PBS News Hour

As Hurricane Milton barrels toward Florida, communities that were hit hardest by Hurricane Helene are still struggling to recover over a week later. NASCAR driver Greg Biffle is among those making a difference. He's using his personal helicopter to deliver supplies to hard-to-reach areas of western North Carolina. Geoff Bennett spoke with Biffle about his relief missions.

As Donald Trump and Kamala Harris make their case to voters, they spend most of their time in a handful of battleground states. But hundreds of miles from those campaign stops, the Pacific Northwest is where you'll find a true swing county. Videographer Tela Moss and radio reporter Lauren Gallup from Northwest Public Broadcasting share this story from Clallam County, Washington.

As another hurricane barrels towards Florida, Kamala Harris criticized Donald Trump for spreading disinformation about Hurricane Helene. But in Pennsylvania, the former president continued to spread false information about the federal response. It comes as early voting started in Arizona and both campaigns held events to persuade voters there. Laura Barrón-López reports.

In our news wrap Wednesday, Palestinian officials say dozens died after an Israeli airstrike hit a hospital and refugee camp in Gaza, talks between Boeing and striking workers stalled after the company withdrew its latest contract offer and the Nobel Prize in chemistry went to three scientists, whose work ushered in a better understanding of proteins, the building blocks of life.

The Supreme Court kicked off a new term of arguments with a major case focused on federal regulations of ghost guns. The justices weighed whether the government can regulate the firearms assembled at home with a kit with the same standard as other firearms made by licensed manufacturers. Geoff Bennett discussed more with News Hour Supreme Court analyst Marcia Coyle.

Florida is racing to get ready for Hurricane Milton, a storm that could be one of the worst to ever hit the state. Milton rapidly intensified over unusually warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to barrel into the Tampa Bay area late Wednesday. William Brangham reports on the preparations and Geoff Bennett discusses the storm with National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan.

Arizona’s 11 electoral college votes could be vital for both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s path to victory. President Biden won Arizona by just over 10,000 votes in 2020. White House Correspondent Laura Barrón-López traveled to the Phoenix suburb of Tempe to sit down with four lifelong Republicans to get their take on the presidential race, how they view Trump and the future of their party.

With Election Day only 28 days away, former President Trump will campaign in Pennsylvania, Colorado and Nevada by week's end. Vice President Harris is also barnstorming, not in battleground states, but in a media blitz on radio, podcasts and television. Lisa Desjardins reports.

One year on from the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, the war, pain, anguish and heartbreak continue. The memories of that day are no more acute than for those who survived both the attack and subsequent kidnapping into Gaza. Sapir Cohen was taken from Nir Oz and held hostage for nearly two months. Nick Schifrin met with her and found a woman transformed by appalling cruelty who is now finding her voice.

People in the Tampa Bay area are fearing a once-in-century direct hit from Hurricane Milton. To discuss how the region is preparing, Geoff Bennett spoke with Democratic Congresswoman Kathy Castor. She represents Florida’s 14th Congressional District, which includes Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Traditional piano recitals can often be intimidating for performers and audiences alike. Two California pianists have made it their mission to use outdoor spaces to make them less formal and more accessible. Special correspondent Mike Cerre reports from San Francisco on the huge outpouring of support for this approach. It's part of our arts and culture series CANVAS.

NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter join Geoff Bennett to discuss the latest political news, including the key battleground states set to decide the presidential race with a month until the election, the strategy behind Kamala Harris' interviews, Donald Trump's return to Butler, Pennsylvania and questions about Trump and a cognitive decline.