By Robert Yoon, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Control of the White House and the narrowly divided Senate and House may hang in the balance on Nov. 5, but don’t expect election night to be all nail-biters and barn burners. Chances are some winners will be declared before a single vote has been tallied, just as the polls close in those states.

So what gives?

Although determining a winner before any votes have been counted may seem counterintuitive, race calls at poll closing time in uncontested or landslide races have been a routine part of election nights for decades, even though competitive, hotly contested races that can take hours, days or even weeks to decide tend to be the most memorable and attract the most attention.

The Associated Press will consider multiple factors and analyze available data before determining whether a winner can be declared when polls close in a given state. But the AP will never declare the outcome in a competitive contest before enough votes are counted to make the winner clear.

Uncontested races

Many of the races called just as the polls close are uncontested elections where only one candidate appears on the ballot and is therefore the only possible winner of the race. Voters in some parts of the country live in multimember districts for offices such as state legislature, where more than one candidate is elected in a district. In those districts, an uncontested race is one where the number of candidates on the ballot is equal to or less than the number of seats available in that district.

In the 2024 general election, the AP will declare winners in nearly 2,000 uncontested races, compared with about 4,500 contested races.

Noncompetitive contests

The AP will not call a race when polls close if AP VoteCast’s results indicate a deviation from the state’s long-standing political trends and voting history. AP VoteCast results will be available for all 50 states, though only a small number will be considered as potential poll close calls. There is no AP VoteCast survey in the District of Columbia, so no contest there will be called when polls close even though the nation’s capital has a long history of overwhelming victories for Democratic candidates.

For example, the AP’s poll close calls in the 2020 presidential election included Wyoming, a state that last voted for a Democrat in 1968 and that Donald Trump won over Joe Biden by 44 points; and Massachusetts, which last voted for a Republican in 1984 and that Biden won by 34 points over Trump.

A handful of states and districts have multiple poll closing times because they are in more than one time zone. In these cases, the AP will not declare a winner before the final poll closing time in that state or district. Florida, Texas and some others begin to release vote results from most of the state shortly after polls close in the earlier time zone. Votes that are already counted from areas in the earlier time zones will also be considered in determining whether a winner can be declared at the moment when the last polls close.

Other election data the AP takes into account include an area’s voting history from recent elections, voter registration statistics and pre-Election Day polling.

When the above data points confirm the expected result in a state where either major party has a history of dominating elections, the AP may call the race as soon as voting ends.

Read more about how U.S. elections work at Explaining Election 2024, a series from The Associated Press aimed at helping make sense of the American democracy. The AP receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

By Robert Yoon, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s usually possible to determine who won an election before the vote counting is 100% complete. But doing so requires determining how many ballots still need to be tabulated at any point in the vote count, and that’s not as straightforward or clear-cut as you might imagine.

In fact, it’s only gotten more complicated as elections have evolved, making traditional methods of tracking vote count progress less reliable.

What happened to ‘precincts reporting’?

For years, the most common way news organizations kept track of the progress in the vote count on election night was to calculate the percentage of precincts that had reported their results. But over the years, that method has become a less and less reliable measurement that does not reflect the realities of modern elections.

For starters, precincts throughout a state are not necessarily equal in population. Saying that 10% of precincts have yet to report could mean different things depending on which precincts are at issue. In addition, sometimes a state or county will count a precinct as reporting even if it has only reported some of its votes.

An even bigger problem is that “precincts” traditionally refer to Election Day polling places. As voting by mail and early in-person voting has gained in popularity, the “precincts reporting” measurement could be deceiving depending on how the votes are tabulated from state to state.

Some states do not include pre-Election Day votes in the voters’ home precincts — that is, the ones where they would vote if they voted on Election Day — and opt instead to lump all of their pre-Election Day votes into one precinct. In some other states, “precincts reporting” only reflects votes cast in person on Election Day and excludes any mail or early in-person voting altogether.

These states may show that all or nearly all precincts have reported complete results, even though the actual number of ballots yet to be tabulated might be significantly larger. Alternately, they sometimes report large numbers of early and mail votes before any precincts are reported at all.

In some states where there’s relatively little voting before Election Day or where election officials strive to assign mail and early votes to their home precincts, the percentage of precincts reporting does still provide a reasonably accurate sense of the votes left to be counted.

But across the board, The Associated Press calculates an expected vote estimate to provide a more consistent and reliable measurement to track the progress of the vote count on Election Night.

Reporting the expected vote

Clearly, the ideal way to calculate the number of ballots that remain to be counted is to subtract the total votes counted so far from the total number of votes cast overall. But since the exact number of votes cast in an election isn’t immediately available on election night, the AP instead analyzes several key pieces of election data to estimate the total votes expected to be cast in any given contest.

This estimate is based on several factors, including the total votes cast in previous elections, changes in population, voter registration figures and the competitiveness of the current election. Turnout data on pre-Election Day voting has become increasingly helpful in determining the expected vote, as the share of voters casting early ballots has gone up.

Once voting and vote counting begins, the AP will evaluate the latest Election Day voter turnout figures reported by elections officials as well as actual vote returns to update and refine its expected vote estimates.

Over the course of election night, the AP will report for every contest the percentage of the total expected vote counted so far. This percentage should steadily grow as the number of votes counted gradually approaches the expected vote total. But because the expected vote estimate is continually monitored and updated as more data becomes available, it’s possible that the percentage of the vote counted may temporarily get smaller because the estimate of overall turnout got bigger.

For example, if elections officials initially tell the AP that Election Day turnout in their state was 1 million voters but later revise that number to 1.2 million, the percentage of votes counted will drop temporarily before going back up again as more votes are tabulated.

What’s so difficult about nailing down the total votes cast?

The main challenge is that it can take a while for the people running elections to figure out exactly how many people voted in any given election. It often takes local and state officials weeks to arrive at the final, official number.

That’s in part because of mail voting. A local elections office might know exactly how many mail ballots they sent out to voters and have a good estimate of how many have been returned in the days leading up to Election Day. In fact, before officials begin counting votes, it’s often easier to know the approximate number of mail ballots cast than the number of people who turned up on Election Day.

But they won’t know exactly how many of those voters actually cast a mail ballot until their deadline to receive them, which is usually on Election Day itself or even after that.

With the number of voters casting their ballots by mail each year steadily on the rise, determining the total number of mail ballots can take some time, especially if the deadline to receive them is after Election Day.

Mail voting spiked in the 2020 election and outnumbered voting at polling places on Election Day for the first time ever as voters sought alternatives to in-person voting during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the level of mail voting is expected to surpass pre-pandemic levels, in many areas, it may fall in comparison to the 2020 election, adding another complication to estimating the expected vote in this year’s elections.

