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Today’s headlines
A rocket hit a football field filled with children in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights region on Saturday, killing 12 children and injuring dozens more. Israel said the Iran-backed Hezbollah fired the rocket from southern Lebanon, but Hezbollah denied responsibility. The incident occurred on the same day that Israel’s attack on Gaza destroyed a school building used to shelter displaced Palestinian residents. At least 30 people died and more than 100 were injured.
Israeli security forces and medical personnel transport the wounded and local residents at the site of a reported Lebanese attack on Saturday in the village of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights region.
Below Marey/AFP via Getty Images
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Below Marey/AFP via Getty Images
- 🎧 Less than 24 hours after the strike, NPR’s Kat Lonsdorf visited the Golan Heights, she said the sadness was “palpable”. The community there is predominantly Druze, an Arab minority population. As a result, some believe this is not a high priority for the Israeli government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement last night saying Hezbollah would pay a heavy price for the attack. Langsdorf said neither side seemed to want an all-out war, but the Israeli military had been clear for months that it was ready for a larger war.
Venezuela’s electoral authorities declared current President Nicolás Maduro the winner of yesterday’s election. That sparked accusations of massive fraud against opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez to steal victory. With 80% of the votes counted, Maduro won with 51% to González’s 44%. The challenges to his 12-year dictatorship come as the country faces an economic crisis and shortages of gas and electricity.
- 🎧 NPR’s Carrie Kahn tells the story first up Maduro claims election system was hacked by foreign terrorists But no evidence was given. Election authorities said they would release the full vote count in the coming hours. The opposition accused authorities of driving observers out of polling stations and refusing to print or transmit vote tallies. They also said Venezuelans and the world knew what was going on. For now, the opposition remains determined to ensure all votes are counted.
- ➡️ NPR’s international correspondents will continue to cover elections around the world throughout the year. Check out the latest results here.
Former President Donald Trump is fighting to get back into the spotlight after Vice President Kamala Harris raised over US$200 million for her presidential campaign. He still hopes to tie Harris to President Biden’s most unpopular policies, including inflation and the border. He escalated his attacks on her, calling her “sick” and “insane” and repeatedly mispronounced her name. Trump even told Christian voters that if he were elected, they “would no longer have to vote.”
- 🎧 “The Trump campaign will tell you it’s just a honeymoon period,” NPR’s Franco Ordoñez said of Harris’ campaign success so far. Most polls conducted since Harris entered the race have shown her and Trump neck-and-neck. Having to share the spotlight was new to him. Trump saw a lot of momentum after his debate with Biden and the Republican National Convention, but now there’s a shift. But Ordonez said the angrier Trump becomes, the more headlines he will generate, both positive and negative, which will be good for him.
deep dive
On July 17, Annalize and Ellie Currence stood in front of their refrigerator and decided to have dinner at their home in Belton, Missouri.
NPR’s Chase Castor
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NPR’s Chase Castor
Grocery prices have largely leveled off over the last year, but that doesn’t stop many Americans from experiencing a price shock. Last year, the cost of rent, electricity and car insurance all rose faster than groceries. But supermarkets are still a place where shoppers feel the sting. The reason: Grocery prices rose 1.1% last year, 4.7% the year before that, and 12.2% the year before that. This is how supermarkets became a symbol of American inflation:
- 🛍️ Alert shoppers to higher grocery store prices Costs rise more frequently than other costs because they are seen and experienced more frequently.
- 🛍️ Rising food prices pose challenges for low-income householdswho typically spend more on groceries than wealthier households.
- 🛍️ Rising wages are slowly catching up with grocery store prices. Average wages rose 3.9% in the 12 months to June. That’s about 3 1/2 times the rate at which supermarket prices are rising.
Listened to it today
Joey Berkeley
Sarah Matthews/Big Apple Jazz
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Sarah Matthews/Big Apple Jazz
Saxophonist Joey Berkley always dreamed of playing jazz, until one day he discovered that his left hand wouldn’t cooperate. That was about 20 years ago. He suffers from focal dystonia, a movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions. Berkeley learned about an experimental procedure that involves placing electrodes directly in the brain to treat the disease. Despite how aggressive and potentially dangerous this sounds, there’s no question about it for him. “Music is everything I do,” he said. Berkley underwent surgery in March 2021, and after recovering, he regained enough hand control to start recording again.
- 🎧 Listen to some songs from his new suite It’s called The Suite Life.
3 things you need to know before you go
James Baldwin’s face is painted on the decorative bookshelves at Baldwin & CO bookstore in New Orleans
Neda Urabi
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Neda Urabi
- Baldwin & Co., a bookstore that opened three years agoOver the past year, there has been a grand countdown to the 100th birthday of its namesake. James Baldwin was born on August 2, 1924.
- As Utah’s Great Salt Lake dries up, it is becoming a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, scientists say Lead to climate warming. The lake has shrunk by nearly half in recent years.
- Reelin, a key protein that helps assemble the brain early in life, also appears to protect It is linked to Alzheimer’s and other aging-related diseases, according to three studies.
This newsletter is edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
