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5 takeaways from a year of listening to swing voters

People cast ballots on the first day of early voting in New York on Oct. 24. Ryan Murphy/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Ryan Murphy/AFP via Getty Images

People cast ballots on the first day of early voting in New York on Oct. 24. Ryan Murphy/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Ryan Murphy/AFP via Getty Images

Every election, there is a crucial sliver of voters who help determine which candidates win. Here are five takeaways from a year of listening to voters who backed Biden in 2020 and then Trump in 2024.

NPR Special: Swing Voters & the Issues That Matter

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Oyster stocks have plunged in the Chesapeake. This resident wants to bring them back

John Consoli marvels at oysters. "I think I'm more enthusiastic about something that's like a rock than anybody else could possibly be," he says. Ari Daniel/NPR hide caption

Ari Daniel/NPR

John Consoli marvels at oysters. "I think I'm more enthusiastic about something that's like a rock than anybody else could possibly be," he says. Ari Daniel/NPR hide caption

Ari Daniel/NPR

Oyster reefs once abounded in the Chesapeake, but overharvesting slashed their populations, leading to poorer water quality and less habitat for other species. Now, researchers and local residents are finding creative ways to bring their numbers back up.

Oyster aid efforts in the Chesapeake

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Decoding The Food And Drink On A Day Of The Dead Altar

Elaborately decorated skulls are crafted from pure sugar and given to friends as gifts. The colorful designs represent the vitality of life and individual personality. Karen Castillo FarfÃĄn/NPR hide caption

Karen Castillo FarfÃĄn/NPR
Elaborately decorated skulls are crafted from pure sugar and given to friends as gifts. The colorful designs represent the vitality of life and individual personality.

Elaborately decorated skulls are crafted from pure sugar and given to friends as gifts. The colorful designs represent the vitality of life and individual personality.

Karen Castillo FarfÃĄn/NPR

Elaborately decorated skulls are crafted from pure sugar and given to friends as gifts. The colorful designs represent the vitality of life and individual personality. Karen Castillo FarfÃĄn/NPR hide caption

Karen Castillo FarfÃĄn/NPR
Elaborately decorated skulls are crafted from pure sugar and given to friends as gifts. The colorful designs represent the vitality of life and individual personality.

Elaborately decorated skulls are crafted from pure sugar and given to friends as gifts. The colorful designs represent the vitality of life and individual personality.

Karen Castillo FarfÃĄn/NPR

The Mexican tradition celebrates the dead and welcomes their return to the land of the living once a year. Enticing them to make the trip is where the food, drink and musical offerings come in.

On what anatomical feature was Trump fixated this week? The quiz knows — do you?

From left: Nicki Minaj, ACOTAR author Sarah J. Maas, FlÃĄvio Bolsonaro. Alex Wong/Getty Images; Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Tory Burch; Mauro Pimentel/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Alex Wong/Getty Images; Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Tory Burch; Mauro Pimentel/AFP via Getty Images

From left: Nicki Minaj, ACOTAR author Sarah J. Maas, FlÃĄvio Bolsonaro. Alex Wong/Getty Images; Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Tory Burch; Mauro Pimentel/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Alex Wong/Getty Images; Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Tory Burch; Mauro Pimentel/AFP via Getty Images

Hint: He likes them big (and he cannot lie).

Justice Department seeks to isolate Alaska ballots amid criminal probe over Senate candidate

Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola speaks during a campaign event Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, in Juneau, Alaska. Chloe Anderson/AP hide caption

Chloe Anderson/AP

Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola speaks during a campaign event Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, in Juneau, Alaska. Chloe Anderson/AP hide caption

Chloe Anderson/AP

The latest developments come amid allegations, first reported by The New York Times, that Democrats recruited a spoiler candidate in the toss-up U.S. Senate race.

Key takeaways from this week's political meeting in Beijing

From left Wang Gang, moderator; Hu Heping, Executive Vice Minister of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee; Zhang Fuhai, Deputy Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC and Vice Chairman of the National Commission of Supervision; Huang Jianfa, Executive Vice Minister of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee; Tang Fangyu, Director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee; Xie Chuntao, Executive Vice President of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance) hold a press conference a day after the Communist Party Central Committee's fifth plenum close in Beijing, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. Ng Han Guan/AP hide caption

Ng Han Guan/AP

From left Wang Gang, moderator; Hu Heping, Executive Vice Minister of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee; Zhang Fuhai, Deputy Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC and Vice Chairman of the National Commission of Supervision; Huang Jianfa, Executive Vice Minister of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee; Tang Fangyu, Director of the Policy Research Office of the CPC Central Committee; Xie Chuntao, Executive Vice President of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance) hold a press conference a day after the Communist Party Central Committee's fifth plenum close in Beijing, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. Ng Han Guan/AP hide caption

Ng Han Guan/AP

The Communist party central committee meeting was focused on discipline and fighting corruption. It comes ahead of next year when Xi is widely expected to try to secure a fourth term.

