'Hell,' kindness and a web of tunnels
A freed Israeli hostage shares a harrowing tale of survival. Republicans rustled up a new speaker nominee to bring to the House floor, but then he dropped out. And a big winter storm will bring bitter cold to parts of the country.
👋 Hi there! Laura Davis here. It’s time for Tuesday’s news.
🐝 But first: A buzzy bee pollen supplement for breast growth went viral. But now some TikTokers say they're feeling stung.
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A hostage's harrowing tale of survival
The release of two more hostages and reports that talks were underway involving dozens more captives offered a glimmer of hope Tuesday for the families of more than 200 people held by Hamas since the attack by militants into Israel less than three weeks ago. One of the elderly hostages released Monday, Yocheved Lifshitz, speaking at a hospital in Tel Aviv, said she was swept out of Israel on the back of a motorbike, her legs hanging off one side and her head off the other. Lifshitz said she was hit by Hamas militants, forced to walk for miles through a web of underground tunnels and went through "hell." A video released by Hamas shows Lifshitz shaking hands with one of her captors as she is freed − and saying "shalom," the Hebrew word for peace, tranquility or harmony as well as hello or goodbye. 👉 More developments on Tuesday.
- As war rages, how do Jewish and Muslim Americans find common ground?
- Poll: How Americans feel about aid to Israel and Ukraine.
📬 Sign up for Paste BN's Israel and Hamas war newsletter to receive weekday updates on the escalating conflict.
Another day, still no House speaker
The House is in its 21st day without a speaker – officially entering its third week without a formal leader as chaos and continues to roil the lower chamber. In a familiar scene on Tuesday, House Republicans huddled behind closed doors and picked House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., as another speaker nominee to bring to the House floor. But just hours later, Emmer withdrew from the battle for the speakership. All it takes for a candidate to win the GOP nomination is a simple majority of the conference, but the real question for any speaker nominee is whether they can get the near-unanimous support they need from House Republicans to be elected speaker.
What's been going on? After former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted earlier this month, deeply divided House Republicans haven't managed to rally around one candidate and elect a new speaker. Rep. Jim Jordan went through three rounds of voting on the House floor, losing more and more support from Republicans with each round. 🗳 Follow our live updates on the speaker fight.
- When is the next House speaker election? What to know.
What everyone's talking about
- John Stamos recalls DUI, sobriety: 'I could’ve killed somebody.'
- Federal child care relief just expired. Costs are skyrocketing.
- Washington state senator arrested at Hong Kong airport with unregistered gun.
- They made up a fake country and stole millions. Here's how they got caught.
- At 82, Martha Stewart says she still dresses like a teenager. Here's why it matters.
- A retired general tweeted about first lady Jill Biden. It annoyed the Army – but didn't break any rules.
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❄️ First big snowstorm of the season on the way
You might be saying, "snow way," but Old Man Winter is getting cranked up. The nation's first major snowstorm of the season is forecast to hit parts of the northern U.S. starting Tuesday and lasting into Thursday. Forecasters said the storm will first impact parts of the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies before shifting into the northern Plains over the next couple of days. "Near-blizzard conditions" are possible, and the National Weather Service said that up to 2 feet of snow could fall in some areas. Time to unpack those winter coats and snow shovels, y'all! ☃️ Here's a look at the frigid forecast.
Is self-checkout working?
Not having to talk to anybody at the grocery store. 🥰 Unexpected item in the bagging area. 😒 Please wait for assistance. 🙄🙄 Whether you love or hate it, so many retailers are now leaning into self-checkout technology. Some Kroger supermarkets are even operating entirely via self-checkout. But some big chains appear to be reconsidering. While the technology has been in supermarkets since the 1980s, usage surged during the pandemic, when retailers were struggling to hire and customers wanted less human interaction. So, just how much value do self-checkouts bring to retailers and shoppers? 🛒 Checking the ins and outs of self-checkout.
A break from the news
- 💰 Is now the right time to buy I Bonds?
- 🏝 7 tropical fall getaways where summer never ends.
- 🦒 Meet Kendi! See pics of the Oakland Zoo's newest baby giraffe.
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.