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Episode Date: October 26, 2024

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J.D. With more electoral college votes than any other swing state, Pennsylvania is largely seen as the make or break battleground. Getting those last couple yards in the red zone in Pennsylvania is really, really tough. The presidential candidates have their eyes on it, and so do we. All this week on the Consider This podcast from NPR. Come along. Live from NPR. Come along. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Hurst. Israel carried out its anticipated attack on Iran overnight, hitting what it says were military targets. And Piers Daniel

Estrin has more. Israel's response was designed as a kind of a quid pro quo after Iran carried out its missile strikes on Israel on October 1st and also designed in a way that Iran would be able to contain any reaction. Israel says that its retaliation against Iran is now over and Iran indeed is signaling that it's downplaying this. And here's Daniel Estrin reporting. President Biden says he was briefed by the U.S. intelligence

community on the strikes and he says he hopes this is the end. Vice President Harris on the campaign trail in Michigan today says Israel has a right to defend itself, but... We are also very adamant that we must see de-escalation in the region going forward. Early voting opened statewide in Michigan today. More than 38 million people have already voted around the country, and former President Trump was also in the key swing state this morning, rallying in the Detroit suburb of Novi.

And Piers Donganye has more. The Trump campaign is working to make inroads with traditionally democratic groups, including the large Muslim and Arab American population in Michigan. There's anger in that community toward the Biden administration over the lack of a ceasefire in Gaza. At Trump's Saturday rally, he announced the endorsements of a group of local Muslim leaders

he met with, among them, Imam Bilal al-Zuhari, who spoke to the crowd. The bloodshed has to stop all over the world, and I think this man can make that happen. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris also campaigns in Michigan this weekend, including a rally in Kalamazoo with former First Lady Michelle Obama. Don Gagne, NPR News, Detroit. And Trump is also campaigning in Pennsylvania today.

Federal agencies say they're investigating a Chinese hacking operation targeting the telecommunications industry. And Piers-Jenna McLaughlin has more. Chinese hackers have recently infiltrated U.S. telecommunications companies. That's according to the FBI, which first detected suspicious digital activity, and the Department of Homeland Security's cybersecurity agency, CISA. Private sector cybersecurity experts call the newly identified group Salt Typhoon. Other Beijing-linked groups, including Volt Typhoon and Flax Typhoon, have been linked

to digital campaigns to break into U.S. critical infrastructure in places such as Guam and Hawaii, as well as operating massive digital botnets. The investigation into Salt Typhoon is ongoing. Depending on what the group was able to access, from private phone records to investigative wiretap data, it could be an intelligence goldmine for China. Jenna McLaughlin, NPR News. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Trick-or-treaters dressing up as Dr. Doom or Lady Deadpool will be in good company this year.

As NPR's Neda Ulubi reports, the majority of this year's leading costume trends come from Hollywood. NEDA ULUBI It seems movies still matter, at least on October 31st. BEETLEJUICE, BEETLEJUICE, BEETLEJUICE. NEDA ULUBI The year's most searched costumes are nearly all from popular movies. Number one, from Beetlejuice. You can find videos all over TikTok and YouTube explaining how to make costumes

for the character known as Shrunken Head Bob. The Shrunken Head is glued to the top. Next we've got the yellow suit. Other trending costumes this year include all the emotions from the movie Inside Out. Outside the realm of cinema, trending costumes include Chipotle burritos and the ill-famed Olympic breakdancer known as Ray Gun. Nada Oulibi, NPR News. Airport line jumpers, beware. American Airlines is testing a new technology at three airports around the country during the boarding process to cut down on the number of people who try to jump the line to get on the plane.

The technology, which is being tested at Albuquerque International, Tucson International, and Washington National in Virginia, alerts gate agents with an audible sound if a passenger tried to scan the ticket ahead of his or her assigned group. American Airlines says a gate agent then tells the customer they can't accept the pass and tells them to get back in line until their boarding group is called. I'm Janene Herbst, and you're listening to NPR News from Washington.