5 things to know for Nov. 6: Israel, Trump trial, Election workers, Extreme weather, Pollution

By CNN Newsource

Published November 6, 2023 3:46 am

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

(CNN) — A Muslim student at Stanford University is advocating for “love, understanding and inclusivity” after he was recently struck by a car in what authorities are calling a hate crime. It is one of the latest instances of hate-based violence, as many communities in the US face increasingly tense rhetoric and protests surrounding the Israel-Hamas war.

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

1. Israel

Humanitarian agencies have lost contact with aid workers in Gaza as the Palestinian enclave slowly recovers from its third communications blackout of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The disruption to internet and cell service comes as Israel expands its ground operation targeting Hamas infrastructure. Israel said it opened a four-hour evacuation window to secure safe corridors for civilians before its forces reached the enclave’s coast on Sunday. But the outcry is growing over the Gaza crisis as deadly blasts continue to strike refugee camps and crowded hospitals. Additionally, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Sunday as Iranian-backed proxy groups have scaled up attacks targeting US troops in the region.

2. Trump fraud trial

Former President Donald Trump will be called to the witness stand today to testify in his civil fraud trial in New York. It will be the first time Trump himself will be subject to extensive courtroom questioning in any of his current legal battles. The trial was brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has accused Trump of inflating his net worth to save hundreds of millions of dollars in business and real estate deals. James is seeking $250 million in damages and to bar the former president from doing business in the state. Still, despite a mountain of legal woes, recent polls show Trump is leaping past President Joe Biden in multiple key swing states as he tries to turn his criminal peril into an electoral advantage.

3. Election workers

A growing exodus of local election officials is raising alarms ahead of the 2024 presidential contest. Officials say many workers are resigning or retiring because they continue to face a barrage of threats, harassment and partisan interference in their duties, first ignited by Donald Trump’s false claims of a stolen election in 2020. In one region alone — across 11 Western states — more than 160 top election officials have left their positions since November 2020, according to a study from Issue One, a non-profit watchdog group tracking the departures. In some counties, the typical level of experience of officials has also dropped from about eight years to one, the analysis found.

4. Extreme weather

More than 60 record-high temperatures are expected from Arizona to New York this week beginning today through Wednesday. The above-average temperatures will make their way through parts of the southwestern US today and gradually move east by the middle of the week, meteorologists say. However, cold air is expected to return quickly in some cities by Friday. For example, St. Louis is expected to drop from a high of 83 degrees on Wednesday down to 61 degrees. Denver and some other areas in the West are also expected to see a similar drop from 75 degrees on Tuesday to the high 40s within a day.

5. Pollution

New Delhi, home to more than 20 million people, is blanketed with smog — forcing schools to shut down and disrupting the Cricket World Cup. The airborne particle pollution in India’s capital stands at PM 2.5 — a concentration nearly 80 times the World Health Organization’s recommended limit, according to Swiss air quality company IQAir. The city’s air quality declined last week after colder temperatures trapped particles from surrounding crop burning, creating a toxic haze that hit hazardous levels for the fourth straight day today. Exposure to this type of pollution can impair cognitive and immune functions with links to lung and heart disorders.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Here’s who won the New York City Marathon on Sunday
Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola set a course record while Kenya’s Hellen Obiri won the women’s race. (Everyone else who ran, you’re still a winner in our eyes!)

This is the most ‘inconvenient convenience store’
Take a look at this ironic convenience store hanging on a steep cliff in the Chinese province of Hunan.

The best photos from the 2023 NFL season
The NFL season is in full swing. Football fans, view these action photos of some standout moments thus far.

Taylor Swift’s whirlwind year continues with her 13th No. 1 album
The pop star’s “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” the 2014 hit album she re-recorded and released last month, hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart in the first week of its release.

National Geographic announces 2024 ‘cool list’
Looking to add to your travel bucket list? These 30 places and experiences are the epitome of “cool,” according to National Geographic Traveller.

TODAY’S NUMBER

30,000
That’s how many pounds of chicken nuggets Tyson Foods is recalling after some consumers reported finding small metal pieces in their dinosaur-shaped patties.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“People are tired. Everyone is tired … But this is not a stalemate.”

— Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, responding to concerns that people are getting “tired” after 18 months of war in the country. Zelensky’s comments follow an assessment by his own military chief that the war with Russia is at a “stalemate,” deepening a feud in Kyiv which has heightened nerves that the Israel-Hamas conflict is drawing Western support away from the war in Ukraine.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

What Loch Ness monster hunters found after biggest search in 50 years
The mystery surrounding Scotland’s Loch Ness has captivated the world for more than 90 years. Watch this video to see what some monster hunters have found thus far.

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