Daily Briefing: 'We do expect to be able to get all our Americans out'

Families say guidance from the U.S. government has been sporadic and unreliable for Americans trying to leave besieged Gaza. Also in the news: Eric Trump is expected to testify in a New York fraud trial and the Texas Rangers cinched their first-ever World Series title for the franchise.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Holiday Starbucks cup check !

Here is the news to know Thursday.

Americans under siege in Gaza worried about evacuation

The U.S. State Department said Americans are expected to leave Gaza for Egypt Thursday after an initial round of departures, but did not specify how many have made it out so far. But U.S. citizens and their families attempting to leave the territory through the Rafah Crossing say details from the U.S. government have been difficult to translate to the situation on the ground.

“We do expect to be able to get all our Americans out. It will take time,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters following Wednesday's initial departures. "This was the first step."

• Getting out of the region isn't so easy: The densely populated region isn't safe amid Israel's airstrikes. And some Americans went to the Rafah Crossing and were told that only international NGO staff, nationals of neighboring countries and injured people were allowed through.

• President Joe Biden said he thinks there should be a humanitarian “pause” in the war. Biden was talking to supporters in Minneapolis for a reelection fundraiser Wednesday when he was interrupted by a protester calling for a cease-fire.

• Muslim Americans are skeptical about a strategy to combat Islamophobia the White House claims to be developing, saying that the administration lacks credibility on the issue given its robust backing of Israel’s military.

Keep reading: Investigations into drugs found on Hamas fighters and one Israeli and one Palestinian share their grief in a special episode of USA TODAY's 5 Things podcast. For weekday updates on the war, sign up here.

Oregon teachers walk off the job in newest wave of US labor movement

Schools are closed for the second day in a row Thursday after teachers in Portland, Oregon, went on strike, shuttering school for some 45,000 students in the state's biggest city. The Portland Association of Teachers union said it was the first-ever teachers strike in the district. Concerns over large class sizes, salaries that haven't kept up with inflation and a lack of resources prompted the strike, one of the latest signs of a growing organized labor movement in the U.S. that's seen thousands of workers in various sectors take to the picket lines this year. Portland Public Schools said it doesn't have the money to meet the union's demands. Read more

• Here's why the U.S. labor movement is so popular but union membership is dwindling.

More news to know now

• A NYC driver was charged with a hate crime in the death of a Sikh man.

• A highland wildfire rages in Southern California fueled by the Santa Ana winds.

• Changes in water temperature along the West Coast are throwing the ecosystem out of whack.

• Hunter Biden for USA TODAY Opinion: Political weaponization of my addiction hurts more than me.

• For subscribers: How Hurricane Otis shocked forecasters and slammed a major city.

• On today's 5 Things podcast, the Federal Reserve leaves rates unchanged. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

Mike Johnson's challenging first week as speaker

House Speaker Mike Johnson’s first week serving as the top leader in the lower chamber revealed the tumultuous times ahead for the Louisiana Republican as he embarks on his first legislative battle with the Senate and White House − while members of his own party fight each other. Johnson on Monday unveiled legislation from House Republicans that would provide $14 billion in U.S. military assistance for Israel as it fights its war against Hamas. But the bill is a non-starter for both the Democratic-controlled Senate and President Joe Biden's administration because it doesn't include provisions for other U.S. allies, such as Ukraine. Read more

• Liz Cheney says new Speaker Mike Johnson is a ''dangerous'' person to lead the House.

• Praise of Mike Johnson draws rebuttals and rebukes.

• The House voted against expelling Rep. George Santos as he faces fraud charges.

Eric Trump expected to testify in his father's real estate fraud trial

Eric Trump is expected to testify as soon as Thursday in his father's real estate fraud trial. His testimony comes after his brother, Donald Trump Jr. took to the witness stand Wednesday in a case in which $250 million in damages and a New York ban on the iconic Trump Organization is at stake. In the fraud case, the New York Attorney General's Office has described financial statements concerning Donald Trump's assets and liabilities from 2011 to 2021 as "fraudulent and misleading." Donald Trump Jr. said he didn't recall whether he worked on financial statements, and when it came to various accounting issues, he said he relied on the expertise of others. Eric Trump will be followed by his father and sister Ivanka Trump's testimonies next week. Read more

• Donald Trump hits Judge Engoron over his family's testimony.

Keep scrolling

• Legendary Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight has died at 83.

• Would you apply for a master's degree in medical marijuana?

• Meg Ryan talked to USA TODAY about directing and starring in a new rom-com.

• Gender-affirming care is life-saving, research says. Why is it so controversial?

• Too early for holiday shopping? Here are Oprah's favorite things of 2023.

• Dozens of birds, including ones named after white supremacists, are being renamed.

• Titans vs. Steelers picks and predictions for Thursday Night Football.

Rangers' seal first World Series title in franchise history

The Texas Rangers, with a 5-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, are finally World Series champions for the first time in franchise history. The Rangers, who lost 102 games just two years ago, no longer have to hear about all of their past heartbreaks. Wednesday night at Chase Field, it was Marcus Semien who finally let his guard down, destroying a Paul Sewald fastball to provide the final blow, a two-run ninth-inning home run. Read more

Photo of the day: Remembering legendary Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight

Iconic as he was controversial, Bob Knight for decades embodied the spirit of basketball in a corner of the world mad about it. Knight died at 83 in Bloomington this week. At the height of his success, few in the sport were more recognizable, or more noteworthy. Read more about his life and legacy here.

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, Oregon teachers strike, Mike Johnson, Trump New York Trial, Texas Rangers: Daily Briefing