1/ The Israel Defense Forces has “expanded” and will “continue and intensify” its ground operation in the Gaza Strip as troops and armored tanks have moved toward Gaza City from at least three sides to conduct “coordinated attacks from the ground and the air.” At least 1,400 people have died and 4,629 others have been injured in Israel since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks. Since then, more than 1 million people – half of the population of Gaza – have been displaced, and the Hamas-run Gazan health ministry says over 8,000 people, including women and children, have died. When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was asked about the civilian death toll in Gaza from Israeli airstrikes, he claimed that “not a single civilian has to die,” accusing Hamas of “preventing them from leaving the areas of conflict.” Netanyahu also rejected calls for a humanitarian cease-fire, saying “this is a time for war” and that “calls for a cease-fire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas.” He added: “This is a battle of civilization against barbarians. The future of our civilization is at stake.” The United Nations, meanwhile, warned that “civil order” is deteriorating in Gaza after weeks of a total Israeli siege and bombardment, which Israel says is necessary in order to pressure Hamas to release hostages. Following pressure from Biden to “immediately and significantly” scale up the flow of humanitarian aid into the enclave, Israel agreed to allow 100 aid trucks per day into Gaza. (NBC News / Washington Post / New York Times / Associated Press / ABC News / CNN / CNBC / Bloomberg)

2/ A federal judge reinstated Trump’s gag order in his election subversion criminal case. Judge Tanya Chutkan had temporarily paused the gag order, which barred Trump from making public statements targeting prosecutors, court staff, and likely witnesses, on Oct. 20 as she considered Trump’s appeal. Chutkan, however, reinstate the order after prosecutors cited Trump’s recent social media comments about Mark Meadows that they said represented an attempt to influence and intimidate a likely witness in the case. Trump’s comments followed a report that Meadows was granted immunity to testify before a grand jury. After Chutkan reinstated the gag order, Trump called her a “very Biased, Trump Hating Judge” on his personal social media site, claiming the order “unconstitutionally takes away” his First Amendment Rights. Trump also called William Barr – a potential witness in the case against him – “dumb” and “weak” and a “loser.” (NBC News / Washington Post / Axios / ABC News /

1/ A manhunt for the gunman suspected of killing 18 people and injuring 13 others in Maine is ongoing. Suspect, Robert Card, shot and killed the victims at a bowling alley and restaurant in Lewiston and then fled. He remains at large and is considered armed and dangerous, and residents are under a shelter-in-place advisory. Biden urged Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, similar to the ones used by Card, saying this “is not normal, and we cannot accept it.” This is the 36th mass killing in the United States this year and marks the deadliest shooting of 2023 thus far. (NBC News / NPR / Politico / Associated Press / Axios / New York Times / Washington Post)

2/ The Israeli military briefly sent tanks into the Gaza Strip as part of a “targeted raid” in order “to prepare the battlefield” in preparation for the “next stages of combat.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “preparing for a ground incursion” of Gaza, but that he “won’t specify” when or how it would occur. The U.N. has warned that, despite Israeli evacuation warnings, “nowhere is safe in Gaza.” Israel has also rejected international calls for a cease-fire to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid supplies to the Gaza Strip. Since the Hamas terror attack on Oct. 7, the Israeli military has struck more than 7,000 targets inside of Gaza, which Palestinians have called an indiscriminately targeting of civilians. The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said at least 7,028 Palestinians have been killed, including 2,913 children. These claims could not be verified, and the State Department said it had no way to accurately assess the death toll. The House, meanwhile, passed a bipartisan resolution that states the U.S. “stands with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists,” affirms Israel’s right to self-defense, and calls for an immediate halt of violence. And the Pentagon is deploying roughly 900 U.S. troops to the Middle East. None of the troops are going to Israel. (New York Times / NBC News / Washington Post / CNN / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg)

3/ Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced a resolution to censure Rashida Tlaib. The measure would censure Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American in Congress, for alle...

