The Short List

Wed Oct 23 2024

Laura L. Davis | Audience Editor

@lauradavis

An outbreak of E. Coli linked to McDonalds has left one dead and dozens sick. Election security is at the top of many voters' minds. And the most popular baby names are revealed.

👋Hey pals! Laura Davis here. How are you? It's time for Wednesday's news!

But first: It's almost time to "fall back." ⏰ Daylight Saving Time is ending soon, but you can start getting ready now.

Deadly E. Coli outbreak linked to McDonald's

McDonald's has pulled the Quarter Pounder from about one-fifth of its restaurants over concerns about an E. coli outbreak, which has killed one person and sickened at least 49 more across 10 states. The contaminated ingredient has yet to be identified, but McDonald's said an initial investigation found that illnesses were tied to slivered onions from a supplier that serves three of its distribution centers. The majority of illnesses have been reported in Colorado and Nebraska, though illnesses have been reported as far west as Oregon and as far east as Wisconsin. 📍 See where cases have been reported.

•	Check your freezer: Frozen waffle recall over listeria expanded to include pancakes.

Election Day fears persist

Worried about the election? You aren't alone. And with the big day drawing near, the angst won't end on Election Day, a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll finds.

What they're saying: Americans, fiercely divided between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, are concerned about the accuracy of the vote count, anxious about the peaceful transition of power and even braced for political violence.

Security on high alert: Two days, Jan. 6 and Jan. 20 – the day the results of the presidential election are certified and Inauguration Day – will be treated as National Special Security Events, the U.S. Secret Service said.

Do people trust the vote count? Dive deeper into this subscriber-only story.

👉 Keeping you posted: Candidates focus on pivotal swing states; Obama joins McDonald's food fight. See Wednesday's live coverage.

🗓️ Election Day is 12 days away, on Nov. 5, 2024. Sign up for USA TODAY's On Politics newsletter to stay in the loop.

Poll workers check people in for early voting at the Zeidler Municipal Building as early voting began in Milwaukee on Tuesday.

Mike De Sisti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY Network

Real quick

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•	The Abercrombie & Fitch allegations should be a wake-up call.
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Support the Short List and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.

North Korean troops may be in Russia

It's unclear at this point what they are doing, but U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that there is evidence North Korean troops are in Russia, branding their presence a "very serious" escalation in the war that started with Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in 2022. "If they're co-belligerents, if their intention is to participate in this war on Russia's behalf, that is a very, very serious issue," Austin said.

What to know: North Korea already has supplied Russia with large stores of artillery shells, a key component of the grinding fighting in Ukraine. 👉 Here's everything we know.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visit the Vostochny Сosmodrome in Russia's Amur region on Sept. 13, 2023.

SPUTNIK, via REUTERS

Trendy baby names named

Oh baby, baby! Teachers will surely be seeing these names in classrooms for years to come. Similar to last year, the most popular names for babies in 2024 include Noah, Liam and Oliver for boys and Olivia, Amelia and Emma for girls, new research by BabyCenter has found.

Modern monikers: More names cropped up in French following the 2024 Paris Olympics, plus names linked to high-profile figures from the WNBA and Super Bowl. ✍️ See which other names made the list.

A break from the news

•	👜 Iconic Coach purses are on sale for up to 70% off.
•	Watch: Take a peek at Philadelphia's portal to the rest of the globe.
•	⛽️ Got Amazon Prime? How to save money on gas.

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hi sometime! laura@usatoday.com. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.