Remembering the victims in Georgia

A Georgia community is remembering those killed in the shooting at Apalachee High School. Hunter Biden avoids a trial after pleading guilty to federal tax charges. And a historian with a strong track record for predicting presidential races has made his guess for November's election.

👋 Hi, it's Julius, tagging in for Laura today.

But first: Stumbling across art history. 🎨 A painting by the Dutch Golden Age painter Rembrandt fetched a record price after it was found in a Maine attic.

A Georgia community mourns

A Georgia community is mourning the loss of the two students and two teachers who were killed Wednesday in a shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder. Here's what we know about the victims.

Mason Schermerhorn : Friends described the 14-year-old as a sweet soul taken in a senseless act. "He always had an upbeat attitude about everything," Doug Kilburn, who has known Schermerhorn’s mother for a decade, told The New York Times .

Christian Angulo : Angulo, 14, was a freshman at Apalachee High School, WAGA-TV reported. His older sister, Lisette, remembered him as "very sweet and so caring," according to a GoFundMe page for Angulo's funeral services.

Richard Aspinwall: Aspinwall, 39, taught math at Apalachee High School and was the school football team's defensive coordinator. "He was a great dad, man, and a great father," head coach Mike Hancock said.

Christina Irimie: The 53-year-old Irimie was a math teacher at Apalachee High School and an active member of the local Romanian Orthodox community. "We are all mourning for her," said Nicolae Clempus, the pastor of Saint Mary Romanian Orthodox Church.

◾ 'I cried like a baby': Georgia town reels after school shooting .

◾ How to help Apalachee High School shooting victims : Campaigns, fundraisers established .

◾ What we know about 14-year-old identified as suspect .

◾ 'Sick of holding my breath': Parents nationwide wrestle with fear of school shootings .

Hunter Biden pleads guilty to tax charges, avoids trial

Hunter Biden pleaded guilty Thursday to nine federal tax charges he faced, avoiding a trial as jury selection was scheduled to begin. U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi set sentencing for Dec. 16. Scarsi had balked at an earlier offer from Biden to plead guilty under what is called an Alford plea, which is when a defendant accepts sentencing by acknowledging the prosecution has enough evidence to convict him, even if he doesn't admit wrongdoing. But ultimately Biden pleaded guilty to three felonies and six misdemeanors, on charges he failed to pay $1.4 million in taxes from 2016 to 2019. 👉 Read more about Biden's plea.

Real quick

◾ Consumer spending data looks solid , but some shoppers continue to struggle .

◾ Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei dies after being set on fire by ex-boyfriend .

◾ Is a government shutdown avoidable? Congress has to clear this contentious hurdle first.

◾ Michael Keaton explains how Jenna Ortega made new 'Beetlejuice' movie happen

◾ USWNT star Alex Morgan announces retirement from soccer , second pregnancy .

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A presidential prediction 🔮

Who's moving into the White House in January? According to the historian who correctly predicted the outcome of 9 out of the 10 most recent presidential elections it will be – drumroll, please – Kamala Harris. Allan Lichtman said in a video, first reported by The New York Times, that he based his prediction on thirteen keys or “big picture true false questions that tap into the strength and performance of the White House Party.” 🗳 Learn more about Lichtman's prediction method.

• Muted mics, no prewritten notes: What to know about the Harris-Trump debate rules

The NFL regular season is finally here! 🏈

Are you ready for some football? I sure am! The NFL regular season kicks off Thursday when the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs host the Baltimore Ravens. The matchup features a marquee quarterback battle with reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson leading the Ravens against Patrick Mahomes and a high-powered Chiefs offense. The Ravens will look to Jackson to reverse their fortunes against the Chiefs, a team they've lost five of their last six matchups against. 👉 Here's all you need to know about the NFL's season opener.

• Chiefs look built to handle Super Bowl three-peat quest that crushed other teams | Opinion
• New kickoff rule and Guardian Cap could be game changers for player safety
• Will Taylor Swift attend the Chiefs-Ravens game? Here's what we know.

A break from the news

• 💵 Tutorial: How to make a budget that actually works .
• ✈ When should you book holiday travel? Here's what Google Flights says.
• 😱 Hollywood vs. Orlando: How Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights differ coast to coast .

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Remembering the victims in Georgia