TikTok sues federal government over free speech; U.S. pauses an Israel bomb shipment
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Today’s top stories
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns they would be used in densely packed areas like Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians are taking refuge. The decision comes as the State Department is expected to release a legal review of Israel’s conduct during the war and whether it has violated U.S. and international law.
TikTok is suing the federal government over a new law that would ban the app next year unless its parent company, the China-based ByteDance, finds a non-Chinese buyer. The lawsuit alleges the ban is unconstitutional and amounts to an unprecedented suppression of free speech.
Adult film star Stormy Daniels took the stand yesterday at former President Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial. She offered details about an alleged sexual encounter with the president in 2006 — an affair he has denied. Trump’s defense team will continue cross-examining Daniels on Thursday. Trump faces 34 felony counts alleging he falsified business records to conceal damaging information during the 2016 election. Here’s how Daniels fits into this case.
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.
Illegal immigration is at the heart of the debate at the U.S.-Mexico border. The issue is further complicated by the hundreds of thousands of people arriving at the border requesting asylum as permitted under U.S. law. The number of arrivals asking for protections has overwhelmed the system, though.
The science of siblings
The Science of Siblings is a new series from NPR exploring the ways our siblings can influence us, from our money and our mental health all the way down to our very molecules.
Pop quiz: Do you know which planet is Earth’s closest sibling? Many might think it’s nearby Mars, but Venusians, as scientists who study Venus call themselves, would disagree. They like to refer to Venus as Earth’s twin. Long ago, these three planets wouldn’t have looked so different. So, how did Earth end up full of life, Mars cold, dry and dusty — and Venus as the hottest planet in the solar system? Scientists say size and location matter in the delicate balance of developing life on a planet.
Learn more about the Science of Siblings here, including why siblings — especially twins — tend to share the same weird quirks.
3 things to know before you go
This newsletter was edited by Obed Manuel.