- With only 27 days left until the election, early voting has kicked off in Ohio, one of the most important swing states. Over in Florida, a federal judge has agreed to extend the voter registration deadline [1] until Oct. 18 due to Hurricane Matthew.
- Congratulations are in order for Janet Jackson [2]! The 50-year-old music icon confirmed she's pregnant with her first child [3] in an exclusive interview with People. Rumors first swirled about her pregnancy in April, when she postponed her Unbreakable World Tour due to a "sudden change." Jackson has been married to her her husband, Wissam Al Mana, since 2012.
- Two lawyers for Salah Abdeslam, the main suspect in the Paris attacks, say they will no longer defend him [4]. The 27-year-old Belgian-born Islamist apparently refuses to answer any questions related to the November massacre that left 130 dead and hundreds wounded.
- So much for the San Francisco Giants' 10-game winning streak. The Chicago Cubs came back in the ninth inning last night [5] to win 6 to 5 over the Giants and advance to the National League Championship Series. The Cubs will now face either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Washington Nationals on Saturday for game one.
- Amazon launched its on-demand music-streaming service today [6]. Amazon Music Unlimited costs $4 per month for users who own the Amazon Echo speaker, $8 per month for Amazon Prime subscribers, and $10 per month for everyone else. It joins the growing list of similar services from companies like Spotify, Apple Music, and Google Play Music.
- You can call him Sir Roderick. Legendary musician Rod Stewart was knighted at Buckingham Palace by Prince William [7], adding to his long list of accomplishments.