Good morning. You're reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.
Today's top stories
The mother of the alleged gunman in the Apalachee High School shooting in Winder, GA, where four people were killed and nine others were injured, called the school to warn officials about her son. Text messages sent by Marcee Gray, the suspect’s mother, to her sister about the phone call she made to the high school surfaced over the weekend. The school remains closed while the investigation continues.
- 🎧 Gray talked to the school counselor for about 10 minutes around a half hour before the shooting, Chase McGee of Georgia Public Broadcasting tells Up First. School administrators took the call seriously and went to the classroom where her son was supposed to be, but he wasn’t there. Later he tried to enter that room, but was prevented because the door was locked. Witnesses say the school didn’t order a lockdown as quickly as they could have. There was also confusion due to another student with a similar name who happened to be in the same class, but was not there when the administrator arrived.
- ➡️ A teacher at the high school described on social media how she protected her students during the shooting.
Venezuela's opposition leader Edmundo González, who is widely believed to have won the July presidential election, has fled to Spain, where he has been granted political asylum. This comes after Venezuela’s authoritarian regime ordered his arrest. President Nicolás Maduro controls all branches of power in Venezuela and is backed by the military.
- 🎧 González joins an ever-expanding group of exiled Venezuelans who have gone to Spain, including four previous presidential hopefuls, NPR’s John Otis says. Once politicians leave, it usually means that they’re gone for good. The opposition were hoping the U.S. and other countries would recognize him as Venezuela’s new president, but now that he has fled it seems out of the question.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits London today, addressing growing policy differences between the U.S. and U.K., particularly over Israel and other foreign policy issues. This comes ahead of a White House trip by the new U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The U.S. counts on British support for its efforts to arm Ukraine, and to work toward a cease-fire deal in Gaza. The U.K. has taken some actions recently that differ from the U.S. when it comes to Israel.
- 🎧 NPR’s Lauren Frayer says the U.K. suspended some of its arms exports to its ally Israel, due to its conduct in Gaza. The U.K. has said there’s a risk that Israel might use British-made weapons to violate international humanitarian law. Funding has also been restored to the UN aid agency helping the Palestinians. Blinken is said to be making the trip to reaffirm the two countries' special relationship.
Climate Solutions Week
Climate change is affecting our food, and our food is affecting the climate. NPR is dedicating a week to stories and conversations about the search for solutions.
California farmers are seeking to grow less thirsty crops like agave as they grapple with human-caused climate change. Extreme heat and intensifying periods of drought are more common now for the state, impacting most of the U.S.’ production of fruits and nuts, like avocados and almonds. Growing agave, a key ingredient in making tequila and mezcal, is a fairly new idea for the U.S. Here’s how some farmers are embracing the crop.
And the wine industry in Napa Valley is starting to confront the fact that grapes grown for cabernet are being damaged not just by rising temps but also by new technology being used to adjust to climate change.
From our hosts
This essay was written by A Martínez, Morning Edition and Up First host
When LL Cool J released his debut album Radio in 1985, there wasn’t a prominent West Coast rap scene that a freshly minted teen like myself could easily access. Listening to songs such as "I Need A Beat," "I Can't Live Without My Radio" and "Rock The Bells" made me dream, not of being able to rap like him, but of one day being able to project just a tiny fraction of his confidence and swagger. It's only been 40 years, and I’m still waiting for that to happen.
His voice and lyrics popped for me because LL Cool J was also a teenager, just 17, when Radio came out. That blew my mind and hooked my heart on rap music with LL as one of the main entry points to this world. I mean, did I buy a Jeep in 1993 just because I heard his song "Back Seat"? Maybe, probably, but don't tell my mom that and definitely DO NOT show her the lyrics to that song.
As LL and other rappers entered their primes in the ‘90s, I wondered how they would hold up to time. Could someone like LL stop being cool? Was rap strictly a young person’s game? LL is 56 years old now. I recently talked to him about his first new album in over a decade. In that chat, I got the answer to those questions and…hmm, I don’t think so.
3 things to know before you go
- “Mr. Greedy,” a prolific penguin dad, died at Baltimore’s Maryland Zoo last week at the age of 33, nearly doubling his species’ median life expectancy of 18 years.
- A Miami-Dade police officer is on administrative leave after handcuffing and detaining Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, hours before the team played against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
- A salmonella outbreak linked to eggs branded Milo's Poultry Farms and Tony's Fresh Market has made at least 65 people sick in nine states, U.S. officials said.
This newsletter was edited by Obed Manuel.
Copyright 2024 NPR