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Episode Date: October 31, 2024

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Want the latest news from the campaign trail and beyond? Well, listen to the NPR Politics Podcast weekly roundup. Every Friday, we tell you what happened and why it matters. Listen to the NPR Politics Podcast, wherever you listen. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Korova Coleman. The Harris and Trump campaigns are looking to the Southwest today. They'll hold dueling events in the swing states of Arizona and Nevada. NPR's Ben Giles reports former President Donald Trump will make a third stop in New Mexico. Trump will host afternoon rallies in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the Las Vegas suburbs before

joining Tucker Carlson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Glendale, Arizona for an event billed as a benefit for hurricane relief. Vice President Kamala Harris will be joined by running mate Tim Walz for a get out the vote rally and concert in Phoenix. Later this afternoon, she'll be set to re-note to rally support in northern Nevada. With only a few days before the election, this may be the last chance for both Harris and Trump to deliver their closing arguments in two states that could help secure an Electoral College victory on Tuesday.

Ben Giles, NPR News. Humanitarian groups say conditions for Palestinians in northern Gaza are horrific. One of the last working hospitals there has been raided and some of the staff arrested. NPR's Hadil Al-Shilchi reports the Israeli military is intensifying its operation there. Air strikes are also getting worse. A few days ago, the military struck a five-story building in the town of Beit Lahiya. It was full of families of displaced Palestinians. And the Ministry of Health said at least 93 Palestinians were killed or missing, and that

at least 25 of the killed were children. The Israeli military said that that incident was, quote, being looked into. And the thing is, last week, the Israeli military said that incident was, quote, being looked into. And the thing is, last week, the Israeli military demanded that Gaza first responders leave Beit Laha. So civilians ended up pulling people out of the rubble themselves and burying the killed in the street. And Piers Handel, Al Shalchi reporting. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken will join a meeting

today with their South Korean counterparts at the State Department. This comes as officials from both countries say North Korea has test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile today. Officials in Japan say this ICBM's flight lasted the longest and reached the greatest height than any other North Korean test missile. Stocks opened lower this morning as the Commerce Department reported cooling inflation in the U.S. NPR's Scott Horsley reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell about 160 points in early trading.

According to the Commerce Department's inflation yardstick, which is closely watched by the Federal Reserve, prices in September were up 2.1 percent from a year ago. That's close to the Fed's inflation target of 2%. Stripping out food and energy prices, which bounce up and down a lot, so-called core inflation was 2.7% last month. Employers' cost for workers is growing more slowly. Labor costs in September were up 3.9% from a year ago. That's a modest slowdown from the previous year. We'll get a report card tomorrow on October hiring. It's likely to be somewhat distorted, though, by the ongoing strike at Boeing, as well as hurricanes which disrupted business in the southeast.

Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington. You're listening to NPR. Aircraft maker Boeing and its striking Machinists Union have restarted contract talks. The union has been on strike for nearly two months. The Machinists have rejected two proposed Boeing contracts. A semiconductor research facility in upstate New York has been named one of three national technology centers. As NPR's Eva Pukac reports, the facility is earmarked to receive up to $825 million in federal funding. The center, located in Albany, New York, will focus on research into semiconductor technology

known as extreme ultraviolet lithography. The Biden administration has pushed for semiconductor manufacturing to be produced domestically to increase competition with rivals like China. Since the Chips and Science Act passed in 2022, the federal government has invested billions into the construction or expansion of semiconductor fabrication facilities across the country. The U.S. Commerce Department has not yet announced the location of the other two National Technology Centers. Eva Pugac and PR News. Police in Los Angeles say some crowds turned unruly after the Dodgers won the World Series last night. They beat the New York

Yankees 7 to 6 in New York. LA police say some people broke into stores and a bus was set on fire. Officials say 12 people were arrested. The Los Angeles Dodgers took the series four games to one. Dodgers slugger Freddie Freeman was the series MVP. He hit four home runs in five games. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.