5 things to know for Oct. 24: Presidential race, North Korean soldiers, Boeing strike, Iranian hackers, Tropical Storm Trami
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The Euclid telescope is creating the largest and most accurate 3D map of the universe. So far, the observatory behind the mission has completed 12% of its survey and aims to unveil the full mosaic within the next six years. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. Vice President Kamala Harris said, “Yes, I do,” when asked during a CNN town hall Wednesday if she believes former President Donald Trump is a fascist, as she drilled down on the dangers of a second Trump term. Harris answered questions from undecided Pennsylvania voters on a range of issues, including immigration, abortion access and the Middle East, while vowing to work with Republicans. She also sought to distance herself from President Joe Biden and promised “a new generation of leadership.” Meanwhile, Trump made his case to voters and slammed the Democratic candidates at a rally in Duluth, Georgia, as the latest CNN average of national polling still finds no clear leader in the presidential race. At least 3,000 North Korean soldiers arrived in eastern Russia this month, the White House said Wednesday, and while it remains unclear what exactly they will do, it is a “highly concerning probability” that they will join the fight against Ukraine. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin became the first senior US official to confirm the development on the record as North Korea and Russia have forged increasingly friendly ties since Moscow began its invasion. The US does not believe the North Korean troops have reached Ukraine, but the movements have generated deep concern as a potentially serious escalation in the conflict. Also on Wednesday, the White House announced the US and Western allies are moving forward with a $50 billion loan package to Ukraine backed by the profits of frozen Russian assets. Around 33,000 workers at Boeing will remain on the picket line after union members rejected an offer from the company in a vote on Wednesday. The membership of the International Association of Machinists voted 64% against the deal. While that was less than the 95% that rejected an earlier offer, it left the vote far short of the simple majority needed to end the strike. Many members are refusing Boeing’s offer until it guarantees the return of traditional pension plans. Membership narrowly gave up the pension in 2014 after the company threatened to build the 737 Max and 777X at non-union facilities. Financial analysts say Boeing urgently needs a deal: According to an estimate from Standard & Poor’s, the strike is costing the company $1 billion a month on top of its ongoing losses. Iranian government-linked hackers have researched and probed election-related websites in multiple US swing states in a possible effort to discover vulnerabilities that could be used to influence the presidential election, Microsoft said in a report released Wednesday. The hackers also “conducted reconnaissance of major US media outlets” in May, according to Microsoft. Officials from multiple federal agencies are looking closely at the Iranian activity, a US official told CNN. US intelligence agencies have assessed that Iran has tried to stoke discord during the 2024 election, in part through hacking activity targeting the Trump campaign and in part by encouraging protests of US policy towards Israel.
The special counsel stressed his decision was not about the strength of his case against Trump
CNN’s 5 Things brings you the news you need to know every morning.
A Republican senator has blocked the promotion of a general who oversaw the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, according to a source familiar with the matter, as President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to go after the officials involved in the withdrawal.
Special counsel Jack Smith said Monday that he is dropping his election subversion case against President-elect Donald Trump, seeking the case’s dismissal in a court filing with the judge.
President Joe Biden tapped into his presidential pardon power in the waning days of his time in office Monday, granting clemency to a pair of lucky turkeys and kicking off the holiday season.
The Supreme Court declined Monday to hear a challenge from major tobacco companies to the Food and Drug Administration’s requirement that they place graphic health warnings on cigarette packages and in advertisements.
The family of Ajike “AJ” Owens, a Black mother of four who was shot and killed by her neighbor during an ongoing dispute over children playing near the neighbor’s home, says the 60-year-old white woman deserves “the maximum penalty under the law,” according to a statement.
Despite his campaign promises to leave the issue to the states, President-elect Donald Trump’s administration will shape the national landscape around abortion and reproductive health.
The criminal cases of actors Jussie Smollett and Bill Cosby, both Black, high-profile entertainers found guilty before their convictions were overturned, differ widely in details but share some parallels.
Uruguayans went to the polls Sunday for a second round of voting to choose their next president, with the conservative governing party and the left-leaning coalition locked in a close runoff after failing to win an outright majority in last month’s vote.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are determined to force federal employees to return to the office in hopes that some will opt to quit instead. That effort is going to affect some agencies – and workers – much more than others.