Today’s headlines
Mediators are working to reach a ceasefire in Gaza after Hamas proposed amendments to a plan proposed by President Joe Biden. Israel and Hamas are willing to agree to an initial six-week ceasefire and exchange hostages taken from Israel for Palestinian prisoners on October 7. But beyond that, the details of the deal become tricky. Neither party has publicly agreed with Biden’s plan.
On July 20, 2017, Palestinian Hamas militants appeared at an event in the Bani Suhayla district of Gaza City in the Gaza Corridor.
Chris McGrath/Getty Images
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Chris McGrath/Getty Images
On July 20, 2017, Palestinian Hamas militants appeared at an event in the Bani Suhayla district of Gaza City in the Gaza Corridor.
Chris McGrath/Getty Images
- 🎧 According to NPR’s Daniel Estrin, Hamas wants guarantees of an end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Egypt-Gaza border and a say in the release of Palestinian prisoners. first up. But Israel says it will not agree to end the war until it ensures that Hamas no longer rules Gaza. Estrin said the mediator knew the negotiations were now at a difficult stage. There remains a fundamental gap between Hamas’s desire to survive this war and Israel’s desire to ensure that Hamas cannot survive. The challenge for negotiators is how to bridge this gap.
Today is the first day of the G7 summit in southern Italy. President Joe Biden and other world leaders are expected to focus on providing Ukraine with the funds it needs to continue its fight against Russia. Leaders are negotiating a plan to use interest generated on some $300 billion in Russian assets frozen by Western banks.
- 🎧 NPR’s Deepa Shivaram says two factors are increasing pressure on leaders to finalize a plan for Ukraine. Far-right candidates have won more seats in recent European elections, which could complicate future support in the country. November’s U.S. presidential election also adds a sense of urgency, as former President Donald Trump has been critical of aid to Ukraine.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposes new federal rules that would wipe medical debt from Americans’ credit scores. If enacted, these rules would significantly expand protections for tens of millions of Americans who cannot afford health care. Medical debt affects approximately 100 million people in the United States.
behind the story
Previous editions of Prison Mirror aired on Friday, May 10, 2024, at the Stillwater Correctional Facility in Stillwater, Minnesota.
Kerem Youssel | MPR News
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Kerem Youssel | MPR News
This article was written by NPR national correspondent Meg Anderson.
Access to prisoners is never easy.
By design, they are located behind imposing metal doors and cannot be reached. But we are the nation with the highest incarceration rate, and talking to the people who make up that statistic is key to understanding how we view punishment.
I think this story is about a free press for people who are not free themselves. I know the state prison near Stillwater, Minnesota has published newspapers since the 1800s. I also know that this prison made headlines last year when inmates protested their living conditions.
I wanted to explore how these two facts converge. What I gained instead was a deeper understanding of how prisoners find meaning and work toward redemption.
I visited the prison with Minnesota Public Radio photographer Kerem Yucel. We were allowed to talk unhurriedly to newspaper staff, the administrators wouldn’t listen – a rare opportunity. Kerem even photographed the men in their cells, an uncommon glimpse inside a prison.
Prisoners talked about how learning aspects of the story changed their minds. As one prisoner put it: “Through writing, I hope to leave a very different footprint than the one I’ve already left on the world.”
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In October 2023, a woman stood in the window of a women-only subway car in Mexico City.
Sarah Messinger
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Sarah Messinger
Despite having women-only buses, Mexico City’s subways still have a crisis of gender-based violence. Despite the city government’s 2002 “Let’s Travel Safely” program, which allocates three of nine subway cars to women and children under 12, nine out of 10 women in the region say they have been Victims of sexual harassment.
3 things you need to know before you go
Joey Chestnut wins the 2022 Nathans Famous International Independent Hot Dog Contest in New York City after eating 63 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
Kina Betancur/Getty Images
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Kina Betancur/Getty Images
- Celebrity competitive foodie Joey Chestnut After signing a brand deal with plant-based brand Impossible Foods, Nathan was banned from participating in the famous hot dog eating contest.
- Black Americans are known to be at higher risk for certain neurological diseases. Baltimore researchers examined 151 postmortem brains and discovered a gene that may explain the difference.
- Has yoga in America reached its peak? About 1 in 6 adults say they practice yoga, according to a new survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The editor of this newsletter is Majeed Wahidi.
