5 things to know for Nov. 2: Israel, Trump family, Economy, France power outages, World Series

Passenger airplanes traveling eastbound across the Atlantic are knocking more than an hour off their flight times as they hit speeds exceeding 761 mph — the speed of sound. Thanks to the jet stream, some flights have reached cruising speeds around 200 mph faster than normal.

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

1. Israel

Israeli forces bombed the densely-populated Jabalya refugee camp in Gaza for the second time in two days on Wednesday, prompting UN warnings that the airstrikes “could amount to war crimes.” Both Israeli airstrikes this week targeted Hamas, killing or injuring hundreds, according to medics in the region. Israel’s weekslong bombardment in Gaza has killed at least 8,700 people, according to figures released by the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Ministry of Health. Israel is defending the strikes as key to eliminating Hamas militants. Separately, a breakthrough after weeks of talks allowed hundreds of foreign nationals, including US citizens, to depart Gaza on Wednesday. The development was hailed as a critical first step in getting thousands of others out of the war-torn strip.

2. Trump family

Former President Donald Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., testified on Wednesday that he was not involved in the preparation of his father’s financial statements at any point in time. He was pressed on his involvement in the financial documents at the center of the $250 million lawsuit brought by the New York attorney general’s office against the Trump family and their business dealings. The lawsuit accuses Trump Jr. and his brother Eric of knowingly participating in a scheme to inflate their father’s net worth to obtain financial benefits like better loan and insurance policy terms. A banking expert also testified Wednesday that Donald Trump and his company saved more than $168 million in loan interest by obtaining favorable terms on transactions where the former president personally guaranteed the loans.

3. Economy

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady Wednesday for the second consecutive time, leaving the central bank’s benchmark lending rate at its highest level in 22 years. Economists and financial markets had expected the pause in the Fed’s aggressive rate-hiking campaign after several Fed officials signaled they anticipate a further slowing of the US economy as it continues to absorb the effects of higher borrowing costs. Despite the Fed aggressively raising interest rates 11 times since March 2022 in a bid to combat inflation, the economy has not only avoided a recession so far but instead expanded at a blistering rate, mostly due to solid consumer spending.

4. France power outages

At least one person in France has been killed and 1.2 million people there are without electricity as one of the strongest storms in decades hit northwestern Europe and barreled toward southern England. Parts of northwest France saw winds of over 75 mph with gusts at hurricane-force levels of more than 124 mph, according to the country’s meteorological agency. Around 780,000 of those without power are in the northwestern region of Brittany, where the coast was put on a state of “red alert,” France’s highest weather warning.

5. World Series

The Texas Rangers have won the club’s first World Series title in the franchise’s 63-season history following a victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 5 on Wednesday. But their win in Phoenix — giving them the best-of-seven series 4 games to 1 — didn’t come easily. The game was scoreless through six innings as Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen was dominating, not allowing a hit through those stanzas. Then, the Rangers pounced on Arizona in the ninth inning highlighted by a monster Marcus Semien 2-run home run to achieve an insurmountable 5-0 lead. With the historic championship, the Rangers’ Bruce Bochy also became the sixth manager to win at least four World Series titles.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

How to celebrate Día de los Muertos
Mexico’s Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a yearly celebration taking place today to remember and honor loved ones who have died. Learn about the day’s longstanding symbols and significance.

Here’s what this year’s Starbucks holiday cups look like
Starbucks is debuting its seasonal cups at US locations today, marking the 26th anniversary of the tradition. Take a look at this year’s designs.

Cats have 276 different facial expressions, study finds
Have you ever gone to pet a seemingly nice cat but got paw swat instead? Here are ways to determine whether a cat is in a friendly or aggressive mood.

DoorDash wants you to tip your drivers — or prepare to wait a long time for a cold meal
The food delivery provider is cautioning that orders with no tip can result in a slower delivery.

Alex Trebek’s family honors the late ‘Jeopardy!’ icon with cancer research fund in his name
Almost three years after “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek died after suffering pancreatic cancer, his widow Jean Trebek is honoring the late TV legend by launching a cancer research fund.

IN MEMORIAM

Bob Knight, one of college basketball’s winningest coaches but also one of the sport’s most polarizing figures, has died, his family said on Wednesday. He was 83. Knight famously coached Indiana University from 1971 to 2000 and won three national championships there. However, his legacy was tainted by his aggressive coaching style, which eventually contributed to his firing from the university in 2000.

TODAY’S NUMBER

1.8 million
That’s how many Toyota RAV4 vehicles are being recalled due to a fire risk, the automaker announced Wednesday. Toyota said the replacement batteries in some 2013-2018 models aren’t the correct dimensions and could shake loose and start a fire if the car makes a sharp turn.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“There is no place for hate in America against anyone. Period.”

— White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, issuing a statement Wednesday after introducing the Biden administration’s revamped national strategy to combat Islamophobia. The initiative comes as Israel’s war with Hamas has increased fears of Islamophobia in the US, and as some of the nation’s largest Muslim American groups have denounced President Biden’s approach to the conflict.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

Is AI coming for your job?
Artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT have demonstrated their potential to transform the labor market, exposing many jobs to automation. Watch this short video to learn which professions AI could most likely replace.

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