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Today’s headlines
Israeli PM Netanyahu expected to receive mixed reception today when he was scheduled to address a joint session of the U.S. Congress. Republicans strongly support Netanyahu and Israel in the Gaza war. But criticism from Democrats is mounting, with President Joe Biden calling for a ceasefire. About 200 protesters were arrested yesterday after staging a sit-in against the Gaza war on Capitol Hill. Netanyahu has said he believes Hamas in Gaza must be completely destroyed, which is likely to be a central theme of his speech.
On June 18, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at the National Memorial Ceremony for the Victims of the 1948 Altalena Incident at the Nacharat Yitzhak Cemetery in Tel Aviv.
Shaul Golan/AFP via Getty Images
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Shaul Golan/AFP via Getty Images
- 🎧 NPR’s Greg Myre in Tel Aviv first up Netanyahu plans to meet with Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump during his visit. All three visits were accompanied by complications. Biden has grown increasingly frustrated with the death toll among Palestinian civilians. Harris had a scheduling conflict and wanted to meet privately with Netanyahu. Trump’s relationship with Netanyahu soured after the prime minister recognized Biden as the winner of the 2020 election. With Biden out of office, Meier reported that Israeli political leaders and media acknowledged decades of support for Biden and suggested that tradition for many U.S. presidents may end after he leaves the White House.
With about 100 days until the 2024 election, Harris aims to clearly define her position on the campaign trail. She traveled to Indianapolis today to speak to a black sorority. The visit follows her first public appearance as a presidential candidate yesterday. She walked out to Beyoncé’s “Freedom” as an energetic crowd of 3,000 in Milwaukee chanted her name. Due to the overwhelming interest, the campaign had to move to a larger venue.
- 🎧 “The first time she said ‘when I’m president'” said NPR reporter Deepa Shivaram, who attended the campaign rally. Shivaram observed that even Harris seemed “a little shocked by the energy in the room.” Harris recounted her experience as a court prosecutor to show how she would stand up to Trump and express who she was before becoming Biden’s vice president. As she reintroduced herself to the country in a short period of time, Gen Z took to the internet to adopt memes and coconut emojis with pop music backgrounds. Her travels will also increase: By the end of the week, she will have been to five different states.
Vice President Harris has a chance to try to win over the large number of voters who now say they are undecided, according to a new poll from NPR. The poll found Harris and Trump are statistically tied, but one in five independents now say they are undecided — up from 4% a week ago. Said is crucial because she will be reintroducing herself.
- 🎧 Harris did better than Biden at retaining black and young voters when they had the option to vote for other candidatesNPR’s Domenico Montanaro explains. Trump has been projecting strength over white evangelical Christians and white people without college degrees. Harris performed worse than Biden among suburban voters, white voters and independent voters. If she can’t make up for it, Trump could win the White House. But she now has a fresh start, with more undecided independent voters.
US Secret Service Director Kimberly Chettle resigned yesterdayAccording to the White House. The decision came a day after she testified before the House Oversight Committee, where she faced bipartisan criticism for not fully answering questions about the assassination of Trump.
deep dive
A woman takes a predawn walk in Toksook Bay, Alaska, 2020. Congress approved millions of dollars to connect the community to a new site in the village of Newtok, which is being destroyed by erosion caused by climate change. Forced relocation. Many scientists working on climate-related projects have struggled to continue their work under the Trump administration.
Gregory Bull/AP
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Gregory Bull/AP
Joel Clement spent seven years at the Department of the Interior working on policies to help threatened Alaska communities Melting permafrost and rising sea levels. His work gained momentum during the administration of former President Barack Obama. Clement was reappointed after Trump took over as part of a government-wide effort to halt efforts to combat climate change. Clement resigned and became a whistleblower on what he and other scientists saw as political interference and scientific censorship by the Trump administration. Many scientists worry that this disruption will be more severe during Trump’s second term. Here’s why:
- ➡️ EPA decision makers banned Consider research on the deadly effects of air pollution during the Trump administration. At the Agriculture Department, information on how climate change is affecting crops is under scrutiny.
- ➡️ 2025 plan proposes eliminating EPA office responsible for reducing pollution in minority communities, reduce greenhouse gas emissions monitoring, and eliminate major government offices engaged in atmospheric research. Trump has distanced himself from the plan but has said he agrees with many of its recommendations.
- ➡️ The plan will also make it easier to replace civil servantswhich includes people in positions like Clement’s.
- ➡️ White House is working to strengthen scientific integrity policies Protect government scientists from interference. A new president can revoke these rules.
Listened to it today
Shaboozey will perform at the 2024 BET Awards in June 2024 in Los Angeles.
McCollan/Getty Images
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McCollan/Getty Images
PhD student Madeleine Hamilton set out to explain our emotional connections to pop music, and made different discoveries along the way. What she found: Today’s most popular songs are much simpler than their hits from decades ago. Hamilton analyzed more than 1,000 popular songs to show how singing becomes less complex over time. But that doesn’t mean today’s hits lack complexity.
3 things you need to know before you go
Lila Clevey.
Lila Clevey
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Lila Clevey
- In 2012, Lilah Clevey was on her normal commute to college when she crashed into another car. When Cleavey came to after passing out, she checked on the driver of the car and apologized. In that moment, instead of feeling depressed, Cleave’s unsung hero embraced her and protected her. This interaction never left her.
- Astronomers are working to save the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the most powerful X-ray telescope ever built. It has celebrated a milestone 25 years in space and is healthy enough to continue doing scientific research into the next decade, but NASA may end its mission due to funding issues.
- New study shows the smell of human stress can affect dogs’ moods and their decisions, leading them to make more pessimistic choices.
This newsletter is edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
