Gaza Aid Violence, Harvard On Trial, Congress Redistricting
Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.
Today's episode of Up First was edited by Hannah Bloch, Steve Drummond, Ben Swasey, Janaya Williams and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
Listen and follow along
Transcript
Palestinians say Israeli fire killed people as they tried to grab sacks of flour.
Local officials count more than 100 dead in multiple incidents, a number that Israel disputes.
So, what are the facts?
I'm Sasha Pfeiffer with Steve Inskeep, and this is Up First from NPR News.
Lawyers for Harvard are in court today as they sue the Trump administration.
Other universities are watching.
There is nothing different about Harvard University than there is about some Midwestern, smaller private college.
The same things would apply, right?
What is Harvard asking a judge to do?
Also, the Texas legislature meets in special session.
Republicans are considering an explicit plan to skew the next election in their favor.
So, how would it work?
Stay with us.
We've got the news you need to start your day.
This message comes from Schwab.
Everyone has moments when they could have done better, like cutting their own hair or forgetting sunscreen, so now you look like a tomato.
Same goes for where you invest.
Level up and invest smarter with Schwab.
Get market insights, education, and human help when you need it.
Learn more at Schwab.com.
Support for this podcast and the following message come from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.
Raise a glass today and you'll taste more than just beer.
You'll taste a trailblazing spirit.
You'll taste pure ingredients, sustainable brewing, and a commitment to community.
And you'll taste a world of flavor from the legendary pale ale to the citrusy and smooth hazy little thing.
It's flavor that takes its time so you can make the most of yours.
See for yourself where fine beer is sold.
Sierra Nevada, taste what matters.
Please drink responsibly.
Support for NPR and the following message is from Bosch e-Bike Systems.
Over 100 e-bike brands trust Bosch for its reliable and intuitive riding experience.
Backed with almost 140 years of technology expertise, Bosch isn't just keeping up with trends, they're setting them.
Visit a local bike dealer or go to ebike.com to learn more about how Bosch e-bike systems keep pace with your life.
This story underlines how desperate people in Gaza have become for food.
People continue trying to pick up flour and other supplies at designated locations, even though many are being killed.
In multiple incidents Sunday, Palestinians say Israelis opened fire.
They count more than 100 dead.
That's the deadliest day yet for people attempting to collect basic supplies.
Israelis dispute the number and contend they fired, quote, warning shots at people.
NPR's Daniel Astron is on the line from Tel Aviv.
He's been covering this whole war from the beginning.
Daniel, welcome.
Thank you, Steve.
How did the day unfold?
Well, Gaza health officials say Palestinians were seeking food throughout Gaza and were killed by Israeli fire at various points in Gaza, but the majority were killed in one single incident.
And that was in northern Gaza, as the United Nations World Food Program had a convoy of trucks crossing into Gaza carrying flour and food.
The WFP says large crowds of people were desperate to get that food, and they approached the trucks and they came under fire by Israeli tanks and troops.
The Israeli army says thousands of Palestinians were gathering and posing a threat to forces, which is why the army opened fire.
They are questioning the death toll reported by Gaza health officials.
I want to acknowledge the uncertainties here of any given incident, Daniel.
Sometimes we don't know for sure the specific facts, and the specific facts are disputed.
But we also have here an eyewitness account of what's going on in Gaza.
It comes from our NPR colleague Anas Baba, who's been covering the war since the beginning.
What did he see yesterday?
Well, he's been talking about very little food to be found anywhere in Gaza.
He visited Gaza City's main hospital, Shifa Hospital, as it was dealing with a rush of casualties and the wounded being coming in from that Israeli shooting I I was describing near the UN aid trucks.
He filmed the body of a 15-year-old boy with braces on his teeth killed while trying to get food.
He filmed a 13-year-old boy wounded there in the hospital.
And he spoke with an American doctor, Dr.
Noor Sharaf, who is working at the hospital with the World Health Organization.
Let's listen to some of his conversation with her.
I saw you today, once I entered the hospital in the ER, and I saw you freezed.
I think I was in shock.
I've never seen anything like this in my entire life.
Lots of young children have come in with gunshot wounds to the head and to the abdomen, chest.
People are coming in with severe malnutrition.
A lot of the times I see these young kids and I think that they are way younger than they actually are because they're very small.
