NPR News

A slew of new presidential polls released this week not only confirm a long-established gender gap among voters, but also suggest that the male-female preference divide in this year's presidential contest could hit historic levels.

It may surprise that that divide appears not driven by social issues and arguments over reproductive care or choices, analysts say, but largely by the national conversation over the size of government.

One unidentified lottery player likes a little irony with his win. Wednesday's winner of the valuable interstate Powerball lottery played these numbers: 13-26-39-41-42. The Powerball number was 10. Interestingly, the first three numbers played are all connected with 13.

With voters in the swing state of Iowa today joining those in two-dozen other states who can already cast their vote for president, the surge in early voting is necessitating a change in campaign strategy, says Paul Gronke, director of the Early Voting Information Center.

A huge drop in demand for cars, aircraft and other transportation equipment pulled down orders for so-called durable goods in August, the Census Bureau says.

Orders fell 13.2 percent, "the largest decrease since January 2009."

There goes Iowa again, always having to be first. The home of the first-in-the-nation caucuses is also the first swing state to begin early in-person voting in the presidential election.

He was in more than 100 films, including such classics as Spartacus and El Cid.

But actor Herbert Lom, who died in London today at the age of 95, is best known as the perpetually peeved, increasingly insane police chief Charles Dreyfus in the Pink Panther films.