A program in Minneapolis could offer a solution to the housing shortage. A sheriff in Kentucky is set to face murder charges for shooting a county judge. And Trump and Harris are promising a flood of freebies as Election Day approaches.
This is what you should know today.
One city’s secret to improving its housing market: Build more
After about five years of a program to expand housing supply in Minnesota, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says “the results speak pretty clearly for themselves.”
🏡 According to a Pew Research report, housing inventory in Minneapolis increased 12% between 2017 and 2022, and 4% statewide.
🔑 A measure of homebuying difficulty conducted by NBC News shows that Hennepin County, where Minneapolis is located, has the second-least difficult homebuying conditions compared to seven neighboring counties.
📉Apartment List estimates that rents in Minneapolis have fallen 4% in the roughly five years since the ambitious program was approved, while rents nationwide have risen 22%.
The program is called Minneapolis 2040. It was passed in 2019 and made Minneapolis the first major U.S. city to end single-family zoning, allowing developers to build multifamily housing on land previously occupied by single-family homes.
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The economy and housing costs are a major issue in the election campaign. Both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump promised support for first-time homebuyers. Minneapolis’ program offers potential solutions to improve housing supply and affordability.
Frey touted the plan as a way to allow for “a greater diversity of housing options” in the city, but acknowledges that the plan was also extremely controversial, with residents fearing “land grabbing” and more traffic in their neighborhoods.
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Israel and Hezbollah appear closer to war than ever after attacks and revenge for bomb explosions
The Middle East is in turmoil after Israel launched a fierce wave of attacks on Lebanon and the leader of Hezbollah vowed revenge for attacks on Hezbollah’s communications equipment that killed dozens of people and injured thousands across the country.
The prospect of an all-out war between the US ally and the Iran-backed militant and political group seemed closer than ever after the Israeli military said yesterday that its air force had hit about 100 Hezbollah rocket launch pads and other infrastructure that it said were intended for shelling Israeli territory.
Israel has hit the south of the country at least 52 times, the Lebanese state news agency reported. This is one of the heaviest attacks on the region since the terrorist attacks of October 7 and the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip.
Kentucky officials say sheriff shot judge in courthouse
A sheriff in Kentucky is expected to face murder charges after shooting a district judge in a courthouse, state police said. Judge Kevin Mullins, pictured above, was in his district office yesterday when he was shot multiple times following an argument, Kentucky State Police said. Letcher County Sheriff Mickey Stines turned himself in to authorities at the scene. No motive for the shooting has been announced. Here’s what else we know. Trump and Harris promise flood of freebies
This week, Donald Trump pledged to repeal the “SALT cap” – the $10,000 annual cap on the federal tax deduction he implemented during his first term as president – if he wins another term in the White House. His campaign said the change in position was a response to new economic realities, but one political expert said Trump’s needs have changed more than the economy.
But Trump’s financial appeal to voters is not unique. During the campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris promised to increase the child tax credit, subsidize first-time home buyers and offer tax breaks for small businesses in the first year of their start-up. The fiscal promises of both candidates are just some of the many gifts they are giving voters in the final weeks of their campaigns. As former Rep. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania puts it, “It’s the season of foolishness when everything is free.”
Each of these promises appeals to different parts of the electorate. They increase the budget deficit. And some experts and politicians do not expect the proposals to become reality.
Read more about the 2024 election:
Numerous national polls and polls in swing states show that the Democrats are gaining ground in the swing states. Nevertheless, the presidential election campaign remains exciting.
What do undecided voters think as the election nears its final stretch? NBC News spoke to 21 people about the turbulent events of the summer and their current situation.
At a campaign rally on the topic of “fighting anti-Semitism” yesterday, Trump said that there would be “a large proportion of defeats” for Jewish voters in November if their support did not increase.
Harris is heading to a rally in Madison today in Wisconsin, a swing state her campaign is desperate to win.
Trump has predicted an apocalyptic catastrophe that will never happen. Here are some examples from the past – and his current predictions.
Politics Compact
Robinson responds: Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for governor in North Carolina, has announced he will stay in the race after CNN reported that he made dozens of offensive and inflammatory comments on a porn website’s message board more than a decade ago. Democrats, meanwhile, are planning new ads linking Robinson to Trump.
Summit in the home town: President Joe Biden plans to host members of the “Quad” – an alliance of Biden and the prime ministers of Australia, India and Japan – at his home in Delaware this weekend.
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Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani became the first MLB player to join the 50-50 club after hitting 50 home runs and stealing 50 bases this season.
An initial DNA test of the remains of suspected Kentucky highway shooter Joseph Couch was inconclusive, state officials said.
The number of whooping cough cases is increasing, especially among unvaccinated youth. According to the CDC, 14,569 cases have been reported this year, compared to 3,475 last year.
Country music star Zach Bryan has deactivated his X-account and apologized to Swift for his drunken post “Kanye > Taylor.”
A Michigan sheriff’s deputy jumped into a moving car to rescue a driver in medical distress. Watch a video of the incident unfolding.
Selection of personnel:
Coral reefs are under unprecedented stress after more than a year of record-high sea surface temperatures. The world’s fourth mass bleaching event, which NOAA first declared in April, is gathering pace. In Puerto Rico and other hard-hit areas, scientists are experimenting with new methods to restore reefs and make corals more resilient. Go underwater with correspondent Maura Barrett, who went diving with a team of researchers in Puerto Rico to see firsthand how they’re working to regrow corals and increase the population of a creature – “the goats or cows of the sea,” as one person put it – that can help them survive. — Dana VarinskyScience and Health EditorNBC Select: Online shopping, simplified
Shopping online can be difficult if you’ve never seen or touched the items you’re looking for in real life. Here are tips for two items:
When it comes to glasses, look for easy try-on options and clear return policies. NBC Select editors recommend these eyewear websites.
Research shows that it can take up to a week to get used to a new mattress, so bouncing around on a bed for five minutes in a showroom isn’t really going to help. Keep these tips in mind when purchasing a mattress online.
Sign up for The Selection Newsletter with practical product tests, shopping tips from experts and a look at the best deals and sales every week.
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