NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-03-2024 6PM EST

Episode Date: November 3, 2024

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Okay, so does this sound like you? You love NPR's podcasts, you wish you could get more of all your favorite shows, and you want to support NPR's mission to create a more informed public. If all that sounds appealing, then it is time to sign up for the NPR Plus bundle. Learn more at plus.npr.org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Herbst. With just days to go until Election Day, both presidential candidates are making a final push in swing states. Former President Trump campaigned in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina, wherein Kinston,

he rallied his supporters. For the sake of your family, for the sake of your country, for your freedom, you have to get out and vote. Vice President Harris is in Michigan today starting at a black church in Detroit telling people that voters have a choice to make. What kind of country do we want for our children and our grandchildren? A country of chaos, fear and hate, or a country of freedom, justice and compassion. And the great thing about living in a democracy as long as we can hold on to it, is that we have the power, each of us,

to answer that question. Tomorrow, Trump campaigns in Pennsylvania, Michigan and North Carolina again, and Harris Hole's rallies in Pennsylvania, including Allentown, where more than half the population is Latino. And early voters can track their ballot online in almost every state. MPR's Bill Chample has more. Interest in ballot tracking spiked recently after drop boxes and a mailbox holding ballots were set on fire. But elections expert Lisa Danitz of the Brennan Center for

Justice says the U.S. ballot system is secure and election officials and law enforcement are working together to keep it that way. Danitz also says actual attacks on ballots are rare. It's not widespread. There's no need to panic. No one is going to be disenfranchised because of these incidents. But if you're worried about any kind of problem holding up your ballot, you can check its status online. Every state except Illinois, Missouri, and Wyoming has a statewide tracking system. Voters can also contact their local

election office for help. Bill Chappell, NPR News. In Spain, officials including the country's king and queen visited the flood ravaged region of Valencia today where they were greeted by angry survivors who shouted killers and shame upset over the response to the devastating floods that left more than 200 people dead and whole neighborhoods covered in mud. The BBC's Bethany Bell has more. The Spanish king and queen have visited the town of Paiporta near Valencia, which was particularly badly hit by the flooding.

They were met with anger and hostility. Residents have told me how they had to run to escape the rapidly rising waters there. More soldiers are on their way to the region to help with rescue and recovery in the biggest peacetime deployment of troops and emergency crews in Spain's recent history. The BBC's Bethany Bell reporting. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. NPR News from Washington. A new nonprofit that's been working to inspire Broadway audiences to head to the polls. In Pierce, Chloe Veltman reports, Broadway Votes is corralling music theater celebrities

to help with the effort both on stage and online. As part of this effort, Broadway performers have made curtain call announcements at shows such as Once Upon a Mattress, appeared in music videos, shared on social media like this new arrangement of Keep Marching from Sufts featuring Tony Award winner Alex Newell, and judged online contests. Tony Award nominee Betsy Wolf talked up the latest one on social media. I am partnering with Broadway Votes for a get out the vote costume contest. Broadway Votes says it plans to continue campaigning beyond this election cycle, most immediately

with the New York mayoral race in 2025, even though tourists from out of town comprise the majority of the Broadway audience. Chloe Veltman, NPR News. The restaurant chain TGI Fridays filed for bankruptcy protection this weekend, blaming slow sales as a result of the pandemic. This after the casual dining brand closed many of its stores this year. TGI Fridays started as a bar in Manhattan in 1965, expanding over the years to become a suburban gathering spot known for its potato skins and decor. But it peaked in 2008 with 601 restaurants. Today there are around 163 restaurants around the country.

Sit-down chain restaurants have faced challenges in recent years. I'm Janene Herbst, NPR News in Washington.