Today’s best stories
Pro-abortion activists rally in front of the United States Supreme Court on March 26, 2024, in Washington, DC.
DREW ANGERER/AFP via Getty Images/AFP
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DREW ANGERER/AFP via Getty Images/AFP
Two years ago today, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, removing federal protections for abortion. The Dobbs decision allowed states to ban and restrict abortion, significantly changing the access and nature of abortion in the United States.
- 🎧 The number of abortions is actually on the rise in the United States, according to NPR’s Elissa Nadworny. First. Although access is much more limited in some states, Nadworny says the use of telehealth has increased significantly, making it easier for doctors to prescribe and mail abortion pills. Even people in states with strict abortion restrictions, like Texas or Mississippi, can legally access the pills from providers in places like Massachusetts and New York. She adds that what interests her most is how abortion could appear on the ballot this fall in as many as 10 states. This is where voters will decide. She is also awaiting the latest decision from the Supreme Court expected this week on access to abortion in emergency rooms.
Armed militants killed more than 15 police officers and several civilians in the southern Russian republic of Dagestan on Sunday., its governor Sergei Melikov said in a video statement on Monday. The gunmen opened fire on two Orthodox churches, a synagogue and a police station in two towns, authorities said. The attacks took place in Makhachkala, the region’s largest city, as well as the coastal town of Derbent.
- 🎧 Authorities say the attacks were well planned and coordinated, NPR’s Charles Maynes reports. First. Maynes says authorities have launched an investigation into what they call terrorist acts, although it remains unclear how many militants were involved. Dagestan is a predominantly Muslim region on the Caspian Sea with a history of separatist and militant violence. Responsibility for these attacks was not immediately claimed.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is in Washington to discuss the next phase of the war in Gaza and the escalation of hostilities on the border with Lebanon. Even though the International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor has requested an arrest warrant for Gallant, the United States views him as a close partner of Israel’s right-wing government.
- 🎧 The visit comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finds himself at odds with his biggest ally, the United States, NPR’s Hadeel Al-Shalchi reports.. Yesterday, Netanyahu said in a lengthy television interview that the current phase of fighting against Hamas in Gaza was coming to an end and the army’s attention could then shift to Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. He also signaled that there is no end in sight to the war in Gaza. Al-Shalchi says Netanyahu’s language appears to contradict the deal the Biden administration is pushing for, which could lead to an end to the incessant war and secure the return of the remaining hostages in Gaza.
- 🎧 Hezbollah is much stronger than Hamas. Could Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system hold up in a war with the group? NPR’s Geoff Brumfiel speaks with missile experts who say Hezbollah’s arsenal could push the system beyond its limits.
Behind the story
Ibrahim Abu Hani, head baker and co-owner of Batool Cakes, a family business in Rafah, Gaza Strip.
Anas Baba for NPR
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Anas Baba for NPR
Ibrahim Abu Hani, head baker and co-owner of Batool Cakes, a family business in Rafah, Gaza Strip.
Anas Baba for NPR
This essay was written by Daniel Estrin, NPR international correspondent.
A few months after the war in Gaza began, NPR Gaza producer Anas Baba called me with some exciting news: He had found a bakery selling cakes.
That’s how we started following professional baker Ibrahim Abu Hani.
Abu Hani has reopened his Rafah bakery, Batool Cakes, in the face of high demand. A man wanted a birthday cake for his injured son. Another man in a tent camp asked for a wedding cake: he was getting married that evening.
The baker did his best to produce a high quality product, even with dwindling supplies during the war.
Soon, the baker learned that a branch of his bakery in Khan Younis had suffered significant damage after an Israeli ground offensive against Hamas.
Shortly after, Abu Hani himself had to flee.
When Israel launched its offensive in Rafah, he gathered all the baking equipment he could and moved it to his brother’s auto mechanic’s workshop, further away from the bombardment.
Despite the flies, he baked cakes for children at a nearby tent camp to help them celebrate their birthdays.
“When you strive to bring happiness to others, you will feel joy no matter what obstacles stand in your way,” he told us.
Our producer Anas Baba has documented many horror scenes during this war, but this baker’s story is just as important. Abu Hani helps people celebrate life amid extreme hunger and despair. While the world sends canned beans to Gaza, it treats children to delicious cakes.
Listen to our radio report featuring him as we continue to follow his journey throughout the war.
Life advice
Valeriy Kachaev/Spruce Books
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Valeriy Kachaev/Spruce Books
Valeriy Kachaev/Spruce Books
What was the first thing you did when you woke up this morning?? If you immediately reach for your phone, you may not be aware of your behavior and how it shapes your day. And that might mean you’re online too much. A recent survey claims that Americans check their phones every 4 minutes. You can check your phone usage with this quiz and learn some practical tips for finding balance in your digital habits.
📱 Social media is designed to be addictive. The only way to get around this is to set limits, either by removing apps from your phone or using a screen timer.
📱 Don’t go to bed with your phone. Research shows that it makes a big difference to your sleep and concentration.
📱 Notice how you feel when you scroll on your phone. Try closing social media, then slowly re-enter the apps that serve you.
📱 After a few weeks of practicing digital minimalism, you may have more free time than usual. Use the time to reconnect with people and reinvest in your hobbies and interests.
3 things to know before you leave
Onobrakpeya Station VI Veronica wipes the face of Jesus
Michael McKelvey
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Michael McKelvey
- At 91, Bruce Onobrakpeya, the Nigerian sculptor and printmaker who reimagined the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is celebrated at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art with a solo exhibition.
- The late Alex Trebek will be featured on a U.S. Postal Service Forever stamp.. Stamps honoring Trebek, who died in 2020, will go on sale next month.
- Florida family sues NASA over piece of metal space debris owned by agency fell to the ground and destroyed their Naples home earlier this year, leaving a hole in the roof.
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