What We're Watching

Hard Numbers: Russia-Ukraine war hits grim milestone, Amazon kills hybrid work policy, Zimbabwe makes ‘tough but humane choice’ to cull elephants, Ohio city faces deluge of hoaxes after Trump’s false claims

​A Ukrainian serviceman commemorates his brothers-in-arms at a makeshift memorial for fallen Ukrainian soldiers on the Day of Remembrance of Ukraine's Defenders, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, on August 29, 2024
A Ukrainian serviceman commemorates his brothers-in-arms at a makeshift memorial for fallen Ukrainian soldiers on the Day of Remembrance of Ukraine's Defenders, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, at Independence Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, on August 29, 2024
(Photo by Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto)

1 million: Roughly one million people have been killed or wounded on both sides in the Russia-Ukraine war, according to a new Wall Street Journal report, which cited Western intelligence estimates and a confidential Ukrainian assessment. The ongoing war is expected to be a big topic as world leaders gather in New York City for UNGA this month. GZERO will be on the ground at UNGA — keep an eye out for our coverage.

5: In a move that’s sure to boost morale, Amazon is ordering its workers to return to office five days a week starting in January — as more and more companies reinstitute pre-pandemic practices and target hybrid work policies. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said this would help workers be “better set up to invent, collaborate, and be connected enough to each other.”

200: Zimbabwe is planning to cull 200 elephants — the nation’s first culling of the animals since 1988 — to help feed people amid food shortages brought on by drought. The country is home to roughly 84,000 elephants, the second-largest population in the world. Authorities say this is more elephants than Zimbabwe’s parks can handle and that the culling will help address overpopulation issues. “Culling elephants is a tough but humane choice,” Secretary for Information and Publicity Nick Mangwanaposted on X.

30: Springfield, Ohio, has been hit with more than 30 bomb threats, all of which turned out to be hoaxes, since former President Donald Trump pushed the baseless claim that Haitian immigrants in the city were eating dogs and cats. “The vast majority of the bomb threats came from foreign countries. Not 100%, but it’s the vast majority,” a spokesperson for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday.

More For You

Casino depicting things commonly bet on by political betters.
Paige Fusco

The day before the United States and Israel struck Iran on February 28, more than 150 accounts on Polymarket correctly bet it would happen on that specific date.

Last week, Microsoft announced Microsoft Elevate for Changemakers, a new initiative designed to help nonprofit leaders confidently navigate the AI era. The program provides essential AI credentials, access to a peer community, and role-based resources to support responsible, mission-driven AI adoption. Part of Microsoft’s broader Elevate commitment, the initiative builds on the company’s 50-year legacy of supporting nonprofits worldwide. Microsoft partners with nearly one million nonprofit and education organizations globally and will deliver more than $5 billion in discounts, donations, and grants in the coming year. By equipping those closest to social challenges with the tools to lead, Microsoft Elevate for Changemakers helps ensure nonprofits remain at the forefront of AI-powered solutions. Read the full blog here.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office, as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum look on, on the day he signs an executive order, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 23, 2025.
REUTERS/Kent Nishimura

The US president has now suggested several times that the Iran war could end without reopening the Strait of Hormuz.