Daily Briefing: Why Biden is going to Israel

President Joe Biden plans to travel to Israel on Wednesday as his administration seeks to prevent the Israel-Hamas war from expanding into a larger Middle East conflict. Also in the news: Crowds of mourners in a heavily Palestinian Chicago suburb paid respects to a 6-year-old Muslim boy killed in an alleged hate crime and the House is set to vote on its next speaker Tuesday.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Need help picking a Halloween costume?

Here's the news to know this Tuesday.

Biden to visit Israel amid war in the Middle East

The U.S. hopes to break a deadlock over delivering aid to increasingly desperate civilians in besieged Gaza following a brutal attack by Hamas militants, as President Joe Biden is expected to head to Israel and Jordan on Wednesday.

Truckloads of aid are waiting at Gaza’s only connection to Egypt, as aid workers warned that life in Gaza was near complete collapse because of the Israeli siege, with hundreds of thousands of people seeking shelter, ever-decreasing water supplies and power running out at hospitals.

• Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Biden's visit ahead of a possible Israeli ground invasion of Gaza aimed at crushing the Hamas militant group. The trip comes a week and half after Hamas' incursion on Israel that has killed over 4,000 on both sides and displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

• Palestinians' treatment at the hands of Israeli authorities and their long, violent and bitter shared history with Israel complicates some Palestinians' denouncement of Hamas' attacks, even though they say they don't approve of violence against civilians.

• Biden's visit is a dramatic display of support for Israel. He'll meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and lead "deep discussions'' with the United Nations, Israelis, Egyptians and others about getting the stalled humanitarian aid for besieged Gaza civilians through the southern border with Egypt.

Sign up for USA TODAY's Israel and Hamas war newsletter to receive weekday updates on the escalating conflict.

Community mourns 6-year-old amidst fears of anti-Muslim hate

Hundreds of mourners gathered for the funeral Monday afternoon of Wadea Al-Fayoume, the 6-year-old boy stabbed to death Saturday in what authorities say was a violent and ugly response to the Israel-Hamas war. Wadea and his mother, Haanan Shahin, 32, were attacked Saturday and his death has led many in the Arab-American community to worry about whether more violence will come their way. Bridgeview Mayor Steven Landek and other officials spoke outside the center and called upon non-Muslims to support their fellow residents. Read more

• A Colorado father says race was behind school stabbing attack on Black son.

More news to know now

• Trump pulled back attacks on a gag order on the 2024 campaign trail.

• Justice Amy Coney Barrett signaled support for a Supreme Court ethics code.

• 86% of public schools are struggling to hire educators.

• Should you get a COVID booster?

• For subscribers: ASU is investigating why a queer instructor was confronted by a Turning Point USA ''crew.''

• On today's 5 Things podcast, USA TODAY World Affairs Correspondent Kim Hjelmgaard has the latest from the West Bank. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

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

Is there a new speaker of the House yet?

The country is marking two weeks without a speaker of the House, but that could end Tuesday when House Republicans hold a vote to elect a new leader. House Republicans formally nominated the chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to the speakership. But Jordan's chances of earning 217 votes – the magic number needed to become speaker – are unclear.  Regardless, the House is slated to hold a speaker election at noon on Tuesday, which could be reminiscent of January, when former speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., had to endure 15 ballots of voting to finally be elected. Read more

Disney turns 100 as Hollywood actors' strike drags on

The Walt Disney Company turned 100 years old on Monday, marking a century of beloved characters and universes that have captured audiences around the world. But the anniversary also marked yet another week of strike by Hollywood actors, whose negotiations with studios including Disney broke down earlier this month. The studios announced that they had suspended contract negotiations, saying the gap between the two sides was too great to make continuing worth it, despite an offer as good as the one that recently ended the writers strike. The actors union decried their opponents’ “bullying tactics” and said they were wildly mischaracterizing their offers. Read more

• Celebrate a century of the Mouse's house with some of our favorite things.

Quick hits

• How much is that remote job worth to you?

• The ivory-billed woodpecker isn't officially extinct — yet.

• What does ''tfw'' mean?

• This office supply store wants to be your favorite travel brand.

• Here's everything you need to know about ''Netflix Houses.''

• A $1.4 million ticket for speeding.

Monday Night Football highlights: Dallas gets rebound win in LA

The Dallas Cowboys hung on to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers, 20-17, on Monday night. Dallas kicked a 39-yard field goal with 2:19 remaining in the fourth quarter and then the defense intercepted Justin Herbert on the Chargers’ final drive to preserve the win. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott had a bounce-back game. Prescott completed 21 of 30 passes for one touchdown and had a rushing score. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb produced seven catches and 117 yards. Read more

Photo of the day: Phillies power to NLCS Game 1 win vs. Diamondbacks

The Philadelphia Phillies blew out the candles on Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 1 of the NLCS, 5-3, with Bryce Harper smacking a home run in his first at-bat and added hitting a run-scoring single in the third. 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 War, Biden, House Speaker search, Hollywood strike, Dallas Cowboys, Phillies: Daily Briefing