel will let that attack pass without a response, as Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin <keyword id="19934489" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="netanyahu" source="keywords">Netanyahu</keyword> indicated in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUSI5tQuXys">a speech to the United Nations General Assembly</a> on September 27. "If you strike us, we will strike you. There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach, and that's true of the entire Middle East," he said. Meanwhile, last month saw<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-fed-up-massive-protest-strike-demanding-gaza-deal-hostages-2024-9"> hundreds of thousands of Israeli protesters</a> rallying against Netanyahu's failure to secure some sort of cease-fire deal that could lead to the release of the hostages remaining in Gaza after the attack one year ago. Gili Roman, whose sister was kidnapped on October 7 and later released and whose relative Carmel Gat was among the six slain hostages recovered by the IDF in early September, told BI last month that Netanyahu and his government were "prioritizing themselves" over the hostages. The anticipation of yet another cycle of escalating retaliation has set the world on edge, amid fears that an all-out war between Iran and Israel will destabilize the entire region. Globally, the immediate concern is that oil supplies will diminish significantly should conflict spill over to the rest of the Middle East. Last week, Citigroup analysts estimated that a major strike on Iranian oil infrastructure could reduce global oil supplies by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-02/latest-oil-market-news-and-analysis-for-oct-3">1.5 million barrels per day.</a> <h2>Israel ignores US red lines</h2>US President <keyword id="19919748" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="joe-biden" source="keywords">Joe Biden</keyword> has for a year been trying to avoid the war growing into a wider regional conflict that could pull in the US and other world powers. He has repeatedly sought to broker a cease-fire in Gaza, organize more humanitarian support for civilians, and limit Israel's campaign. But Netanyahu has repeatedly ignored Biden's red lines and has continued to push forward against Hamas even as the civilian death toll spiraled and international opposition to Israel's campaign mounted. The US has also helped shield Israel against Iranian missile attacks sparked by the April killings and recent attacks on Hezbollah, and has positioned troops in the area to deter further Iranian aggression, while also seeking to tamp down the conflict. Meanwhile, as Israel intensified its attacks against Hezbollah two weeks ago, the US announced that it had brokered a possible cease-fire agreement — only for Israel to assassinate Nasrallah one day later. Critics of US policy believe that Netanyahu is acting in his own self-interest to try to hold together his fragile coalition government, whose far-right members support intensifying the war against Iran and its allies. "Netanyahu doesn't care about his friendship with Biden, or even about Israel's dependence on the United States. He cares only about his near-term political interests. Everyone but Biden can see this," wrote Andrew Exum, a former US deputy assistant secretary of defense for Middle East policy, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2024/10/israel-war-biden-iran/680155/">in The Atlantic</a> last week. <h2>The global economy on edge</h2>When the conflict began a year ago, there were fears that wider conflict in the Middle East could impact the global economy. Oil prices did rise in the days after the October 7 attacks and Brent crude peaked above $92 a barrel later that month, but then started declining to about $73 in mid-December. In contrast, oil hit about $130 a barrel after <keyword id="19900702" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vladimir-putin" source="keywords">Vladimir Putin</keyword> invaded Ukraine in February 2022. However, experts recently told Business Insider that a wider war in the region could <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/global-economy-israel-iran-war-oil-growth-inflation-hurricane-china-2024-10">choke global economic growth and reignite inflation</a>. The Bank of Israel estimated in May that the costs arising from the war would total about $66 billion through the end of next year — equivalent to roughly 12% of Israel's GDP, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/year-war-creates-cracks-israels-borrowing-strength-2024-10-06/">according to Reuters</a>. And in June, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2024/06/05/scars-of-conflict-are-deeper-and-longer-lasting-in-middle-east-and-central-asia">the IMF noted</a> that the long-term economic effects of severe conflict on real GDP per capita in the Middle East were particularly pronounced, compared to other regions. It said that countries in the Middle East can expect to experience a roughly 10% decline in real GDP per capita a decade after the onset of a conflict, compared to pre-conflict levels. Correction: October 7, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated when Israel launched its strike that killed Hassan Nasrallah. That attack took place before Israel's ground incursion into Lebanon, not after, and the subsequent Iranian missile strike came soon after the Israeli ground assault, not hours after Nasrallah's killing. The story also misspelled the name of the former deputy national security advisor in Israel. He is Chuck Freilich, not Chuck Frielich.

