The Chimes Weekly

On today’s episode: 

Our host, Jae Koo, takes us through the week’s top headlines — from the tragic UPS plane crash in Kentucky and the record-breaking government shutdown, to updates on SNAP benefits and New York’s newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani. We also cover California’s Proposition 50, the Louvre Museum jewel heist, and an explosion in Jakarta.

Plus, a look at what’s happening on campus this week — from Biola’s Idea Pitch Competition to a full lineup of concerts presented by the Conservatory of Music.

For more details about this week’s headlines and upcoming events, visit chimesnewspaper.com or check the episode transcript in our show notes.

Creators and Guests

MG
Producer
Matthew Garcia
Producer
Reagan Glidewell
Producer of The Chimes Weekly podcast

What is The Chimes Weekly?

Bite-sized podcast episodes with your top news stories from The Chimes and Biola.

By Biola University students, for Biola University students. Previously known as Chimes Rundown and KBR Daily News Updates by KBR The Torch.

From The Torch Podcast Network, This is The Chimes Weekly.

I’m Jae Koo, here to start off your week with major headlines and what’s coming up. It’s Monday, November 10th.

Last Tuesday, a United Parcel Service or UPS airplane crashed in Louisville, Kentucky and killed at least 13 people. An engine of the plane's left wing detached shortly after takeoff, leading it to crash into two businesses near the airport. Video footage from the scenes showed a huge fireball erupting and the plane, which carried 38,000 gallons of fuel, triggered several other explosions when it crashed due to businesses containing hazardous fuels. As of last Thursday, local officials stated that recovery efforts were still underway upon a debris field estimated to be a half-mile long. Investigators will also be using data from the plane's black box and other information to compile an accident timeline.

Last Thursday, the current government shutdown set a new record for the longest government shutdown as it hit 37 days. The shutdown has caused delayed food aid, layoffs of federal employees, flight delays across multiple U.S. airports, and leaving thousands of federal workers furloughed. Although there have been multiple failed attempts to get the government running again, there have been signs of bipartisan negotiation. A new package, proposed by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, would fund certain parts of the government, such as food aid, while extending funding for everything else only until December or January. In another development also on Thursday, Republicans also suggested openness to rehiring federal workers who were fired by the White House.

SNAP benefits throughout the country were halted due to the prolonged government shutdown; however, as of last Thursday, a federal judge ordered that the Trump administration continue to fund the stamps through the month of November. Food stamps are used by nearly 42 million low-income Americans across the nation with 5.5 million residing in California.

34-year-old, Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral election, defeating former New York governor Andrew qwo mo Cuomo. Mamdani is the first Muslim mayor and the city’s youngest mayor since 1892. The polls saw the highest mayoral race voter turnout in decades with over two million voters. Mamdani holds strong socialist political views and hopes to make bus fare free–as public transportation is heavily utilized in the city–as well as stabilize rent, provide universal child care, increase the minimum wage by 2030, and tax big corporations and the top 1% in the city.

Last Tuesday, California’s Proposition 50 which redraws congressional districts to favor Democrats was approved through the polls. The measure, pushed forth by California governor Gavin Newsom, is expected to boost Democrats’ chances of flipping up to five House seats in next year’s 2026 midterm elections in response to Republican-led redistricting efforts nationwide. Supporters say the move levels the playing field after several Republican-led states redrew their maps earlier this year, while critics argue it deepens political division and practices gerrymandering. The new districts will remain in place until 2030 when California’s independent commission resumes control of the redistricting process. For further information on Prop 50, be sure to check out The Chimes article written by News Editor Lucas Brown. See the link in the bio or go to chimesnewspaper.com .

One of the suspects accused of stealing €88 million or $95 million USD worth of crown jewels from the Louvre Museum has been identified as Abdoulaye N, a 39-year-old social media figure and former security guard at Paris’s Pompidou Centre. According to The Guardian, Abdoulaye N was arrested at his home six days after the October 19 heist, in which thieves broke into the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery and escaped on motorbikes. Prosecutors have charged him with organized theft and criminal conspiracy. The case has drawn widespread attention not only for the value of the stolen jewels—tens of millions of pounds—but also for the suspect’s surprising background and ties to the Paris art world.

A series of explosions during Friday prayers at a high school mosque in northern Jakarta injured at least 55 people, mostly students, prompting panic and a swift emergency response. According to NPR, Indonesian authorities identified a 17-year-old male student as the suspected perpetrator, saying he was also injured and undergoing surgery. Police found a toy submachine gun bearing extremist slogans referencing white supremacist ideology and the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooter, though they have not yet determined a motive or labeled the incident a terrorist attack. Most victims suffered burns and cuts from shattered glass, and officials urged the public to avoid speculation as investigations continue in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation.

That’s all for last week’s headlines. Now, let’s dive into what’s happening this week at Biola.

Today, the Entrepreneurship Society and the Office of Innovation will host the Idea Pitch Competition from 6 to 8 pm. Each student will pitch their one-minute startup ideas with the opportunity to win $500 to go towards prototyping or $1,000 Biola tuition scholarship for high school participants.

The Conservatory of Music and the School of Fine Arts and Communication present a busy week of concerts.

This Wednesday, they will host a composition concert full of conservatory student’s original pieces performed by their peers. The event will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Lansing Recital Hall and is free to attend.

Friday, a Bluegrass Concert featuring Evan Marshall & Friends will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Ethel Lee Auditorium. The band is celebrated for their dynamic Bluegrass performances infused with influences from classical and other musical traditions. Over the past three decades, they’ve toured extensively across the United States and shared their distinctive sound with hundreds of thousands of listeners. Their appearances range from Symphony Pops concerts in major cities such as Houston, Buffalo, and Phoenix to Performing Arts Centers, State and County Fairs—including over 400 shows at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup. This is a paid event with student admission starting at $13, Biola faculty at $18, and the general public at $23.

Saturday, the Conservatory of Music and the School of Fine Arts and Communication host the Jazz Ensemble fall concert in Ethel Lee Auditorium. The event starts at 7:30 p.m, and tickets for students are $10. And that’s all for this week.

Thanks for listening! As always, if you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review and share it with a friend or a roommate.

To read stories from The Chimes, see our show notes, or head over to our website at ChimesNewspaper.com.

The Chimes Weekly is a production of The Chimes Media Group and The Torch Podcast Network.

This episode was produced by Jae Koo with headlines written by Marc Aguilera, Matthew Garcia, Reagan Glidewell, and Jason Lee. This episode was engineered by Jason Lee. Our theme music is from Warner Chappell Productions. Thomas Rakhola is our Editor-in-chief, and Reagan Glidewell is our managing editor.

I’m Jae Koo, and we’ll see you all next week.