LA Post: Driver finds a box of early voting ballots in the middle of the road

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1️⃣ Gone to the dogs: Forget Shohei Ohtani. A trading-card company came up with a paw-sitively great idea and decided to team up with the Westminster Kennel Club to feature champion pooches, from Wasabi the Pekingese to Trumpet the Bloodhound.

2️⃣ ‘Do or die’: Young educated Indians who dream of a better life are paying thousands of dollars to flee the world’s fastest-growing major economy for the United States. It’s a risky journey for those chasing the American dream.

3️⃣ Rodent patrol: African giant pouched rats have a keen sense of smell, so a nonprofit organization is enlisting their help in fighting the illegal wildlife trade. They’re sniffing out elephant tusks and rhinoceros horns and potentially saving billions of dollars.

4️⃣ Shanghai shenanigans: A year after the city’s boisterous Halloween celebrations made global headlines, revelers dressed as Donald Trump and comic-book superheroes were escorted away by police as authorities appeared to crack down on the festivities.

5️⃣ Portion sizes: Chipotle customers have complained that the amount of food they get is all over the map. Some people turned to social media to document their skimpy servings. The company finally has a solution: “consistent and generous portions.”

Watch this

🗳️ Oops! A driver found a box and a bag carrying early voting ballots in the middle of the road in Miami-Dade County, Florida, after an election worker forgot to lock the vehicle’s back door. The driver returned the ballots to a police station, and election officials said nothing had been tampered with or damaged.

Top headlines

• CNN polls find Harris has a narrow edge in Michigan and Wisconsin, is tied with Trump in Pennsylvania
• Supreme Court allows Virginia to purge suspected noncitizens from voter rolls
• H5N1 bird flu identified in pig for first time in United States

Check this out

✨ Stunning supernova: A new 3D map showcases the glowing filaments being released from the remnants of a supernova first seen in 1181.

$52 billion

🇬🇧 That’s how much Britain raised taxes as the government seeks to plug a hole in its finances by targeting higher earners, wealthy foreigners and businesses.

Celebrity corner

🎥 Aging backward: The filmmakers used digital technology to allow actors Tom Hanks and Robin Wright to appear younger in their new movie “Here,” but Hanks said he has no problem with aging. The pair previously appeared together in “Forrest Gump.”

Quiz time

🍔 Which casual chain’s $6 margaritas, Big Smasher burger and Triple Dipper combination platters have sent sales surging?
A. Chili’s
B. Chuy’s
C. Applebee’s
D. TGI Friday’s
⬇️ Scroll down for the answer.

Good vibes

😎 We like to wrap things up on a positive note: Before Hurricane Helene, Cindy Riley’s ministry helped the homeless in her North Carolina town. After the storm damaged her home, Riley said she gained a greater appreciation for the plight of the people she had been helping — and the influx of donations and volunteers gave her hope for the future.

Thanks for reading

👋 We’ll see you tomorrow.
🧠 Quiz answer: A. Chili’s is doing well thanks to promotions that target its fast food rivals and menu items going viral on TikTok.
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5 Things PM is produced by CNN’s Tricia Escobedo, Meghan Pryce and Kimberly Richardson.

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