One year on, the Middle East is spiraling deeper into violence

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Israel's killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has put the Middle East even more on edge.</li><li>The US said in response that it planned to adjust its force posture in the region.</li></ul>The US military has a substantial force of warships and fighter aircraft stationed across the Middle East and is moving even more firepower into the region as it braces for a potential increase in conflict.The Middle East, already in turmoil after almost a year of fighting, was further rocked by Israel's killing of Hassan Nasrallah, the longtime leader of the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-hezbollah-massive-strikes-headquarters-nasrallah-lebanon-2024-9">in a massive airstrike</a> in the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Friday.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-likely-used-bunker-buster-bombs-strike-kill-hezbollah-chief-2024-9">assassination of Nasrallah</a> marked a major escalation in the yearlong conflict and came amid increased Israeli military pressure on Hezbollah, raising concerns that the two bitter enemies could be heading toward an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wider-war-hezbollah-could-unleash-unprecedented-missile-barrage-against-israel-2024-7">all-out war </a>that could draw in US forces and possibly Iran as well.The US has publicly stated that it is ready to defend Israel and protect its forces in the Middle East from any attack by Iran or its regional proxies.<div type="image" title="An F/A-18F Super Hornet launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in August." height="2419" width="3629" msid="113827996" hostid="261" sizebytes="297168"></div>Amid increases in the intensity of the fighting, the US was already bracing for further violence. In a statement on Nasrallah's death, President Joe Biden said on Saturday that he had directed Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin the day before to "further enhance the defense posture of US military forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war."Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder then said on Sunday that the US "retains the capability to deploy forces on short notice," He added that the military maintains a "significant" presence in the region and can adjust its force posture "based on the evolving security situation."As part of these efforts, Ryder said Austin directed the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-carrier-strike-groups-significant-combat-power-middle-east-2024-8">Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group</a> to remain in the Middle East region, where it has been operating for several weeks. The strike group consists of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and several destroyers.Austin also ordered the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/these-us-navy-warships-near-middle-east-going-to-region-2024-8">Wasp Amphibious Ready Group</a> to stay in the Eastern Mediterranean, where it has been for several months.<div type="image" title="A US Navy officer stands watch on the bridge of the guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance as it sails behind the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in late August." height="3087" width="4631" msid="113828004" hostid="261" sizebytes="124600"></div>This assortment consists of the multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Wasp and its embarked 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which can be deployed to evacuate Americans. Additionally, the ARG includes a dock landing ship and an amphibious transport dock vessel.Beyond the CSG and ARG, the US Navy has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-warships-fought-complex-missile-drone-attack-red-sea-2024-9">additional destroyers operating</a> in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean.The American warships are complemented by land-based aircraft, including F-22s, F-15s, F-16s, and A-10s delivering fifth-generation stealth and fourth-generation combat capabilities, as well as proven ground-attack options. Ryder said the US will "further reinforce our defensive air-support capabilities in the coming days.""The Secretary has also increased the readiness of additional US forces to deploy, elevating our preparedness to respond to various contingencies," Ryder said.<div type="image" title="The dock landing ship USS Oak Hill in Cyprus in September." height="2976" width="4464" msid="113828000" hostid="261" sizebytes="756022"></div>The Pentagon disclosed on Monday that it is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.stripes.com/theaters/middle_east/2024-09-30/us-more-troops-middle-east-15355857.html">sending additional forces</a>, including fighter squadrons, to the region. It <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-violence-war-hezbollah-63a15fa390a94acf46ef886cc5fb88db">previously said</a> it would send a small number of additional troops, but the details weren't clear.The changes to US force posture in the region followed a massive uptick in Israeli military pressure on Hezbollah, which began earlier in the month with a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hezbollah-pager-attacks-reveal-textbook-covert-operation-ex-spies-say-2024-9">sophisticated pager attack</a> and later shifted to devastating airstrikes targeting militant assets. Scores of civilians have also been killed and wounded.The Israeli strikes have dealt a serious blow to Hezbollah, including eliminating its leadership, but the heavily armed militant group has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-news-09-30-2024-83ea5f243688f309754ec74850de4238#https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-gaza-news-09-30-2024-83ea5f243688f309754ec74850de4238">suggested that it is still ready</a> for war.Israeli officials, meanwhile, continue to hint that the country is gearing up for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netanyahu-biden-warnings-war-seriously-lebanon-hezbollah-israel-ground-incursion-2024-9">an expanded ground invasion</a> of Lebanon, which would be Israel's first such operation since 2006 and would mark another major escalation in the conflict.<div type="image" title="Israeli soldiers stand near armored vehicles in northern Israel in September." height="2435" width="3653" msid="113828002" hostid="261" sizebytes="1730364"></div>"The elimination of Nasrallah is a very important step, but it is not the final one," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told troops near the northern border with Lebanon on Monday."Our goal is to ensure the [safe] return of Israel's northern communities to their homes. We are prepared to make every effort necessary to accomplish this mission," Gallant said. "We will use all the means that may be required — your forces, other forces, from the air, from the sea, and on land."It is unclear whether a final decision on the ground invasion has been made. On Monday, it was reported that Israeli special operations forces were conducting raids into Lebanon in preparation for a possible invasion. Diplomatic efforts to bring Israel and Hezbollah to a negotiating table have been unsuccessful.

