NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-04-2024 12AM EST

Episode Date: November 4, 2024

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Support for this podcast and the following message come from the NPR Wine Club, which has generated over $1.75 million to support NPR programming. Whether buying a few bottles or joining the club, you can learn more at nprwineclub.org slash podcast. Must be 21 or older to purchase. Live from NPR News, I'm Dale Willman. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was campaigning in Pennsylvania on Sunday, speaking at a rally in the town of Lititz. He once again spoke about possible violence directed toward the media. I have this piece of glass here, but all we have really to shoot through the fake news, and I don't mind that so much.

I don't mind. Trump also told the crowd that America remains a failed nation, and he unleashed a profane, conspiracy-laden rant saying that elections are not legitimate. Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, meanwhile, was in Michigan Sunday. Speaking at a rally at Michigan State, she got a huge response when she asked the crowd who among them had already voted and then she gave the students homework, telling them the need to encourage their friends to vote. Michigan allows voter registration on Election Day.

Former President Barack Obama campaigned for the Harris-Walls ticket in the Battlegrounds state of Wisconsin on Sunday. Obama spent some of his time reaching out to black and Latino voters. Chuck Kornbach of Member Station WUWM has our reports. Obama told the Milwaukee rally that he can understand if some black and Latino residents feel politicians overlook their communities except at election time. But he says the answer is not to vote for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Who just this past week arranged for one of his supporters to tell jokes about black people eating watermelon and Puerto Rico being an island of garbage.

Obama was referring to comments made by a comedian at a Trump rally in New York. Polls showed Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in a tight race in Wisconsin. Vice presidential candidates JD Vance and Tim Walz are due to campaign in the state Monday. For NPR News, I'm Chuck Quirmbach in Milwaukee. Early voters this year can now track their ballot online in almost every state. NPR's Bill Chappell explains.

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.

And you're listening to NPR News. Moldova's pro-Western president claimed victory in Sunday's closely fought election. With more than 98 percent of the ballots counted, Maya Sandou led her opponent with 54.35 percent. The victory will likely accelerate the nation's push to leave Moscow's orbit and instead join the European Union. Going to a concert or sports event used to require a paper ticket, but these days tickets have gone digital and it usually exists on your phone. But as NPR's Rafael Nam reports, many fans still miss a physical ticket and now something's being done about it. Jared Castillo has a box full of old ticket stubs of games

and music concerts he's attended. He still goes to many of these events today but there's nothing there to say you were there. Now some teams and concert promoters are starting again to sell paper tickets. Not like the old ones that got torn or scanned, these are special souvenir tickets. Castillo bought one last year after attending a World Series game to see the Texas Rangers. It's a special ticket with an artistic rendering of a Rangers player. It's now one of Castillo's favorite mementos, a physical reminder that, yes, he was there. Rafael Num in PR News.

Oregon was the top pick for the number one spot in the latest AP Top 25 football poll, the Ducks are number one for the third week in a row. Georgia, meanwhile, remained number two, while the Ohio State University moved into third after a tight win against Penn State on Saturday. Miami and Texas rounded out the top five, followed by Penn State, Tennessee, Indiana, BYU, and Notre Dame. I'm Dale Willman, NPR News. This message comes from Deal.

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