By Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times

Bianna Golodryga, a news anchor for CNN International, immigrated to the U.S. from the former Soviet Union in 1980 with her family to escape antisemitism.

Now a parent of two children, the onetime political refugee finds herself having to explain the hatred expressed toward Jewish people in the country she loves — much of it expressed in the swampy waters of social media. She sees them living with the tension between taking a stand against it and getting along.

“When you come to a country, you’re the minority, and all you want to do is fit in,” Golodryga says.

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The veteran journalist who co-hosts “One World” on CNN International and her friend Yonit Levi, a leading anchor for N12 News in Israel, wanted to provide their preteen offspring a road map to deal with the issue. They delivered it in their co-authored young adult novel “Don’t Feed the Lion.”

The book, aimed at ages 9 and up, is centered around Theo Kaplan, a soccer-obsessed Chicago middle-school student whose world is rocked when his favorite footballer makes an antisemitic remark about a team owner. The hate hits closer to home when a swastika and antisemitic hashtag is scrawled on Theo’s athletic room locker — leading his younger sister to assume a secret online identity to get justice.

Golodryga recently spoke to The Times about “Don’t Feed the Lion.”

Q: The central plot point in this book is informed by life experience. Your son took it hard when NBA star Kyrie Irving touted a documentary film with antisemitic tropes on social media. Irving was suspended by his team before he apologized for it.

A: My son is a big sports fan. He’s asked me point-blank, “Why do they hate us? Can I not go to basketball games anymore?” I remember where we were on the Brooklyn Bridge going to a Brooklyn Nets game and he asked this and I didn’t have a good answer. I figured I would just reach out to their school and see what they’re doing about antisemitism since they’ve invested so much into other forms of hate education. I came to find out they didn’t have anything. It was basically, “Well, when they ask a question, we discuss it at school sometimes.” And so that really stuck with me, that there weren’t resources for kids on antisemitism.

Q: Did the Hamas attack on Israel that led to the war in Gaza accelerate the need for such a book?

A: Yonit and I have known each other for many years, and we sadly predicted that once again, we’d see a huge spike in antisemitism. Her kids are around the same age. She spent many of her formative years here and she’s very familiar with the U.S. And I said, “Let’s write the book that we can’t find, because this is bound to be an issue in the weeks and months to come.” It’s not the panacea, but at least there will be some resource that’s a good story too, for Jewish kids, non-Jewish kids and the adults in their lives.

Q: After your main character Theo sees the swastika and hashtag on his locker, the reaction from his school was pretty tepid. Are schools not taking this issue seriously enough?

A: That’s part of the problem. We’ve allowed this to fester. Other forms of hate have been addressed head-on. Whether it’s a swastika here or there or a social media post, or a statement or a comment, whether from the right or from the left — it’s sort of treated as isolated incidents and not with the level of alarm that I would say other forms of hate or comments directed at other minorities would be. And again, this is personal experience from other family members dating back five, 10 years ago where there were swastikas at school, and the response was, “Let’s have a kumbaya session and talk about why this isn’t a good thing and why we shouldn’t allow this.” I’ve experienced this as a Jewish American.

Q: How complicated has this discussion become in light of the way public sentiment has turned against the Israelis over the way they handled the war in Gaza?

A: I think that’s one of the reasons why no one’s really wanted to touch this issue for this age group because they conflate it with the Middle East. This is obviously the longest, deadliest, most painful war stemming from the horrific attacks of Oct. 7 that we’ve covered. But we see every time there’s an infraction, skirmishes or short-term war there is a spike in antisemitism around the world. … There’s no other country where I’d rather be a Jew than in the United States. But there isn’t a time where I don’t remember growing up, whether in Texas or in New York now, where there hasn’t been an armed guard or two or three, or a bomb threat issued, at a place of worship, a synagogue, a Jewish institution, and that’s been normalized. I mean, now I don’t feel comfortable going into a Jewish institution without security. And again, this predates Oct. 7.

Q: Was it difficult to sell this book?

A: We started bringing it to the attention of publishers about two or three months after Oct. 7, so end of December ’23 and early January ’24. And I will say, I was a bit surprised that we couldn’t get many people to bite. We’ve never written a book and we were told — and I take this at their word —that this is a very difficult age group to write for and market to in general, which is in and of itself a problem, because as we noted, they’re very smart, inquisitive, and they need materials. They shouldn’t be talked down to. We didn’t want to write a didactic book. Then we would hear six months to a year later that now may not be the right time to write a book on antisemitism. Maybe give it a year or two and we’ll see. It seemed to us the is the exact time to write a book. We just got to the point where we said let’s just self-publish, if that’s what it’s gonna take.

