The Stranger's morning news roundup. by Hannah Krieg First things first: You know I love to start with the weather. We are in for a real Seattle fall treat today. Get this—the morning will start off mostly cloudy with temperatures hovering in the high 50s. In the afternoon, the sun will come out in fuller force and temperatures will peak in the low 60s. Incredible stuff.  Iran strikes Israel: Iran launched what Al Jazeera described as an “unprecedented” attack on Israel yesterday, firing nearly 200 missiles in response to Israel’s near year-long, deadly assault on Gaza and the more recent attacks on Lebanon. Israel and the United States worked together to block most of Iran’s missiles. According to Israel’s emergency service, Iran only injured two people who got hit by shrapnel in the Tel Aviv area. Palestinian officials said a missile killed a Palestinian man near Jericho, but it wasn’t clear that the missile came from Iran.  What’s next: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran “made a big mistake” and “will pay for it.” Instead of tamping down the high tensions, President Joe Biden redoubled his “ironclad” commitment to support Israel in retaliation. I’m trying to think of something sharp and incisive to write here, but fuck man. I hate war and I hate Biden for cheering it on. For the sake of all the people in the region, in Iran, Israel, Lebanon, and especially Palestine, who have already suffered so much, we need a ceasefire.  Yes, Applebees in my backyard: For too long, poor urban planning put Seattleites in a chain restaurant desert. Now, with the expansion of the 1 line, carless Seattleites can finally take advantage of the deals we’ve missed. Please do not take this blurb too seriously. I know how you get when I goof around. Thank GOD for the Lynnwood light rail https://t.co/rcDAVzY67G — Hannah Krieg (@hannahkrieg) October 2, 2024 Watch party: Last night, the Vice Presidential candidates faced off on a debate stage for the first time in the 2024 election. I’m almost certain this debate will not change how any of the slog readers will vote — I think there are probably 14 truly undecided voters in the country who actually plan to vote for the two major parties. But I would recommend you put it on sometime this week while you do dishes if you missed it last night. Highlights: Kamala Harris’s running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, sunk a few layups on Donald Trump’s running mate, Hillbilly Elegy author JD Vance in the debate last night. He managed to remind the voting public that the Republicans would like to force women to give birth in many instances. He also nailed Vance on election denialism. The moderators asked if Trump won the 2020 election, Vance said he wanted to focus on the future, and Walz called that a “damning non-answer.” Zing! Still thinking about this pic.twitter.com/ROm0RoNelE — Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) October 2, 2024 Lowlights: But Democrats gonna Democrat. Several times, Walz agreed with Vance on reprehensible shit, showing just how far-right the Overton window has shifted. Walz disgusted the non-genocidal faction of his party when he agreed with Vance in voicing support for Israel starting a war with Iran after months of aggression in Gaza, the West Bank, and more recently, in Lebanon. Walz also failed to show much daylight between him and Vance when it comes to immigration. Not too long ago, Democrats tried to paint themselves as more welcoming to immigrants than Trump and the Republican party. Now, they seem to want to look just as unfriendly while being more effective at executing the unfriendliness. Boo.  What really matters: Let’s be real, the most important analysis for any nationally televised event comes from the menswear guy on Twitter. Looks like Vance did not impress him.  vance would have been better served by a more conservative tie. fushia raw silk is something you wear to summer garden parties, not debates. pic.twitter.com/pnzi7akJal — derek guy (@dieworkwear) October 2, 2024 Helene: According to the latest count, at least 166 people have died after the catastrophic hurricane, Helena, tore through Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. That count will likely rise in the coming days as many remain missing across the southeastern states. President Joe Biden will visit the Carolinas today to survey the damage, the Guardian reports. Change of plans: Seattle Public Schools (SPS) has scaled back its school closure plans after intense blowback over previous plans to close between 17 and 21 schools. Now, SPS proposes closing just five schools in the 2025-2026 school year. Superintendent Brent Jones told the Seattle Times that they don’t know which five schools will shutter, but he expects the school board to take a final vote in January. CONFIRMED: State House candidate Andrea Suarez is a fan of The Stranger. You can read the A+P right here, or, if you want the paper in your hands or in your weird campaign videos like Suarez, you can find it in coffee shops, bars, and other places around the region. Wait I think there's a copy of @TheStranger A &P in this video. A rich text indeed https://t.co/xIJR86ViGi pic.twitter.com/gtaQpGPadR — Hannah Krieg (@hannahkrieg) October 1, 2024 Taking a stance: Also, with all the Chappell Roan discourse, I wanted to make clear that you could never make me hate her. Here’s a video of her at Capitol Hill Block Party singing her unreleased masterpiece, “Subway,” which would be a narratively incredible track to leave us with if y’all actually scare her into hiding.