5 things to know for Oct. 30: Israel, Presidential race, Mass shootings, Hurricane Otis, Matthew Perry

By CNN

Published October 30, 2023 4:42 AM

CNN

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

(CNN) — Trick-or-treaters may be in for a surprise this Halloween as a cold front is expected to sweep across the US this week. If you’re participating in Tuesday’s candy haul, don’t forget to check your local forecast to gauge whether your costumes might need a few extra layers.

Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

1. Israel

Israel over the weekend announced it had entered a “second stage” of its war against Hamas and on Sunday said its ground operations in Gaza would intensify. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his intent to “destroy” the militant group after its October 7 attack on Israel, which killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians. In Gaza, the number of people killed during Israeli strikes since October 7 has risen to around 8,000, the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Ministry of Health said Sunday. The UN will hold an emergency meeting today, where the UAE will seek a resolution on a “humanitarian pause” in the fighting, though Israel has vowed to continue its ground raids in the coming days.

2. Presidential race

Former Vice President Mike Pence dropped out of the 2024 presidential race on Saturday amid lagging poll numbers and financial challenges, pledging to help elect “principled Republican leaders” moving forward. “After much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to suspend my campaign for president effective today,” Pence said at an event in Las Vegas on Saturday. There was concern in Pence’s campaign that he wasn’t going to qualify for the third debate stage next month, one source told CNN. Former President Donald Trump responded to Pence’s bowing out, saying “people in politics can be very disloyal.” This comes as Trump continues to be the dominant candidate in the 2024 GOP presidential race, despite his legal troubles.

3. Mass shootings

Cities across the US are reeling from another gruesome weekend of gun violence — just days after a 40-year-old went on two shooting rampages in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday night, killing 18 people. At least 580 mass shootings have been recorded this year across the country alone, and 11 were recorded over the weekend, according to the Gun Violence Archive. In Indianapolis, a Halloween party ended with one person killed and nine others injured when shots were fired Sunday. Separately, a shooting in Tampa, Florida, left two people dead and injured 16 others as hundreds of people were filing out of the bars and nightclubs. Over 1,000 miles to the north, at least 15 people were also shot Sunday morning on Chicago’s west side. “Americans should not have to live like this,” President Joe Biden recently said, calling on Congress to address the scourge of mass shootings in the US.

4. Hurricane Otis

At least 43 people have died after Hurricane Otis tore through Acapulco, Mexico, as a devastating Category 5 storm last week, the region’s governor said Sunday. The popular tourist destination and its iconic beaches are in ruins after 80% of the area’s hotels were severely damaged, according to the Mexican government’s preliminary damage assessment. New satellite images capture the scale of destruction brought on by the storms’ 165 mph winds. “This is a chaotic situation, a devastating scenario with unquantifiable damages,” said Jorge Laurel, former president of the Acapulco Association of Hotels and Tourist Enterprises.

5. Matthew Perry

Matthew Perry, the beloved actor who starred as Chandler Bing on “Friends,” died Saturday at his Los Angeles home following an apparent drowning accident. He was 54. On Sunday, Perry’s family shared a statement saying that they were “heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother.” An autopsy has been conducted, but examiners are awaiting the results of toxicology reports to determine Perry’s cause of death, the city’s medical examiner’s office told CNN. Investigators will use the toxicology reports to determine whether any foreign substances may have contributed to his passing. The additional investigative steps come after Perry released a memoir last year about his recovery from addiction and his dedication to helping others titled, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir.”

HAPPENING LATER

14th Amendment Trump disqualification trial begins in Colorado
A trial to determine if the 14th Amendment’s “insurrectionist ban” applies to former President Donald Trump is set to begin today in Denver, a historic but likely longshot case that could block him from Colorado’s presidential ballot in 2024. Here’s what we expect will take place.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

The creepiest places in all 50 states
From rundown prisons to defunct hospitals, find out the creepiest spot in your state … if you dare.

This Florida town full of mediums has been luring believers, the curious and the skeptical for more than a century
Roughly 50 miles from Orlando’s theme parks, the town of Cassadaga is home to a Spiritualist camp where mediums say they can communicate with the dead. Of course, CNN took a trip to see what the chatter is all about.

What to expect from Apple’s ‘scary fast’ event
Apple will kick off its second product event of the season later this evening at 8:00 p.m. ET. The event’s tagline — “scary fast” — is an apparent nod to the likely unveiling of its next-generation silicon chip as well as Halloween.

This massive ‘floating’ museum is straight out of science fiction
A building of this size and complexity would typically take years to build, but this impressive museum went from concept to completion in just 12 months.

Five ways to nourish your brain
Nutritional psychiatrist and personal chef Dr. Uma Naidoo served up these tips for eating to improve brain function and mood.

QUIZ TIME

What is the most popular Halloween costume of 2023?
A. Clown
B. Barbie
C. Mermaid
D. Batman

Take CNN’s wickedly fun Halloween Quiz to see if you’re correct!

TODAY’S NUMBER

$1.7 trillion
That’s the US budget deficit, according to the latest data from the Treasury Department. Budget deficits happen when a government’s spending exceeds what it collects in taxes. Meanwhile, lawmakers have yet to sign off on a budget for most of the current fiscal year, but concerns are mounting over the possibility of funding the wars in Israel and Ukraine simultaneously. Financial experts say that would undoubtedly lead to more government spending and a higher deficit.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“We haven’t been looking in the right places.”

— Geoffrey Ellis, a geochemist with the US Geological Survey, reacting to the exciting discovery of a massive “white hydrogen” reservoir in northeastern France. Currently, commercial hydrogen is produced in a process almost entirely powered by fossil fuels, whereas “white hydrogen” is naturally produced in the Earth’s crust. Up to 250 million metric tons were recently found in France, potentially making it one of the largest deposits of “white hydrogen” ever discovered.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

See emperor penguin hatch at SeaWorld in ‘once in a decade’ event
An emperor penguin recently hatched at SeaWorld San Diego to much fanfare. See the rare occurrence, which hardly happens outside the Antarctic.

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