The algorithm may show you the news, but that doesn’t mean you’re seeing every story. Compiled regularly by analyzing news coverage from multiple different outlets, this series highlights the headlines that you may have missed but shouldn’t overlook.

For a regular update on top stories, check out the Stories behind the soundbites.

1. National Guard shooting raises conflicting claims about refugee screening, casts spotlight on both Biden and Trump era immigration policy: “The D.C. National Guard shooting suspect was not an undocumented immigrant. He was a long-vetted CIA partner, screened repeatedly by U.S. intelligence, and legally admitted through a rigorous process overseen by both major parties.” –Aaron Parnas, Independent Journalist

• A shooting that targeted two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. has triggered a nationwide clash over immigration policy, vetting standards, and the spread of false information. While the White House linked the attack to failures in refugee screening and moved to restrict immigration from multiple countries, intelligence records show the suspect, Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, had worked with the CIA and cleared extensive vetting by the administration. Critics accuse political leaders of pushing misleading claims that he was an undocumented or unvetted migrant, warning that the narrative is being weaponized to justify sweeping crackdowns on Afghan refugees. Supporters of stricter policies argue the rushed 2021 evacuation (Operation Allies Refuge) created unavoidable blind spots. The incident has become a point of conversation at the intersection of national security and refugee resettlement.

2. New Epstein files trigger political infighting, misinformation battles, and fierce backlash from victims over botched redactions: “As soon as the legacy media suddenly started caring about it, and only about one person in particular, it became sus to MAGA,” –Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-Chief of The National Pulse

• A massive release of Jeffrey Epstein–related documents has ignited political turmoil, misinformation disputes, and outrage from victims after dozens of un-redacted survivor names were mistakenly exposed. Democrats and some Republicans are pushing for full transparency, while MAGA figures who once demanded the Epstein files be released are now downplaying or dismissing revelations that include emails in which Epstein claimed Trump “knew about the girls.” At the same time, attorneys for victims are condemning the Justice Department for failing to protect survivors’ identities, warning that the redaction failures have caused panic and violate long-promised safeguards. The DOJ, facing a December deadline to release hundreds of thousands more records, has been ordered by a federal judge to explain its vetting and redaction process amid concerns of incompetence or political maneuvering. The unfolding controversy now spans victim privacy protection, political spin, and competing narratives over what the Epstein files actually reveal.

3. Tragic Hong Kong fire death toll climbs to over 120, as investigation exposes years of complaints, safety failures, and suspected negligence: “We have reason to believe that those in charge at the company were grossly negligent, which led to this accident and caused the fire to spread uncontrollably, resulting in major casualties,” –a Hong Kong police spokesperson

• A catastrophic fire at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court housing complex, the city’s deadliest blaze in more than seven decades, has killed at least 128 people, left nearly 200 missing, and injured dozens more while the investigation has exposed a pattern of long-ignored safety warnings and possible regulatory failures. Residents had repeatedly raised concerns about flammable renovation materials, foam insulation that blocked windows, and malfunctioning fire alarms, but authorities told them the fire risk was “relatively low.” Investigators now say those same materials helped the blaze spread with extreme speed, leading to at least eight arrests of contractors and subcontractors on suspicion of manslaughter and corruption. Meeting records and inspections show ongoing problems with fire-safety equipment and oversight at the complex, fueling public anger and comparisons to the Grenfell Tower disaster in London. As recovery efforts continue, the government faces growing scrutiny over why resident complaints were not addressed and whether systemic negligence contributed to the scale of the tragedy.

4. Top academic scholar warns global legal order could collapse without unified international action: “There is an increased awareness that this is a really scary moment, but what will it take for people to put their differences aside and come up with something new and radical?” –Oona Hathaway, Yale Law School professor and a former Pentagon legal adviser

• Yale professor Oona Hathaway warns that the international legal order is at risk of “total collapse” as wars in Ukraine and Gaza, declining compliance with rulings from the International Court of Justice, and the U.S. government’s growing hostility toward global institutions undermine the post–World War II system. She argues that the foundational norm prohibiting countries from seizing territory by force is being eroded by actions such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China’s maritime expansion, and Trump’s past threats to “invade” Greenland. Hathaway urges a coalition of willing states to enforce international court rulings through new measures like suspending states from UN committees or denying General Assembly participation. She also criticizes U.S. political leaders, including Trump and Vice President JD Vance, for dismissing international law and weakening protections for civilians in conflict. From her perspective in Europe, she says nations are increasingly concluding that the U.S. can no longer be relied upon to uphold the system it helped create.

5. Escalating U.S. anti-drug trafficking tactics in Venezuela trigger legal battles, military dissent, and signal potential for planned land operations by the Trump administration: “I have been alarmed by the number of vessels that this administration has taken out without a single consultation of Congress,” –Democratic Rep. Madeleine Dean

• A rapidly expanding U.S. military campaign targeting suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers has sparked intense legal, ethical, and geopolitical concerns as Trump signals the nation will soon begin land operations after months of deadly maritime strikes. Since early September, the administration has ordered at least 21 attacks on boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific—operations that have killed more than 80 people, often without confirmation of their identities or proof they were combatants. Newly revealed details show the U.S. carried out a “double-tap” strike on September 2 that intentionally killed survivors from a disabled vessel, raising allegations of extrajudicial killings and violations of the law of armed conflict. Legal experts, Pentagon attorneys, senior U.S. commanders, and Senate Democrats are questioning the administration’s asserted justification that drug traffickers constitute enemy forces in an armed conflict, while allies such as the U.K. have stopped sharing intelligence to avoid complicity. As the U.S. positions major military assets near Venezuela and considers ground operations, the campaign is increasingly seen as a consequential test of executive war powers, international law, and the limits of presidential authority in countering transnational crime.

