THE WEEKLY STEEP

The Treasure Hunt continues. The clues are adding up, the glow is deepening, and the journey is moving steadily forward. This Week’s Word (Week 4): 🗝️ Our. A small word that carries belonging and intention. Let it guide you as you read through the week ahead.

Table of Contents

WHAT’S BREWING

U.S.: The U.S. reopened after the longest shutdown on record and the country exhaled, but only for a moment. Chinese hackers pushed AI-powered attacks, border surveillance ramped up, and Blue Origin hit a major space milestone. Trump and Melania rolled out a new Executive Order, and Trump followed it by calling on the DOJ to investigate Democrats tied to Jeffrey Epstein. Relief arrived, but the week stayed restless.

  • After Email Release, Trump Seeks DOJ Probe on Epstein Links: He singles out Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman and JPMorgan. Read More

  • US and China Agree on Fentanyl: A deal to curb precursor chemicals moves forward. Read More

  • Hackers Tap Anthropic AI: China-linked groups use AI to speed up attacks. Read More

  • CIA Ran Secret Afghan Operation: A covert mission targeted poppy and heroin networks. Read More

  • Trump and Melania Sign Executive Order: A new foster-care initiative takes shape. Read More

  • Blue Origin Scores Space Win: New Glenn lifts off and lands after deploying NASA probes. Read More

Global: Energy pressure, military disasters, and cultural flashpoints shaped the world this week. From record Russian LNG flows to museum losses and Olympic legal battles, governments moved through a mix of crisis response and geopolitical strain. Across continents, pressure kept building, from fractured geopolitics to media storms like the BBC facing heat over a doctored clip of Trump’s speech.

  • BBC Apologises to Trump Over Doctored Clip: Broadcaster issues letter, rejects basis for defamation claim. Read More

  • Russia Sends Record LNG to Europe: Sanctions hold, but demand keeps shipments high. Read More

  • Turkish Military Plane Crash Kills 20: A C-130 transport aircraft went down near Tbilisi. Read More

  • Roman-Era Statues Stolen in Syria: Thieves exploited weakened security to take priceless artifacts. Read More

  • Olympics Moves Toward Ban on Transgender Women: An IOC shift sparks immediate legal challenges. Read More

South Asia: Terror attacks, accidental blasts and shifting politics shaped the region this week. Delhi confirmed the Red Fort explosion as a terror strike, Srinagar reeled from an accidental police-station blast, and Islamabad faced another suicide attack. Meanwhile, the NDA swept Bihar in a decisive win, and India pushed ahead with new Vande Bharat routes and strengthened ties with Bhutan despite the turbulence.

  • Delhi Red Fort Car Blast Classified as Terror Attack: Thirteen killed and more than twenty injured. Read More

  • Accidental Blast at Srinagar’s Nowgam Police Station: Eight personnel injured handling seized explosives. Read More

  • Suicide Blast Outside Islamabad Court: Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claims responsibility. Read More

  • Four New Vande Bharat Routes Launched: India adds key semi-high-speed lines across states. Read More

  • Modi Strengthens Ties in Bhutan: Hydropower deals and cultural engagements deepen the partnership. Read More 

The Scene: Warren Buffett said he’s taking a quiet break, adding that if you don’t know what to say, say nothing, a moment that gave soft end-of-an-era vibes. The week didn’t listen. A possible 107 percent tariff on Italian pasta sparked a national carb crisis, the Mint prepared its final penny, and Harvard admitted it may have handed out too many A’s. Apple revealed the iPhone Pocket, a woman in Japan married an AI persona, and Kim Kardashian joked she’s losing hope in psychics after another bar exam miss. China tested a drug that claims it could stretch life to 150, the U.S. tightened visa rules for travelers with high health risks, and Martin Scorsese hosted a New York screening of India’s Oscar entry Homebound. A geomagnetic storm lit up the US in neon skies, and Brooklyn brought its own glow with a bhangra night at Barclays.

MONEY MOVES

Money moved fast this week. Inflation data glitched into the void, Thursday delivered the market’s sourest mood in months, and Michael Burry packed up Scion like the final scene of The Big Short. X launched encrypted chat, Trump pitched 50-year mortgages, tech kept shifting how we pay, and crypto crashed with Bitcoin sliding toward $94K on long-term holders’ selloff.

