5 Things to Know for October 17th: Harris on Fox, Voters Abroad, Middle East, Archdiocese Scandal, Abortion Pills

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The federal government just made it a lot easier to cancel your gym membership. A new “click-to-cancel” rule unveiled by the FTC requires companies to offer consumers a quick and easy way to cancel subscriptions they no longer want.

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Vice President Kamala Harris spoke in a heated interview with Fox News on Wednesday, her first appearance on the conservative network. Harris has faced pressure over border crossings and violent crimes committed by undocumented immigrants during Joe Biden's presidency and repeatedly criticized former President Donald Trump for opposing a bipartisan border security bill earlier this year. Fox host Bret Baier confronted Harris about the Biden administration's decision to roll back Trump-era border policies, in what amounted to a heated exchange between the two. When asked about Biden's mental state, she called Trump “unstable” and said, “We should all be worried.” With the interview, Harris wants to appeal to a small group of undecided voters who have supported Republicans in the past but are aligned with Trump don't feel comfortable.

A foreign election process that could be crucial for Democrats has been the subject of several Republican-backed lawsuits in recent days. About 6.5 million eligible voters in the U.S. live, serve and study abroad, about 1.6 million of them from battleground states — and even more in tightly populated House districts. These votes could be crucial: The 2020 election was decided by 44,000 votes in four states. According to a report from the US Election Assistance Commission, more than 1.2 million ballots were sent abroad in 2020 and nearly 890,000 were ultimately counted. In addition to new lawsuits from Republicans in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Michigan, Donald Trump has suggested, without evidence, that voting abroad is a source of fraud.

The US has carried out airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen, targeting five underground weapons depots. It is the first time since tensions rose in the Middle East a year ago that the United States has used B-2 stealth bombers to attack the Iran-backed militant group. “This was a unique demonstration of the United States' ability to target facilities that our adversaries want to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried, fortified or fortified,” said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The facilities attacked contained weapons used to attack US ships in the Middle East. Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis are all part of an Iran-led alliance that spans Yemen, Syria, Gaza and Iraq and has been attacking Israel and its allies since the war began. The militants vowed to continue their attacks until a ceasefire was reached in Gaza.

4. Archdiocese scandal

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $880 million to victims of decades of clergy sexual abuse. According to a lawyer, it was the largest single child sexual abuse settlement with a Catholic archdiocese. “I am deeply sorry for each of these incidents,” Archbishop José H. Gomez said in a statement. “I believe that we have reached a resolution of these claims that provides fair compensation to the survivors and victims of these past abuses,” the archbishop added. The Los Angeles Times reported that lawyers for 1,353 people who claim they suffered horrific abuse at the hands of local Catholic priests reached a settlement with the archdiocese after months of negotiations. The agreement ends a quarter-century of litigation against the most populous archdiocese in the United States.

Four months after the Supreme Court dismissed a high-profile lawsuit against the abortion drug mifepristone, three conservative states have launched a new fight to restrict access to the pills. The states of Missouri, Kansas and Idaho filed an amended complaint in federal court in Texas, asking U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk to overturn the FDA's efforts over the past eight years to facilitate access to the drug, such as approval, sent by post to be undone. The lawsuit could result in the issue of access to mifepristone being brought back up for Supreme Court consideration in the next presidential administration, which in turn threatens the widespread availability of the drug even in states where abortion is legal – and that at a time when about half of states have strict restrictions on in-clinic abortions.

Early voting begins in North Carolina
North Carolina begins early in-person voting today as officials in the key battleground state struggle to ensure residents can continue to cast their ballots in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Here's what you should know:

Today, take a look at the October supermoon
Need a little Space? Take a moment to pause and enjoy the next supermoon of the year. The peak is expected to reach around 7:26 a.m. ET, but the silver orb will still be clearly visible until Friday morning, according to NASA.

Swipe just before the election
Many popular dating apps have introduced new features that make it easier for users to express their political views in the run-up to the election.

Museum reveals artifacts from a centuries-old time capsule
A World War I museum in Kansas City has unearthed a centuries-old time capsule, unearthing a trove of relics, artifacts and documents from the early 20th century.

Someone edited the Wicked movie poster to look more like the musical's version
Cynthia Erivo, the star of the upcoming “Wicked” film, called some online memes “deeply hurtful” after they obscured her face on the film's poster.

In Italy, couples are prohibited from having a child abroad through surrogacy
The Italian Parliament has banned couples from going abroad to have a child through surrogacy. Critics say the law is aimed at same-sex partners.

Liam PayneA former member of the boy band One Direction has died after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, according to police there. He was 31 years old. Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances of his death and are conducting an autopsy.

13,000
This is how many cases of Minute Maid Lemonade were recalled by Coca-Cola because they were incorrectly labeled as “zero sugar.” According to an FDA report, the cartons actually contained the full-sugar version of the drink.

“This devastating incident has shaken us all to our core.”

— Nigeria's Vice President Kashim Shettimamourns the victims of a tanker explosion in Majiya, a village in Jigawa State. The explosion occurred on Tuesday after a fuel tanker crashed and locals tried to salvage the fuel. According to emergency services and police, the death toll has risen to 153 people and 100 more were injured.

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AND FINALLY…

Watch backstage at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Watch backstage at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
After a six-year break, the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show took place in New York this week. CNN went backstage to talk to the models about the show's return.