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Today’s top stories

As the 2024 general election season officially begins, election officials are concerned about the threat level they’re working under. This presidential election marks the first one since former President Donald Trump tried to overturn the 2020 results. In the past four years, officials have worked to improve election systems, educate voters and convince the people in their communities who might be skeptical that their processes are secure from voter fraud.

• 🎧 NPR’s Miles Parks tells Up First that he recently attended a media briefing that had the same nervous energy as meetings that would happen days before a hurricane makes landfall. More than a dozen state election offices received suspicious packages this week. The threats don’t just impact physical safety — they can take a mental toll. Workers are more likely to make mistakes if they’re looking over their shoulder constantly and those human errors further the cycle of misinformation.
• ➡️ Another big concern for election officials is if the U.S. Postal system can handle the influx of mail-in votes. They’re urging voters to turn in their ballots early in case of delays.

Right-wing online influencers are traveling to Springfield, Ohio to seek evidence backing up the false rumors Trump amplified in last week’s debate about Haitian immigrants eating pets. But those claims have been debunked repeatedly by local authorities and news outlets, including NPR. Some influencers have millions of followers and are part of big organizations like Turning Point USA. One thing they all have in common: their skepticism of what mainstream journalism and city officials have said about the claims not being true.

• 🎧 NPR’s Huo Jingnan has talked to people on the ground in Springfield and scoured the area. She found no evidence to back Trump’s claims. Some of the Haitians she reached out to were nervous or fearful, but one did speak up. Viles Dorsainvil, a community leader, says he was misrepresented in a video where his image was presented alongside car crashes he says he has nothing to do with. Residents have been dealing with bomb threats and extremists marching through the streets. They want national eyes to move on, but despite this Trump has announced he wants to visit the city soon.
• ➡️ Dorsainvil spoke in-depth with Morning Edition about these false claims and how it’s impacting his community. Here’s what he had to say.

It’s been almost a year since the FDA approved one of the first genetic treatments for sickle cell disease. The decision drew excitement, but since then, not many people have signed up. Sickle cell patients are born with a genetic mutation that causes deformed red blood cells and unpredictable debilitating attacks of agonizing pain. It also damages vital organs. People living with sickle cell disease tell NPR how it has impacted their lives, and why they’ve been hesitant to get the new genetic treatment.

• 🎧 Only 60 of the tens of thousands of patients who are eligible for these treatments have started so far, NPR’s Rob Stein says. The procedure requires chemotherapy, which can affect fertility. A patient could also be in the hospital for weeks, maybe even months. Then, there’s the hefty price tag: between $2.2 million and $3.1 million per patient.

I’m really into

NPR project coordinator Nina Fill discovered Survivor at 12 years old and her life was changed forever. Her obsession over the competition show is still there at 36. Though she pondered going on the show, 26 days of minimal sleep and food just wasn’t for her. But last year the Survivor gods smiled on her when she was accepted into Survivor Bloomington, a four-day live game based on the show. She found herself in a heavily wooded Bloomington, Ind., backyard, meeting her tribe as a production crew filmed. Fill knew that live reality games, or LRGs, existed, but finding one so close to her home was a game-changer. Here‘s how they built up her confidence and brought her a new community.

What are you really into? Fill out this form or leave us a voice note at 800-329-4273, and part of your submission may be featured online or on the radio.

Weekend picks

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

🍿Movies: Body horror tale The Substance stars Demi Moore as Elisabeth Sparkle, an aerobics TV star who is ousted from her gig after turning 50. A self-administered serum injection creates a younger, hotter version of herself, but only for a limited time.

📺 TV: If you haven’t watched Reservation Dogs, it’s not too late. The Emmy-nominated show ran for three seasons on Hulu. It’s about four Native teenagers living on a reservation trying to figure out their lives after their close friend dies. The creator, Sterlin Harjo, talks about what makes the show important on Wild Card with Rachel Martin.

📚 Books: Connie Chung reflects on decades of covering the news, her marriage to talk-show host Maury Povich and the prominent figures who acted inappropriately with her — including former President Jimmy Carter — in her new memoir, Connie.

🥘 Food: Not sure what to cook for dinner? Here are a few recipes to help you make choices that are not just good for you and your wallet, but also the environment.

🎵 Music: George Benson has seen success as a guitarist, vocalist and cultural icon throughout his decades-long career. One of his latest accomplishments: releasing his new “lost” album Dreams Do Come True: When George Benson Meets Robert Farnon.

3 things to know before you go

1. NASA’s “Hidden Figures,” a group of Black female scientists and mathematicians, were honored with Congressional Gold Medals for their contributions to space exploration. It’s the highest award given to citizens.
2. A Delta Air Lines flight from Salt Lake City had a pressurization problem this week that caused a number of passengers to bleed from their nose and ears. The aircraft was a Boeing 737-900ER.
3. Former CIA officer Brian Jeffrey Raymond has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for drugging, sexually assaulting and filming dozens of women across multiple countries in a 14-year period. Editor’s Note: This story contains detailed description of sexual assault.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.