NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-04-2024 9AM EST

Episode Date: November 4, 2024

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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, on Corva Coleman, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are making their last big push on the last day of the campaign before Election Day. NPR's Franco Ordoñez reports Trump has four rallies today in three swing states. The former president will speak first in North Carolina, then head to Redding, Pennsylvania,

which is part of the state's Latino corridor. Redding is also home to many Puerto Rican residents who were not happy with the quote floating island of garbage remarks from one of Trump's opening speakers at his rally in New York last weekend. Harris will also speak in Redding today. Trump will then stop in Pittsburgh before heading to the Midwest where he'll wrap up his night late in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It's actually the third time in a row that Trump will finish up his campaign here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It's actually the third time in a row that Trump will finish up his campaign here in Grand Rapids. In 2020, he mentioned maybe being a little superstitious. He's scheduled to speak at 1030 tonight,

but last time it was after midnight before he started. Franco Ordoñez, NPR News, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Vice President Harris is concentrating on Pennsylvania today. She will crisscross the swing state from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia. People in Ukraine are following the U.S. campaign. The Biden administration has supplied Ukraine with weapons and other aid as it resists Russia's invasion. And MPR's Joanna Kakissis in Kyiv says some Ukrainians

are supporting Vice President Harris. Many Ukrainians tell me they are rooting for Kamala Harris because she's made it clear she will continue U.S. support for Ukraine. Though some, especially soldiers I've spoken to on the front line, they say they're concerned Harris might be too cautious with Russia. This is one criticism Ukrainians have of President Biden,

who is generally well-liked here. They say Biden's White House has been afraid of provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin and that approach has emboldened the Kremlin. NPR's Joanna Kakissis reporting. Voting rights groups are raising concerns in Pennsylvania. They're worried about thousands of challenges to the voting eligibility of U.S. citizens living abroad who are registered to vote in federal elections in

Pennsylvania. NPR's Hansi Lo Wang reports these challenges come after Republican groups in three swing states filed unsuccessful lawsuits also challenging overseas voters eligibility. The American Civil Liberties Union in Pennsylvania says at least nine counties in the state recently received more than 3,000 mass-produced challenges to the mail ballot applications of voters registered under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. MPRs confirmed those counties include Lancaster County and Center County, where officials say more than 100 were submitted an hour before last week's deadline. The ACLU says these challenges are putting at risk the voting rights of overseas citizens

who are eligible to vote in federal elections in the district where they last lived. It's unclear how quickly officials can process these challenges, which are adding another election complication in the key swing state of Pennsylvania. Hansi Lawong, NPR News, Philadelphia. And you're listening to NPR News from Washington. The share of first-time homebuyers has hit a record low. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports on a new snapshot of just how tough the housing market has been over the past year.

The share of first-time buyers is down sharply from a year ago to just 24 percent. And they're older than ever, with a median age of 38. That's according to the National Association of Realtors, which has tracked buyers for more than four decades. Many people have been shut out of the housing market in recent years as prices skyrocketed and mortgage rates shot up. For first-timers who did manage to buy, their median income was way up to nearly $100,000. The Realtors Association also finds a record share of people bought multi-generational homes. The biggest reason they gave was for cost savings.

Jennifer Levin, NPR News, Washington. Very heavy thunderstorms are moving out of Oklahoma and into northern Arkansas and southern Missouri. There are flash flood warnings posted for both regions this morning. Oklahoma got tornadoes over the weekend that injured 11 people and damaged scores of homes and other buildings. Oklahoma City got more tornado warnings this morning. Eastern Spain is getting pounded by a fresh series of storms.

Forecasters say the airport at Barcelona has got nearly six inches of rain today, and there's more on the Spanish coast. This follows last week's deadly torrent of rain and flooding around the city of Valencia that killed more than two hundred people. Spain's king visited the region this weekend. Many people shouted at him. Some people threw mud on him because of the Spanish government's response to the disaster.