Good morning. Don’t worry about getting those jackets out just yet. These balmy temperatures will stick with us for a few more days. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door.
1. Mosul
It’s Day 2 of the battle for Mosul, and the Pentagon says things are progressing “ahead of schedule.” Already more than 75 square miles of territory and at least nine villages have been taken from ISIS. But suicide bombers, IEDs and elaborate defenses await the coalition. CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh got caught in the crossfire while reporting on the battles.
2. Police chiefs
In the era of Black Lives Matter protests, this is pretty stunning. The head of the International Association of Chiefs of Police apologized to communities of color for past mistreatment. During a meeting in San Diego, Terrence Cunningham acknowledged “the history of policing has had darker periods.”
3. Campaign 2016
Melania Trump’s forgiven her husband for what she called his “boy talk.” Her interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper was her opportunity to “stand by her man” — kind of like Hillary Clinton in 1992. She said Donald Trump apologized; then said Billy Bush “egged” him on. Bush, by the way, no longer has a job.
4. Syria
We think it can’t get any worse — and then it does. Twenty members of the same family were killed in airstrikes in Aleppo. And nine of the dead were children. Russia, which has helped Syria’s regime unleash all this madness, said it will stop airstrikes there — but only for eight hours on Thursday.
5. Weather
It’s the middle of October and you’re still wearing shorts? It’s not just you. Around 40 cities may hit record highs today. But don’t worry; you won’t have to go to the pumpkin patch in a swimsuit. More seasonal temperatures should return by the weekend.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
People are talking about these. Read up. Join in.
RIP
A 600-year-old oak tree in New Jersey may have survived the Revolutionary War, but it can’t make it in its now-urban surroundings and will be cut down.
Cool cat
Before the Internet gave us cat pics, Walter Chandoha did. The photographer has been snapping feline pictures for decades.
No thanks
President Obama’s been handing out commutations like bottles of water lately, but one inmate in Texas just said thanks, but no thanks.
WHAT’S FOR LUNCH
Here’s what’s coming up later
One thing lost in all the 2016 hubbub — the age of Obama is drawing to a close. The long goodbye continues tonight when the Obamas host their last state dinner.
AND FINALLY …
Chomp, chomp, chomp
Cuteness alert! Guinea pigs Pablo and Custard go head-to-head in a parsley eating contest. The real winner, of course, is us.