Everyone is skin and bones.
Anas Baba also met a man in his 50s, Hassan Abu Marasa, who was wounded in his head and leg from Israeli tank fire.
Hunger makes you desperate, he's crying there.
I have no food at home.
I went out to feed my kids, and this is what happened to me, he said.
And this is not just Israeli military shootings, Steve.
It's also malnutrition.
Gaza health officials say at least 18 Palestinians died of extreme hunger over the past day.
Given all that, what are the prospects for a ceasefire?
I spoke with a person in Israel who is briefed on the ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel, not authorized to speak publicly, but told me that there's optimism among some Israeli officials that a deal could be reached in a matter of days.
That deal would see a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
It would be a 60-day ceasefire, a hostage prisoner exchange.
But we see no breakthrough yet, and we are seeing hunger and desperation for civilians in Gaza.
And Pierre's Daniel Estrin is in Tel Aviv.
Daniel, thanks as always for your reporting.
You're welcome.
In this country, lawyers for Harvard University and the Trump administration are back in federal court today in Boston.
Harvard is suing the federal government over its freeze of more than $2 billion in grants and contracts.
Steve spoke with Harvard President Alan Garber in May about where that money goes.
There are so many discoveries that have come from Harvard and other research universities.
Advances in cancer, in treatments of cancer of all kinds.
This is a huge part of what we do.
Everybody benefits from the research work of universities like ours.
The Trump administration says it froze those funds because Harvard violated civil rights law involving anti-Semitism on campus.
NPR's Alicia Nadwarney joins us now from Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Alyssa, good morning.
Good morning.
What case will Harvard be making today?
Well, in exchange for getting those funds back, the government has said that Harvard has to change things like how to hire, how to admit students, and has demanded access to student files without subpoenas.
Harvard's attorneys argue that is evidence that the government is violating the First Amendment and academic freedom.
And while Harvard says they have made mistakes in allowing anti-Semitism on campus, they've said they've made changes to protect Jewish students, and they argue that the administration didn't go through proper procedures before they pulled those funds.
And that violates the Administrative Procedure Act.
That's what they argue.
Yeah,
which is an important law that's applied again and again and again.
It says the government can't do things that are arbitrary and capricious.
There has to be a process, there has to be a reason, there has to be some justice to it.
What is the administration's case?
Well, the government argues that Harvard didn't follow federal civil rights law.
And as a result, the government has deemed that Harvard is not entitled to these research dollars.
In statements, the White House has says federal funds are a privilege, not an entitlement.
Here's how Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, put it.
Does the federal government have the power in the abstract to say we're going to cut off federal funding to a private institution like Harvard?
I do think that power is there.
But the question is how the Trump administration went about using the power.
I talked with Jodi Farish.
She's a lawyer who represents several Midwest colleges and universities about how a lot of colleges are watching to see what precedent this case sets.
I think that everyone is watching and worrying about the extent to which the federal government is seeking to control the higher education sector because there is nothing different about Harvard University than there is about some Midwestern smaller private college.
The same things would apply, right?
So the impact of all of this is going to have ripple effects for jobs at universities, for families getting experimental treatments all over the U.S.
So how is the court going to resolve this?
Well, it's just a one-day hearing and Harvard is asking the judge for a summary judgment in hopes of moving this issue along faster.
But there's no indication when we'll actually get that ruling.
And while several legal experts told me that Harvard has a really strong case, whichever side loses in Boston will likely immediately appeal.
And so, Steve, this may end up all the way at the Supreme Court.
Asking for a summary judgment.
So, essentially, asking the judge to say, This case is obvious.
We don't even need to hear anymore.
Give us something quick.
Yeah, that's the request.
We'll see what happens and where the appeal goes.
NPR is a list of Nad Wernie in Cambridge.
Thanks so much.
You bet.
State lawmakers in Texas began a special session today.
Republicans who dominate the Texas legislature want to redraw voting districts for Congress.
Their explicit partisan purpose is to skew the results so that Republicans win more seats.
The state Republican Party said redistricting is, quote, an essential step to preserving GOP control of Congress.
President Trump favors the idea.
Just a very simple redrawing.
We pick up five seats.
But we have a couple of other states where we'll pick up seats also.
NPR's Hanzi Lo Wong is with us now.
