Daily Briefing: 'We are at war'
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Over 1,100 people are dead in a rapidly intensifying war between Israel and Palestinian militants. Also in the news: The House expects to elect a new speaker this week and the Supreme Court is taking up an ongoing battle between LGBTQ+ rights and religious freedoms.
🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. What's life like as a digital nomad?
Here is the news to know this Monday.
Israel intensifies Gaza strikes and battles to repel Hamas
A reeling Israel battled to drive Hamas fighters out of southern towns and seal its borders Monday, as it pounded the Gaza Strip from air. Meanwhile, Palestinian media described what it called an "Israeli massacre" in Gaza.
What's happening: Israel and Palestinian militants are in an all-out war after stunning and deadly surprise attacks over the weekend by Hamas in one of the most significant attacks on Israel in decades.
Why is Hamas attacking Israel now? Hamas, whose main power base is located in Gaza, has been designated a terrorist organization by dozens of countries, including the U.S., because it is committed to the destruction of Israel. The leader of Hamas’ military wing said that the start of “Operation Al-Aqsa Storm” was in connection to a highly-contested mosque compound in Jerusalem.
Hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians have been killed, and thousands more on both sides injured. Perhaps dozens of Israelis have been kidnapped in a dramatic and unprecedented move, setting off a panicked scramble among Israelis trying to track down their loved ones.
'We are at war': Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned of a long war ahead and the Pentagon is rushing warships, warplanes, and ammunition to the Middle East and to Israel.
Keep reading: This timeline explains why the fighting is among the most brutal in years and Sen. Cory Booker says he is shaken, angered and heartbroken after taking cover in bomb shelter in Israel.
Republicans running for House speaker to face off in televised talk
Republican candidates running for speaker of the House will face off Monday night in a joint interview hosted by Bret Baier on Fox News, the network confirmed to USA TODAY. The segment will feature House Majority Leader Steve Scalise; Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio and Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla. Jordan − who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump − and Scalise announced their speakership bids Wednesday, a day after Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was removed from the position. The House is set to vote on a new speaker when the chamber returns this week. Read more
GOP lawmaker says Donald Trump won't be speaker of the House.
What does the speaker search mean for the odds of a government shutdown in November?
Here's why Jim Jordan feels ''very good'' about his chance of being the next House speaker.
More news to know now
Mexican cartels are sending drugs into Alaska, upping the overdose death toll.
Election deniers linger in statewide and presidential elections.
How cold and snowy will U.S. winter be?
As poverty spikes, your coat donations are more important than ever.
For subscribers: As HOAs and homeowners spar over Airbnb rules, a state Supreme Court will weigh in.
On today's 5 Things podcast, a look at microaggressions against women at work. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.
What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
Earthquakes kill over 2,000 in Afghanistan
Powerful earthquakes killed at least 2,000 people in western Afghanistan, a Taliban government spokesman said Sunday. It's one of the deadliest earthquakes to strike the country in two decades. The United States Geological Survey reported that the initial quake in Herat province on Saturday had a magnitude of 6.3. That was followed by three strong aftershocks measuring 6.3, 5.9 and 5.5. On Sunday, people attempted to dig out the dead and injured with their hands in Herat, clambering over rocks and debris. Survivors and victims were trapped under buildings that had crumbled to the ground, their faces gray with dust. Read more
Supreme Court weighs 'conversion therapy' bans for minors
The Supreme Court is being asked to weigh a ban on “conversion therapy” − the practice of trying to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity − in an appeal that tests the court's appetite for engaging this term in the ongoing legal battle between religion and LGBTQ+ rights. Long discredited and already banned for minors in about half of U.S. states, the practice of using ''treatment'' to make a gay or lesbian person straight has reemerged as the Supreme Court has become more conservative and receptive to appeals dealing with religious freedom. Read more
Quick hits
No babies on flights?
Goshdarnit, ''The Golden Bachelor'' is actually really good.
A 'Priscilla'' movie doesn’t shy away from the Elvis age gap.
Prime Day deals you can't miss: Amazon's October 2023 sale is (almost) here.
Here are 32 things we learned in NFL Week 5: Ravens and Patriots spiral as other teams get it right.
College football Week 6 grades: Why we're all laughing at Miami.
Simone Biles finishes with four golds at 2023 Gymnastics World Championships
Five medals, four of them gold, after not competing for two years. Only Simone Biles can pull that off. Biles capped her first major international competition since the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 with two more golds Sunday, winning the titles on both balance beam and floor exercise. She also won golds in the team competition and all-around, and a silver on vault. She’s the most-decorated gymnast in history, male or female, with 37 medals at the world championships and Olympics. Of those, a whopping 27 are gold. Read more
Photo of the day: A world record shattered at the 2023 Chicago Marathon
Kelvin Kiptum, 23, finished Sunday's Chicago Marathon in two hours, zero minutes and 35 seconds. Kiptum's time shattered the previous world record set by fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge at 2:01:09 in the Berlin Marathon last September. It also brought a sub-two-hour mark clearly within reach in an unbelievable feat of human achievement. Read more
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, Gaza Strip, Palestine, House Speaker, Afghanistan earthquake, NFL, Supreme Court: Daily Briefing
