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Today’s top stories
Recent changes to the FAFSA were marked by errors and misunderstandings on the part of the U.S. Department of Education.affecting millions of students who rely on financial aid. The U.S. Government Accountability Office testified yesterday about the problems during the last application period and what needs to be done to improve the next one. It identified 55 deficiencies in the form that caused confusion among students and their families.
A new government investigation sheds light on the FAFSA fiasco.
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- 🎧 During the first phase of the rollout, nearly three-quarters of all calls to the FAFSA call center were not answered due to staff shortages.which increases the frustration of many, says Cory Turner of NPR First. The GAO review also found that about 9% fewer high school seniors and other first-time filers filed a form, with the largest decline among lower-income students. The Education Department has delayed the next release of the form until Dec. 1, trying to reassure students that they have learned from their mistakes.
Last night, the state of Missouri executed Marcellus Williams, a man who prosecutors now believe was innocent of a 1998 murder. Williams insisted he had nothing to do with Felicia Gayle’s murder. There was no forensic evidence linking him to the crime scene. However, police found some of Gayle’s belongings in his car and he had pawned one of her husband’s laptops. Despite several last-ditch legal attempts to save his life, he was executed by lethal injection.
- 🎧 Further examination of the knife used in the murder revealed DNA from two former prosecutors’ employees, according to Rachel Lippman of NPR’s St. Louis Public Radio. Both later admitted that they had touched the gun without gloves, which could potentially contaminate DNA evidence that could rule out Williams as the killer. St. Louis County District Attorney Wesley Bell also sought to stop the execution based on new evidence that a potential juror may have been excluded because of his race.
The Justice Department has filed suit against Visa, alleging that the company has illegally monopolized the debit card market. The lawsuit alleges that Visa’s actions have resulted in higher prices for businesses and consumers. According to the lawsuit, Visa controls over 60% of debit card transactions in the United States and earns more than $7 billion annually in processing fees. The company is accused of setting its prices in such a way that it is very costly for merchants to use another processing company.
We, the voters
NPR is visiting six important swing states that will likely decide this year’s historic election. This week, Morning Edition is in Nevada to listen to voters about what matters to them and how that affects their vote.
Even on a 90-degree day in Las Vegas, Nevada, poll workers are working hard to talk to voters in their community about the upcoming election. NPR’s A MartÃnez accompanied poll workers from the conservative group The Libre Initiative and the Culinary Workers Union. To win Nevada in this election, it’s crucial to win Clark County, which is home to more than two-thirds of the state’s population. To do that, canvassing is essential. But for it to be effective, voters have to open their doors.
Picture show
Portrait of OSGEMEOS.
Philippe Berndt
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Philippe Berndt
You may have heard of twin telepathy, but twin brothers Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo take it one step further. The artist duo, better known as Osgemeos, say their creativity is so synchronized it’s as if they were one artist. Their distinctive graffiti style earned them global recognition in the arts in their native Brazil and beyond. Their playful artwork has graced murals, parks, bridges, major museums, galleries and more. OSGEMEOS: Endless Story will be on display at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC beginning September 29.
3 things you should know before your trip
Former NFL All-Star quarterback Brett Favre says he suffers from Parkinson’s disease. Favre played 20 seasons in the NFL, most of that time with the Green Bay Packers. He retired in 2011. Favre won the Super Bowl and was named NFL MVP three times. He also had a few concussions and said he often had memory loss.
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images via NFL
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- Brett Favre, the Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Green Bay Packers to the 1997 Super Bowl victory, revealed yesterday during a hearing of the US House Budget Committee that he suffers from Parkinson’s disease.
- In 2009, 23-year-old Megan Atherton had just been evicted from her Maryland apartment. On the way home to find a new place to live, her car broke down and needed urgent repairs. A local woman and unsung hero named Toni came to the aid of a panicked Atherton, taking her in overnight to calm her down.
- A man who was kidnapped from a California park in 1951 at the age of six was found alive and well on the East Coast thanks to a DNA test and the persistent efforts of his family.
This newsletter was published by Susanne Nuyen.