Read more about how U.S. elections work at Explaining Election 2024, a series from The Associated Press aimed at helping make sense of the American democracy. The AP receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

By ROBERT YOON

WASHINGTON (AP) — One question will be asked over and over on election night: Who won?

The Associated Press will answer that question for nearly 5,000 contested races across the United States and up and down the ballot, from president and state ballot measures to a variety of local offices.

The AP has compiled vote results and declared winners in elections for more than 170 years, filling what could otherwise be a critical information void of up to a month between Election Day and the official certification of results.

What goes into determining the winners? A careful and thorough analysis of the latest available vote tallies and a variety of other election data, with the ultimate goal of answering this question: Is there any circumstance in which the trailing candidate can catch up? If the answer is no, then the leading candidate has won.

Analyzing the vote

Race calls are based on provable facts, primarily from the AP’s vote count, which is compiled from state and local election offices around the nation.

As more and more ballots are tabulated starting on election night, the AP will monitor the incoming vote at the county level and analyze who is in the lead and what areas the votes are coming from.

At the same time, the AP tries to determine throughout the night how many ballots are uncounted and from what areas. State and local election officials don’t immediately know by election night exactly how many ballots were cast in every contest. Determining how many remain has become more complicated because of the growing number of ballots cast by mail that may arrive after Election Day, which is Nov. 5 this year.

This means there are usually no official and exact tallies of the outstanding vote to rely on once the vote counting gets underway. As a result, the AP estimates the turnout in every race based on several factors and uses that estimate to track how much of the vote has been counted and how much remains.

The AP also tries to determine how ballots counted so far were cast, and the types of vote — such as mail ballots or Election Day in-person — that remain.

That’s because the method a voter chooses often speaks to whom they voted for. Since the issue of voting by mail became highly politicized in the 2020 election, most mail votes nationally have been cast by Democratic voters, while most in-person Election Day votes have been cast by Republicans.

In many states, it is possible to know which votes will be counted first from past elections or plans announced by election officials. In some others, votes counted so far are clearly marked by type.

This helps to determine if an early lead is expected to shrink or grow. For example, if a state first counts votes cast in person on Election Day, followed by mail-in votes, that suggests that an early Republican lead in the vote count may narrow as more mail ballots are tabulated. But if the reverse is true and mail ballots are counted first, an early Republican lead could be the first sign of a comfortable victory.

Finding clues from election data

The AP’s analysis to determine the winners is also greatly informed by other election data, especially the long-standing voting trends in a given area. Past election results over time show that states and counties with a long history of lopsided Republican or Democratic victories tend to continue the same voting patterns from one election to the next.

Even in closely contested races, comparing current vote patterns with those in past races can provide important clues.

For example, if a Democratic candidate is performing a few percentage points better across all counties that have reported votes in a state a Democrat previously won by a narrow margin, that could be a sign of a more comfortable Democratic victory. But if the Republican is performing a few percentage points better, that could point to an exceedingly close race or even a flipped result.

Large changes in an area’s voting patterns that differ substantially from statewide trends are certainly possible but tend to take root over a time frame of multiple elections. This helps analysts understand whether one candidate’s lead is an expected result or a sign of tight race. It also helps determine whether the remaining uncounted ballots are from areas that would likely benefit one candidate over another.

Demographic data can also shed light on the vote count. For example, shifts that differ from statewide patterns might be explained by a shift among a specific group, such as Hispanic voters or white voters without college degrees.

Harnessing AP VoteCast

Another tool available to the AP’s decision teams is AP VoteCast, a comprehensive, 50-state election survey that provides a detailed snapshot of who voted in an election and what was on their minds when they voted. Data from AP VoteCast makes it possible in some cases to call non-competitive or less competitive races as the polls close or shortly afterward with the initial release of votes.

When considering poll-close calls, the AP will only declare a winner if AP VoteCast data confirms the expected result in that contest based on past vote history and other preelection data.

When does the AP call a race?

In almost all cases, races can be called well before 100% of the votes have been counted. The AP’s team of election journalists and analysts will call a race as soon as a clear winner can be determined. That may sound obvious, but it is the guiding principle that drives the organization’s election race-calling process.

The AP’s race calls are not predictions and are not based on speculation. They are declarations based on an analysis of vote results and other election data that one candidate has emerged as the winner and that no other candidate in the race will be able to overtake the winner once all the votes have been counted.

Why might the AP not declare a winner?

The AP may delay calling a winner if the vote results go against the expected outcome of the contest as indicated by the available election data. In other words, if the vote results show a large lead for one candidate but some combination of the past vote history, demographic data or AP VoteCast data point to a different outcome, the AP would carefully review the vote results before making any determination.

In competitive races, AP analysts may need to wait until additional votes are tallied or to confirm specific information about how many ballots are left to count.

The AP may declare that a race is “too close to call” if a race is so close that there’s no clear winner even once all ballots except for provisional and late-arriving absentee ballots have been counted.

Competitive races where votes are actively being tabulated — for example in states that count a large number of voters after election night — might be considered “too early to call.” The “too close to call” designation is not used for these types of races.

The AP may also decide not to call a race if the margin between the top two candidates is less than 0.5 percentage points unless it determines that the margin is wide enough that it could not change in a recount.

Things that don’t affect a call

AP race calls are never made based on lobbying from campaigns or political parties or announcements made by other news organizations, or on candidate victory speeches. Although it will never call a winner based on a concession speech, in some cases, a concession is the final piece of the puzzle in confirming that there will be no recount in a close race.

Read more about how U.S. elections work at Explaining Election 2024, a series from The Associated Press aimed at helping make sense of the American democracy. The AP receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

By MAYA SWEEDLER

WASHINGTON (AP) — There isn’t an easier way to count votes than to count the votes.

The Associated Press has been tallying results in national, state and local elections since 1848. In broad terms, the process is the same today as it was then: Vote count reporters collect election results at a local level as soon as polls close, then submit those results for the AP to collate, verify and report.

This year, AP will count the votes in about 5,000 contested races around the United States, from the presidency and Congress to state legislatures and ballot measures.

The U.S. doesn’t have a nationwide body that collects and releases election results. Elections are administered locally, by thousands of offices, following standards set by the states. In many cases, the states themselves don’t even offer up-to-date tracking of election results.

The AP plays a role in collecting and standardizing the results.

The AP’s vote count fills a gap by bringing together information that otherwise might not be available online for days or weeks after an election or is scattered across hundreds of local websites. Without national standards or consistent expectations across states, it also ensures the data is in a standard format, uses standard terms and undergoes rigorous quality control.

Data collection efforts begin when Americans start voting, which in almost every race means well before Nov. 5 this year.

The AP requests information from state and local election administrators about the number of absentee ballots requested and the number of early votes cast as soon as voting begins. (You can track those numbers here.) These figures don’t contain results, which aren’t released until after polls close, but they can provide valuable insights into the people who have voted by Election Day.

