The Short List

Mon Oct 9 2023

Laura L. Davis | Audience Editor

@lauradavis

Israel and Palestinian militants are in an all-out war, and the death toll is rising. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is switching up his affiliation in the 2024 race for the White House. And what does California's "Skittles ban" actually ban?

👋 Hello! Laura Davis here. It's time for Monday's news.

But first: How risky is that sip? 🥤 Along with self-serve drinks, fast-food soda fountains have been found to also be serving up some high levels of bacteria.

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Israel vows to punish Gaza after Hamas attack

The Israeli military's backlash against Palestinian militants intensified Monday. As the death toll on both sides from the three-day war rose to about 1,400, including at least nine Americans.

What's going on now: Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered a "complete siege" on Gaza, pledging to cut off electricity, food and fuel to the impoverished home to more than 2 million Palestinians. The Israeli military, which called up 300,000 reservists, pounded Gaza with an aerial assault aimed at halting Hamas rockets targeting Israel's border towns. 👉 Follow our live updates.

A Palestinian protester aims flares at Israeli troops amid clashes in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Monday. Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have rallied in support and clashed with Israeli security forces, leaving 15 Palestinians dead since Saturday, as fighting raged between Israel and Hamas around the Gaza Strip.

JAAFAR ASHTIYEH, AFP via Getty Images

How did we get here? 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? Mohammed Deif, the leader of Hamas' military wing, said that the start of what he called "Operation Al-Aqsa Storm," was in connection to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, an important holy site for both Muslims and Jews that has long been a flashpoint. Israeli security services routinely raid the compound.
•	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. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said on social media Monday there were "massacres taking place and entire families wiped out" in Gaza, and more than 100,000 have been displaced.
•	'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 a bomb shelter in Israel.

•	'This is a moment to not be alone': U.S. supporters rally after attacks.
•	Haley, Pence stood strong with Israel. Trump talked about hummus. \| Opinion
•	Videos out of Israel, Gaza are horrifying, but some can't look away. How to cope.
•	Holocaust survivor who uses a wheelchair was forcibly dragged into Gaza, Blinken says.

What everyone's talking about

•	Harvard professor Claudia Goldin awarded Nobel Prize in economics.
•	Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson vows to 'do better' after Maui wildfire fundraiser backlash.
•	Want the new Travis Scott shoes? Hope you can hit a golf ball.
•	That bonkers new movie 'Fair Play' and when you're jealous of your partner's work success.
•	Salty showers, bottled water: Salt water creeps through Louisiana.

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RFK Jr.'s declaration of independence

Just call him Mr. Independent. Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced he's dropping his Democratic bid for president and reentering the 2024 race as an independent. Kennedy, an heir to the storied political family, on Monday criticized swaths of the economy and American political system, saying his campaign would declare independence from corporations, Wall Street, technology and pharmaceutical companies, military contractors and the "mercenary media." He also called the traditional two-party system in the United States "rigged." 🗳 Here's what we know.

Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a campaign event on Monday in Philadelphia.

Matt Rourke, AP

What California's food additive ban will do

Bye-bye, red dye. California became the first state to ban the use of four food additives commonly found in thousands of products, including cereals, sodas and candies. Over the weekend, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill misleadingly known as the "Skittles ban" into law, which prohibits the manufacture, sale, or distribution of brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben and Red Dye 3. The four chemicals are used in as many as 12,000 food products despite never having been approved for consumption by the Food and Drug Administration. Advocates have long expressed concerns about potential health problems caused by the additives, which other countries have already outlawed. 🔴 What you need to know.

A break from the news

•	🍼 No crying babies: Do we need an 'adults-only' area on planes?
•	🛍 Big deals: Shop the best Amazon Prime Day sales available now.
•	📆 Is Columbus Day offensive? Why Indigenous People's Day is being embraced more and more.

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hello: laura@usatoday.com.This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.