Ashley Lopez

In the last days of the campaign, Cuomo has gotten some big endorsements, including the president's, but this hasn't been an easy fight for him.

Mamdani has a very energetic grassroots campaign that has engaged a lot of young voters in the city, especially on affordability issues.

Benefit verification letters are a service provided by the Social Security Administration that act as a sort of income verification that is key to obtaining aid like housing assistance, fuel assistance, and help from nonprofits.

But during the shutdown, the agency says, people can only use either the automated phone service or online portal to get their letters.

Christine Lizotte, a claims representative for the agency in Auburn, Maine, said those systems don't work for everyone.

This is the most vulnerable population.

These are

elderly people who've never used a computer.

Agency employees say they're dealing with an uptick of frantic and upset callers as they work without pay.

Ashley Lopez, NPR News.

Proposition 50 in California is a response to Texas lawmakers who redrew the state's congressional map recently to create five more favorable seats for Republicans.

Texas lawmakers took on this effort at the request of President Trump, who wants Republicans to

to keep control of Congress next year.

California Democrats, led by Governor Gavin Newsom, vowed to counter Texas' redistricting effort by creating five more favorable congressional seats for Democrats in the state.

But unlike Texas, California has an independent redistricting commission, so lawmakers have to ask voters for permission first to bypass the independent commission that voters in California approved in 2008 and 2010.

Ashley Lopez, NPR News.