NPR News Now - NPR News: 11-05-2024 7AM EST

Episode Date: November 5, 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 in Washington, I'm Cora Vick-Coleman. It is election day at last. Officials say that the number of people who voted early in person for the general election has shattered records nationally.

But as NPR's Miles Parks reports, many people still vote on the first Tuesday of November. Close to 80 million voters are expected to cast ballots today. And anytime that many people are doing the same thing on the same day, there will be hiccups. Whether it's power outages or websites crashing, experts say it's important to realize those are expected and not assume it means the process is rigged. Kentucky's Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams notes this is, after all, a process run by human beings. Most of my counties, people go to church with the poll workers. They go to church with the county clerk. They see them at the grocery, right? Like, it's harder to accuse people of being crooks and stealing elections when

you know them and you see them every day. It could take officials a few days to tally enough votes to know who won the presidency. Miles Parks, NPR News, Washington. Former President Donald Trump campaigned in several swing states yesterday. He started his very last rally after midnight this morning in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This is it. This is the last one that we're going to have to do. This is the third time Trump has closed out his presidential campaign in Grand Rapids. He spoke for about two hours this morning, castigating the Biden-Harris administration.

Vice President Harris rallied for the last time in Philadelphia last night. NPR's Deepa Shivaram has more. Harris's campaign says her rally in Philadelphia had 30,000 people. And the location was at the famous Rocky Steps, outside the art museum, that has the statue of the iconic movie character Rocky. A tribute to those who start as the underdog and climb to victory. Harris told the crowd that Pennsylvania will decide the election. start as the underdog and climb to victory. Harris told the crowd that Pennsylvania will decide the election. On her way out of Philadelphia, when asked if she's confident if she'll win, she said

her campaign is encouraging people to vote on election day. Deepa Sivaram, NPR News, Philadelphia. Also at stake in this election is control of the U.S. Senate. That's where Democrats currently hold a narrow 51 to 49 majority. But Republicans are favored for a takeover. NPR's Susan Davis explains that's because the map tilts dramatically in the GOP's favor. Of the 33 U.S. Senate seats up for election this year, Republicans are defending just 10 while Democrats are defending 23. To tip the balance of power in their favor, Republicans need

to win just two of three conservative states, Montana, Ohio, and West Virginia. The two parties are also contesting close races in the Blue Wall states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, where the Senate races tend to fall in line with the presidential outcome. Democrats are defending seats in Nevada and Arizona, where they've had the edge in polls. There are only two Republican-held Senate seats that Democrats are trying to flip, Texas and Florida, but both are seen as long shots. Susan Davis, NPR News, Washington. You're listening to NPR News. The U.S. Supreme Court says it will hear challenges to Louisiana's congressional map after the election. Black voters and civil

rights groups first raised objections in 2022 because there was only one majority black district in Louisiana. This was even though a third of the state's population is black. The state legislature then drew a second mostly black district a group of non-black voters sued claiming the new map is unconstitutional. The Kroger grocery chain has agreed to pay nearly $1.4 billion to settle a wave of lawsuits linked to prescription opioid sales. Kroger operates pharmacies across the U.S. NPR's Brian Mann reports, despite the payment, Kroger executives say they did nothing wrong. Kroger is the latest big U.S. corporation to reach a settlement with state attorneys

general, Native American tribes, and other governments that sued the company for dispensing highly addictive pain medications. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have died from opioid overdoses. In all, companies accused of helping fuel the national opioid crisis by aggressively marketing and distributing painkillers have agreed to pay out more than $60 billion. In a statement, Kroger said this settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing or liability. The roughly $1.4 billion payout will help fund drug addiction and treatment programs nationwide. Ryan Mann, NPR News. The nearly two-month strike against Boeing is over. Unionized machinists have voted to accept the latest contract offer from the aircraft

maker. The contract deal offers members a 38 percent wage increase over four years. I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News from Washington. 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 autografecollection.com.