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Today’s Top Stories

Recent changes to the FAFSA have been plagued by errors and miscommunication from the U.S. Department of Educationwhich affects millions of students who rely on student loans. The U.S. Government Accountability Office testified yesterday about the problems with the latest round of applications and what needs to be done to improve the next one. It identified 55 flaws in the form that caused confusion for students and their families.

A new government investigation sheds light on the FAFSA debacle.

LA Johnson/NPR

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LA Johnson/NPR

• 🎧 During the early rollout, nearly three-quarters of all calls to FAFSA’s call center were not answered due to staffing shortageswhich further compounds the frustrations many were experiencing, NPR’s Cory Turner says First upThe GAO review also found that about 9 percent fewer high school seniors and other first-year students filed, with the largest declines among lower-income students. The Department of Education has delayed the form’s next release until Dec. 1 and has tried to reassure students that it has learned from its mistakes.

Last night, the state of Missouri executed Marcellus Williams, a man who prosecutors have come to believe was innocent of a 1998 murder. Williams consistently maintained that he had nothing to do with the murder of Felicia Gayle. There was no forensic evidence linking him to the crime scene. However, police did find some of Gayle’s belongings in his car and he had pawned a laptop computer belonging to her husband. Despite several legal attempts to save his life, he was put to death by lethal injection.

• 🎧 Further examination of the knife used in the murder yielded DNA that belonged to two former employees of the District Attorney’s Office, according to Rachel Lippman of NPR’s St. Louis Public Radio. Both later admitted to handling the weapon without wearing gloves, potentially contaminating DNA evidence that could have eliminated Williams as the killer. St. Louis County District Attorney Wesley Bell also sought to halt the execution based on new evidence that a potential juror may have been excluded based on race.

The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Visa, alleging that the company has an illegal monopoly in the debit card market. The lawsuit alleges that Visa’s actions led to higher prices for both businesses and consumers. According to the lawsuit, Visa controls more than 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 prices in a way that makes it very expensive for merchants to use another processing company.

We, the voters

NPR visits six key swing states that will likely determine this year’s historic election. This week, Morning Edition is in Nevada to hear from voters about what matters to them and how it will impact their vote.

Even on a 90-degree day in Las Vegas, Nevada, canvassers are working hard to talk to voters in their communities about the upcoming election. NPR’s A Martínez joined canvassers 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, home to more than two-thirds of the state’s population. To do that, canvassing is essential. But for it to be effective, voters must open their doors.

Photo show

Portrait of OSGEMEOS.

Filipe Berndt

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Filipe 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 runs in sync as if they were one artist. Their signature graffiti style has earned them recognition in the art world 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 view at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC beginning September 29

3 Things You Need to Know Before You Go

Former NFL all-star quarterback Brett Favre says he has Parkinson’s disease. Favre played 20 seasons in the NFL, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. He retired in 2011. Favre won a Super Bowl and was a three-time NFL MVP. He also suffered his share of concussions and said he often had memory loss.

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images via NFL

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Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images via NFL

1. Brett Favre, the Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl victory in 1997, was announced yesterday During a hearing of the US House of Representatives Finance Committee, it was revealed that he has Parkinson’s disease.
2. In 2009, 23-year-old Megan Atherton was evicted from her Maryland apartment. While traveling home to find a new place to live, her car broke down and was in need of serious repairs. A local woman and unsung hero named Toni supported the panicked Atherton and took her in for the night, making her feel comfortable.
3. A man who was abducted from a California park in 1951 at the age of six has been found alive and well on the East Coast, thanks to DNA testing and the continued efforts of his family.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.