NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-02-2024 6AM EDT

Episode Date: November 2, 2024

NPR News: 11-02-2024 6AM EDTLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Support for this podcast and the following message come from Autograph Collection Hotels, with over 300 independent hotels around the world, each exactly like nothing else. Autograph 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 Joel Snyder. Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will be crisscrossing swing states on this final weekend of campaigning ahead of Election Day. Both rallied supporters in the Milwaukee area last night.

For Harris, it was her ninth trip to Wisconsin and her fourth to the state's biggest city. As Maayan Silver of Member Station WUWM reports. The Harris Campaign's Milwaukee stop, just four days before the election featured DJs and hip-hop artists like Glorilla and Cardi B. It's an attempt to energize voters in the city whose population is dominated by minorities and specifically young voters. I see the promise of America in all the young leaders that I see right now who are voting

for the very first time. Raise your hand. Milwaukee has seen a drop in voter turnout since the 2012 election when former President Barack Obama was on the ballot. Harris is trying to reverse that trend. For NPR News, I'm Ayaan Silver in Milwaukee. Well, Harris rallied supporters in a Milwaukee suburb. Donald Trump was across town speaking at a campaign event in the city's downtown, where

he criticized the economy under the Biden administration. So in breaking news, the economy created a pitiful, you won't even believe this, the economy stinks. I'm talking about Friday's jobs report from the Labor Department showing only 12,000 jobs were added to payrolls around the country in October, a significant drop compared to September. Economists say hurricanes Helene and Milton combined with labor strikes at Boeing and elsewhere likely pushed down job growth. Justice Department says it plans to send monitors to 27 states for

election day next week. The department says the officials will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws. Here's NPR's Ryan Lucas. The Justice Department enforces federal laws that protect the right to vote. As part of that mission, it regularly sends staff to monitor polling places. This year, the department says it is sending monitors to 86 jurisdictions in 27 states. On Election Day itself, Justice Department personnel will be available to field questions and complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws. That includes statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression, as well

as laws that ensure access to the polls for people with disabilities. It says complaints about violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at polling places should first be reported immediately to local authorities. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington. Washington State Governor Jay Inslee is activating members of the National Guard, putting them on standby in case they're needed to support law enforcement next week. In a news release, Inslee says the activation is a precautionary measure, citing the incendiary devices that were set off on ballot drop boxes earlier this week

in Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon. He also cited federal warnings to election infrastructure. This is NPR. The World Health Organization is resuming the emergency polio vaccination campaign for Palestinian children today, but only in Gaza City, as towns further north remain inaccessible because of the Israeli siege in parts of the region. Israel says Hamas has regrouped there. Health workers administered a first dose back in September, but the polio vaccine requires two doses to effectively stop transmission. The WHO says some 15,000 children who need a second dose remain in

northern areas. Los Angeles County is suing Pepsi and Coke for their role in plastic pollution, and Pierce Julius Simon reports that the county alleges that the companies have misled the public about how recyclable their products really are. The complaint filed in an LA court this week said the companies have used quote, disinformation campaigns deceptively promising that recycling can offset any harm associated with single use plastics. The lawsuit says PepsiCo overplayed the recyclability of its bottles and Coca-Cola promised plastic bottles can be reused an

endless number of times. The reality is that lots of plastic can't be recycled at all. If it can be recycled, it often can't be recycled more than once. Most plastics are made from fossil fuels, and much of it takes centuries to decompose. This is one of a growing number of lawsuits about plastic recycling. This fall, the state of California sued ExxonMobil for allegedly misleading the public on plastic recycling. PepsiCo and Coca-Cola did not respond to NPR's request for comment. Julia Simon, NPR News. podcast sponsor free on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or any podcast app by subscribing to NPR News Now Plus at plus.npr.org. That's plus.npr.org.