The big effort begins once polls close, when approximately 4,000 AP vote count reporters fan out across voting precincts and county election offices. An AP vote count reporter will be stationed at nearly every county election office on Election Day, as well as in key cities and towns, collecting data straight from the source.

Many vote count reporters have a substantial amount of experience collecting accurate vote count information for the AP. In the most recent general election, about half of them had worked for the AP for at least 10 years. Hundreds more have experience collecting vote count data in primary and general elections.

They work with local election officials to collect results directly from counties or precincts where they are first counted and collected and submit them, by phone or electronically, as soon as they’re available. The results are transmitted to the AP’s vote entry center, which employs an additional 800 to 900 people.

Because many states and counties display election results on websites, the AP monitors those sites and enters the results into the same system. The vote entry center also takes in feeds of results directly from election officials where they are provided, and uses automated tools to collect results from official government websites.

In many cases, counties will report more votes as they count ballots throughout the night. The AP is continuously updating its count as these results are released. In a general election, the AP will make as many as 21,000 race updates per hour.

Mistakes can happen, such as test data accidentally getting published on a state’s website or a stringer accidentally transposing two candidates’ vote totals. Having multiple sources helps the AP figure out where these mistakes happen and often prevents them from getting published.

Sometimes counting errors need to be corrected, such as when a county has made a correction to its data or someone accidentally entered an extra zero. In some cases, that can lead to a drop in the total number of votes counted when the problem is identified and fixed.

This is why it helps to have multiple sources of updates.

On general election nights, the AP can have up to five or six potential sources of election results in each county and can choose between them depending on which is most up-to-date and accurate. Those multiple sources don’t just serve as a backup to each other; they also provide a check to help ensure the vote totals reported are correct.

Read more about how U.S. elections work at Explaining Election 2024, a series from The Associated Press aimed at helping make sense of the American democracy. The AP receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

By ROBERT YOON

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s election night, the polls have closed and chances are you’re waiting on The Associated Press or one of the major television networks to say who will be the next president. But why does the news media play that role in the first place? Shouldn’t that be the government’s job?

State and local governments do run and administer American elections, including the race for president. They are responsible for counting the votes and maintaining the official record of who won and by how much.

But the official process — from poll close to final certification — can take the states anywhere from several days to more than a month. In the race for the White House, it’s not until early January that the formal process of picking the president via the Electoral College is complete. No federal agency or election commission provides updates to the public in the meantime about what’s happening with their votes.

“That’s a gap in the Constitution left by the founders that AP stepped in to fill just two years after our company was founded,” said David Scott, a vice president at AP who oversees the news agency’s election operations. “It was essential then, as it is today, that Americans have an independent, non-partisan source for the whole picture of the election — most critically of the very vital news of who has won the election.”

A brief history of race calls

The AP was formed in 1846 as a newspaper cooperative. It tabulated election results for the first time two years later, when Zachary Taylor won the presidential election as a member of the Whig Party. The effort to gather the results from jurisdictions across the still-young nation relied on the telegraph, lasted 72 hours and had a then-exorbitant cost of $1,000.

In 1916, the first election broadcast aired over a small network of ham radios, according to a history written by the late CBS News Political Director Martin Plissner. The announcer closed the program by incorrectly declaring that Republican Charles Evans Hughes had won the presidency over Democrat Woodrow Wilson. The AP called the race for Wilson two days later once it was able to report results from California.

By the early 1960s, the AP and the three broadcast networks — ABC, CBS and NBC — were each conducting independent vote counts. They agreed to pool their resources in the 1964 election to compile the vote count for key races, an arrangement that would last in some form for more than 50 years and eventually expand to include exit polling of Election Day voters.

After the 2016 election, the AP left the network pool to continue its independent vote count operation and launch the AP VoteCast survey of the American electorate as an alternative to the network’s exit polls. The networks, now including CNN, remain with the pool today and receive their vote count and exit poll data from Edison Research. Fox News subscribes to AP’s vote count, as do thousands of news organizations across the United States and around the world, and partners with the AP to conduct the VoteCast survey.

Counting the vote

In counting the vote, the AP isn’t actually tabulating the results of individual voters’ actual ballots. That work is performed by the local government election officials who administer elections in the United States.

Outside of setting some broad guidelines, the Constitution leaves the details of actually running elections to the states, which means there are 51 (don’t forget the District of Columbia) different sets of rules on how to run elections.

Some of those rules are more voter-friendly than others.

In New Hampshire, election results could be officially certified a few days after Election Day. In California, the tabulation process takes several weeks and final election results are not made available until early December. The rest of the states fall somewhere in between.

In reporting their results, some jurisdictions use a format that makes it difficult to immediately determine who won, such as not including percentages with the raw vote totals or displaying candidate vote totals for the same contest across multiple pages of a scanned PDF document. Most election officials post unofficial results for their county or town online on election night; a handful don’t release even initial results until later.

The AP’s vote count, Scott said, is an effort to make sense of all that information. “What we’re doing is stitching all of vote totals together from thousands of counties and towns nationwide into a single, standardized format, so that voters have access to the overall vote count for a race,” he said.

Declaring election winners

The presidential election has more moving parts than any other contest on the ballot, including the complexities of the Electoral College. The Constitution directs each state to determine its own electors and send the results of their votes for president to the National Archives and to Congress, to be tallied a few weeks after Election Day.

In modern elections, with states having directed electors to vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state, voters know who has won the White House well before the formalities of the Electoral College play out through the “race calls” made by the AP and the networks. They’re not official government decrees, but they provide the country with a timely and independent assessment of the state of a race.

“The AP’s standard is to call a race whenever we are 100% certain there is no path for the trailing candidate to overtake the leading candidate,” said Anna Johnson, the news agency’s Washington bureau chief. “The AP uses that same standard for all race calls from the presidency all the way down the ballot. Independent and timely race calls by the AP and other media outlets help ensure voters understand not just who won a race, but how they won the race.”

Read more about how U.S. elections work at Explaining Election 2024, a series from The Associated Press aimed at helping make sense of the American democracy. The AP receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

One of the best ways to get in on the Halloween costume fun is to choose a look that borrows from popular culture.

This year there is no shortage of inspiration for those who want to look like their favorite movie, television and game characters.

Comic book hero ‘frenemies’

Marvel’s popular characters joined forces in “Deadpool & Wolverine” this year with the titular stars played by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, respectively. Whether you’re team red or team yellow, dressing up as one of these action characters is certainly going to be popular for Halloween 2024.

Whirlwind romance

Fans of the “Bridgerton” television series know that the third season follows the romance between Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton. This is a perfect couples costume and one that will be lavish at any Halloween gathering.

Travis and Taylor

The last year-plus has been notable for both football fans and Swifties. Three-time Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce and pop superstar Taylor Swift became the power couple of record, earning fans from both sides of the football/music aisle. Dressing up as this duo is sure to get rave reviews.

