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"Voters hear stark message:  America's fate is on the line."

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By Sarah Naffa October 31, 2024

In the news today: Americans are feeling anxious and frustrated heading into Election Day, according to a new poll; Speaker Johnson is pulling closer to Trump to save his House majority; and North Korean troops in Russian uniforms are heading toward Ukraine, the U.S. says. Also, a look at 12 scary stories from around the world this Halloween.

A MESSAGE FROM OUR WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, ANNA JOHNSON AP ensures accurate, reliable election night reporting through a network of more than 4,000 vote count reporters stationed across the U.S. These reporters phone in raw vote totals as soon as they are available, while close to 1,000 vote entry clerks rigorously verify and input the data into AP’s reporting system. Multiple sources for vote totals from each county, including direct feeds, website monitoring, and data scraping, ensures precise reporting that the public can trust. DONATE TO AP

People line up to vote at the Chicago Early Voting Loop Supersite in Chicago, Oct. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) POLITICS Americans are anxious and frustrated about the presidential campaign, an AP-NORC poll finds Most Americans are feeling a lot of emotions heading into Election Day, but excitement is not one of them. A new poll from The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that about 7 in 10 Americans report feeling anxious or frustrated about the 2024 presidential campaign, and a similar share say they’re interested. Read more.

Key points: There’s a broad feeling of uncertainty hanging over the 2024 presidential contest during the last week of the campaign. The race is competitive nationally and in key swing states, according to recent polls, with neither Democrat Kamala Harris nor Republican Donald Trump showing a measurable advantage. Some groups are even more anxious than they were four years ago, even though that election took place in the midst of a deadly pandemic. For partisans, anxiety is dialed higher. About 8 in 10 Democrats say anxious describes how they are feeling now, up slightly from around three-quarters in the last election. About two-thirds of Republicans are anxious, a moderate uptick from around 6 in 10 in 2020. One thing has stayed fairly constant, though: Americans’ level of frustration with the campaign. Roughly 7 in 10 Americans say frustrated describes their emotional state, similar to 2020. For those Americans, though, there is light on the horizon — soon, the election will be over.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ US voters hear a stark message in the presidential race: The country’s fate is on the line A knock at the door, a chat with a neighbor, a text: Campaigns make final swing-state push New law makes dueling presidential transitions possible POLITICS Speaker Mike Johnson is pulling closer to Trump to save the GOP’s House majority As House Speaker Mike Johnson travels the country trying to save his House majority, and his own job as speaker, he has linked ever more tightly to Donald Trump, a once uncertain relationship that has become increasingly beneficial to both. Read more.

Why this matters: The speaker is relying on the former president for his own political survival in the chaotic House, but also presenting himself as a partner to Trump, prepared to potentially challenge the election results, and, if Trump retakes the White House, deliver a MAGA agenda in Congress. Trump said over the weekend they have a “little secret” for winning, and Johnson, who backed a legal challenge to the 2020 election Trump lost, did not contradict him. Speaking to The Associated Press between campaign stops in Ohio, Johnson described Trump as “the head coach” while he would “be the quarterback,” and together they are preparing to run the play on an “ambitious” 100-day agenda with Republican senators — cutting taxes, securing the U.S. border and taking a ”blow torch” to federal regulations — if they sweep the White House and Congress.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Donald Trump boards a garbage truck to draw attention to Biden remark Biden goes off script, causing a distraction for Harris in campaign’s home stretch Jim Jordan failed to become speaker last year. But his rise in the GOP may not be over yet WORLD NEWS North Korean troops in Russian uniforms are heading toward Ukraine, US says Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that North Korean troops wearing Russian uniforms and carrying Russian equipment are moving toward Ukraine, in what he called a dangerous and destabilizing development. Austin was speaking at a press conference in Washington with South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, as concerns are growing about Pyongyang’s deployment of as many as 12,000 troops to Russia. Read more.

Why this matters: Some North Korean advance units have already arrived in the Kursk region, and Austin said “the likelihood is pretty high” that Russia will use the troops in combat. Ukraine’s U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said they expect as many as 4,500 North Korean troops to be at the border this week and to begin directly participating in combat operations against Ukrainian forces in November.   Austin said officials are discussing what to do about the deployment, which he said has the potential to broaden or lengthen the conflict in Ukraine. Asked if it could prompt other nations to get more directly involved in the conflict, he acknowledged that it could “encourage others to take action” but provided no details.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ North Korea launches a new intercontinental ballistic missile designed to threaten US Officials say North Korea has sent troops to Russia. What would that mean for the war with Ukraine? US sanctions 398 firms in more than a dozen countries, accusing them of helping Russia’s war effort ADVERTISEMENT IN OTHER NEWS READ War in Gaza: A Gaza medic realizes he’s carrying his own mother’s body, killed by an Israeli airstrike Political refugee: Singapore’s affluent veneer hides repression and corruption, says son of its modern-day founder Ballot box fires: Police say the man behind ballot box fires has metalworking experience and might plan more attacks Los Angeles Dodgers: Dodgers win World Series in 5 games Lost city: Scientists detect traces of an ancient Mayan city in southern Mexico using laser-sensor technology Spooky season: Twelve scary stories from around the world you probably haven’t heard Today in History: In 1941, construction on the Mount Rushmore National Memorial was completed WATCH Festival of lights: Indians mark Diwali by lighting a record number of earthen lamps White House Halloween: The Bidens host a Halloween event for young trick-or-treaters Hello Kitty: Sanrio icon turns 50 with new exhibition in Tokyo Photobombing bird: An angry looking myna bird photobombs motorway camera in New Zealand A CHANGE OF PACE A hand sculpture stands perched on the roof of an art gallery in Wellington, New Zealand. (AP photo/Charlotte Graham-McLay)  A New Zealand city waves goodbye to its ‘disturbing’ giant hand sculpture Perched on two fingers on the roof of an art gallery in Wellington, New Zealand, the giant sculpture of a hand has loomed over the city for five years. Some found it disturbing, and now, after five years of provoking controversy and myriad emotions among residents, Quasi, the 16-foot — almost 5 meters — creation of Australia-based sculptor Ronnie van Hout, will be removed from the roof of City Gallery this week.

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