There's a global, fast-growing population of people without a religion, Axios' Erica Pandey writes from a new AP-NORC Poll.

• Why it matters: Religion has long been a powerful force in society, touching politics, art and daily life. The rise of nonbelievers is diminishing its influence.

🧮 By the numbers: 3 in 10 U.S. adults said they had no religious affiliation.

• About half of them identify as atheist or agnostic. The other half say their religion is "nothing in particular."

The shift away from religion is even starker among younger adults: 43% of 18- to 29-year-old Americans responded "none" when asked which religion they follow.

• But fewer than 20% of U.S. adults over 60 are "nones."

🌏 The trend is also gaining momentum across the world, AP reports from several countries:

• 🇯🇵 In Japan, 70% of people in Japan say they have nonreligious feelings.
• 🇮🇹 Nearly 80% of Italians say they're Catholic. But most view it as a tradition, with fewer than 20% attending services weekly.
• 🇮🇱 Israel, a country with about 7 million Jews, is remarkably nonreligious: Just 33% said they practiced "traditional" religious worship. Conflict between secular and ultra-religious Israelis has grown in recent years.

🥊 Reality check: Organized religion remains a key source of community for many Americans, with two-thirds of U.S. adults identifying as Christian, according to the Pew Research Center.

• As recently as the 1990s that share was 90%.

Keep reading.

Before Kevin McCarthy gathered enough votes to become speaker earlier this year, former President Trump quietly blessed an effort to put himself in charge of the House, ABC's Jonathan Karl writes in his upcoming book.

• Karl's deeply reported "Tired of Winning: Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party" will be out Nov. 14. ABC News posted an excerpt today.

Conservative firebrand Rep. Matt Gaetz — McCarthy's chief antagonist — jokingly voted for Trump on the seventh ballot of the speaker election.

• Trump's problem: He only received one vote.

Gaetz, realizing that Trump was fuming, moved to formally nominate him:

One Republican close to both Gaetz and Trump later told me Gaetz ran the idea by the former president and got his approval before making the move. Another said Trump had proactively asked Gaetz to do it. Either way, the former president's name was formally placed in contention — with Trump's blessing.

Keep reading ... More on the book.

1. 📈 The big headline from today's employment report is that job growth is much stronger than was thought. Employers added 336,000 workers in September, roughly double what analysts had forecast. More from Axios' Neil Irwin.
2. 🥇 Jailed Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, Axios' Ivana Saric writes.
3. 📪 The price of postage stamps could increase again in January 2024. It would be the fourth rate hike in less than two years, Axios' Kelly Tyko writes.

Crocs is taking a step beyond clogs and going western with cowboy boots, Axios' Kelly Tyko writes.

• The unofficial shoe brand of the pandemic said the boots will come with a "spin-able spur charm on the backstrap."

The shoes, which cost $120, will be released later this month.

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