Special ed diaries: Teachers tell NPR about their most joyous, most difficult moments

Top row (from left): Danalyn Garcia of Chicago Public Schools, Lucie Lane of Shawnee Mission Public Schools in Kansas, Jeff Carroll of Newport News City Public Schools in Virginia and Kaori Anderson-Walker of TBD. Bottom row (from left): Paul Stone of Mount Diablo Unified in California, Diana Swanson of Vail School District in Arizona, Kathleen Tejeda of Alvord Unified School District in California and Emily Ellis of Lexington School District Two in South Carolina. LA Johnson/NPR hide caption

LA Johnson/NPR

Top row (from left): Danalyn Garcia of Chicago Public Schools, Lucie Lane of Shawnee Mission Public Schools in Kansas, Jeff Carroll of Newport News City Public Schools in Virginia and Kaori Anderson-Walker of TBD. Bottom row (from left): Paul Stone of Mount Diablo Unified in California, Diana Swanson of Vail School District in Arizona, Kathleen Tejeda of Alvord Unified School District in California and Emily Ellis of Lexington School District Two in South Carolina. LA Johnson/NPR hide caption

LA Johnson/NPR

What makes special education teaching jobs so hard to fill? NPR set out to find some answers by talking to more than a dozen teachers who do this work every day.

Special ed diaries: Teachers tell NPR about their most joyous, most difficult moments

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Despite concerns, the Trump administration still sends pregnant migrant minors to south Texas

In July 2025, the federal government began detaining pregnant unaccompanied migrant children at the Urban Strategies shelter in San Benito. By the time U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro visited the facility in April, the health department was placing pregnant girls at a different shelter nearby. Patricia Lim/KUT News hide caption

Patricia Lim/KUT News

In July 2025, the federal government began detaining pregnant unaccompanied migrant children at the Urban Strategies shelter in San Benito. By the time U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro visited the facility in April, the health department was placing pregnant girls at a different shelter nearby. Patricia Lim/KUT News hide caption

Patricia Lim/KUT News

Several children have had to leave the state to receive medical care, including abortions, that is unavailable in Texas.

Why is the Cheesecake Factory at the center of the latest culture war?

The Cheesecake Factory is seen on May 02, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. Kayla Bartkowski/Getty hide caption

Kayla Bartkowski/Getty

The Cheesecake Factory is seen on May 02, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. Kayla Bartkowski/Getty hide caption

Kayla Bartkowski/Getty

A joke by former President Obama has gone viral and received backlash from the Trump administration as the issue of affordability looms large over next week's midterm elections.

Taiwan's dan bing crepes fold in Asia's Cold War history

Dan bing is a popular breakfast dish in Taiwan with a complex history. Jan Camenzind Broomby for NPR hide caption

Jan Camenzind Broomby for NPR

Dan bing is a popular breakfast dish in Taiwan with a complex history. Jan Camenzind Broomby for NPR hide caption

Jan Camenzind Broomby for NPR

This rolled crepe, filled with anything from tuna to sweet corn, is a popular breakfast dish in Taiwan. But the dish has a complex history.

Taiwan’s breakfast king: Why the chewy, savory Dan Bing rules the morning

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Why is divorce financially harder on women?

Divorce is supposed to be a fresh start. So why are so many women ending up broke? Author Melinda Wenner Moyer talks with Brittany about the hidden costs of divorce and why laws designed to split things fairly don't always deliver.

Why is divorce financially harder on women?

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France seethes again as youth-led protests sweep Europe

A demonstrator holds a French flag during a demonstration against rising living costs in Paris on Saturday. Aurelien Morissard/AP hide caption

Aurelien Morissard/AP

A demonstrator holds a French flag during a demonstration against rising living costs in Paris on Saturday. Aurelien Morissard/AP hide caption

Aurelien Morissard/AP

French Interior Minister Laurent NuÃąez warned of a "very high risk" of disorder, especially after dark on Halloween, as some 320,000 people nationwide took to the streets.

