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The Daily Briefing

YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP

Fri Sep 20 2024

Jane Onyanga-Omara | Audience Editor

Road rage, random shootings and other violent crime are terrifying drivers across America. The Georgia State Election Board will vote on a controversial measure. Israel's military carried out air strikes against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.

👋🏾 I'm Jane, Daily Briefing author. Joro spiders have ballooned their way to Pennsylvania, just in time for the Halloween season.

Deadly violence on America's highways wreaks havoc

A sniper wounds five motorists on a Kentucky highway. In Colorado, a teenager kills a woman after hurling a rock through her windshield. A family drive through the Navajo Nation near New Mexico turns into a nightmare when a motorist inexplicably pursues the car, guns blazing. The lure of the open road can easily take a turn for the worse. A USA TODAY review of data and news stories from around the nation shows that attacks on freeway drivers are not only on the rise in some heavy commuting areas, but that highway assaults are causing increased fear during everyday driving. Read more

Georgia State Election Board to vote on controversial rule

The Georgia State Election Board is set to vote on a controversial measure Friday that would require local precincts to conduct hand counts for the November election and confirm the figures match machine counts before certifying election results.

The proposed rule is one of several under consideration Friday as three Trump-approved Republican members continue to entertain a flurry of proposals to change the state's election processes in the final months before November.

•	The Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials expressed renewed concern about many of the last-minute proposals.
•	The proposed hand-counting rule in particular could delay results, set fatigued employees up to fail, and "undermine the very confidence the rule's author claims to seek," they said.
•	Previously, election board member Janelle King said her mission is "to ensure that every vote is counted accurately and every election is conducted correctly going forward."

More news to know now

•	South Carolina to execute Freddie Owens despite questions over guilt. What to know.
•	Gun-owner Kamala Harris says "they're getting shot" if intruder breaks into her house.
•	2024 brings back fake electors for Donald Trump, even some facing charges for 2020.
•	Michael Madsen requests divorce, restraining order from wife DeAnna following his arrest.
•	What we learned traveling to American towns called Hope.

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Israel strikes positions in Lebanon as Hezbollah leader says 'all red lines' crossed

Israel's military carried out air strikes against Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon late Thursday, adding to fears of a serious escalation in months of simmering conflict. The strikes come after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed to take revenge on Israel, who the group accuses of orchestrating an audacious two-day attack that saw Hezbollah pagers and handheld radios explode, killing more than 30 people and seriously injuring thousands. Israel's Defense Forces said it struck more than 100 Hezbollah missile launchers as well as a munitions depot. Nasrallah said the attack crossed "all red lines" and that it was a "declaration of war." Read more

Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam near the border on September 19, 2024.

AFP via Getty Images

Diddy 'fighting for his life' amid sex trafficking charges

Sean "Diddy" Combs could be "fighting for his life" amid federal and sex crimes charges, according to legal experts. New York police on Monday arrested the embattled mogul, who has spent the past year fighting several civil lawsuits with alleged victims over misconduct claims that span three decades. Combs has maintained his innocence and on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. Federal prosecutors have gathered enough evidence to procure a grand jury indictment against Combs. But what does that mean for his upcoming legal battle — and, ultimately, his career and reputation? Read more

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•	Earth is getting a mini-moon (temporarily).
•	Your vent covers are dirty! How to clean them.
•	15 new movies you'll want to stream this fall, from "Wolfs" to "Salem's Lot."

Shohei Ohtani makes history with MLB's first 50-homer, 50-steal season

The Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani became the first player in baseball history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season Thursday with a monster game against the Miami Marlins, belting three homers and stealing two bases in a 6-for-6 performance that produced 10 RBI. He ended the day a 51-51 man. And with that, he leaves behind the five other members of the 40-40 club: Jose Canseco (1988), Barry Bonds (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Alfonso Soriano (2006) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (2023). Read more

Mlb Los Angeles Dodgers At Miami Marlins

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) watches his two-run home run against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning at loanDepot Park.

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Photo of the day: The best of the 2024 MLB season

Shohei Ohtani celebrating with fans after making MLB history. Aaron Judge rounds the bases after hitting a grand slam against the Red Sox. Take a look through all the best shots of the 2024 Major League Baseball season from around the USA TODAY Network.