1/ After 22 days and three failed nominees, House Republicans elected a speaker to replace Kevin McCarthy. The House voted 220-209 to elect Mike Johnson as speaker – with all Republicans voting for Johnson and all Democrats voting for Hakeem Jeffries. “The people’s House is back in business,” Johnson said after taking the gavel. Johnson, who served on Trump’s defense team during his first impeachment trial, voted against certifying the 2020 election and led the amicus brief supporting a Texas lawsuit seeking to invalidate the results in four swing states Biden won. The lawsuit cited widespread voter fraud, which did not occur. The House has been unable to conduct routine business since Republicans ousted McCarthy for working with Democrats to pass a short-term spending bill to avert a shutdown. Johnson will immediately need to pass a measure to fund the government ahead of a Nov. 17 shutdown, and act on emergency aid for Israel, Ukraine, and the southern border. (Associated Press / Politico / NPR / Washington Post / New York Times / ABC News / NBC News / CNN / CNBC / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / Axios)

2/ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “preparing for a ground incursion” of the Gaza Strip to “exact the full price from the murderers.” Netanyahu, however, agreed to a Biden administration request to hold off on sending tanks and soldiers into Gaza to free more hostages, allow for the arrival of humanitarian aid into enclave, and to give the Pentagon time to deploy nearly a dozen air-defense systems to protect U.S. troops in the region. While Biden reiterated Israel’s right to defend itself, he called for a two-state solution, saying there must be “a vision of what comes next” because Israelis and Palestinians “equally deserve to live side-by-side in safety, dignity and peace.” The United Nations, meanwhile, warned that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached an “unprecedented point,” as hospitals have shut down and clean water has “virtually run out.” The World Health Organization reported that 12 of 35 hospitals in Gaza were not functioning, and that seven major hospitals were well over capacity. When the U.N. called for...

1/ The Biden administration is reportedly worried that Israel lacks “achievable military objectives” ahead of its anticipated ground offensive in Gaza, but will refrain from “dictating terms” for Israel. Biden, nevertheless, sent a Marine three-star general and several military officers to advise the Israeli military. The U.S. has also reportedly called on Israel to delay its ground invasion for hostage negotiations and to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave. Gaza’s 2.3 million people are running out of food, water, and medicine since Israel sealed off the territory following the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7. At least 2,000 children are among the more than 5,700 people that been killed in Gaza by Israeli air strikes, which have escalated in the past two days. At least six hospitals in Gaza have been forced to close due to a lack of fuel, in addition to those that have closed because of damage or attacks. A doctor at the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City – the largest hospital in the enclave – said that without electricity, the hospital “will just be a mass grave” and “there’s nothing to do for these wounded.” The Palestinian Health Ministry declared the health care system a “complete collapse.” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called for a humanitarian cease-fire, saying “the appalling attacks by Hamas,” which left 1,400 people dead, didn’t “justify the collective punishment” of civilians in Gaza. In response, Israeli officials called on Guterres to resign and said they’ll “reassess” their relations with the U.N. The Biden administration, meanwhile, is preparing for the possibility that more than 600,000 Americans living in Israel and Lebanon will require evacuation if the war escalates. (New York Times / HuffPost / Washington Post / NBC News / CNN / NPR / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / New York Times / The Guardian)

2/ Tom Emmer dropped out of the speaker’s race four hours after House Republicans selected him as their nominee when it became clear he couldn’t secure the 217 votes needed to win the gavel. Republicans had nominated Emmer after five rounds of voting behind closed doors. However, at least two dozen Republicans immediately indicated they would not support Emmer for the speakership, including some members of the House Freedom Caucus. It’s unclear whether any Republican can get the ...

1/ The House entered its third week without a speaker after Republicans dropped Jim Jordan as their nominee while nine other Republicans have lined up for the speakership – seven of which voted to overturn the 2020 election. After three failed floor votes for his speaker bid, Republicans voted by secret ballot to drop Jordan as their nominee. Since then, nine Republicans have announced bids for the job and the conference is scheduled to vote Tuesday morning on a nominee. Only two of the nine – Tom Emmer and Austin Scott – voted to certify Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. Trump’s allies in the House, however, have criticized Emmer for voting to certify the election and it’s not clear if any of the Republican lawmakers will be able to secure the 217 votes needed to serve as speaker. Interim Speaker Patrick McHenry, meanwhile, threatened to quit if his Republican colleagues try to move legislation on the floor without an explicit vote to expand his powers. Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted on Oct. 3, called the stalemate “embarrassing for the Republican Party.” (CNN / NBC News / Axios / Wall Street Journal)

2/ Hamas released two more hostages for “humanitarian and health reasons,” which follows the release of two American hostages last week. It’s believed that Hamas abducted more than 200 people during its Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel, which killed 1,400 people. The death toll in the Gaza Strip, meanwhile, has reportedly passed 5,000 as Israel continues its bombardment ahead of an expected ground invasion. The Biden administration, meanwhile, advised Israel to delay any ground invasion, hoping to buy time for hostage negotiations and to allow more humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians in the sealed-off enclave. At the same time, Biden sent a Marine three-star general and several military officers to Israel to advise the Israeli military about its operation in Gaza. (New York Times / Washington Post / NPR / Associated Press /

