Swing state voters; American economy; Harris and Trump: NPR

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Today’s top stories

Vice President Harris and former President Donald Trump headed west yesterday to deliver their closing arguments of the campaign to voters in the critical swing states of Arizona and Nevada. Both candidates hope to win over Latino voters in the United States and talk about border security, one of the biggest issues for the campaign. While in Arizona, Harris criticized comments Trump made at a rally Wednesday, where he claimed he would protect women “whether the women like it or not.” She took the comment as a warning about the possible consequences of a second Trump presidency for women.

This combination of file photos shows Vice President Harris speaking at a campaign rally in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on October 26, and former President Donald Trump at a rally on October 22 in Greensboro, NC.

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AP/AP

• 🎧 Nearly every day this week, Harris has addressed things Trump has said he wants to emphasize her argument that he’s not fit for office, says NPR’s Tamara Keith Up first. Trump is working to win over Latino voters and distance himself from the “garbage” comment a comedian made about Puerto Rico at one of his rallies. Trump is also trying to take back the narrative after President Biden appeared to say Trump supporters are trash before clarifying he was talking about the comedian’s bad joke.

The Ministry of Labor will provide an update on the labor market this morning. This comes after several economic reports this week showed that the US economy is in good shape.

• 🎧 The upcoming employment report is expected to indicate significantly slower job growth for Octobersaid NPR’s Scott Horsley. This slowdown is influenced by factors such as the Boeing strike and other labor disputes, along with the temporary impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Over the summer and early fall, consumer spending rose 3.7% year over year, led by solid wage gains. Overall, the economic data released this week is largely positive: inflation has fallen, wages have risen and the economy has been growing at a healthy pace.

Thousands of union activists are going door to door in swing states this weekend because there is a lot at stake in these elections. Many feel the Biden-Harris administration has supported them over the past four years by joining them on picket lines, creating more union jobs through legislation and expanding overtime eligibility. Some say they now view Trump as a threat because he enacted policies during his presidency that weakened federal employee unions.

• 🎧 NPR’s Andrea Hsu says the unions know Trump has strong support from white working-class voters, including some of their members. During their campaign, they want to draw attention to comments Trump made recently when he joked with Elon Musk about firing striking workers, reminiscing about how he hated paying overtime and simply had more workers would hire to avoid this. Although they are making great efforts, the persuasion phase of the campaign is largely over, Hsu says. But on the other hand, previous research also shows that just asking people if they plan to vote increases the likelihood that they will.

Behind the story

I’ve had OCD most of my life. It started in fourth grade as a fear of vomiting and turned into avoiding germs, sick people, any moving vehicle, and situations with no clear exit.

In high school, I couldn’t eat anything without praying firstotherwise I was convinced I would throw up. I had to drop my Spanish minor in college, which required me to study abroad, because I refused to board a plane where I or someone around me might throw up.

In January I made my first flight in five years and have made 16 flights since then!

After avoiding air travel due to my obsessive-compulsive disorder, I headed to Mexico City – my first international flight in years.

Claire Murashima/NPR

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Claire Murashima/NPR

Growing up, my parents and I had heard of OCD, but didn’t know it could manifest in the way I experienced it. This lack of understanding delayed my diagnosis and eventual treatment – ​​and I’m not alone.

Those who experience violent or sexually intrusive thoughts also tend to delay treatment because they stay quiet, according to Dr. Christopher Pittenger, the director of Yale’s OCD Research Clinic. They know that the thoughts they are having are irrational, but they still cannot get rid of them.

I talked to people who live with a variety of intrusive thoughts about harming themselves or others, questioning their own sexual orientation and breaking off relationships despite being in a healthy relationship.

I’m not offended when people say, ‘I’m so OCD’ when what they really mean is ‘I like to keep my space tidy’ – but until there is a better understanding of the extent of the disorder, it won’t get any easier for those of us who experience lesser-known forms of OCD to get help. to get.

Weekend choices

Mismatched cousins ​​David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) reunite for a tour of Poland to honor their beloved grandmother.

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Look what NPR is watching, reading and listening this weekend to:

🍿Movies: Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin star as cousins A real pain. The film presents a thoughtful and impactful story about family, friendship and the burden of the Jewish past, as well as how individuals deal with their history of suffering.

📺TV: The diplomat offers a different vision of politics: one in which sharp staffers often take the lead behind the scenes of government, and many involved are genuinely interested in improving lives – even if their actions could lead to negative results. The new season is now on Netflix.

📚 Books: In his memoirs, BrothersAlex Van Halen reflects on his relationship with his younger brother and guitarist Eddie, highlighting the decades they spent making music together.

🎵 Music: After 15 weeks at number 1 Billboard Hot 100, Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” has been knocked off the top spot by Morgan Wallen’s “Love Somebody.”

🎮 Games: Dragon Age: The Veilguard offers excellent combat and charming companions, but you may feel let down if you’re looking for a return to the series’ roots.

🥪 Food: Want to add more excitement to your child’s lunchbox? Here are six quick meals you can prepare in under 30 minutes.

❓Quiz: A perfect mix of celebrity and politics in this quiz, it almost feels like it was made just for me. I passed, do you think you can match my perfect score?

3 things you need to know before you go

Boeing workers gather on a picket line at the entrance of a Boeing facility during an ongoing strike in Seattle, Washington. About 33,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 751 have been on strike for almost seven weeks.

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David Ryder/Getty Images

1. Boeing machinists union leaders endorse the company’s latest contract offer. This makes way for a vote on Monday that could end the seven-week strike.
2. The trial of rapper Young Thug on gang, gun and drug charges is over. The Atlanta artist changed his plea in a RICO case that he was found guilty of yesterday, entering a no contest plea on several charges.
3. ChatGPT now has a search engine function which will also provide links to resources for answers it provides, according to OpenAI, the company behind the service.

This newsletter has been edited by Obed Manuel.