Hurricane Helene batters the South. And, takeaways from voters in swing state Nevada

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Today's top stories

Hurricane Helene weakened to a Category 1 storm as it moved north from Florida to Georgia after hitting Florida’s Big Bend region as a powerful Category 4 storm late Thursday. The storm made landfall with winds up to 140 miles per hour and a storm surge of 20 feet. Early reports say there have been three storm-related deaths. Helene could potentially cause destruction across a vast area of the South in the hours and days to come.

• 🎧 NPR’s Frank Morris tells Up First the storm made landfall in an area with dense tree cover, likely resulting in thousands of downed trees. Nearly 5,000 people in Florida spent the night in shelters. However, some, like 85-year-old James Judy, weathered the storm at his house, stating that he simply hates to leave home. This morning, the wind is subsiding, but there is a possibility of worsening rain, leading to widespread flash flooding and potential river flooding.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to make his case with the United Nations today as he continues to reject a U.S.-backed Lebanon cease-fire proposal. This week at the U.N., world leaders have been calling for cease-fires in Gaza in Lebanon. More than 90,000 people in Lebanon have fled their homes amid Israel's attacks this week.

• 🎧 U.S. officials told reporters they had a breakthrough on a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon that the U.S. and France proposed, but it seems like that was wishful thinking, NPR’s Michele Kelemen says. Jordan’s deputy prime minister Ayman Safadi yesterday said this has been a pattern and the world has failed to hold Israel accountable. The U.S.’ argument to Israel has been that if a deal with Hamas in Gaza is reached, then Hezbollah will stop firing rockets. But Israel does not believe that and sees this as a fight with Iranian proxies.

Sudan’s army has launched a major offensive against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum in a bid to regain the capital. The RSF has controlled the capital for more than a year. Millions have been displaced since the beginning of the war, marking the worst displacement and hunger crises in the world.

• 🎧 The surprise attack is fighting that has not been seen in the capital region since May, NPR’s Emmanuel Akinwotu says. The army has advanced a few miles into the capital. Though it's unclear how this will end, Akinwotu says it's "a bold attempt to shift the balance of power." At the U.N., Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the president of the transitional government in Sudan, said the army was committed to peace but would never negotiate with the RSF.

Pennsylvania's Lewisburg federal prison has failed to take the needed steps to reduce suicide risks among its inmates, according to the latest review of the medium-security men’s institution. A report from the Bureau of Prisons watchdog found prisoners with mental illness at Lewisburg were placed in solitary confinement for longer than recommended by BOP policy, usually with another prisoner with a mental illness. This puts them at higher risk of assault and even death. Here’s a closer look at the other issues plaguing the location.

We, the voters

This essay was written by A Martínez, Morning Edition and Up First host

Pessimism, skepticism and exhaustion are the three things that I'll remember from voters about my trip to Nevada.

When I went door-to-door with canvassers, I'd ask people how they were feeling about how the election was going. Before they'd answer, I'd notice eye rolls, shaking heads, sighs or some other non-verbal ways to express how tired they are...before saying how they just want it to be over already.

I thought tipped workers might be optimistic, considering both presidential candidates promised in Las Vegas campaign stops that if elected, their tips would no longer be taxed. Nope. There was a feeling that nothing comes for free and many wondered how the government would make up for the lost tax revenue on their tips.

An hour and half west of Las Vegas, I visited the town of Pahrump in rural and conservative Nye County. I talked to lots of Trump supporters who were convinced that even if Trump wins, Congress would somehow stop him from fulfilling his campaign promises.

My last question to everyone I spoke to was this: Where do you hope we are as a country the day after the election? Pretty much every answer had the word "united" in it...just like it says in the name: United States of America.

Weekend picks

Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:

🍿Movies: Elizabeth Olsen, Carrie Coon and Natasha Lyonne portray sisters who are at odds but must come together in their dying father's apartment in the new Netflix film His Three Daughters.

📺 TV: Police detective Lois Tryon teams up with a nun who is also a journalist to solve a series of heinous crimes that could have been concocted to taunt her in Grotesquerie. Here are some other shows premiering this week.

📚 Books: Sally Rooney's fourth novel Intermezzo is a story about learning to accept loss. It follows two Irish brothers, 32-year-old Peter Koubek and 22-year-old Ivan, as they navigate their troubled relationships with each other and the women in the aftermath of their father’s death.

🎵 Music: Keith Garret will release his jazz album The Old Country: More From the Deer Head Inn on Nov. 8, which was recorded with a trio in 1992. Ahead of that he is offering NPR network station WRTI the world premiere of its swinging first single, “Straight, No Chaser."

🎮 Games: The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is the first in the main game series to star princess Zelda. NPR’s James Perkins Mastromarino breaks down how it stands up against the rest of the series.

❓Quiz: This week's news has ranged from a zoo saying it would send its pandas packing to a mayor being indicted. Do you have what it takes to ace it?

3 things to know before you go

1. Hoda Kotb, the longtime cohost of NBC's Today show, announced yesterday that she is leaving the program.
2. States that passed anti-transgender laws aimed at minors saw a 72% increase in suicide attempts by transgender and gender nonconforming teenagers in the following years, according to a new study from The Trevor Project. If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in crisis, call or text 9-8-8 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
3. Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins yesterday retracted comments about Haitian immigrants in a now-deleted social media post. He has received criticism for amplifying the false claims.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.