Trump gains momentum in the election. And, how to handle political disagreements

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Former President Donald Trump appears to be leading in the presidential election, according to NPR's latest analysis of the Electoral College map. At the end of August, Vice President Harris had leads large enough in three of seven closely watched states for them to lean in her direction, based on NPR’s analysis of polling averages at the time. Now, for the first time since Harris entered the race, Trump has taken over the lead in an average of the polls in the seven swing states. Click here to see the swing state map based on the polls.

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• 🎧 The numbers are still within the margin of error and incredibly close, with just 0.34 percentage points separating Trump and Harris, NPR’s Domenico Montanaro tells Up First. Although Harris’ campaign has always expected a tight race, Democratic pollsters are concerned because polls in the last two presidential elections overstated Democratic support. There have been some significant demographic shifts in the campaign as well, with Trump seemingly reducing the margins with Black and Latino men. On the other hand, Harris is positioned to potentially win seniors and is on track to win the largest share of women of any Democrat before her.

The Biden administration has sent a letter to Israel, informing the government it has 30 days to increase the food and other assistance going into northern Gaza. The letter has over a dozen demands, including that Israel must allow a minimum of 350 aid trucks to enter Gaza a day. This comes after United Nations aid agencies say Israel has blocked nearly all food and aid from entering the territory for the past two weeks.

• 🎧 The letter doesn’t say explicitly what would happen if Israel doesn’t make a significant increase in aid within the next month. NPR’s Greg Myre says the U.S. could scale back on weapons shipments to Israel. John Kirby of the National Security Council clarifies that the letter's purpose is not to punish Israel, but rather to encourage regular aid flow into Gaza. He also mentions that a similar letter was sent by the U.S. in April, which garnered increased aid to the territory.

Ukraine says its military intelligence has evidence that North Korea may be sending soldiers to Russia to help aid in the war on Ukraine. The Kremlin is denying these claims. Russia receives large shipments of ammunition from North Korea and the two countries have an alliance that enables them to coordinate to eliminate an immediate threat of armed aggression.

• 🎧 Russia is training North Korean military personnel on Russian territory but is keeping them inside Russia for now, a representative from Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council tells NPR’s Joanna Kakissis. It’s possible North Korea is sending military engineers to monitor missiles being sent to Russia. Ukrainian officials are concerned that troops could follow the military engineers, who are likely officers. If that were to happen, it could lead to a Russian breakthrough on the front line.

Today's Listen

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Rhiannon Giddens, the artistic director of Silkroad Ensemble, released a new recording of the old song Swannanoa Tunnel. The song originally described a tragedy in Swannanoa, North Carolina, where a mountainside train tunnel collapsed during its construction in the late 1800s. Now, that same community has been severely damaged after Hurricane Helene hit the area, creating a whole new meaning for the lyrics.

• 🎧 Listen to Giddens sing the newly released rendition and hear her explain why it is important during this time of recovery.

Stress less

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Stress Less is a new series from NPR that will help you find your calm. Subscribe to the Stress Less newsletter series for more powerful tools and strategies to help reduce anxiety and improve feelings of well-being.

Around one in four people in the U.S. say they’ve ended a friendship due to political disagreements, according to a recent survey. With the divisive election just mere weeks away, it can be hard to talk about politics. Studies show that polarization can lead to isolation, stress, and anger. There are some strategies to reduce election stress:

• 🤝 Braver Angels, a group aiming to help Americans bridge the political divide, says stereotyping, dismissing, ridiculing and contempt create polarization.
• 🤝 Polarization can be countered by asking yourself a series of questions, including: Are you judging people as “worthless” or “deplorable” and not seeing them as fully human?
• 🤝 Once you understand your own attitudes clearly, the next step is to reconsider the story you tell yourself about people with opposing views.
• 🤝 Seek out news showcasing different points of view. When we tune into the same media outlets, we are likely exposing ourselves to only a small portion of information.

Here is the full list of tips to help bridge the divide.

3 things to know before you go

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1. Walgreens announced yesterday that it plans to close 1,200 stores over three years to aid its turnaround efforts. The company is grappling with retail competition and lower prescription payouts.
2. German airline Lufthansa has agreed to pay a $4 million penalty, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced yesterday. The airline is facing allegations of discrimination against Jewish passengers during an incident in May 2022.
3. Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for governor in North Carolina, has filed a defamation lawsuit against CNN and a former porn store employee over reports of inappropriate behavior online. (via WUNC)

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.