The Short List

Tue Oct 10 2023

Laura L. Davis | Audience Editor

@lauradavis

A deadly war between Israel and Hamas rages on. Who will be the next speaker of the House? And genetically-modified chickens are showing promise in the fight against bird flu.

👋 Hey! Your old pal Laura Davis here with Tuesday's news to know.

🎃 But first: Good gourd! A Minnesota educator set a new world record for growing the plumpest pumpkin on the planet.

The Short List is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here.

Biden pledges US support to Israel as war rages on

"At this moment, we must be crystal clear: We stand with Israel." Condemning Hamas' brutal attack in Israel as "pure, unadulterated evil," President Joe Biden on Tuesday pledged support to Israel with U.S. aid as war erupts in the Middle East.

What's happening: The Israel Defense Forces said it regained control over the border with the Gaza Strip early Tuesday while intensifying its retaliation, stepping up rocket attacks on Gaza and tightening a blockade on food and fuel. Hundreds of Israeli air strikes have razed mosques, university buildings, apartment towers and offices. "Israel has destroyed the center of everything," Palestinian businessman Ali al-Hiyak said from his home near Rimal. "That is the space of our public life, our community." 👉 Live coverage.

An Israeli firefighter kneels after he and his colleagues extinguished cars set on fire by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip in Ashkelon, Israel, Monday.

Ohad Zwigenberg, AP

Biden's speech: The president said Hamas is "a terrorist organization" whose "stated purpose for being is to kill Jews." He said parents were "butchered" trying to protect their children and cited "stomach-turning reports" of Israeli babies being murdered, Holocaust survivors taken captive, women raped and entire families slain. Israel has a "right to respond and indeed has a duty to respond," he added. 👉 What President Biden said.

•	Is Iran behind Hamas attacks? If so, it could mean trouble ahead.
•	Real talk: No, you don't need to post on social media about the situation in Israel and Gaza. Here's why.
•	The Israel-Hamas war escalated quickly. We've launched a daily Israel-Hamas war newsletter, which features a round-up of the stories to read involving the conflict. Sign up here to get the briefing to your inbox.

Smoke billows during Israeli strikes on Gaza City on Oct. 10, 2023. Israel said it recaptured Gaza border areas from Hamas as the war's death toll passed 3,000 on Oct. 10, the fourth day of grueling fighting since the Islamists launched a surprise attack.

IBRAHIM HAMS, AFP via Getty Images

Republicans race to crown new House speaker

Congress is in for a hectic week. The House is frozen without a speaker, and Republicans are scrambling to find a new leader after the historic ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. And they're on a schedule: House Republicans will meet Tuesday night to hold a forum where prospective speakers will make their pitches to fellow lawmakers. Next, they'll hold a secret vote on a nominee Wednesday night. It's unclear when the House will hold an official speaker election. But the ongoing war between Israel and Palestinian militants could put pressure on them to pick up the pace – especially if they need to approve humanitarian aid. 🔎 Here's what to know.

What everyone's talking about

•	Majestic but troubled, huge Hindu temple opening in New Jersey.
•	Doctor disconnects brain of 6-year-old girl with a rare disease.
•	Florida to release more COVID-19 data after lawsuit settlement.
•	Cops are on trial in 2 major cases. Is it easier to prosecute police?
•	Jimmy Buffett song inspires name for new snail species in Florida.
•	Review: Daniel Radcliffe's new musical is as close to perfect as Broadway gets.

The Short List is free, but several stories we link to are subscriber-only. Consider supporting our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.

Republican candidate Town Hall forums get started

Kicking off a series of town hall forums presented by USA TODAY, the USA TODAY Network and Seacoastonline for Republican presidential hopefuls, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson took the stage in Exeter, New Hampshire. 📸 See photos from the event.

The forums will take place at Exeter Town Hall, where many former presidents have campaigned. The forums are scheduled to take place Oct. 10-15, and the next one will be on Thursday, Oct. 12 with Nikki Haley. The other three GOP hopefuls who have committed to meeting with voters are Doug Burgum, Mike Pence and Vivek Ramaswamy. 🎥 Watch the live stream.

Republican presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson speaks during the Seacoast Media Group and USA TODAY Network 2024 Republican Presidential Candidate Town Hall Forum held in the historic Exeter Town Hall in Exeter, New Hampshire. The former Governor of Arkansas spoke to prospective New Hampshire voters about issues during the hour-long form.

Josh Morgan, USA TODAY

Super chickens to the rescue 🐓

Cluck cluck cluck! These chickens are in luck. In a scientific first, U.K. researchers have used gene editing technology to create poultry that's partially resistant to bird flu infection, according to a study published Tuesday in Nature Communications. It's no bionic chicken. But study authors say growing disease-resistant chickens in the lab is an important first step to combat bird flu, which wiped out tens of millions of chickens over the past two years. And while experts say gene editing in poultry could be very beneficial, they also warn that more research must be done to understand potential unintended consequences. 🥚 Here's how it works.

🛒 A Big Deals Day break from the news

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is here. We've rounded up all the best savings we could possibly find.

•	🎧 Best buds deal: Apple AirPods are the lowest price ever.
•	🥘 Air fryers, gadgets: Shop the best kitchen deals.
•	🧊 Need fuzzy slippers for winter? Slip into any of these.
•	😎 Get ahead on holiday shopping – and stay on budget.

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.

3 Fl. students arrested in plot to attack Jacksonville-area high school

A file photo from 2022 shows a St. Johns County Sheriff's Office vehicle near the scene of a shooting.

Three Florida teens were arrested after authorities found texts in which they discussed who they planned to attack at a Jacksonville-area high school.

READ MORE