Country vibes

Beyoncé ushered in a new era of country music in 2024 with the release of her album “Cowboy Carter.” Emulating the pop-to-country princess is a great way to turn heads this Halloween.

The ‘juice is loose’

It’s been 36 years since audiences enjoyed the hijinks of Beetlejuice, the star character of Tim Burton’s horror-comedy. With the release of “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice,” complete with most of the original actors reprising their roles, there’s no question that Beetlejuice, Lydia and Delia costumes will be trending this October.

Political opponents

The race to the White House this year certainly has had its twists and turns. Political figures often are in fashion for Halloween costumes, and this year that is bound to be the case with individuals dressing up as the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates.

Another pink lady

While “Barbie” was the chic lady in pink for 2023, thanks to the announcement of the new prequel series dubbed “Elle,” Elle Woods from the “Legally Blonde” franchise is sure to be trending this Halloween.

Wacky Wednesday

Now that another series installment is in the works, there will be plenty of people dressed up as Wednesday Addams this Halloween.

Three incumbents are among seven candidates vying for three open seats on the Troy school board during the upcoming Nov. 5 election.

The incumbents – Gary Hauff, Karl Schmidt and Nicole Wilson – are all looking to hold onto their seats for another six-year term.

Challengers Alex Karpowitsch, Audra Melton, Ayesha Potts and Stephanie Zendler are seeking their first term on the seven-member board. Zendler, Melton and Karpowitsch have created their own website at www.kmz4tsd.com.

“With KMZ on the school board, the city of Troy can look forward to a future where educational excellence is not just a platform, but a reality,” the candidates wrote on the homepage.

Coming off of a contentious teacher contract renewal four months ago and passage of a $550 million school improvement bond in November 2022, the board will have important issues to address in the coming years.

CANDIDATES

Alex Karpowitsch

He is a lifelong resident of Troy and graduated from Troy High School in 2004. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 2008 and has been employed for over a decade with Rockwell Automation.

He is looking to help bring the district back to pre-COVID achievement levels.

“This commitment should be included as part of the 2026 Troy school district strategic plan targeting M-STEP/PSAT/SAT scores that meet and improve upon pre-COVID scores,” said Karpowitsch. “Unfortunately these targets are absent in the 2026 strategic plan that is under the purview of the current board.  An academic committee can begin to build a roadmap and chart milestones to remediate COVID learning loss.”

Karpowitsch said he has been educating himself on the issues facing the district and would be ready to get to work if he wins a six-year term.

“For the better part of 17 months, I have been totally and completely focused on immersing myself in all facets of public education – legal requirements, finances, student achievement, and of course, interacting with Troy school district staff and members of the Troy community,” he said.

Audra Melton

She has been involved in education for the past 32 years. She was one of the founding teachers of the International Academy in Bloomfield Hills and collaborated with Troy to open the International Academy East campus in 2008, becoming the first principal. She later became principal of Baker Middle School until she retired with a brief return to Athens High School as acting principal in 2023.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Secondary Education from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, a master’s degree in Teaching from Marygrove College, and a Ph.D in K-12 Educational Administration from Michigan State University.

She is looking for a curriculum framework that works for all students in the district.

“Selecting curriculum that is appropriate for the needs of our diverse learners is a priority,” she said. “The return of Honors classes and improving the instruction and support services available to special education students are vital to meet each student at their current learning level and assist them in reaching their full potential.”

Melton thinks the district should be looking ahead at the next teacher contract in three years as part of a plan to keep talent in the district.

“Attracting and retaining the most talented teaching and support staff is vital to keeping Troy a destination district for both teachers and families,” she said.  “Fair and equitable contracts with all of our bargaining units and third-party vendors, delivered in a timely manner, would be a priority.”

Ayesha Potts

She is a registered nurse and has served on the Troy Parent Teacher Organization for 16 years.

She said she wants to revisit a controversial decision in May 2023 when the board voted to approve a new curriculum that takes students off accelerated middle school Math classes and uses Illustrative Math to replace the current system for students in 6th and 7th grade.

“Parents continue to be upset about the removal of Honors Math courses at the middle school level, and this issue needs to be revisited,” she said. “We need to know if we have data that the classes that have replaced them are more rigorous and are not only leading more students to Advanced Placement courses, but then enabling them to score well on AP exams.”

Potts said her experience in the district would be one of her biggest assets as a board member.

“For 16 years, I have planned events, activities, teacher appreciation weeks, and fundraisers in Troy schools,” said Potts  “I have built strong relationships with all the people I’ve worked with, and even when I’ve had disagreements with a colleague, I’ve always worked respectfully with them to move the project forward in the best interest of the students.”

Karl Schmidt

He has been on the board for 11 years and currently serves as board president. He is an adjunct instructor at Oakland University. Schmidt has a bachelor’s degree in advertising from Michigan State University and an MBA in marketing from Oakland University.

During his time on the board he says he worked to acquire a building repurposed as an alternative high school and community education department that saved the district $15 million in construction costs and allowed the district to transfer students there two years faster. He is also helping develop a plan to preserve a 70-acre natural area in perpetuity by coordinating with a land conservancy and Oakland County Parks to capture a $3 million state grant.

He thinks one of the key issues is funding in the district.

“We need to keep fighting for adequate public school funding from Washington, D.C. and Lansing. Systematic underfunding over the past 20 years has Troy operating at 60% of the funding we had in 2004 when corrected for inflation,” Schmidt said. “This is the first year in the past 20 that the increase in state funding met or exceeded the inflation rate—we need to continue that trend moving forward.”

Nicole Wilson

She has served for four years on the board and currently works as a consultant. She holds a Ph.D in English specializing in Children’s and Young Adult Literature and Media from Wayne State University, a master’s degree in teaching from Marygrove College and a bachelor’s degree in English from Oakland University.

Wilson said she would like to help oversee the full range of projects that will be funded through the $550 million improvement bond passed two years ago.

“I am particularly interested in seeing the bond work through to make sure we are following sustainable construction practices and creating buildings that will meet the needs of our students and be welcoming to all,” said Wilson.

She sees board cooperation as a key issue that will be addressed in this election.

“Our current political climate seeks to politicize and weaponize school boards. Therefore, it is critical that people elect individuals to the school board who want to work with others rather than force a particular agenda,” she said. “School board trustees must be more interested in the well-being of the children of the school district than any political position or influence.”

Stephanie Zendler

She has 25 years of experience as a teacher in elementary and middle school, as well as a building and district administrator, serving the last 12 years in Troy as a building principal at Morse Elementary and as the district Multi-Tiered System of Support supervisor. Zendler is currently the owner of Whatever it Takes Support, specializing in secondary and higher education mentoring and support for independence.

