10 things you need to know today: December 29, 2019

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1. Attacker stabs, wounds 5 people at New York Hanukkah celebration
2. 5 killed in Louisiana plane crash
3. LSU, Clemson advance to CFP National Championship
4. Ukraine releases pro-Russia separatist detainees in prisoner exchange
5. Protesters gather in Hong Kong despite pouring rain
6. Mass killings reached new high in U.S. in 2019
7. North Korea holds major political conference ahead of U.S. negotiations deadline
8. NASA astronaut sets record for longest space mission by a woman
9. Ivanka Trump hints at possibly leaving White House if her father is re-elected
10. Serena Williams named AP Female Athlete of The Decade

last updated 29 December 2019

1. Attacker stabs, wounds 5 people at New York Hanukkah celebration

Police said a man stabbed and wounded five people with a large knife at a rabbi's home in Monsey, New York, on Saturday night. People were gathered at the house to celebrate the seventh night of Hanukkah when the attacker burst in and created what has been described as a terrifying scene. The suspect then reportedly tried to enter a synagogue next door, but people inside reportedly heard screams from the neighboring house and locked the door. The suspect was reportedly apprehended in New York City, about 30 miles from the scene of the attack. Police have not indicated whether they were investigating the violence as an anti-Semitic hate crime, but the New York area has recently seen a series of high profile attacks against its Jewish communities. Monsey is an area with a large population of ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Five people were killed and six more injured Saturday after a small, twin-engine plane headed to Atlanta crashed shortly after take off in Lafayette, Louisiana. The five people killed were on board the plane including the pilot. The passengers, including New Orleans sports journalist Carly McCord, were en route to Atlanta for the LSU-Oklahoma college football semi-final. McCord's father-in-law is LSU offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger. A sixth passenger on the plane survived the crash and is in critical condition. The other injuries were sustained by people on the ground. A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said the cause of the crash was still unknown, but weather conditions were listed as foggy throughout Saturday morning when the plane took off.

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No. 1 Louisiana State University dominated No. 4 University of Oklahoma in the first College Football Playoff semi-final Saturday, 63-28. LSU's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow tossed a record-breaking seven touchdowns in the first half before finishing with 493 passing yards. The second matchup between No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Clemson University was much more competitive. Clemson, the defending national champions, fell behind 16-0 early, but stormed back to snag a 29-23 victory. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence connected with running back Travis Etienne for a 34-yard go-ahead touchdown with just under two minutes remaining. LSU and Clemson will square off on Jan. 13 in an all-Tiger CFP National Championship

The Ukrainian government began a prisoner exchange with pro-Russia separatists Sunday in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. The two sides have been engaged in conflict for almost six years. The self-declared Donetsk People's Republic agreed to return 55 prisoners to Kyiv, which in turn released 87 detainees to the separatists. The swap isn't considered a major step toward peace, but should help improve relations between Ukraine and Russia. It's the second exchange between the nations, following another one in September that saw 24 Ukrainian sailors seized by Russia return home. Not everyone in Ukraine was pleased with Sunday's developments — some activists opposed to the exchange reportedly blockaded the exit from the prison holding the pro-Russia detainees.

Despite pouring rain, a crowd of reportedly more than 1,000 people gathered in Hong Kong on Sunday to continue the city's anti-government, pro-democracy protest movement that is nearing its seventh month. The crowd reportedly consisted of people of all ages wearing surgical masks and chanting pro-democracy slogans. Sunday's demonstration precedes several more planned for this week including a New Year's Day march that could possibly draw a large crowd — the organizer, Civil Human Rights Front, is anticipating 32,000 participants. Police did not object to the march, but said they reserved the right to end it if things take a turn.

A database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today, and Northeastern University showed that there were more mass killings in the United States in 2019 than any year dating back to the 1970s despite the country's overall homicide rate dropping. In total, there were 41 mass killings — which is defined as an event in which four or more people are killed — including 33 mass shootings. More than 210 people were killed as a result of the violence. While some of the killings resounded nationally, such as mass shootings in El Paso and Odessa, Texas; Dayton, Ohio; Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Jersey City, New Jersey, many of them flew under the radar and involved people who knew each other.

North Korean state media Sunday announced that Pyongyang launched a major political conference ahead of a year-end deadline the country set for the United States to offer concessions amid stalled denuclearization negotiations. The meeting will reportedly focus on how the country plans to address the "harsh trials and difficulties" it faces, including national defense. Observers are keeping a close eye on the conference as some suspect Pyongyang may announce its plans to abandon diplomacy with the U.S. during it and begin major weapons tests again after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un agreed to suspend activity in April 2018.

NASA astronaut Christina Koch on Saturday set the record for the single longest space mission by a woman, surpassing her mentor Peggy Whitson who was in space for 289 days, 5 hours, and 1 minute in 2017. Koch set off for the International Space Station on March 14 — she was initially supposed to remain there for a typical six-month session, but her stay was extended until February 2020 in part so she could collect more data about the effects of long-duration spaceflight. If she heads back when scheduled, Koch will have spent 328 days in space, which is just 12 days short of Scott Kelly's record of 340. "Having the opportunity to be up here for so long is truly an honor," Koch said.

President Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, who serves as a White House adviser, would not commit to remaining in the administration if her father is re-elected in 2020. During an interview, she told CBS' Margaret Brennan that she is "driven first and foremost" by her children "and their happiness," which means her professional decisions have to remain flexible. Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, both played roles in President Trump's 2016 campaign and have been by his side in the White House since he took over the Oval Office in 2017. Critics on both sides of the aisle have questioned their roles in the administration, with conservatives suspecting they have undermined parts of the president's agenda, Fox News reports.

Tennis player Serena Williams was named The Associated Press' "Female Athlete of The Decade" on Saturday, a well-deserved bookend to a dominate 10-year stretch. The 38-year-old won 12 Grand Slam singles titles between 2010 and 2019 (giving her 23 total for her career), which is all the more impressive considering no other women's player had more than three titles during that stretch. Williams also won gold medals in the 2012 Olympics in both singles and doubles alongside her sister, Venus Williams, and she became the oldest woman ever to win a Grand Slam singles trophy in the professional era. The on-court performances were stellar, but Williams also "transcended" the sport off it, AP reports.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.