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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’re going to vote for. But with a race this close, it can be a nerve-wracking time. Here are five things to watch out for in the post-Labor Day campaign sprint.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally on Friday in Johnstown, Pa.

Justin Merriman/Getty Images

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Justin Merriman/Getty Images

• 🎧 NPR’s 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’s watching. Second, the race is very close within the margin of error and that’s not likely going to change much. Trump and Harris’ upcoming debate is expected to cover 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.
• ➡️ Why are swing states so important? Here’s a closer look at how they work.

The United States has seized an airplane belonging to Venezuela’s incumbent president, Nicolás 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 continues to worsen with disputes over the July presidential election. International observers have rejected Maduro’s claim to victory. The opposition says Edmundo González was the real winner. Venezuelan courts issued an arrest warrant for González, accusing him of sabotaging the election and conspiring against the government.

• 🎧 “The Biden administration is trying to sort of show its teeth and signal to the Maduro government that they’re serious about enforcing sanctions against the Venezuelan government,” NPR’s Manuel Ruda says. This could lead to sanctions over more serious projects 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 many hotels never restored cuts they made 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’t meet the cost of living and they have to work multiple jobs to cover their bills.

Life advice

Mosquitoes kill more people than any other creature in the world. So the key is — try not to get bitten.

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Cavan Images/Getty

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 some tips to protect yourself.

• 🦟 Avoid going outdoors from dusk until dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.
• 🦟 When outside during their most active times, cover up with long pants and sleeves so there’s less exposed skin for them to nip at.
• 🦟 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.
• 🦟 Mosquitoes love to breed in standing water. Make sure to empty any containers that could attract them.

Click here for more ways to protect yourself from a potentially infectious mosquito bite.

Today’s listen

RZA premiered his composition for A Ballet Through Mud with the Colorado Symphony in 2023.

Amanda Tipton/Infamous PR

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Amanda Tipton/Infamous PR

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.

3 things to know before you go

Glowing lines and spots encircling a human brain

PM Images/Getty Images

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PM Images/Getty Images

1. An experimental cancer drug was able to reverse memory loss in mice that had a form of Alzheimer’s disease. The finding suggests that it may eventually be possible to reverse some symptoms of Alzheimer’s in people.
2. 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 kind response has stayed with her ever since.
3. An Iranian writer and activist has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after he replied with a single dot, or period, to a post from Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the social platform X.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.