That story about the battle plan group chat was something else, wasn’t it? If you were consumed by that for most of the week, we’ve got a list for you of the big stories you may have missed from URL Media:
- Hamdan Ballal won an Oscar. Then Israeli settlers beat him, advocates say. In a violent incident in the West Bank Palestinian village of Susiya, several masked Israeli settlers are said to have attacked residents and destroyed property. Hamdan Ballal, co-director of the 2025 Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” was one of the residents who was attacked. Israeli soldiers arrived, blindfolded and detained Ballal and another Palestinian man, claiming they threw rocks, witnesses said. Ballal suffered a head wound and was taken away in an ambulance. There has been no communication from him since then. Ballal’s co-director, Basel Adra suggested the attack might be retaliation for their film’s critical portrayal of Israeli actions in the Masafer Yatta area, highlighting the ongoing tensions and violence in the occupied West Bank.
Read more. - Is the Schumer backlash the Democratic Party’s Titanic?: Democratic Party leadership, especially Sen. Chuck Schumer, are facing intense backlash as their base signals a desire for a stronger fight against the Trump administration. Schumer is taking the brunt of the ire after unexpectedly supporting a Republican funding bill, leading to calls for his resignation. Democrats are grappling with a perceived lack of political effectiveness and fighting spirit in the post-2024 election landscape. Critics argue that the party’s leadership has failed to counter Republican aggression and has lost ground on key issues like affirmative action, reproductive rights, and Supreme Court battles. Schumer has postponed his book tour amid the criticism, while some Democratic figures like Rep. Al Green suggest the party needs more courage to take bold political stands and challenge the current political narrative.
Read more. - The latest in the saga of Mahmoud Khalil, Columbia University and President Trump: Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, a 2024 Columbia University graduate, was detained by Homeland Security officers without a warrant, seemingly in retaliation for his role in campus protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza. Despite being a green card holder and spouse of an American citizen who is pregnant with their first child, he was transferred to a detention facility in Louisiana as part of an apparent deportation attempt orchestrated by the Trump administration. A federal judge blocked his immediate deportation and required his case to be heard in New Jersey. Two other student protesters have been detained, and 22 others have faced academic punishments, highlighting a broader crackdown on pro-Palestinian student activism.
Read more. - How ‘Adolescence’ star and mastermind Stephen Graham’s mixed-race background propels him : Stephen Graham is co-creator and a star in the Netflix mini-series “Adolescence,” a compelling four-episode drama exploring teenage violence, internet culture, and misogyny. The show follows the investigation of a young boy accused of murdering a classmate. Graham, who portrays the suspect’s father, has shared that his own mixed-race heritage helps him bring depth to his role, drawing from personal experiences of racial bullying. The series draws inspiration from real-world issues like knife attacks and toxic masculinity, featuring intense scenes that challenge viewers. The show and Graham’s powerful performance continue to spark conversations about societal pressures on youth.
Read more. - Former President Barack Obama makes his March Madness picks: Former President Barack Obama has released his 2025 March Madness tournament brackets, continuing his tradition of publicly sharing his tournament predictions. This year, he predicts Duke for the men’s championship and the University of South Carolina to win it all for the women. All of his predictions are at the link below. A longtime basketball enthusiast who played in high school and coached his daughters’ teams, Obama is still passionate about the sport (he was courtside at an NBA game a few days ago). The NCAA notes that the chances of a perfect bracket are about 1 in 120 billion.
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