Powerball jackpot, space station leak, and a cow invasion.

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U.S. News, Politics, & Government

Biden confirms US citizens are among Hamas hostages in sharp condemnation of attacks on Israel

President Biden confirmed Tuesday that Americans are known to be among the hostages held by Hamas after its coordinated strikes on Israel over the weekend. He also denounced the attacks saying “the brutality of Hamas’ bloodthirstiness brings to mind the worst rampages of ISIS.” Twenty or more Americans are believed to be missing from Israel Tuesday, but that number does not necessarily reflect the number of hostages in Hamas’ custody. The number of known Americans killed stands at 14. (More)

Former baseball MVP Steve Garvey launches GOP bid in California Senate race

Former Dodgers MVP Steve Garvey announced his bid to run for the Senate seat previously held by the late Dianne Feinstein. Garvey is running as a Republican in a state where Democrats have held the Senate seats for the past three decades. He said he will run on a “commonsense campaign” that aims to bring people together and build a brighter future for everyone. (More)

Surgeon General Murthy says rebuilding social connection has to be a "national priority"

The issue of mental health is "fundamentally impacting the fabric of society," according to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. Murthy has made it a priority to combat loneliness in the U.S., and he sees isolation as key driver of political polarization. He believes that rebuilding social connection in America is a foundation on which we can build a healthy society. (More)

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World

Israel-Gaza conflict update

At least 1,200 Israelis and 900 Palestinians have been killed, thousands have been injured, and tens of thousands have been displaced during the back-and-fourth fighting over the past four days. The WHO is asking Israel to allow medical aid trucks to pass through the blockade of Gaza as hospitals in the area are quickly running low on vital supplies. Some of Israel’s airstrikes have damaged school buildings that are sheltering displaced Palestinians. In response, Hamas said it will execute hostages if innocent civilians are targeted by Israeli airstrikes without warning. (More)

A floating village is stranded on a dry lakebed as extreme drought grips the Amazon

A floating village is stuck on a dry lakebed in Brazil’s Amazon. Those stranded are having difficulty getting supplies like fresh water, food, and fuel. The community is located on part of the Rio Negro river system, which has been near a record-low since the end of September. The villagers entire livelihood relies on the water level returning to normal levels, and they plan on remaining in isolation until rainfall restores the rivers. (More)

Lidia becomes major hurricane as it takes aim at Mexico

Hurricane Lidia became a Category 4 storm on Tuesday as it made landfall near Mexico’s Puerto Vallarta resort. The winds from the storm have grown to about 140 mph. The storm is expected to weaken as it travels over the mountain ranges that surround the region. However, the area is under possible flash flood and storm surge warnings, and schools have been closed in communities around the coast. (More)

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Business & Economy

Daily stock market update

U.S. stock markets closed higher on Tuesday (S&P +0.52%, Nasdaq +0.58%, Dow +0.40%) ~ U.S. stocks were boosted by the decline in treasury yields as investors look for safe assets amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. (More)

Powerball jackpot up to $1.73 billion as lottery losing streak continues

The Powerball jackpot shot up to $1.73 billion after no one matched all of Monday’s six numbers to win the grand prize. There has been no winner for 35 consecutive drawings dating back to July. The streak trails the record of 41 draws set in 2021 and 2022. The largest jackpot ever was a $2.04 billion Powerball prize hit by a player in California in November 2022. (More)

Restaurant employment is back to pre-COVID levels

Employment levels in food services and bars have exceeded February 2020 levels. However, they remain below the pre-pandemic trend. If it weren’t for the pandemic, employment in the sector would be more than 1 million higher. COVID also influenced eating trends. Fast casual restaurants have become more popular, which has provided 117,000 new jobs in the sector between February 2020 and August. In contrast, full-service restaurants have lost popularity, with employment declining by 212,000 over the same period. (More)

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Sports & Entertainment

Major League Baseball playoff update

Houston is one win away from reaching another American League Championship Series after beating the Minnesota Twins 9-1 on Tuesday. Starting pitcher Christian Javier held the Twins to just one hit over five scoreless innings. Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers defeated the Baltimore Orioles 7-1 to sweep the series and move on to the ALCS for the first time since 2011. (More)

Jerry Seinfeld hints at a “Seinfeld” reunion

“Seinfeld” may get a second ending 25 years after its finale. Jerry Seinfeld said he “has a little secret” about the finale of the show during a standup event in Boston over the weekend. He went on to say that he and co-creator Larry David have been working on something regarding the finale and that the audience would soon find out what it is. (More)

ESPN's Barry Melrose retires after Parkinson's disease diagnosis

Former NHL coach, player, and Emmy Award-winning analyst Barry Melrose has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He announced his retirement from ESPN Tuesday. Melrose has been a part of the sport for over 50 years. He said he will now focus on his health, family, and whatever comes next. (More)

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Science, Health, & Tech

Google looks to do away with passwords

Google is prompting users to create passkeys in place of passwords to unlock accounts and devices with a fingerprint, face scan, or pin number. Google said that passcodes are easier to remember, quicker to use, and offer more security. The company hopes that the entire industry will follow its lead and eventually make passwords obsolete. (More)

Animal tranquillizer added to opioids causing ‘steep increase’ in deaths

The tranquilizer xylazine is now being widely mixed into illegal opioids like heroin and fentanyl, which is driving up overdose deaths. Xylazine can increase the potential for fatal overdoses because if further suppresses breathing on top of the effect on respiration caused by opioids. The combination of fentanyl and xylazine has been identified in 48 states. Researchers estimate that one-fourth of the fentanyl supply is mixed with xylazine. (More)

A radiator circuit on the ISS is leaking

The Russian segment of the International Space Station has sprung its third coolant leak this year. Flakes of frozen coolant spraying into space were visible in a live stream of the lab provided by NASA. The malfunction raised questions about the reliability of Russia’s space program, even though officials said crew members were not in danger. The successive nature of the leaks indicate that the damage likely wasn’t caused by space debris. (More)

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Bonus Material

Have you ever seen a blue sunset?

Our sense of smell changes how we see color.

Your ultimate guide to 85 varieties of apples.

Dozens of cows invade a Wisconsin neighborhood.