Is this big bill delivering on climate?

Is last year's massive infrastructure act really fighting climate change? Donald Trump to be questioned in a defamation lawsuit. And a special quarter will be rolling out soon.

👋 Hey! Laura Davis here. Half of the week is already over, but we've got a whole bunch of news. Let's do this.

But first, the Great Pumpkin is in a different patch this year. 🎃 "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is a Halloween staple for generations of viewers. Along with the other Peanuts holiday classics, it won't be on public TV this year, but you can still watch it for free. Here's how.

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Is the 2021 infrastructure bill living up to its climate pledge?

When President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan infrastructure bill last November, it was hailed as a historic effort to tackle climate change. The promises made by the bill were numerous. It would help transition the nation to cleaner sources of energy, the administration said, while electrifying the transportation sector and preparing roads and bridges for a changing world. Almost a year later, are those promises meeting reality?

Trump faces questioning in E. Jean Carroll lawsuit

After a long legal battle to avoid testifying, former President Donald Trump is scheduled to be questioned under oath Wednesday in a defamation lawsuit filed against him in 2019 by E. Jean Carroll. She's the journalist, author and former advice columnist for Elle magazine who's accused Trump of raping her in a New York City department store more than two decades ago. Here's what we know.

• What does E. Jean Carroll allege? In a book called, "What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal," Carroll described an alleged assault in which Trump forced himself on her in a dressing room in the Bergdorf Goodman's department store during the 1990s after asking her to try on lingerie.

• What has Trump said? He denied ever knowing or meeting her – even though a photo shows the two together – and said Carroll was "not my type."

What everyone's talking about

• Simone Biles: How I'm using my voice to help others reach their dreams.

• NBA opening night winners and losers: Warriors get rings, down Lakers.

• Cardi B in court, accused of misusing tattoo in 'raunchy' mixtape art.

• 'He was a yeller': Anna Faris names director she accused of harassment.

• James Corden got skewered over dining manners. Don't be a toxic customer.

• Brown v. Board ruling: SCOTUS affirmative action cases spark heated debate over meaning.

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Martial law declared in illegally annexed regions of Ukraine

As Ukraine troops keep up their unrelenting drive to retain control, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared martial law Wednesday in the four regions of Ukraine illegally annexed by Moscow. Putin provided few details of what martial law would entail, but restrictions on travel and public gatherings, tighter censorship and broader authority for law enforcement agencies are likely. Putin gave additional emergency powers to the Russia-appointed heads of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Ukrainian troops have retaken land in all four of the regions.

• 'You can't force love': Russia closer to severing ties to West.

• 📸 Photos: Russian drones bomb Ukraine capital Kyiv.

⛽ Will gas prices go up?

Two groups of oil-producing countries, known as OPEC and OPEC+, are reducing global oil production by two million barrels a day. The U.S. is planning to tap into its oil reserves, which are at their lowest capacity in nearly 40 years. Will it be enough to keep gas prices from shooting higher? A look at how oil production reduction could affect prices as the pump.

• Energy price shuffle: Winter utility bills will cancel out gas savings.

Radioactive waste found at Missouri elementary school

How could weapons dumped half a century ago put students at risk today? Radioactive waste. Students at Jana Elementary School in Florissant, Missouri, were switched to virtual learning after "unacceptably high" levels of radioactive waste were found in classrooms, the library, the HVAC system, the playground and nearby fields. The school board apologized to parents and said it's doing everything in its power to clean up. But parents say they're furious they weren't told sooner. Jana Elementary is located close to an area contaminated when radioactive waste from World War II weapons was dumped in the 1940s and 1950s.

Real quick

• Judge: Trump allegedly engaged in 'conspiracy to defraud' US, knew fraud claim was wrong.

• Rolls-Royce unveils its first fully electric car. See the new luxury EV.

• COVID-19 contributed to a quarter of maternal deaths over 2 years.

• 'Huge swing': Schwarber's majestic homer lifts Phillies over Padres.

• Report: Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft get in verbal spat at owners meeting.

• CDC study: Allergy meds may play deadly role in the opioid epidemic.

• Parents of 15-year-old accused in N.C. mass shooting say they saw no warning signs.

🌤 What's the weather up to in your neck of the woods? Check your local forecast here.

Groundbreaking movie star to be first Asian American on US currency

Coming soon to a pocket near you! As part of the U.S. Mint's American Women Quarters series, the first U.S. quarter featuring an Asian American will go into circulation on Oct. 24. An image of Anna May Wong – considered the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood – will appear on the "tails" side of the coin, opposite George Washington. Wong, born 1905 in Los Angeles, was a trailblazing actor in the 20th century during the rise of the film industry and a champion for Asian American representation in film. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960, the year before she died. See the new quarter here.

A break from the news

• 🏰 Disneyland vs. Disney World: How to choose which park to visit.

• 🛒 Want a lower grocery bill? How to save by shopping strategically.

• 📲 Say bye-bye to typos: How to edit text messages on your iPhone.

• 💌'What does it mean if my partner looks at racy pictures on social media?'

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Send her an email at laura@usatoday.com or follow along with her adventures – and misadventures – on Twitter. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2021 infrastructure act, Putin declares martial law, E. Jean Carroll lawsuit, radioactive waste, Anna May Wong. Wednesday's news.