5 things to know for Sept. 20: Middle East, Stock market, Political scandal, Mail-in voting, Covid-19 origins

After NASA decided to keep them in space until 2025, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will now cast their votes in the November elections more than 200 miles above their nearest polling place. They will perform their civic duty by voting absentee from low-Earth orbit, joining multiple other astronauts who have cast ballots in the cosmos.

Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

Your day is busy. 5 Things is your one-stop shop for the latest headlines, plus other stories and videos that people are clicking on. Sign up here for the 5 Things newsletter.

The Israeli military is shifting its focus and resources to the border with Lebanon, where it sees near-daily conflict with the militant group Hezbollah. On Thursday, Israel and Hezbollah exchanged dozens of strikes. Both sides are ramping up their attacks after Israel targeted Hezbollah members with explosives hidden inside pagers and walkie-talkies this week, bringing the Middle East to the brink of a wider conflict nearly a year after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched its October 7 assault on Israel. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said Israel “crossed all the red lines” when detonating the explosions and warned that the fighting won’t stop on the Lebanese front until hostilities end in Gaza.

Stocks closed at record highs Thursday after the Federal Reserve’s long-awaited interest rate cut. The Dow gained 522 points, or 1.3%, reaching a new record after passing the 42,000 level for the first time. The S&P 500 rose 1.7%, topping 5,700 for the first time, while the Nasdaq Composite added 2.5%. Tech stocks Nvidia, Meta and Apple also surged, as well as shares of Tesla. On Wednesday, the Fed cut rates by half a point, bringing rates down from a 23-year high. Lowering borrowing rates should take pressure off companies and everyday Americans, including potential homebuyers. Analysts say housing demand will likely increase dramatically after the Fed signaled that more rate cuts could come by year’s end.

Mark Robinson, the controversial and Trump-backed Republican nominee for governor of North Carolina, made a series of inflammatory comments on a pornography website more than a decade ago, in which he referred to himself as a “black NAZI!” and expressed support for reinstating slavery, a CNN KFile investigation found. Robinson listed his full name on his profile, as well as an email address he used on numerous websites across the internet for decades. Robinson denied making the lewd comments and vowed to stay in the race. The scandal could impact the presidential race: former President Donald Trump won the Tar Heel state in 2020 by about 74,000 votes out of some 5.4 million cast, and Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign and Democrats are making an aggressive play to flip the state.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy pledged that the US Postal Service will undertake “heroic efforts” to deliver all mail-in ballots on time this year and urged people to put their ballots in the mail at least one week before Election Day on November 5. The USPS will work “around the clock” and implement “extraordinary measures” to ensure the timely delivery of mail-in voting, DeJoy said Thursday. His comments came after a bipartisan group of election officials raised concerns about the delivery of mail-in ballots and as Trump resurrects debunked false claims about supposed fraud with mail-in voting. Voter fraud is extremely rare in US elections, according to studies from liberal and conservative groups. However, Trump’s attacks on the practice have made it much less popular among Republican voters.

After an in-depth analysis of the genetic material from hundreds of swabs taken from the walls, floors, machines and drains inside the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, China — a site that’s been described as an epicenter of the early spread of Covid-19 — scientists say they now know exactly which species of animals were in the same area where investigators also found the most positive samples of the virus that causes Covid-19. The samples of species found include raccoon dog, hoary bamboo rat, dog, European rabbit, Amur hedgehog, Malayan porcupine, Himalayan marmot and masked palm civet. Of the animals present at the market, rabbits, dogs and raccoon dogs are known to be susceptible to Covid-19 infections. Raccoon dogs have also been shown to transmit the infection, making them a strong candidate to be the animals that first passed the virus to humans.

Oprah Winfrey joins Kamala Harris at star-studded online rallyVice President Kamala Harris sought to capitalize on the star power of Oprah Winfrey and Hollywood celebrities to win over potential voters during an online rally Thursday. Here’s what they discussed.

‘Panda Dogs’: Chinese zoo goes viral for luring visitors with painted pupsA zoo in China has admitted its star attraction, two so-called pandas, are just painted dogs! Well, at least they succeeded in their ulti-mutt aim — to fetch a big audience.

Why we’re so fascinated by spy stories“The name’s Bond, James Bond.” From the 007 franchise to “Mission: Impossible” and “Slow Horses,” here’s why we love watching spies.

Nike is getting a new CEONike, struggling from rising competition and its own strategic mistakes, is making a major shakeup. Read about the company’s latest executive change.

Mansion to misery: A glimpse inside the prison Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs now calls homeNew York City’s only federal prison added another high-profile name to its inmate roster Wednesday. Experts say the Metropolitan Detention Center is notorious for poor living conditions, inmate violence and power outages.

A supermoon was visible to millions of sky-gazers around the world this week. What was the name of the lunar event?A. Wolf moonB. Snow moonC. Pink moonD. Harvest moon

Take me to the quiz!

Last week, 65% of readers who took the quiz got eight or more questions right. How will you fare?

10That’s how many feet of sea level rise could occur if the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica were to collapse. Due to our warming climate, scientists anticipate it could give way within 200 years, spelling devastating consequences for coastal communities from Miami and London to Bangladesh and the Pacific Islands.

“It’s something that I’m going to cherish for a very long time.”

— Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, after becoming the first player in Major League Baseball to join the 50-50 club. A 50-50 season consists of 50+ home runs and 50+ stolen bases in a single season. During Thursday’s ballgame against the Miami Marlins, Ohtani hit his 50th homer at the top of the seventh inning after stealing his 50th and 51st base earlier in the game.

Check your local forecast here>>>

Microscopic images captured on cameraA Nikon competition spotlighted stunning microscopic imagery highlighting the intersection of art and science. Watch this video to see a few organisms invisible to the naked eye.