Daily Briefing: 'Chief Twit' is in charge

Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY
·6 min read
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk has taken over social media platform Twitter. Also in the news: North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea Friday morning. Tonight, the Astros and Phillies face off in Game 1 of the MLB World Series.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Looking for a good horror film to watch this Hallo-weekend? We've ranked the 75 best of this century.

Now, here we go with Friday's news.

Musk in control of Twitter, ousts top executives

Two people familiar with the deal say that Elon Musk is in control of Twitter and has ousted the CEO, chief financial officer and the company’s chief lawyer. The people wouldn’t say if all the paperwork for the sale, originally valued at $44 billion, had been signed or if the deal has closed, the Associated Press reported. Neither person wanted to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the personnel moves. The departures come just hours before the deal was expected to be finalized on Friday, the deadline set by a Delaware judge who threatened to schedule a trial if no agreement was reached. Read more

Elon Musk took control of Twitter and fired its top executives, US media reported late October 27, 2022, hours before the deadline for the billionaire to seal his on-again, off-again deal to purchase the social media network.
Elon Musk took control of Twitter and fired its top executives, US media reported late October 27, 2022, hours before the deadline for the billionaire to seal his on-again, off-again deal to purchase the social media network.

North Korea fires missiles toward sea as US warns over nukes

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea on Friday in its first ballistic weapons launches in two weeks, as the U.S. military warned the North about the consequences of any nuclear weapons. South Korea’s military detected the two launches from the North’s eastern coastal Tongchon area around midday local time on Friday, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The Pentagon’s National Defense Strategy report issued on Thursday stated that any nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies and partners “will result in the end of that regime.” Read more

People watch a television broadcast showing a file image of a North Korean missile launch at the Seoul Railway Station on October 28, 2022 in Seoul, South Korea.
People watch a television broadcast showing a file image of a North Korean missile launch at the Seoul Railway Station on October 28, 2022 in Seoul, South Korea.

More news to know now

🌤 What's the weather this weekend? Check your local forecast here.

RSV is filling up hospitals with kids. Here's what we know about this respiratory virus.

A surge in respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV, in children and infants is threatening to overwhelm hospitals across the country. The typical RSV season begins in November and fades out in March, but health experts say the respiratory virus appeared earlier this year as the country enters its first season without COVID-19 measures. Read more

One thing to know: Due to COVID-19 mitigation measures, infants were less likely to be exposed to viruses like RSV during the pandemic and build immunity, experts say.

  • ''An immunity debt'': Infants under 6 months are vulnerable to RSV-related complications because of their naive immune systems and small respiratory airways, health experts say.

  • Is there a vaccine? No, and there aren't antivirals either. Although most cases of RSV resolve at home with supportive care, health experts say parents should be on the lookout for signs their child may need to go to the hospital.

  • Did I hear ''tridemic''? It's when coronavirus, the flu and RSV - a common respiratory virus, all peak at the same time and that possibility has hospitals across the country on high alert.

Early voting has begun in Texas. Here’s what to know about voting rights in 2022

In the first major test of a GOP-driven rewrite of state voting laws, Texans are returning to the polls for 12 days of early voting before the big event — Election Day on Nov. 8. The race for governor between GOP Gov. Greg Abbott and his Democratic challenger, Beto O'Rourke, has grabbed attention. But it is only one of many races to be decided this year in a state where Republicans are leading in the polls and have dominated statewide politics for more than two decades. Democrats, meanwhile, aspire to turn Texas into a battleground state. Here’s what to know about the new voting laws in Texas.

Republican gubernatorial victories could propel candidates such as Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida or Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas to become the next GOP presidential nominee. Democratic gains could help President Joe Biden win reelection.
Republican gubernatorial victories could propel candidates such as Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida or Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas to become the next GOP presidential nominee. Democratic gains could help President Joe Biden win reelection.

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What to watch in the 2022 World Series

When the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies face off in Game 1 of this 118th World Series beginning Friday night at Minute Maid Park, the matchup looks simple on paper but intriguing enough to give any observer pause. One thing to notice: the AL and NL champions are expected to play without any U.S.-born Black players for the first time since 1950, shortly after Jackie Robinson broke the Major League Baseball color barrier. Here's a look at four things to watch in this Philly-Houston battle.

  • Dusty Baker, one of two Black MLB managers, laments lack of U.S.-born Black players in World Series.

  • ''Choose your battles'': How the NFL chased MLB World Series off football's holy day.

Oct 27, 2022; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker Jr. (12) answers questions from the press at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, on October 27, 2022.
Oct 27, 2022; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker Jr. (12) answers questions from the press at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, on October 27, 2022.

📷 Photo of the day: It's Week 8 of the 2022 NFL season 📷

The Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings, all division leaders, return to action after Week 7 byes. The NFC East-leading Eagles (6-0) are aiming to get off to their best start since 2004. Week 8 features three intrastate battles. Two of the games make USA TODAY Sports’ top five games of the week. Here are this week’s best NFL matchups.

Click here to see more photos of NFL Week 8.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (10) catches a pass while defended by Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum.
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (10) catches a pass while defended by Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Zyon McCollum.

One more thing

Simona Halep plays a forehand during the U.S. Open on Aug 29, 2022.
Simona Halep plays a forehand during the U.S. Open on Aug 29, 2022.

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: Elon Musk, North Korea, MLB World Series, RSV: Daily Briefing