5 things to know for Oct. 4: Port strike, Presidential race, Helene’s aftermath, Middle East, Bird Flu

Some travelers relish planning trips months in advance. Others wait until the last minute to book their flights or renew their passports. If you consider yourself the latter, here's some good news: The typical processing time for US passports is now four to six weeks, down from the previous wait time of up to eight weeks, the State Department announced.

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

Thousands of striking port workers will return to their jobs today after the International Longshoremen's Association reached a tentative agreement on Thursday with negotiators. The 50,000 members of the union working at ports from Maine to Texas had been on strike since Tuesday over wages and concerns that increased automation at the ports could cost union jobs. President Joe Biden praised the tentative wage deal. "I congratulate the dockworkers from the ILA, who deserve a strong contract after sacrificing so much to keep our ports open during the pandemic," he said. For the Biden administration, the motivation to limit the economic fallout was amplified by the fact that a lengthy strike could have caused shortages of some US imports and further soured Americans' views of the economy in the last weeks before the election.

Republican former Rep. Liz Cheney campaigned with Vice President Kamala Harris in the battleground state of Wisconsin on Thursday. Cheney pointed to former President Donald Trump's actions on January 6, 2021, and said that anyone "who would do these things can never be trusted with power again." Her attempt to persuade swing voters comes as the latest CNN average of polls in the state finds Harris deadlocked with Trump, and the latest CNN Poll of Polls shows the presidential race remains tight nationally . Meanwhile, Trump campaigned in the key state of Michigan on Thursday and criticized the Biden-Harris administration's response to Hurricane Helene. He falsely claimed Harris "stole" money from FEMA and used it on housing and gift cards for undocumented immigrants.

At least 213 people have died since Hurricane Helene slammed the Southeast more than a week ago. Searches for missing loved ones grow more desperate each day as officials say hundreds are unaccounted for and rescue crews are hindered by ongoing cell service issues and washed-out roads. People have reported hiking for hours to check on trapped loved ones and spending agonizing moments scouring soaked river banks for those swept away with their homes. In North Carolina's Buncombe County, where Asheville is located, more than 200 people were unaccounted for as of Thursday and 72 people had been found dead so far, the county sheriff said. Helene has become the deadliest hurricane to hit the US mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 , and officials fear the death toll will continue to climb.

The Israeli military vowed to continue striking Hezbollah targets in Beirut and southern Lebanon after launching fresh airstrikes in the Lebanese capital overnight. Amid escalating tensions, the Middle East is bracing for Israel's response to Iran's ballistic missile attack earlier this week. Analysts say the growing escalations on multiple fronts have put the region on the precipice as the first anniversary of Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel draws nearer. Israeli officials also issued evacuation orders for more villages in southern Lebanon, signaling a broadening of its ground incursion . Roughly 1 million people have been displaced since Israel escalated its war with Hezbollah.

Two California farmworkers tested positive for bird flu, the CDC confirmed Thursday , making them the first presumptive positive cases in humans in the state. The two worked on different dairy farms in California's Central Valley and both farms had cattle known to be positive for H5N1 avian influenza. Health officials say the risk to the general public remains low. Still, they are watching this virus closely because each time it infects a new human host, it can change in ways that may allow it to better adapt to people . If that occurs, there are fears it could spark a wider outbreak. With these additions, there have been 16 cases of avian flu in humans in the US since March; most of them have been connected to ongoing poultry and dairy cattle outbreaks.

BREAKFAST BROWSECostco is now selling platinum bars for $1,089 Costco is expanding its collection of precious metals . But if shoppers aren't interested in platinum and silver, it could potentially tarnish the company's recent success with gold .

Eminem is going to be a grandpa Eminem, or Slim Shady, will soon have another nickname: Grandpa! The rapper announced via a new music video that his daughter Hailie Jade, 28, is expecting her first child .

This is the world's smallest Rubik's Cube. And it actually works Japanese toymaker MegaHouse has unveiled a miniature Rubik's Cube — one so tiny that you might need a pair of tweezers to solve it.

Caitlin Clark caps remarkable season with near-unanimous WNBA Rookie of the Year honor After an outstanding season in which she undoubtedly exceeded lofty expectations following a historic career at the University of Iowa, Caitlin Clark was named the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year in a near-unanimous vote.

Ex-Starbucks CEO broke labor law Starbucks' Howard Schultz, who was interim CEO at the time, broke federal labor law in 2022 by telling a barista that "if you're not happy at Starbucks, you can go work for another company." Read about the incident here .

QUIZ TIME Which cell phone carrier encountered a major outage that sparked a flurry of customer complaints across the US? A. AT&T B. Verizon C. Boost Mobile D. T-Mobile

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Last week, 58% of readers who took the quiz got eight or more questions right. How will you fare?

TODAY'S NUMBER That's how many people were evacuated from a Ryanair Boeing plane Thursday after it caught fire on a runway in Italy . No one was hurt in the fire at Brindisi Airport, but the second safety incident this week involving Ryanair jets prompted concerns from Italian lawmakers.

TODAY'S QUOTE "I trust the system, I do not fear the truth, and I am not the man they have painted me to be."

— Country music star Garth Brooks, issuing a statement Thursday after he was accused of sexual assault and battery in a lawsuit from a hair-and-makeup artist who worked for him.

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