5 things to know for Oct. 18: Early voting, Middle East, Student loans, Climate pollution, Liam Payne

CNN’s 5 Things brings you the news you need to know every morning.

Ask to take a nap in a mattress store. Or challenge a stranger to dance in public. You’ll likely get a “no” in response — but that’s the point of the exercise. Psychologists say exposing yourself to uncomfortable situations can be a form of therapy to help decrease your fear of rejection. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. The North Carolina State Board of Elections said more than 200,000 early voting ballots were cast as of Thursday afternoon, which suggests the state is on track to come close to — or exceed — its 2020 early voting numbers. Meanwhile, some residents in the critical battleground state continue to grapple with inconsistent cell phone service and power after Hurricane Helene. CNN visited Western North Carolina, a disaster zone after the storm, where determined residents are even driving ATVs and trucks through debris to reach voting sites. The pivotal swing state of Georgia also began early in-person voting earlier this week and saw record turnout. Georgia election officials say absentee ballots were sent out by the US Postal Service as scheduled and were not impacted by the storm. Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, believed to be the chief architect of the militant group’s October 7, 2023, terror attack that set off the war in Gaza, has been killed by Israeli forces. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sinwar’s death marked “the beginning of the day after Hamas.” He vowed that Israel would continue fighting Hamas in Gaza until all hostages were returned home. In a call discussing Sinwar’s death, Netanyahu and President Joe Biden agreed there was an opportunity to advance the release of the hostages in Gaza. US officials said they would redouble their efforts with mediators to push for a ceasefire deal. The Biden administration on Thursday announced another round of student loan forgiveness, bringing the total amount of student loan cancellation to more than $175 billion for nearly 5 million people since Biden took office. More than 1 million of these student loan borrowers received debt relief through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which promises loan forgiveness to public-sector workers — like teachers and nurses — after they’ve made 10 years of qualifying payments. However, other student loan relief efforts, including a new repayment plan known as Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE), are tied up in litigation. The lawsuits were filed by groups of Republican-led states that argue that the Department of Education does not have the legal authority to implement the costly debt-relief programs. The Supreme Court this week allowed the EPA to temporarily enforce its rules regulating planet-warming pollution from power plants. The justices denied an emergency request from more than 20 Republican state attorneys general and industry groups that asked for the rules to be temporarily halted while a lower court challenge plays out. The EPA’s rules will compel existing coal and new natural gas power plants to either cut or capture 90% of their climate pollution by 2032. Compliance could reduce the carbon dioxide emissions from the sector by 75% compared to a peak in 2005, climate experts say. The Supreme Court’s rulings were the latest in a series of surprising wins for the EPA in recent weeks on the high court’s emergency docket. Earlier this month, the court let stand Biden administration rules that would cut emissions of the planet-warming gas methane as well as mercury.