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Voters in 11 states will pick their governors tonight, and Republicans appear on track to increase their numbers by at least one, with the potential to extend their hold to more than two-thirds of the nation's top state offices.

Eight of the gubernatorial seats up for grabs are now held by Democrats; three are in Republican hands. Republicans currently hold 29 governorships, Democrats have 20, and Rhode Island's Gov. Lincoln Chafee is an Independent.

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New York's Mayor Bloomberg has hired a former FEMA official with experience in Hurricane Katrina to direct the city's housing recovery. NPR's Martin Kaste reports it's another sign of the seriousness of the housing shortage caused by the storm.

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The race for president has been at the heart of this election season. Let's turn now to the intense and expensive battle going on for control of the House and the Senate.

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The next Congress will be losing some famous names, like Barney Frank, Joe Lieberman and Ron Paul - all retiring. Today, one-third of the Senate and all 435 seats in the House are up for grabs.

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It's MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

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And I'm Renee Montagne.

This is a day that many Americans will spend staring at maps of the United States.

INSKEEP: Some who are not staring already have the electoral map in their heads, as they calculate ways that President Obama or Mitt Romney can win 270 electoral votes.

MONTAGNE: In order to win, President Obama would need to hang on to painfully close leads in several states.

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And today's last word in business is: Pinching Pennies.

In Garfield, Pennsylvania, the owner of a tattoo shop wanted to spruce up her floors. She could have gone with a nice tile or parquet.

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Instead, Mel Angst of the Artisan Tattoo and Coffee Gallery went with pennies - 250,000. She recruited some volunteers, and spent three weeks painstakingly gluing pennies to the floor.

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NPR's business news starts with Suzuki pulling out of the U.S.

Japan's Suzuki Motor Corporation has been selling cars in America for almost three decades. But unlike Toyota or Honda, it never managed to win over masses of American consumers. The company has the smallest American market share among the big Asian automakers. And when its current inventory runs out the company will no longer sell cars here at all. It will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection instead.

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Eastman Kodak received approval yesterday to end retiree benefits by year's end. The ruling in a New York State court will save the company millions as it emerges from bankruptcy. It will also mean higher health care costs for thousands of retirees and their families.

Carlet Cleare of member station WXXI reports.

CARLET CLEARE, BYLINE: Retiree Alyce Hahn says Kodak's decision and yesterday's court ruling has left her with a sense of betrayal.