5 things to know for Sept. 3: Presidential race, Israel, Hotel strikes, China bus crash, Pope Francis

Believe it or not, we’re already in the “ber” months — September, October, November and December. Travel experts told CNN that the fall season is “the best time of year to go pretty much anywhere” due to lower airfares, fewer people and nice weather.

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

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Democrats had a busy campaign schedule on Labor Day, with Vice President Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appealing to union workers in major swing states. Harris praised the labor movement in a Detroit speech and vowed to ensure workers’ rights to unionize. She was later joined by President Biden for an event in Pittsburgh, where they outlined plans to maintain strong American steel companies. Meanwhile, Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, spoke to supporters in Milwaukee. While en route to the event, several vehicles in Walz’s motorcade were involved in a crash, and some passengers received non-life-threatening injuries. Former President Donald Trump, on the other hand, mostly stayed out of the spotlight as the two candidates gear up for next week’s debate.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters took to Israel’s streets on Monday over the government’s failure to secure a ceasefire-for-hostages deal with Hamas. Demonstrations could be seen in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Caesarea and other sites across the country, fueled by the killing in Gaza of six hostages, whose bodies were retrieved by Israeli soldiers over the weekend. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused of stalling efforts for a deal by some hostage families and their supporters. When asked Monday whether Netanyahu was doing enough to reach an agreement, President Joe Biden said simply: “No.” More than 100 hostages, including 35 believed to be dead, are still being held in Gaza — the vast majority of them taken during Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, when some 1,200 people were killed.

More than 10,000 hotel workers are now on strike across 25 US cities. Unite Here, the union representing hotel employees, launched a nationwide strike against three major hotel chains over the Labor Day weekend. Workers say they want higher pay, better conditions and more staff. The union is asking for a restoration of many of the pandemic-era cuts that hotels made, including daily room cleaning. The union says the travel and hotel industries have recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic but worker salaries have not reflected the comeback. The hotel chains facing striking workers include Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott. The impacted hotels are reportedly still open but guests may deal with a skeleton staff unable to provide full services.

A bus crashed into a crowd of students and parents outside a school in eastern China today, killing 11 people and injuring 13 others, according to police. The students were waiting to enter the gate of a middle school in the city of Tai’an in Shandong province when the bus slammed into them after 7 a.m. local time, state news agency Xinhua reported. The bus, specially customized for transporting students, “lost control” when it drove into an intersection, authorities said in a statement. The bus driver has been placed in police custody and the cause of the accident is being investigated.

Pope Francis is embarking on his longest trip yet despite a series of health complications in recent months. Earlier today, the 87-year-old pontiff landed in Indonesia, kicking off a marathon 12-day visit to four countries in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific — which also includes Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. It is one of the longest foreign trips any pope has taken and marks the furthest geographical distance (about 20,000 miles) that Francis has traveled since his 2013 election. Analysts say the landmark visit will allow the pope to highlight key themes of his pontificate, including inter-religious dialogue and protection of the environment.

I’m 36 — when do I have to give up crop tops?Is there an age limit to certain fashion trends? A producer for CNN Style helps us iron out this controversial question.

New Titanic photos reveal intact statueMuch of the art that decorated the halls and rooms of the Titanic decomposed in the decades since the ship’s demise in 1912. However, this bronze statue of the goddess Diana remains beautifully intact.

Japan defeats USA to win wheelchair rugby gold at Paris ParalympicsJapan won gold by defeating Team USA 48-41 in the wheelchair rugby final at the 2024 Paralympics on Monday.

It really is necessary to wash fruits and vegetables before eating themA few unwashed strawberries can’t do much harm, right? Well, many health experts would argue otherwise. Each year, 1 in 10 people get sick by eating unsafe food — and about 46% of these cases of foodborne illness come from eating vegetables and fruit.

Can humans grow new islands in the world’s lowest-lying country?The Maldives is eroding. See how an MIT lab is harnessing the ocean’s natural forces to protect beaches — and maybe one day to grow islands.

James Darren, an actor, director and singer who starred in “Gidget” and “TJ Hooker,” died Monday, Variety reported. He was 88. Darren had a lengthy resume spanning across film and television starting as early as 1956. But his breakout role as Moondoggie in the 1959 movie “Gidget” helped him reach heartthrob status in the eyes of teenage moviegoers.

83That’s how many hot dogs and buns Joey Chestnut devoured in 10 minutes during Netflix’s Labor Day eating contest, breaking his own world record.

“We’re sending a clear message here that no one is above the law, no one is above the reach of US sanctions.”

— A United States official, after the Justice Department seized Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro’s airplane in the Dominican Republic. Officials allege the aircraft was smuggled out of the US and was in violation of US sanctions, among other criminal issues.

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Guardian Caps get a big boost from the NFLThe NFL is embracing soft-shell helmet covers to protect players from concussions. Watch this video to learn about the benefits and potential shortcomings of the safety gear.