11.4.2023

 

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Good morning. It's Saturday, Nov. 4, and in this weekend edition, we're covering a deadly earthquake in Nepal, a possible warning from Hezbollah's leader, and much more. First time reading? Sign up here.

 

PS—Remember to set your clocks back tonight, as daylight saving time ends tomorrow.

 

You share, we listen. As always, send us feedback at [email protected].

One Big Headline
 

Breaking: At least 128 people have been killed after an earthquake shook western Nepal late Friday night. The death toll is expected to rise. This is a developing story—see updates here.

Hezbollah Pressures Israel

The leader of Lebanon's militant group Hezbollah warned Friday the war between Israel and Hamas could widen into a broader regional conflict if Israel continues to expand its attacks on Gaza, but stopped short of committing to a full-on escalation. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah's remarks were his first public comments since the latest Israel-Hamas war began nearly a month ago. Hezbollah (see overview) and Hamas are both backed by Iran and considered terrorist groups by the US.  

 

Nasrallah also claimed Hezbollah had no role in Hamas' Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel and the kidnapping of more than 220 people, claiming the attack was "kept secret" from a regional network of militant groups that refer to themselves as the "axis of resistance" (see overview). Israel has been trading fire with Hezbollah along its northern border shared with Lebanon. Other Iran-backed groups in Yemen, Syria, and Iraq have also launched attacks in recent weeks targeting Israeli and US troops.

 

Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Friday he wouldn't agree to a cease-fire until all of the hostages are released. The US has been flying drones to search for hostages in Gaza. 

 

The death toll in Gaza has risen to over 9,000 people, according to its Hamas-run health ministry; the death toll in Israel is over 1,400 people. 

 

See updates on the war here.

Quick Hits
 

Russia targets Ukraine with largest drone attack in recent weeks.

Ukraine's air force said it had shot down 24 of the 40 drones and missiles Russia launched early Friday, which hit infrastructure as well as houses and commercial buildings. The airstrikes targeted Ukraine's Kharkiv in the northeast, Odesa and Kherson in the south, and Lviv in the west. See updates on the war here.

 

US jobs growth misses expectations in October as labor market cools. 

Nonfarm payrolls increased by 150,000 jobs for the month, below economist estimates of 170,000 and below September's downwardly revised 297,000. The unemployment rate rose to 3.9%, from 3.8% in September and the highest level since January 2022. 

 

India's New Delhi hit with severe pollution, forcing school closures.

The air quality index in the capital of New Delhi veered into "hazardous" territory Friday, reaching a level of 640 at one point and topping a real-time list of the world's most polluted cities (see here). The haze forms every winter as a result of lower temperatures and lack of wind trapping pollution from vehicles, smoke, and burning crops. 

 

NASA's Kepler telescope finds sweltering seven-planet system.

The space agency said data from its retired Kepler space telescope (see overview) unveiled a new system of seven planets in our galaxy, which are bigger than Earth but smaller than Neptune. The center of the system, dubbed Kepler-385, features a sun-like star that is 10% larger and 5% hotter than Earth's sun. 

 

Astronaut who helped save Apollo 13 crew dies at 87.

Thomas K. Mattingly was originally part of the 1970 Apollo 13 mission but was bumped 72 hours before takeoff due to his possible exposure to rubella. He was known for helping to guide the Apollo 13 crew as they returned to Earth after an explosion compromised their lunar mission. Mattingly orbited the moon on Apollo 16 in 1972 and flew the first space flight for a Defense Department mission in 1985.

 

Moroccan archaeologists unearth new ruins of ancient port city.

The archaeologists dug out thermal baths, found a statue of a woman draped in cloth, and discovered brick inscribed in a language predating the arrival of the Romans in Morocco. The ruins were found on Chellah, a 1.2-square-mile UNESCO World Heritage Site in Morocco's capital of Rabat.

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Humankind
 

Family of Alex Trebek honors late "Jeopardy!" host by launching pancreatic cancer research fund, with already more than $1M in contributions. (More)

 

Grammy-nominated Navy veteran gives back to veteran community through his nonprofit L1fe Organization (pronounced "one life"). (More

 

Husband helps his bedbound wife dress up as the Wicked Witch of the East for Halloween. (More)

 

Once a young couple, long lost friends reunite after last seeing each other in the 1950s. (More

 

Canadian millionaire builds 99 tiny homes to reduce homelessness in his community and offers on-site jobs. (More)

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Humankind(ness)
 

Today, we're sharing a story from reader Roberta R. in Woodland, California.

 

"I headed to the post office to mail Halloween packages to my grandchildren. I often think I'm still 20 when, in fact, I just turned 79. I got out of my car and began to pile up boxes in my arms ... plus a big envelope that needed mailing that couldn't be bent. I, of course, fumbled the pile of boxes and they, and the envelope, went into the gutter. A nice young woman came up beside me, asked if she could help, picked up the boxes, and carried them up the steps and into the post office for me. Come to find out, she wasn't even going to the post office, but she lightened the load, and the embarrassment for me and I couldn't have been more grateful." 

 

What act(s) of kindness did you experience this week? Tell us here.

Etcetera
 

Bookkeeping

> Study on feline communication finds cats have 276 distinct facial expressions.
> The average cost of child care per month is more than $700, up 32% from 2019.

E-cigarette use among high school students falls to 10% from 14.1%; use among middle schoolers rises to 6.6% from 4.5%. See 2023 data from the FDA here.

 

Browse 

> See the winners of the 2023 dog photography awards.

> The world's best villages to visit, via the UN

> Artist recreates Pokémon as Renaissance paintings

DiGiorno debuts Thanksgiving pizza, with turkey, gravy, and more.

> Why Swiss cheese has holes in it

> Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is moving to Miami. 

 

Listen 

> The introvert's guide to extroversion


Watch 

> Pickpocketing 101, from easy to complex.

Breweries that survived the Prohibition period

The economics of Aldi and why it's so cheap and successful

 

Long Read 

> The "crispy R" and why R is the weirdest letter of the alphabet.

> The Schuttler family home on Chicago's West Side was once one of the finest in the city—until the tragedies and hauntings.

 

Best of the Week: NASA captures image of ghostly cosmic hand

 

Historybook: Journalist Walter Cronkite born (1916); Nellie Tayloe Ross becomes first woman elected governor in the US (1924); Sean "Diddy" Combs born (1969); Iran hostage crisis begins (1979); Barack Obama becomes first African American elected US president (2008).

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- Walter Cronkite

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