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5 things to know for Oct. 17: Harris on Fox, Overseas voters, Middle East, Archdiocese scandal, Abortion pills

J.Davis29 min ago
The federal government just made it much easier to cancel your gym membership. A new "click-to-cancel" rule unveiled by the FTC will require businesses to provide a quick and straightforward way for consumers to cancel subscriptions they no longer want.

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Vice President Kamala Harris took on Fox News during a heated interview Wednesday , her first appearance on the conservative network. Pressed on border crossings and violent crimes committed by undocumented immigrants during Joe Biden's presidency, Harris repeatedly hammered former president Donald Trump for opposing a bipartisan border security bill earlier this year. Fox anchor Bret Baier confronted Harris about the Biden administration's decision to repeal Trump-era border policies, in what amounted to testy exchanges between the two . Asked about Biden's mental acuity, she called Trump "unstable" and said "we should all be concerned." The interview came as Harris seeks to appeal to small slivers of undecided voters who have supported Republicans in the past but are uneasy with Trump.

An overseas ballot process that could be crucial for Democrats has been the target of multiple Republican-backed lawsuits filed in recent days. There are about 6.5 million eligible American voters living, serving and studying overseas, with about 1.6 million of them from battleground states — and more in tight House districts. Those votes could be decisive: The 2020 election was decided by 44,000 votes over four states. More than 1.2 million ballots were sent abroad in 2020 and nearly 890,000 were eventually counted, according to a report by the US Election Assistance Commission . In addition to the new lawsuits filed by Republicans in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Michigan, Donald Trump has suggested without evidence that the overseas vote is a source of fraud.

The US has carried out airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen, targeting five underground weapons storage facilities. It's the first time the US has used B-2 stealth bombers to attack the Iran-backed militant group since tensions spiked in the Middle East a year ago. "This was a unique demonstration of the United States' ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said. The facilities attacked were holding weapons used to target US vessels in the Middle East. Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis are all part of an Iran-led alliance spanning Yemen, Syria, Gaza and Iraq that has attacked Israel and its allies since the war began. The militants vowed to continue their strikes until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million to victims of clergy sexual abuse dating back decades, in what an attorney said was the largest single child sex abuse settlement with a Catholic archdiocese. "I am sorry for every one of these incidents, from the bottom of my heart," Archbishop José H. Gomez said in a statement. "I believe that we have come to a resolution of these claims that will provide just compensation to the survivor-victims of these past abuses," the archbishop added. Attorneys for 1,353 people who allege that they suffered horrific abuse at the hands of local Catholic priests reached the settlement after months of negotiations with the archdiocese, the Los Angeles Times reported . The agreement caps a quarter-century of litigation against the most populous archdiocese in the US.

Four months after the Supreme Court tossed out a high-profile challenge to the abortion drug mifepristone, three conservative states have launched a new fight to limit access to the pills . The states — Missouri, Kansas and Idaho — filed an amended suit in a federal court in Texas asking US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk to rollback efforts the FDA has taken over the past eight years to ease access to the drug, such as allowing it to be dispensed through the mail . The suit may thrust the issue of mifepristone access back on track for Supreme Court review in the next presidential administration, once again threatening the widespread availability of the drug even in states where abortion is legal — and at a time when roughly half of states have imposed severe restrictions on in-clinic abortions.

HAPPENING LATEREarly voting begins in North Carolina North Carolina kicks off early in-person voting today as officials in the key battleground state have been scrambling in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene to ensure residents are still able to cast a ballot. Here's what you should know .

BREAKFAST BROWSECatch a glimpse of October's supermoon today Need a little space? Take a moment to pause and enjoy the closest supermoon of the year . It's set to peak at its fullest around 7:26 a.m. ET, but the silvery orb will loom large through Friday morning , according to NASA.

Swiping right ahead of the election Many popular dating apps have introduced new features that make it easier for users to show off their political views in the run-up to the election.

Museum unveils artifacts from century-old time capsule A World War I Museum in Kansas City excavated a century-old time capsule , revealing a cornucopia of early 20th-century relics, artifacts and documents.

Someone edited the 'Wicked' movie poster to look more like the musical's version Cynthia Erivo, the star of the upcoming "Wicked" film, called some online memes "deeply hurtful" after they obscured her face in the movie poster .

Italy makes it illegal for couples to have a baby by surrogacy overseas Italy's parliament made it illegal for couples to go abroad to have a baby via surrogacy . Critics say the law is meant to target same-sex partners.

IN MEMORIAMLiam Payne, a former member of boyband One Direction, has died after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, according to police there. He was 31 . Authorities are now investigating the circumstances of his death and conducting an autopsy.

TODAY'S NUMBER That's how many cases of Minute Maid Lemonade were recalled by Coca-Cola because they were mislabeled as "zero sugar." The cartons actually contained the full-sugar version of the drink, according to a report from the FDA.

TODAY'S QUOTE "This devastating incident has shaken us all to our core."

— Nigeria's Vice President Kashim Shettima, mourning the victims of a fuel tanker explosion in Majiya , a village in Jigawa state. The blast occurred Tuesday after a tanker vehicle crashed and while locals were attempting to retrieve the fuel. The death toll has risen to 153 people, with 100 others injured, according to emergency services and the police.

TODAY'S WEATHER Check your local forecast here>>>

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