Voting Day, Space Flights, and Climate Concerns: What You Need to Know

Tired of voting on Tuesdays? You're not alone. It's been this way for decades, but not all states require employers to give you time off. Meanwhile, big names like Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are busy campaigning in key states before Election Day. They've got some strong opinions about each other and the future of the nation. SpaceX is making waves again with a safe splashdown off Florida. Their latest mission, Crew-8, was delayed by bad weather but still managed to set a new record for the longest Dragon spacecraft orbit. Not everyone got to ride along though, like NASA's Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore who are still up in space after months. In Gaza, talks about hostages and ceasefires are back on the table. Israeli reservists are pushing for a deal to end the war and bring back the missing soldiers. The US elections are making things tricky, with officials waiting to see who will be the next president. Extreme weather is a big deal this year. The US has seen more flash flood emergencies than ever before. Climate experts blame heavy rain and warmer temperatures for the chaos. Hurricanes like Debby and Helene made things even worse. Lastly, lead paint is still a problem in many old buildings. The EPA wants to fix that by tightening rules for cleaning up lead dust. They hope to protect kids and reduce lead exposure by up to 1. 2 million people each year.