NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-05-2024 3PM EST

Episode Date: November 5, 2024

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I'm Danielle Kurtzleben. I cover the presidential campaign for NPR. So I go to rallies, a lot of them. I want to hear what the candidates say, talk to voters, and find out what ideas are resonating. And I put it all in my reporting to help you make sense of this election. It's why being there is important. To help support this work, sign up for NPR Plus. Go to plus.nPR dot org. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Election Day polls are open. Voters who were not among the more than 80 million to cast early ballots have a final chance to do so today. WFAE reporters Steve Harrison's in Charlotte, North Carolina, swing state. There's people who are coming in, a steady

stream of people to vote, but there's no big lines. And I think a big part of that is that in North Carolina, 4.6 million people have already cast ballots through early voting. We will probably get about 1.2 or 1.3 million people voting today. So 75% of the ballots that are going to be cast were already cast as of this weekend. Steve Harrison speaking to NPR's Here and Now. Well, the FBI says it is aware of bomb threats to polling sites in several states. It says many appear to

stem from Russian email domains. And so far, none of the threats appears credible. Earlier, a top election official in the swing state of Georgia said two sites were temporarily closed this morning because of the threats. Now, voters are deciding between Vice President Harris or former President Trump for president. They're also deciding a lot of key ballot initiatives, including measures on abortion access in 10 states. Here's NPR's Alyssa Nedwarni. Alyssa Nedwarni The measures would add amendments to state

constitutions to expand or cement abortion access. In five states, Montana, Colorado, Nevada, New York, and Maryland, abortion is already protected. Initiatives would essentially recognize and protect the right to an abortion. In other places, measures would drastically change abortion access, like in Florida and Missouri. Florida currently has a six-week ban on abortion. In Missouri, the state bans nearly all abortions. Voters in both of those states will weigh in on protecting abortion through the point of fetal viability, considered to be around 24 weeks in a pregnancy. Arizona, a swing

state, is also voting to expand access to abortion up to viability. The state currently has a 15-week ban. Alyson Adworni, NPR News. Control of Congress is at stake this election day. Democrats have a 51-49 majority in the Senate. Republicans have narrow control of the House. About three dozen House races are considered to be competitive, including some in New York State.

Here's NPR's Brian Mann. Democrats need a net gain of four house seats nationwide to win control of the chamber and there are five Republican held seats in New York state viewed as competitive. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has made repeated trips to the state working to shore up support for GOP incumbents. Democrats who fared poorly two years ago on Long Island in the Hudson Valley and upstate hope to ground, with New York's Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul predicting at least three House seats will flip to her party. Voters here will also decide the fate of a ballot initiative that would protect abortion

and reproductive rights under the state constitution. Ryan Mann, NPR News, Westport, New York. From Washington, this is NPR News. Also making headlines around the globe, in Mexico, the Supreme Court is weighing a case described as the most consequential in the country's history. NPR's Ada Peralta with details. That issue is a freshly passed constitutional amendment that completely remakes Mexico's judiciary.

It was approved by the executive branch, a supermajority in Congress, and a majority of state legislatures. But critics say the reform puts an end to judicial independence. Now 11 justices will decide whether they have the power to declare it unconstitutional. It could mark a moment when the apex court of Mexico emerges more powerful. But there are questions about whether the executive would accept such a decision. Chief Justice Norma Piña says this is a case of utmost importance. No matter what we decide, she says, this is for the history books.

Ada Peralta, NPR News, Mexico City. The National Guard's on standby across the U.S. this election day in case there's unrest. But in Kansas City, Missouri, KCUR's Zane Irwin reports the United Methodist Church of the Resurrections doing something different. 4 years ago, Pastor Adam Hamilton worried that his 24,000-member church in Kansas City was splitting at the political seams. This year, Resurrections' Campaign for Kindness has billboards, yard signs, and even TV spots. But instead of candidates or policies, their campaign advertises ethics. – Choosing kindness isn't about avoiding our differences, but navigating them with respect and compassion.

– More than 1,600 churches have signed on to the campaign. – St. Erwin reporting, it's NPR News.