Up First briefing: Deadly hospital blast rocks Gaza; House plans second speaker vote

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Today’s top stories

Hundreds of people were killed in a massive explosion at the crowded Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza, according to Gazan health authorities. The explosion’s cause hasn’t been confirmed. Israel says a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad caused the blast, while Palestinian leaders blame an Israeli airstrike. It’s sparked outrage across the Middle East and led President Biden to cancel his trip to Jordan.

• NPR’s Ruth Sherlock is in Tel Aviv, where she speaks to a doctor at the hospital on the phone. He tells her they’re still recovering bodies — many of them infants. On Up First, Sherlock says people believed the Christian hospital was the safest place in Gaza. The attack has also worsened the humanitarian crisis in the area. Editor’s note: This report contains graphic details.
• Things are really tense now,” NPR’s Michele Kelemen reports from Amman, Jordan. She says Biden, who landed in Tel Aviv this morning, is trying to contain the conflict.
• NPR’s Jane Arraf is in front of the Israeli Embassy in Amman, where protesters gathered following the blast. One man tells her he came because the world has “forgotten about Palestinians.” Arraf reports the Jordanian government is “deeply worried.” Along with Egypt, they fear more Palestinian refugees could be pushed into their countries. She says they also don’t want to see Palestinians give up their land, making it harder for them to come back.
• Follow the latest updates on the hospital attack and Biden’s trip to Israel with NPR’s live blog.

Check out npr.org/mideastupdates for more coverage, differing views and analysis of this conflict.

Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan failed to win enough votes to become House speaker yesterday. The House is expected to meet again today at 11:00 a.m. ET for another vote.

The book ban movement has taken its toll on a beloved school tradition: Scholastic Book Fairs. The organization received criticism for separating most of its books on race and gender in different displays and allowing schools to opt out of ordering them.

Picture show

Across the world, women do the bulk of caregiving in their families. The work often goes underappreciated and unpaid. A groundbreaking program in Bogota, Colombia, aims to ease this invisible burden by helping women pursue interests outside the home – all within walking distance. They take dance lessons, finish school and get help finding jobs.

Take a peek at how the program creates a community and positively impacts their lives through these photos.

Life advice

HGTV’s The Laundry Guy host Patric Richardson wants you to forget everything your parents taught you about doing laundry. The self-described “laundry evangelist” has tips to make your clothes last longer and save money.

• Use warm water and the express cycle. You don’t have to worry as much about modern dyes bleeding.
• Use a natural laundry soap — but not too much — to avoid leaving a residue on your clothes. Stains can be pretreated with white vinegar and water.
• Put delicate items (even the “dry clean only” ones!) in mesh bags.
• Use the dryer sparingly and rely on air drying when possible.

3 things to know before you go

1. What are your Halloween plans? Americans are spending a record amount on costumes — and you’ll see a lot of Barbies this year.
2. Move over, Carolina Reaper. The wrinkly, yellow-green Pepper X is now officially the hottest pepper in the world.
3. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has named 21 species extinct, including birds, a bat and several mussels.

This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi. Anandita Bhalerao contributed.