US warships and aircraft are readying for a fight as further violence grips the Middle East

How political violence has rocked US elections

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Onion, the satirical news site, bought Alex Jones's Infowars at an auction.</li><li>Jones had been found liable for defaming the Sandy Hook families and ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion.</li></ul>Conspiracy theorist <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/infowars-sandy-hook-ex-staffers-describe-alex-jones-unhinged-workplace-2023-6">Alex Jones's Infowars</a> has a new home — and it's not the one he wanted.The Onion, the satirical publication, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://theonion.com/heres-why-i-decided-to-buy-infowars/">announced on Thursday</a> that it had purchased the disgraced far-right commentator's company at auction. The terms of the sale weren't disclosed.The purchase of Infowars has the support of the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook massacre, and a revamped version of the site will feature advertisements from Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that aims to end gun violence, according to a statement from the gun-safety group.Jones had been found liable for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alex-jones-conspiracy-theorist-sandy-hook-massacre-hoax-allegations-2022-7">defaming the Sandy Hook families in four lawsuits</a> after he spent years spreading lies that the deadly 2012 school shooting was a hoax. Many of those lies were touted on his Infowars platform, which was put up for auction this year as part of an agreement that Jones would liquidate his assets to help pay a fraction of the nearly <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alex-jones-must-pay-473-million-punitive-damages-sandy-hook-2022-11">$1.5 billion he was ordered to pay the Sandy Hook victims' families</a>.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alex-jones-infowars-free-speech-systems-auction-sandy-hook-bankruptcy-2024-9">Jones had previously expressed his hopes</a> that one of his "patriot" allies would buy his company so that he could continue to broadcast on the platform.

