Alarming changes at Twitter; hot, hot Treasury bonds; nationalizing local elections

Plus, a moment of grace for a woman with Alzheimer's. [View this email online]( [NPR]( by Suzanne Nuyen Good morning. Today is Día de Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. Residents in San Antonio have made heartbreaking ofrendas in [tribute to the victims of the Uvalde shooting](. Here's what we're following today: 🥇 First up [Iowa Republican congressional candidate Zach Nunn speaks at an October campaign event outside Des Moines.]( Danielle Kurtzleben/NPR Abortion, inflation, the border, the economy and the military: Nationwide, the same issues are coming up in most races as we head to the midterms, often eclipsing local issues. This [nationalization of politics]( could be bad for democracy and voters as a whole, even if it makes sense logically. Taylor Swift cannot be stopped. She's become the first artist ever to [take over all 10 of the top spots]( on Billboard's Hot 100 chart with songs from her latest album, Midnights. Elon Musk has owned Twitter for less than a week, and already users are seeing alarming changes to the platform, from a rise in racist slurs and antisemitic tweets to [conspiracy theories spread by Musk himself](. The incidents are especially alarming given how close Election Day is. David DePape, the man accused of attacking Nancy Pelosi's husband, has been charged with assault and attempted kidnapping, and could face up to [50 years in prison if convicted](. He's scheduled to make his first public appearance since the attack today for his arraignment. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- 🥪 Food for thought [Supporters of affirmative action in higher education demonstrate in front of the Supreme Court ahead of Monday's oral arguments.]( Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Yesterday, the Supreme Court heard arguments for two cases that seek to end affirmative action based on race in university admissions. It's [not the first time]( the court has discussed the issue, and there are a lot of precedents to dig through. 🎓 In the 1978 Regents of the University of California v. Bakke case, the court ruled that the University of California's "quota system" along with the use of affirmative action policies to remedy the effects of racial discrimination was unconstitutional. 🎓 Gratz v. Bollinger and Grutter v. Bollinger in 2003 set the modern precedent. The court ruled admissions officers could consider the race of applicants so long as they did so in a "narrowly tailored" and individualized way. 🎓 In 2013 and 2016, Fisher v. University of Texas tried to overturn the Bakke and Grutter precedent, but failed. 🎓 The decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina will likely come down in 2023, as the court looks at whether any consideration of race in the college admissions process constitutes a violation of the Equal Protection Clause. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🎧 Today's listen [The Treasury's website kept crashing as investors scrambled to buy government bonds.]( Andrea Hsu U.S. Treasury bonds are known as a super safe, super boring and totally unsexy place to put your money. But the Series I Savings Bond got so popular last week, the surge in demand crashed the Treasury's website. 🎧 [Listen to why it became such a hot-ticket item]( or [read the story](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Before you go Walt Disney Animation Studios/Screenshot by NPR - Disney revealed its first plus-sized heroine, a young [ballerina named Bianca](. Fan reaction has been mixed. - Dolly Parton, the legendary country singer, says she doesn't plan to go back on the road and tour again — despite plans to release a new rock album — but she will still do [occasional live shows](. - Delta Air Lines pilots voted to authorize a strike after negotiations for a new contract were paused due to the pandemic. The pilots have had the [same benefits since 2016](. - A woman struggling with early-onset Alzheimer's received a [moment of grace from a stranger]( while out shopping with her husband. - Shopping for ACA insurance for next year? Some changes to the program could save you money. Here are [six things to know](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 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]