10 things you need to know today: November 5, 2018

1. Trump and Obama make last-minute pitches ahead of midterms

President Trump and former President Barack Obama made rival late election pitches on Sunday, both telling voters that Tuesday's midterm elections would be critical in determining the country's future. "This election will decide whether we build on this extraordinary prosperity we have created," Trump, who has rallied the Republican base with anti-immigrant rhetoric, said at a rally in Georgia. Trump said Democrats want to "take a giant wrecking ball to our economy." Obama criticized Trump, without saying his name, and Republicans, saying they repeatedly lie and divide the nation with their policies. "The only check right now on the behavior of these Republicans is you and your vote," Obama said at an Indiana rally for Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.).

Reuters

2. Polls show battle for control of Congress tightening ahead of vote

Two polls released Sunday show Democrats with a modest but narrowed lead in voter preference for which party controls Congress. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll found a 7-percentage point lead for Democrats, 50 percent to 43 percent, down from a 9-point lead in the previous poll. A Washington Post/ABC News poll recorded an 8-point lead for Democrats, 52 percent to 44 percent. That's down from 13 points in October. Both polls indicated that Republican base voters have become more engaged and some independents have shifted to backing Republicans. Polls still show a strong likelihood that Democrats will take control of the House and Republicans will keep their majority in the Senate. Pollsters note that either side could surge to a broader victory if the polls are slightly off.

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The Wall Street Journal ABC News

3. Kemp accuses Georgia Dems of hacking, Dems say he's 'desperate'

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp's office announced Sunday that it was launching an investigation into allegations that the Democratic Party tried to hack into the state's voter registration system. Kemp is the Republican gubernatorial candidate, facing Democrat Stacey Abrams. Democrats called the allegation "100 percent false." Democrats have called for Kemp to relinquish his duties as the state's top election official, but he has refused. Democrats also have complained that Kemp has held up tens of thousands of voter registrations over minor paperwork discrepancies. Abrams called the hacking investigation, announced two days before the election, a "desperate attempt on the part of my opponent to distract people from the fact that two different federal judges found him derelict in his duties."

Atlanta Journal-Constitution The Huffington Post

4. Khashoggi's sons appeal for return of his body

Salah and Abdullah Khashoggi, the sons of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, made an appeal Sunday for the return of their father's body so they can bury him and grieve. Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor critical of the Saudi government, was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 after going there to pick up marriage documents. "It's not a normal situation, it's not a normal death at all," Salah Khashoggi told CNN. "All what we want right now is to bury him in Al-Baqi (cemetery) in Medina (Saudi Arabia) with the rest of his family." The Khashoggis said they had talked with Saudi authorities about the request, and hoped for results soon. Khashoggi's body has not been recovered, and the Saudi government has denied suggestions that the country's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, ordered the murder.

Reuters

5. Italy flooding death toll rises to 29

The death toll in Italy's historic flooding rose to 29 after 12 fatalities were reported in Sicily, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Sunday. "Twelve dead in Sicily, people that were having dinner and were swept up by the water," Salvini said. Nine of the people were members of two families who were dining together in a house that was swamped when a nearby river suddenly overflowed. Search crews also were looking for a doctor who disappeared on his way to work at a hospital Saturday night. High winds and heavy rain have caused the worst flooding in decades in Venice, and landslides in other areas have cut off access to some villages. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said Sunday he would call a Cabinet meeting to announce a state of emergency in hard-hit regions.

CNN

6. Oil prices sag as Iran sanctions start

Oil prices edged down on Monday as renewed sanctions against Iranian oil exports took effect, but the U.S. temporarily granted waivers to eight countries to keep importing Iranian crude. Futures for Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, fell by 0.4 percent overnight. The sanctions, aiming to force Tehran to curb its nuclear and missile programs, could dent supply and push up prices, but news of the waivers changed things. "All eyes will be on the outcome of negotiations on possible waivers to U.S. sanctions on Iran," ANZ bank said on Monday. "Any deals allowing oil importers to continue buying from Iran could see prices come under further pressure."

Reuters

7. New Caledonia voters reject independence from France

Voters in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia on Sunday rejected independence, with 56.4 percent backing remaining part of France and 43.6 percent supporting breaking away. The vote was closer than widely expected, and turnout was roughly 81 percent. The vote fulfilled a promise under a 1988 deal to end a violent campaign for independence. French President Emmanuel Macron said the vote showed that New Caledonia's inhabitants have "confidence in the French republic." About 175,000 people were eligible to cast ballots in the remote islands east of Australia. Indigenous Kanaks make up 39.1 percent of the population. France first claimed the islands in 1853.

BBC News

8. Amazon narrows hunt for second headquarters city

Amazon is holding late-stage talks with Dallas, New York, the Crystal City area of northern Virginia, and a few other front-running candidates vying to become the home of its second headquarters, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter. Talks with local officials in some of the cities are getting more intense, while discussions with some of the other 20 finalists have cooled. Sources told the Journal that the online retail giant might build smaller facilities in some of the leading candidates on the short-list that don't get the headquarters, which will bring a $5 billion investment and 50,000 jobs. Amazon is expected to announce its decision this month.

The Wall Street Journal Reuters

9. 3 Wisconsin Girl Scouts, chaperone killed by truck while picking up litter

Three Girl Scouts and an adult chaperone were killed over the weekend when they were struck by a pickup truck that veered off a rural Wisconsin highway while they were picking up litter. Another Scout remained in critical condition in a hospital. The alleged driver, 21-year-old Colten Treu, later surrendered to police and was jailed Sunday on four counts of homicide through negligent use of a vehicle. The Girl Scouts from Chippewa Falls were wearing their uniforms and lime-green safety vests when the speeding, two-ton Ford F-150 veered into the ditch where they were cleaning up the roadside. Two girls and the chaperone died at the scene. Another girl died later in a hospital.

The Washington Post

10. Keitany, Desisa win NYC Marathon with near-record runs

Mary Keitany of Kenya won her fourth New York City Marathon on Sunday, three minutes ahead of her nearest rivals. She finished in 2 hours 22 minutes 48 seconds, the second-fastest time ever in the women's race on the course. "Nothing was special today," the 36-year-old Olympian said. "I was just ready for the race." Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia won the men's race, overtaking Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya, the winner of last year's race, heading into the last mile. Desisa finished in 2 hours 5 minutes 59 seconds. It was the second-fastest time in the 48 years of the race, and Desisa's first win in four starts.

The New York Times