NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-28-2024 2PM EDT

Episode Date: October 28, 2024

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Wait, wait, don't tell me. Fresh Air, Up First, NPR News Now, Planet Money, Ted Radio Hour, Thru Line, the NPR Politics Podcast, Code Switch, Embedded, Books We Love, Wildcard, are just some of the podcasts you can enjoy sponsor-free with NPR+. Get all sorts of perks across more than 20 podcasts with the bundle option. Learn more at plus.npr.org. option. Learn more at plus dot NPR dot org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston. With about a week until Election Day, some 35 million voters around the country have already cast their ballots early. NPR's Hansi Lo-Long reports election and Postal Service officials are urging mail-in voters to return their ballots as soon as possible to avoid having them rejected.

If you're planning to vote by mail, the Postal Service is urging you to check your state's deadline and return your ballot at least one week before that date, which may be coming up very soon now that the last day of voting is about one week away. Absentee voters could also consider turning in their ballot at their local election office or at any available drop box. Today is the last day of voting is about one week away. Absentee voters could also consider turning in their ballot at their local election office or at any available drop box. Today is the last chance for eligible voters in Colorado and Washington to sign up online to vote in this election.

Those who miss this deadline can still register in person through Election Day. There's also time to sign up in person in the swing states of Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin. But Wisconsinites, take note. You can get registered at your municipal clerk's office through Friday or wait to register and vote at the polls on November 5th. Hansi Lawong, NPR News. The decision by The Washington Post not to endorse a presidential candidate in the upcoming election is prompting many readers to cancel their subscriptions and protest. The paper's returning to its practice of almost a half century ago when it did not endorse

candidates for president. Marty Barron spoke to NPR Today. He's a former top editor of the Post. The decision had been made three years ago, two years ago, maybe even a year ago. That would have been fine. It's a certainly reasonable decision. But this was made within a couple of weeks of the election. And there was no substantive serious deliberation with the editorial board of the paper. It was made for, clearly made for other reasons,

not for reasons of high principle. Lauren Henry That decision was made by the paper's owner, billionaire Jeff Bezos, after the editorial board had already drafted an endorsement of Vice President Harris. Public school students in Asheville, North Carolina are returning to class today about a month after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. Laura Hackett with Blue Ridge Public Radio reports. Schools in Asheville have had to restore power and internet and figure out a workaround to a city water system that still cannot deliver clean drinking water.

Now that they're reopening, educators are greeted with a new challenge, making up for 20 days of missed classes. School board member Amy Ray hopes to get some tutors. I hope at this point that we would be able to find donors to help us pay for just really robust tutoring. Educators are also preparing for a surge of mental health struggles among students and

staff. For NPR News, I'm Laura Hackett in Asheville, North Carolina. On Wall Street, the Dow was up 306 points. This is NPR News. President Biden is slamming billionaire Elon Musk for his recent million-dollar daily giveaway to entice registered voters. Biden today called the move, quote, totally inappropriate. Musk created a Po-Trump political action committee and has been giving away $1 million per day

to one voter each day who signs the Super PAC's online petition. Musk has endorsed former President Donald Trump in this year's election. California's governor has unveiled a proposal aimed at keeping entertainment productions in the state. NPR's Mandelita Barco reports he wants to boost tax credits. Film and TV productions made in California have plummeted in the past few years, particularly with more reality shows and game shows relocating from LA to Atlanta or Canada. Some blame the pandemic. Last year's strikes by Hollywood writers and performers, industry-wide layoffs and cost-cutting. Add to that, other states and countries now offer producers tax breaks for a shooting

on location. Hoping to keep productions in California or to lure them back, Governor Gavin Newsom has announced he'd like to more than double the state's current budget for tax credits to $750 million. If legislators pass his proposal, California would offer the second most generous incentive package after Georgia, which has given productions more than a billion dollars in tax credits this year. Mandelit Del Barco, NPR News.

Game three of the World Series gets underway in New York City tonight. The Los Angeles Dodgers are leading the New York Yankees, two games to none. This is NPR News.