Daily Briefing: When children pay the cost of war
Six times more children have been killed in the last three weeks in Gaza than in the 18-month Ukraine war. Also in the news: A tragedy in Lewiston, Maine, may be the nation's worst-ever mass shooting affecting the deaf community and a Supreme Court case about an emoji could impact social media discourse about public officials.
🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Next year may be your moment to see the Northern lights.
Here's the news to know Monday.
Harrowing deaths reported among minors in Israel-Hamas war
In the three weeks since the Israel-Hamas war began, nearly 3,200 children have been killed in Gaza alone, in addition to 33 in the occupied West Bank and 29 in Israel.
Reported deaths among minors in Gaza, where more than 40% of the population is under 18, are more than the number of children killed in armed conflicts anywhere in the world for a whole year over the last three years, according to international charity Save the Children.
Despite losses, the battle continues: Israeli troops and armor have expanded their assault deeper into the northern Gaza Strip, reaching built-up areas amid continued bombardment.
"Civil order is starting to break down” in Gaza as thousands of desperate people broke into warehouses and distribution centers to take food and other supplies after Israeli ground forces moved in, U.N. officials said.
The threat of antisemitism: An angry crowd of hundreds stormed onto the landing field of the main airport in the predominantly Muslim region of Dagestan in Russia, protesting the arrival of a plane from Israel. Russian news reports said protesters shouted antisemitic slogans and tried to storm the plane.
Related: Presisent Joe Biden told Israel to ''operate by the rules of war.'' But a ground invasion is bloody, fraught and expensive.
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How the mass shooting in Maine impacted the deaf community
The shooting deaths of four deaf people in Maine during the Lewiston rifle rampage last week that killed 18 people appears to be the worst-ever mass shooting affecting the deaf community, according to advocates. Among the dead are Steve Vozzella, Brian MacFarlane, Billy Brackett, and Joshua Seal, who were playing in a weekly cornhole tournament for deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Experts say the shooting was likely particularly traumatic for deaf and hard-of-hearing survivors because they might have not known to take cover when the gunshots first sounded, and would have struggled to know when the shooting ended or even whether nearby friends were alive. Read more
Maine police were alerted weeks ago about threats from the mass shooting suspect.
Lewiston area residents spent two days in lockdown, but the fear has lasted longer.
More news to know now
Two people were killed and 18 injured after a fight erupted in a Tampa, Florida, street between two groups.
House Republicans clashed with fellow lawmakers over Israel and Ukraine aid.
Gas prices are going down, but that could change.
USA TODAY Exclusive: Alaska's snow crabs suddenly vanished. Will history repeat itself as waters warm?
For subscribers: Here's how the US regulates fuel economy for cars and trucks.
On today's 5 Things podcast, some tips for Medicare open enrollment. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.
What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
An end to the six-week autoworkers' strike?
The United Auto Workers union has widened its strike against General Motors, the lone holdout among the three Detroit automakers, after reaching a tentative contract agreement with Stellantis. The escalated walkout began Saturday at a Spring Hill, Tennessee, plant - GM’s largest in North America, just hours after the Stellantis deal was reached. The union has been on strike at targeted facilities against all three automakers since mid-September, but the union ended its strike against Ford after announcing the tentative agreement there. The Stellantis deal mirrors the pact with Ford and saves jobs at an Illinois factory Stellantis had planned to close, the UAW said. Read more
Some striking autoworkers carry family legacies and a Black middle-class future along with picket signs.
Should members of Congress have age limits?
Congress is getting older: Some of its members are staying in office for decades. Most Americans think that should end, a recent poll suggests. Setting a maximum age limit on Congress is a great idea, according to 72% of 1,000 voters questioned in a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll, though they differed on what those limits should be. Here's how respondents said they would set age limits for members of Congress.
From school choice to book bans to student loans, education is taking center stage in 2024.
From abortion rights to Democratic upsets: These are the races to watch ahead of 2024
More to read
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This Hallo-eve, watch these 20 new scary movies, from ''Saw X'' to ''The Exorcist.''
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Oregon surged to the top 10, while Georgia remains No.1 after Week 9 of college football.
32 things we learned in NFL Week 8: Shifting landscape ahead of trade deadline.
Are candles bad for you?
How a fight over an emoji wound up at the Supreme Court
A decision now sits at the center of a case before the Supreme Court with potentially enormous consequences for how government officials − from the president of the United States to school custodians − interact with the public online. It all started with a dispute between the two men on the shore of Lake Huron over a comment on a Facebook page. There were no words, just three "weird" smiley faces. Now these emojis could lead to a ruling that sets the terms for how voters nationwide communicate with and criticize public officials on social media. Read more
Photo of the day: These celebs transformed for Halloween
It's the spookiest time of year, with celebrities donning frighteningly creative Halloween costumes. Did any stars dare to dress as Barbie despite the SAG-AFTRA ban? The stars are always thinking outside the box for the holiday, after SAG-AFTRA announced that striking actors, now well past 100 days in, are prohibited from wearing costumes inspired by major studio content. Read more
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, Maine mass shooting, UAW strike, Congress age limits, Halloween: Daily Briefing