Judge orders an inquiry into potential DOJ misconduct in Trump's golf course case

Workers remove downed trees from the East Potomac golf course on Monday. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP hide caption

Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

Workers remove downed trees from the East Potomac golf course on Monday. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP hide caption

Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

A federal judge is opening an formal inquiry into Trump officials' conduct in the East Potomac case, including whether they misled the court about their plans for the municipal golf course.

Lindsay Clancy is due in court Monday. The hearing may determine whether she'll face new trial

WBUR

Defendant Lindsay Clancy looks at the jury after Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial in Clancy's murder trial on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in Plymouth, Mass. Greg Derr/Pool/The Patriot Ledger via AP hide caption

Greg Derr/Pool/The Patriot Ledger via AP

Defendant Lindsay Clancy looks at the jury after Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial in Clancy's murder trial on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in Plymouth, Mass. Greg Derr/Pool/The Patriot Ledger via AP hide caption

Greg Derr/Pool/The Patriot Ledger via AP

Local prosecutors have not yet said whether they'll seek a new trial. It's also unclear whether they'll continue to pursue a first-degree murder conviction, or try her on lesser charges.

Trump's VA killed a home loan program. Thousands of veterans are paying the price

Army veteran Scott Boyd stands in his home with his dog, Jessi, near Columbus, Ohio. A loan modification raised his VA home loan payment by nearly $1,200 every month. Because of his work in military intelligence, NPR is not including Boyd's face in any photographs. Maddie McGarvey for NPR hide caption

Maddie McGarvey for NPR

Army veteran Scott Boyd stands in his home with his dog, Jessi, near Columbus, Ohio. A loan modification raised his VA home loan payment by nearly $1,200 every month. Because of his work in military intelligence, NPR is not including Boyd's face in any photographs. Maddie McGarvey for NPR hide caption

Maddie McGarvey for NPR

An NPR investigation finds that more than 15,000 military veterans were put into much-higher-cost home loans after the Trump administration cut a key program. Many now pay $1,000 more per month.

Black voters could decide the midterms. Why are they being ignored?

CS
NPR
Jackie Lay
Jackie Lay

Black voters could have a huge say in the midterms. So why aren't politicians listening? Journalist Eugene Daniels talks with Parker about what Black voters actually want and what gets them to the polls (hint: it's not guilt-tripping).

Black voters could decide the midterms. Why are they being ignored?

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With days to go before the midterms, data shows the U.S. economy is doing well

The U.S. economy grew 3.4% in the July to September quarter from a year earlier, a much faster pace of annual growth than in the second quarter. Consumer spending was one of the main drivers of growth — though many Americans continue to struggle with inflation. Joe Raedle/Getty Images North America hide caption

Joe Raedle/Getty Images North America

The U.S. economy grew 3.4% in the July to September quarter from a year earlier, a much faster pace of annual growth than in the second quarter. Consumer spending was one of the main drivers of growth — though many Americans continue to struggle with inflation. Joe Raedle/Getty Images North America hide caption

Joe Raedle/Getty Images North America

GDP grew at an annual rate of 3.4% in the third quarter in the last major read on the economy ahead of the midterm elections — but many Americans continue to struggle with affordability.

Trump's tariffs are costing this Michigan couple. They still hope they'll pay off

A truck crosses into the United States on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, connecting Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan. Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images

A truck crosses into the United States on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, connecting Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan. Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images

A Detroit couple whose livelihoods are tied to manufacturing and cross-border trade are feeling the costs of Trump's tariffs. But they still hope American industry will benefit.

Some Michigan residents remain hopeful despite being hit hard by Trump's tariffs

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Nearly 2 out of 3 teens and tweens use AI chatbots, new research shows

According to survey data from Common Sense Media, nearly half 9-to-12-year-olds have used an AI chatbot or companion, and by age 13, nearly three-quarters of kids have used chatbots. Matteo Della Torre/NurPhoto via Getty Images hide caption

Matteo Della Torre/NurPhoto via Getty Images

According to survey data from Common Sense Media, nearly half 9-to-12-year-olds have used an AI chatbot or companion, and by age 13, nearly three-quarters of kids have used chatbots. Matteo Della Torre/NurPhoto via Getty Images hide caption

Matteo Della Torre/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Most kids say they use chatbots for help with homework and when they're stressed, lonely, or anxious. And how they use chatbots is tied to their mental health.

Tweens and Teens on AI

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How powerful is Elon Musk? How his political influence compares to past U.S. moguls

Elon Musk listens during an event to mark the launch of the America.gov website, on Sept. 29, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Mark Schiefelbein/AP hide caption

Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Elon Musk listens during an event to mark the launch of the America.gov website, on Sept. 29, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Mark Schiefelbein/AP hide caption

Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Critics say the tech entrepreneur's enormous wealth has given him too much political power. But when stacked up against other notable American moguls, historians say he's not unique.