1/ Trump’s co-defendant Sidney Powell pleaded guilty in the Georgia election subversion case – one day before her trial was set to start. Powell, a former member of Trump’s legal team, was sentenced to six years of probation for conspiracy to commit intentional interference with performance of election duties. As part of the deal, Powell agreed to testify truthfully against any of the 17 remaining defendants, write an apology letter to the citizens of Georgia, pay nearly $9,000 in restitution and fines, and to turn over any documents in her possession related to the case. Powell is the second of Trump’s 18 co-defendants in the racketeering case to plead guilty. Scott Hall, a bail bondsman, pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor charges related to a voting system breach in Georgia’s Coffee County in early 2021. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution / CNN / New York Times / Washington Post / Axios / Associated Press / Politico / NPR / NBC News)

2/ Jim Jordan told Republicans he would suspend his bid to become speaker after two failed efforts but hours later reversed course, saying he was “still running for speaker” after a plan he endorsed to empower a temporary speaker collapsed. Jordan said he planned to try for a third round of votes later Thursday. The proposal would have allowed Rep. Patrick McHenry to reopen the House after 16 days, allowing Republicans to address government spending and aid for Israel and Ukraine. 20 Republicans voted against Jordan in the first ballot, followed by 22 Republicans voting against him on the second ballot. Meanwhile, several House Republicans who voted against Jordan for speaker said they’ve been threatened or harassed as a result of a pressure campaign by Jordan’s allies – including one lawmaker saying they’ve received a “credible death threat.” [Editor’s note: It’s entirely possibly that by the time you read this the House will have elected a speaker. It’s also entirely possible that the House will still be leaderless.] (NBC News / Politico / Washington Post / New York Times / Associated Press)

3/ Biden will address the nation on the U.S. response to the Hamas terror attacks Thursday at 8 p.m. Eastern. The Oval Office s...

1/ The latest U.S. intelligence assessment concludes that Israel was “not responsible” for the blast at the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza, based on “overhead imagery, intercepts and open source information.” Biden said the strike appeared to have resulted from an “errant rocket fired by a terrorist group in Gaza,” adding “it appears as though it was done by the other team.” Following his trip to Israel, Biden announced a deal with Israel to allow humanitarian aid to move into Gaza from Egypt. The U.S. will send $100 million in humanitarian assistance for Palestinians, and Biden said he would ask Congress for an “unprecedented” aid package for Israel. More than a million people have been displaced in the Gaza Strip, which the World Health Organization described conditions as “spiraling out of control” for those trapped in the enclave ahead of an expected Israeli invasion. The Treasury Department, meanwhile, imposed sanctions on “10 key Hamas terrorist group members, operatives, and financial facilitators” following the “brutal and unconscionable massacre of Israeli civilians.” (Associated Press / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / CNN / NPR / NBC News / Axios / Politico / Bloomberg)

2/ Jim Jordan failed to win the House speakership for a second time as the number of Republicans refusing to back him grew. Jordan can only afford to lose four Republicans, but he lost 20 in the first round of balloting yesterday, and he lost 22 on the second ballot today. He said he plans to “keep going.” The House went into recess after failing to elect a speaker. Some Republicans, meanwhile, have discussed a resolution to expand interim Speaker Patrick McHenry’s powers, which would allow Congress to function until a permanent speaker is chosen. Democrats said they would be open to working with McHenry as interim speaker. The House has been leaderless for two weeks after Kevin McCarthy was ousted by his Republican colleagues. [Editor’s note: It’s entirely possibly that by the time you read this the House will have elected a speaker. It’s also entirely possible that the House will still be leaderless.] (New York Times / Washington Post / CNN / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / NPR /

1/ Biden will travel to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and show solidarity with the U.S. ally “in the face of Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack.” It’s the first time a U.S. president has visited Israel while it’s actively at war, and comes ahead of Israel’s expected ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza as international pressure builds over the humanitarian crisis – and rising civilian death toll – developing in the enclave. The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza – the only way out of Gaza – will reopen to humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians currently under siege by Israeli forces. The corridor, however, remains closed – for now – for hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinian civilians hoping to leave the bombarded territory. Biden, meanwhile, deployed two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region to deter Iran and proxy militant groups from joining a wider regional war. (CNN / New York Times / Washington Post / NPR / NBC News / Politico / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)

