5 things to know for Oct. 21: Election countdown, Israeli airstrikes, Cuba blackout, New Mexico floods, WNBA Finals

By CNN Newsource

Published October 21, 2024 3:32 AM

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

(CNN) — Vice President Kamala Harris turned 60 on Sunday, making her 18 years younger than former President Donald Trump. Harris’ milestone birthday comes as her campaign leans into the strategy of casting Trump, 78, as old and mentally unfit to hold the nation’s highest office.

Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

1. Election countdown

With just 15 days until Election Day, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are on a campaign blitz through the battleground states as polls show the race remains tight nationwide. Harris on Sunday visited churches in Georgia, part of her campaign’s “souls to the polls” push to turn out Black voters. Trump, meanwhile, visited a Pennsylvania McDonald’s to work the fry cooker and drive-thru window. He later held a town hall in the key swing state. Early voting also kicked off in Michigan on Saturday — and both campaigns are keenly aware of how a win in the traditional “Blue Wall” state could change the electoral map. Officials in North Carolina and Georgia reported strong early voting turnout so far.

2. Israeli airstrikes

Israel launched more airstrikes on Beirut over the weekend, targeting a financial institution linked to Hezbollah. The Iran-backed militant group uses the institution to pay salaries to its operatives and provide support to civilians, Israeli officials said. Since Israel ramped up strikes against Hezbollah last month, more than 1,800 people have been killed across Lebanon. The UN separately warned that the Israeli military may be destroying the Palestinian population in northern Gaza through “death and displacement,” as it urged Israel to follow a top UN court order to prevent genocide. An Israeli strike on northern Gaza over the weekend killed at least 87 people, the enclave’s health ministry said, during a renewed Israeli military offensive there.

3. Cuba blackout

Millions in Cuba have been left without power over the last several days as the aging Cuban electrical grid repeatedly collapsed. There have been four nationwide blackouts since Friday after one of the island’s major power plants failed. Since then, most people in the 10 million-strong country have had their access to power interrupted. Some Cubans have taken to the streets to protest the dayslong power outages, with many saying they are unable to maintain fresh food and a steady supply of water. Hurricane Oscar also made landfall on Cuba’s eastern shores Sunday afternoon with Category 1 strength. The National Hurricane Center said that Oscar has since weakened to a tropical storm but could still hamper attempts to restore electricity.

4. New Mexico floods

At least two people have died and hundreds have been rescued in Roswell, New Mexico, after extreme overnight rainfall brought severe flooding, stranding motorists and sweeping away cars. The New Mexico National Guard and other agencies have rescued at least 290 people, including 38 who were taken to hospitals, the agency confirmed in a statement. No details have been released about the confirmed fatalities. The Weather Prediction Center indicated that rainfall rates reached around 2 inches per hour throughout the region. City officials asked residents to stay off the streets as response efforts continue and some areas remain dangerous.

5. WNBA Finals

After 28 years, the New York Liberty clinched the franchise’s first WNBA title on Sunday. The Liberty defeated a relentless Minnesota Lynx team 67-62 in overtime in a winner-take-all Game 5. Nyara Sabally was New York’s unexpected star at the high-energy matchup in Brooklyn. Coming into Sunday, she averaged 2.8 points per game in the Finals but came alive to score 13 points in Game 5. With under six seconds remaining in regulation and down two, the Liberty’s Breanna Stewart, a two-time WNBA Finals MVP, hit two clutch free throws to force the extra session. Sabally had a key block in OT too — stuffing Napheesa Collier’s attempt to tie the game. New York was the only original WNBA franchise without a ring.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Iconic stage set for MLB World Series
The New York Yankees will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, with Game 1 scheduled for Friday in Los Angeles.

Halloween could taste different this year
It’s Crunch time for candy companies with Halloween just around the corner. Here’s why you might see more non-chocolate treats in grocery aisles.

Long-lost copy of US Constitution sells for $9 million at auction
A rare copy of the US Constitution found in a filing cabinet sold for $9 million. Just eight are known to still exist and the other seven are publicly owned.

The origins of bubble tea, one of Taiwan’s most beloved beverages
Bubble tea — also known as boba tea — has become an unstoppable worldwide trend since it was invented in the 1980s. Read how it all started.

Should teens consume protein supplements?
Teen boys are more likely to consume protein supplements every day or most days than teen girls, a new poll finds. Medical experts are weighing in.

TODAY’S NUMBER

$1 million
That’s how much billionaire Elon Musk said he will give away each day to registered voters in battleground states, immediately drawing scrutiny from election law experts who said the sweepstakes could be illegal.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“You are not my king.”

— Australian lawmaker Lidia Thorpe, confronting Britain’s King Charles III after he gave a speech at Australia’s Parliament House during his visit to the country’s capital. During his speech, the king acknowledged Australia’s First Nations people, who lived on the land before British settlers. Thorpe has long campaigned for a treaty and has previously voiced fierce objections to the British monarchy.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

Chance encounter may have solved 100-year-old Mount Everest mystery
A National Geographic photographer found a boot in a melting glacier that may belong to Andrew “Sandy” Irvine, a climber who went missing the day he and George Mallory were set to summit the mountain in June 1924.

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