Daily Briefing: The first Russian strikes on Kyiv in months

At least nine people were killed and 24 were injured in Kyiv after Russia attacked multiple Ukrainian cities Monday morning. New York City is scrambling to provide resources to thousands of migrants arriving from southern border states. Keep reading for a recap of the last week in the college football and NFL seasons.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. This is a free newsletter, but our journalists need your support to keep writing the most important stories of our time. Please consider subscribing to USA TODAY.

Now, here we go with Monday's news

🌅 Up first: Here's everything you need to know about Indigenous Peoples Day.

Explosions rock multiple Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv

Russia unleashed a lethal barrage of strikes against multiple Ukrainian cities Monday, smashing civilian targets including downtown Kyiv where at least nine people were killed. The intense, hours-long attack marked a sudden military escalation by Moscow. It came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin called a Saturday explosion on the huge bridge connecting Russia to its annexed territory of Crimea a “terrorist act” masterminded by Ukrainian special services. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian forces launched dozens of missiles and Iranian-built drones against Ukraine. The General Staff of the Ukraine Armed Forces said 75 missiles were fired against Ukrainian targets, with 41 of them neutralized by air defenses. Read more 

• U.S. officials negotiating for the release of Americans Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan from Russian captivity told CNN on Sunday that an agreement for their freedom could be reached by the end of the year.

'A humanitarian crisis' in NYC

New York City's mayor Eric Adams declared a state of emergency on Friday over the thousands of migrants being sent from southern border states since the spring, saying the demand being put on the city to provide housing and other assistance is "not sustainable." By the end of its fiscal year, Adams said the city expected to spend $1 billion helping the new arrivals, many of whom are heavily reliant on government aid because federal law prohibits them from working in the U.S. Adams, a Democrat, said the new arrivals are welcome in the city. But, he said, "though our compassion is limitless, our resources are not." Read more

• ''Traumatized'': Asylum seeker dies by suicide in New York City shelter, mayor says.

• Meet the country's documented dreamers: Americans who are only American until they turn 21.

More news to know now

• 📰 NYC hospitals will pay $165M to patients who accuse a former gynecologist of sexual abuse.

• 🗿 ''Irreparable'': Easter Island fire chars famous towering Moai statues.

• 🛑 A Texas police officer was fired after shooting teen who was eating a hamburger.

• 💧 ''Worst time possible'': Mississippi River drought disrupts key commerce, strands cruise ship passengers.

• ⚽ There was nothing funny about Spanish soccer stars' ''joke'' they were gay.

• 💎 ''Fake heiress'' known as Anna Delvey, who inspired Netflix series, released on house arrest.

• 🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, hear the latest from Ukraine as Russia retaliates for a strike on the bridge connecting Crimea and Russia. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker.

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

Many Americans arrested for marijuana won't find relief under Biden's pardon plan

President Joe Biden’s announcement last week that he would pardon federal convictions for simple possession of marijuana could help more than 6,500 people obtain employment or other opportunities, but it’ll do little for most people incarcerated for marijuana. Across the nation, about 500,000 people were arrested on cannabis-related offenses in 2019. Most of those charges were for state offenses, the FBI said. Read more

In states where abortion is now outlawed, students ramp up activism

College students across the country are frantically advocating for changes in policy and laws to make abortion legal again, while also trying to help those who may need an abortion in the meantime. Working on both goals at the same time can be daunting. Colleges in states where abortion is now illegal have found themselves in a complicated situation, in part because many rely on state legislatures for funding. Read more

One thing to know: Some colleges have deferred to state laws while others have taken political stances at a time when abortion is a hot-button issue for midterm voters.

• One New York college will offer abortion pills for students in wake of Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

• One month before the midterms: Restrictive abortion laws in Arizona and Ohio were put on hold as providers resume procedures.

• In Wisconsin, Senate candidates Ron Johnson and Mandela Barnes clashed in a debate on abortion.

• "... there was no place in the exam room for Congress ...'':  North Carolina's Senate race is gaining national attention with marijuana and abortion in focus.

Just for subscribers:

• 🔴 Is GOP's ''big tent'' shrinking? Traditional conservatives find themselves without a home.

• 📈 Beyond inflation, these other economic factors could affect you and are worth watching.

• 💊 Medicare Part D: Where you live can have a big impact on what you pay for drugs.

• 🌈 LGBTQ-owned businesses were less likely to get COVID relief loans, study says. Here's the data.

• 🔔 Election workers fear trouble, boost security as vengeful threats persist after Trump loss.

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Week 6 college football winners and losers

Saturday was rock bottom for the Oklahoma Sooners. Texas demolished Oklahoma 49-0 to hand the Sooners a third loss in a row for the first time since 1998. This rapid fall from grace has already engulfed OU coach Brent Venables' first season and threatens to define his broader tenure. Winners from this weekend include UCLA with a 42-32 victory against No. 11 Utah that vaults the Bruins into prime position to reach the Pac-12 championship game. Notre Dame turned their season around after a sour start and beat No. 16 Brigham Young 28-20. And the Mississippi State Bulldogs are building a case for being seen as the second-best team in the SEC West after handling No. 25 Arkansas a 40-17 loss, the Razorbacks' third in a row. Read more

• Here's our recap of surprise showdowns from college football Week 6.

📷 Photo of the day: Best photos from Week 5 of the 2022 NFL season 📷

Week 5 of the NFL season has arrived. On Thursday, the Indianapolis Colts outlasted the Denver Broncos in a 12-9 overtime victory. Both teams labored without a touchdown in the game – much to the dismay of fans in attendance. In the early slate, the New York Giants defeated the Green Bay Packers in London, England. Week 5 also featured a lot of divisional matchups. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady remained undefeated against the Atlanta Falcons while the Jacksonville Jaguars outlasted the Houston Texans. Read more

• Giants seal wild comeback with massive victory against Packers in London.

Click here to see more photos from Week 5 of the 2022 NFL season.

A little less heavy

• 🍸 ''Sober October'': Seven non-alcoholic cocktail recipes to try at home.

• 👻 Need a spooky season read? 10 new horror books to get into the Halloween spirit.

• 🛒 All the best competing Prime Early Access sales and deals to shop.

• 🎬 ''Who better to play a genius?'': How Cate Blanchett got the role of a lifetime in ''Tár.''

• 👠 Kourtney Kardashian is trying on sustainable fashion. Many designers are ahead of the trend.

• 💍 Her wedding ring vanished days before Ian. After the hurricane, the unbelievable happened.

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: Russia, migrants in NYC, marijuana, abortion, NFL: Daily Briefing