Hot mess in the House
Many questions: Will the House “get its act together” and elect a new speaker? Will Sidney Powell's guilty plea cause a ruckus with Trump's election conspiracy case? And what kind of winter are we in for this year?
👋 Hi! Laura Davis here. Hope you’re having a good week. It’s time for Thursday’s news!
But first: An egg-citing ruling. 🐓 A 25-year-old Maine man's mom hatched a winning strategy to get the city to let him keep his emotional support chickens.
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House speaker fight carries on
Day 16, and we're still House speaker-less. On Thursday, lawmakers did look like they were coming close to a deal after Rep. Jim Jordan backed a plan for Rep. Patrick McHenry to be speaker until January to get the House moving again. But after an hourslong, closed-door meeting, House Republicans as a whole appeared to reject the plan, putting everybody back at square one. 🗳 Follow our live updates.
Jordan's problems: The Ohio Republican has lost two speaker votes. The major issue he faces is that his opponents come from all corners of the Republican House – and they all have their own beef with him.
No speaker, no money: As long as the House doesn't have a speaker, lawmakers can't approve crucial legislation, such as funding to avoid a government shutdown or aid to Israel.
- 'Get their act together': Voters frustrated by House without a speaker.
- Hey Republicans, here's a LinkedIn job post you can use for that House speaker gig. | Opinion
Israel bombs 'safe zones' in Gaza
No place was safe for more than 2 million Palestinians on Thursday as Israeli bombs slammed the Gaza Strip, including parts of the Palestinian territory that Israel had declared "safe zones." At least 12 people were killed and dozens wounded in the intensified shelling, which came one day after Israel agreed to allow limited shipments of humanitarian aid into southern Gaza from Egypt. Meanwhile, the elevated tensions in the Middle East and elsewhere prompted the U.S. State Department to warn Americans worldwide to be cautious when traveling. 👉 Live updates from the conflict.
- Battle against hate: Palestinian Americans report a rise in violence, bigotry.
- Netanyahu? Out. Biden? In. Why Israel is embracing a new 'father figure.'
- More than 300 arrested in US House protest calling for Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
📬 Sign up for Paste BN's Israel and Hamas war newsletter to receive weekday updates on the escalating conflict.
What everyone's talking about
- 🧐 Do you trust social media companies?
- Billie Eilish reveals massive new back tattoo.
- Julia Fox says dating Kanye West felt like having 'two babies.'
- A college LGBTQ center disappeared. It wasn’t the only one.
- Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and when abortions benefit men too.
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Trump co-defendant Sidney Powell pleads guilty to election conspiracy
Just a day before jury selection was set to start in her trial, lawyer Sidney Powell pleaded guilty to reduced charges Thursday over efforts to overturn Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 election in Georgia, becoming the second defendant in the sprawling case to reach a deal with prosecutors. Powell, who was charged alongside Trump and 17 others with violating the state’s anti-racketeering law, pleaded guilty to six misdemeanors accusing her of conspiring to intentionally interfere with the performance of election duties. She agreed to testify truthfully against her co-defendants at future trials in exchange for serving six years of probation, a $6,000 fine and paying restitution of $2,700. 👉 How it could impact the trial.
How cold will it be this winter?
Brrr. Ready or not, Old Man Winter is headed our way − but how much cold air is he toting along with him? Fortunately, federal forecasters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center dropped their annual winter outlook on Thursday, and they've got a good idea. NOAA said the U.S. winter of 2023-24 will probably be dominated by the effects of what could be a powerful El Niño. That means a mild, dry winter is likely on tap for much of the northern tier of the U.S., while the southeastern U.S. should see a wetter-than-average winter. ❄️ The full forecast + where it could be unusually warm this year.
🌀 Meanwhile, in the tropics: Tracking Tropical Storm Tammy.
A break from the news
- 🔒 The end of passwords? How Google passkey works.
- 🍁 Looking for the perfect fall candle? Check out our DIY guide!
- ❤️🩹 When she got fired at 50, she felt like she'd lost everything. Then came the grief.
Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at Paste BN. Say hello: laura@usatoday.com. This is a compilation of stories from across the Paste BN Network. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to Paste BN here.