6. United Nations accuses Israel of systemic torture as regional strikes and ceasefire breaches deepen instability: According to the United Nations committee on torture, there is evidence that Israel is operating a “de facto state policy of organised and widespread torture.”

• Across Gaza, the West Bank, and southern Lebanon, Israeli military actions continue despite ceasefire agreements, with recent airstrikes killing dozens of Palestinians and near-daily operations in Lebanon fueling renewed displacement and public anger. At the same time, a UN anti-torture panel says it has found credible evidence that Israel is operating a “de facto policy of organised and widespread torture” against Palestinian detainees, including children and the elderly, warning these abuses amount to war crimes and possibly meet genocide criteria under international law. Rights groups described detainees being beaten, electrocuted, sexually assaulted, deprived of food and water, shackled for long periods, and disappeared for months without access to lawyers or family. These findings come as UN bodies and humanitarian agencies condemn Israel’s alleged “summary executions,” continued strikes in Gaza despite the truce, and severe restrictions on aid. Together, the escalating military actions and the UN’s findings signal a deepening crisis of legality, accountability, and regional stability.

7. Trump’s National Guard deployments face growing court challenges, internal friction, and emergency appeals: “I really went to a dark place when they sent the troops to [Los Angeles], and then eventually [Washington, D.C.], and now, Chicago. This is just not what any of us signed up for, and it’s so out of the scope of normal operations,” –a member of the Ohio National Guard to NPR

• Trump’s expanded use of the National Guard inside U.S. cities is increasingly constrained as judges across Washington, D.C., Portland, Chicago, and Memphis rule that these deployments exceed constitutional limits and lack the extraordinary conditions required under federal law. The decisions have stalled or reversed troop mobilizations and forced the administration to file emergency appeals to keep control of certain National Guard units, including those stationed at an ICE facility in Portland. At the same time, National Guard members themselves are expressing rising concern in private group chats, questioning the legality of their missions, the vague nature of their orders, and the possibility of being drawn into domestic law enforcement or immigration operations. Despite the resistance, the administration continues to argue that the deployments are lawful and necessary for public safety. The situation highlights a deepening conflict between presidential authority, judicial oversight, and longstanding norms that separate military power from civilian policing.

8. Ukraine faces a deepening crisis as corruption scandal, leadership turmoil, and mounting war pressures converge: “Russia’s position is, ‘we have laid out our demands, so do you take them or not? If so, we will stop the war – if not, we’ll just wait until you’re ready.’”–Tatiana Stanovaya, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

• Ukraine is entering a critical phase of the war as battlefield setbacks, dwindling Western military aid, collapsing morale, and a widening corruption scandal strain the government’s stability. President Volodymyr Zelensky has lost his closest aide, Andriy Yermak, who resigned after an anti-corruption raid on his home. This is a major blow just as Kyiv is under intense U.S. pressure to accept a revised peace framework with Russia. The resignation unfolds against a backdrop of severe shortages in funding and manpower, with Ukraine urging Europe to unlock billions in frozen Russian assets as public debt soars and military desertion rates climb. Meanwhile, U.S.–Ukraine negotiations in Geneva have produced a significantly softened draft peace plan, but Russia continues to push maximalist demands, warning it will seize remaining territory by force if Ukraine refuses to withdraw. With Western support shrinking and internal crises deepening, analysts warn Ukraine may soon need to choose between restructuring its political and military leadership for a long war or accepting harsh territorial concessions, otherwise its ability to continue fighting will collapse.

9. Families sue Camp Mystic, alleging negligence in deadly Texas flood that killed campers and counselors: “This action is about transparency, responsibility and ensuring no other family experiences what these parents will now suffer the rest of their lives.” –Paul Yetter, attorney representing a victim’s family

• Families of the young campers and counselors who died in the catastrophic Hill Country floods in July have filed multiple lawsuits accusing Camp Mystic and its owners of gross negligence and creating a “self-made disaster.” The suits argue the tragedy was entirely preventable, alleging that camp leaders ignored well-known flood risks, placed cabins in vulnerable low-lying areas to avoid relocation costs, lacked proper evacuation plans, and delayed moving children to safety while staff first secured camp equipment. Several filings claim campers were ordered to remain in flood-zone cabins even as higher ground was steps away, leaving them trapped when the Guadalupe River surged and overwhelmed the site, killing 25 campers, two counselors, and the camp’s director. Families also accuse the camp of mishandling the aftermath by rushing to reopen and promoting a memorial without consulting parents. Camp Mystic denies the allegations, calling the flood unprecedented and warning systems inadequate, and says it will fully contest the claims in court.

The news cycle moves too quickly for every story to get the same level of attention, but that’s exactly why this series exists: to slow things down and spotlight what slipped through. Check back regularly for more overlooked headlines and underreported insights, or subscribe to the Bite Back to get them sent straight to your inbox.