FBI To Probe Controversial Death in Deep South

Good Monday morning. The votes are in ... America's favorite sandwich is grilled cheese by a hair. Have a great day!

In Today’s Brief

• Hawaii: Shark attack

• Spain: Flood fallout

• DOJ: Poll monitors

• Jobs report: Big drop

• Godzilla: New movie

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Second look

An Alabama sheriff has asked federal law enforcement to investigate a Black man's recent death.

• What happened: Dennoriss Richardson, 39, was found hanging in an abandoned rural house in September, miles away from his home in Sheffield. The Colbert County Sheriff's Office ruled it a suicide. But the man's wife and other community members have questioned the conclusion.

• The pushback: Leigh Richardson said her late husband did not leave a suicide note and had no connection to where his body was found. She fears his death was related to a lawsuit he filed against local police. Richardson alleged he was assaulted and denied medical attention by cops following a 2022 arrest. Local police in the region been repeatedly accused of using excessive force; the region also has a past history of racially-motivated lynchings.

• Big picture: Colbert County Sheriff Eric Balentine said he is confident in the investigation, but asked the FBI to step in to give Richardson's family "more peace of mind." The bureau's field office in Birmingham confirmed it is now looking at the case. Richardson, who left behind five children, expressed concern he was being profiled by police at least once to leadership in his hometown.

2) November surprise

An unexpected poll has thrown many political observers for a loop right before Election Day.

• What happened: The Des Moines Register's final Iowa state presidential poll found Vice President Kamala Harris has a 47% to 44% lead on former President Trump. The numbers were a shock given that Trump has won the state by at least eight points in the last two elections and held a 10-point lead in Emerson College's recent state survey.

• Why it matters: J. Ann Selzer, the newspaper's pollster, is considered one of the nation's best. Her final Iowa polls have been quite accurate in recent elections. She forecasted Trump's comfortable 2020 win in the state while President Joe Biden's campaign and others were acting like Iowa was a toss-up.

• Big picture: Even if Harris pulls the upset, Iowa's six electoral votes would not change the fundamentals of the race. Butthe state has demographic similarities with neighboring Wisconsin, a critical swing state, and Nebraska, where Harris is battling for one electoral vote while Republican Sen. Deb Fischer faces a strong challenge from independent candidate Dan Osborn. If Selzer is right about Iowa, what she has picked up on could also be in play across its borders.

3) Under siege

Bolivia's civil and political crisis has grown.

• The news: Armed supporters of Evo Morales, the South American's former president, have allegedly taken at least 200 soldiers hostage after seizing a military facility. It is the latest escalation in the struggle between Morales and his followers and sitting President Luis Arce and the government.

• Key context: Morales led the country from 2006-19 but resigned -- with a nudge from the country's armed forces -- after allegations of fraud marred his final re-election victory. He briefly went into exile but has since returned and plans to challenge Arce, his former protege, for the ruling Mas Party's nomination next year even though Bolivia's highest court has banned him from running.

• Series of events: This is the latest incident of upheaval in Bolivia. Arce's government thwarted an apparent military coup in June that critics claimed was staged. Morales claimed he was targeted by a government assassination attempt last week. And his supporters have set up road blockades in recent weeks, leading to clashes between police and protesters. Morales is being investigated on statutory rape charges, which he denies. He has also called for a hunger strike until Arce's government opens talks with his supporters.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

• A 61-year-old surfer was attacked by a shark in Hawaii. The man's leg was bitten severed just below the knee off Waiehu Beach Park in Maui; he managed to make it back to shore and told officials he did not see the shark coming (More)

• The FBI has asked for assistance identifying three men who have committed a series of Midwestern jewelry heists. The unknown suspects have committed at least "violent robberies" in Illinois, Michigan and Missouri while armed and wearing masks (More)

• A regional public health department in Idaho will no longer offer Covid-19 vaccines. Southwest District Health, which operates in six counties near the state's border with Oregon, voted to ban the jab; it will still be available in the area at community health centers (More)

