45 missing children 'rescued from this evil'

USA TODAY: 45 missing children 'rescued from this evil'

Tuesday, October 27

45 missing children 'rescued from this evil'

109 human trafficking victims recovered in Ohio's 'Operation Autumn Hope.' Amy Coney Barrett is officially a Supreme Court justice. It's Tuesday's news.

More than 170 people were arrested in the largest human trafficking sting in Ohio history. Amy Coney Barrett is officially a Supreme Court justice. And a friendly PSA: Get those election ballots turned in!

It's Ashley. Let's talk news.

But first, in sickness and in health: Tennessee voters with COVID-19 can now vote in person at special sites under new guidelines.

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179 arrested, 45 missing children recovered in Ohio's 'Operation Autumn Hope'

Thanks to a monthlong human trafficking investigation dubbed "Operation Autumn Hope," 45 missing children have been rescued in Ohio. In all, the mission resulted in 177 arrests and 109 human trafficking survivors being rescued. More than 50 law enforcement agencies participated in the operation, which also included the arrest of a man and the recovery of two children in West Virginia. As a result of the operation, more than 70 missing and exploited children cases were cleared, according to the attorney general's office. "The success of 'Operation Autumn Hope' is measured not only in the number of arrests but in the lives that were rescued from this evil," Ohio Attorney General Yost said.

Welcome to the high court, Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett ⚖️

Time to get to work, Justice Barrett. The newest member of the Supreme Court, Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett, could have an immediate impact on American democracy. Upon making her place on the Supreme Court official by taking her judicial oath from Chief Justice John Roberts, Barrett has become the person who could:

•	Tip the balance on challenges to election procedures that could determine who wins the White House and control of Congress
•	Be the potential deciding vote on the Affordable Care Act.
•	Determine whether the Supreme Court delves quickly into issues ranging from abortion rights and immigration policies to Trump's tax returns, foreign entanglements and ... Twitter followers.

US President Donald Trump watches as Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas swears in Amy Coney Barrett as a US Supreme Court Associate Justice, flanked by her husband Jesse M. Barrett, during a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House October 26, 2020, in Washington, DC.

Nicholas Kamm, AFP via Getty Images

What everyone's talking about

•	Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are engaged. 💍
•	Researchers have discovered a coral reef in Australia that's taller than the Empire State Building.
•	Conan O'Brien says his late-night set was robbed: "What kind of new low is that for us?"
•	Police in Philadelphia said 30 officers were injured during violent protests after police killed a Black man who authorities said had a knife.
•	Cardi B had some things to get off her chest after she noticed a racist comment criticizing her for having Hermès Birkin bags.

Get those ballots to the mail, people

We have ONE SHORT WEEK until Election Day. But that sure doesn't mean we'll actually know our next president on Tuesday. While America decides between Trump and Biden, I'll be sharing the biggest election updates with you all in The Short List and in our election texting group (have you subscribed?). Here's are a few important things to know Tuesday:

•	Voters relying on the Postal Service to deliver their ballots should drop them in the mail today to ensure they arrive in time, officials say.
•	Here's when we might know a winner and how each candidate could claim victory.
•	Trump made many promises in 2016 and early in his term. Which has he kept and what is he still working on?

Dave Granlund, USA TODAY Network

USA TODAY Network

Louisiana braces for Zeta

Louisiana is once again under a hurricane warning as Tropical Storm Zeta swirled across the Gulf of Mexico on a path that could hit New Orleans by Wednesday night. Zeta weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall late Monday just north of Tulum, but is expected to regain hurricane strength as it moves over the Gulf of Mexico. A hurricane warning extends from Morgan City, Louisiana, to the Mississippi/Alabama border, including Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas and metropolitan New Orleans, the Hurricane Center said. Near where Zeta makes landfall, likely Wednesday evening, strong wind gusts will threaten to bring down trees and power lines, AccuWeather said. Isolated tornadoes will also be a threat in the Southeast during the second half of the week.

Palm trees are buffeted by the winds of Hurricane Zeta in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, early Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020. Zeta is leaving Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on a path that could hit New Orleans Wednesday night.

Tomas Stargardter, AP

Real quick

•	At least four migrants, including two young children, died when their boat capsized while trying to cross the English Channel to Britain.
•	Firefighters continue to battle two wildfires in California's Orange County with little containment.
•	A Pennsylvania teen was fatally shot while watching the sunset in the park with his girlfriend, authorities say.
•	Several Fox News Channel on-air personalities were exposed last week to someone on a private plane who later tested positive for COVID-19.
•	Colorectal cancer may kill thousands of patients under 50 this year. New guidelines recommend to start screening earlier.

The Justice Department can't defend Trump in defamation suit

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Justice Department's effort to intervene in a defamation case against Trump brought by E. Jean Carroll, who claimed the president disparaged her by denying her claim that Trump raped her in the mid-1990s. The judge rejected the government's central argument that Trump was acting in his official duties as president last year when he denied magazine writer Carroll's allegation — seen as an effort to shield the president from the potentially damaging legal action in the midst of a re-election campaign. The judge's ruling effectively keeps Carroll's claim alive.

A break from the news

•	🔉 Ditch the soundbar with new Amazon Echo speakers.
•	🏠 Moving during COVID-19? Relocating for work could come with a massive pay cut.
•	📱 The previous-generation iPad Pro is on sale for an amazing low price.

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here.