GOP candidates to debate sans Trump; Amazon sued for abusing monopoly; prepare for student loan repayment

Plus, what makes Biden's impeachment case different from past ones.

View this email online by Suzanne Nuyen September 27, 2023 Good morning. Hollywood writers can offically return to work today after union leaders voted to approve a deal with studios. Here's what else we're following today. Seven Republican candidates will take the stage in California tonight for the second primary debate — but former President Donald Trump won't be one of them. He's skipping the event to hold a rally in Detroit, where auto workers are on strike. Win McNamee/Getty Images 🎧 One key difference between tonight's debate and the first one will be the audience, NPR's Franco Ordoñez says on Up First today. Republican strategist Sean Walsh tells him that because the debate will be held at Ronald Reagan’s presidential library, more traditional Republican voters will be in attendance rather than the "circus audience" he saw at the last debate. ➡️ Interested in tuning in? Here's how to watch the debate. The Federal Trade Commission and 17 states are suing Amazon. The antitrust lawsuit accuses the retail giant of abusing its monopoly power and raising costs for buyers and sellers. 🎧 NPR's Alina Selyukh says the suit focuses on Amazon's fraught relationship with other sellers. The FTC says the company traps its sellers with high fees. Amazon can also squeeze out other sellers by selling its own products at a loss. This means buyers might not get the highest quality products. Amazon argues that if the government wins, the result could be higher prices, slower deliveries and fewer options for shoppers and businesses. Editor's note: Amazon is among NPR's financial supporters and pays to distribute some of our content. The Senate isn't waiting for the House to resolve their differences and avert a government shutdown before the end of the week. Members voted 77 to 19 to consider a stop-gap spending bill to keep the government open through Nov. 17. But the process to pass the measure could take days, with no guarantee the House will schedule a vote on it.  ➡️ The Biden administration warns that millions of people who rely on food assistance will be at risk if the government shuts down. If you've had trouble scheduling your new COVID-19 vaccination, you're not alone. Some people are having trouble finding doses. Even when they're available, insurers are complicating matters.  🎧 Even though vaccine approval was anticipated and demand isn't as high as it was three years ago, some stores still haven't received vaccines, according to NPR's Yuki Noguchi. She adds this is the first time insurers are expected to cover the cost instead of the government. But some insurance systems haven't been updated to reflect the new rules, which means some people are being told their shot won't be covered.  From our sponsor, Organic Valley   When caring for a family farm means partnering with nature Tyler Webb and his wife Melanie didn't start out as farmers, but together they transformed an abandoned dairy in Vermont into a thriving farm and ecosystem. With a master's degree in agronomy and sustainable agriculture, Tyler is passionate about grazing management and soil health. Click below to learn why he and his family support the wildlife that surrounds their herd of dairy cows. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images The pandemic student loan repayment pause is ending. Are you ready for payments to resume next month? Here's how to prepare:  💵 Log on to the U.S. government's loan portal to make sure your contact information is up-to-date and you know who your loan servicer is. 💵 Use the loan simulator to pick a repayment plan that works best for you. 💵 Check to see if you qualify for loan forgiveness through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program or the new SAVE plan. 💵 Enroll in autopay to lower your interest rate. 💵 If you can't afford payments, see if you qualify for $0 monthly payments under the SAVE plan.   If your kids aren't in school yet, make sure you're saving enough for college with these tips.  Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images The House Oversight Committee plans to hold its first hearing on the impeachment inquiry into President Biden this week. This impeachment case has some major differences from the ones that former presidents Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton and Donald Trump went through. ⚖️ The substance of the case against Biden is unclear. Past presidents were accused of obstructing justice, an inappropriate sexual relationship, soliciting interference in the 2020 election and inciting insurrection. ⚖️ Past impeachments concerned things that happened during a presidency, not before. House Republicans allege Biden benefited from his son's dealings in Ukraine and China when he was vice president. ⚖️ They also took place closer to when the incident occurred. Republicans are investigating a period almost 10 years ago.  One Donation at a Time Ignite curiosity, amplify storytelling, and strengthen independent journalism by backing the NPR Network. Your donation nurtures a deep understanding of the voices in your community and around the world. If you think your gift won't make a difference, you couldn't be more wrong. Grassroots support has sustained public radio for more than a generation. All it takes is everyone giving what they can, when they can. Help today. Donate Now Tatan Syuflana/AP Get your eclipse glasses out! An annular solar eclipse will be visible in eight states in the U.S. next month. This happens when the moon is at or near its furthest point in orbit and appears like a black dot on the sun. Two theater tickets from the night that President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated were sold at auction to an anonymous buyer for $262,500. Chess prodigy Hans Niemann, who is competing in the World Junior Chess Championship, denies he's ever used a vibrating sex toy to cheat. The strange theory was amplified by Elon Musk.  Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit station). This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi. Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Up First emails. 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