She graduated from Western Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, obtained a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Michigan, then received an Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership and Curriculum from Eastern Michigan University.

She also said one area of concern is district recovery from the pandemic.

“All Troy students have shown a slower recovery trajectory than its peer districts post COVID in reported measurable data points such as SAT and M-STEP testing,” said Zendler. “These academic red flag areas that span and impact K-12 for all students deserve substantial study, careful and collaborative action planning, and measured implementation of a quantitative strategic plan.”

Zendler, Karpowitsch and Melton have been campaigning together throughout the summer.

“We’ve been knocking on doors 20 or more hours a week with the support of some great volunteers all over the city so that we’re able to bring information and name recognition to the election,” Zendler said.

Gary Hauff

Hauff is a retired Troy police officer and has served 25 years on the board, but did not respond to inquiries for more background information.

Michigan families expect that higher education will not only provide students with valuable knowledge but also set them on a path to successful careers.

Unfortunately, many graduates today find themselves burdened with debt and struggling to secure jobs in their chosen fields. One of the best ways to improve outcomes for students is to ensure they have the resources and support necessary to complete their degrees. That’s why programs like the Postsecondary Student Success Grant are so crucial for postsecondary attainment.

This program provides funding to colleges and universities to help students stay on track and finish their education. It supports evidence-based strategies that close equity gaps, boost completion rates, and help students make meaningful progress toward their goals. While this program is delivering results across the country, we need to increase its funding and ensure that Michigan schools receive more of these resources.

With greater investment in the Postsecondary Student Success Grant, universities across our state could expand critical services like advising, career coaching, and academic support—all proven strategies to help students succeed. Increased funding would ensure that more Michigan students, especially those from underserved communities, have the tools and staff they need to thrive in school and in the workforce.

I urge Congress to not only renew the Postsecondary Student Success Grant but also expand its funding so that Michigan universities can fully benefit from this opportunity to improve student outcomes. Our students deserve the chance to complete their degrees and enter the workforce ready to succeed, and this program helps make that possible.

Ryan Fewins-Bliss, executive director of the Michigan College Access Network

Five Macomb County lawmakers and four from Oakland County who want to toughen rules for one of the state’s largest stormwater treatment facilities met recently with state officials who oversee regulations.

State Rep. Alicia St. Germaine, a Harrison Township Republican who lives near Lake St. Clair, said they had a good discussion with officials from the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) about the George W. Kuhn retention treatment basin in Madison Heights. But the lawmakers still plan to pursue legislation.

“We’re in a good starting place … we all want to work together to protect our waterways,” St. Germaine said.

She led lawmakers in introducing bills that would add more requirements for the Kuhn, including levying  large fines and requiring jail time for violating the new rules if the bills become law.

The bills would also give Macomb County a say in whether Kuhn’s five-year federal permit is renewed.

Harrison Township and St. Clair Shores recently passed resolutions supporting the bills.

Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller and some Republican lawmakers have complained that Kuhn’s federal permit expired a year ago.

The permit in question is issued by the EPA, called the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), and the state manages the permits which have to be renewed every five years.

Kuhn’s federal permit expired on Oct. 1, 2023. But the term “expired” isn’t accurate when referring to these permits, said EGLE spokesman Jeff Johnston.

“They remain in effect while new permits are being drafted and approved,” he said.

As long as a facility continues meeting federal and state regulations, a permit is extended.

That’s what happened in Macomb County, when the permit for its largest treatment basin, the Chapaton at the edge of Lake St. Clair, expired on Oct. 1, 2022. It was extended until a new permit was issued on Feb. 28, 2024.

The state has a backlog of permit applications; renewals often take years.

“EGLE has added additional permitting staff to address the permit reissuance backlog and has made progress in reducing it,” Johnston said.

EGLE officials are reviewing Oakland County’s renewal application. Before the permit is approved, the state will host a public hearing.

The virtual meeting among state lawmakers included St. Germaine and eight of her Republican colleagues. Five are from Macomb County, including St. Germaine, Joe Aragona of Clinton Township; Jay DeBoyer of Clay Township; Jaime Green of Richmond; and Doug Wozniak of Shelby Township. The remaining four are from Oakland County, including Tom Kuhn of Troy; Mike Harris of Waterford Township; Donni Steele of Orion Township; and Mark Tisdel of Rochester Hills.

The legislators spoke with EGLE Director Phil Roos, state Water Resources Division Acting Director Phil Argiroff, and Legislative Liaison Sydney Hart.

The lawmakers amplified Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller’s complaints that the Kuhn is polluting the Red Run Drain and Macomb is spending more to ensure fresh water than Oakland.

The Red Run Drain flows into the Clinton River and eventually Lake St. Clair.

EGLE spokesman Jeff Johnston said the Kuhn meets state and federal regulations but some “realistic and cost-effective changes might be possible.”

State officials will continue working with Oakland County on the permit, he said, adding “There are areas that might help further improve water quality in Red Run Drain that move past federal and state regulations. It’s too early in the process to be more specific.”

Jim Nash, Oakland County’s Water Resources commissioner, was not invited to the meeting. He said he expected EGLE officials to say what he’s been saying for weeks: The Kuhn is not polluting the Red Run Drain.

He said Macomb County’s storm drains begin about a mile from the Kuhn on the Red Run.

Macomb County recently spent $100 million in water infrastructure improvements including Chapaton. Improvements will add 13 million gallons of water storage for a total capacity of 41 million gallons during storms. Chapaton’s two-year upgrade started in 2023 and will cost $30 million – $25 million paid with American Rescue Plan Act money.

Oakland invested $144 million between 2003 and 2007 to upgrade Kuhn, the largest retention treatment facility in Michigan and capable of treating 150 million gallons of stormwater and sewage.

“There are 23 of these treatment basins in southeast Michigan and we all operate by the same rules,” Nash said. “We’re doing damn good work and I’m really proud of my people.”

Nash said “97% of the year all flow is sent to a Great Lakes Water Authority wastewater treatment facility in Detroit for processing.

That changes during a heavy rainstorm or when a large amount of snow melts. The Kuhn takes on stormwater and sewage that would otherwise back up into area basements.

Stormwater rushing into the Kuhn is filtered, skimmed to remove debris picked up from roads and buildings. The water is disinfected with bleach before being released into the Red Run Drain. Earlier this year, one of nine bleach tanks malfunctioned but has since been repaired and the other eight tanks updated, according to Oakland County officials and EGLE reports.

Other retention treatment basins may use ultraviolet light for disinfection, Nash said, but the end result is the same.

“You wouldn’t want to drink that water, but you could swim in it. That’s the standard all retention treatment basins in the state have to meet,” he said.

St. Germaine said lawmakers raised concerns in Tuesday’s meeting that bleach could damage the environment. Large amounts of bleach can potentially kill fish and other species in the drain. She said EGLE officials discussed having the bleached water dechlorinated before it’s released into the Red Run.

