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Daily Briefing: Friends lost, relatives at odds


Since Oct. 7, people across the country have endured antisemitic epithets, anti-Muslim rhetoric and violence. The Hurricane Helene death toll across the Southeast has reached 181. It's Fat Bear Week.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. "It's October third."

A search for community amid massive loss

Almost a year has passed since Hamas forces attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 250 more. The Oct. 7 assault reignited decades-old hostilities and sparked an Israeli military response that has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

The year since Oct. 7 has taken a toll in the U.S., with lives upended or transformed by the war’s fallout — and Americans divided by the war told Paste BN they're craving community.

  • Americans have lost family and seen relatives’ homes bombed from afar. Friendships, family and professional relationships have been damaged or severed as seemingly insurmountable tensions boil between Americans who see the war – and those in support of one side or the other – as morally wrong or hostile to their safety and existence.
  • Read this glimpse from New Jersey by Paste BN's Network partner, where shattered families and individuals have rallied to try to help the people of Israel and Gaza.
  • And the conflict continues, increasingly dynamic and involving a range of international and non-state actors. As Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, commenced Wednesday night, the fighting continues inside southern Lebanon as Israel retaliates against Iran ally Hezbollah.

Helene to likely cause thousands of deaths over decades

So far, Hurricane Helene has killed at least 181 people across the Southeast. Unfortunately, that might be just the beginning of the deaths and suffering caused by the storm. A new study published this week says that hurricanes and tropical storms are far deadlier than initial death tolls suggest. Those additional deaths come from indirect causes in the years following the event, according to the research, with Black individuals three times more likely to die after a hurricane than white individuals. Read more

More news to know now

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

Special counsel argues Trump not immune from criminal charges

A 165-page filing from Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith released Wednesday lays out the election subversion allegations against Donald Trump in new detail to argue the former president doesn't deserve immunity from criminal charges because his conduct was for private gain rather than duty of public office. While there won’t be a trial or probably even a hearing on the evidence until after the Nov. 5 election, the filing provided the most detailed explanation so far of the case against Trump. Read more

Apple's focus on health tech could be a big deal

During Apple's iPhone event in September, the announcements that sparked initial buzz weren't the new phones but the health-based updates to the new AirPods Pro and Apple Watch models. Apple introduced hearing health-based features, including hearing tests, and enhanced protections in the AirPods Pro 2 headphones, which can also be used as over-the-counter hearing aids. For the Apple Watch, sleep apnea notifications are added. But what do updates like these actually mean for consumers and how does it fit into an existing healthcare culture? 

Keep scrolling

A third person has pleaded guilty in Matthew Perry's death

On Wednesday, Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, pleaded guilty in Los Angeles to one count of conspiracy to distribute the dissociative anesthetic drug ketamine. U.S. attorneys had accused the San Diego-based Chavez, who used to operate a ketamine clinic, of illegally obtaining ketamine that was sold to "Friends" star Matthew Perry by presenting false information and writing a prescription without an unnamed patient's consent, according to Chavez's plea agreement. Read more

Photo of the day: A Fat Bear Week champion returns

Fat Bear Week is back, and this year's contestants are a giant, fuzzy dream for the competition's 10th anniversary. Meet the bracket in the competition celebrating the battle of the behemoths, including the return of last year's champion Grazer.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at Paste BN, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.