Betting on the election, a creative raccoon solution, cosmic ‘googly eye’: Catch up on the day’s stories

WJLA, CNN

By Daniel Wine, CNN

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👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! A lot of people stick with their bank for a loooong time — maybe because it’s such a hassle to make a change. A new rule could make it easier to switch banks and transfer your financial data, but it’s already facing legal pushback.

Here’s what else you might have missed during your busy day:

5 things

1️⃣ High and dry: The US just experienced one of the driest months ever, but big changes are on the way. An upcoming pattern flip could reverse things as the nation’s weather seesaws from one extreme to the next.

2️⃣ Political betting: Americans can make wagers on this year’s election thanks to a recent court ruling giving them the green light. It’s a historic shift, but some worry this could damage public perception of the democratic process. Here’s what you should know.

3️⃣ Pesky problem: Sausage-maker Michael Reiss thinks he’s found an innovative solution for Germany’s rapidly proliferating raccoon population. Customers at his butcher shop will find several new items on the menu.

4️⃣ ‘Googly eye’: The Perseverance rover spotted a quick glimpse of a lumpy, potato-shaped shadow cast on the sun’s face as well as on the Martian surface during a recent solar eclipse. See the cosmic oddity.

5️⃣ Macabre allure: A new exhibition explores how Tim Burton’s otherworldly drawings, paintings, animations and films have become so iconic. His signature blend of light and dark continues to defy description.

Watch this

💩 Art with a message: Someone placed a bronze replica of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s desk — topped with a giant pile of poop — near the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Another statue depicts a tiki torch referencing the 2017 rally by White supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Top headlines

• CNN polls find Harris and Trump remain neck and neck in Georgia and North Carolina
• MAGA activists say the election is rigged and vow to overturn the results if Trump loses
• Rapper Young Thug accepts plea deal in long-running racketeering trial

$20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

❗That’s how much money — also known as $20 decillion — Google reportedly owes Russia after the tech giant refused to pay fines that are now accruing for blocking pro-Russian channels on YouTube.

Check this out

🚘 Golden tribute: Rolls-Royce created a one-of-a-kind car in honor of the 60th anniversary of the James Bond movie “Goldfinger.” The designer included clever references to the film, and some are hidden like “Easter eggs.” Take a look.

Quotable

👮 Sharing their story: Two school resource officers described their response to the deadly shooting in September in Winder, Georgia. They ran toward the sound of gunfire that day, crediting their faith and training.

Quiz time

🏙️ Which US city, known for its iconic bridges, has been referred to as “The Paris of Appalachia?”
A. Cincinnati
B. Birmingham
C. Pittsburgh
D. Knoxville
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.

Celebrity corner

👩‍🍳 Mixed review: Martha Stewart seems to have enjoyed the first half of her new Netflix documentary. The closing scenes … not so much.

Good vibes

🎃 We like to wrap things up on a positive note: Children in Des Moines, Iowa, are going trick-or-treating on Halloween night for the first time in more than 85 years. Here’s why the city is breaking with a tradition dating back to the 1930s.

Thanks for reading

🧠 Quiz answer: C. Pittsburgh, which sits at the junction of three rivers, has lots of parks and Gilded Age architecture. Get in the spooky spirit by trying our Halloween quiz!
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5 Things PM is produced by CNN’s Tricia Escobedo, Meghan Pryce and Kimberly Richardson.

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