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Today's top stories
Vice President Harris heads today to Texas, one of the reddest states in the country, as she aims to bring attention back to abortion rights. The state has some of the most restrictive abortion bans in the country. Former President Donald Trump is also visiting the Lone Star State, where he will be recording an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan. Polls indicate a significant gender divide in this presidential campaign, with women favoring Harris and men favoring Trump. Today's Texas visits highlight this divide.
- 🎧 Throughout this campaign, several women from Texas shared stories of when their lives were put in danger because they were denied an abortion when it was needed. NPR’s Deepa Shivaram says a new ad features a Texas woman who was denied care when she miscarried and shows a scar from an emergency surgery she received. In the background, audio plays of Trump saying he’s going to be a protector of women. Trump and Harris are headed to Michigan next. They’ll also be in Pennsylvania this weekend, trying to capture still undecided voters.
- ➡️ Beyoncé returns to her hometown today to perform at a Harris rally in Houston. This will mark the first time she’s appearing in person with Harris on the campaign trail.
The FBI has issued a warning to state and local officials that extremists with election grievances could turn violent in the weeks to come. People in the swing state of Georgia are on edge. The FBI bulletin emphasizes that concerns such as alleged election fraud and anger toward perceived political opponents could trigger the most likely threats of extremist violence. Polling places and campaign events may be potential targets.
- 🎧 Georgia election official Gabe Sterling says election officials are better prepared than in 2020 and they have done lots of training and implemented new security measures, Sam Gringlas of NPR’s member station WABE tells Up First. Sterling says they still need to be on guard for situations that could arise, especially since the U.S. is still stewing in misinformation. Trump so far has declined to say whether he will accept the results of this election. In Metro Atlanta, which is home to many immigrants, Trump’s campaign rhetoric toward their communities is not only inducing fear of violence but determining how they vote.
President Biden is set to issue a formal apology for the federal government's Native American boarding schools during his visit to Arizona today. He will be the first sitting president to formally apologize for these schools, which operated for over 150 years and separated American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children from their families in an attempt to assimilate them. This system often exposed children to abuse and, in some cases, even death. Biden will visit the Gila River Indian Community, marking his first time visiting a Native American tribe as president.
We, the voters
Thanks for joining Morning Edition this week as we listened to what Pennsylvania voters care most about. Tune in to All Things Considered next week to hear from voters in North Carolina.
The Martin & Co. guitar factory and museum in Nazareth, Pa., houses a vast array of storied instruments. Music giants like Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson and Tracy Chapman have played guitars by the world’s oldest guitar maker. NPR toured the factory, which provides a glimpse into Pennsylvania's technological evolution and America's political past. See some images showing how tradition and innovation are reflected at the museum.
Weekend picks
Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:
🍿Movies: In Anora, Mikey Madison plays a sex worker who dances at a strip club where she meets the son of a Russian oligarch. Their relationship begins as purely transactional but rapidly escalates into an intense, mutual infatuation.
📺 TV: Somebody Somewhere just began its final season. It follows a 40-something woman named Sam, played by Bridget Everett, who returns to her Kansas home to help care for her dying sister, Holly. Everett talks about what inspired the show.
📚 Books: Charles Baxter's new novel, Blood Test, follows a small-town insurance salesman who purchases a blood test that can predict romantic relationships, promotions, and more.
🎵 Music: Country singer Jelly Roll leads this week’s Billboard 200 with his first-ever No. 1 album, Beautifully Broken. Other artists in the top 10 include Rod Wave, GloRilla and BigXthaPlug.
🎲 Games: The board game Undergrove is about the mycorrhizal relationships between fungi and trees. Players compete in a cooperative environment by "partnering" with mushrooms to exchange carbon for nutrients.
❓Quiz: This quiz has it all: celebrities, food, politics and even a cute dog-related question. I didn’t quite ace it, but I would love to see if you can beat my score.
3 things to know before you go
- Los Angeles County District Attorney has recommended resentencing Erik and Lyle Menendez for the 1989 slaying of their parents, citing recent public attention to the case.
- The Justice Department yesterday reached a nearly $102 million settlement with the companies that owned and managed the ship that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. (via WYPR)
- For the first time, the CDC has lowered the recommended age for getting a vaccine against pneumonia — down to 50 from 65.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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