Hamas leader killed; Simone Biles Olympic gold : NPR

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Today’s top stories

Hamas’s top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, is dead after a targeted raid in Iran today, according to the Palestinian militant group. Hamas accused Israel of the killing while Israeli officials had “no comment” when asked about the Tehran attack. Haniyeh was there for the inauguration ceremony of new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

• 🎧 NPR’s Jane Arraf tells Up First that the place, timing and the man himself are important factors in the attack. Haniyeh has been a key negotiator in the U.S. and Qatar-mediated cease-fire talks between Hamas and Israel.
• 🎧 With the assassination of Haniyeh, three of the top four Hamas leaders have either been killed or presumed killed, NPR’s Daniel Estrin says. This leaves only Yahya Sinwar, the leader who orchestrated the Oct. 7 attack, alive. A political analyst from Gaza tells Estrin that Haniyeh was one of the more moderate Hamas leaders. His killing could delay cease-fire talks “for some time,” Estrin says. He adds that any official acknowledgment of the attack from Israel could further escalate tensions and draw a forceful response from Iran.
• ➡️ Haniyeh’s death comes less than 12 hours after Israel said it killed Fouad Shukr, a commander of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group. Hezbollah says Shukr was in the building where the attack happened, but they have not identified his body.

Vice President Kamala Harris fired up a large, energetic crowd at a campaign rally in Atlanta yesterday — in a state that previously seemed lost to Democrats. With less than 100 days until the election, Harris and former President Donald Trump are shifting their attention to the Sun Belt. They have their eyes on Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. In 2020, Biden narrowly won all of those states except North Carolina. After his disastrous debate performance, polls had Biden losing these states for the upcoming election. Following his decision to drop out, early surveys show Harris winning back younger, nonwhite voters who had soured on Biden.

• 🎧 “It’s like a switch was flipped for the base,” NPR’s Stephen Fowler says. This doesn’t just include the rallies, but the record fundraising and volunteer sign ups. Trump and his vice presidential pick JD Vance will be in Georgia Saturday in the same exact Atlanta location as Harris’ rally last night, likely with the same capacity crowds and energy. Both sides are trying to brand themselves as the right option in the swing states with big multimillion-dollar ad campaigns. Harris’ campaign says they’ll barnstorm several battleground states next week. She’s expected to select her running mate within days.

The U.S. women’s gymnastics team is back on top. They reclaimed gold yesterday in the team all-around final. The team took home a silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 after Simone Biles withdrew from the event due to the “twisties.” This time, Biles and her team took to the floor and finished the night with a massive 5.8-point margin over the closest competitor, Italy. Biles was the leading scorer of the night and competed in all four events — vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor — alongside teammates Jordan Chiles, Suni Lee and Jade Carey. The fifth member of their team, Hezly Rivera, did not perform in the final.

Life advice

The heat has been on high this summer and doesn’t show signs of stopping. Heat waves continue to worsen in parts of the world with breaking temperature records all season. Beating the heat has been on many people’s minds, including ours, which is why we asked for your tips and tricks to stay cool without air conditioning.

• 🧊 Mother Nature is your friend. Seek out bodies of water, lakes, beaches and rivers.
• 🧊 Your freezer might have the answers. Freeze wet towels and take them to bed or go to sleep with an ice pack under your pillow on warm nights.
• 🧊 Take a cube and fan it. Step one: Get a pan, tray or dish and put cold water or an ice block in it. Step two: Put it in front of a fan and blow the cool air in your direction.
• 🧊 Create shade. Add blackout curtains to the side of your home that gets direct sunlight.
• 🧊 Wear a wet scarf or neck wrap around your neck to stay cool.
• 🧊 Put a bottle of frozen water on your lap, put your feet in a large pan of cold water or soak in a tub of cold water.
• 🧊 “Hair is a gigantic evaporative wick.” Leave your hair wet after getting out of the bath.

Picture show

Megan Thee Stallion performs on the main stage during the Broccoli City Festival at the Audi Field in Washington, D.C.

Alanté Serene/NPR

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Alanté Serene/NPR

Broccoli City Festival returned to D.C. over the weekend, packing Audi Field with thousands of music lovers. The stands and field, which normally host Major League Soccer matches, were filled with fans participating in the two days of festivities. The star-studded lineup included appearances by Megan Thee Stallion, Victoria Monét, Issa Rae, Sexyy Red, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Jordan Ward and Gunna.

3 things to know before you go

Thomas Guzowski, 40, greets his senior dogs as they climb onto the bed on July 18, in Redlands, California.

Julie Leopo for NPR

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Julie Leopo for NPR

1. Even when inflation makes money tight, 97% of pet owners will still splurge on their animals because they consider pets to be part of their family, according to the Pew Research Center.
2. The FDA added more cinnamon brands to its major health alert due to lead contamination.
3. Meta has agreed to a $1.4 billion settlement with Texas over the violation of state privacy laws. The state’s attorneys accused the company of obtaining and using users’ biometric data without permission. (via KERA)

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.