Geoff Bennett:

This all comes as Russia and Ukraine launched dozens of drone strikes overnight, killing at least four people.

In the Ukrainian capital Kiev, nine people were injured, including a child, after strikes hit an apartment building and a kindergarten.

There were other election-related developments here at home. The U.S. Supreme Court is allowing Virginia to cancel the voter registrations of about 1,600 people who Republican officials suspect are not American citizens. All three of the court’s liberal justices dissented. The ruling came after Virginia appealed a federal judge’s ruling that found the voter removals were unlawful.

It’s rare for non-citizens to try to vote in a U.S. election, but Donald Trump and his Republican allies have frequently raised fears that immigrants could vote illegally in November.

Authorities in Portland, Oregon, believe the suspect behind a series of ballot box fires is likely an experienced metal worker. This is based on a draft of the incendiary devices involved in the fires. They describe the suspect as a white man between the ages of 30 and 40 who they believe could be planning further attacks. According to authorities in the city of Vancouver, Washington, 475 ballots were recovered from a fire on Monday.

An unknown number of others were destroyed. They’re working to find voter information so they can contact people to get new ballots.

The FBI is also one of the investigative authorities. There were no arrests.

The US economy grew by a whopping 2.8 percent in the last quarter compared to the same period last year. This is primarily due to continued consumer spending, which rose by 3.7 percent. And that despite still high interest rates. Today’s figure was actually slightly below the 3 percent growth the country recorded in the previous quarter. But it still signals continued strength in the US economy as voters face the final days before the US election.

On Wall Street, stocks fell today as investors focused on recent corporate earnings. The Dow Jones industrial average fell about 90 points that day. The Nasdaq returned just over 100 points, or about half a percent. The S&P 500 also closed in negative territory.

And in New York City, a common practice has become the law of the land. Jaywalking is now legal. The City Council passed a bill last month that would allow pedestrians to cross the street at will. It became law over the weekend after Mayor Eric Adams ran out of time to veto the measure. Jaywalking used to be punishable by a fine of up to $250. And by one count, more than 90 percent of those targeted last year were black and Latino.

There are concerns that the new measure will lead to more pedestrian deaths, but for many New Yorkers it is simply an acknowledgment of life in the busy city.