How powerful is Elon Musk? How his political influence compares to past U.S. moguls

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Arizona's lifeline to the Colorado River is drying up. Its designers warned us decades ago

A worker surveys the construction of the Mark Wilmer pumping plant near Parker, Arizona in June 1982. The pump station pulls water from the Colorado River near Lake Havasu and sends it to the Phoenix area through the Central Arizona Project. In the 1960s, the system's architects warned that it would dry up in the 21st century, but their suggested fixes were ignored for decades. Philip A Fortnam/Central Arizona Project Photo hide caption

Philip A Fortnam/Central Arizona Project Photo

A worker surveys the construction of the Mark Wilmer pumping plant near Parker, Arizona in June 1982. The pump station pulls water from the Colorado River near Lake Havasu and sends it to the Phoenix area through the Central Arizona Project. In the 1960s, the system's architects warned that it would dry up in the 21st century, but their suggested fixes were ignored for decades. Philip A Fortnam/Central Arizona Project Photo hide caption

Philip A Fortnam/Central Arizona Project Photo

Arizona has now joined a lawsuit against the Trump administration's plan for sharing the Colorado River. But history shows water planners there saw big cuts to their water supply coming.

Arizona’s lifeline to the Colorado River is drying up

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Forecasters are predicting a warmer and wetter winter. Here's how El NiÃąo will affect your region

Pedestrians walk through a flooded street caused by king tides and heavy rain Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, in North Bay Village, Fla. Marta Lavandier/AP hide caption

Marta Lavandier/AP

Pedestrians walk through a flooded street caused by king tides and heavy rain Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, in North Bay Village, Fla. Marta Lavandier/AP hide caption

Marta Lavandier/AP

El NiÃąo years typically lead to more precipitation and higher-than-average temperatures. The latest data shows the different potential impacts by region.

Lost your spark? The 'silent sister' of depression, and a quiz to spot her

Getty Images Getty Images hide caption

Getty Images

Getty Images Getty Images hide caption

Getty Images

Always busy, but rarely joyful? Allison Aubrey and Juana Summers discuss a tool to spot "high functioning depression."

Lost your spark? The "silent sister" of depression, and a quiz to spot her

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Even birds get jet lagged, study shows

Manx shearwaters race back to their nests after spending weeks hunting at sea. New research suggests they get jet lagged on their journey home. birdsonline/Getty images hide caption

birdsonline/Getty images

Manx shearwaters race back to their nests after spending weeks hunting at sea. New research suggests they get jet lagged on their journey home. birdsonline/Getty images hide caption

birdsonline/Getty images

A species of seabirds appears to become disoriented on flights back to its nest due to shifting time zones.

Even birds get jet lagged, study shows

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Hackers expose the identities of more than 40,000 DHS employees

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security emblem on the U.S.Immigration and Customs Enforcement building as seen on January 07, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Heather Diehl/Getty Images North America hide caption

Heather Diehl/Getty Images North America

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security emblem on the U.S.Immigration and Customs Enforcement building as seen on January 07, 2026 in Washington, D.C. Heather Diehl/Getty Images North America hide caption

Heather Diehl/Getty Images North America

A hacking group cracked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's personnel files, exposing the names, phone numbers and addresses of more than 40,000 DHS agents, operatives, and associates, on Wednesday, including those involved in undercover operations.

Hackers expose the identities of more than 40,000 DHS employees

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What killed 500-plus penguins? How scientists solved the mystery

AdÃĐlie penguins. This photo shows a small group of Adelie penguins returning to the colony. This photo was taken at a time and different location, unrelated to the study. Photo credits: Ralph Vanstreels. hide caption

AdÃĐlie penguins. This photo shows a small group of Adelie penguins returning to the colony. This photo was taken at a time and different location, unrelated to the study. Photo credits: Ralph Vanstreels. hide caption

The penguins that perished lived on the Danger Islands in Antarctica. The prime suspect was avian flu. Researchers were surprised by what they found.

New Podcast

OpenAI's latest discoveries spark a backlash + Help! My kid hates AI

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Machine Gods Media LLC
Machine Gods Media LLC

AI is cracking problems that have stumped scientists for decades. So why are researchers upset? Plus, your wildest AI questions answered, from teenagers who think AI is evil to relationship drama involving your chatbot.

OpenAI’s Latest Discoveries Spark a Backlash + Help! My Kid Hates AI

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