5 things to know for Oct. 23: CNN town hall, McDonald’s, Hurricane aftermath, Middle East, Inflation

By Alexandra Banner, CNN

(CNN) — The FAA has published new rules that it calls “the final piece of the puzzle” toward allowing electric “air taxis” to start whizzing through the skies. Pilots must now learn the new subset of aircraft designs, part of a budding industry being flooded with investment money in hopes of a future that closely mirrors the flying cars from “The Jetsons.”

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

1. CNN town hall

Vice President Kamala Harris will participate in a CNN town hall at 9 p.m. ET tonight with an audience of undecided voters from Pennsylvania. Former President Donald Trump declined CNN’s invitation to participate in a town hall. Trump on Tuesday also falsely said that Harris was “taking another day off tomorrow” as she readies for the live CNN event. “She’s taking another day off tomorrow, they say. What the hell? Maybe she knows something that we don’t know,” Trump said at a rally in North Carolina. The former president has been raising doubts about the integrity of the election as he accuses Democrats, without evidence, of trying to cheat in the 2024 race. Analysts say Trump, who wrongly insists the 2020 election was marred by massive fraud, is setting the stage to challenge a potential defeat in November.

2. McDonald’s

The CDC issued a food safety alert Tuesday regarding a multistate E. coli outbreak that it says is linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders. At least 49 illnesses have been reported across 10 states, including one death. Most of the illnesses are in Colorado and Nebraska. The agency says that the investigation is “fast-moving” and that information reviewed by the FDA shows that slivered onions are a likely source of contamination. McDonald’s said in a statement that it has removed the slivered onions and quarter-pound patties from stores in Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming and portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma. In other states, Quarter Pounder burgers may not be available.

3. Hurricane aftermath

The North Carolina county that is home to Asheville overcounted deaths caused by Hurricane Helene by as many as 30, according to a statement Tuesday from its sheriff’s office and data from the state, significantly reducing the death toll from the historic storm. Buncombe County officials, who previously reported 72 deaths, are now deferring to a state tally of 42 deaths for the county. Meanwhile, some areas in Florida have seen a recent increase in confirmed cases of flesh-eating bacteria following the devastating hurricanes Helene and Milton, according to state health department data. Health officials issued a statement urging residents to remain vigilant and avoid floodwaters where the Vibrio vulnificus bacteria can multiply rapidly.

4. Middle East

Lebanon marked the most fatalities in a single day since September 30, according to a CNN tally based on data from the Lebanese health ministry. At the same time, Palestinians trapped in three cities of northern Gaza are recounting scenes of horror after Israel’s military launched a renewed incursion that it said is targeting Hamas. Aid workers say hospitals are running out of supplies and thousands of people in the Jabalya Refugee Camp are stranded without water. On Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored the need to “capitalize” on the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to secure the release of the remaining hostages and to end the war in Gaza during his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

5. Inflation

High inflation has mostly been defeated around the world, the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday, providing a surprisingly upbeat assessment on prices after warning only three months ago that progress on reducing inflation had stalled. “It looks like the global battle against inflation has largely been won, even if price pressures persist in some countries,” the IMF said in its latest World Economic Outlook. The agency thinks global inflation will slow to 5.8% this year and fall to 3.5% by the end of next year. The rosy outlook on consumer prices comes less than two weeks before the US election, with inflation a key issue for voters. Meanwhile, a least 23 Nobel Prize-winning economists recently signed a letter that called Kamala Harris’ economic agenda “vastly superior” to the plans laid out by Donald Trump.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Yelp disables comments for the McDonald’s where Trump served fries
Some on the internet thought Trump’s visit to a Pennsylvania McDonald’s was a golden opportunity to troll the business online. Yelp said it froze the franchise’s page following an influx of bogus reviews.

The world’s best bars for 2024 announced
A two-level speakeasy in Mexico City’s hip Colonia Juarez neighborhood has been proclaimed the world’s best bar. This photo may provide proof as to why it won the top spot.

LeBron and Bronny James make NBA history
Fans cheered Tuesday when LeBron and Bronny James became the first father-son duo to play together in an NBA game. Read a recap of the iconic moment.

Walmart’s new threat to CVS?
Walmart is launching a 30-minute prescription delivery — a move that will bring more competition to US drugstores. The service is already live in six states and is slated to reach 49 states by 2025.

Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO indicted on sex trafficking charges
The clothing retailer’s former CEO has been indicted on 16 federal counts of sex trafficking and international prostitution in New York.

IN MEMORIAM

Fernando Valenzuela, the legendary pitcher whose incredible rise to stardom with the Los Angeles Dodgers captivated baseball fans and created the cultural phenomenon known as “Fernandomania,” died on Tuesday, according to the Dodgers. He was 63. Throughout his 17-year career in MLB, Valenzuela was a six-time All-Star. He finished his career with 173 regular season wins and over 2,000 strikeouts.

TODAY’S NUMBER

$50 million
That’s how much the federal government fined American Airlines after a multi-agency investigation uncovered “numerous serious violations” of the rules that protect airline passengers who use wheelchairs.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“We can no longer stand by and allow a corporation to continuously affect our current and future physical health, our mental health and our overall quality of life.”

— Rockdale County Commissioner Sherri Washington, saying many Georgia residents want to oust BioLab from operating in the city of Conyers, about 25 miles east of Atlanta. A fire at a BioLab industrial building shrouded neighborhoods in chemical smoke for days, forcing thousands of evacuations and keeping kids out of school for weeks.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

How to tell the difference between allergies and a cold
CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta discusses why allergy season is lasting longer than ever, and offers tips on distinguishing between allergies and a cold.

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