Affirmative action under scrutiny; 'zombie' newspapers; chaotic holiday travel

Plus, a smile can help a depression med work better 🙂 [View this email online]( [NPR]( by Suzanne Nuyen Good morning and happy Halloween! We're just about a week away from the midterms, and major elections are taking place worldwide. In Brazil, [Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]( earned a stunning comeback to win the presidential election. Here's what we're following today: 🥇 First up [People wearing protective face masks walk through the Itaewon district in Seoul, South Korea, on Friday, April 24, 2020.]( SongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images Two Americans are among the more than 150 dead and more than 130 injured from a [devastating crowd surge]( in the Itaewon neighborhood in Seoul, South Korea. The area is [popular among young people]( during Halloween, and it was especially crowded after the pandemic decreased traffic for two years. ➡️ If you find yourself in unsafe crowd conditions, these are the things you should do to [protect yourself](. The Supreme Court is revisiting decades of precedent upholding affirmative action in higher education. It's likely that this court will [overrule some or all]( of those precedents. Right-wing, printed "zombie" newspapers, sent out recently across Illinois, push [Republican talking points against Democrats]( just in time for election season. They're taking advantage of the erosion of local news. Get ready for a chaotic, expensive holiday travel season. Demand is strong, [prices are only going up]( and experts are predicting cancelations and disruptions at the airport. Voters in Missouri, Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota and Maryland will vote on whether they want to join D.C. and 19 other states in [legalizing recreational marijuana](. All but Maryland are among the most conservative states in the country, showing the growing support of the movement across political lines. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- 📷 Picture show Emily Elconin for NPR Detroit's Theatre Bizarre Halloween masquerade party is making its return after time off due to COVID. Take a spooky journey with NPR through eight floors, 19 performance spaces and seemingly [endless rooms, costumes and adventures](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🎧 Today’s listen [After a dose of ketamine, special video games that offered a depressed player positive feedback, in the form of smiling faces or encouraging words, seemed to boost the length of time the drug quelled depression.]( akinbostanci/Getty Images Smile! It can help your depression medication work better. In a recent small study, the antidepressant effects of ketamine lasted longer when an intravenous dose was followed by computer games featuring smiling faces or words aimed at boosting self-esteem. 🎧 Listen to [what this means for treatment of the disease]( or [read the story](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🛑 Before you go [Platen Heilmethode 1894.]( Grafissimo/Getty Images - What happens when you donate your body to science? It's not too spooky. [Donated bodies help everyone]( from surgeons to detectives to archeologists do their jobs. - When life gives you a hurricane, make a haunted house. The Lincoln Mill Haunted Mansion in Philadelphia [drew inspiration from the flooding Ida brought]( last year for its theme. (via [WHYY]( - NPR's Nikki Jones inherited her love of horror from her mother. The spooky books her mom loved were more than just a scare — they [gave her the courage]( to leave her abuser. - Read if you dare! It's not too late to pick up a spine-tingling tale from our [list of favorite horror novels](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Find a Station]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Daily News emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]