Macomb County’s Chapaton facility also uses bleach for disinfecting combined storm and sewer water. St. Germaine said she was unsure if requiring the Kuhn to dechlorinate its water would result in Chapaton and other retention treatment basins having to do the same.

She said the real fix will be separating combined sewers so stormwater can be handled separately from sewage – an option Oakland County officials said will cost billions of dollars.

“We know this is going to take federal funding,” she said. “Recently Chicago and New Orleans received massive funding to upgrade their infrastructure. If we all work together we can be right there – together with Chicago and New Orleans.”

St. Germaine said one recourse she hadn’t considered is working with the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), which has a stormwater assistance program. https://www.semcog.org/stormwater

“We could get engaged with SEMCOG,” she said.

“(The lawmakers) need to reach out,” said Nash. “Macomb County (public works officials) can tell them what’s going on.”Nash co-chaired SEMCOG’s water resources task force last year and helped produce a report on green infrastructure and ways to reduce runoff into sewer systems.

“We’ve been working on this regionally for years,” he said. That includes developing a workbook for Oakland County communities to help reduce storm runoff by updating local ordinances.

One example, he said, is reducing the number of parking spots required for businesses.

“You don’t need to have a parking spot for every square foot of a building as long as you have parking nearby,” he said. “Reducing parking spots reduces a crazy amount of runoff.”

Such changes along with adding green infrastructure in the form of more trees, shrubs and gardens on both public and private spaces helps, too, he said. In those areas, heavy rain can seep into the ground more quickly rather than running off into nearby storm drains.

Vice President Kamala Harris will be in Michigan on Friday, this time heading to Oakland County for a campaign stop, the Harris campaign confirmed to 7 News Detroit.

According to the Harris campaign, this will be her sixth trip to Michigan since she became the presidential nominee.

Harris will also be in Detroit on Tuesday for a live radio conversation with Charlamagne tha God that will air on iHeartRadio.

The visit comes on the heels of several stops by both campaigns. Republican Vice Presidential nominee JD Vance and former President Donald Trump were both in Detroit last week, and Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz was in Macomb County on Friday.

Today is Sunday, Oct. 13, the 287th day of 2024. There are 79 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Oct. 13, 2010, rescuers in Chile using a missile-like escape capsule pulled 33 men one by one to fresh air and freedom, 69 days after they were trapped in a collapsed mine 2,300 feet (700 meters) underground.

Also on this date:

In 1792, the cornerstone of the executive mansion, later known as the White House, was laid by President George Washington during a ceremony in the District of Columbia.

In 1932, President Herbert Hoover and Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes laid the cornerstone for the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington.

In 1943, Italy declared war on Germany, its one-time Axis partner.

In 1960, the Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series, defeating the New York Yankees in Game 7, 10-9, on a home run hit by Bill Mazeroski.

In 1972, a Uruguayan chartered flight carrying 45 people crashed in the Andes. In order to stay alive, survivors resorted to feeding off the remains of some of the dead until they were rescued more than two months later.

In 1999, in Boulder, Colorado, the JonBenet Ramsey grand jury was dismissed after 13 months of work with prosecutors saying there wasn’t enough evidence to charge anyone in the 6-year-old beauty queen’s slaying.

In 2011, Raj Rajaratnam (rahj rah-juh-RUHT’-nuhm), the hedge fund billionaire at the center of one of the biggest insider-trading cases in U.S. history, was sentenced by a federal judge in New York to 11 years behind bars.

In 2016, Bob Dylan was named winner of the Nobel prize in literature.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Gospel singer Shirley Caesar is 86.
• Singer-musician Paul Simon is 83.
• Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is 82.
• Singer-musician Sammy Hagar is 77.
• Model Beverly Johnson is 72.
• Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., is 66.
• Singer/TV personality Marie Osmond is 65.
• NBA coach Doc Rivers is 63.
• Actor T’Keyah Crystal Keymah (tuh-KEE’-ah KRYS’-tal kee-MAH’) is 62.
• Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice is 62.
• Actor Matt Walsh is 59.
• Baseball Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman is 57.
• Actor Kate Walsh is 56.
• Actor Tisha Campbell is 56.
• Olympic silver medal figure skater Nancy Kerrigan is 55.
• Actor Sacha Baron Cohen is 53.
• Olympic gold medal swimmer and TV personality Summer Sanders is 52.
• Basketball Hall of Famer Paul Pierce is 47.
• Singer Ashanti is 44.
• Olympic gold medal swimmer Ian Thorpe is 42.
• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is 35.
• Former first daughter Tiffany Trump is 31.
• “Stranger Things” actor Caleb McLaughlin is 23.

North Carolina football player Tylee Craft died Saturday morning from a rare form of lung cancer, coach Mack Brown said.

Brown made the announcement in his post-game news conference following the Tar Heels loss to Georgia Tech. Craft was 23.

This young man fought so hard for his two and a half years, Brown said. The doctors told us he outlived what he shouldve. And he did it with the spirit, he did it with a smile on his face, he didnt miss a meeting, he didnt miss practice, he coached these other incredible young people.

UNC had honored Craft who was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer in March 2022 during Saturdays football game, which also happened to be the teams annual Cancer Awareness Game. Friends and family members wearing shirts bearing Crafts name and number were recognized during an on-field ceremony.

Wide receiver J.J. Jones wore Crafts jersey with his No. 13 and last name against the Yellow Jackets.

RELATED | Hospitals begin offering breakthrough radiation therapy for metastatic cancer tumors

Brown told reporters he didnt learn of Crafts death until after the game but sensed something had happened after sharing an emotional hug with Crafts mother at the end of the first quarter.

I think the family feels the love and theyll continue to feel the love, Brown said. What weve got to do is be strong, and pray for strength for us as leaders, to help these guys on the field and off the field. So more than ever before I have got to step up and be stronger for them and make sure that I can help them manage the stuff and move forward in their lives.

UNC football also announced Crafts death in a statement posted on social media, followed later by a tribute video to Crafts memory. Additionally, the UNC mens basketball team wore shirts bearing Crafts name and number for its intrasquad scrimmage at the Smith Center following the football game, and had a pre-scrimmage moment of silence in Crafts honor.

Craft, from Sumter, South Carolina, played in seven games at receiver and on special teams as a true freshman in 2020, and four games in 2021 before his diagnosis. Still, he had remained present and close to the program.

Tylee meant so much to so many and affected us in ways well always be thankful for," the football program's statement said. He was 1-of-1 and, while he wont be with us in body, hell be watching over us with his endearing smile and endless positivity.

Two suspects claiming to be DTE workers killed a homeowner and restrained his wife with duct tape at a home in Rochester Hills on Friday, officials say.