The Onion buys Alex Jones's Infowars — and that's not a joke

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I've lived in Canada for over a decade, and though it's not perfect, I prefer it to the US.</li><li>I've had major surgery and dealt with long COVID for years and haven't paid a cent for healthcare.</li></ul>When my partner was offered a job in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-toronto-best-city-quick-trip-things-to-do-skip-2024-10">Toronto</a> 13 years ago, we felt like we'd won the lottery.We were living in the Midwest, where people stared at us as if they'd never seen a multiracial couple before and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cosmopolitan-jessica-pels-career-advice-how-to-get-dream-job-2020-4">Cosmopolitan magazine</a> was covered with black plastic in the supermarket because it was too racy.We'd long wanted to live somewhere more diverse and walkable, with less violence. Settling in downtown Toronto — where we could walk or take <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/canada-via-rail-vs-amtrak-business-class-review-photos-2022-8">public transportation</a> and over half of the population was born outside Canada — was like being in a smaller, cleaner version of New York City.Add on the promise of Canadian healthcare, and we were close to nirvana.After living for more than a decade in Canada, we've come to realize that the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moving-to-canada-from-us-pros-cons-heathcare-home-prices">country is far from perfect</a>. But there are many factors that make it unimaginable for me to live in the US again.<h2 id="a284571f-bca4-4fba-a6f4-d7f8b2efefe7">Canada's healthcare system isn't perfect, but I prefer it to the US's</h2>Canadian healthcare has its downsides.While the majority of care is free, people typically have to pay out of pocket for prescriptions, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-americans-dont-exercise-mental-health-crisis-depression-anxiety-fitness-2024-6">mental-health</a> care, and dental and vision care, which can make these services inaccessible to many.Despite that, I can't envision living without <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dr-adam-kay-americas-been-gaslit-about-socialized-medicine-2019-12">socialized medicine</a> again. I had a complicated pregnancy and an emergency C-section and I developed long COVID four years ago, but I've never paid a cent for healthcare here.When I lived in the US, I worked in public health in California, helping uninsured families access care. I saw firsthand <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-get-medical-bills-reduced-negotiate-challenge-payment-plan-2024-9">how medical debt could ruin people</a>.There was also a brief time when I was in my 20s, before the Affordable Care Act, when I <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-millennials-giving-up-medical-care-cant-afford-costs-2024-2">lived without health insurance</a> in California and was terrified of getting injured and ending up with a huge hospital bill.<h2 id="82b9efcc-e263-4015-b997-fc1d979a471a">Traveling in Canada can be more expensive, but we've found ways to manage</h2><div type="image" title="landscape of Canada's Laurentian Mountains" height="3840" width="5760" msid="115259769" hostid="261" sizebytes="1759662"></div>Because of <a target="_blank" href="https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/airlines-fees-canada">federal regulations</a>, domestic flights in Canada are often more expensive than flights to the US. However, we've found ways to manage by coordinating work trips and visiting friends.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beautiful-natural-wonders-2018-7">Canada's nature</a> is one of our favorite aspects of living here. We've vacationed across the country, but we have a special fondness for Québec's Laurentian Mountains and the forests of Ontario.We also spent months in the Yukon subarctic, where we glimpsed a grizzly bear, lynx, moose, scores of ravens, and wilderness more pristine than I thought possible.<h2 id="001263da-7c4c-4498-aabe-c1e9c7dbf46c">We love the diversity in Toronto, but we have experienced racism</h2>My husband and I found friends through community groups and parent-and-baby classes with other immigrant parents. Our friends are from all over, including Nigeria, Russia, Pakistan, Mexico, China, and Peru.Living in such a global environment is simply second nature for our Canadian-born child, who became trilingual in kindergarten in a public French school.However, immigrants and people of color aren't always treated kindly, despite Canada having had an official <a target="_blank" href="http://pier21.ca/research/immigration-history/canadian-multiculturalism-policy-1971">multiculturalism policy</a> since 1971.My Afro-Latino partner often laments the racism he's experienced in Canada, which has been more directly harmful to him than the racism he experienced in the United States.For example, he sold his bike after nearly being hit by drivers so many times, including one who told him to get off the road before calling him the N-word.When he does porch drop-offs of kids' items I've sold on Marketplace, he gets followed and questioned by people who act like he's a thief.And when we renewed his employer-sponsored work permit at the border a decade ago, an immigration official grilled him and said, "Couldn't they find a Canadian for the job?"In part because of those experiences, my husband has felt compelled to connect even more with different BIPOC communities in Canada.After we moved here, he found out about his Indigenous Caribbean ancestry through genetic testing, and it has become an extremely important part of our experience as a family to educate ourselves about Indigenous people's histories, lives, and teachings. We see it as one of our responsibilities as settlers.<h2 id="859b0674-9e41-4b48-abbc-f3eccee0cca8">I prefer living in Canada to the United States</h2><div type="image" title="Canadian flag with Toronto skyline in the background" height="3744" width="5616" msid="115259767" hostid="261" sizebytes="940328"></div>The longer I live here, the less I feel like I belong when I travel back to the US.My family inhabits multiple marginalized identities — queer, <a target="_blank" href="https://economichardship.org/2023/04/the-disabled-tax-means-i-pay-extra-for-necessities-constantly/">disabled</a>, immigrant, and BIPOC — that are under attack in the US. The ability to live and thrive outside the US, with free healthcare to boot, has long made me feel survivor's guilt for enjoying that stability.There are trade-offs to Canadian life: <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/canada-housing-crisis-bubble-imploding-real-estate-prices-rent-decline-2023-11">Astronomical housing costs</a> caused by foreign investment and government policy make me worry that when my child is an adult, they won't be able to afford rent, much less buy a home.I'm also disabled and cannot work full time. If I'm ever without my partner's financial support, I wouldn't qualify for or be able to live on my province's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tvo.org/article/people-cant-live-on-dirt-disabled-ontarians-push-for-odsp-reform">paltry disability benefits</a>.In the end, it's a balancing act.I will forever follow events in American society and politics, even when I someday become a Canadian citizen. But for my family's safety and health, there's no going back.

