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Today’s top stories

NPR’s senior political editor/correspondent Domenico Montanaro joins the newsletter today to break down the vice presidential debate:

There will be plenty for partisans on both sides to feel good and not so great about in this debate between Republican JD Vance and Democrat Tim Walz. It likely won’t move the needle in this campaign, but here are some takeaways from an interesting night:

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance shake hands after the vice presidential debate at the CBS Broadcast Center on Tuesday in New York City.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

1. Will the real JD Vance please stand up? Vance has been a hard-charging MAGA warrior but on Tuesday showed up as someone more agreeable. Will people buy it?
2. Walz was clearly less polished and more nervous on the national stage. He started off weakly, but was on better footing when talking about domestic issues, especially abortion, health care and Jan. 6.
3. Vance laid bare that he believes people should not trust experts, only Trump. The decline in trust for expertise and the inability for people to agree on a shared set of facts has been one of the biggest problems in American politics in last decade.
4. There were plenty of potentially explosive topics that weren’t brought up: childless cat ladies, military service, Ukraine and COVID.
5. Does Trump reconsider another debate? Will he really want to let Vance have the last word in front of the last big TV audience?

NPR fact- checked last night’s the debate in real time. Here’s what we found.

Stay informed during the 2024 election season and beyond by subscribing to the NPR Politics newsletter and listening to the NPR Politics podcast. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to retaliate against Iran for a missile attack against Israel last night. Iran launched approximately 180 missiles, forcing millions of people across the country into bomb shelters. This comes after Israel’s recent killing of Hasan Nasrallah, the leader of the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

• 🎧 NPR’s Hadeel Al-Shalchi, who is in Tel Aviv, tells Up First that the streets fell eerily quiet after the U.S. warned Israel about an Iranian threat and the Israeli military confirmed it. Hours later, air raid sirens wailed. Netanyahu remarked that Israel would attack whoever attacks them and thanked the U.S. for its support. American naval destroyers, alongside Israel, shot down the missiles. The Iranian mission to the United Nations said if Israel retaliated there would be a “crushing response.”

President Biden visits North Carolina today to assess the slow recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The death toll continues to climb across the flood-stricken southeast. Tens of thousands still lack electricity, water, cell service or all three.

• 🎧 The hurricane hit multiple states across hundreds of miles, putting a strain on resources and staff, NPR’s Jennifer Ludden says. Several thousand federal responders are on the ground, and hundreds more are on the way to provide assistance, according to the Biden administration. First responders are urging people to be patient, but residents are frustrated because they’re not fully aware of everything happening behind the scenes. Some feel they have been left to cope alone. A search and rescue official told Ludden yesterday that the disaster is so massive that the only way to get through it is if neighbors help neighbors. Power is being restored and cellphone towers are being repaired, but it could be weeks before the water comes back on.

Today’s listen

“The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom” casts Zelda in the starring role.

Nintendo

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Nintendo

The Zelda series has been around for nearly four decades, but the princess the game is named after has not had a spotlight role until recently. Instead, the green hat-clad Link plays the protagonist, saving the world from evil and rescuing Princess Zelda. She now flips the script by grabbing her wand to save a trapped Link in the series’ latest addition, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom.

• 🎧 Listen and watch Morning Edition host Leila Fadel discuss the significance of this role reversal with and Amanda Cote, author of Gaming Sexism: Gender and Identity in the Era of Casual Video Games.

Picture show

Former President Jimmy Carter attends Maranatha Baptist Church before teaching Sunday school in his hometown of Plains, Ga., in April. Carter was released from a hospital Wednesday following treatment for an infection.

NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Former President Jimmy Carter attends Maranatha Baptist Church before teaching Sunday school in his hometown of Plains, Ga., in April. Carter was released from a hospital Wednesday following treatment for an infection.

NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Former President Jimmy Carter was born on Oct. 1, 1924, and yesterday marked his centennial birthday. The 39th president, who has been in home hospice care since February 2023, received birthday wishes from many, including President Biden. His birthplace of Plains, Ga., held a parade in his honor. Carter is the longest-living person to have served as a U.S. president.

3 things to know before you go

President Claudia Sheinbaum wears the presidential sash during her swearing-in ceremony as Mexico’s new president in Mexico City, October 1 2024

Eduardo Verdugo/AP

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Eduardo Verdugo/AP

1. Claudia Sheinbaum, a former mayor of Mexico City, became Mexico’s 66th president and first female leader yesterday. She won with nearly 60% of the vote. Here are five things to know about her.
2. Fat Bear Week, a celebration of brown bears’ survival instincts, was delayed Monday after a male bear, 469, killed a female, 402, at Katmai National Park & Preserve in Alaska.
3. In 2001, Nora Durkin decided to pick up the phone and call 311 to talk about a secret she kept since she was a child. The operator, her unsung hero, gave her the affirmation she needed for years and helped provide her with guidance that brought her peace. Editor’s note: This story mentions child sexual abuse. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, you can receive free, confidential support by calling the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.