Daily briefing: The advantage of early voting

With just 11 days until Election Day, there is fierce competition to give one of the two presidential candidates a lead in early voting. Erik and Lyle Menendez may have a path to freedom.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I am Nicole Fallert, Author of the daily briefing. Are you too scared to visit the famous Deetz House?!

Republicans narrowed Democrats' lead in early voting

Nearly 30 million Americans had voted early as of Thursday – either in person or by mail. With just a few days until Election Day, Republicans have halved the Democrats' 14 percentage point advantage in early voting from 2020. This means the Democrats now have a lead of 7 points.

But election data experts say there is no clear conclusion They want to capitalize on Republicans' early electoral gains, and allies of Vice President Kamala Harris insist the trend is no reason for their troops to panic.

How will you vote? Find your guide to polling locations, mailing deadlines and more here.

Is America Prepared for a Worst-Case Hacking Scenario?

Attacks on utilities such as American Water Works Company, Verizon and other telecommunications companies are just the latest examples of a significant increase in cyberattacks threatening U.S. security. Adversaries such as China and Russia have created an extensive network of hackers and software that have infiltrated American infrastructure, ready to be activated in the event of a major geopolitical conflict. If foreign governments and the gangs under their protection insinuate themselves into the nervous system of the American economy, they could be prepared to cripple it in the event of a conflict. USA TODAY spoke with experts about whether the nation is ready.

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The Los Angeles district attorney supports the resentencing of the Menendez brothers

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón will make his recommendation in court Friday for the resentencing of Erik and Lyle Menendez, brothers serving life sentences without parole for the murders of their parents, in a case that first occurred 35 years ago attracted the nation's attention. Gascón will push to bring the possibility of parole back on the table. The penalty for two murders is 50 years to life in prison, but because the brothers were under 26 at the time of the crime, Gascón said they would be immediately eligible for parole under California law. Read more

USA TODAY's investigation leads to a new push for safer roads

Rural towns plagued by deadly roads have won nearly $350 million this year to make them safer, a dramatic turnaround for communities that were underserved in previous rounds of federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grants, according to a USA TODAY investigation “were excluded. This is a significant departure from the program's first two years, in which the majority of money awarded under the Safe Streets program ended up in wealthier counties with lower death rates. Here's what else USA TODAY's investigation found.

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Hats, jerseys and jackets, oh my!

The 2024 World Series is an MLB merch bonanza. As the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers prepare to meet in this year's World Series, fans of the storied MLB franchises are spending hundreds of dollars on new jerseys, shirts, hats and bobbleheads. Prices for merchandise and games are everywhere, from relatively cheap World Series T-shirts ($35 to $45) to a game day seat that can cost as much as a car deposit . Read more

Photo of the day: Goldfish for adults?!

Goldfish announced it would temporarily change its name to appeal to adult consumers. They took the bait. The limited-edition crackers, priced at $7.38 for two bags, were available online Wednesday. On Thursday, the first batch of the snack that smiles back sold out.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer for USA TODAY. Sign up for email here. Would you like to send Nicole a message? Email her at [email protected].