Good Morning! Today’s edition is 754 words, a 3-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• The Canadian olympian drug lord

• Ready-to-eat chicken listeria recall

• 2024’s most popular Halloween costumes

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Big Story

Israel Kills Hamas Leader

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar during a strike in Gaza.

• Sinwar had led Hamas operations since 2017 and is believed to have organized the deadly October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel.

• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Sinwar's death a major victory but said Israel's war with Hamas isn't over, and vowed to bring hostages home.

• There are still 97 hostages, including seven Americans, being held by Hamas in Gaza. Israeli officials are worried about their safety, especially after Sinwar's death, and fear that Hamas could harm the captives in retaliation.

• Sinwar's death is a major blow to Hamas and could disrupt its leadership and operations. Some experts believe his elimination could help Israel achieve its goal of weakening Hamas as a military threat.

Big Story

L.A. Catholic Church Abuse Settlement

The Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles reached an $880 million settlement with 1,353 victims of childhood sexual abuse.

• Most of the abuse cases took place over 50 years ago, with some dating back to the 1940s. The Archdiocese admitted past failures in handling the abuse but assured that no one found guilty of harming minors is currently serving in the Church.

• The survivors came forward after California passed a law allowing old cases of child abuse to be revived. While no amount of money can undo the harm done, the settlement is seen as a form of accountability for the abuse survivors faced.

• The Archdiocese apologized for the harm caused by the predators in the Church and emphasized its commitment to preventing future abuse.

Big Story

Canadian Olympian Turned Drug Lord

Ryan Wedding, a former Olympic snowboarder, is wanted for leading a violent drug trafficking ring.

• Wedding, 43, competed for Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics but later became involved in cocaine trafficking. Now a federal fugitive living in Mexico, he faces eight felony charges, including murder.

• Prosecutors allege that Wedding ordered killings and led a ruthless operation that transported hundreds of tons of drugs across North America.

• In one instance, he allegedly ordered the murder of a couple in Canada over a lost drug shipment, which turned out to be a mistake. The couple was killed in front of their daughter, who was also shot 13 times.

• Federal investigators have seized over a ton of cocaine, $3.2 million in cryptocurrency, cash, and weapons from Wedding’s operation. Prosecutors believe the operation made billions of dollars.

Little Stories

• Rookie Jhonkensy Noel hit a game-tying homer in the ninth inning, and David Fry hit a two-run homer in the 10th, helping Cleveland beat the New York Yankees 7-5. The Guardians are now down 2-1 in the American League Championship Series. Meanwhile, the Dodgers beat the Mets to go up 3-1 in the National League Series. (More)

• President Joe Biden canceled $4.5 billion in student debt for over 60,000 people on Thursday, bringing the total number of public service workers with forgiven higher education loans to more than 1 million. (More)

• The US military carried out airstrikes on weapons storage sites controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen. According to officials, these weapons were used to target military and civilian ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. (More)

• An independent report says the US Secret Service needs to fix serious problems to prevent more assassination attempts like the one at Donald Trump's rally in July. The investigation found that the agency has become too “bureaucratic.” The report suggested changing its leadership and pointed out specific mistakes that allowed the attack to happen. (More)

• BrucePac has expanded its listeria-related recall, which now totals over 11 million pounds of ready-to-eat poultry. The items were sold at major stores like Walmart, Aldi, Target, and more, with brands like Jenny Craig and Boston Market also affected. Some recalled products were sent to schools, though there's no exact list yet. (More)

Extra Credit

🎃 2024’s most popular Halloween costumes, according to Google.

🏖️ Mysterious tar balls shut down Sydney beaches.

🚶 Short bursts of walking burn more energy than a continuous pace.

🚗 Automakers with the most US safety recalls.