UNFAIR WINDS

Israeli forces raided ships carrying aid to the Gaza Strip. Moments before they detained crewmembers, an activist on board detailed the “fucking scary” situation in an exclusive interview with What A Day.

• Israeli soldiers donned night-vision goggles and helmets as they boarded dozens of ships bound for the Gaza Strip last night. The ships — known as the Global Sumud Flotilla — have carried more than 400 activists over the past three months, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. Their mission: Deliver life-saving goods to Palestinians and break Israel’s blockade on the territory. But that mission was cut short. A livestream showed passengers huddling together, wearing life vests, hands in the air at gunpoint.

• As Israeli forces began their raid, What A Day spoke on the phone with David Adler, a progressive activist aboard one of the ships. “I’m sitting here with my crew — lots of U.S. veterans of conscience, who are united by the same moral conviction that someone has to stand up to the U.S. government and its role in funding, arming, aiding and abetting genocide,” Adler said. “A boat is coming right now.”

• In recent days, the flotilla had been struck by multiple “unidentified” drone at night, damaging smaller vessels and intimidating people on board, according to activists. In messages via walkie talkie, Israeli forces warned that “we were entering into a war zone that we need to turn around, which, of course, is totally fictitious,” Adler said. Israel does not control international waters, and experts accuse Israel of breaking international law by seizing the boats.

• Adler only had moments to discuss the situation as crewmembers braced for direct confrontation. “It’s fucking scary. We just got surrounded,” said Adler, who is pictured in the image below.

Israel intercepted every ship except for one, which made it into waters near Gaza.

• Soldiers brought activists from the flotilla to Israel after being intercepted, according to the country’s foreign ministry. “All the passengers are safe and in good health. They are making their way safely to Israel, from where they will be deported to Europe,” tweeted the foreign ministry, which posted footage of soldiers detaining Thunberg.

• But Adler and his crew weren’t optimistic that they’d be let go soon. “We’re expecting not just one night, but potentially several days or even longer in prison,” he said.

• Israel’s actions sparked protests across several European countries and drew criticism from other nations around the world. “It’s critical that we get food and humanitarian supplies to starving and desperate people in Gaza — and we should support all means of doing that,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) told What A Day. “Secretary Rubio must take measures to ensure the safety of all American citizens and others on board this mission.”

“You won’t hear from me for probably a week,” Adler said before hanging up. I texted him this morning for any updates. He hasn’t responded.

WHAT ELSE?

President Donald Trump said Republicans should “clear out dead wood, waste, and fraud” from the federal government during the shutdown. It’s a thinly veiled reference to his threat of firing federal employees and slashing “Democrat agencies.” There’s no sign that the shutdown will end anytime soon — but Americans seem to blame Republicans for the shutdown more than Democrats at the moment.

The U.S. is in “armed conflict” with drug cartels, Trump declared in a message to lawmakers this week. That language seeks to give the administration legal cover for dubious actions, like its recent deadly strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats. Global Police? This is more like Global SWAT Team.

Many Americans believe it’s harder to afford groceries now than this time last year, according to a new Axios poll. Only about 1 in 5 respondents said it’s easier to afford groceries, while 1 in 3 say it’s about the same. I assume Trump will claim this is still “Biden’s economy.”

Hiring plans for this year are the lowest they’ve been since 2009, according to a new report. That adds to a growing body of evidence that Trump’s job market is struggling, and it ain’t gonna get better if he follows through on his threat to fire thousands of federal employees.

The head of the Eisenhower presidential library resigned after he refused to remove a sword from the collection… for Trump to give King Charles on his recent visit to the United Kingdom, according to CBS News. Ultimately, Charles was given a “replica” sword, according to Buckingham Palace. We have reached astronomical levels of absurdity, folks.

The Defense Department is planning to require thousands of its employees to sign non-disclosure agreements and agree to random lie detector tests, as part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s attempt to crack down on leaks, according to the Washington Post. For how much this guy preaches about “warrior ethos,” he sure is a snowflake.

Tesla sales rose in the third quarter, marking a surprise comeback for the embattled electric car maker owned by Elon Musk, one of the most toxic political figures on the planet. As a result, Musk became the world’s first half-trillionaire — and reclaimed his title as the world’s richest person.

Light at the End of the Email…

European leaders were caught on video mocking Donald Trump for mixing up Albania and Armenia. “You should make an apology … to us because you didn’t congratulate us on the peace deal that President Trump made between Albania and Azerbaijan,” Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama told French President Emmanuel Macron. “I am very sorry for that,” Macron joked.

Pope Leo called for unity to solve the climate crisis during a speech in Rome yesterday. “God will ask us if we have cultivated and cared for the world that he created for the benefit of all and for future generations, and if we have taken care of our brothers and sisters. What will be our answer, my dear friends?” Welp, Trump recently called climate change a “con job”... and he should know, I guess!

Actress Jane Fonda relaunched the Committee for the First Amendment, in an effort to battle the Trump administration’s attacks on free speech. The organization was supported by her father, Henry Fonda, decades ago amid the rise in McCarthyism. “Those forces have returned. And it is our turn to stand together in defense of our constitutional rights,” the group said in a statement.

A bakery in Cleveland, Ohio was chosen to represent the U.S. in the “Bread Olympics,” a competition that occurs every two years in France to see which country makes the best baked creations. “I just love every minute of trying to create the perfect loaf of bread every day,” the bakery’s owner said. I’m starting to rethink my career choices… that sounds awesome.

Daniel Day-Lewis is back from retirement, starring in a new movie he wrote alongside his son. Sadly, it’s not “Lincoln: The 48th President.”

A D.C. cat owner is going viral after sharing wholesome content about the joys of fostering little kittens. It all started after Abdul Raheem’s wife thought it was adorable that her 6-foot 4-inch husband was so good at nursing the fluffballs. This is the content we need.

A bear stunned shoppers at an Arizona grocery store when it strolled through the front door, ran around, and left without causing any damage. The bear, who looks like a cub in the video, was probably just hankering for some Teddy Grahams.