An Ignoble Experiment: The 7: Obama’s plan to help Kamala Harris; missed warnings about a school shooting suspect; plastic-eating bacteria; and more

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Good morning. It's Friday, Oct. 4, and there's a decent chance you could see the northern lights this weekend — here's all you need to know. Now let's get to the news.

Barack Obama will campaign for Kamala Harris in the weeks before Election Day.

The plan: The former president will kick off his efforts in Pittsburgh on Thursday. It could give Harris a boost — Obama remains the nation's most popular Democrat.
Other campaign news: A Donald Trump ad falsely claims Harris would raise taxes on families — find a fact check here. And The Post dug into why people leave Trump's rallies early.
One more thing: Melania Trump came out in support of abortion rights. Here's why.

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Three ex-police officers were found guilty in connection with a fatal beating.

What to know: The former officers were arrested last year in the death of a Black man, Tyre Nichols, in Memphis. Body-camera footage captured the beating and its aftermath.
Yesterday: One was found guilty in federal court of civil rights abuses, and two others were found guilty of witness tampering. The men still face murder charges in state court.

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Striking dockworkers agreed to return to work.

Last night: The dockworkers' union tentatively agreed to 62% raises and suspended its strike at East and Gulf coast ports on its third day.
Why it matters: The strike had threatened to disrupt the U.S. economy a month before the election. (Note: If you were planning to panic-buy toilet paper, please don't.)

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Israel intensified its military offensive in Lebanon.

The latest: Israel killed at least 28 medical workers in 24 hours, international health officials said yesterday. Israeli strikes are continuing to batter Beirut's suburbs.
What else to know: Iranian missiles hit Israeli military sites in an attack Tuesday, visual evidence shows. It suggests Iran has gotten better at evading Israeli defenses.

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	There were years of missed warnings about the alleged Georgia school shooter.

How we know: The Post interviewed family members, and reviewed private texts and public documents. It shed light on the 14-year-old suspect's path before last month's shooting.
What it revealed: The teen confronted his mother weeks before the shooting, which left four people dead. For years, relatives prodded schools, counselors and caseworkers for help.

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Nearly all homes in counties hardest-hit by Helene lack flood insurance.

One example: Less than 1% of households were covered in Buncombe County, N.C., where an entire town disappeared. Many people will have to rely on federal help.
The latest: There have been at least 213 deaths in six states as a result of the storm, and hundreds are missing. One of those states, Florida, may soon be soaked by a tropical rainstorm.

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Plastic-eating bacteria could help fight pollution problems.

What to know: A bacteria commonly found in wastewater can break down plastic to turn it into a food source, a new study found. Scientists hope it could be a pollution solution.
Why it matters: Companies produce more than 400 million metric tons of plastic each year — some spills into waterways and beaches. And only a small fraction is recycled.

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Before you go … in theaters this weekend: "Joker: Folie à Deux" — beware, it's a musical. Plus: "Saturday Night" — the fun story of the first SNL.

One more good read: To protect itself from disaster, this country is turning to an unusual source of cash.

Presidential polls: See who's ahead and what's changed in The Post's latest polling averages.

From The Post archive: With Joaquin Phoenix back on the big screen as the Joker, it's time to revisit our definitive ranking of every appearance of the Clown Prince of Crime.

And finally … end your week by playing On the Record, The Post's quotable quiz. The weekend version is 10 questions, and you can risk all your points on a final bonus question. Ready to play? Click here. Or try our word game, Keyword.

You're all caught up. See you Monday.