They'd like a word with Trump

Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY
·5 min read
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The Jan. 6 House committee wants to talk to Donald Trump. A jury rejected the death sentence for the Parkland school shooter. And there's another tough inflation report.

👋 Thursday already? Looks like it. Laura Davis here! It's time for the news.

But first, the latest from outer space: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope captured a photo of a stunning "fingerprint" of at least 17 dust rings radiating from a pair of stars. Check out the pics here. 

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Jan. 6 panel votes to subpoena Trump

In an extraordinary move, the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack voted Thursday to subpoena former President Donald Trump over his role in the insurrection. "None of this would have happened without him," Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said.

  • What happened today: In the committee's ninth – and possibly final – public hearing, lawmakers offered closing arguments interspersed with witness testimony and dramatic footage that highlighted Trump's chaotic efforts to cling to power knowing that the election was lost.

  • What she said: "The vast weight of the evidence so far has shown us that the central cause of Jan. 6 was one man, Donald Trump, who many others followed," Cheney said.

  • Will we hear from Trump? Probably not, experts say. The summons likely sets off a new round of legal challenges involving the former president, who could seek to delay testimony or invoke his Fifth Amendment rights if compelled to appear. And if Republicans win control of the House in November, the new GOP majority might terminate the committee entirely.

👉 Full recap: Catch up on Thursday's hearing.

Parkland school shooter avoids death sentence

Victims' family members seated in the gallery scowled, shook their heads or held them in their hands as Judge Elizabeth Scherer read the decision: A jury recommended life in prison without parole for Nikolas Cruz, who pleaded guilty to killing 17 people in the 2018 school massacre in Parkland, Florida. The decision came after seven hours of deliberations over two days, ending a three-month trial in which stories of the victims' execution were retold in graphic detail. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, which under state law requires a unanimous vote on at least one count. Scherer will formally issue the life sentences Nov. 1. Relatives, along with the students and teachers Cruz wounded, will be given the opportunity to speak at the sentencing hearing.

Families of the victims embraced in the courtroom ahead of the reading of the jury's verdict for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022.
Families of the victims embraced in the courtroom ahead of the reading of the jury's verdict for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022.

What everyone's talking about

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A tough inflation report

Inflation continued to drift slightly 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.

Another rootin' tootin' world record for TobyKeith the chihuahua

How many pooches can say they've been the World's Oldest Living Dog more than once? But that's what our old pal TobyKeith the chihuahua just did. After the previous title holder Pebbles, a 22-year-old toy fox terrier, died on Oct. 3, 21-year-old TobyKeith became the new World's Oldest Dog – again. Again? Again. TobyKeith was declared the oldest dog in the world in April, but when Pebbles' owners heard about it, they realized their dog was even older. TobyKeith's owner Gisela Shore of Greenacres, Florida, said she sent condolences to Pebbles' owners: "It was sad news." TobyKeith, who is 21¾ years old, had his regular six-month visit with the veterinarian last month, and "he is in perfect health," Shore said.

TobyKeith, a 21-year-old chihuahua from Florida, is once again the world's oldest living dog, according to Guinness World Records.
TobyKeith, a 21-year-old chihuahua from Florida, is once again the world's oldest living dog, according to Guinness World Records.

Real quick

🌤 What's the weather up to in your neck of the woods? Check your local forecast here.

Scamming the scammers: Music to a scambaiter's ears: "The IRS has a warrant for your arrest." Scambaiting videos have exploded on Youtube in recent years. The idea is that wasting scammers' time will prevent them from tricking others. But is it really effective?

Prescriptions refused post-Roe: Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, people who are not pregnant have been denied drugs because they could harm hypothetical pregnancies. Walgreens, the nation’s second largest pharmacy, has adopted a policy that allows pharmacists to use personal discretion to deny medication. Here's why.

A break from the news

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Send her an email at laura@usatoday.com or follow along with her adventures – and misadventures – on Twitter. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jan. 6 committee, Parkland shooting verdict, inflation report, oldest living dog. Thursday's news.