My husband and I moved from the US to Canada 13 years ago. We love the free healthcare here and the great friends we made.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>US Army Rangers and Nuclear Disablement Teams trained this summer to neutralize enemy nuclear sites.</li><li>The exercise reflects rising tensions with nuclear-armed nations and those pursuing such weapons.</li></ul>Over the summer, soldiers from the Army's little-known Nuclear Disablement Team linked up with the elite <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-ranger-competition-determines-us-militarys-best-2-man-team-2023-3">75th Ranger Regiment</a> at a training event that offered insight into how the US military is thinking about taking out enemy underground nuclear facilities in the event of a conflict.The drill came as the US grapples with rising tensions with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-now-fastest-growing-nuclear-arsenal-in-the-world-report-2024-6">China</a>, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-not-able-to-take-down-iran-nuclear-sites-own-2024-10">Iran</a>, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-tells-united-nations-accelerate-nuclear-weapons-program-2024-11">North Korea</a>, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-menaced-west-nuclear-war-troops-ukraine-russia-nato-strike-2024-2">Russia</a>, three of which already possess nuclear weapons and one that is, as far as the US is concerned, a little too close for comfort.<h2 id="09f50434-2cc2-41e9-82da-664371144da4">Rangers taking down nuke sites</h2>For decades, taking down adversary nuclear facilities has been a concern for the US military. No one wants to think about a near-peer conflict because of the specter of nuclear war that such a conflict could bring, but militaries regularly prepare for a wide range of scenarios that might never happen.Ranger training to prosecute nuclear targets seems to signal a shift in their role. For decades, the mission to find and eliminate enemy nuclear facilities belonged to the secretive Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and its tier 1 special missions units. The Army's Delta Force was primarily tasked with finding ways to penetrate highly guarded nuclear facilities and neutralize nuclear warheads."The Unit [Delta Force] has been involved with the mission set. It is an extremely difficult task that incorporates a wide range of skill sets like CQB [close quarters battle], breaching, and CBRN [chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear warfare]," a retired Delta Force operator told Business Insider."The fact that Rangers and SF [Army Special Forces] are getting involved in the mission set tells me that the military is getting ready for a fight where there might be several different nuclear sites that need to be secured," said the retired Delta Force operator, who talked on the condition of anonymity because of his ongoing work with the Department of Defense.The exercise in June saw <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/every-piece-gear-army-ranger-night-raid-bag-2023-5">Rangers</a> and Nuclear Disablement Team soldiers operating under simulated fire at a decommissioned pulse radiation facility.<div type="image" title="US Army Nuclear Disablement Team soldiers and Army Rangers moving out of a defunct facility." height="1365" width="2048" msid="115056615" hostid="261" sizebytes="142680"></div>"The highlight of the exercise was the integration of the NDTs and 75th Ranger Regiment teams," Army Maj. Aaron J. Heffelfinger, the team chief for Nuclear Disablement Team 1, said following the exercise, adding that the training "ensured that if we train together or respond to a real-world crisis in the future the teams are already familiar with each other's capabilities."Although the training was intended to simulate attacking an adversary nuclear facility overseas, recapturing a friendly nuclear facility captured by enemy forces or even terrorists at home is also a concern. There are a number of legal concerns surrounding a potential response in that particular nightmare scenario, but there are workarounds.The Army's Nuclear Disablement Teams, which handle weapons of mass destruction and related materials to deny their availability to adversaries, also work with federal agencies like the FBI as part of a task force trained and equipped to conduct nuclear forensics, and during the summer, the Army unit also worked with Green Berets from the 7th Special Forces Group on taking down nuclear facilities.<h2 id="a216d71f-b1b1-4c6b-8cfc-992649b9e2d0">A new kind of mission for the Rangers</h2>The 75th Ranger Regiment is the world's premier light infantry, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-tell-the-us-militarys-most-elite-special-operators">special operations unit</a>. Comprised of three line infantry battalions, an intelligence battalion, and a special troops battalion, the 75th Ranger Regiment is America's answer to difficult situations that require raw force, numbers, and violence of action, the latter involving unrestricted speed, strength, surprise, and aggression.<div type="image" title="A US Army soldier in combat kit conducts operations next to a red light. The exact action is unclear." height="1151" width="2048" msid="115056614" hostid="261" sizebytes="56618"></div>Military commanders and planners have long recognized the value and effectiveness of the unit. In December 2020, the unit achieved a remarkable 7,000 days in continuous combat.Today, the 75th Ranger Regiment is a vastly different organization than it was 20 or 30 years ago. For years, the Rangers were limited to capturing airfields and pulling security for Delta Force. as they did during the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/former-delta-force-members-remember-somalia-black-hawk-down-mission-2021-8">Black Hawk Down incident</a> in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993.But the demands of the Global War on Terror across the force opened the way for the 75th Ranger Regiment to take on more missions. Rangers in Iraq and Afghanistan went after the same high-value targets as Delta Force and SEAL Team 6. And now, they have taken on another strategic mission set, responding to the nuclear threat.

