Today’s Big Story

Gun Violence in America

U.S. approaching 340 mass shootings this year after deadly weekend

America has endured 11,197 shooting deaths (and 20,425 nonfatal injuries) this year, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive, through September 30, 2025. Shootings have happened in all 50 states, at all times of day, and in locations as varied as schools, gas stations, gyms, Walmarts and homes. Some involved handguns, others rifles or shotguns. If this figure seems high, that’s because it is.

While the number of gun deaths in the U.S. fell for the second consecutive year, it remained among the highest annual totals on record. According to the latest Pew research, the gun death rate in the U.S. is much higher than in most other nations, particularly developed nations. The U.S. gun death rate was 10.6 per 100,000 people in 2016, the most recent year in the study, which used a somewhat different methodology from the CDC. That was far higher than in countries such as Canada (2.1 per 100,000) and Australia (1.0), as well as European nations such as France (2.7), Germany (0.9) and Spain (0.6). However, it was lower than several Latin American countries such as El Salvador and Venezuela.

America is still averaging over one mass shooting per day this year and could break over 500 mass shootings for the fifth year in a row. Any incident involving more than four people being shot, not including the shooter, is considered a mass shooting by GVA standards. Axios reports that 337 mass shootings have occurred so far in 2025 as of Oct. 11. Twelve people were killed, and at least 40 people were injured after shootings marred three different high school events in two states over the weekend.

On its website, GVA also notes that mass shootings are, by and large, an “American phenomenon”. Earlier this year, a University of Colorado Boulder study found that one in 15 Americans has witnessed a mass shooting firsthand. The study underscores the pervasiveness of gun violence and the increasing likelihood that everyday Americans could be caught in the crossfire. A author of the study, David Pyrooz, said their findings lend credence to the idea of a mass shooting generation. “It’s not a question of if one will occur in your community anymore, but when,” Pyrooz said. “We need to have stronger systems in place to care for people in the aftermath of this tragic violence.”

What Happens Next in Gaza Ceasefire?

After hostages and prisoners are freed, complex issues remain

Israel and Hamas moved ahead on a key first step of the tenuous Gaza ceasefire agreement on Monday by freeing hostages and prisoners, raising hopes that the U.S.-brokered deal might lead to a permanent end to the two-year war that ravaged the Palestinian territory. But thornier issues such as whether Hamas will disarm and who will govern Gaza—and the question of Palestinian statehood—remain unresolved.

Ahead of the release of the hostages, Israeli troops withdrew to a line that has left them in control of 53% of Gaza—the first of three stages of Israeli withdrawal, according to the Trump plan. The BBC reports that a multinational force of around 200 troops overseen by the U.S. military will monitor the ceasefire. It’s believed the force includes troops from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. U.S. officials have said no U.S. forces will be on the ground in Gaza.

Former Presidents Biden and Clinton praised President Trump on Monday for the peace deal. Onboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters Monday that he thought Clinton’s post “was very nice, actually.” According to the Washington Post, Trump’s hoping this is the prelude to a broader reshaping of the region, hoping to build on his first term’s Abraham Accords that normalized Israel’s relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. His overture extended even to Iran, whose nuclear sites the U.S. bombed in June.

A Historic Crypto Sell-Off

Why crypto briefly but dramatically crashed when Trump renewed his trade war

President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement of 100% tariffs against China on Friday triggered a cryptocurrency selloff that wiped out more than $19 billion in leveraged positions, highlighting the volatility associated with the industry. From bitcoin to meme coins, cryptocurrencies sank as investors sold their holdings and highly-leveraged positions were closed amid the sharp, unexpected downturn.

Bloomberg reports that nervous investors dumped their riskier bets and fled to the perceived safety of government-issued Treasury bonds and gold. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite dropped 3.56% while bitcoin fell 15% at its lowest point. The S&P 500 posted its worst day since April. Bitcoin fell from roughly $122,500 to a low of roughly $104,600 on Friday afternoon. Ethereum, the world’s second largest cryptocurrency by market value, fell roughly 21%. More than 1.6 million traders were liquidated, with liquidations concentrated on smaller coins beyond Bitcoin and Ether, known as altcoins, where leverage tends to be higher and liquidity much lower.

According to the Wall Street Journal, ahead of the selloff, two accounts on Hyperliquid, a decentralized exchange that allows investors to make leveraged bets on future crypto prices, placed massive bets that bitcoin and ether would fall. By day’s end Friday, the positions were closed for $160 million in profit.

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