Republican door knockers intimidate voters while hunting for fraud, say officials

The Reuters Daily Briefing Thursday, November 3, 2022 by Linda Noakes Hello Here's what you need to know. U.S. courts are still grappling with election lawsuits as the midterms near, Ukrainians say Europe's largest nuclear plant is cut off from the grid, and the Bank of England readies for its biggest rate rise since 1989 Today's biggest stories Residents cast their ballots at the Franklin County Board of Elections during early voting hours in Columbus, Ohio, November 1, 2022. REUTERS/Gaelen Morse U.S. President Joe Biden said that threats by some Republican candidates to refuse to accept results from the November 8 elections if they lose are a threat to democracy and he blamed former President Donald Trump for inspiring them. Control of Congress is at stake in Tuesday's midterms, along with Biden’s agenda for the two years remaining in his term. Here's what you need to know. Democrats and Republicans are waging court battles that are shaping contests in some districts and helping to set the stage for the 2024 presidential race. A once-routine staple of American elections -- door-to-door canvassing -- has been adopted by Trump's supporters since the 2020 election to prove his baseless claims of voter fraud, or potentially disenfranchise voters by stoking doubts about voter registration books. The Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police has endorsed some Democratic candidates in past elections. But this year, in each of the 13 races it weighed in on, the union decided Republicans would be more forceful champions of law enforcement. Civilians evacuated from the Russian-controlled Kherson region of Ukraine arrive at a local railway station in the town of Dzhankoi, Crimea, November 2, 2022. REUTERS/Alexey Pavlishak WORLD Russian attacks were reported across large areas of Ukraine, with heavy shelling in numerous regions damaging infrastructure, including electricity supplies to Europe's largest nuclear plant, Ukrainian officials said. Here's what you need to know about the conflict right now. North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles, including a possible failed intercontinental ballistic missile that triggered an alert for residents in parts of central and northern Japan to seek shelter. We look at why North Korea is testing so many missiles. Delhi's 20 million residents were effectively breathing smoke as the air quality index breached the "severe" and "hazardous" categories in nearly all monitoring stations of the Indian capital, raising calls to close schools. The Ethiopian government and regional forces from Tigray agreed to cease hostilities, a dramatic diplomatic breakthrough two years into a war that has killed thousands, displaced millions and left hundreds of thousands facing famine. A near-final tally of votes showed former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on track to a re-election with a clear parliamentary majority boosted by ultranationalists who want tougher crackdowns on Palestinians. A screen displays Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaking as a trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, November 2, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid BUSINESS The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point again and said its battle against inflation will require borrowing costs to rise further, yet signaled it may be nearing an inflection point in what has become the swiftest tightening of U.S. monetary policy in 40 years. The Bank of England looks on track to raise interest rates by three quarters of a percentage point to 3% today, its biggest rate rise since 1989 as it battles the highest inflation in 40 years. The biggest downturn since January 2021 hit British services companies last month, according to a business survey that underlined the tough times ahead for the economy. Wall Street major Morgan Stanley is expected to start a fresh round of layoffs globally in the coming weeks, people with knowledge of the plan said, as dealmaking business takes a hit due to rising inflation and an economic downturn. Soon-to-be-nationalized gas importer Uniper reported a record $39.3 billion net loss, among the biggest in German corporate history, reflecting expected future losses in the wake of Russia's move to stop its supplies. Elon Musk promised advertisers he would keep Twitter from turning into a "free-for-all hellscape." This week, advertisers are beginning to demand details on how he plans to uphold the commitment. Mark MacGann, the whistleblower behind the so-called Uber Files, said that the ride-hailing company seemed to be taking steps toward improving its work culture, but that its business model was still "absolutely" unsustainable. REUTERS GRAPHICS How a night of Halloween revelry turned to disaster in South Korea Quote of the day "Europe presents a live picture of a warming world and reminds us that even well-prepared societies are not safe from impacts of extreme weather events" Petteri Taalas WMO secretary-general Europe warms more than any other continent Video of the day Effigy of former UK prime minister to go up in flames Liz Truss has been unveiled as a British town’s celebrity effigy for this year's Guy Fawkes Night. The 36-foot figure depicts the former prime minister alongside Larry the Downing Street cat, a lettuce that outlasted her and other items linked to her 49 days in office. And finally… In Spain's La Rioja, old vines could future-proof wine against climate change Vines aged 35 years and older appear to cope better with climate change because they are more genetically diverse. More from Reuters U.S. Midterms COP27 Disrupted Legal News Breakingviews Thanks for spending part of your day with us. You are receiving this email because you signed up for newsletters from Reuters. No longer want to hear from us? Unsubscribe from The Reuters Daily Briefing. Terms, conditions, and privacy statement © 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036