Q: How did you eventually find a publisher?

A: Luckily, Yonit and I weren’t shy about telling everyone we knew about this project. One night I was seated at a dinner for the Metropolitan Museum of Art next to Michael Lynton, who’s a former Sony Entertainment head and now chairman of Snap. And I told him about this book, and he said, “I’ll publish it.” He and his sister run Arcadia, which publishes regional children’s books. He said this isn’t typically the type of book we publish. But I think he really believed in the idea, and so we’re very grateful.

Q: There are some similarities between your 13-year-old son and Theo. When he read the book, was he concerned it might be too revealing?

A: No. It’s funny because I think he actually enjoyed the storylines and the plot. Sadly, I think his main concern now is this is just the reality we live in. He’s just worried about security and pushback and not wanting to draw too much attention to me or the family. I think that’s sort of a typical response you get from kids. He’s actually become much closer to his Judaism and his heritage. And he had his bar mitzvah in Israel last year. He’s wanted to go to synagogue more and he’s really taken a deep dive into his culture, which we’re very proud of.

©2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By COLLIN BINKLEY and BEN FINLEY Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The charges against the man who authorities say shot two National Guard members have been upgraded to first-degree murder after one of the soldiers died, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia announced Friday.

Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, were hospitalized in critical condition after Wednesday afternoon’s shooting in the nation’s capital. President Donald Trump announced Thursday evening that Beckstrom had died.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office said the charges against Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, now include one count of first-degree murder, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.

In an interview on Fox News, Pirro said there are “many charges to come” beyond the upgraded murder charge. She said her heart goes out to the family of Beckstrom, who volunteered to serve and “ended up being shot ambush-style on the cold streets of Washington, D.C., by an individual who will now be charged with murder in the first degree.”

Pirro declined to discuss the suspect’s motive, saying officials have been working around the clock on that question. Investigators are continuing to execute warrants in the state of Washington, where the suspect lived, and other parts of the country, she said.

Wolfe remains in “very critical condition,” West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Friday. He ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in recognition of Beckstrom’s death.

This photo provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, shows National Guard member Specialist Sarah Beckstrom. (U.S. Attorney’s Office via AP)

“These two West Virginia heroes were serving our country and protecting our nation’s capital when they were maliciously attacked,” Morrisey said. “Their courage and commitment to duty represent the very best of our state.”

People who knew the Lakanwal say he served in a CIA-backed Afghan Army unit before immigrating to the United States. Lakanwal worked in one of the special Zero Units in the southern province of Kandahar, according to a resident of the eastern Afghan province of Khost who identified himself as Lakanwal’s cousin. He said Lakanwal was originally from the province and that his brother had worked in the unit as well.

The cousin spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. He said Lakanwal had started out working as a security guard for the unit in 2012 and was later promoted to become a team leader and a GPS specialist. A former official from the unit, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said Lakanwal’s brother was a platoon leader.

Lakanwal entered the U.S. in 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden administration program that evacuated and resettled tens of thousands of Afghans after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, officials said. Lakanwal applied for asylum during the Biden administration, but his asylum was approved under the Trump administration, #AfghanEvac said in a statement.

Lakanwal has been living in Bellingham, Washington, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of Seattle, with his wife and five children, said his former landlord, Kristina Widman.

In his address to the troops Thursday, Trump said that Lakanwal “went cuckoo. I mean, he went nuts.”

The president called Beckstrom an “incredible person, outstanding in every single way.” The White House said he spoke to her parents after his remarks.

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Beckstrom had enlisted in 2023, the same year she graduated high school, and served with distinction as a military police officer with the 863rd Military Police Company, the West Virginia National Guard said in a statement.

“She exemplified leadership, dedication, and professionalism,” the statement said, adding that Beckstrom “volunteered to serve as part of Operation D.C. Safe and Beautiful, helping to ensure the safety and security of our nation’s capital.”

Trump used the announcement to say the shooting was a “terrorist attack” and criticized the Biden administration for enabling Afghans who worked with U.S. forces during the Afghanistan War to enter the U.S.

The initiative brought roughly 76,000 people to the country, many of whom had worked alongside U.S. troops and diplomats as interpreters and translators. It has since faced intense scrutiny from Trump and others over allegations of gaps in the vetting process, even as advocates say there was extensive vetting and the program offered a lifeline to people at risk of Taliban reprisals.

On Wednesday night, Trump called for the reinvestigation of all Afghan refugees who had entered under the Biden administration. The director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Joseph Edlow said in a statement that the agency would take additional steps to screen people from 19 “high-risk” countries “to the maximum degree possible.”

