Israel Expands Its Operations in Gaza

The Israeli military launched an intense bombardment of the Gaza Strip this evening and said it was “expanding” its activity there. Cellular and internet service were cut off for much of the territory, and Palestinians said fear and panic were spreading.

The escalation came after two consecutive nights of raids into Gaza by Israeli forces, which officials described as laying the groundwork for the next phase of the war.

“It’s really unclear what’s going on. Clearly, something unusual is happening,” Patrick Kingsley, the Times Jerusalem bureau chief, said on The Headlines: War Briefing podcast.

“It could be that an invasion is already underway and the military is keeping mum about it,” he added. “Or this could be a pressure tactic, an attempt to make Hamas and other militias inside Gaza feel that they are about to be overrun by the Israeli military.”

The manhunt widens in Maine

Federal, state and local law enforcement officials are nearing the end of their second day searching the vast and thickly wooded region of southern Maine for the gunman who killed 18 people in the city of Lewiston on Wednesday night.

The House speaker’s worldview is dictated by the Bible

Before Representative Mike Johnson was elected speaker this week, he was far from a household name. He played a pivotal role in Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, but his policies and positions were little known outside of Washington.

Last night, he laid out his priorities: He said his worldview comes directly from the Bible, that abortion rights should be decided by the states and that he wants a vote on Ukraine aid separated from a vote on aid to Israel.

Is the Republican speakership cursed? The G.O.P. has a history of turning sour on their speakers.

Sam Bankman-Fried admits ‘significant oversights’

The disgraced cryptocurrency mogul took the witness stand today in hopes of convincing a jury at his criminal fraud trial in New York that he was an overwhelmed founder, working impossible hours, who let risk management slip by the wayside.

Over several hours of testimony, the FTX founder denied that he committed fraud. But he also acknowledged that he ultimately had “the authority” and “made a number of small mistakes, and a number of larger mistakes,” which hurt his customers.

In the year since Elon Musk bought Twitter …

On this day last year, Elon Musk officially assumed control over Twitter for $44 billion, vowing to create a digital town square. “That said,” he wrote, “Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape.” Yet study after study has suggested that Musk’s platform — now named X — has become exactly that.

For many users, the social media service has changed drastically. Some miss when it was a destination for news and delightful conversation; others appreciate the newly loosened content moderation rules.

One community that hasn’t abandoned the app: sports fans.

An unexpected World Series matchup

Few fans expected the underdog Texas Rangers or the Arizona Diamondbacks to face off in baseball’s championship series, which begins tonight at 8:03 p.m. Eastern. Some have dismissed the series as a battle of who could care less.

The city where Celine Dion is often blasting

Members of Pacific Islander communities in Porirua, New Zealand, have been gathering for “siren battles,” competing to see who can play music the loudest from cars and bicycles wired to loudspeakers and emergency sirens. Celine Dion songs are a particular favorite, apparently because they are so heavy on the treble.

Some in the town have complained about the ear-piercing music, which can play late into the night. Practitioners counter that the battles are a positive social outlet that keep participants out of trouble.

Have an electric evening.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back next week. — Matthew

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