Ohio Senate race, South Korea, Ukraine power, Paul Pelosi, India bridge: Daily Briefing – USA TODAY
One week from Election Day, the GOP is rallying around Ohio’s Senate contest, which could provide a solid win among other unpredictable races. Also in the news: South Korea’s police have blamed themselves for a deadly surge that killed over 150 people. Everything we know about the attack on Paul Pelosi.
🙋🏼♀️ I’m Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. No one made a lucky draw yesterday, so there’s still a chance to win the $1.2 billion Powerball jackpot.
Welcome to November. Here’s the news.
Will Ohio help Republicans take control of the Senate?
Republican leaders in Ohio and across the country have trained their focus on reclaiming control of the House and Senate to serve as a buffer against President Joe Biden’s priorities. While the party deals with unpredictable races in states such as Pennsylvania and Georgia, Republicans hope Ohio — which went for former President Donald Trump twice — will show up for U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance. Read more
The takeaway: Ohio’s Senate race is one of the most competitive in the country. If votes don’t perform for Vance, Republicans worry a GOP majority could be at risk.
- Republicans may face the potential peril of success: winning a majority in Congress with the help of a base that expects them to pursue federal limitations on abortion.
- Republican women running this year are getting significant financial support from political action committees aiming to elect more conservative women in Congress.
- There’s been a lot of attention on abortion, but a lack of talk about immigration reform hurts businesses and farmers, and puts the nation’s food supply at risk.
👉 Want more midterms? Check out our hub on the key races to watch.
South Korea police admit responsibility for Halloween tragedy
South Korea’s police chief has admitted a responsibility for failing to prevent a recent crowd surge that killed more than 150 people during Halloween festivities in Seoul. Police chief Yoon Hee Keun said Tuesday that officers didn’t effectively handle earlier emergency calls about the impending disaster. President Yoon Suk Yeol announced a weeklong national mourning period following the Saturday crowd surge that occurred as tens of thousands of mostly young Halloween revelers celebrated in the popular nightlife area of Itaewon. Police said they have launched a 475-member task force to investigate the tragedy. Read more
More news to know now
- 📰 A former Michigan officer will stand trial in the shooting death of Patrick Lyoya.
- ❗ NYC will pay $36 million to men exonerated in Malcolm X’s killing.
- ⚾ Rescheduled Astros at Phillies World Series Game 3 is up for bat tonight.
- ⚠ Antisemitic messages at last weekend’s Georgia-Florida football game are under investigation.
- 🗨 Thinking of logging off forever from Twitter? These celebrities are leaving the social media site after the Elon Musk takeover.
- 🎧 On today’s 5 Things podcast, Supreme Court correspondent John Fritze weighs in on what to expect as the high court considers a decision on race-conscious college admissions. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker.
🌤 What’s the weather? Check your local forecast here.
Ukrainians grapple with power outages as winter approaches
Rolling blackouts are increasing across Ukraine as the government rushes to stabilize the energy grid and repair the system ahead of winter. Yet the unpredictable power cuts are adding another layer of angst and uncertainty to a population already struggling to cope with the stress of nearly nine months of war. Moscow has openly declared its intention to strike power stations and drive the country into the cold. Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine’s infrastructure during Monday morning rush hour for the third time this month, sending commuters scrambling for cover and crippling basic services for hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians. Read more
Nine people arrested after bridge collapses into river in India
Police in western India arrested nine people on Monday as they investigated the collapse of a newly repaired 143-year-old suspension bridge in one of the country’s worst accidents in years, officials said. The collapse Sunday evening in Gujarat state plunged hundreds of people into a river, killing at least 134. As families mourned the dead, attention turned to why the pedestrian bridge, built during British colonialism in the late 1800s and touted by the state’s tourism website as an “artistic and technological marvel,” collapsed and who might be responsible. The bridge had reopened just four days earlier. Read more
Just for subscribers:
- 📧 The criminal organizations behind the rise in mail thefts are more sophisticated than we realize. USPS anti-crime efforts are failing, expert says.
- 🔴 Conservative men dominate the politics of abortion access. Where are the progressive men?
- 🍽 How you treat a server says more about you than anything else, especially these days.
- 🔮 Decades later, mystery swirls around the death of Jerry Lee Lewis’ 5th wife.
- 🍑 Have you been thinking about foreplay all wrong? Here’s what you may be missing.
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What we know about the attack on Paul Pelosi
Federal prosecutors charged David DePape, the man accused of violently attacking Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, while he continues to recover from the attack after surgery. DePape, 42, of Richmond, California, has been jailed since he was arrested early Friday after the attack at Pelosi’s home. Police confronted him allegedly struggling with Paul Pelosi and striking him on the head with a hammer. Read more
- History of threats against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: ”It’s here; we shouldn’t be surprised.”
📷 Photo of the day: Dia de los Muertos: See dazzling displays, costumes, colorful skulls 📷
Dia de los Muertos – or Day of the Dead – gives families time to honor and remember loved ones that are no longer in the “land of the living.” Known for dazzling displays and the colorful calaveras – decorated skulls – people make or use as makeup, the holiday’s origins go back a couple of millennia in Mexico, to the time of the Aztec empire. The holiday is celebrated on two days: Nov. 1 is in remembrance of the young and Nov. 2 is for adults. Read more
Click here to see more photos of Dia de los Muertos celebrations.
One more thing
- ⚖ Harvey Weinstein is back in court: Here are the biggest revelations so far from his second trial in LA.
- ⁉ Officials say the MLB is trying, but ultimately helpless, getting teams to hire minorities for leadership positions.
- 📱 Why did Instagram suspend my account? Users report widespread account suspensions.
- 🏈 NFL Week 8 winners and losers: Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is an MVP candidate; Rams are average.
- 📚 Bono tackles mortality, “ugly pop songs” with U2 and drinking with Sinatra in new memoir.
- 🟠 Tennessee has moved into the No. 2 spot behind Georgia in college football’s rankings.
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note, shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.
Associated Press contributed reporting.