Here are the latest updates from the Israel–Hamas war.

Military operations: Israel deployed troops deeper into the Gaza Strip as it expanded its ground efforts to dismantle Hamas in response to the group’s Oct. 7 terrorist attack that killed over 1,400 people. The US has urged Israel to adopt a targeted ground offensive to lower the risk of a wider conflict, better distinguish Palestinian civilians from Hamas, and minimize casualties on both sides, according to the Washington Post. So far, Israel appears to be taking a more cautious, day-by-day approach to its ground operations. But Israeli leaders said they believed exerting more military pressure on Hamas would lead to a quicker release of the 229 hostages it kidnapped to Gaza.

Humanitarian crisis: Thousands of Gaza residents broke into UN warehouses to grab flour and “basic survival items,” the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency said on Sunday, highlighting the dire humanitarian situation in the heavily bombed territory. More than 8,000 people, the majority of whom are women and minors, have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory bombing of Gaza over the last several weeks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The Biden administration says it has “no confidence” in the casualty figures provided by the Hamas-led organization, though international aid groups say the numbers are largely reliable.

Communications: Limited internet and phone services were coming back to Gaza after they got knocked out by Israeli airstrikes on Friday night. An American official told the Washington Post that the Israeli government restored communications in Gaza after being pressured to by the US. During the near-total blackout, Elon Musk said his Starlink satellite internet service would support connectivity in Gaza, but Israel’s communications minister responded he would fight those efforts, claiming Hamas would use it for “terrorist activities.”

Antisemitic airport attack in Russia: A mob in the predominately Muslim region of Dagestan stormed the international airport Sunday night, looking for Jewish passengers on a flight that had landed from Tel Aviv. Russia's aviation agency said the situation was brought under control and the airport has been closed.

Other links that are worth your time:

• The US called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to rein in extremist settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
• Antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiments are spiking on Chinese internet and state media.
• Middle Eastern markets aren’t pricing in a larger, regional conflict.—NF

Friends star Matthew Perry died at 54. Matthew Perry was found dead in his hot tub at his Los Angeles-area home on Saturday. The Emmy-nominated actor achieved international fame while playing the witty Chandler Bing on the iconic TV series Friends from 1994 to 2004. No drugs were found at the scene, and police responded to a report of cardiac arrest, TMZ reported. There was no indication of foul play, authorities said. Last year, Perry released a memoir that chronicled his decadeslong struggle with addiction and the peace he found in sobriety. “The kind of message that I guess I give out with this book is don’t give up,” he said last November. “There’s help out there.”

Aid trickles into devastated Acapulco. People in Acapulco, Mexico, are criticizing the government’s response to Hurricane Otis, which slammed the resort city of 1 million and caused massive damage last week. The death toll from the storm grew to 43 and has impacted 80% of the hotel sector, authorities said. As more aid began to arrive in Acapulco, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador hit back at critics on Saturday, defending the government’s response and accusing his political opponents of exaggerating the storm’s devastation. Hurricane Otis, which shocked forecasters with its sudden rise in intensity, was the most powerful storm to strike the country’s Pacific coast, Mexican authorities said.

The UAW settles up with Stellantis, expands strike at GM. Chrysler-owner Stellantis became the second Detroit automaker, after Ford, to agree to a tentative deal with the United Auto Workers union amid a six-week strike. That agreement, like the one at Ford, reportedly gives full-time employees a 25% pay bump and cost-of-living allowances. But the union expanded its strike at GM plants on Saturday as the two sides still haven’t come to terms over temp workers, which at times can account for up to 10% of GM employees, according to Bloomberg.

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The most impactful government program you don’t know about is facing an uncertain future.

PEPFAR—an acronym for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief—was created by former President George W. Bush in 2003 and is credited with saving 25 million lives around the world. Through the program, the US government has invested more than $100 billion in treatment for HIV-AIDS and related illnesses by providing training, medical infrastructure, and antiretroviral drugs. PEPFAR remains the largest commitment by a country to confront a single disease, according to KFF.

