Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton eulogizes Elijah Cummings

by Jill Hudson and Korva Coleman First Up Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Here's what we're following today. Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton are expected to eulogize Elijah Cummings on Friday at his funeral in Baltimore. The late congressman died last week of complications from long-standing health problems at age 68. On Thursday, congressional colleagues from both sides of the aisle remembered Cummings during a ceremony as his body was lying in state in the Capitol rotunda. Ferocious winds in California triggered new wildfires and evacuations throughout the state. A fire has already burned through more than 16,000 acres in Sonoma County since Wednesday night. A federal judge on Thursday held U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in contempt of court for failing to stop collecting loans owed by students who had been defrauded by Corinthian Colleges. The court ruling also ordered the Education Department to pay a $100,000 fine.  The Justice Department’s review of the origins of the Russia probe has become a criminal investigation. The change has already spurred allegations that the department is being used to go after the president's political opponents. The federal government is widening its recruiting efforts for 2020 census jobs to include noncitizens for their skills with other languages. The Census Bureau says it is trying to recruit job applicants who speak the languages of the neighborhoods where workers will be collecting information.  Newsletter continues after sponsor message Digging Deeper How journalists exposed West Africa’s “sex for grades” scandal. West African BBC journalist Kiki Mordi couldn't finish her studies as a university student because one of her professors withheld her exam results when she refused his sexual advances. She complained and was ignored. Mordi was forced to drop her goal of being a doctor and turned to journalism instead. Her latest documentary project, Sex for Grades, examines sexual harassment at West African universities . She and three other undercover reporters spent nine months using hidden cameras to film college lecturers harassing, propositioning and trying to blackmail them. “What we found was even more shocking than what we expected to find,” she says. The Nigerian advocacy organization, Stand to End Rape Initiative, says it’s seen an increase of reports of sexual harassment and assault since the documentary premiered.  “Men feel invincible,” says Executive Director Ayodeji Osowobi. “This moment is women saying, ‘You're not’.” History Lesson How the Negro League’s Homestead Grays shaped D.C. baseball. Courtesy of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Inc. The Washington Nationals will host the Houston Astros for the World Series. There have been lots of recent stories about the last time a Washington baseball team won a World Series — the answer most given is the Senators in 1924. But there was another very successful team to come afterward: the Washington Homestead Grays, one of the most successful teams in baseball history. The Grays won three Negro League World Series titles between 1943 and 1948. Add 10 Negro National League pennants and you get the winningest baseball team in Washington history.  Today's Listens What the ouster of the royal consort may say about where Thailand is heading. Thailand Royal Office/AP Some experts suggest King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s firing of his consort may be an additional power move by a monarch who has worked to amass personal authority since he succeeded his father in 2016. It’s a “stunning moment in Thai history,” Cornell University history department chair Tamara Loos tells NPR. (Listening time, 3:45) ► LISTEN A master’s in marijuana? The University of Maryland explores a new frontier in higher ed.  The University of Maryland’s Master of Science in medical cannabis science and therapeutics is the first graduate program of its type in the country. Some universities offer classes on marijuana and two have created undergraduate degree in medicinal plant chemistry, but none have yet gone as far as Maryland. The legalization of medical marijuana in states throughout the country has created an ever-expanding universe of opportunities for people looking to grow, process, recommend and sell the drug to patients. (Listening time, 4:54) ► LISTEN Some Halloween costumes are offensive, but people keep wearing them. Halloween is filled with tricks and treats, but it’s also filled with landmines of cultural appropriation and racist tropes. When does holiday fun turn into an offense for someone else? (Listening time, 3:45) ► LISTEN The Picture Show Elephants under attack have an unlikely ally: artificial intelligence. Thoko Chikondi for NPR A few years ago, the conservation world was rocked by the results of something called the Great Elephant Census, which counted all the savanna elephants in Africa. In the seven years between 2007 and 2014, the elephant population decreased by about a third and was on track to disappear completely from some African countries in as few as 10 years. To reverse that trend, conservationists are deploying audio recorders, neural networks and predictive analytics in a bid to save elephants from extinction. Before You Go Rich Fury/Getty Images After some confusion and conflicting timelines, Kanye West’s ninth studio album, Jesus Is King, has arrived. Tourists are racing to climb Australia’s Uluru mountain this week ahead of a ban on climbing the sacred rock.  Want to get rid of your vaping device? The Drug Enforcement Administration will take it on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday. What may be the world’s biggest treehouse was recently destroyed in a Tennessee fire.  The remains of Spanish dictator Gen. Francisco Franco have been exhumed after months of legal battles. We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: dailynewsletter@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can  sign up here. 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