10 things you need to know today: November 8, 2023

1. Democrats win elections focused on abortion rights

Democrats won in several elections Tuesday where abortion rights were on the ballot, directly or indirectly. In Ohio, voters approved an amendment enshrining abortion rights in the state's constitution. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear won a second term in deeply conservative Kentucky. Beshear had criticized Republican challenger, Daniel Cameron, the Trump-endorsed state attorney general, over his opposition to abortion in cases of rape and incest. In Virginia, Democrats held the state Senate and flipped the House in an apparent rebuke of Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), who tried to unify Republicans around his proposal to ban abortion at 15 weeks of pregnancy. In a win for Republicans, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves was reelected. Reuters, The New York Times

2. Israeli ground troops battle Hamas in 'the heart of Gaza City'

Israel's defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said Tuesday that Israeli troops were "in the heart of Gaza City." Hamas spokesperson Ghazi Hamad said from Beirut that Israel had not made major gains in the Palestinian enclave's largest city. "They never give the people the truth," he said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would control security in the Gaza Strip for "an indefinite period" as it tries to crush Hamas in response to the Palestinian militant group's Oct. 7 surprise attack, which killed about 1,400 people. Civilians are fleeing the war zone on foot as Gaza health officials say the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 10,000. The Washington Post, The Associated Press

3. Supreme Court seems likely to uphold gun ban for domestic abusers

Supreme Court justices on Tuesday appeared to lean toward upholding a federal law barring people under domestic violence restraining orders from having guns, according to court watchers. Biden administration lawyers are appealing a lower court decision that found the law violated gun rights under the Constitution's Second Amendment. The New Orleans–based U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the measure didn't meet the standard of a 2022 Supreme Court opinion requiring gun laws to be "consistent" with traditional firearm regulations. Some members of the high court's 6-3 conservative majority signaled openness to finding the law constitutional because it would disarm people deemed dangerous, not those believed to be merely irresponsible. Reuters

4. Police investigate Jewish man's death at Israel-Hamas protests

California authorities said they were investigating the death of a 69-year-old Jewish man, Paul Kessler, after an altercation between groups of pro-Israel and Pro-Palestinian protesters. Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said it wasn't "exactly crystal clear" how Kessler died. Investigators have identified the participant in a Free Palestine rally who confronted Kessler before he fell and hit his head, the Los Angeles Times reported. Fryhoff said his office was investigating but hadn't decided whether to charge anyone criminally with homicide or a hate crime, according to The New York Times. Witnesses have given "conflicting statements" about why Kessler fell and who was the aggressor. Los Angeles Times, The New York Times

5. Ex-CIA officer pleads guilty to sexual abuse

Former CIA officer Brian Jeffrey Raymond pleaded guilty to federal sexual abuse charges on Tuesday. Raymond was accused of drugging and sexually assaulting at least two dozen women while posted in several countries. He allegedly kept hundreds of photos and videos he recorded of unconscious naked women. In some cases he straddled the victims, groped them or opened their eyelids, according to prosecutors. The first images were taken in 2006. The abuse occurred in Mexico, Peru and other countries where Raymond was stationed. The case was the latest in a series of damning revelations about the agency's handling of sexual misconduct allegations. The Associated Press

6. King Charles outlines UK government plans in King's Speech

King Charles III on Tuesday delivered his first King's Speech since his coronation, outlining government priorities for the year that included tougher jail sentences and new annual licenses for North Sea fossil fuel projects. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said his proposals detailed in Charles' speech would lead to job growth, more police officers and a "brighter future" for the United Kingdom. Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labour Party, told the House of Commons that Sunak's Conservative government was "trying to save its own skin" with "more of the same." The King's Speech was probably the last ahead of general elections to be held before January 2025. BBC News

7. Citibank tells customers to go paperless or lose digital access

Citibank has told retail banking and credit card customers to switch to digital records and drop paper statements or they will lose online access. The bank said, however, that anyone who makes the switch can go back to paper if they don't like digital statements. Citibank and other financial firms have been nudging customers to drop paper statements for years, saying it is better for the environment, saves space and helps businesses cut costs. Citibank said it would invest some money it saves to expand digital services like its new Card on File capabilities. USA Today

8. House censures Rep. Rashida Tlaib over Israel criticism

The House voted 234-188 on Tuesday to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) for her criticism of Israel following Hamas' Oct. 7 surprise attack. Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, over the weekend, saying President Biden "supported the genocide of the Palestinian people." She also showed clips of protesters chanting "from the river to the sea," which she said was a call for Palestinian freedom but the Anti-Defamation League has characterized as an antisemitic call for dismantling Israel as a Jewish state. The censure motion accused Tlaib of "promoting false narratives" about Hamas' attack and "calling for the destruction of the state of Israel." Tlaib said she was simply exercising her right to freedom of speech. The Hill, NPR

9. Credit card balances soar

Credit card balances jumped to $1.08 trillion in the third quarter, the latest in a series of high marks, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said Tuesday in its Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit. That was $48 billion more than the prior quarter, and a record $154 billion increase from the same period last year. The borrowing pushed an increasing number of people to the brink of financial trouble. Household debt climbed by 1.3% to $17.29 trillion, with the rate of delinquency rising to the highest level since late 2011. CNN

10. Witness tells Covid inquiry Boris Johnson asked to be 'injected with Covid'

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson "wanted to be injected with Covid-19" when he was in office to quell public fears about the pandemic, a former aide, Lord Edward Udny-Lister, said in a witness statement to the British Covid inquiry. Lister said Johnson told his advisers he wanted to get the injection "on television to demonstrate to the public that it did not pose a threat." The discussion occurred "when Covid was not seen as being the serious disease it subsequently became," Lister reportedly said. He also testified that Johnson later said it would be better to let "the bodies pile high" than impose another lockdown. The report was the latest in a series of embarrassing revelations about Johnson's Covid response. BBC News