US Army Rangers have been training for a different kind of fight: neutralizing enemy underground nuclear facilities

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Houthi rebels used Russian satellite tracking data to hit ships in the Red Sea, The Wall Street Journal reported.</li><li>The data was supplied through Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps members embedded in Yemen, the report said.</li></ul>Houthi rebels in Yemen used satellite data provided by Russia to target and attack commercial ships in the Red Sea, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/world/russia-provided-targeting-data-for-houthi-assault-on-global-shipping-eabc2c2b?mod=e2tw">The Wall Street Journal reported.</a>The outlet cited three unnamed sources, including two European defense officials.One of the Journal's sources said that the satellite data was transferred to the Houthis via members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps embedded with the rebels in Yemen.The Journal's new findings, published on Thursday, are yet another sign that Russia is supporting the Houthis behind the scenes after the October 7 attacks in Israel triggered a renewed wave of violence in the Middle East.According to Western intelligence, the Kremlin earlier this year <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-helping-houthis-try-secure-russia-ship-missiles-red-sea-2024-9">considered sending anti-ship missiles to the Houthis</a>. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-brokering-talks-send-advanced-russian-missiles-yemens-houthis-sources-say-2024-09-24/">Reuters</a> reported on the matter in September, citing three regional and Western sources who said the arrangement was expected to be facilitated through Iran.The Russian Foreign Ministry and the Kremlin did not respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.As its tensions with the West rise, Moscow has made it clear that it opposes Washington's involvement in the Middle East, where the US Navy has bolstered its presence significantly to defend commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea and hedge against the risk of an all-out regional war.When the US and UK <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/videos-american-british-strikes-on-houthis-vowing-revenge-2024-1">launched dozens of strikes on Houthi targets in January</a>, Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://tass.ru/politika/19716449">condemned the attacks</a> as "illegitimate" in the eyes of international law.The Houthis have for months <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/houthis-getting-smarter-red-sea-attacks-ships-paying-the-price-2024-6">harassed commercial ships in the Red Sea with drones and missiles</a>, for what they say is retaliation against Israel for its bombardment of Gaza. Health officials in Gaza say that over 41,000 people there have been killed by Israeli strikes.Yet many ships under attack from the Yemeni rebels have often borne no clear association with Israel.As the Red Sea grew riskier to navigate and ships began diverting to the Cape route, world freight rates doubled to nearly $4,000 per container in January and then jumped to over $5,900 in July, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.drewry.co.uk/supply-chain-advisors/supply-chain-expertise/world-container-index-assessed-by-drewry">maritime research consultancy Drewry.</a>Rates as of press time were about $3,090, per Drewry's index, still far higher than the typical $1,300 per trip in October last year.Meanwhile, the US military has rotated multiple aircraft carrier groups to fend off Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, last week striking <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/b-2-stealth-bombers-join-red-sea-fight-bomb-houthis-2024-10">several targets in Yemen with B-2 Spirit stealth bombers.</a>

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