PLAY BY PLAY

  • Cricket: Ind v SA: South Africa, after choosing to bat first, were bowled out for just 159, with Jasprit Bumrah running riot and India reigning in control. At stumps India sit at 37/1, trailing by 122 runs (Day 1).

  • NBA: The Hawks cooked the Jazz 132-122 behind Jalen Johnson’s outrageous 31-18-14-7 night, easily the week’s top play. The Suns blasted the Pacers 133-98 for their fifth straight win, and the Raptors stayed hot with a 126-113 takedown of the Cavs.

  • NFL: In the AFC, the Patriots are 9-2, with the Colts and Broncos right behind at 8-2. The Chiefs still lurk, the Ravens are rising and the Bengals aren’t done yet. In the NFC, the Eagles, Rams and Seahawks sit at 7-2, the Lions look legit and the Packers are hanging on.

  • F1: Lando Norris owned São Paulo from lights to flag, tightening McLaren’s constructors’ grip. Verstappen climbed from the pit lane to P3 with 18 overtakes and a full 25 points, setting up a fiery Vegas showdown on November 21.

  • Shooting: Samrat Rana made history in Cairo, becoming the first Indian to win gold in the men’s 10m air pistol at the ISSF World Championships. The 20-year-old edged China’s Hu Kai 245.5 to 244.5.

Garam Chai: Steph Curry and Under Armour just ended their 13-year run. Steph’s stepping out, UA’s in full “new me” mode, and the breakup is surprisingly drama-free for how spicy it sounds. Read More

RAISING ROOTS: The ‘Little’ Celebration That Still Makes Us Smile

Children’s Day arrives each year as a small reminder that childhood is meant to feel light. India marks the day for Chacha Nehru, who believed curiosity was a child’s first right. It’s a celebration of joy, kindness, and the little moments that shape us long after school ends. Here’s to the little moments that keep childhood bright. Read more

LIVING WELL: K-Pop, Grammy Pride and the New Sound Living Inside South Asian American Homes

If you grew up with Bollywood ballads on Sundays, Punjabi beats in the car, and K-pop choreography slipping into your Reels, this week’s Grammy news probably felt personal. Katseye’s nominations are not just about a rising group, they reflect something many South Asian American homes quietly knew long before the awards did. The world is finally moving at the rhythm of our playlists. Settle in with your chai. This one is all feeling and insight. Read more

COSMIC CHAI: Weekly Horoscope (Nov 14-21)

Mood: What frayed now finds thread. Last week unraveled old truths, this one offers quiet tools to mend them. Mercury moves backward through memory, inviting repair in words unspoken. Venus in Scorpio deepens feeling; Mars in Sagittarius lights a faint path forward. The pace is slow, but the stitching is sacred. Weekly Wisdom: Healing isn’t loud. It’s the quiet choice to keep showing up. Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Uranus continue influencing truth-telling, inner edits, and brave recalibrations all week. Full Horoscopes

Key Date/s:

  • Nov 21: The Sun enters Sagittarius, lifting the veil and sparking curiosity and momentum

EDITOR'S PICK: Family Man (Season 3)

Season 3 arrives on November 21, making this the ideal moment to revisit one of India’s sharpest, wittiest and most heartfelt series. The Family Man follows an everyman intelligence officer juggling national stakes and family chaos, often in the same breath. It blends humor, tension and emotion with the ease of a late-night chai conversation, capturing modern India with honesty, grit and moments of surprising tenderness.

If you’re looking for a show that keeps you thinking long after the credits roll, this one holds up beautifully. Smart writing, grounded performances and world-class storytelling remind us why certain stories travel everywhere. It’s the perfect rewatch before Season 3 drops

UPCOMING WEEK

  • Nov 14: Children’s Day in India

  • Nov 15: America Recycles Day

  • Nov 18: National Adoption Day & Mickey Mouse’s birthday

  • Nov 19: International Men’s Day

  • Nov 20: World Children’s Day