Thursday, October 31st, 2024 - Early votes reach 50M; Facebook’s militia issue; VA voter purge ruling; Airline refund rule

Morning Announcements

Today’s Headlines: With just a week left until Election Day, 50 million Americans have already cast their ballots, as economic reports show GDP up 2.8% and inflation at 2.2%. Facebook faces scrutiny over auto-generating pages for extremist militias, making it easier for anti-government groups to use the platform for recruitment and ballot-box intimidation. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to let Virginia continue a voter roll purge of 1,600 suspected non-citizens, despite earlier court rulings that the process violated federal law. Overseas, Biden’s top advisers are heading to Israel to negotiate a possible de-escalation deal with Hezbollah, as Israel passes a law banning the UN's aid agency UNRWA from operating within its borders. In Ukraine, North Korean troops equipped with Russian military gear have reportedly joined the fight, adding to international concern. Finally, a win for travelers: airlines in the U.S. are now required to offer automatic refunds for cancellations, long delays, and significant changes to flights, with money back in your account within seven days.

Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode:

• Axios: GDP report: U.S. economy grew at 2.8% rate in the third quarter
• Wired: Facebook Is Auto-Generating Militia Group Pages as Extremists Continue to Organize in Plain Sigh
• CNN: Supreme Court allows Virginia to purge suspected noncitizens from voter registration rolls
• Axios: Biden advisers to visit Israel to try to seal a deal to end war in Lebanon
• Reuters: Israel bans UN aid agency UNRWA from operating in Israel
• AP News: North Korean troops in Russian uniforms are heading toward Ukraine, US says
• CNBC: New automatic airline refund rules are now in effect — here's what's covered

Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage alongside Bridget Schwartz and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson

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