World News

• Angry crowds threw mud at Spain's Royal Family and government officials as they toured the wreckage of last week's flash flooding. Over 200 people are confirmed dead and close to 2K people remain missing; 10K soldiers and police officers have been dispatched to the Valencia region (More)

• Kemi Badenoch is the new leader of the United Kingdom's Conservative Party. The 44-year-old former cabinet secretary is the first Black woman to lead a major British political party; she replaces former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after the Tories crashed out of power with a resounding loss in July's snap elections (More)

• Botswanan President Mokgweetsi Masisi conceded a landslide loss in the African nation's recent election. The Umbrella for Democratic Change opposition coalition has ousted his Botswana Democratic Party from power for the first time in almost 60 years (More)

Campaign News

• The Department of Justice will monitor elections tomorrow at 86 jurisdictions nationwide, almost doubling its presence during the 2020 election. Some Republican-controlled states have refused to allow DOJ employees into polling places; there will be monitors at locations in all seven battleground states (More | More)

• Former President Trump suggested he would be OK if someone shot at reporters covering a rally in Pennsylvania. The comment came as he was discussing the bulletproof glass the Secret Service surrounded his dais with following a pair of assassination attempts against him (More)

• Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib declined to endorse Vice President Harris. The Palestinian American Democratic lawmaker is the only member of the progressive Squad group to withhold support; Israel's war in Gaza is a major issue in her state due to its large Arab American population (More)

Business & Markets

• Major indexes closed higher on Friday. The Dow Jones was up almost 300 points while the Nasdaq jumped close to 150 (Dow +0.69%, Nasdaq +0.80%, S&P 500 +0.41%).

• The U.S. economy only added 12K jobs in October, a 95% drop from the September report. The national unemployment rate still held steady at 4.1%; manufacturing jobs were significantly impacted due to work stoppages (More)

• Wendy's will close 140 underperforming restaurants, but the fast-food chain backfill with an equal number of new locations in more promising markets. TGI Fridays formally filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after a recent wave of restaurant closings (More | More)

Entertainment & Sports

• A new Godzilla movie has been greenlit. Toho, a Japanese entertainment company, plans a follow-up to the acclaimed Godzilla Minus One that won an Academy Award for best visual effects; the film is not related to recent portrayals of the monster by Warner Bros. and Legendary (More)

• Alan Rachins died of heart failure at 82. The actor was best known for his work on L.A. Law, earning Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations; he also had notable roles on Dharma & Greg and in Showgirls (More)

• The Yokohama BayStars won their first Japan Series in 26 years, defeating the Fukuoka Hawks in six games. The team's .507 regular season winning percentage was the lowest ever for the champion of Japan's top professional baseball league (More)

Quick Hitters

• Feel Good: A high school football team in Cincinnati has a touching tradition. The senior players gift their jersey to the teachers, staff members and administrators who have made the biggest impact on their lives before their final home game.

• New Idea: Another day, another new gadget to help you sleep. Researchers at the University of Arizona have developed a handheld device that uses magnetic pulses to combat brain activity that sparks insomnia.

• Go Deep: The art of invention is, well, always re-inventing itself. Here is a fascinating look at what goes into modern-day innovation.

• Take Note: Daylight saving time is over and the "sunlight blues" are a real thing. Here is how to cope with the sudden lack of light.

• Life Hack: Breaking yourself away from your cell phone can be challenging. Here are some tips on how to undergo a successful digital detox process and stick with it.

Watch This

The recording console the Beatles used to tape Abbey Road is now up for auction.

Links

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Looking Ahead …

So much for the so-called infinite monkey theorem. The concept -- that if given a keyboard and an unlimited amount of time, a monkey would eventually bang the keys necessary to replicate the complete works of William Shakespeare -- is bunk, according to researchers in Australia. The study found that while it is technically mathematically possible, the time necessary would be longer than the universe's lifespan.

Question of the Day

Yesterday’s results:

Do you cook with or eat mushrooms regularly?

• Yes (62%)

• No (38%)