Bondi Beach Shooters Appeared Radicalized by ISIS, Officials Say; New York Childcare Debate and Brown Shooting Details

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said investigators believe the gunmen who attacked a Hanukkah gathering at Bondi Beach — killing more than a dozen Jewish worshippers — appear to have been radicalized by the Islamic State. Authorities reported finding homemade ISIS flags and undetonated improvised explosive devices in the vehicle believed to have been driven by the suspects, Indian national Sajid Akram and his Australian-born son, Naveed Akram.

Australian officials also disclosed that both men traveled to the Philippines in November and listed Davao as their final destination; authorities are probing whether that trip is connected to the attack. Philippine immigration records show the pair arrived together on Nov. 1 and departed on Nov. 28. Parts of the southern Philippines remain an area of known Islamic State activity, which investigators say makes the travel itinerary a significant lead.

Records and reporting indicate Naveed Akram had drawn law enforcement attention in 2019. He was reportedly close to Isaac El Matari, who was arrested and later imprisoned for plotting an IS-linked insurgency in Australia. Sources say Matari was part of a cell that included several Sydney men later convicted on terrorism charges; those men were also said to have ties to Naveed. At the time, Naveed reportedly studied Arabic and Koranic recitation.

Sajid Akram was a licensed firearm owner in Australia, having qualified through membership in a local shooting club. Authorities continue to investigate motive, any outside support or coordination, and the timeline that led to the attack.

Scenes From New York: Child Care Debate

In New York, mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is preparing to press his campaign promise for universal, government-funded child care. A recent Siena University poll found roughly two-thirds of New York voters support the proposal and would back funding it through higher taxes on those earning more than $1 million a year.

Critics caution that universal child care faces steep costs because it is labor-intensive. Economic analyst Jordan McGillis wrote that child care is a clear example of the Baumol effect, where wages in labor-heavy sectors rise even when productivity is flat, because employers must compete for workers. Worker pay typically comprises about 60–80% of a daycare’s operating budget. Mamdani’s plan would extend coverage to infants as young as six weeks, requiring higher caregiver-to-child ratios and further increasing costs. Some analysts argue means-tested approaches target need more efficiently, while proponents say universality builds broader political support — a point former Mayor Bill de Blasio has publicly acknowledged.

I will discuss these and related topics on this week’s Reason Roundtable; expect coverage of policy details and implementation challenges.

Other Items: Brown University Shooting

Additional reporting has identified two victims of a separate campus shooting at Brown University. The Wall Street Journal reported that Ella Cook, a mathematics standout from Alabama who planned to study in Paris, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, the son of doctors from Uzbekistan with ambitions to become a neurosurgeon, were shot in a lecture hall while preparing for an economics final. The incident has prompted renewed discussion about campus safety and mental health resources.

Separately, Megan McArdle published a personal essay, "The Brother I Lost," reflecting on abortion, grief, and the experience of losing parents, while broader debates continue about generational dynamics and diversity, equity, and inclusion on campuses.

Sources: Reporting by Australian authorities and The New York Times on the Bondi Beach attack, The Washington Post and other outlets on child care economics, and The Wall Street Journal on the Brown University shooting. This piece originally appeared on Reason.com.