The Evening: The issue voters care about most

Also, flash floods killed more than 95 people in Spain.

View in browser|nytimes.com October 30, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Wednesday. The top issue for voters Deadly flash floods in Spain Plus, your body on sugar The New York Times/Siena The economy looks strong as Election Day nears Consumers are spending, inflation is cooling, and the American economy appears to be on solid footing, according to a government report released today that showed that G.D.P. expanded at a 2.8 percent annual rate in the third quarter. Less than a week before Election Day, the continued growth offers voters an indication that the economy has rebounded since the pandemic. However, after years of high inflation, a large majority of voters rate the economy as only fair or poor. The lasting discontent could play a crucial role in deciding the next president. Voters in the latest Times poll rated the economy as the most important issue in the election, as they have in every Times poll this year. They have also said in each poll that they trusted Donald Trump on the economy more than Kamala Harris, though Harris has closed the gap to six points from 13 over the last month. "When Trump taps into voters' concerns over the economy, it can be very effective," my colleague, Michael Gold, who covers Trump's campaign, told me. "A lot of voters see the economy as a referendum on the current administration, and when Trump focuses on that, he can be very strong." The trouble for Trump, Michael said, is that he rarely sticks to the script. His advisers have urged him to talk more about the economy, but he has made clear in recent weeks that he prefers to talk about immigration. He credits the issue as the reason he won in 2016 and has turned multiple economy-focused events into speeches about border control. In other politics news: The Supreme Court allowed Virginia to purge about 1,600 possibly ineligible voters from its rolls. Harris tried to distance herself from President Biden's muddled remarks that appeared to refer to Trump supporters as "garbage." Arizona remains a "jump ball." Republicans are banking on immigration and Democrats on abortion rights. Big-money operatives are taking advantage of lax rules. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the actor and former Republican governor of California, endorsed Harris. We fact-checked Harris's speech last night. When will the election be called? Here's what we know. What's at Stake: Climate The presidential election is 6 days away. Each day, The Times will feature one story that focuses on the impact of the choice voters will make. By Lisa Friedman In his first term, Donald Trump dissolved more than 100 environmental regulations. If elected again, he would kill any federal effort to study and fight climate change, encourage oil and gas companies to "Drill, Baby, Drill" and severely restrict the government agency that protects air and water. READ THE STORY Erin Schaff/The New York Times A Pivotal Choice: Trump vs. Harris on Climate Change → After the floods in the Valencia region of Spain. David Ramos/Getty Images Flash floods killed more than 95 people in Spain At least 95 people died and others were missing after devastating flash floods hit eastern Spain, the local authorities said. The toll is expected to rise. It's one of the worst natural disasters to hit the country in recent years. In the eastern region of Valencia, a year's worth of rain fell over eight hours. Beginning Monday, catastrophic floods washed away cars, inundated homes and knocked out power. Rescuers waded through neck-high waters to reach some residents. Here's what to know. A SpaceX rocket carrying a spy satellite in 2022. Patrick T. Fallon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The Pentagon needs Musk to compete, despite its concerns The Pentagon and U.S. spy agencies are preparing to spend billions of dollars to build and launch a batch of satellites to defend against missile attacks and remain competitive with China in space. For that, the U.S. is poised to rely on SpaceX, Elon Musk's rocket company. Musk's growing power in the industry has generated a new wave of questions about his extensive business operations in China, his relations with foreign leaders and his willingness to embrace conspiracy theories in the name of partisan politics. For more: Musk is the face of a new era when billionaires are activists. Ukrainians arriving in Sumy in May, after fleeing Russian-occupied territories. Mauricio Lima for The New York Times Ukrainians report brutal repression in occupied areas Russia is enforcing a colonialist repression across 40,000 square miles of occupied territory in Ukraine, according to former detainees, human rights groups and Ukrainian officials. The system includes a gulag of more than 100 prisons, detention facilities, informal camps and basements reminiscent of the worst Soviet excesses. Moscow's ultimate aim, rights advocates said, is to extinguish Ukrainian identity through propaganda, re-education, torture, forced Russian citizenship and relocation of children to Russia. A team of reporters worked for months in Kyiv, Sumy, Odesa and Kherson to reveal the highly institutionalized tactics. More top news Lebanon: At least 1,085 buildings have been destroyed or badly damaged since Israel's invasion targeting Hezbollah began. Trade: The E.U. imposed tariffs as high as 45 percent on Chinese electric vehicles. Energy: Three Mile Island, where the worst U.S. nuclear energy accident took place, is now at the forefront of efforts to expand nuclear capacity. Health: Results from a new clinical trial suggested that people with failing heart valves should have them replaced right away. New York City: After decades of mostly turning the other way, city officials decriminalized jaywalking. Wisconsin: At least five customers sought medical attention after a pizzeria error led them to eat cannabis-oil pizza. TIME TO UNWIND Lee Klafczynski for The New York Times An author takes on tuberculosis John Green had accomplished a lot before he traveled to Sierra Leone in 2019. He was already a best-selling author, a popular internet personality and an educational instructor. But that trip helped refocus his attention on tuberculosis, and turned him into an unlikely spokesman in the effort to eradicate the disease. Green is coming out with a book, "Everything Is Tuberculosis," in which he tries to understand how tuberculosis could be both entirely curable and the deadliest infectious disease in the world. If more of us were paying attention, he argues, fewer people would die. Rosa Sawyers This is your body on sugar Sugar is added to so many foods and drinks — sodas, candies, breakfast cereals, salad dressings, breads — that most of us are probably getting more than our bodies were meant to handle, in more potent forms than we might expect. Over time, this can increase the risk of health problems. It all starts in the mouth, where bacteria can break sugars down and produce acids, potentially eroding your tooth enamel. But sugar also affects the gut, the brain, the liver and more. Here's what to know. Lionsgate Dinner table topics 20 years later: "Saw" was never supposed to be a success. But it created a horror villain for the new millennium by focusing on moral questions. A scramble in Indonesia: It takes a lot of work to deliver a package in a country with 17,000 islands. A new era: Being a college football player now means constant travel and missed classes. Psychic to the stars: Frank Andrews did readings for John Lennon, Princess Grace and other celebrities. At 83, he is still talking to ghosts. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Linda Xiao for The New York Times Cook: This mashed 'ulu dish takes full advantage of the hefty and starchy breadfruit. Read: Cher's memoir is one of the most anticipated books of November. Listen: Check out these 13 scary good Halloween songs. Plan: Airline pilots see the world in 24-hour bites. One recommended a trip through Mumbai. Wear: We have some tips for last-minute Halloween costumes. Swim: These underwater headphones actually work. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING The New York Times How many continents are there actually? In school we learn that the Earth is split into seven continents. Your kids may have come home from school singing about it. But it might not be that simple. Anyone with a map can see that Asia and Europe are connected, divided more by culture than geography. And what about North America and Asia? They were, geologically speaking, recently connected. It turns out that experts genuinely disagree, with counts ranging from two to eight. Have a far-reaching evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Michael Gold contributed to this newsletter. Kirsten Luce was our photo editor today. We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com. Writer: Matthew Cullen Editorial Director: Adam Pasick Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Evening, unsubscribe. 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