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A former president and a sitting one spent Saturday on opposite ends of the campaign map. A theme park is rethinking how riders stay in their seats, your trick-or-treat bowl may shrink, and college football’s new No. 1 looked every bit the part.
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The Big Read
Democrats and Voting Groups Fight Bid to Freeze Alaska's Senate Results
Democratic groups and voting-rights advocates are seeking to intervene in the Justice Department's lawsuit aimed at blocking Alaska's Senate certification if Sen. Dan Sullivan loses. The case hinges on a second, unaffiliated Daniel J. Sullivan, whom state courts restored to the ballot after a Republican Party complaint had him removed.
Trump said Friday he ordered the suit, telling reporters "I'm the one that said 'do it,'" while GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski said the department "should never have filed" it. Democrat Mary Peltola's campaign argues the suit could keep her from office even if she wins under ranked-choice voting, with early voting underway.
Six Flags Will Add Seat Belts to Coasters After a Rider's Fatal Fall
Six Flags will add seat belts to the Goliath coaster and similar rides after a 42-year-old Atlanta man was ejected and killed at its Georgia park Oct. 12. Goliath stays closed during investigations, and eight more coasters with similar clamshell restraints at five other US and Canadian parks are also shut.
In a letter to customers late Friday, CEO John Reilly said the company hired independent engineers and ride inspectors to review safety procedures at all its parks. Witnesses said the rider rose out of his seat before being ejected, though investigators haven't said what went wrong on the 200-foot ride.
Obama Hits the Campaign Trail as Trump Casts His Ballot in Florida
Former President Barack Obama rallied Democrats in Cleveland on Saturday, stumping for Amy Acton and Sherrod Brown and saying "everything is more expensive now" under Trump. He also said the war gave Iran "veto power" over the Strait of Hormuz, and was due in Detroit later for Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
Trump, wearing an "I Voted" sticker, cast his early ballot in West Palm Beach, saying he voted the party line "very much so" before a Georgia rally. On Iran, he said "I may have to finish it off" or Tehran might make a deal, adding, "Either way, we win."
World View
Nearly 1,000 people were arrested across France as hundreds of thousands protested living costs Saturday, with police firing tear gas and water cannon in Paris after largely peaceful marches.
Israeli forces pressed ahead with demolitions in Hebron, sealing off the West Bank city for a second day after gunmen killed two soldiers, days before Israel's national election.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu launched his reelection bid at a Kaduna rally, blaming opponents for hunger and poverty ahead of a January vote amid a cost-of-living crisis.
Need To Know
Six people died on Florida's Turnpike when an SUV witnesses said was speeding without headlights slammed into a Road Ranger truck helping at another crash Friday night.
Iran's envoy to Pakistan said Tehran offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the US lifted its naval blockade, accusing President Trump of rejecting the proposal.
Guam is getting permanent missile defenses, as the Army activated an air defense battalion there to counter North Korean and Chinese threats, expected to run Patriot and THAAD systems.
Money & Markets
LIV Golf paid $15.6 million to retain seven executives before its bankruptcy, including $6.375 million to CEO Scott O'Neil, records filed in federal court in New Jersey show.
AMC's Kips Bay 15 in Manhattan will close for good on Jan. 3, with CEO Adam Aron saying hospital neighbor NYU Langone "wants us gone" and has ignored its alternatives.
DC's "Clayface" grabbed the No. 1 spot with a $10.4 million Friday debut, putting the $44 million villain origin story on pace for $24 million by Sunday.
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Future Frontiers
Adding Amgen's Imdelltra to AstraZeneca's Imfinzi cut the risk of death by 58% in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, stretching median survival from 12.7 to 21.1 months.
Southern Colorado's San Juan River flooded a full 3 feet higher than last year's 100-year flood, as remnants of Pacific tropical systems dumped 4 inches on already saturated ground.
Ukraine's Starlink and military Starshield service returned to pre-restriction speeds overnight, ending more than a week of slowdowns that had hindered drone interceptions and disrupted frontline missions.
The Score
No. 1 Miami rolled past Pitt 52-23 as Malachi Toney set a school record with 16 catches, in the Hurricanes' first game atop the rankings in nearly 24 years.
The Golden State Valkyries evened the WNBA Finals at 2-2, beating the Atlanta Dream 67-62 and holding Angel Reese to eight points on 2-of-12 shooting in Atlanta.
Nashville SC clinched its first MLS Supporters' Shield by winning 2-0 at CF Montréal, with goals from top scorer Sam Surridge and captain Hany Mukhtar sealing the trophy.
Three-time Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck joined the Devils after a Friday trade ended his standoff with Winnipeg, telling reporters "sitting at home for so long was getting to me."
Life & Culture
Taylor Swift's self-titled debut album turned 20 years old on Saturday, recalling a time her team virtually begged journalists for interviews and struggled to win over country radio.
Quentin Tarantino surprised an AFI Fest crowd by screening the first 17 minutes of David Fincher's "The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth," with Brad Pitt returning as the stuntman.
Sylvester Stallone openly embraced the nepotism label over daughter Scarlet Rose Stallone's "Tulsa King" role, saying "of course it's nepotism" because parents want the best for their children.
Deep Dive
Why Halloween Candy Is a Harder Sell This Year
What it is: Halloween candy sales fell 6.7% in the month ending Oct. 17 from a year earlier, NielsenIQ data show, after an 11.7% mid-September slide erased two years of preseason gains. With regular gas averaging $4.29 a gallon, nearly 40% above last year, NielsenIQ's Chris Costagli says many shoppers stretched by fuel, housing, clothing and food simply can't afford candy.
The detail: Candy and gum prices climbed 44% over five years through September, nearly double the 22.5% rise for food eaten at home, and only small bags are still growing sales. Aldi advertised a 135-piece Mars variety pack, with Milky Way and Snickers, for $19.87 this week, almost what shoppers paid for 250 pieces five years ago.
Why it matters: Cocoa is the main culprit, hitting a record $10,710 a metric ton in January 2025 after poor weather in West Africa, which supplies 70% of the world's chocolate. Prices eased to $3,241 by March but climbed again this spring as the Iran war disrupted Africa's fertilizer supplies, while El Niño threatens hot, dry conditions through February.
What to watch: Circana's Sally Lyons Wyatt wonders whether shoppers are waiting until closer to Halloween, saying "I don't think Halloween is doomed," though she still expects overall candy softness. The National Confectioners Association, which represents Mars and Ferrara, says consumer enthusiasm "remains incredibly strong" as the peak buying stretch begins ahead of next Saturday's holiday.
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Today's Trivia
Andorra is unique among nations for being a 'co-principality' ruled jointly by the President of France and which other foreign official?
Extra Bits
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says he has a "massive storage of images" showing rival managers breaking touchline rules, revealed right after picking up his second yellow card this season.
Cynthia Erivo told an "SNL U.K." audience her trademark long nails are so practical she hasn't had to use cutlery in years, while still chasing a Paul Hollywood handshake.
North Korea finally opened a 1.9-mile bridge to China twelve years after Beijing built it, with Kim Jong Un inaugurating the span after delays over access roads and customs.
On This Day
Sheffield FC, considered the world's oldest club still playing football, is founded in England (1857) · A record sell-off on Wall Street's "Black Thursday" wipes out billions in market value (1929) · A camera aboard a captured V-2 rocket takes the first photos of Earth from space (1946) · Taylor Swift releases her self-titled debut album (2006)
"They were ecstatic, they were jumping up and down like kids." — Fred Rulli, who at 19 helped recover the V-2's film, recalling the scientists' reaction
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