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FOREIGN Donald Trump said he ordered the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing. That's where we're starting the seven. From the Washington Post, I'm Hannah Jewell. It's Thursday, October 30th. Let's get you caught up with today's seven stories. President Trump met with China's leader Xi Jinping in South Korea today. After the meeting, Trump agreed to cut tariffs on Chinese imports and China agreed to delay restrictions on rare earth minerals for a year and to buy more American soybeans. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump gave the meeting a rave review.
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But overall, I guess on the scale of from 0 to 10, with 10 being the best, I would say the meeting was a 12.
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But before the meeting, Trump made another announcement. He said in a social media post that he had directed the Pentagon to begin testing nuclear weapons on an equal basis with Russia and China. It was an apparent attempt to flex US Military might ahead of the meeting with Xi. But such a test would be a huge reversal of decades of policy, and none of the U.S. russia or China has tested live nuclear weapons since the 1990s. So it's not clear what Trump's directive actually means. 2. Hurricane Melissa continued its path of destruction across the Caribbean after devastating western Jamaica on Tuesday. Melissa made landfall in Cuba yesterday and to the east in Haiti, at least 20 people died when a river overflowed. Then Melissa hit the central Bahamas. Tonight or early tomorrow morning, Melissa will pass Bermuda and moisture from the hurricane will fuel another separate storm that's headed for the northeastern US that will cause downpours from the mid Atlantic to New England. Today and tomorrow, Melissa has been a historic storm. When it barreled into Jamaica As a Category 5 hurricane, it had some of the fastest winds and strongest intensities ever recorded. It was fed by unusually hot water in the Caribbean Sea, a phenomenon that climate researchers say was made hundreds of times more likely because of human caused climate change. Number three, Most Americans oppose the demolition of the East Wing of the White House. Last week, the East Wing was completely demolished to make way for President Trump's big ballroom. Preservationists and Democrats blasted the administration for tearing down a historic structure with little oversight. And most Americans aren't happy either. This morning, a poll from the Post, ABC News and Ipsos was released. It found that 28% of Americans say they support the demolition project, while 56% oppose it. There's a big split in opinion along party lines. Nearly 9 in 10 Democrats and roughly 6 in 10 independents oppose the project, compared with about 2 in 10 Republicans. Despite that Trump has claimed the project is broadly popular. This week, he told reporters that people are loving it. Food banks are bracing for millions of people losing SNAP benefits this week. That's number four. SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It was formerly known as food stamps. On Saturday, funding for the program could lapse as a result of the government shutdown. State agencies are warning that millions of people may lose their benefits, and that could cause many Americans to turn to food banks instead. The surge in demand would put additional strain on organizations already struggling after federal funding cuts earlier this year. And that's on top of increased need from furloughed federal workers and high food prices. According to the Department of agriculture, about 42 million Americans relied on SNAP benefits to afford groceries in fiscal year 2024. Number five a former Illinois sheriff's deputy has been convicted of killing Sonia Massie in July last year. Massey called 911 to report a prowler in her Springfield, Illinois, home. Sean Grayson was one of two deputies who responded to that call. Thirty minutes later, he had shot Massie, who was unarmed, and told the other deputy with him not to try and save her. The day before her death, Massie's mother had called 911 and said her daughter was having a mental breakdown. She had urged law enforcement officers not to hurt Massey when they responded. The 36 year old's killing renewed national outrage over police conduct against black Americans. Grayson faces the possibility of up to 20 years in prison. Yesterday, Massie's family gathered outside the courthouse in Peoria, Illinois, after the verdict. Here's Massie's father, James Wilburn, in audio from KSDK News.
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My Judeo Christian upbringing tells me to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. So my joy here today is that I know I'll see my baby again. And whenever the sun opens and Gabriel blows that horn, we're going to leave here and I'll see her again.
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Number six A passenger's dropped laptop forced a United flight to turn around earlier this month, more than 200 passengers set out on a United flight from Dulles Airport in northern Virginia bound for Rome. But then someone on the flight dropped their laptop where they couldn't retrieve it. Somehow it fell behind the cabin wall panel through a small gap which led to the cargo hold. That meant the laptop and its lithium ion battery now posed a fire risk, so the pilots decided to turn back. Imagine the disappointment of returning to Dulles. But they did get to roam about four hours later than scheduled. This is not the only time electronic Devices have caused travel drama. Earlier this year, two Air France flights to the Caribbean turned back because passengers had lost their cell phones. These diversions show the risk of lithium ion batteries which can overheat and catch fire. So please, next time you fly, hold on to your phone and just put the laptop away. Number seven is a good old fashioned tale of the strength of the human spirit. An 80 year old became the oldest woman to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. Only 1 in 4 people who attempt to thru hike the entire 2,197 mile trail from Georgia to Maine actually complete it. Betty Kellenberger is one of them. It took her a few attempts in recent years. She was set back by Lyme disease, dehydration, a fall and a concussion. But reading her story, it almost seems like it never crossed Betty's mind that she should give up or that she was too old to hike over 2000 miles. She carried a tent with her and camped out when she could. And she made a lot of friends along the way. A group of Boy Scouts she met in Pennsylvania nicknamed her the Legend. This is the moment. In September, she made it down from the summit of Katahdin, a mountain in Maine. Yeah, I'm done, I'm done, I'm done. That glorious sound comes to us from a local main station, WABI TV5. Betty spoke to the Post about her hike. She said we put all kinds of limitations on ourselves. Sometimes the biggest one is we don't get up and try it. Alright, you're all caught up. Make sure you check out our newsletter today to see a photo of the amazing Betty on her triumphant walk. I love her story. Plus we have some tips for how to exercise for a long life and a healthy brain. Just in case Betty has inspired you to get off the couch today. You can find a link to the newsletter in our show notes or just search for the seven Morning Briefing. I'm Hannah Jewell. I'll meet you back here tomorrow.
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