Daily Briefing: NATO's nuke meeting
NATO’s secretive Nuclear Planning Group has met as the alliance presses ahead with plans to hold a nuclear exercise next week, amid deep concern about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s insistence that he will use any means necessary to defend Russian territory. Also in the news: A boost for social security recipients, September's inflation report and NFL roughing-the-passer calls.
🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, the writer behind Daily Briefing.
Let's get going with Thursday's news.
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Ukraine's Kyiv area hit by Iranian-made drones
Ukraine’s capital region has been struck by Iranian-made kamikaze drones. Rescue workers rushed to the scene as residents awoke to air raid sirens for the fourth consecutive morning following Russia’s major assault across the country earlier this week. Kyiv regional governor Oleksiy Kuleba said the strike early Thursday occurred in the area around the capital. It wasn't immediately clear if there were any casualties. Attacks on Kyiv had become rare before the capital city was hit at least four times during Monday’s Russian strikes. The attacks killed at least 19 people and wounded more than 100 across Ukraine. Read our latest reporting from Ukraine
NATO Nuclear Planning Group meeting: Top NATO officials face uncertainty from the fact that Russia is also due to hold its own nuclear exercises soon, possibly at the same time as NATO or just after, according to NATO diplomats. That could complicate the 30-country military organization’s reading of the war and of Moscow's intentions.
Biden laid out his national security strategy while re-evaluating Saudi relations.
Social Security COLA to see biggest increase since 1981
Social Security benefits are set to rise by 8.7% next year – the fourth-biggest increase since automatic inflation adjustments were introduced in 1975. This cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, will boost the average monthly checks retirees receive in January by $146 to $1,827, the Social Security Administration said Thursday. But experts say the index used to determine COLA, doesn’t accurately capture the costs older people and other types of Social Security recipients face. For instance, seniors tend to spend much more of their incomes on medical care than urban wage earners. Read more
A North Carolina restaurant that kept workers' tips ordered to pay $157,000, federal officials say.
At $600 a month, these units offered a haven to California's unhoused. Now, residents are being displaced.
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💼 Two comedians have accused Atlanta airport drug search program of racial profiling in federal lawsuit.
🌈 ''We do not leave anybody behind'': Mexico's largest state approves same-sex marriage.
🐶 TobyKeith is ''back on his throne'' as the world's oldest living dog.
🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, hear what a Connecticut jury is ordering Alex Jones to pay for Sandy Hook lies. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker.
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Which party will control the Senate?
The midterm elections are approaching. Historically, midterms have not usually gone well for the party in power, and experts originally predicted that the upcoming November races would bring a wide range of victories for Republicans. But some legislative wins for Democrats and other factors have tightened up the race for control of the so-called upper chamber. There are Senate elections in 34 states this year, with voters taking to the ballot box to make their voices heard in races across the country. In some states, incumbents are seeking another term against a challenger. But there are also open races in several states, such as Alabama and Pennsylvania. Here's every seat up for grabs in the 2022 midterms.
Amid growing ''abortion deserts,'' a haven in small-town Illinois takes shape.
Thursday night is a big night for Wisconsin, Michigan midterm races.
Biden's big student loan cancellation announcement: Applications still aren't ready!
Inflation eased to 8.2% but remained high in September, CPI report shows
Inflation continued to drift a bit lower last month but the descent from 40-year highs remains painfully slow. Consumer prices increased 8.2% from a year earlier, down from an 8.3% rise in August and a four-decade high of 9.1% in June, as climbing food and rent costs again offset falling gasoline prices, according to the Labor Department's Consumer Price Index. But while overall inflation is softening, a key measure of underlying price gains hit a new historic high. Core prices, which exclude volatile food and energy items increased 0.6% from August following a similar rise the previous month. Read more
Amazon Prime Day: Inflation pushes household staples to top of spending categories – again.
America's aching economy is forcing tough choices. How people are "barely making it" work.
How do I keep political and social talk civil in the workplace? Ask HR.
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🔴 Republicans want to win school boards. They're winning in white counties by running on race.
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Roughing-the-passer calls frustrate defenders across the NFL
Defensive players around the NFL are frustrated about roughing-the-passer penalties, questioning what constitutes a legal hit and wondering how far referees will go to protect quarterbacks. Two disputed calls in Week 5 — one involving Tom Brady — sparked outrage among players, coaches and fans, prompting many to ask for change. The league plans to discuss roughing calls, but no changes are imminent. Read more
📷 Photo of the day: Dozens dead, missing in Venezuela after landslides 📷
Authorities say at least 43 people are dead and 56 are missing and warned the death toll is expected to climb as heavy machinery moves debris left by a landslide and flooding in the state of Aragua, about 54 miles from the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. The disaster followed torrential rains that caused a mountainside to collapse on the town late Saturday. Residents say they had just seconds to escape to safety before the water, mud, rocks and felled trees descended on their neighborhoods. Here are the latest photos from the site of the landslide.
One more thing
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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: NATO, Ukraine, Social Security, inflation, NFL: Daily Briefing