//The Wire//2300Z October 31, 2024//

//ROUTINE//

//BLUF: SEVERE FLOODING DEVASTATES EASTERN SPAIN. DPRK MISSILE TEST SETS NEW RECORD. ELECTION INTEGRITY ISSUES CONTINUE IN USA.//

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-International Events-

Spain: Severe flooding struck the nation yesterday, with over 155 casualties being reported throughout the southeastern coastal regions. The city and region of Valencia was hardest hit (with the bulk of casualties coming from this area), along with the southeastern portions of Castilla-La-Mancha, as well as eastern Andalusia. Local authorities claimed that roughly an entire year’s worth of rainfall fell throughout the region in about 8 hours, prompting widescale flash flooding with very little warning. Dozens of dams have been washed out throughout the region, and the city of Valencia itself has suffered catastrophic flooding damage.

Far East: Overnight North Korea conducted a substantial ICBM test, with the missile flying for 86 minutes, breaking their previous flight time record.

-HomeFront-

United States: Election irregularities continue. In Kentucky, mixed reports indicate varying trouble with voting machines not allowing voters to select Trump’s name on the screen as a choice to vote for. AC: This allegation came about as the result of one viral video suggesting this happened for at least one voter. However, other voters at the same polling place reported no issues in casting their ballot for Trump. As such, single-source reporting is not a total confirmation of a widespread problem, however this incident does highlight the importance of paying attention and documenting discrepancies as they occur. Especially considering that, so far, the overwhelming majority of all election integrity issues have favored one particular candidate.

Texas: A poll worker discovered a sheet of paper containing login information allegedly for election machines at a polling place in Dallas. Allegedly, the scrap of paper contained user ID and password information for logging in to election machines. AC: As this is another single-source report, more investigation is needed to determine the veracity of this incident. However, for posterity’s sake being aware of voting machine irregularities continues to be a common theme.

Missouri: One of the largest lithium battery recycling facilities in the world suffered a catastrophic fire yesterday, prompting local evacuations. The 225,000 square foot complex in Fredericktown caught fire due to unknown reasons, resulting in the complete destruction of the facility. No casualties have been reported among workers at the facility, however the fire is still burning. Initial plume analysis indicates that much of the extremely toxic smoke is drifting nearly directly north from the facility. AC: Fires involving lithium batteries are some of the most significant and dangerous fires that are commonly found throughout society. Not only are lithium fires exceptionally hard to extinguish, but the smoke contains very hazardous compounds such as hydrogen fluoride and hydrogen cyanide. As such, locals have been advised to stay indoors and turn off external ventilation. This incident is also a continuation of critical infrastructure events which have occurred under mysterious circumstances. For instance, the company who owns the facility touted their state-of-the-art fire detection and suppression system, which relies on an array of sensors throughout the facility to detect any compromised battery cells. It is unknown if this fire detection and suppression system was functioning as designed when the fire broke out.

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Analyst Comments: Analysis of the North Korean missile launch by Japanese defense officials suggests the missile was launched at an unusually high take-off angle, reaching an altitude of 4,350 miles. While this seems like a drastic over-estimate, this is a tactic frequently used by North