Israel orders Rafah evacuations; Boeing plans to launch a spacecraft
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Today’s top stories
Israel is observing its Holocaust Remembrance Day today, nearly seven months into the war in Gaza and after another round of cease-fire talks fell apart. The Israeli military began dropping leaflets ordering tens of thousands of Palestinians taking refuge in Rafah to evacuate, a move indicating its ground offensive in the area of Southern Gaza could be imminent.
Boeing’s airliner division has had a turbulent few months. The company hopes for a smoother ride in outer space tonight when it plans to launch two NASA astronauts from Florida’s Cape Canaveral on a mission to the International Space Station. It will be the first time Boeing’s Starliner capsule will carry people.
The U.S. House of Representatives could vote this week on a bill that would require counting and excluding non-citizens from the 2030 census. The decennial count determines each state’s share of House representatives and electoral college votes. The bill is among at least a dozen measures filed by Republican lawmakers as they push for an unprecedented change to the country’s election maps.
We, the voters
As part of the We, The Voters series, NPR is bringing you stories about immigration reported from the U.S.-Mexico border all week.
Is it easy for migrants to enter the U.S.? The arrival of migrants from across the Americas and the rest of the world has led many to believe it’s as simple as walking through the front door. But when the Morning Edition team visited a border crossing point, they found the opposite to be true. Many migrants wait there every day for a chance to enter the country legally in hopes of being able to claim asylum.
Steve Inskeep spoke with a Venezuelan family that waited and hoped to be selected for a border law enforcement screening that would allow them to enter the country on a conditional basis. Listen to them describe their journey and read about the other challenges migrants face.
Today’s listen
You may have listened to Jeff Beal’s work without knowing it. Beal wrote the Emmy-winning theme for the Netflix series House of Cards. For 17 years, he has been living with multiple sclerosis, a chronic condition with no cure that can affect the brain. He credits writing music as the reason why he hasn’t had any significant gray matter loss. His latest collection of deeply personal solo piano works reflects his hopeful outlook on life.
Listen to parts of the album and hear Beal talk about how it came to be and why he believes he’s lucky.
3 things to know before you go
This newsletter was edited by Obed Manuel. Anandita Bhalerao contributed.