Hansi, good morning.
Good morning, Steve.
Okay, so normally a state redistricts every 10 years with the census.
Why is Texas doing it five years early?
Well, as you heard, in their own words, this is pure hard politics.
Texas first passed a congressional map like most states after the 2020 census results came out, and that map was challenged in court by voting rights advocates.
And while those lawsuits are still playing out, out, the Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, announced this special session.
And what was his reasoning for doing this?
Abbott pointed to a letter he received this month from the Justice Department under the Trump administration.
And that letter claims the map that Republican lawmakers passed back in 2021 is unconstitutional.
You know, a lot of legal experts are skeptical of the letter's reasoning, though, because President Trump has been vocal, as you heard, about wanting a new map that he thinks can get Republicans five more seats in Texas.
How likely is it that they'll get what they want?
Well, Republicans, like you said, control both the legislature and the governor's office in Texas.
So in theory, they can pass a map that they want, but there is a risk of overreaching here because map makers in this special session may be making some out-of-date assumptions about where voters are and how they vote.
Any new map would be based on census data from five years ago.
That's a long time for a state that's changing demographically as much as Texas is.
Okay, we mentioned other states.
What other states might this happen in?
Well, Ohio has to draw a new map because of a state law.
There are a handful of states in the South, plus Utah and Wisconsin, with maps that are still in the middle of lawsuits.
And depending on what courts decide and their timing, those states may not have to draw new maps and use existing ones.
But what is true for all of these states is that the House of Representatives has been narrowly divided for years.
So any changes with the voting districts could make a big difference in whether Republicans keep control of the House or lose it to the Democrats.
I feel that I have heard of states sometimes doing a mid-decade redistricting before.
How unusual is this?
I talked to Michael Kang, a redistricting expert at Northwestern University's Law School.
Some states have done mid-decade redistricting.
It's usually in the context of lawsuits that drag on for years.
But what Kang says is unusual and notable this time around is that we are in an increasingly polarized political climate.
And that means in states where one political party controls map drawing, like in Texas, you're going to see strategies to squeeze out every possible advantage.
And Kank thinks voting maps should be drawn once at the beginning of a decade after census, and then unless they violate any laws, be left alone.
When you can adjust the districts to make your side safer and the other side more vulnerable multiple times over a decade, it becomes hard to hold these guys accountable.
You know, I should also note that the Supreme Court has struck down some key protections against racial discrimination and redistricting under the Voting Rights Act, and that has unleashed some state lawmakers to try to draw maps in ways that courts may not have allowed in the past.
NPR's Hanzi Lo Wong, thanks so much.
You're welcome, Steve.
And that's Up First for this Monday, July 21st.
I'm Steve Inske.
And I'm Sasha Pfeiffer.
Your next listen is Consider This.
We here at Up First give you the three big stories of the day.
The team at Consider This takes a different approach.
They dive into a single news story and what it means to you.
Learn about a big story of the day in less than 15 minutes.
Listen now on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
But not until you hear these credits.
Today's Up First was edited by Hannah Block, Steve Drummond, Ben Swayze, Janea Williams, and Alice Wolfley.
It was produced by Ziad Vach, Nia Dumas, and Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott and our technical director is Carly Strange.
Join us tomorrow.
This message comes from Jerry.
Many people are overpaying on car insurance.
Why?
Switching providers can be a pain.
Jerry helps make the process painless.
Jerry is the only app that compares rates from over 50 insurers in minutes and helps you switch fast with no spam calls or hidden fees.
Drivers who save with Jerry could save over $1,300 a year.
Before you renew your car insurance policy, download the Jerry app or head to jerry.ai slash npr
Support for NPR and the following message come from IXL Learning.
IXL Learning uses advanced algorithms to give the right help to each kid no matter the age or personality.
Get an exclusive 20% off IXL membership when you sign up today at ixl.com slash NPR
This message comes from NPR sponsor Thrive Market.
It's back to school season, aka snack packing, lunchmaking, schedule juggling season.
Thrive Market's back to school sale is a great way to stock up this month with 25% off family favorites.
Easily filter by allergy or lifestyle to find kid-approved snack packs, organic dinner staples, and more, all delivered to your door.
Go to thrivemarket.com/slash podcast for 30% off your first order and a free $60 gift.