US strikes Iran-backed sites

The U.S. carried out airstrikes in eastern Syria after 21 American troops were injured during drone and rocket strikes in Iraq and Syria by Iran-backed militia groups. Also in the news: President Joe Biden and House Speaker Mike Johnson must navigate a complex new relationship in order to avoid a government shutdown next month. It's been a long week: "Shake it Off" with "1989 (Taylor's Version)."

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Do you have your World Series merch yet?

Here's the news to know Friday.

Biden orders retaliation for attacks on US troops

The Pentagon says U.S. fighter jets launched airstrikes early Friday on two locations in eastern Syria linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. The strikes came in retaliation for a slew of drone and missile attacks against U.S. bases and personnel in the region that began early last week. In the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, President Joe Biden warned Iran to "be careful" and not exploit Israel's war with Hamas to create a wider Middle East conflict. But the White House has treaded carefully to separate the Iranian-backed militia strikes - and subsequent U.S. response - from the Israel's fighting in Gaza. Read more

• People are protesting for Palestinians and Israel on Roblox. But catharsis comes at a price.

• Israel-Hamas war stirs free speech battles at college campuses across US.

For weekday updates about the war between Israel and Hamas, sign up here.

Residents stay home as authorities search for suspect in Maine rampage

An urgent search of communities around Lewiston, Maine, extended into Friday as hundreds of police officers seek an "armed and dangerous" suspect in two deadly shootings at a bowling alley and a bar. Terrified residents stayed at home for a second night amid the search for Robert Card, a U.S. Army reservist authorities suspect of fatally shooting 18 people and injuring 13 others Wednesday night. Read more

• Here's what to do if the Lewiston shooting has you feeling panicked.

• A devoted youth bowling coach; a ''hero'' bar manager: Families remember the Maine shooting victims.

More news to know now

• Today marks five years since the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue shooting.

• Sleeping on flooded bathroom floors: Here's how tourists survived Hurricane Otis in Acapulco.

• Here's why Rep. Dean Phillips has challenged Biden in the 2024 Democratic primary.

• Medical exceptions to abortion bans often exclude mental health conditions.

• For subscribers: Smaller employers are weighing this big-company fix for scarce primary care.

• On today's 5 Things podcast, the United Auto Workers have reached a tentative labor agreement with Ford. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

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

Can Johnson and Biden work together?

President Joe Biden met Thursday with House Speaker Mike Johnson for the first time since the Republican Louisiana congressman secured the gavel.

As Johnson takes over House leadership, Biden has no previous relationship with Johnson, a relative politically unknown figure who has less congressional experience than any House speaker in 140 years.

• They'll need to get to know each other quickly: Congress faces a Nov. 17 deadline to fund the government or risk a shutdown. And Biden is asking Congress to approve a $106 billion security package that includes funding for Ukraine in its war against Russia and Israel to help its war with Hamas.

• Johnson will have to navigate the same pressure from the far-right of the GOP caucus that ended up sinking McCarthy. And both the president and speaker will have to overcome some major differences that go beyond policy. Johnson played a role in Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

• They've got an experience gap: Biden, 80, first got to Washington in 1973. Johnson, 51, has served in Congress since 2017 after serving one term as a state representative.

Related: From abortion rights to Democratic upsets, these are the races to watch ahead of 2024.

Child labor violations are up 69%. What is Congress going to do?

Congress is facing a harrowing issue impacting America's youngest: A 69% increase in child labor law violations since 2018. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., is looking to enhance a piece of 85-year-old legislation that prohibits children under age 18 from being employed in dangerous jobs and mandates child labor provisions. Casey's new bill introduced Thursday focuses on setting harsher penalties for child labor law violations and increasing accountability for violators, including contractors and subcontractors that employ children. Read more

Quick reads

• Northwestern State football cancelled their 2023 season after a player's death.

• The new USPS address change policy customers should know about.

• In ''Priscilla,'' Elvis Presley's ex-wife gets a stylish yet superficial movie treatment.

• Michelle Williams' Grammy-worthy narration of Britney Spears' memoir. That's all.

• Shows with sex scenes are growing unpopular with Gen Z.

• Here's why moms should ditch the kids for a solo trip.

• Josh Allen sparked a win in Bills vs. Buccaneers Thursday Night Football.

Taylor Swift's '1989 (Taylor's Version)' is here!

The album named for the year of Taylor Swift's birth, “1989,” immediately captivated radio and signified that her transformation was complete when it debuted in 2014. The cavalcade of hits like “Shake it Off" and “Blank Space" and equally synth-tastic album cuts including "Welcome to New York" established that the glossy pop stomp of predecessor “Red” was merely an appetizer. Only three months after her last revisited offering, “Speak Now,” Swift has dropped “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” in all of its bustling beauty as she continues her quest to reclaim her artistic ownership after the contentious sale of her original master recordings in 2020. Here's our favorite songs on the record.

Photo of the day: First snow storm of season blankets Helena, Montana

Spooky season quickly transformed into snowy season Wednesday morning for residents in Helena, Montana. The snowfall was the result of cold air moving down from northwestern Canada that combined with a moist Pacific weather system, leading to freezing temperatures and expected snowfall of 13 inches. Check out more photos of the snowfall.

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: Daily Briefing: US strikes Iran-backed sites