Polls, the media and the public have got it all wrong: Trump is 'actually winning'
Trump is so not a loser
Donald Trump said Monday in Florida: "I believe we are actually winning." And why shouldn't he feel good? He's down by just a point (if you look only at North Carolina). He got his first major newspaper endorsement from the 'Las Vegas Review-Journal' (owned by major Republican donor Sheldon Adelson). And Ohio's GOP chairman finally said he'll vote for Trump. If Trump looks past the math (it's for geeks, anyway), there's plenty to celebrate. For voters in this "nasty" election, less so. Many Americans may be surprised that they have something in common with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who thinks the choice is between "bad or worse," or with singer Sheryl Crow, who is petitioning for a shorter campaign cycle. But chin up. Just 15 days until Election Day, and the world is telling us it gets better. Let's hope.
Most popular Halloween costume for new parents? Zombies
A baby's first birthday. Time to celebrate with a smash cake — and moving boxes. Infants shouldn't move out of their parents' room until age 1, the American Academy of Pediatrics said Monday. Sorry, parents who are light sleepers (i.e., moms — we see you, dark circles and all). Room-sharing and placing baby on her back to sleep might baffle the grandparents, but these practices lower the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Experts also advise against blankets and swaddling. So what can you do? Researchers say the "cry it out" method of sleep training won't cause long-term damage — but that's harder without a wall between you. No wonder baby sleep consultants see business booming.
'The Walking Dead' went too far
AMC's "The Walking Dead" is back and, after months of waiting, fans finally learned in the Season 7 premiere Sunday night who got the ax — well, in this case, the barbed wire-covered baseball bat. Since this is a spoiler-free space, we won’t tell you who died (but you can read the full recap here). Here’s what we will tell you: It was excruciatingly violent and graphic, leading some (including USA TODAY’s Kelly Lawler) to question whether the show crossed a line. Others went as far to say they’re quitting the zombie apocalypse show entirely. Will a return to normalcy the rest of the season be enough to calm everyone down? Fans may have to wait and see how much more they can take.
Will Monday Night Football bring some drama after Sunday's snoozefest?
After spending several seasons as a backup behind Peyton Manning in Denver, Brock Osweiler seemed to have the starting job to himself when Manning retired. But this offseason Osweiler decided to sign elsewhere, with the Houston Texans, via free agency. He faces his old team Monday night on the road (8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN) in a battle of two 4-2 squads. How will he fare against the Broncos’ vaunted pass rush? Here’s hoping the game is more exciting than the 6-6 tie the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks played Sunday. But at least Cardinals coach Bruce Arians made things interesting with his postgame comments that the NFL would give a “bull----“ explanation for a blocked kick no call.
Extra bites
We lost two icons of the '60s:
• Tom Hayden, an anti-Vietnam war activist who was tried as part of the "Chicago 7" for conspiracy and incitement of protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, died from stroke complications at age 76.
• Rock 'n' roll star Bobby Vee had 38 chart-toppers between 1959 and 1970, including "Suzie Baby," "Rubber Ball" and "Take Good Care of My Baby." He died this morning from complications of Alzheimer's disease at age 73.
Don't forget the Motor City: Buick bucked a three-decade trend to rank in Consumer Reports' top three most reliable car brands.
What should you wear for Halloween? Here are some popular ideas for humans and pets — and pumpkins, too.
This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY.