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Today’s Top Stories

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on federal criminal chargesaccording to numerous media reports. The news broke last night after months of speculation about whether a series of federal investigations into his administration would directly implicate him. Although the indictment remains sealed, New York Times reported last year that the FBI was investigating whether Adams conspired with the Turkish government to funnel illegal foreign donations to his campaign committee in exchange for favors for his administration.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks to the press during a press conference in New York City, Monday, September 16, 2024.

Seth Wenig/AP

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Seth Wenig/AP

• 🎧 Over the past year, Adams has maintained he has done nothing wrongsaid Brigid Bergin of NPR network station WNYC. The mayor released a video last night saying the charges will be completely false and based on lies. The only person who can remove him from office now is New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. Her spokesperson released a statement saying she is aware of the news and is monitoring the situation, adding that it is premature to comment until the case is confirmed by law enforcement. The charges could be made public as early as this morning.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to meet with President Biden in Washington DC today to seek support for a strategy to end the war with Russia on Ukraine’s terms. He says protecting the country will also keep Europe and the West safe. He also warned the UN General Assembly that Russia was preparing to attack Ukraine’s nuclear power plants.

• 🎧 NPR’s Joanna Kakissis tells First up that Zelenskyy wants faster action from Biden on specific issues, including lifting restrictions on the use of long-range missiles supplied by the US and support for inviting Ukraine to join NATO as soon as possible. Recent polls show that more Ukrainians are in favor of considering a deal that would include swapping Russian-occupied territory for some form of ceasefire. They are also closely following the US elections. Some worry that former President Donald Trump is ill-informed about geopolitics and the course of the war. Trump declined to meet with Zelenskyy this week.

Hurricane Helene, one of the largest hurricanes ever recorded, is expected to landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida today. It is forecast to strengthen to a Category 4 storm. The entire west coast of Florida is under a storm surge warning and 61 of the state’s 67 counties are in a state of emergency. Click here for the latest local updates on Helene.

• 🎧 Meteorologists say the storm surge where Helene makes landfall could be as high as 20 feet (6 meters) and “unsurvivable,” NPR’s Frank Morris says that when the storm makes landfall, it will bring sustained winds of 130 miles per hour with higher gusts. The storm is expected to knock out power across much of the country as it moves into Georgia and the Carolinas before stalling over Tennessee and Kentucky. Inland flooding hundreds of miles from where the storm makes landfall is another major concern.
• ➡️ Local authorities are urging residents in Helene’s area to evacuate. But evacuating is not as easy as it seems and some residents have no choice but to stay where they are.

We, the voters

NPR visits six key swing states that will likely determine this year’s historic election. This week, Morning Edition is in Nevada to hear from voters about what matters to them and how it will impact their vote.

Lauren Tuvell and James Watts with their dogs Xena and Desi (left to right) at their home in Downtown Las Vegas on September 24, 2024.

Krystal Ramirez for NPR

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Krystal Ramirez for NPR

Nevada is facing a shortage of affordable housing. A contributing factor is the influx of residents to California, with about 40% of new residents coming from out of state. This migration has led to significant increases in home prices over the past 15 years. But that’s not the only problem. The average wage of Nevadans doesn’t support the state’s average home prices. According to a 2024 report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, about 70% of low-income Nevadans struggle with the high cost of housing. Morning edition spoke to Nevada residents about this issue and how presidential candidates hope to solve the affordability problem. Here’s what they had to say.

Listen Today

MIDI inputs into Logic for the song Monkeys Spinning Monkeys, taken from Kevin MacLeod’s YouTube channel. Unlike other artists who want to protect the rights to their creative work, McLeod encourages anyone to use his music for free. “I just want my stuff to be heard,” he says.

Kevin MacLeod/YouTube/Screenshot for NPR

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Kevin MacLeod/YouTube/Screenshot for NPR

You’ve probably never heard of the song “Monkeys Spinning Monkeys”, but if you’re active on social media, chances are you’ve heard it more than once. It was released ten years ago and has since become popular on social media. It’s been used in millions of videos that have been played billions of times.

3 Things You Need to Know Before You Go

Alex Jones, founder of nfoWars, speaks to media outside the Waterbury Courthouse during his trial on September 21, 2022 in Waterbury, Connecticut.

Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images

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Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images

1. Alex Jones’ Infowars Show Will Likely Be Canceled Within a Few Months after a federal bankruptcy judge ruled that plans to sell the assets of his media company, Free Speech Systems, can move forward, with the profits going to the families of Sandy Hook.
2. Watch Duty, a free app for monitoring wildfires, has gained popularity in the western US, where the region faces the enormous challenge of staying prepared during devastating wildfires.
3. New technology makes it easier to find the origin of traded wild animals so that they can be released back into their natural habitat.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.