🎬 Lights, camera … back in action!

The Hollywood strikes are officially over – but they've still got a lot of work to do. Israel agrees to brief daily pauses in its assaults on Gaza. And who came out on top in last night's GOP debate?

👋 Hi! I’m Laura Davis. It’s time for Thursday’s news. Let’s go!

But first: A high-voltage wire destroyed this man's face and eye. For the first time, doctors just replaced them both.

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Hollywood strikes are over. Now what?

The Hollywood strikes are over! But there's still work to do before the cameras get rolling again. Now that the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) has announced a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the major Hollywood studios, actors are just one step away from getting back to work. But if, as widely expected, the union membership votes to authorize the deal, getting production started back up again isn't as simple as people just showing back up to work.

So what happens now? Grab the popcorn, we're taking a trip to post-strike Hollywood. 🍿 Spoiler alert: You’re still going to have to wait a while for some of your favs to come back. Sorryyyy!

A picketer eats donated pizza for strikers as SAG-AFTRA members and supporters picket outside Paramount Studios on day 113 of their strike against the Hollywood studios on Nov. 3 in Los Angeles.
A picketer eats donated pizza for strikers as SAG-AFTRA members and supporters picket outside Paramount Studios on day 113 of their strike against the Hollywood studios on Nov. 3 in Los Angeles.

Israel agrees to daily war pauses

In a crucial breakthrough for the global effort to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, Israel has agreed to daily, four-hour pauses in fighting across northern Gaza, the White House said Thursday. U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the Israelis had committed to announcing each four-hour window at least three hours in advance. Israel was also opening a second corridor for civilians to flee the areas being pounded by its military campaign aimed at wiping out Hamas after the brutal Oct. 7 attack on border communities, with a coastal road joining the territory’s main north-south highway. Pauses in the fighting have been taking place intermittently for days while tens of thousands of civilians flee northern Gaza for the south. The U.S. and several other nations have been urging Israel to provide more time for safe passage and the safe flow of humanitarian aid into war-battered Gaza. The pauses could help the effort to win freedom for about 240 hostages, including several Americans, held by Hamas and other militants since the war began. 👉 Follow our live coverage.

Smoke rises following Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023.
Smoke rises following Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023.

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Absent Trump looms large at GOP debate

As they face an increasingly urgent task to emerge as a clear alternative to former President Donald Trump, five Republican presidential candidates gathered Wednesday for the party’s latest debate. Trump, the overwhelming front-runner in the race, skipped the event, as he had the first two, citing his polling advantage. There was no shortage of noteworthy confrontations on stage, as the participants debated the Israel-Hamas war, the future of abortion rights and Trump himself. But with the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses approaching, it seemed unlikely that the debate fundamentally changed the presidential nomination fight. 🗣️ Our takeaways from the GOP debate.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, left, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, businessperson Vivek Ramaswamy and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina walk on stage for the Republican National Committee presidential primary debate hosted by NBC News at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, left, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, businessperson Vivek Ramaswamy and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina walk on stage for the Republican National Committee presidential primary debate hosted by NBC News at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County.

Wildflowers, wild horses ... and 5 CMA wins

Lainey Wilson cleaned up. Aside from her fiery performance of "Wildflowers and Wild Horses," Wilson dominated the 57th Annual Country Music Association Awards, earning five shiny new trophies, including wins for Album of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year. Throughout the night at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena, "Fast Car" singer Tracy Chapman became the first Black woman to win a CMA award, Post Malone joined Morgan Wallen in a surprise duet of "Pickup Man" to pay tribute to country legend Joe Diffie and a star-studded tribute to Jimmy Buffett took the crowd away to Margaritaville. 🎶🎻 See the full list of winners.

Lainey Wilson performs "Wildflowers and Wild Horses" at the 57th Annual CMA Awards on Wednesday at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
Lainey Wilson performs "Wildflowers and Wild Horses" at the 57th Annual CMA Awards on Wednesday at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

A break from the news

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hello: laura@usatoday.com. This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hollywood strike, GOP debate, Israel-Hamas war, CMA Awards: Thursday's news