Daily Briefing: Biden's hopes of de-escalation

Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY
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President Joe Biden arrived in Israel Wednesday in an effort to stave off a wider conflict in the Middle East, saying it appears Israel was not behind a deadly blast at a Gaza City hospital. Also in the news: Congressmember Jim Jordan will try again for House speaker Wednesday and prosecutors will seek to recharge Alec Baldwin in relation to the "Rust" movie set shooting.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Make your work day easier with these Google Docs tips.

Now here we go with Wednesday's news.

Biden says hospital explosion appears to be done 'by other team,' not Israel

President Joe Biden said Wednesday it appears Israel was not responsible for a hospital bombing in Gaza City that killed hundreds of people. But the president stressed that "a lot of people out there" aren't sure of who caused the blast and added, "We've got to overcome a lot of things."

Biden is in Israel where he will have the difficult job of demonstrating strong support for America’s closest ally in the Middle East while trying to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from expanding into a larger conflict.

To receive more updates from USA TODAY on the Israel and Hamas war, sign up for our weekday briefing. And here's our advice for having sensitive conversations about the war with family and friends.

A Palestinian child is carried inside the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis in the southern of Gaza Strip, on October 17, 2023.
A Palestinian child is carried inside the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis in the southern of Gaza Strip, on October 17, 2023.

Jim Jordan loses first speaker of the House vote

Having lost the first vote to become House speaker, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, will try a decisive second ballot. Wednesday's House vote will test whether the hard-edged ally of Donald Trump can win over the holdouts or if his bid for the gavel is collapsing. House Republicans nominated Jordan to the speakership last week. But his chances of earning 217 votes – the magic number needed to become speaker – appeared to get murkier after 20 of his fellow Republicans voted against him Tuesday afternoon. Read more

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee talks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol. House lawmakers held a vote to elect a new speaker in Washington on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee talks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol. House lawmakers held a vote to elect a new speaker in Washington on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023.

More news to know now

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Police departments facing recruitment 'crisis,' DOJ reports

Police departmentsare grappling with "an historic crisis in recruiting and retaining" officers because of a tight labor market during the pandemic and community frustrations, the Justice Department said, recommending a series of policy changes Tuesday to find and keep officers. The recommendations came in response to a survey of 182 police agencies across 38 states and D.C. that found a decline in sworn officers and hiring that couldn’t keep pace with losses. Read more

Scholastic book fair is slammed by librarians over inclusion

Scholastic, the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books, is separating some books with LGBTQ themes and discussions of race in a special book fair collection, which elementary schools can opt into – or out of.  The collection – called “Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice” – was originally curated, the company said, to protect teachers and librarians in the dozens of states and districts that have passed laws or policies prohibiting specific types of books from being in schools. But the effort has left some authors and librarians dismayed.

Quick hits

Prosecutors seek to recharge Alec Baldwin in 'Rust' shooting

Special prosecutors are seeking to recharge actor Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie in New Mexico two years ago. New Mexico-based prosecutors Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis said they'll present evidence to grand jury within the next two months, noting that "additional facts" have come to light in the October 2021 fatal shooting on the set of "Rust" during filming on the outskirts of Santa Fe. Read more

Photo of the day: Lionel Messi strikes back

Messi scored two goals and played all 93 minutes to spark Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Peru in their 2026 World Cup qualifying match at Estadio Nacional de Lima in Peru on Tuesday night. Read more

Lionel Messi celebrates with teammate Enzo Fernandez after scoring against Peru.
Lionel Messi celebrates with teammate Enzo Fernandez after scoring against Peru.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel-Hamas War, Jim Jordan, Alec Baldwin, Lionel Messi: Daily Briefing