Attack in Spain, Eye Transplant, and Celebrating Veterans Day

Attack in Madrid

A Spanish politician representing the semiautonomous region of Catalonia was shot in the face yesterday on the streets of Madrid in what appeared to be an attempted assassination. The attack came as acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez closed a deal to secure power by offering Catalonia lawmakers amnesty from crimes committed during the territory's 2017-18 attempt to break away from Spain. 

Set in the country's upper northeast, Catalonia includes the city of Barcelona and accounts for roughly 20% of Spain's economy. Historians say its long history of independence until the 15th century gave the region a sense of unique identity—most recently as a separatist movement. In October 2017, Catalonia passed a referendum to leave Spain (albeit with a 43% voter turnout), which ultimately ended with government forces entering Barcelona and arresting separatist leaders. 

Sánchez's deal has sparked small but intense protests in recent days (see photos).

Transplant Breakthrough

Doctors have successfully performed the world's first full eyeball transplant, according to results revealed yesterday. Aaron James, a 46-year-old veteran from Arkansas, suffered a high-voltage electricity injury in 2021, which severely damaged most of his face, left eye, and left arm. James cannot currently see out of the transplanted eye—experts say it remains to be seen whether vision will be restored. 

Doctors originally aimed to have James only undergo a face transplant. Eye transplants are typically avoided due to the low chance of restoring vision, the risk of a brain infection, and the rejection of the organ by the body. Because James required similar immune-suppressing medications to prevent his body from rejecting the facial transplants, the eye transplant was considered low risk.

Five months after surgery, blood appears to be flowing to the retina and the organ appears healthy (see 3D eye structure). Doctors are waiting to see whether the transplanted organ's optic nerves grow sufficiently to restore vision. 

Hollywood Returns to Work

The union representing over 160,000 actors, Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, announced Wednesday it reached a tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents major TV and movie studios, likely ending the longest strike against the studios in SAG-AFTRA history.

Details of the agreement will be revealed today after review by the SAG-AFTRA National Board. Union members would then need to vote to ratify the agreement. The three-year agreement, estimated to cost over $1B, is expected to include the largest increase in minimum wages in the last 40 years, better residual compensation for streaming programs, and protection of actors' images and performances from AI. The deal comes more than a month after the writers strike concluded.

The strike, which lasted 118 days, is estimated to have had at least a $6.5B impact on the California economy. See when you can expect shows and movies to return here.

Science & Technology

Business & Markets

Politics & World Affairs

In-Depth

> War Stories

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> The Battle That Changed the Vietnam War

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> After Globalization

Bloomberg | Staff. Decades of open trade linked nearly every corner of the world economically. New wars, pandemics, and shifting geopolitical alignments are reversing that trend. (Watch)

> How Netflix Conquered Hollywood

Hollywood Reporter | Peter Biskind. The streaming giant ushered in the binge-watching era when it commissioned two seasons of "House of Cards" and released all 13 episodes in one night. (Read)

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