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Today’s top stories
Vice President Harris appeared on Fox News yesterday to try to woo Republican voters who are looking for an alternative to former President Donald Trump. Anchor Bret Baier pressed her on topics like her immigration policy and positions she took when she ran for president in 2019. She also visited Bucks County, Pa., where she gave a speech joined by dozens of Republicans who’ve endorsed her.
Vice President Harris speaks at a campaign event at Washington Crossing Historic Park in Washington Crossing, Pa., on Wednesday.
Ryan Collerd/AFP via Getty Images
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Ryan Collerd/AFP via Getty Images
- 🎧 Harris didn’t quite answer Baeir’s question when asked what she would do differently from President Biden, NPR’s Sarah McCammon tells Up First. The vice president did note that, unlike Biden, she’s spent most of her career outside of Washington and would work more closely with Republicans, seeking out their ideas on policy issues. McCammon says most people she met at yesterday’s Pennsylvania visit were either Democrats or registered Republicans who said they had opposed Trump from the beginning. This makes it difficult to gauge how much Harris’ efforts are moving the needle for her campaign.
Trump focused on his pitch to Latino voters last night during a Univision town hall outside of Miami. He emphasized his economic record, referred to Jan. 6 as a day of love and continued to make unfounded claims about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio. Both candidates are actively seeking the Latino vote. They are expected to make up to 15% of eligible voters and could have a significant impact in key swing states.
- 🎧 NPR’s Franco Ordoñez says Trump argued that Latinos were better off when he was president. He spoke about his plans to lower energy costs as well as inflation. When asked about his immigration plans, he shifted the conversation to discuss crimes committed by those in the U.S. illegally. Many Latino voters in swing states come from mixed-status families, which makes Trump’s rhetoric toward immigrants an issue. However, he is gaining ground on Latino voters, particularly those from 2nd and 3rd generation families who have been in the country longer.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Brussels to discuss with European Union leaders his plan to end the war with Russia by the end of next year without giving up any territory. He is also urging Western allies to invite Ukraine to join NATO soon. However, some allies, including the U.S., are hesitant because they want to avoid provoking Russia.
- 🎧 Zelenskyy informed lawmakers that some Western allies have pressured him to negotiate with Russia on what he believes are unfair terms. NPR’s Joanna Kakissis says he also stated that Russia only wants Ukraine to surrender and that the only way to keep Ukraine safe is through an ironclad security guarantee, such as an invitation to join NATO. Zelenskyy’s victory plan to end the war includes a key condition that the U.S. doesn’t support: the lifting of restrictions on Ukraine to strike military targets deep inside Russia with advanced weapons supplied by the West. The U.S. argues that these actions would escalate the war — a sentiment echoed by the Kremlin.
Deep dive
Jeff and Donna Standridge (right and middle) and Keith Lowhorne (right) are all raising their grandchildren. More than 2.5 million children in the U.S. are raised by grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other extended family members — when their parents are unable to care for them.
Drew Hawkins/Gulf States Newsroom
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Drew Hawkins/Gulf States Newsroom
A pilot program in Alabama will distribute $280,000 from opioid settlement funds to support grandparents and other extended family members who have taken on the role of parenting due to a loved one’s struggles with opioid use disorder. Over 2.5 million children in the U.S. are raised by these “grandfamilies,” according to a 2022 report from Generations United. The increase in parental substance use, particularly the rise of opioids, has been a significant factor in this trend, leading to other family members stepping in to prevent children from entering foster care.
- 👵 Advocates say the estimated $1,000-$2,000 per family is insufficient to cover the expenses of raising a child, let alone multiple children, but it’s a positive first step.
- 👵 Grandfamilies in Alabama do not have access to welfare programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. This program is supposed to help alleviate that.
- 👵 The money can be used to buy groceries, pay bills, obtain dental care, enroll the kids in sports programs to keep them active or purchase school supplies or uniforms.
- 👵 The state’s first round of settlement funds is now being distributed and it expects hundreds of millions more in the coming decade.
Life advice
If you’re ever feeling down and need to improve your mood, there are science-backed techniques that can help. These techniques can help you feel more energized when you’re feeling sluggish or calm when you’re feeling stressed. The best part is that these mood boosters can be done in 15 minutes or less.
- 😊 Walking down memory lane can help us find meaning in our lives and feel less alone.
- 😊 ASMR videos can help you decrease feelings of stress.
- 😊 Making art activates the reward pathway in the brain, creating a pleasurable experience that can lower stress and anxiety levels.
- 😊 If you feel tired, try incorporating more walking into your day.
Check out the full list of tactics in comic form.
3 things to know before you go
Liam Payne, seen here at the 2023 premiere of the film All of These Voices, a documentary about his One Direction band mate Louis Tomlinson.
Kate Green/Getty Images
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Kate Green/Getty Images
- Liam Payne, who rose to fame as a singer in the boy band One Direction, died while in Buenos Aires, according to multiple news agencies. He was 31.
- Over 11 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry has been recalled due to listeria concerns. This includes salads, wraps, frozen meals and more sold at chains like Target, Trader Joe’s and Walmart.
- Nebraska’s highest court ruled against top state officials, upholding a law allowing felons to register to vote after completing their sentences.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.