2/ The U.S. secretly supplied Ukraine with long-range ATACMS missiles for the first time, which have been used to strike Russian military aircraft and ammunition depots in occupied Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other Ukrainian leaders had urged the U.S. to send ATACMS for more than a year, but the Biden administration feared that such a move could enrage Moscow and escalate U.S. involvement in the war. Biden green-lit the delivery last month, wanting to take the Russians by surprise. Some variants of the missiles have a maximum range of approximately 186 miles. (Associated Press / Washington Post / New York Times / Politico / CNN)

3/ The Supreme Court – again – allowed the federal government to ban “ghost guns” – unassembled and unmarked guns that can be bought online and then assembled into fully operative guns. In 2022, Biden announced a new federal rule to regulate homemade guns known as “ghost guns” more like regular guns, including requiring serial numbers and background checks for purchase. Gun manufacturers challenged the regulations in court and a federal judge in Texas issued a nationwide injunction barring the rule from going into effect. Today’s Supreme Court ruling invalidates that lower court ruling and allows the regulations to remain in effect while the legal challenge plays out. (

1/ A federal judge imposed a narrow gag order on Trump, restricting him from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, and court staff involved in his election subversion case. “This is not about whether I like the language Mr. Trump uses,” Judge Tanya Chutkan said. “This is about language that presents a danger to the administration of justice […] His presidential candidacy does not give him carte blanche to vilify public servants who are simply doing their jobs.” Chutkan didn’t specify how she would enforce the gag order, but said she would address any consequences if and when Trump violated it. Before the order was even issued, Trump’s lawyer said they would appeal the ruling. Prosecutors had argued that a gag order was necessary to protect the integrity of judicial proceedings. Trump faces four felony charges in connection with what prosecutors allege was a “criminal scheme” to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election by enlisting a slate of so-called “fake electors,” using the Justice Department to conduct “sham election crime investigations,” trying to enlist Pence to “alter the election results,” and promoting false claims of a stolen election as the Jan. 6 riot raged. The gag order doesn’t extend to Trump’s three other pending criminal trials for election obstruction in Georgia, classified documents in Florida, or hush money payments during the 2016 campaign in New York. (New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News / Politico / CNN / Wall Street Journal / NPR / Axios / Associated Press / ABC News / CNBC)

2/ The Biden administration reached a settlement with the more than 4,000 migrants who were separated from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border by the Trump administration. Under the proposed agreement, the federal government would be prohibited from using a “zero tolerance” prosecution policy to separated migrant families crossing the border for eight years. The settlement would also provide temporary benefits to separated families such as housing aid, work permits, health care, and allow them to apply for asylum again. In total, more than 4,000 children were separated from their families, including 290 U.S. citizen children, under the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy. An estimated 1,000 children still remain separated from their parents. (ABC News / NBC News / Associated Press /

1/ The House remains leaderless as Steve Scalise doesn’t have the 217 Republican votes needed to become speaker. Despite securing his party’s nomination over Jim Jordan in a conference-wide vote, at least 12 Republicans have publicly refused to back Scalise and more have expressed frustration or skepticism about his leadership. A two-hour, closed-door Republican meeting was described as unproductive and that no candidate is close to garnering the 217 Republican votes needed to win the speaker’s gavel. Without a speaker, the House is paralyzed and unable to move forward on any major items, including spending legislation and aid for Israel and Ukraine. (NBC News / Politico / Washington Post / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / CNBC / Associated Press / CNN)

2/ Federal prosecutors indicted Sen. Bob Menendez on charges of conspiring to act as an illegal foreign agent of Egypt while serving as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The superseding indictment comes three weeks after a federal grand jury charged Menendez with accepting “hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes” in exchange for his political influence. The new indictment alleges that Menendez “provided sensitive U.S. Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt.” (Politico / Axios / New York Times / NBC News / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal / CNN / Associated Press)

3/ The U.S. urged Israel to avoid civilian casualties as the Israeli military said its preparing “for the next stage of the war” “to change the reality” in Gaza. Following Hamas’ terror attacks, which have killed more than 1,200 people, Israeli military officials said they’re now ready to “go on the offense” within Gaza. Israeli officials said they plan to capture or kill all of Hamas’s leaders, destroy the group’s militant units and underground tunnel network, and make it impossible for the terrorist organization to govern Gaza. The country has called up 360,000 reservists, who have started ...