Missouri executes man prosecutors said was innocent, and FAFSA launch disastrously

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Recent changes to the FAFSA form are plagued by errors and lack of communication from the U.S. Department of Educationwhich affects millions of students who rely on student aid. The U.S. Government Accountability Office testified yesterday about problems during the last application cycle 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.

• Early in the rollout, nearly three-quarters of all calls to the FAFSA call center were unanswered due to staffing shortageswhich deepens the frustration that many people experience, says NPR’s Cory Turner First up. The GAO review also found that about 9% fewer high school seniors and other first-time filers submitted the form, with the largest declines among lower-income students. The Education Department postponed the next launch of the form until Dec. 1 and sought to assure students that they had learned from their mistakes.

Last night, the state of Missouri executed Marcellus Williams, a man prosecutors said was not innocent of the 1998 murder. Williams consistently maintained that he had nothing to do with the murder of Felicia Gayle. No forensic evidence linked him to the crime scene. However, police found some of Gayle’s belongings in his car, and he pawned a laptop belonging to her husband. Despite several desperate legal attempts to save his life, he was executed by lethal injection.

• Further testing of the knife used in the murder revealed DNA belonging to two former employees of the prosecutor’s office, according to Rachel Lippman of NPR’s St. Louis Public Radio. Both later admitted to touching the gun without gloves, potentially contaminating DNA evidence that could have excluded Williams as the killer. St. Louis County District Attorney Wesley Bell also tried to stop the execution based on new evidence that a potential juror may have been excluded because of his race.

The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Visa, alleging that it illegally monopolized the debit card market. The lawsuit claims that Visa’s actions have 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 prohibitively expensive for merchants to use third-party processors.

We, the voters

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

Even in 89-degree heat in Las Vegas, Nevada, canvassers are hard at work talking to voters in her community about the upcoming election. And NPR’s Martínez was joined by canvassers from the conservative group The Libre Initiative and the Culinary Workers Union. To win Nevada in this election, winning Clark County, home to more than two-thirds of the state’s population, is key. To do that, canvassing is essential. But to be effective, voters need to open the doors.

Photo slideshow

You may have heard of telepathy between twins, but twin brothers Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo have taken it a step further. The artist duo, best known as Osgemeos, say their creativity is in sync, as if they were one artist. Their distinctive graffiti style has earned them recognition in the art world in their home country of Brazil and beyond. Their playful artwork has graced murals, parks, bridges, major museums, galleries and more. OSGEMEOS: The Neverending Story will be on display at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., from September 29.

3 things to know before you go

1. Brett Favre, the Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl victory in 1997, revealed yesterday during a hearing before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Resources, where it was ruled that he suffered from Parkinson’s disease.
2. In 2009, 23-year-old Megan Atherton was evicted from her Maryland apartment. While driving home to find a new place to live, her car broke down and needed major repairs. A nearby woman and unsung hero named Toni came to the panicked Atherton’s aid and took her in for the night, helping her calm down.
3. Man kidnapped in 1951 in California park at age six was found safe and sound on the East Coast thanks to DNA testing and the persistent efforts of his family.

This newsletter was written by Suzanne Nuyen – …

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