The Bidens are celebrating close ally Australia with a state dinner, but changed the entertainment in acknowledgment of death and suffering in Middle East. Source

Humanitarian agencies are warning that the lack of fuel in the Gaza Strip is causing its health system to break down amid the Israeli siege. Source

Actor Richard Roundtree, who played the cool New York private detective John Shaft in the iconic “Shaft” movie franchise, has died at the age of 81. Roundtree had a prolific career in film, television and theater which spanned five decades. Source

Threats against Jewish, Muslim and Arab communities in the U.S. are on the rise since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Antisemitic incidents saw a staggering 388% increase, according to numbers released Wednesday by the Anti-Defamation League, while the Council on American Islamic Relations reported nearly 800 anti-Muslim incidents since Oct. 7, the highest in nearly eight years. Jeff Pegues has more. Source

Otis, which quickly strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane, made landfall off the southern Pacific coast of Mexico early Wednesday, near the resort city of Acapulco. It brought extensive flooding, triggering landslides, and caused major damage to the region. Source

A man was accessing his safety deposit box in the basement when the doors closed and he became trapped. Source

Up to 600 Americans are believed to be stranded in the Gaza Strip, as negotiations to allow foreign citizens to exit using the Rafah crossing between southern Gaza and Egypt have so far failed. Adriana Diaz spoke to a Chicago man whose family is among those stuck in Gaza. Source

Israel’s siege on the Gaza Strip has created a humanitarian crisis. About a third of the hospitals in Gaza have stopped functioning because of a lack of fuel to their generators or damage, according to the United Nations. Holly Williams has more. Source

Former President Donald Trump briefly took the stand to testify in his civil fraud trial Wednesday after he made a comment earlier in the day about the judge’s clerk. Trump was then fined another $10,000 for violating a gag order. Robert Costa has more. Source

Republican Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana was elected House speaker Wednesday, ending a standstill that began when Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ousted nearly three weeks ago. The 51-year-old Johnson, who won with unanimous GOP support on the first ballot, is a former conservative radio talk show host, and will be the least experienced speaker in decades. Nikole Killion has the latest. Source