Edlow didn’t name the countries. But in June, the administration banned travel to the U.S. by citizens of 12 countries and restricted access from seven others, citing national security concerns.

Associated Press journalists Sarah Brumfield, Siddiqullah Alizai and Elena Becatoros contributed to this report.

By Linda Gassenheimer, Tribune News Service

Here’s a warm and comforting vegetable stew made easy with the help of your freezer. Keep the ingredients on hand, and you’ll have a hearty meal ready in minutes with almost no effort.

Use the vegetables called for in the recipe or substitute any others you have on hand using the recipe as a blueprint for quantities.

HELPFUL HINTS:

Any type of shredded cheese can be used.

The heat is up to you, add more hot pepper flakes if you like it hot.

COUNTDOWN:

Assemble ingredients.

Start stew.

While stew cooks, prepare avocado slices.

SHOPPING LIST?

To buy: 1 container frozen diced onion, 1 container frozen corn kernels, 1 container frozen lima beans, 1 can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, 1 bottle ground cumin, 1 bottle hot pepper flakes, 1 small avocado, 1 lemon, 1 bunch fresh cilantro and one package shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese.

Staples: olive oil, salt and black peppercorns.

Easy Colorful Vegetable Stew

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer. Yield 2 servings.

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup frozen diced onion

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 cups canned no-salt-added diced tomatoes with the juice

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1 cup frozen lima beans

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small avocado cut into wedges

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons reduced fat shredded Cheddar cheese

Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and cook 1 minute. Stir in cumin. Add tomatoes and their juice. Stir in the corn and lima beans. Cover with a lid and cook 5 minutes or until lima beans are tender. Add the cilantro, hot pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, toss the avocado wedges with the lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside.
Divide the stew in half and serve in two bowls. Top with the avocado wedges and sprinkle cheese over the stew.

Per serving: 425 calories (39 percent from fat), 18.6 g fat (3.2 g saturated, 9.7 g monounsaturated), 5 mg cholesterol, 14.6 g protein, 58.3 g carbohydrates, 17.2 g fiber, 124 mg sodium.

©2025 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

U.S. stocks opened with gains on the final trading day of November.

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The S&P 500 rose 0.2% and needs a slightly larger gain to avoid its first down month since April. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 138 points, and the Nasdaq gained 0.3%.

Coinbase Global added 3.6% as bitcoin rose above $92,000 after dropping to around $81,000 last week. The world’s most popular cryptocurrency is still well below its all-time high of around $125,000 set in early October.

Most tech stocks posted gains, with Meta Platforms rising 1.4% and Micron Technology adding 2.8%. But Nvidia, the market’s most valuable stock, fell 1% and is headed for a double-digit loss for the month. Oracle another high-flyer that struggled this month, fell 2.3%.

Wall Street is operating on an abbreviated schedule Friday after being closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. Stock trading closes at 1 p.m. ET.

Earlier, futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P 500 and Nasdaq were halted for hours due to a technical issue at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. CME said the problem was tied to an outage at a CyrusOne data center.

After slumping earlier this month as investors worried that many of the tech stocks that were propelled higher by the frenzy over artificial intelligence, stocks have risen for four straight trading sessions on hopes the Federal Reserve will again cut interest rates at its meeting next month.

Recent comments from Federal Reserve officials have given traders more confidence the central bank will again cut interest rates at its meeting that ends Dec. 10. Traders are betting on a nearly 87% probability that the Fed will cut next month, according to data from CME Group.

The central bank, which has already cut rates twice this year in hopes of shoring up the slowing job market, is facing an increasingly difficult decision on interest rates as inflation rises and the job market slows. Cutting interest rates further could help support the economy as employment weakens, but it could also fuel inflation. The latest round of corporate earnings reports was mostly positive, but economic data has been mixed.

The minutes of the Fed’s most recent meeting in October indicate there are likely to be strong divisions among policymakers about the Fed’s next step.

Treasury yields held mostly steady, with the 10-year yield at 4.01%.

In European trading, Germany’s DAX rose 0.3% as traders awaited inflation data set to be released later in the day.

Britain’s FTSE 100 edged up 0.3% on gains in energy and mining stocks. The CAC 40 in France also rose 0.2%.

In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed 0.2% higher to 50,253.91, rebounding from losses earlier in the day. Data showed Japan’s housing starts rose 3.2% in October from the same period a year ago, the first annual increase since March. The number defied market expectations of 5.2% decline and reversed a 7.3% drop in September.

South Korea’s Kospi dropped 1.5% after the country’s industrial production fell 4% month-on-month in October, more than the 1.1% decline in September.