NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-25-2024 10PM EDT

Episode Date: October 26, 2024

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Hey there, it's Tamara Keith. I cover the White House. I know this is hard to believe, but one day, the election will be over. Then the winner gets a lot more powerful. It's my job to report on what they do with that power. That's public accountability, but it's not possible without public support. So please support our work. Sign up for NPR+. Go to plus dot NPR dot org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. After saying for weeks it would retaliate for an Iranian ballistic missile attack earlier this month, Israel appears to be following through on that promise. There have been at least two waves of explosions over the Iranian capital Tehran in the past few hours. NPR's

Jackie Northam says while expected, it also further ramps upan in the past few hours. MPR's Jackie Northam says while expected, it also further ramps up tensions in the Mideast. It wasn't unexpected. Most analysts thought it would have happened several weeks ago, in fact. And the U.S. has been very involved in trying to make sure that Israel did not retaliate by hitting Iran's nuclear energy installations. Oil is a key driver of Iran's economy and it could have had repercussions worldwide. The problem of course is that the two countries could get into this tit-for-tat situation where it's uncertain where it would end

and it could lead to some sort of miscalculation and leading into a broader regional war which could pull in the U.S. NPR's Jackie Northam, militant group Hamas, backed by Tehran, carried out a terror attack on Israel more than a year ago, starting a brutal war in Gaza. US officials say Russia manufactured a fake video that purports to show someone destroying ballots marked for former President Trump in Pennsylvania. NPR's Shannon Bond reports Russian propagandists have made other phony videos targeting the

Democratic ticket. Federal intelligence officials and the FBI say Russia is behind the video, which has spread widely on social media, including Elon Musk's ex. The video was quickly debunked by local election officials and the district attorney's office in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. They say the envelopes and ballots shown are not what the county uses to vote. Federal officials say the fake video is part of Russia's efforts to undermine confidence in the integrity of the election and stoke division among Americans.

The video was posted by an ex-account that previously shared another video making false accusations against Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz. Intelligence officials have said that was also a Russian fake. Shannon Bond, NPR News. According to a new study, more abortions are being performed across the country now than before Roe vs. Wade was overturned, but a few states are bucking that trend. Elizabeth Codwell from Member Station KWGS has more. The hashtag We Count report shows a small increase in monthly abortions nationwide.

Only three states with bans, Idaho, Texas, and Oklahoma, saw actual declines. Dr. Ushma Upadhyay with the University of California San Francisco says the decrease indicates unmet need. We believe that it's people who are most disenfranchised, most, you know, left out of the health care system, people living in poverty, people with low access to digital resources. Researchers say they're waiting for federal data on births to paint a fuller picture. For NPR. The man who helped anchor the sound of the psychedelic jam band The Grateful Dead has died. Bassist Phil Lesh provided some of the soaring harmonies on the group's most popular songs.

As a founding member of the group he also co-wrote songs including St. Stephen and Dark Star. Phil Lesh was 84 years old. A federal judge is blocking a major fashion merger of companies that own Coach, Kate Spade and Michael Kors brands. NPR's Alina Selyuk reports the deal was worth $8.5 billion. The two companies that want to merge are Tapestry, which makes Coach and Kate Spade, and the other is Capri Holdings, which owns the brands Versace, Jimmy Choo, and Michael Kors. The Federal Trade Commission sued to stop their deal, arguing these are the main companies that make affordable luxury bags, especially Kate Spade and Michael Kors brands, which would go from rivals to one parent company. Now a US district judge has agreed with the FTC, saying

this merger should not proceed because it would reduce head-to-head competition, likely raising prices for shoppers. The companies argue the ruling is wrong in its understanding of just how competitive the fashion world is, and they plan to appeal. Alina Seluk, NPR News. Attention Kmart shoppers, actually never mind, there aren't many of you left the company that once had more than 2,000 stores domestically now is just one the sole surviving Kmart in the US located in the suburban Miami shopping mall Put out a business by nimble or rivals like Walmart targeted Amazon the Miami store became the last Kmart this week I'm Jack Spear in PR news