NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-28-2024 6AM EDT

Episode Date: October 28, 2024

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Otograph Collection is part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of hotel brands. Find the unforgettable at autographcollection.com. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Corva Coleman. In the final week of the campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are making their closing arguments. And as NPR's Mara Eliason reports, they're honing their messages intended for a small, yet critical group of voters.

Polls show many people simply don't believe Trump when he says he wants to terminate the Constitution or use the military against his opponents. So Harris has been calling more attention to Trump's words. She plays clips of his speeches at her rallies and warns about the danger she says the country faces if he is back in power. Meanwhile, Trump is also relying on a negative closing message. He says Harris is stupid and lazy and will allow the country to be invaded by hordes of criminal illegal aliens.

Polls show the race is still a dead heat and the candidates are competing for a tiny slice of undecided voters in just seven states. Mara Liason, NPR News. Harris campaigned across Philadelphia yesterday starting at a church service and then visiting a barber shop, a bookstore and a Puerto Rican restaurant. Trump held a rally in New York City's Madison Square Garden. Some of his guests were criticized for their insults. Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who set targeted women and black and Latino people, also specifically called Puerto Rico a, quote,

floating island of garbage. The comment immediately drew backlash, including from Puerto Rico's Republican Party chair, who called the comment racist. New York Democratic Congressman Richie Torres's parents are Puerto Rican. Puerto Rico's not garbage. It's gorgeous. The people, the culture, the island, everything about Puerto Rico is gorgeous.

And insulting the people of Puerto Rico as the Trump campaign has done, is not only bad morals, it's bad politics. He spoke to WABC-TV. The Trump campaign has done, is not only bad morals, it's bad politics. He spoke to WABC-TV. The Trump campaign has released a statement. It says that the comedian's joke does not reflect the views of former President Trump or of the campaign. South Korean intelligence officials will soon brief NATO representatives on the latest evidence

that North Korean soldiers are helping Russia in their fight with Ukraine. Terry Schultz reports that Ukraine says North Koreans are now on the front line in Kursk, the Russian region where Ukraine seized some territory, in August. NATO allies will discuss a response to reports initially issued by South Korea, now confirmed by the U.S. and other governments, that thousands of North Korean troops have joined Russian forces. Ukraine says as many as 12,000 North Koreans may be in training for this effort. The deputy chief of South Korea's intelligence service

will lead a high-ranking delegation to Brussels, where they'll also meet European Union representatives to share information about the North Korean troop deployments. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has said, if North Korea is aiding Moscow in this way, it would be important a significant escalation in the conflict. For NPR News, I'm Terry Schultz in Brussels. On Wall Street in pre-market trading, stock futures are higher.

This is NPR. Egypt has proposed a two-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Under the agreement, Hamas would release a handful of hostages and Israel would free a number of Palestinian detainees. NPR has learned that Israel has not rejected the proposal. An official tells NPR that Israel is waiting for the results of the U.S. election before moving forward. The official said another round of talks is expected in coming days. Japan's ruling party lost its parliamentary majority in general elections over the weekend, hinting at potential political instability.

As NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports, Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, or LDP, has ruled Japan for most of the past 70 years. Opposition lawmakers beat out ruling party ones 235 to 215, but no party or coalition got a majority in the House of Representatives. Opposition parties won by aiming for the political center and capitalizing on popular anger at corruption within the LDP. Now the parties will have to horse-trade to form a new governing coalition. If the ruling party needs the opposition's help to get its bills through parliament,

it may find its hands tied in pursuing its policy agenda. That could affect Japan's efforts to give the U.S. economic, military, and political help in its competition with China. Anthony Kuhn in PR News, Seoul. Later today at the White House, President Biden will speak virtually with active duty and National Guard service members. He is to thank those who worked in parts of North Carolina. They were helping the state recover from the hurricanes Helene and Milton. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.