Oil Pipeline Restarts, Middle East Violence Escalates, "Ellen" Going Off The Air

Krystal Quiles for NPR

That's it for today. But before you go ...

Our friends at NPR's Code Switch podcast are working on a series of episodes exploring questions about Latino/a/e/x identity. The first of those — a conversation with Dominican American podcaster and entertainer the Kid Mero — dropped yesterday, and you can listen to it here.

Violence between Israel and Gaza is continuing to escalate. Palestinian officials say Israeli air strikes have killed at least 83 people, including 17 children. Some of the hundreds of rockets fired from Gaza have reportedly killed at least seven Israelis, including a teenager and a grandmother.

And the fighting isn't only happening by air — it's increasingly breaking out in the streets of Israel, where groups of young Palestinians and Israelis are attacking residents, looting businesses and damaging vehicles.

There is no clear resolution in sight, even as the U.S., United Nations and other international voices call for a de-escalation.

Mark Regev, a senior adviser to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, shared his government's perspective on the situation as it stands now.

He spoke about police use of force at the Al-Aqsa compound, violence within the country and tensions with Hamas, saying Israel sought to "calm things down" earlier in the week but is now taking all steps necessary to protect its people.

For nearly two decades, Ellen DeGeneres has pranked celebrities, danced with audiences and interviewed both household names and at-home viewers alike on her daytime television show.

Following a journey that included 18 seasons, many memorable moments and — most recently — accusations of a toxic workplace, DeGeneres announced on Wednesday that the show's 19th season will be its last.

She'll remain involved in many other industry projects, including three TV shows on different networks, and hopes to be able to dedicate more time to acting roles and conservation efforts.

Robi Damelin and Bassam Aramin are both members of Parents Circle, a group that brings together Israelis and Palestinians who have lost children to violence. They have spoken to NPR throughout the years, and did so again this week to share their thoughts on the escalating conflict between Israel and Gaza.

Damelin spoke from her home in Tel Aviv, which has come under heavy missile fire from Hamas in recent days. Aramin lives in Jericho, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. They come from different backgrounds, but agree on many things: Namely, they condemn the violence and hope for a negotiated solution, and haven't seen much change since the Gaza War of 2014.

"We know what's going to happen in the end," Aramin says. "Just more blood, more pain, more victims."

Take a listen to their powerful conversation.

Days after shutting down over a cyberattack, the oil pipeline that stretches from Texas to New Jersey is resuming operations. Colonial Pipeline said it initiated the process on Wednesday evening, and expects all markets to receive supply by midday Thursday.

So there's (still) no need to panic about gas shortages or rush to top off your tank — the problem was one of transportation, not supply. Though that didn't stop people from ignoring officials' warnings and running some gas stations dry in at least 11 states and Washington, D.C.

Here are some things you should do, even when under normal conditions: combine errands, avoid driving during peak traffic hours, use the most fuel-efficient vehicle you have, keep the AC low and park in the shade if possible.

As pipeline operations get back to normal, questions remain about the ransomware attack that shut them down in the first place and the strength of America's cyber infrastructure more broadly.

On Wednesday night, President Biden signed an executive order that had been in progress for months. It aims to bolster cybersecurity for federal networks and update security standards for commercial software used by both businesses and the public. You can hear more about that here.