5 things to know for Oct. 28: Presidential race, Middle East, McDonald’s, Washington Post, Toxic smog

By Andrew Torgan and Tricia Escobedo, CNN

(CNN) — When considering who is living paycheck to paycheck, households with an income of six-figures or more likely aren’t the first to come to mind. However, it turns out that about a fifth of US households that earn more than $150,000 a year are in that situation.

Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

1. Presidential race

Most voters think former President Donald Trump will not concede if he loses the 2024 presidential election, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS, with a sizable minority of his backers saying losing candidates have no obligation to do so. Overall, just 30% of registered voters think Trump will accept the results of the election and concede if he loses, while 73% say that Vice President Kamala Harris would accept an election loss. The poll comes a day after Trump held a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York, where he doubled down on his promise for a massive deportation program on Day 1 to reverse an “immigrant invasion.” “The United States is an occupied country,” Trump said, as Democrats projected messages on the exterior of the arena, reading “Trump is Unhinged” and “Trump praised Hitler.”

2. Middle East

Negotiations for a ceasefire and to secure the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza are not expected to see “significant progress” until a winner is declared in the US presidential election, a source briefed on the talks told CNN. The latest round of talks, which began in Qatar on Sunday, did not focus on achieving a deal, but rather on jump-starting the process, the source added. The discussions also covered the war in Lebanon, as well as Iran and its regional influence. Meanwhile, Iran has vowed to respond to Israel’s strikes on the country Saturday, which Tehran says killed five people, but said it does not want a wider war. Israel said the strikes hit military targets and were in response to Iran’s attacks on Israel earlier this month.

3. McDonald’s

McDonald’s will resume selling Quarter Pounders in all its restaurants this week after considering new data regarding an E. coli outbreak linked to the burgers, the company said Sunday. The CDC issued a food safety alert last Tuesday warning that dozens of people reported becoming sick after eating Quarter Pounders. The E. coli outbreak has led to 75 illnesses across 13 states, including 22 hospitalizations and one death, according to the latest information from the CDC. Most of the related illnesses occurred in Colorado. A specific ingredient has not been confirmed as the source of the outbreak, federal agencies said Friday, but the FDA previously said slivered onions or beef patties were the likely source of contamination.

4. Washington Post

Days after The Washington Post announced it would not endorse a presidential candidate, its billionaire owner remains silent. Jeff Bezos has so far declined to comment, even as his own paper’s journalists reported that he was the one who ultimately spiked the planned endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris. Many current and former newspaper staffers feel the timing of the announcement was highly suspect and has led them to believe Bezos’s business interests influenced the decision. On Friday, Donald Trump met with executives from Blue Origin, the space exploration company owned by Bezos, hours after the Post announced its decision. The company has a $3.4 billion contract with the federal government to build a new spacecraft to transport astronauts to and from the moon’s surface.

5. Toxic smog

A thick, toxic smog has enveloped northern India and eastern Pakistan just days before the start of Diwali, a festival typically celebrated with fireworks that each year sends air quality plummeting. The air quality index in India’s capital Delhi earlier today was roughly 250, after days in the “very unhealthy” zone above 200, according to IQAir, which tracks global air quality. In the Pakistani city of Lahore, roughly 15 miles from the Indian border, air quality today surpassed a “hazardous” 500 — almost 65 times the World Health Organization’s guidelines for healthy air — making it the most polluted city in the world, according to IQAir. Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, is set to begin Thursday. During the five-day celebration, people gather with their families, feast and set off firecrackers, further exacerbating air pollution.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

School resumes in Asheville, NC
A month after Helene pummeled western North Carolina as a tropical storm, students in the Asheville area have started returning to classrooms. The Asheville City Schools district will reopen on a modified schedule today , according to the district.

Health alert for kids
Children who have coughs that go on for weeks may have a type of walking pneumonia that’s been surging in the US this year — and they may need a different antibiotic regimen to treat it, infectious disease experts say.

Shorter work week = thriving economy
Research shows Iceland’s economy is outperforming most other European countries after workers opted for less time in the office with no pay loss.

Hidden in the walls
You never know what renovating your old home might turn up: a Chicago-area resident once found a human skull in his walls. Decades later, DNA technology helped identified the remains.

What all those sexy Halloween costumes are doing to kids
Rather than helping them explore identities such as doctors or scientists, Halloween costumes often sexualize girls. Here’s how parents can combat this problem.

TODAY’S NUMBER

$20
A North Carolina man knew it was his lucky day when he spotted a $20 bill in the parking lot of a convenience store. He had no idea how lucky until the scratch-off he bought with the money revealed his prize: $1 million.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“I will never excuse murder, and those were brutal, premeditated murders.”

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón, explaining his recommendation to resentence Lyle and Erik Menendez, who are currently serving life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 1989 murder of their parents.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

Dramatic rescue
A Medina County, Ohio firefighter’s bodycam captured the courageous rescue of a woman who was trapped in the basement of her burning house and had to be pulled from a small window.

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