Thursday Briefing: U.S. voters focus on the economy

October 31, 2024

	By Gaya Gupta

Good morning. We’re covering the biggest issue for voters in the U.S. campaign and devastating floods in Spain.

Plus, what too much sugar does to your body.

A chart showing the results of a poll, with 52 percent of respondents trusting Donald Trump more on the economy than Vice President Kamala Harris (45 percent); Harris winning 55 to 40 on abortion; Trump by 54-43 percent on immigration; and Harris 51-45 percent on democracy.

The New York Times/Siena

The economy is the top priority for U.S. voters

A report released yesterday, just days before Nov. 5, showed that the U.S. economy was growing at a healthy pace. The economy remains the No. 1 issue in the presidential election for voters. But most rated the country’s economy as only fair or poor in a poll this month.

And when voters are frustrated with the economy, they typically seek change in a presidential election. Donald Trump remains the more trusted candidate in terms of handling the economy, according to recent polling, but Kamala Harris has made some gains on the issue in the last few months.

“When Trump taps into voters’ concerns over the economy, it can be very effective,” my colleague Michael Gold, who covers Trump’s campaign, said. “A lot of voters see the economy as a referendum on the current administration, and when Trump focuses on that, he can be very strong.” But Trump doesn’t always stick to the script.

“Now, in most of his speeches recently,” Michael said, “he’s been saying he thinks immigration is the top issue, which is a public rebuke to his advisers who have told him to talk more about the economy.”

More on the U.S. election

Election Day is Tuesday.

Harris tried to distance herself from President Biden’s muddled remarks appearing to call Trump supporters “garbage.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the actor and former Republican governor of California, endorsed Harris.
Many of Trump’s former military and national security advisers now call him a “liar,” “fascist” and “unfit.”
Speaker Mike Johnson said that Republicans would embark on a “massive reform” of the Affordable Care Act if Trump is elected.

People walk among piled up cars and scattered debris after catastrophic floods hit eastern and southern Spain.

After the floods in the Valencia region of Spain. David Ramos/Getty Images

Flash floods left more than 95 dead in Spain

It’s one of the worst natural disasters to hit the country in recent years. Officials said at least 95 people died after devastating flash floods hit eastern Spain this week. The toll is expected to rise.

In the eastern region of Valencia, a year’s worth of rain fell over eight hours. Beginning Monday, catastrophic floods washed away cars, inundated homes and knocked out power. Rescuers waded through neck-high waters to reach some residents. Andalusia also had severe floods, getting four times the amount of rain typical for October in a single day. Here’s what else to know.

A person looks at the rubble of a building.

The Haret Saida area near Sidon in Lebanon, yesterday. Diego Ibarra Sanchez for The New York Times

Israel has demolished over 1,000 buildings in Lebanon

Israel’s military yesterday warned residents of the city of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon to evacuate, appearing to extend its campaign against Hezbollah strongholds beyond the country’s south.

Satellite imagery and videos show widespread destruction in several villages along Lebanon’s border in the month since Israel invaded. At least 1,085 buildings have been leveled or badly damaged, including at least 200 in controlled demolitions, a Times analysis shows. Before and after photos offer a clear view of the damage.

Diplomacy: William Burns, the C.I.A. director, is expected to be in Cairo today for talks with Egyptian officials on cease-fire proposals.

MORE TOP NEWS

A group of people in a room registering with workers at desks.

Ukrainians at a registration center in Sumy, Ukraine, after arriving from Russian-occupied areas. Mauricio Lima for The New York Times

Ukraine: Russia has used torture and forced citizenship to try to obliterate Ukrainian identity, former detainees and human rights groups said.
Syria: The U.S. military said it carried out airstrikes on several locations Monday that killed up to 35 Islamic state militants.
Taiwan: Super Typhoon Kong-rey was expected to be one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the island so late in the year.
Britain: Announcing its first budget since it took office, the Labour government said it would substantially raise taxes.
Trade: The E.U. imposed tariffs as high as 45 percent on Chinese electric vehicles.
Elon Musk: SpaceX is moving in a big way into building U.S. military and spy satellites.
Europe: Economic output in the 20 countries that use the euro grew 0.4 percent, an anemic pace that is keeping Europe behind the U.S.
Business: Volkswagen reported a 42 percent drop in profit as it considered plant closures and layoffs in Germany.
Science: Researchers announced the discovery of a 161 million-year-old fossil tadpole, the oldest yet found.

Sports

A baseball player for New York Yankee looks up after batting.

Anthony Volpe of the New York Yankees hit a grand slam home run during Game 4. Elsa/Getty Images

World Series: The Yankees are trailing the Dodgers 3-1 heading into Game 5. Follow our live coverage. And here are takeaways from Game 4.
Soccer: Manchester United is playing Leicester. Follow our coverage.

MORNING READ

A person secures a pile of packages to a motorbike along a roadway outside a shipping agency.

Nicola Longobardi for The New York Times

Indonesia has 270 million people and stretches across 17,000 islands. Getting a package from one place to another requires extraordinary logistical planning and intense physical effort. So when TikTok needed an e-commerce partner there, it turned to companies like Tokopedia, which deploys its vast fleet of motorbike riders in a grueling relay race across the country.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

A moving scene along train tracks in a misty green forest.

Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times

The little engine that can, again: The Alishan Forest Railway in Taiwan has reopened after being crippled by typhoons and landslides. Take a scenic trip.
Are there really seven continents? How we count our planet’s largest land masses is less clear than we learned in school.
Halloween crackdown: Police in China clamped down on celebrations after many young people last year wore costumes to express criticism.

Decline of the Frappuccino: Fans of Starbucks say the coffee giant has lost something. Dropping sales would seem to confirm the theory.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times .

HEALTH

An illustration of the pathways inside the body that excess sugar can affect.

Rosa Sawyers

This is your body on sugar

Sugar is added to so many foods and drinks — sodas, candies, breakfast cereals, salad dressings, breads — that most of us are probably getting more than our bodies were meant to handle. Over time, this can increase the risk of health problems.

For example, some people can have trouble absorbing fructose, a common kind of simple sugar. If fructose lingers in your gut, bacteria can ferment it, potentially causing gas, bloating and abdominal pain. Sugar also causes dopamine surges. Too many of those, and your brain could be rewired to keep you reaching for the sweets.

Here’s a “head, shoulders, knees and toes” guide to sugar.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Pieces of pork tocino next to slices of tomato, rice and a fried egg on a white plate.

David Malosh for The New York Times

Cook: In the Philippines, pork tocino is served for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Travel: Here are five places with exceptional hotels available around Christmas and New Year.

Read: “Nora Ephron at the Movies,” examines her work, including “When Harry Met Sally” and “Heartburn.”

Listen: Piano trios are a major theme in jazz this year.

Watch: Martha Stewart gave Netflix’s Martha Stewart documentary a scalding review.

Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.

That’s it for today. See you tomorrow. — Gaya

P.S. The Times won five awards from the Online News Association.

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