One of those suspects, featured in the video above, is in custody, the sheriff's office said on Saturday around 6 p.m.

That suspect  the Hispanic male  was taken into custody in Shreveport, Louisiana. Detectives are still searching for the second suspect.

The Oakland County Sheriffs Office said this happened on Newcastle Drive near Adams and Dutton roads.

The sheriff's office said that the second suspect should be considered armed and dangerous.

On Saturday, the sheriff's office identified the victim as 72-year-old Hussein Murray.

WATCH: Sheriff releases Ring doorbell video of the suspects at the victims' home Ring video shows suspects wanted after a murder trying to get in a Rochester Hills home

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard says the two men, who had a white pickup truck with a DTE placard, rolled up to the house Thursday night and tried to get in but were denied.

On Friday, officials say the men tried again, claiming that they were investigating a gas leak in the area.

Bouchard says the husband went to the basement with the workers but never came up again. The wife reportedly told officials that the men came upstairs, bound her with duct tape and looked through the house for about 20 minutes before leaving the scene.

The wife is currently at the hospital recovering.

Chopper 7 was over the scene on Friday afternoon Police situation reported at Rochester Hills home

Friday afternoon, Bouchard said authorities were processing the scene.

Officials say the 72-year-old victim was a business owner in Wayne County. 7 News Detroit learned he owned Gold & Glitter Jewelry in Hamtramck.

His cause of death was yet determined as of Friday night due to extent of his injuries and the amount of blood found at the scene.

Related Video: Watch Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard provide an update on the Rochester Hills murder Suspects seemingly posing as workers murder husband, duct-tape wife in Rochester Hills

A loving guy, owned a business, cared about his neighborhood and his community. Shouldn't have been a target of this. No one should ever be a target of this, Bouchard said.

The sheriff said the department believes the incident was targeted.

"It wasn't random, they're not just knocking on doors and doing this. We think they were specifically looking to violate this family and obviously, the one link we're looking at initially is because they own a business," Bouchard said. Were going to check every direction and every potential motive.

Investigators accessed Ring doorbell video of the victims' home after working for hours to obtain it while waiting for Amazon or Ring to send it to them. Authorities got a search warrant and had the owner's permission to access the footage but ran into issues with two-factor authentication.

Investigators ultimately asked family to help the wife get a new cellphone and transfer service to that device to access the video footage.

Bouchard said they also canvassed the neighborhood to look for surveillance video.

When I started hearing the details of what happened, it was very disturbing, said Austin Rogers, who grew up living across the street from the victims.

Rogers' dad was friends with the victim.

"He was a nice guy. He was always doing yard work that's when i would see him. He would always wave, say hello," Rogers said.

DTE released a statement after the incident:

Our hearts go out to the victims of this horrific and tragic event, and we hope the perpetrators are quickly apprehended and brought to justice.   It is important to note that, before DTE arrives at a customer's home for any service visit, we make every effort to contact them in advance, either through a phone call from our call center or via email or text message.    DTE employees always carry photo identification. We encourage customers to request to see the identification badge before allowing access to their property. If customers want to verify a workers identity or confirm that a vehicle is an authorized company vehicle, they should call DTE customer service at 800-477-4747 to confirm the validity of the visit.  

The company also sent tips for when someone identifies as a DTE employee and tries to enter your home.

Know your gas provider. Just because DTE supplies your electricity, it does not mean they supply your gas as well. Impersonators arent always aware of our service territory. Please note that while DTE does not provide residential gas distribution in Rochester Hills, it does operate gas transmission pipelines in the area. Before DTE makes a routine visit to your home, we will make every effort to contact you in advance, either through a phone call from our call center or via email or text message. It is very rare that a DTE employee would need to enter your home, but it does happen. DTE will use every opportunity to make you aware of any work needing to be done at your home and if possible will contact you in advance to schedule time for the work to be completed. Prior to allowing a person claiming to work for DTE in your home or on your property, you should look for and do the following: All DTE Electric and DTE Gas employees and contractors carry photo identification badges, and are required to show their badge when asked. Customers should ask the employee why they are there and, if necessary, call 800-477-4747 to confirm before allowing entry or access to their property. Keep your door locked while you are making the call, and only speak through a locked screen door if its necessary to talk to the person. If an employee/contractor refuses to show their badge, the customer should refuse service and call 800-477-4747 to verify whether or not DTE is scheduled to be on site or at their home. In regards to gas service, the only reason a DTE employee would need to enter your home is if your gas meter is indoors. This is common in older homes.

Anyone with information on the suspects, incident or has surveillance video is asked to call the Oakland County Sheriffs Office at 248-858-4951 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein has filed a lawsuit in federal court over the decision of Ohio election officials not to count votes for her after her running mate was named by the national party after a state administrative deadline.

Cleveland.com reports that the lawsuit was filed Wednesday in U.S. district court in Columbus by Stein, the person named as her running mate on the state ballot and three Ohio voters. It alleges that the decision infringes on their constitutional rights to free speech, association, and equal protection and the voting rights of the Ohio-based plaintiffs.

Stein filed as an independent presidential candidate in Ohio because the Green Party lost state recognition several years ago. She listed Anita Rios the Green Partys 2014 nominee for Ohio governor as her running mate as a placeholder until the Green Party nominated Butch Ware to run with Stein at their national convention in August.

RELATED | Green Party's Stein calls for 'real debate' on 'critical issues'

The Ohio Secretary of States Office granted a request to remove Rios from the ballot but said Ware's name couldn't be added because the state deadline to replace an independent vice presidential candidate on the 2024 ballot had passed. Office spokesperson Dan Lusheck told Cleveland.com that Stein's name will still appear on state ballots, which were already being sent to overseas and military voters, but votes for her would not count.

The lawsuit asserts that the withdrawal letter was written and delivered by a local party official without the knowledge or consent of Rios. The plaintiffs are asking the federal court to issue a preliminary injunction and restraining order to ensure that any votes for Stein and Rios are counted.

Asked to comment on the lawsuit, Lusheck said in an email that Our previous view of this issue still stands, Cleveland.com reported.

As the Green Partys presidential nominee in 2016, Stein got 46,271 votes in Ohio, or 0.84% of the statewide vote.

A series of U.S. airstrikes targeted several camps run by the Islamic State group in Syria in an operation the U.S. military said will disrupt the extremists from conducting attacks in the region and beyond.

The U.S. Central Command said the airstrikes were conducted Friday, without specifying in which parts of Syria. About 900 U.S. troops have been deployed in eastern Syria alongside the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces that were instrumental in the fight against IS militants.

Despite their defeat, attacks by IS sleeper cells in Iraq and Syria have been on the rise over the past years, with scores of people killed or wounded.

The Islamic State group seized territory at the height of its power and declared a caliphate in large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014, but was defeated in Iraq in 2017. In March 2019, the extremists lost the last sliver of land they once controlled in eastern Syria.

