5 things to know for Sept. 30: Helene’s damage, Middle East, VP debate, Chemical plant fire, SpaceX

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

(CNN) — Port workers from Maine to Texas are threatening a major strike this week that could disrupt the flow of popular products into the US. Consumers wouldn’t necessarily feel the impacts immediately, but experts say a long port strike would eventually cause shortages of chocolate, booze and fruit, including bananas and cherries.

Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

1. Helene’s damage

The Southeastern US is grappling with widespread devastation after Helene made landfall Thursday as the strongest hurricane on record to slam into Florida’s Big Bend region and tore through multiple states, killing at least 95 people. Millions are still without power and authorities warn electricity could be a week away or longer in some areas. In the Carolinas, days of unrelenting flooding have turned roads into waterways, left many without basic necessities and strained state resources. President Joe Biden will visit some of the affected communities later this week, “as soon as it will not disrupt emergency response operations,” the White House said Sunday.

2. Middle East

Israeli airstrikes hit an intersection in the Lebanese capital of Beirut today, the first time the strikes have landed within the city limits since October 7. The attack comes days after Israel assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. In recent weeks, Israel has expanded its attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, stoking fears of a regional war, as Hezbollah pledged to continue fighting despite losses in its senior ranks. President Joe Biden said he is “working like hell” with allies to prevent an all-out war in the Middle East. Before Nasrallah’s killing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brushed off a ceasefire proposal brokered by the US.

3. VP debate

Vice presidential nominees Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance are gearing up for a high-stakes debate on Tuesday — five weeks before Election Day. The Walz-Vance matchup may be the last debate of the 2024 election, unprecedented in modern presidential campaigns, with former President Donald Trump rejecting calls from Vice President Kamala Harris to agree to a second meeting, including one proposed by CNN for October 23. With a tight race entering the closing stretch and early voting underway in several states, the running mates’ showdown Tuesday in New York presents one of the last major opportunities to make the case for their respective tickets. The debate will be hosted by CBS and will begin at 9 p.m. ET.

4. Chemical plant fire

A reaction following a fire at a Georgia chemical plant on Sunday forced evacuations, shelter-in-place advisories and interstate road closures. The blaze broke out on the roof of BioLab in Conyers, Georgia, about 30 miles east of Atlanta. Officials said a malfunctioned sprinkler head “came in contact with a water-reactive chemical and produced a plume.” The fire was put out Sunday evening but the smoke may be visible for several days, officials said, adding that air quality surveys “revealed the harmful irritant chlorine” emitting from the facility.

5. SpaceX

After their weeklong journey turned into a monthslong stay on the International Space Station, two Boeing Starliner astronauts are now within reach of the spacecraft that will eventually bring them home. The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, chosen by NASA to carry astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore back to Earth after their Starliner spacecraft was deemed too risky for a crewed return, has arrived at the space station. The vehicle, on a mission called Crew-9, docked at the ISS at about 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday. Williams and Wilmore are expected to return home no earlier than February.

HAPPENING LATER

Pandemic-era student loan benefit nears its end
A one-year grace period for student loan borrowers who miss a payment is ending this week. Here’s what borrowers need to know.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Operation Match: The dating service that changed our love lives
Many couples now meet by swiping through dating apps. But in the age of retro computers, finding someone your type required more effort. Read about the first computer dating company in the US that launched in 1965.

China’s astronauts are aiming to land on the moon by 2030
And they now have a new advanced spacesuit to do it.

‘LibraryTok’ is building school-age nostalgia on the internet
Welcome to “LibraryTok,” where school librarians are also viral stars. Their nostalgia-inspiring videos are encouraging adults to return to the library or donate to schools in need.

America’s Greyhound bus stations are disappearing
Chicago is on the verge of losing its only intercity bus terminal. Its closure could threaten access for low-income and elderly travelers with few other transportation options.

Pictures reveal the dramatic shrinking of major Amazon rivers
River levels in the Amazon are at record lows, upending lives and endangering wildlife. See before-and-after photos of Brazil’s worst drought on record.

IN MEMORIAM

Singer-songwriter and actor Kris Kristofferson died peacefully at his home in Maui, Hawaii, on Saturday, according to a family spokesperson. He was 88. Kristofferson wrote the songs “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” “Help Me Make it Through the Night,” “For the Good Times” and “Me and Bobby McGee.” As an actor, he played the leading man opposite Barbara Streisand in the 1976 film “A Star Is Born” and starred opposite Ellen Burstyn in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.”

TODAY’S NUMBER

6,500
That’s around how many people participated in the largest mass Haka on Sunday, as New Zealand reclaimed the world record for the most participants to perform the traditional Māori routine. The attendance beat record holder France’s 4,028 in 2014.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“I want to stun the world.”

— Choi Soon-hwa, an 80-year-old woman hoping to become the oldest participant to reach the Miss Universe contest. Today, Choi will go head-to-head with 31 other contestants for the Miss Universe Korea tiara — and a chance to represent South Korea at the Miss Universe final in Mexico this November.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

Wastewater is used to track Covid across the US
Officials are now focusing on testing the contents of Americans’ wastewater to keep tabs on Covid-19. This wastewater testing map will show you where your state stands.

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