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The Daily Briefing

YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP

Tue Oct 3 2023

Nicole Fallert | Newsletter Writer

@nicolefallert

How much is Trump really worth?

Former President Donald Trump sits with his attorneys inside the courtroom during civil fraud case brought by state Attorney General Letitia James, at a Manhattan courthouse, in New York City, on Oct. 2, 2023. Trump was in court Monday for a civil fraud trial against him and two of his sons, with the case threatening the Republican's business empire as he campaigns to retake the White House.

Trump's real estate fraud case begins.

A New York judge will decide how to penalize Trump after ruling the former president committed fraud for years while building his real estate empire. Also in the news: Kevin McCarthy responded "bring it on" to a motion to remove him as House speaker and how a fateful copy machine meeting turned into a Nobel Prize.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. "On October 3rd, he asked me what day it was."

Here's the news to know on Tuesday.

Donald Trump's real estate fraud trial begins in New York

In a civil trial expected to last three months, lawyers will try to determine how much former President Donald Trump and his companies will be penalized for fraud. Last week, a New York judge ruled that Trump committed fraud for years while building his real estate empire. Trump unexpectedly announced that he would attend the first day of the trial Monday in a move he's opted against in other recent trials. While the former president hasn't testified in the case yet, Trump and his allies did spend the day targeting New York Attorney General Letitia James, the judge in the case, and other officials, particularly as he seeks his second term in the White House. Read more

•	Sen. Bob Menendez's trial on bribery and corruption allegations is scheduled for next year.

New York Attorney General Letitia James (C) listens during Donald Trump's civil fraud case at a Manhattan courthouse, in New York City, on Oct. 2, 2023.

Pool photo by BRENDAN MCDERMID

More news to know now

•	For the first time, women and laypeople can vote on specific proposals in a global gathering to discuss the future of the Catholic Church.
•	Yelp designated crisis pregnancy centers as providing "limited medical services." Texas is suing.
•	A North Dakota state senator, his wife and their two children were killed in a Utah plane crash.
•	Will the Ukraine war last into 2025? Russia indicates it's ready.
•	On today's 5 Things podcast, why fewer older Americans are writing wills. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

Gaetz wants McCarthy off the job

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., introduced a motion Monday night to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., from the top position in the House.

His motion came after a contentious week of negotiations to avoid a government shutdown, during which Gaetz had previously threatened to oust McCarthy if the speaker looked across the aisle for support.

•	Hours before Saturday's midnight deadline, McCarthy and Republicans put forward a temporary deal to fund the government through Nov. 17. The stopgap, known as a continuing resolution, received bipartisan support in the House, with 209 Democrats and 126 Republicans voting in favor.
•	Gaetz's motion to vacate needs 218 votes to successfully remove McCarthy.
•	McCarthy defended his actions in the face of Gaetz's challenges, telling reporters Saturday, "If I have to risk my job for standing up for the American public, I will do that."

More from Washington: Meet Laphonza Butler, the EMILY's List president entering the Senate today.

House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) arrives for a meeting of the Republican House caucus on Sept. 30, 2023, in Washington, DC.

Nathan Howard, Getty Images

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office says use of force was justified

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has released a report detailing what led up to the arrest of Le'Keian Woods, the Black man captured in a viral video handcuffed with swollen eyes and a bloody face over the weekend, and the reasons for the physical tactics used. The agency believes its officers "acted appropriately" in response to a suspected drug deal involving Woods, 24, after "witnessing him conducting a drug transaction." Read more

What Banned Books Week tell us about culture today

Libraries and schools are reporting a significant rise in attempts to ban or restrict books in the U.S. over the past three years. Banned Books Week, Oct. 1-7, draws attention to national and local efforts to remove or limit access to books in libraries, schools and bookstores. Banned books are not new, but a dramatic uptick in challenged books over the past few years, an escalation of censorship tactics, and the coordinated harassment of teachers and librarians has regularly put book banning efforts, and our current cultural moment, in focus. Read more

•	Of the record 2,571 unique titles targeted for censorship in 2022, most were written by or about LGBTQ+ people, Black people, Indigenous people and people of color.
•	Authors of most banned books in the U.S. are speaking up.
•	Why you should read these 51 banned books now.

Karen Bingham holds a Let Freedom Read sign during a Rutherford County Library Board meeting on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, at City Hall where books were banned.

HELEN COMER, The Daily News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Quick hits

•	A man won $4 million from an instant game he didn't originally want to play.
•	''Sober October''' is here.
•	Going home for the holidays?
•	Paris is battling a bed bug problem ahead of the 2024 Olympics.
•	Trans joy can be found through travel.
•	Michigan moved past Georgia for college football's No. 1 spot.
•	A unitard could help keep women in gymnastics past puberty.

Two Penn scientists awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for work with mRNA COVID vaccines

Two scientists who worked for decades in obscurity were awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Monday for research that led to the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. The prestigious award was given Monday to Katalin Karikó and Dr. Drew Weissman, who met in 1997 at a hallway copy machine at the University of Pennsylvania. Their work resulted in more than 600 million mRNA vaccines delivered to Americans as of early May to protect against severe COVID-19. Read more

•	Travis Kelce wants you to get vaccinated.
•	This virus is a leading cause birth defects. Why isn't it screened more?
•	Diabetes runs deep in rural Mississippi. Locals have taken to growing their own solutions.

Weissman and Kariko 11_Peggy Peterson Photography, courtesy Penn Medicine.jpg

Dr. Katalin Karikó and Dr. Drew Weissman.

Peggy Peterson Photography for Penn Medicine

Photo of the day: A famous backdrop for Paris Fashion Week

Stella McCartney transformed a street market near the Eiffel Tower into an eco-showcase, celebrating her highest sustainability percentage yet. Draped in nostalgia, McCartney's designs channeled '70s thrift shop vibes, recalling borrowed outfits from her iconic parents. Click here for the most glamorous collections, celeb sightings and eye-popping looks.

Models wear creations for the Stella McCartney Spring/Summer 2024 womenswear fashion collection presented Monday, Oct. 2, 2023 in Paris.

Vianney Le Caer, Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP

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.