Battleground state election lawsuits and IRS raises income tax brackets: Morning Rundown

Dozens of election lawsuits have been filed in critical battleground states. Four new cases of bird flu in humans have been announced in Washington state. And fans criticize the backlash directed at Liam Payne’s ex-fiancée in the aftermath of the singer’s death.

Here’s what to know today.

Battleground states flooded with voting lawsuits

Nearly 100 lawsuits across seven battleground states have been filed ahead of Election Day. The suits could shape how votes are cast and counted before Nov. 5 and affect the legal battle that’s expected to follow. An NBC News review found groups have filed at least 96 lawsuits this year in key swing states Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

A majority of the suits were brought by Republicans and allied groups who are focused on rooting out alleged voter fraud, particularly around mail ballot procedures and noncitizen voting. Lawsuits from Democrats and allied groups have focused mostly on expanding voting access by trying to extend registration deadlines or appealing for broader interpretations of laws about absentee ballots and voter identification.

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Voting rights experts said that many of the Republican-led suits aren’t designed to succeed but could help sow distrust in the voting system, especially if former President Donald Trump loses.

Politics reporter Adam Edelman investigated the suits filed in the battleground states.

🗳️ In Georgia, where Biden won by fewer than 12,000 votes in 2020, Democratic and voting rights groups sued to challenge a controversial rule from the GOP-led State Election Board requiring counties to count ballots cast on election Day by hand. Republicans have also challenged Fulton County poll workers’ plans and have tried to revive unfounded concerns about the state’s Dominion voting machines.

🗳️ In Michigan, where Trump allies stoked election chaos in Detroit, Republicans have focused on voter roll maintenance across the state and Detroit's practices related to election inspectors and absentee ballots.

Read the full story to learn about other election lawsuits in Arizona, Pennsylvania and other major battlegrounds.

More election coverage:

➡️ In an interview with NBC News’ Hallie Jackson, Vice President Kamala Harris said the country is ready for a woman of color in the White House. Harris also said her team is preparing for the possibility that Trump declares victory before the votes are counted.

➡️ Harris’ alma mater, Howard University, is a leading contender for her election night headquarters.

➡️ JD Vance’s willingness to take questions from the media has made him Trump’s explainer-in-chief — someone who defends, decodes and recasts his running mate’s controversial comments.

➡️ John Kelly, the White House chief of staff during the Trump administration, said in recent interviews that Trump privately praised Hitler and that the former president meets the “definition of fascist.”

➡️ President Joe Biden said “we gotta lock him up,” referring to Trump during a campaign event in New Hampshire. He appeared to catch himself and added, “politically lock him up.”

➡️ Trump resorted to false personal attacks on Harris twice in a day. First, during a roundtable event with Latino events, in which he called her a “low-IQ person.” Then, at the end of a rally in North Carolina, he suggested she had substance abuse issues.

➡️ How election officials across the country are beefing up security at polling places, from snipers on the roof and drones surveilling overhead, to panic buttons for election workers and street shutdowns.

➡️ “100 fellas on bikes in the city:” Correspondent Trymaine Lee joined a collective of Black men in Philadelphia as they hit the streets to encourage people in historically Black neighborhoods to register to vote.

➡️ Both the Trump and Harris campaigns agree on who is the final persuadable voter: a Republican or Republican-leaning independent who doesn’t like Trump personally but is skeptical of Harris’ perceived liberal policies, NBC News chief political analyst Chuck Todd writes. Ultimately, the campaign is likely to come down to whether Trump’s character is problematic enough for that important bloc of voters. Read the full analysis.

New income tax brackets announced

The IRS has raised the income thresholds and standard deductions for next year. After 2025, lower taxes enacted during the Trump administration will sunset without action from Congress, and tax brackets would revert to 2017 levels. For 2025, the top rate of 37% applies to single taxpayers with incomes greater than $625,350 or $751,00 for married couples filing jointly. The lowest rate of 10% applies to individuals earning $11,925 or less, or $23,850 for married couples filing jointly.

Meanwhile, the standard deduction will also increase in 2025 to $15,000, up from $14,600 for single filers, and $30,000 for married couples filing jointly, up from $29,200 in 2024. Read more about the changes to expect next year.

More bird flu cases reported

Four new cases of avian influenza, or bird flu, in farmworkers in Washington state were reported this week, the latest in a string of dozens of infections cropping up across the U.S. over the past few months. Washington is now the sixth state to report human cases of bird flu. If the CDC confirms the four cases in Washington, the U.S. tally will rise to at least 31.

Health officials said the virus has not made key genetic changes that would allow it to spread between people. Still, bird flu has become a growing concern for farmworkers on the front lines. The four Washington workers were part of a crew tasked with euthanizing all chickens at a farm where an outbreak of avian influenza was reported in chickens. Here’s what else to know about the recent bird flu cases.

Read All About It

• Israel said it had killed the Hezbollah official poised to become the militant group’s next leader.

• Rudy Giuliani was ordered to turn over his luxury Manhattan apartment and many of his valuables to the two Georgia election workers he defamed.

• McDonald’s Quarter Pounders have been linked to an E. coli outbreak in multiple states that has left one person dead and at least 10 hospitalized, the CDC said.

• Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries was arrested on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges.

• A new study linked losing your sense of smell to changes in breathing patterns that affect mental and physical health.

Staff Pick: Fans condemn harassment of Liam Payne’s ex-fiancée

In the wake of Liam Payne’s tragic and unexpected death, some people online began pointing fingers at his ex-fiancée, Maya Henry, whose allegations about Payne’s “abusive” behavior sparked scrutiny in the days before the singer’s death. But many One Direction fans have also offered support and sympathy for Henry, saying that they believe she was not at fault. We examined how fans are coming to terms with the grief of losing a beloved celebrity while holding space for nuance. — Angela Yang, culture & trends reporter

NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

If you’re a beauty enthusiast or you’re starting your holiday shopping early, then check out Amazon’s Holiday Beauty Sale. NBC Select’s beauty reporter rounded up the best products on sale now. Speaking of early shopping, here are 33+ holiday gift ideas for mom that she’ll actually use and love.

Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.

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This article was originally published on NBCNews.com