Start your week smart: Presidential race goes down to the wire, Russian offensive, Breonna Taylor case, TGI Fridays bankruptcy, murky jobs report

By CNN

Published November 3, 2024 7:02 AM

CNN

By Andrew Torgan and Daniel Wine, CNN

(CNN) — Feeling refreshed this morning but worried that you overslept? You didn’t. While you were sleeping, Daylight Saving Time ended and we fell back an hour.

Here’s what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.

The weekend that was

• Donald Trump is laying the groundwork to dispute the election results if he loses — just as he did in 2020 — baselessly claiming that the only way Kamala Harris can win is by cheating. Harris made a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” and is expected to campaign in Michigan today, while Trump will hold a rally in Pennsylvania. Follow live updates.
• Ukraine’s army chief warned that his forces are facing “one of the most powerful Russian offensives” since the start of the war as Russia claimed it captured more settlements on the eastern frontline. Russia has steadily been making gains in the eastern Donbas region.
• A federal jury convicted former Kentucky police detective Brett Hankison of using excessive force on Breonna Taylor during a botched 2020 drug raid that left her dead. It’s the first conviction of a Louisville police officer who was involved in the deadly raid.
• TGI Fridays Inc., the American casual dining chain, filed for bankruptcy protection. The company said fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic was the primary cause and it will use the Chapter 11 process to “explore strategic alternatives in order to ensure the long-term viability of the brand.”
• The monthly jobs report was clear as mud. The US economy added just 12,000 jobs in October in a reflection of temporary shocks to the US labor market, with this snapshot bearing the impacts and ripple effects of two major deadly hurricanes and large labor strikes.

The week ahead

Monday
More than 30,000 Boeing workers will vote again on whether to end a crippling seven-week strike. The International Association of Machinists union’s strike has been the most costly American strike of the 21st century, at $11.5 billion and counting. But the vote’s outcome is uncertain, despite a push from union leadership urging members to accept the offer this time around — and the deal on the table is not significantly different from an offer rejected by nearly two-thirds of membership just over a week ago.

Tuesday
November 5 is Election Day. If you have questions about how the system works and what to expect in the weeks to come, we’ve got answers.

In addition to casting their ballots for president, voters in at least 10 states will determine the future of abortion access in their state after a nationwide effort by organizers secured several ballot measures aimed at restoring or protecting the right to an abortion — and some aimed at restricting it.

And in four states — Florida, South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska — voters will see various cannabis legalization efforts on their ballots.

Thursday
The Federal Reserve wraps up its two-day meeting on interest rates. Market expectations overwhelmingly project the central bank will make a quarter-point cut, according to the CME FedWatch Tool. In September, the Fed delivered a jumbo half-point cut, and Chair Jerome Powell previously indicated that two smaller cuts would likely close out the year.

Saturday
November 9 is the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which enclosed West Berlin from 1961 to 1989 to prevent East Germans from fleeing to the West. It became a symbol of East/West relations during the Cold War.

Listen in

One Thing: 🎧 Campaign closing arguments
In this episode of the “One Thing” podcast, CNN’s embedded campaign reporters take us through the final days of the Harris and Trump campaigns ahead of Election Day. Listen here.

Photos of the week

Check out more images from the week that was, curated by CNN Photos.

What’s happening in entertainment

In theaters
Halloween may be over, but one final horror film creeps into theaters on Friday. “Heretic” stars Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East as two young religious women who are drawn into a game of cat-and-mouse in the house of a welcoming man (Hugh Grant) who quickly puts their faith to the test.

What’s happening in sports

At a glance …
The New York City Marathon got underway at 8 a.m. ET on Staten Island. An estimated 50,000 competitors will follow the 26.2-mile course across the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Brooklyn, then Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx — and back down to finish in Central Park.

We’re nearly at the halfway point of the NFL season. Here are five things to know for Week 9.

For more of your favorite sports, head on over to CNN Sports as well as Bleacher Report, which — like CNN — is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.

Quiz time!

Need a diversion from packing up the skeletons, bats and witches hats? Or while sneaking some candy you hid from your family? Take CNN’s Halloween quiz — if you dare! So far, 53% of quiz fans have gotten eight or more questions right. How will you fare?

Play me off …

‘Under Pressure’
If you’re feeling anxious ahead of Election Day, trust us — you’re not alone. The neck-and-neck race for the White House has many people feeling the pressure. (Click here to view)

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