Since its inception, PEPFAR has been renewed every five years with bipartisan support. But that wasn’t the case in 2023, as lawmakers let the program expire at the end of September.

What’s the holdup?

House Republicans delayed $1 billion in funding for PEPFAR, alleging the money was being used to fund abortions overseas, something HIV policy experts and advocates have denied.

A blow to the US’ global reputation: The Biden administration is concerned that letting this program lapse will hurt the US’ image abroad, especially in the many African countries that have benefited from PEPFAR.

What’s next? PEPFAR’s future was already clouded due to gridlock in the House, but newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson could present another obstacle. Johnson is staunchly anti-abortion and a longtime ally of conservative advocacy groups that have said renewing the program in its current form will be seen as a vote to support abortion abroad.—DL

Biden will issue sweeping executive order on AI. The Biden administration will reportedly release an executive order today to regulate AI technology. The directive aims to leverage the government’s role as a leading technology customer by requiring advanced AI models to undergo assessments before they can be used by federal employees. It would also ease barriers to immigration for highly skilled workers in an attempt to boost the US’ technological edge.

The Beatles will release their last “new” song. In a related yet unrelated story, the Beatles will release their final “new” song, “Now And Then,” on Thursday thanks to AI technology that allowed for John Lennon’s voice to be pulled from a recording done in the 1970s. Peter Jackson, who directed the Beatles documentary The Beatles: Get Back, also directed a 12-minute short film about the process of bringing the song together that will be released on Wednesday.

Apple’s final product unveiling of 2023 to be “scary.” At its last product event of the year today, the company will reportedly release new MacBook Pro laptops and iMac desktops, according to Bloomberg. Since the theme is “Scary Fast,” the machines are expected to have Apple’s first M3 3-nanometer processors—a significant improvement over the M2 line that rolled out in June 2022.

Everything else…

• Speaking of Apple, it highlights a busy earnings week that also includes reports from Pfizer, Airbnb, Eli Lilly, McDonald’s, and Starbucks.
• The Fed is expected to hold interest rates steady after its meeting this week.
• Halloween is on Tuesday. But more importantly, unsold candy will be available at deep discounts the following day.
• The World Series between the Diamondbacks and Rangers continues—it’s currently tied 1–1. Plus, the NBA’s first in-season tournament tips off Friday. Here’s how it works.
• We turn back the clocks on Saturday night. There appears to be no immediate plan to make daylight saving time permanent.

Stat: “The world is becoming more African,” the New York Times declared in a story full of fascinating stats about Africa’s population boom. The African population is projected to double to 2.5 billion over the next 25 years, in stark contrast with high-income nations where birth rates are declining. In 1950, Africans made up 8% of the world population; by 2050, they will account for 25% and at least one-third of all people 15–24, according to the UN. That makes Africa the youngest, fastest-growing population on the planet. The median age on the African continent is 19; the United States and China have a median age of 38. By 2100, two out of every five people on Earth are expected to be African.

Quote: “J got all excited and said so loud, ‘Oh yeah, fo’ shiz fo’ shiz, Ginuwine, what’s up, homie?’”

That’s actress Michelle Williams narrating Britney Spears’s memoir, The Woman In Me, and doing an impression of what Justin Timberlake sounded like when he met Ginuwine. It’s worth a listen to gain a full appreciation of her work. Williams’s rendition of the best-selling book has received high praise not just for her comedic chops but for her ability to capture the more serious topics discussed by Spears.

Read: 12 problems worth thinking about. (The Honest Broker)

Run and hide: How to escape from a movie monster.

Watch and laugh: On SNL, George Washington explains his dream for the nascent USA.

For the birds: An interactive map of more than 450 bird migration patterns.

Eat: For restaurants that are simply the best, better than all the rest—check out Map of the Best.

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