Debunking an election conspiracy theory and teen suspect dead after Oregon school shooting: Morning Rundown

Three children and a teacher are dead after a school shooting in Oregon. Election officials are debunking a years-old conspiracy theory. And could another interest rate hike be coming? Here’s what to know today. Three children and one teacher killed in Oregon school shooting Three children and a teacher were killed yesterday afternoon in a shooting at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon. The children were ages 5, 8 and 11. The deceased suspect, whom officials identified as a 16-year-old Bend resident, forced entry into Silver Rail Elementary School by firing through the locked doors, police said. This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. Deschutes County dispatch received a call at 12:59 p.m. local time from a person in a vehicle saying they were being “shot at multiple times by a person with a long gun,” police said. Then, “dozens” of calls reported a shooter at the K-5 school. Officers arrived within three minutes and learned the suspect had been fatally shot by a community member who pursued him into the school, authorities said. Police did not say whether the suspect had connections to the school, or how he got access to the weapon. In Oregon, minors can legally possess certain firearms if they have parental consent. Here’s what else we know. Election officials debunk a persistent false claim about poll workers and ballots Election officials nationwide are debunking a years-old conspiracy theory that poll workers will write on your ballot in order to disqualify it. The claim is baseless, but has circulated online. “Election workers write on ballots for different reasons as required by law. This in no way affects whether your ballot will be counted,” the State Board of Elections in North Carolina said. In some states, officials will mark ballots with initials signifying an election judge reviewed the ballot or a counting tally. In others, they don’t touch them at all. Regardless, voters are the ones filling out the ballots. Tim Bobanic, a supervisor of elections in Florida, said it’s not clear why this particular conspiracy has such lasting power. “I’m not entirely convinced that this isn’t outside groups, foreign entities” trying to “sow distrust,” he said. Read the full story here. Early voting is underway, with more than 6 million mail-in and early in-person votes already cast nationally. Follow the latest numbers, including data breakdowns by party and tallies in states with competitive Senate battlegrounds. Plus, track the battle for Congress and Trump’s approval rating. More election news: Maine Senate candidates Troy Jackson and Susan Collins had their fourth and final debate, with Trump looming large over the race. Federal law enforcement is investigating after suspicious substances were sent to more than a dozen election offices across the country. Kevin Warsh says Fed is focused on taming prices, but gives no hint about next rate hike Will the Federal Reserve raise interest rates again? Chairman Kevin Warsh offered few clues. In a speech at the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, Warsh said the U.S. economy has “broadly” moved in the direction that the Fed expected during its last meeting in September, when it raised rates for the first time since 2023. “We made very clear we’d deliver price stability,” Warsh said, a signal of his focus on inflation and that another interest rate hike could be on the horizon. But, he stuck to a familiar tone and refused to give any clear hint about how soon that might come. Warsh also projected optimism about AI, predicting that “it will make economies and countries that put it to good use more productive.” More on his comments. Read All About It President Trump has labeled Ukraine’s resumption of strikes on Russian oil refineries a “disgrace.” A teenage suspect accused of planning a mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Chicago told co-workers he “couldn’t wait to kill Indians,” prosecutors say. Actor Danny Trejo responded to criticism for being in what some have called a pro-ICE movie backed by political commentator Ben Shapiro’s conservative media company. NBC News obtained audio of a heated meeting between Cornell faculty and the university’s president over the handling of the alleged sexual assault case. The Milwaukee Brewers swept the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers to advance to the World Series for the first time since 1982. Now the Dodgers are left wondering what happened to their season, and their star. “Breaking Bad” actor RJ Mitte’s mother urged parents to watch for warning signs after his death by suicide. Staff Pick: Hollywood is giving lit nerds a reason to revisit the classics Book-to-screen adaptations are not a new concept in Hollywood. But this year, what stood out to me was that the classics were becoming talking points on my social media feeds. From Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights,” released in February, to Zoe Kazan’s “East of Eden” series, which dropped on Netflix this month, people are engaging with book-to-screen projects in a way that’s helping elevate them to cultural notoriety. Social media users are documenting their journeys through the classics, from first-time reads inspired by screen adaptations to annotated rereads ahead of their premieres. Others are posting deep dives comparing the books with their on-screen counterparts, fueling discussion over what Hollywood gets right — and wrong. Some even offer recommendations to people who want to read as they watch. It’s a refreshing trend, given that earlier this year The Atlantic, which counts literary icon Ralph Waldo Emerson as a co-founder, declared “The End of Reading Is Here” and influencers such as Alix Earle recently boasted about “never” reading a book. I talked to Kazan, actress Florence Pugh, who plays Cathy in “East of Eden,” and Kiska Higgs, the president of production and acquisitions at Focus Features about why they think audiences continue to resonate with Hollywood projects that are pulled from bookshelves. — Saba Hamedy, culture and trends editor NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified On the hunt for a new pair of wireless headphones? Our tech editor tested over 50 different models to find the ones worthy of your investment. Plus, fitness trainers swear by weighted vests, but do they really work? Our reporter investigates what you need to know before using one. 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