NPR News Now - NPR News: 10-31-2024 11PM EDT

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This message comes from Indiana University. Indiana University is committed to moving the world forward, working to tackle some of society's biggest challenges, nine campuses, one purpose, creating tomorrow today. More at iu.edu. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Shea Stevens. Vice President Kamala Harris held rallies tonight in Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada. Earlier in Phoenix, Arizona, Harris made a direct appeal

to independent and Republican voters. As NPR's Tamara Keith reports, she also talked about abortion rights. Harris criticized former President Trump for remarks saying he would protect women whether they like it or not, linking that to his views on reproductive freedom. He simply does not respect the freedom of women or the intelligence of women

to know what's in their own best interests and make decisions accordingly. But we trust women. We trust women. She also urged Arizona's to vote yes on Proposition 139, a ballot measure that would expand abortion access in the state. Tamara Keith, NPR News, traveling with the Vice President. Former President Donald Trump is crisscrossing swing states to shore up as many votes as

possible. Trump campaigned in Henderson, Nevada today, where he doubled down on his promise to be tough on immigration. On day one, I will launch the largest deportation program in American history. We're going to get them out. We have no choice. I will rescue every city and town that has been invaded and conquered. Trump also traveled to New Mexico and Arizona and is set to campaign in Virginia on Friday. A new report shows the number of people detained by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement

has risen more than 20% over the past two years. As NPR's Meg Anderson reports, more than 36,000 people were in ICE custody this past spring. The number of people held by immigration authorities is lower than pre-pandemic, but there's been a steep increase since 2022. Researchers at the Vera Institute of Justice call that a sign of a growing criminalization of immigrants. Shana Kessler, director of the Institute's Initiative on Immigration. What I can say is that we are very much in a moment of extremely heightened anti-immigrant

rhetoric. She says a primary reason migrants are held in custody is to ensure that they'll show up for their immigration hearing. But past research has shown that the majority of released families do show up to court. Meg Anderson, NPR News. Boeing is making another contract offer to its striking machinists. A vote on the proposal is set for Monday. Roughly 33,000 U.N. machinists, a vote on the proposal is set for Monday. Roughly 33,000 union machinists walked off their jobs in September after rejecting a previous offer that included a signing bonus and pay raises.

Boeing has cut costs and announced furloughs to cope with losses associated with the walkout. The head of the International Association of Machinists says members of the union made concessions over a decade and are now demanding to recoup some of those losses. On Wall Street, stocks tumbled. This is NPR News. Rescue efforts continue in eastern Spain, where flash floods have claimed at least 158 lives and left a path of destruction. The country's transport minister says the death toll will likely rise as crews recover flood victims trapped in mud-laden vehicles.

The disaster was triggered by unusual rainfall. On Tuesday, Valencia got a year's worth of rain in less than a day, leaving the region mired in a layer of mud covering streets and downed power lines. Scientists who study stem cells are exploring the potential benefits of doing this type of research in space. As NPR's Will Stone reports, one such experiment is focused on growing liver tissue and is expected to launch early next year.

The goal is to grow bigger and more complex organoids. These are not actual organs. They're tiny 3D clusters of cells that mimic the function of an organ and are used to model diseases and test drugs and scientists hope one day for transplants. Tammy Chang, a surgeon at UCSF, says they're aiming to send their stem cell-filled bioreactors to the International Space Station in February. To test our hypothesis that microgravity is doing something unique that cannot be achieved

on Earth. Cheng says there's evidence from experiments using simulated microgravity that liver organoids function better when grown in those conditions. Will Stone, NPR News. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 378 points. The Nasdaq Composite Index plunged 512 points, and the S&P 500 fell 108. U.S. futures are higher in after-hours trading. This is NPR News.

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