Good Morning! Today’s edition is 803 words, a 3-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Harris vs. Trump latest poll

• Women’s fastest marathon ever

• Photos from last week’s northern lights

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Big Story

Flood Insurance Still Isn’t Mainstream in Hurricane Zones

Many U.S. homeowners risk having their insurance claims denied after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, especially if their homes were damaged by flooding.

• Regular home insurance covers wind damage but not flooding, and flood insurance has to be bought separately. Many people are unaware that they need both.

• In some areas — like Tennessee & North Carolina — where Helene caused the most damage, less than 1% of homes had flood insurance. More Florida homes have it, but adoption is still low. In Sarasota County, which took a direct hit from Milton, only 23% of homes have flood coverage.

• Standard insurance is already expensive, and tacking on a few hundred dollars more yearly for flooding is too much for many Americans.

• Some Florida homeowners have even given up regular insurance because of the high costs. While the national average has gone up 52% since 2020, Florida has seen increases of at least 80% during the same time, per ICE Mortgage Monitor.

Big Story

SpaceX Catches Returning Booster

SpaceX achieved a major technical feat by catching a returning rocket booster with mechanical arms after a test flight.

• The unmanned Starship rocket launched from Texas, and after a brief flight, the booster separated and descended back to the launch pad. It was caught by metal arms, known as "chopsticks," in a cloud of smoke and fire. (See video)

• The successful booster catch is important because it helps make the Starship rocket fully reusable. SpaceX says this will allow for faster and more affordable trips to space. A single Starship flight costs around $100 million, but the price could drop to $50 million in the future.

• SpaceX plans to send humans into space to orbit the moon by 2025, with a moon landing expected in 2026. The Starship rocket is key to making these missions possible and may become the primary vehicle for all SpaceX launches by 2030.

Big Story

Harris Trump Tied in Latest Poll

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are tied in the latest national poll just weeks before Election Day.

• Trump is getting more support from Republicans, especially after a tough debate and polls showing him trailing Harris. At the same time, Harris' popularity has dropped since the summer.

• The poll shows a significant gender gap between those supporting Trump and Harris — women favor Harris by a 14-point margin (55%-41%) and men back Trump by 16 points (56%-40%).

• The poll revealed that some voters are still unsure, with about 10% saying they could change their minds.

• If more men, white voters, and those without college degrees turn out, Trump could have a slight advantage. However, if more women, white college graduates, and voters of color show up, Harris has a better shot.

Little Stories

• Ruth Chepngetich from Kenya set a new world record at the Chicago Marathon, finishing in 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 56 seconds. She beat the previous record by almost two minutes. Chepngetich is the first woman to finish a marathon in under 2 hours and 10 minutes, and she has now won the Chicago Marathon three times. (More)

• An Indian politician named Baba Siddique, 66, was shot and killed in Mumbai. Two people have been arrested for the crime. Siddique was a former minister in Maharashtra state and had recently switched political parties, joining the National Congress Party after leaving Congress. (More)

• 7-Eleven is closing several hundred stores across North America. The company announced it will shut down 444 stores that aren't doing well due to inflation, fewer customers, and changes in what people buy, like fewer cigarette sales. (More)

• Texas remained No. 1 on the AP Top 25 college football poll after beating Oklahoma by 31 points. Oregon jumped to No. 2 after upsetting Ohio State 32-31. Penn State rose to No. 3 with a 33-30 overtime win over USC. Ohio State and Georgia round out the top 5. (More)

• The United Nations said that Israeli tanks broke into a peacekeeping base in southern Lebanon on Sunday. Two Israeli tanks destroyed the main gate of the base early in the morning and entered the area. After the tanks left, explosions happened nearby, sending smoke into the base and making UN workers sick. (More)

Extra Credit

🌀 Visualizing Hurricane Milton’s size against other storms. 

🐉 ‘Game of Thrones’ dragon-forged throne sells for $1.5 M at auction. 

🌃 Here are photos of last week’s northern lights.

🍔 McDonald’s debuts its Chicken Big Mac in the US.