The Short List

Thu Oct 31 2024

Laura L. Davis | Audience Editor

@lauradavis

As Election Day nears, officials prep for the possibility of violence. The Dodgers are World Series champs − and this time, they get a parade. And how Halloween changed time.

👻 Boo, y'all! Laura Davis here. It's time for Thursday's news. Let's boogie!

But first: Ready for an extra hour of sleep? ⏰ Daylight saving time ends this weekend. What to know about falling back.

Threats outside, ballot-counting inside

As threats against election workers have gotten more violent, officials across the country have ramped up protections for voters, ballots and poll workers at an unprecedented level this year.

Safe ballot counting: The centralized locations where ballots are counted on election night have come up as key places needing protection.

Why the extra prep? Along with fears of what could happen this year, election officials are also responding to the reality of what happened in 2020 when a crowd of Republicans – primed by months of former President Donald Trump's baseless claims of voter fraud – descended on a vote-counting operation in Detroit to "stop the count." Some prominent Trump allies are already saying supporters will go to ballot-counting locations if the winner of the election isn't clear on Tuesday. 👉 What you should know.

•	Police reveal suspect description, say more ballot box burnings possible.
•	A race to the finish? Election odds and polls tell a different story.
•	Election Day guide for kids: How (and why) we vote, explained.

🗳️ Keeping you posted: Trump, Harris head West. See Thursday's live election coverage.

🗓️ Election Day is next Tuesday. To get key results as soon as races are called, download our app for breaking news alerts.

It was a large turnout of voters for early voting for the 2024 Election at Kentucky Center For African American Heritage Thursday morning, Oct. 31, 2024.

Matt Stone/Courier Journal

Dodgers are World Series champs

The Los Angeles Dodgers are finally getting their parade. The Dodgers claimed the World Series championship over the New York Yankees on Wednesday night, using eight different pitchers and taking advantage of a comedy of Yankee errors to pull off the greatest comeback in a clinching game in Series history. There was no public celebration after the Dodgers won it all during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, so Friday's planned parade in LA will be a party 36 years in the making. ⚾️ Read columnist Bob Nightengale's take.

•	Celebrations devolve into chaos with looting, arrests in Los Angeles.
•	Yankees MVP's World Series error 'will stay with me until I die.'
•	Watch: Fans set a bus on fire after Dodgers' big win.

Mlb World Series Los Angeles Dodgers At New York Yankees

The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after beating the New York Yankees in Game 5 to win the World Series at Yankee Stadium.

Robert Deutsch, Imagn Images

Real quick

•	Holiday shopping is hitting stores earlier. It's stressing us out.
•	Doctors left her in the dark about what to expect. Online, women stepped in.
•	Joe Exotic of 'Tiger King' fame announces he's engaged again.
•	Why more travelers are getting a 'sleep divorce.'
•	Hoda Kotb on wellness and the 'whispers' that led to 'Today' exit.

Support the Short List and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.

How Halloween changed time (kind of)

After a long night of trick-or-treating and perhaps staying up late to indulge in the spoils or attend a Halloween party, there's a built-in reprieve: The end of daylight saving time means we get an extra hour of sleep this weekend. It's no coincidence that the time change comes after the holiday. Some people thought having an extra hour of daylight would help make trick-or-treating safer. 🎃 Here's how it happened.

•	Snowy Halloween? Millions under winter weather advisories.
•	Heidi Klum couldn't find a cool Halloween party – so she created her own.
•	Watch: The year's most creative Halloween costumes.

📸 See the best Halloween decorations across the nation.

Halloween skeletons dressed as tree service workers decorate the yard of Brian and Tracee Wade in Simpsonville, S.C. on Oct. 16. The Wade's home survived Hurricane Helene, and the decor was a way to have a little fun with what the entire region is experiencing.

Ronald W. Erdrich, Reporter-News / USA TODAY NETWORK

Paying the price for 'free' money

JPMorgan Chase has begun suing customers who stole hundreds of thousands of dollars by taking advantage of a technical glitch that allowed them to deposit fraudulent checks and then quickly withdraw large sums of cash from ATMs.

What happened? The "infinite money" glitch went viral on TikTok and other social media platforms in late August, showing people depositing checks and then immediately withdrawing "free" money before the check cleared. This week, the bank filed federal lawsuits against two people and two businesses who collectively withdrew almost $662,000. 💰 What we know.

A break from the news

•	✨ Watch NICU babies show off Swiftie costumes.
•	🫧 How to easily clean your dusty baseboards.
•	🗣️ Siri to the rescue: Smart speakers could save your life.

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hi sometime! laura@usatoday.com. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.