5 things to know for Oct. 30: Harris speech, Four Seasons shooter, Israeli airstrike, Spain floods, McDonald’s

October 30, 2024 4:48 AM

Published October 30, 2024 10:30 AM

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

(CNN) — Gas prices are falling fast, just as millions of Americans head to the polls. Some analysts say the national average could soon plunge below $3 a gallon for the first time since 2021.

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

1. Harris speech

Vice President Kamala Harris delivered her campaign’s “closing argument” Tuesday evening at the Ellipse in Washington, DC — the same site former President Donald Trump told his supporters on January 6, 2021, to “fight like hell” before they ransacked the US Capitol. Harris said next week’s election presents a stark choice for voters: “It is a choice about whether we will have a country rooted in freedom for every American — or ruled by chaos and division.” While addressing poignant issues for voters, Harris also sought to confront her biggest political weakness by saying major political figures need to stop using immigration as a wedge and rather see it as a serious challenge that needs solving. Harris said she will work across party lines to sign the border security bill she said Trump killed.

2. Four Seasons shooter

An active shooter fired at least 15 gunshots through the walls and off the balcony of his apartment at a Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta during a standoff Tuesday before being taken into custody, police said. Officers were told that a 70-year-old suspect had been involved in an altercation with a hotel employee. After police attempted to get the suspect to come to the door of his room and peacefully surrender, he started firing with a handgun, shotgun and rifle, authorities said. The suspect eventually raised his hands, and a SWAT team went to his door and took him into custody. One officer and the suspect were taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

3. Israeli airstrike

An Israeli airstrike on a multistory building in northern Gaza killed more than 90 people, including 25 children, according to Palestinian authorities. The US called Tuesday’s strike “horrifying,” and the UN said it was one of Israel’s deadliest attacks in nearly three months. Israel’s military said it was targeting a “suspected terrorist” and is “trying to understand” why so many people were in the area at the time. The strike came one day after Israel banned the United Nations’ agency for Palestinian refugees from operating in the country in a move that sparked an international outcry. Several displaced Gazans told CNN that the agency had been a lifeline for health care, education and food.

4. Spain floods

Parts of southern and eastern Spain were hit by severe flash flooding on Tuesday as some areas received up to 12 inches of rain in just a few hours. At least 62 people have died and rescues are ongoing, the regional government of Valencia said today. The death toll is expected to rise as authorities said the current figures are “provisional.” Footage from the city of Valencia showed muddy water flooding through the streets, tearing down walls and sweeping away parked cars. Rainfall warnings will remain in effect across the country today, according to Spain’s Meteorological Agency, with the threat of heavy rain expected to continue through the end of the week.

5. McDonald’s

Many Americans avoided McDonald’s last week after an E. coli outbreak left dozens of people sick. By Friday, visits dropped 10% nationwide and 33% in Colorado, where the outbreak was most prevalent, according to Placer.ai, which tracks foot traffic to restaurants and retailers. McDonald’s now believes the worst is behind it, and said Tuesday that it would rely on its $5 value meal promotion and Big Macs with chicken to win back customers. The fast food chain will also resume selling Quarter Pounders in all of its restaurants this week after the Colorado Department of Agriculture said the company’s beef patties used for the Quarter Pounder tested negative for E. coli. The customers who got sick ordered that particular burger.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

New York Yankees stave off World Series elimination
The Yankees beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-4 in Game 4, spoiling a historic night for the Dodgers who had hoped for a clean 4-0 sweep in the series. The two teams will face off later today in a high-stakes Game 5.

TikTok’s founder is now China’s richest person
China has a new richest person — and it’s the entrepreneur behind the wildly popular, and controversial, app TikTok.

Remember when actress Lindsay Lohan wore the unsexiest Halloween costume ever?
In the two decades since “Mean Girls” came out, the Halloween costume spectrum has become filled with choices. Read how movies and celebrities are flipping the script on dressing for Halloween.

Gate lice: What they are and why they’re a problem
Some airlines are cracking down on “gate lice,” a not-so-flattering term for those who swarm around airport gates before their designated boarding time.

Oasis is canceling reunion tour tickets sold by resellers
The band is canceling around 50,000 tickets for its British tour dates that were resold on secondary websites like StubHub and Viagogo.

IN MEMORIAM

Teri Garr, an Oscar-nominated actress known for her work in films like “Mr. Mom” and “Tootsie,” has died after battling multiple sclerosis for over twenty years. She was 79. Among several film and TV credits, Garr starred as Inga in the 1974 comedy “Young Frankenstein” alongside Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn and Marty Feldman.

TODAY’S NUMBER

7.4 million
That’s roughly how many US jobs were unfilled as of October 1, according to new data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A decline in job openings reflects a labor market that has slowed back to pre-pandemic levels after experiencing years of blockbuster growth.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“Why are we doing this? Because we believe America’s future is decided locally — one race at a time.”

— Gannett, owner of the nation’s largest newspaper chain, announcing that its more than 200 publications, including USA Today, will not publish endorsements in the 2024 presidential race.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

This small city makes almost all of the glasses frames sold in Japan
Watch this video to learn about Sabae, a town in Japan’s Fukui prefecture that has built a reputation over the past century in the eyewear industry.

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