White Women Could Decide the Election

Also, Russia is making swift advances in Ukraine. Here’s the latest at the end of Thursday.

Kamala Harris attacked Donald Trump today for declaring at a rally last night that he would protect women “whether the women like it or not.” Her comments were the latest push in an aggressive effort by the Harris campaign to appeal to a group of suburban, moderate or conservative white women that they believe are still persuadable.

These women, perhaps more than any other group, could decide the election, pollsters and strategists say. White women are the country’s largest voting demographic, making up about 30 percent of the electorate, and they consistently turn out at very high rates. They favored Trump in the last two presidential races, but Harris has inched ahead slightly with them in recent polls.

Like other groups, white women list the economy as their top concern. But abortion rights is a close second, and an avenue by which Democrats believe they can win over some votes. In response, Trump — like many Republicans in competitive races — has tried to soften his opposition to abortion.

Trump’s campaign, however, appears to be focused on securing the votes of young men, who they believe can help tip the scales in his favor.

In other politics news:

• Skewed polls and anonymous betting markets have convinced many on the right that Trump is running away with the race.
• Public health could be transformed in a second Trump term.
• This friendly Wisconsin town might be the most divided place in America.
• Voters who move are widening the gap between blue neighborhoods and red ones.
• Our foreign correspondents explained what’s at stake in the places they cover.

Your questions: We asked Campbell Robertson, a national reporter, this question from a reader.

Why is Pennsylvania a swing state? What demographics are responsible for it being so? — Rebecca I., Sweden

Campbell: On Pennsylvania’s corners sit two large, Democratic-voting cities — Philadelphia and Pittsburgh — surrounded by bands of increasingly liberal suburbs. But about half of Pennsylvania residents live outside these two major metro areas, in smaller cities and rural areas across the state. Many of these places were once humming with steel mills and factories, and home to many union members, a reliable Democratic base.

But as industry declined over the decades, the electorate in these areas steadily moved toward the right. The share of college-educated adults is growing in Pennsylvania, as is the number of non-white voters. But currently, a slight majority of the state’s voters are white people without college degrees, Trump’s most reliable demographic.

For more: Campbell talked to Pennsylvania voters about how they are feeling.

What’s at Stake: Imagining a Harris presidency

The presidential election is 5 days away. Each day, The Times will feature one story that focuses on the impact of the choice voters will make.

By Robert Draper

Kamala Harris is shattering precedents, but it is easier to see her as president in light of her story as a daughter of motivated immigrants and as a longtime prosecutor. She favors facts over ideology. Her guardedness, as an often prejudged woman of color, makes her aware of inequities in policy.

Russia is making swift advances in Ukraine

Over the past month, Russia has made its largest territorial gains in Ukraine since the summer of 2022. Its forces have seized more than 160 square miles of land in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, the main theater of the war today.

See our maps of the troop movements.

In related news, American officials are talking to their Chinese counterparts in an effort to stop North Korean troops from aiding Russia.

Inflation is basically back to normal

The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge increased 2.1 percent in September compared with a year earlier, according to a report released today. That’s nearly back to the 2-percent level that policymakers aim for, though core inflation — without volatile food and fuel costs — remained at 2.7 percent.

For more: Here’s why many Americans are still unsatisfied with the economy.

How a tech tycoon’s ‘unsinkable’ yacht sank

When the $40 million superyacht owned by the British tech mogul Michael Lynch sank off the coast of Italy in August, killing seven people, observers were shocked. The boat wasn’t far from shore, and much smaller boats handled the storm just fine.

However, a Times investigation discovered that the yacht’s most striking feature — its extra-tall mast and the engineering to accommodate it — made the yacht vulnerable to capsizing. Here’s what we found.

More top news

• Gaza: Top American officials, including William Burns, the C.I.A. director, are making a last-ditch attempt to move cease-fire talks along before the U.S. elections.
• Spain: At least 158 people have died from some of the country’s worst flash floods in decades.
• Northeast: Hundreds of fires are burning in New Jersey and Connecticut during a spell of unusually warm fall weather.
• A.I.: Residents of southwest Memphis say that the mobile natural gas plants used to power Elon Musk’s xAI supercomputer facility are polluting their neighborhood.
• Business: Customers say they were lured into pricey contracts by a vacation club managed by Hyatt.
• Crime: Older Americans are targets of scammers who drain their nest eggs. Often, their children can’t stop it.
• Sports: The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series last night. In Japan, where the games started at 9 a.m., it was a huge ratings hit.

TIME TO UNWIND

What’s a documentary, anyway?

Celebrity documentaries are popular and often lucrative. But there’s a debate in the industry about whether such films — which often feel like glamour shots — should be considered documentaries at all.

At the center of the dispute is the Oscar-nominated filmmaker R.J. Cutler, who has made major documentaries about stars like Elton John and Billie Eilish. He argues that since he has authority over the final cut, his celebrity films can be just as serious as any other project.

Cutler’s most recent subject, Martha Stewart, was not happy with the film about her.

Shawn Mendes is ready to talk about his struggles

Two years ago, Shawn Mendes, the Canadian pop star, abruptly canceled a multimillion-dollar international tour. He had hit what he called a mental health “breaking point.” It was a startling admission, especially for a male artist with a hugely devoted young fan base — if their attention wavered, his career could be over.

Mendes slowly made his way back to songwriting — this time exchanging pop gloss for mandolin, lap steel and violin. Ahead of his new album, “Shawn,” we talked to him about the lessons he learned from stepping away.

Dinner table topics

• Mike Tyson’s hobby: The old-world art of pigeon racing is fading fast. Animal rights activists say good riddance.
• Real zombies?: The undead monsters are distortions of a figure with roots in the religious practices of Haiti.
• Graying lessons: At 50, my colleague decided to stop dyeing her hair. Going silver, it turns out, comes with its own growing pains.
• Unsung mucus: The sticky, slimy goo plays an essential role in fighting off infections.

WHAT TO DO TONIGHT

Cook: Serve these fragrant, syrup-soaked gulab jamun with a side of vanilla ice cream.

Watch: “A Real Pain” is a melancholic yet funny exploration of Jewish loss and belonging.

Read: Check out these smart and riveting new crime novels.

Listen: Our critics can’t stop thinking about these classical music performances.

Wear: Looking for a good trench coat? Start here.

Stand: Sitting all day may shorten your life.

Hunt: Which Los Angeles home would you buy with a $1.3 million budget?

Play: Here are today’s Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here.

ONE LAST THING

Horror movies can be good for you

My colleague Melissa Kirsch doesn’t like scary movies. So when she heard that another colleague of ours subjected himself to a weekend of nonstop horror films at a cabin in the middle of the woods, she had to ask him why.

“I like feeling scared when watching horror movies because I know that will pass,” Gilbert Cruz, the Times Book Review editor, said. “There’s mounting dread, mounting terror and then it’s gone.”

On our Culture Desk podcast, Melissa discussed the theory that horror movies can be so stimulating, yet sufficiently low stakes, that viewers want to come back for more.

Have a captivating Halloween.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew

Campbell Robertson contributed to this newsletter.

Kirsten Luce was our photo editor today.

We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com.