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Today's top stories
The final push in the presidential campaign is on as voting starts in just a few weeks. Many people have already made up their minds about who they鈥檙e going to vote for. But with a race this close, it can be a nerve-wracking time. watch out for in the post-Labor Day campaign sprint.
- 馃带 NPR鈥檚 Domenico Montanaro tells Up First that voters really need two things right now: First, Vice President Harris is performing better than President Biden was in the seven key swing states everyone鈥檚 watching. Second, the race is very close within the margin of error and that鈥檚 not likely going to change much. issues including the economy, inflation, immigration, and abortion rights. People continue to view the economy negatively because prices are still higher than they were pre-pandemic, providing an advantage for Republicans. Montanaro says negative feelings about Trump are arguably as strong or stronger than those feelings about the economy.
- 鉃★笍 Why are swing states so important? Here鈥檚 a .
The United States has seized an airplane belonging to Venezuela鈥檚 incumbent president, Nicol谩s Maduro, in the Dominican Republic and taken it to Florida. The Justice Department alleges the aircraft was purchased from a Florida company for about $13 million by people affiliated with Maduro and smuggled out of the U.S. The relationship between the U.S. and Venezuela the July presidential election. International observers have rejected Maduro's claim to victory. The opposition says Edmundo Gonz谩lez was the real winner. Venezuelan courts issued an arrest warrant for Gonz谩lez, accusing him of sabotaging the election and conspiring against the government.
- 馃带 "The Biden administration is trying to sort of show its teeth and signal to the Maduro government that they鈥檙e serious about enforcing sanctions against the Venezuelan government,鈥� NPR鈥檚 Manuel Ruda says. This could in the future like oil. The Venezuelan government is calling the plane confiscation an act of piracy. Many people within the country are worried about all that's happened, including media censorship and the ban on social media platform X, and have considered leaving the country.
Thousands of hotel workers walked off their jobs in 25 cities across the U.S. to press for higher wages and increased staffing after contract negotiations with major chains Hyatt, Hilton and Marriott stalled. The strike, which started Sunday, is expected to last two to three days, organizers said. Unite Here, a union representing hospitality workers, says to staffing and guest services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Hotel And Lodging Association, the trade group representing major hotel operators, said 86% of its member hotels reported increased wages during the first half of this year. Many hotel workers say their pay doesn鈥檛 meet the cost of living and they have to work multiple jobs to cover their bills.
Life advice
Mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance. They can also be a serious health concern. The insects love heat and as summers get warmer, the U.S., Europe and South and Central America have seen mosquito-borne illnesses like West Nile virus, Zika, malaria and dengue rise. Here are .
- 馃 Avoid going outdoors from dusk until dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
- 馃 When outside during their most active times, cover up with long pants and sleeves so there鈥檚 less exposed skin for them to nip at.
- 馃 The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using insect repellent in the form of sticks, lotions and unpressurized sprays for kids. Avoid products combining repellent with sunscreen.
- 馃 Mosquitoes love to breed in standing water. Make sure to empty any containers that could attract them.
Click here for from a potentially infectious mosquito bite.
Today's listen
Rapper RZA, who helped launch the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan in 1992, is trying his hand at something new these days: classical music. During the COVID pandemic, he started to compose a ballet after he found an old notebook with lyrics he had written growing up as a teen in Staten Island, N.Y. It premiered with the Colorado Symphony last year and now has made its way into an album: A Ballet Through Mud.
- 馃带 Listen to parts of RZA's ballet album and of how he created it.
3 things to know before you go
- An experimental cancer drug was able to reverse memory loss in mice that had a form of Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. The finding suggests that it may eventually be in people.
- In 2021, Leahruth Jemilo was driving to a weekend getaway with friends, despite having a rough week. When she arrived at the Chicago Skyway Toll Bridge, a toll collector asked her how she was doing, causing her to burst into tears. The unsung hero's ever since.
- An Iranian writer and activist has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after he , or period, to a post from Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the social platform X.
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