Israel calls up reservists; Hurricane Erin in N.C. : NPR

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At present’s prime tales

The Israeli navy is asking up 60,000 reservists forward of its expanded navy operation in Gaza Metropolis, bringing the entire variety of mobilized reservists to 120,000. A two-month ceasefire provide has been on the desk since Monday. Hamas accepted the phrases of the deal with none adjustments, leaving the ball in Israel’s court docket. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has put out statements suggesting he does not just like the provide, NPR’s Daniel Estrin tells Up First.

• 🎧 It is a main crossroads within the conflict, and Israel hasn’t selected what strategic path it’ll take, Estrin says. Israel sees Gaza Metropolis as a serious stronghold of Hamas. Israeli troopers have already been despatched to the outskirts of town, the place they’ve carried out strikes in latest days. Navy officers say these strikes are the preliminary steps of the brand new operation. The most important offensive would end in Israel ordering the displacement of many Palestinians to southern Gaza, which assist teams warn would exacerbate the humanitarian disaster there.

Pentagon officers have been assembly with their European counterparts this week to work out safety ensures for Ukraine. This effort to assist finish the conflict with Russia and forestall a future one comes as Russia unleashed one among its largest airstrikes in a single day, firing greater than 600 drones and missiles. Amongst them was a Russian cruise missile that hit an American electronics plant, based on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Greater than a dozen folks had been wounded on the location, which is in an remoted a part of far western Ukraine.

• 🎧 Ukrainians imagine that Russian chief Vladimir Putin needs to maintain combating, says NPR’s Greg Myre. Ukraine has had restricted safety guarantees prior to now, and so they have not stopped Russia from invading. Shifting ahead, it needs iron-clad safety ensures. Russia has all the time rejected the thought of a NATO presence in Ukraine to verify Western troops do not transfer near Russian borders. Myre says that it is at present laborious to see any center floor for compromise.

North Carolina’s Outer Banks are already feeling the impacts of Hurricane Erin, which stays nicely offshore as a Class 2 storm. Gov. Josh Stein has cautioned folks to remain out of the ocean. Forecasters warn that the storm, which is very large in dimension and power, may deliver potential coastal flooding, excessive winds and life-threatening rip currents from the Carolinas to New Jersey.

• 🎧 Will Michaels with NPR community station WUNC stories there is just one primary street on the Outer Banks, and it’s at present closed. Final evening, the storm surge breached the protecting sand dunes and submerged the street. Michaels says local weather change has accelerated seaside erosion and washed away dunes in lots of areas. Because of this, beforehand protected low-lying areas at the moment are extra vulnerable to flooding throughout exceptionally excessive tides. Many individuals, together with vacationers, evacuated the Outer Banks earlier than the storm hit. Resorts and trip leases may see vital income loss within the two weeks main as much as Labor Day.

At present’s hear

Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, a member of the Chickasaw Nation, composed a collection of animal character research for the Dover Quartet, Woodland Songs.

Shevaun Williams

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Shevaun Williams

The Grammy-nominated Dover Quartet has a brand new album impressed by Native American traditions. To compose Woodland Songs, the string quartet teamed up with Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate. When trying to find the sound, Tate turned to the woodland creatures revered by his personal Chickasaw Nation: squirrels, woodpeckers, deer, fish and raccoons. Hearken to snippets of Woodland Songs which can be sleek like a deer, staccato like a woodpecker and frenetic like a squirrel. And, learn extra about Tate’s composing course of.

Deep dive

An aerial view of the Columbia River is proven on Friday, July 18, 2025, close to Crescent Bar, Washington. KUOW Picture/Megan Farmer

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Megan Farmer/KUOW

Knowledge facilities are important for providers like ChatGPT and on-line medical data. The rising demand for extra internet-connected gadgets is driving a surge in information heart building throughout the U.S. This growth presents a beautiful alternative for small cities, doubtlessly offering them with new industrial anchors that may create jobs, generate tax income, and produce prosperity to areas which were ignored by the digital revolution. However these facilities additionally include vital energy and water calls for, which may put pressure on native assets. In Quincy, Wash., identified for its stretches of knowledge facilities, critics say the pressure is not well worth the financial acquire.

• ➡️ Knowledge heart building creates hundreds of jobs, however these are principally short-term. In response to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the typical massive information heart employs 150 folks long-term.
• ➡️ For the reason that first information facilities went up in Quincy, the share of residents dwelling beneath the poverty stage decreased from 29.4% in 2012 to 13.1% in 2023, based on census information.
• ➡️ Critics argue that whereas the financial advantages are interesting, they’re involved that residents might face blackouts or water limitations earlier than information facilities do, as a result of these facilities deal with delicate data.
• ➡️ With the financial increase in Quincy, new companies emerged to serve the rising inhabitants and touring building employees. Nevertheless, enterprise homeowners there are involved about the way forward for these institutions as soon as the information facilities not require so many building employees.

3 issues to know earlier than you go

Individuals take a look at wood Kiruna Church at its closing location after a two-day transfer from the previous city to the brand new metropolis heart, in Kiruna, northern Sweden, on August 20.

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Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP by way of Getty Pictures

1. This week, two vans gently rolled the 600-ton,113-year-old Kiruna Church in Sweden to a brand new dwelling to stop town’s native iron mine from swallowing it up. The three-mile journey throughout town took two days.
2. Surinder Gupta got here down with a excessive fever one winter evening in 1974. After speeding to a 24-hour pharmacy to get medication, he left to search out that his automobile had been towed. He searched the cellphone e-book and located a stranger with a well-known Indian identify. Sukhdev Walia listened to Gupta’s story and did not hesitate to assist. The unsung hero gave Gupta and his household a journey, and so they all developed an inseparable bond.
3. The U.S. well being care system might be complicated. For those who need assistance understanding and overcoming the challenges to accessing excellent care, ship your tough inquiries to the Well being Care Helpline from NPR and KFF Well being Information. They could be capable of join with a coverage knowledgeable and supply the solutions you want.

This article was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.