These states are Harris’ path to presidency. And, why the U.Ok. is rioting

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Right now’s high tales

Vice President Kamala Harris is anticipated to announce her operating mate inside the subsequent few days. The duo will then embark on a whirlwind marketing campaign tour. The three names which have gotten essentially the most consideration are Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. They’ll marketing campaign in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada — the seven states each Harris and former President Donald Trump are centered on. A new evaluation launched this morning of the electoral map reveals that Harris has made up vital floor within the swing states by about two to 4 factors.

• 🎧 “Those seven states are the whole ball game,” NPR’s Domenico Montanaro tells Up First. Within the “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, Trump’s lead has fully evaporated. At present, the “blue wall” is a tossup, which is why the Harris marketing campaign says it’s their massive focus. If she will be able to win every of these, she’ll doubtless win the presidency, Montanaro says. Shapiro has gained quite a lot of consideration as a vice presidential candidate as a result of Pennsylvania has extra electoral votes than the respective states of the opposite potential contenders. A small enhance from his state may assist her get excessive.
• ➡️ Who was Kamala Harris earlier than she grew to become VP? 5 individuals who knew her from that point inform NPR how they keep in mind her.

Iran and the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah are anticipated to launch a significant assault on Israel in retaliation for 2 assassinations of senior leaders of militant teams final week. An assault would doubtless set off a blistering response in return from Israel. The top of U.S. Central Command, Basic Michael Kurilla, is anticipated in Israel at the moment to assist coordinate defenses throughout the area if an assault is launched. The U.S. embassy has warned residents to both go away Lebanon instantly or be ready to shelter in place. The Pentagon additionally says that the U.S. is including to its navy presence within the Center East in an effort to assist defend Israel. The final time Iran launched rockets and drones at Israel 4 months in the past, U.S. warplanes and missile batteries performed an important function in capturing them down.

• 🎧 NPR’s Jane Arraf says there’s undoubtedly apprehension in Lebanon, however no panic. The small nation has had successive wars and financial crises, leading to extra Lebanese folks dwelling overseas than at dwelling. Within the nation, there are virtually 90,000 U.S. passport holders. The U.S. and different nations’ embassies have shared the constant message to not depend on them to evacuate folks from the nation.

The U.S. had a superb weekend on the Paris Olympics, racking up gold medals and breaking world data from the pool to the observe. Runner Noah Lyles received his 100-meter dash by five-thousandths of a second, marking the primary time in 20 years an American man has received this Olympic race. U.S. swimmers added two gold wins to the medal depend and shattered two world data. Bobby Finke bested Chinese language swimmer Solar Yang’s document from the 2012 video games within the 1,500 freestyle and the ladies’s staff smashed the document for the 4-by-100 meter medley set by one other American staff in 2019. Regardless of the 2 successes, the U.S. earned fewer gold medals for swimming this 12 months than in years previous.

• 🎧 The remainder of the world is getting higher and quicker, NPR’s Brian Mann says. The U.S.’s largest rival has been the Australian swimmers. Now, China and Italy are additionally good. In a number of the races the place the U.S. got here in second and third, U.S. swimmers have been really setting private finest instances. One athlete’s dominance hasn’t modified: America’s Katie Ledecky is now essentially the most adorned U.S. girl athlete in Olympic historical past.
• ➡️ Sustain with all the newest Paris Olympics information with NPR’s protection.

Life recommendation

A Goal buyer retailers for college provides. The typical household is projected to spend $875 on back-to-school procuring in 2024, in line with the Nationwide Retail Federation.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Photographs

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Photographs

Summer time is coming to an in depth for a lot of children within the U.S. heading again to grade college. American households are anticipated to spend a median of $875 on back-to-school provides. With inflation, the excessive price ticket for brand new garments, laptops and pencils could be intimidating. Listed here are 5 retail expert-approved suggestions to scale back prices:

• 🎒 Plan round tax-free procuring dates. In the course of the back-to-school procuring season, 17 states could have financial savings on college provides, clothes, electronics and extra.
• 🎒 Go to a number of shops over the course of some weeks to make sure that you entry all of the totally different promotions.
• 🎒 Join loyalty applications, verify the shop’s social media and turn into accustomed to the costs of the gadgets in your checklist to search out the very best offers.
• 🎒 Benefit from value matching, even in the event you see a less expensive value on a retailer’s web site after you’ve got already checked out. Shops like Goal provide retroactive value matching and can refund the distinction if an merchandise you acquire goes on sale inside two weeks after buy.
• 🎒 Wholesale shops like Costco, Sam’s Membership and BJ’s can typically assist you to save on the unit value of an merchandise.

Behind the Story

Gao Zhi seems to be out the window of his dwelling positioned in a small village in The Netherlands.

Jeremy Meek for NPR

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Jeremy Meek for NPR

This essay was written by Frank Langfitt, NPR’s world democracy correspondent.

Is a high-profile critic of the Chinese language Communist Social gathering a con man?

I assumed I had a easy scoop. As an alternative, it changed into probably the most intriguing and shocking tales I’ve ever lined.

First, a little bit background. I spent a few years reporting in China and within the UK, the place — amongst different issues — I wrote about how Chinese language officers threatened critics to silence them. It is a actual, rising downside around the globe. Human rights activists say the Chinese language Communist Social gathering is exporting its authoritarian techniques to democracies. As a reporter who focuses on democracy, I needed to cowl that.

So, once I heard folks have been calling in bomb threats within the names of Chinese language dissidents to get cops to arrest them, I used to be decided to analyze.

My key supply was a younger, celeb dissident within the Netherlands named Wang Jingyu. Wang, 22, had made his title within the information media as a defiant critic and seemingly fixed goal of the Chinese language Communist Social gathering.

Wang advised me the household of his housemate, a fellow dissident named Gao Zhi, had been accused of constructing bomb threats to the Chinese language embassy in Bangkok and airports in Europe. Wang mentioned the Chinese language authorities was behind the bomb threats. Gao’s spouse and daughter have been trapped in Thai immigration detention. This had the makings of a gripping expose.

However when a fellow reporter and I investigated, we discovered a really totally different story than we had anticipated. It turned out to be a narrative about how the concern that the Communist Social gathering generates can unfold like a virus amongst its critics abroad, breeding confusion, mistrust and paranoia — and the way that concern could be weaponized by virtually anybody and result in disaster.

To search out out what occurred to the Gao household and the way we untangled the thriller of the bomb threats, please learn or take heed to our story right here.

3 issues to know earlier than you go

Riot police clashed with anti-immigration protesters exterior of a Vacation Inn Specific, which is used to accommodate asylum seekers, in Rotherham, United Kingdom, on Sunday.

Christopher Furlong/Getty Photographs Europe

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Christopher Furlong/Getty Photographs Europe

1. Widespread, violent riots led by far-right protesters have battered the U.Ok. for the previous few days. The rallies started after three women have been killed at a dance class, triggering Islamophobic and anti-immigration sentiments. Lots of of protesters have been arrested, dozens of officers injured and a number of buildings broken.
2. In 2023, Frances Brissey was heading dwelling after a household funeral when a truck crashed into her household’s van. She couldn’t transfer and was in immense ache, however her “highway angel” and unsung hero, Terry Reavis, rushed over, held her and offered her consolation till assist arrived. Brissey says the care that was provided to her and her household modified her life.
3. Warmth coaching, which includes managed publicity to warmth stress, may assist folks keep extra snug through the terribly scorching summer season this 12 months and past as warmth waves are anticipated to occur extra incessantly as a consequence of local weather change.

This text is edited by Suzanne Nuyen.