RELATED | American forces capture ISIS leader who helped fighters escape prison in Syria

The U.S. military said the strikes will disrupt the ability of the Islamic State group to plan, organize and conduct attacks against the United States, its allies and partners, and civilians throughout the region and beyond.

It said battle damage assessments were underway and there were no civilian casualties.

Last month, Iraqs military said that Iraqi forces and American troops killed a senior IS commander who was wanted by the United States, as well as several other prominent militants.

At its peak, the group ruled an area half the size of the United Kingdom where it enforced its extreme interpretation of Islam, which included attacks on religious minority groups and harsh punishment of Muslims deemed to be apostates.

Scientists said a comet known as the Oort Cloud comet or C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will pass by Earth on Saturday for the first time in 80,000 years.

According to NASA, the comet will come within about 44 million miles of Earth, marking its first appearance since an era when Neanderthals walked the planet.

RELATED STORY | Many Americans got rare glimpse of northern lights. Will they return?

The comet successfully made its closest transit pass of the sun on Sept. 27, according to NASA, and was visible for those in the Southern Hemisphere in September and early October. Scientists were wary about it surviving the pass since its icy body might not have been able to withstand the extreme heat.

But the comet is mostly intact and now the Northern Hemisphere may get a glimpse of it from Oct. 12 through mid-November.

NASA said the Oort Cloud comet was first discovered in 2023 by observers at Chinas Tsuchinshan Observatory and by an Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in South Africa. The comet's official name is in honor of both observatories.

On this edition of The Race Weekend, Deputy Political Director Joe St. George speaks with Republican Congressman Gus Bilirakis about how his district has been impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Senior Political National Correspondent Charles Benson takes a look at one Wisconsin familys incredible IVF story, while Alex Isenstadt from Politico joins the show to discuss Elon Musks appearance with Donald Trump on the campaign trail. We also go Beyond the Beltway to Clallam County the most accurate bellwether in American politics to see how voters there are feeling about the election. All this while Congressional Correspondent Nate Reed and White House Correspondent Haley Bull join National Political Correspondent Jessica Piper from Politico for our Inside the Race Panel.

When a woman has a mammogram, the most important finding is whether there's any sign of breast cancer.

The second most important finding is whether her breasts are dense.

Since early September, a new U.S. rule requires mammography centers to inform women about their breast density information that isn't entirely new for some women because many states already had similar requirements.

Here's what to know about why breast density is important.

Are dense breasts bad?

No, dense breasts are not bad. In fact, they're quite normal. About 40% of women ages 40 and older have dense breasts.

Women of all shapes and sizes can have dense breasts. It has nothing to do with breast firmness. And it only matters in the world of breast cancer screening, said Dr. Ethan Cohen of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

With the new rule, "there are going to be a lot of questions to a lot of doctors and there's going to be a lot of Googling, which is OK. But we want to make sure that people don't panic," Cohen said.

How is breast density determined?

Doctors who review mammograms have a system for classifying breast density.

There are four categories. The least dense category means the breasts are almost all fatty tissue. The most dense category means the breasts are mostly glandular and fibrous tissue.

Breasts are considered dense in two of the four categories: "heterogeneously dense" or "extremely dense." The other two categories are considered not dense.

Dr. Brian Dontchos of the Seattle-based Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center said the classification can vary depending on the doctor reading the mammogram "because it's somewhat subjective."

Why am I being told I have dense breasts?

Two reasons: For one, dense breasts make it more difficult to see cancer on an X-ray image, which is what a mammogram is.

"The dense tissue looks white on a mammogram and cancer also looks white on a mammogram," said Dr. Wendie Berg of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and chief scientific adviser to DenseBreast-info.org. "It's like trying to see a snowball in a blizzard."

Second, women with dense breast tissue are at a slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer because cancers are more likely to arise in glandular and fibrous tissue.

Reassuringly, women with dense breasts are no more likely to die from breast cancer compared to other women.

What am I supposed to do?

If you find out you have dense breasts, talk to your doctor about your family history of breast cancer and whether you should have additional screening with ultrasound or MRI, said Dr. Georgia Spear of Endeavor Health/NorthShore University Health System in the Chicago area.

Researchers are studying better ways to detect cancer in women with dense breasts. So far, there's not enough evidence for a broad recommendation for additional screening. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force called for more research in this area when it updated its breast cancer screening recommendations earlier this year.

Do I still need a mammogram?

Yes, women with dense breasts should get regular mammograms, which is still the gold standard for finding cancer early. Age 40 is when mammograms should start for women, transgender men and nonbinary people at average risk.

"We don't want to replace the mammogram," Spear said. "We want to add to it by adding a specific other test."

Will insurance cover additional screening?

For now, that depends on your insurance, although a bill has been introduced in Congress to require insurers to cover additional screening for women with dense breasts.

Additional screening can be expensive from $250 to $1,000 out of pocket, so that's a barrier for many women.

"Every woman should have equal opportunity to have their cancer found early when it's easily treated," Berg said. "That's the bottom line."

Vice President Kamala Harris is in "excellent health" and "possesses the physical and mental resiliency" required to serve as president, her doctor said in a letter released Saturday that summarizes her medical history and status.

Dr. Joshua Simmons, a U.S. Army colonel and physician to the vice president, wrote that Harris, 59, maintains a healthy, active lifestyle and that her most recent physical last April was "unremarkable."

She "possesses the physical and mental resiliency required to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief," he wrote in a two-page letter.

Harris' campaign hopes to use the moment to draw a contrast with Republican Donald Trump, who has released only limited information about his health over the years, and raise questions about his fitness to serve, according to a campaign aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

RELATED STORY | Biden tells Trump to 'get a life' after former president spreads misinformation

Trump has released very little health information, including after his ear was grazed by a bullet during an assassination attempt in July.

Simmons, who said he has been Harris' primary care physician for the past 3 1/2 years, said the vice president has a history of allergies and urticaria, also known as hives, for which she has been on allergen immunotherapy for the past three years.

Simmons said Harris' latest blood work and other test results were "unremarkable."

Also in the report: Harris wears contact lenses for mild nearsightedness; her family history includes maternal colon cancer; she is up to date on preventive care recommendations, including having a colonoscopy and annual mammograms.

As Harris' office released the medical report, her campaign highlighted recent media reports raising questions about Trump's health and mental acuity and his failure to provide information about his health status and medical history.

Trump, 78, eagerly questioned President Joe Biden's health when the 81-year-old president was seeking reelection. Since Biden was replaced on the ticket with Harris, Trump's own health has drawn more attention.

Last November, Trump marked Biden's birthday by releasing a letter from his physician that reported the former president was in "excellent" physical and mental health.

The letter posted on Trump's social media platform contained no details to support its claims measures like weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, or the results of any test.