President Joe Biden’s debate performance is reinforcing Democrats’ worst fears about his candidacy. Oklahoma public schools are now required to teach the Bible, the state’s top schools official has said. And new research suggests how certain gut bacteria may cause weight gain.
Here’s what you need to know today.
Some Democrats are advocating Biden to step aside
The debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump including name-calling and clashes over abortion, inflation, immigration, foreign policy and, at one point, each other’s golf game, but one resounding question emerged from last night’s event: or Biden should step aside so that the Democratic Party could nominate another candidate to run against Trump in November.
Some Democrats began calling on Biden to do so after the 81-year-old stumbled from the start of the debate. He had difficulty speaking and his voice was hoarse. He repeatedly stumbled over his words, mispronounced words, and lost track of his thoughts. Biden’s aides and others familiar with the situation said he had a cold.
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Trump broke down, saying at one point that he didn’t understand what Biden had just said about the border. “I don’t know if he knows what he said either,” he said. However, Trump did not avoid the criticism. He also deflected questions about his age (he’s 78), including his struggle to stay on topic and squirming while speaking.
Meanwhile, Democrats panickedand Biden aides tried to offer reassurances.
Some reactions from Democratic lawmakers after the debate:
→ “This was like a champion boxer getting past his prime in the ring and needing his corner to throw in the towel,” one said, adding that he meant Biden should leave the race.
→ It’s “time to talk about an open convention and a new Democratic candidate,” said another, who had been a strong supporter of Biden.
The fear among these Democrats is that the version of Biden that came to the debate cannot win in November. Despite some Democrats’ desire to see another nominee take on Trump, there’s a lot to think about — and several reasons why the options for a switch are limited.
Read the whole story here.
More coverage of the debate:
A top Oklahoma school official orders public schools to teach the Bible
All public schools in Oklahoma must teach the Bible in grades 5 through 12 and all classrooms must have a copy of the text available, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters said in a memo to districts. Curricula should reference the Bible and the Ten Commandments because of their “substantial influence on our nation’s founding fathers and the fundamental principles of our Constitution,” the memo said, adding: “Immediate and strict compliance is expected.”
The order quickly drew criticism from civil rights groups. Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a nonprofit organization, called it “a textbook example of Christian nationalism” and said the policy “tramples on the religious freedom of public school children and their families.” Read more about the order and Walters integration of Christian beliefs and teachings into state education policy.
Supreme Court rules on Purdue Pharma, abortion and more
A 5-4 Supreme Court ruling along non-ideological lines blew up the bankruptcy reorganization of opioid maker Purdue Pharma, finding that the settlement improperly included legal protections for the Sackler family. The decision means billions of dollars secured for victims are now at risk.
In the original settlement, the Sacklers had agreed to pay $6 billion, which could be used to settle opioid-related claims, but only in exchange for a complete release of all liability in future cases. In yesterday’s decision, conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the majority, said the Sacklers were trying to piggyback on Purdue Pharma’s own bankruptcy proceedings. Now, settlement talks with the Sacklers will have to start over while Purdue Pharma’s separate bankruptcy proceedings continue. Read more about the decision.
Kay Scarpone, whose son died of an overdose and was part of a victims’ commission tasked with finding people affected by the drug crisis, said the settlement was the most money she and others thought they could get for victims and states. “Now we have to go back and tell all these people, ‘Sorry, it’s off the table,'” Scarpone said. Read more about the reactions to the ruling.
Yesterday the Supreme Court also…
The Tiniest Victims: Why Does America Continue to Allow Toddlers to Shoot Themselves?
On Valentine’s Day, 3-year-old Skye McBride picked up a revolver at her father’s home and shot herself in the head. She miraculously survived.
The day before Skye shot herself, Michigan’s new firearms storage law went into effect. The measure made it a felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison, if a weapon is left unsecured and a child finds it and injures or kills someone. Skye’s father would be the first person to be charged under the law.
Despite America’s deep divisions over guns, everyone seems to agree that no toddler should be able to find and shoot a loaded, unsafe gun. Unlike so many other forms of gun violence that plague the US, on paper this seems like a solvable problem. There is broad consensus that people who own firearms should store them properly to limit children’s access to these weapons. And yet, almost every day in America, someone is injured or killed because a child unintentionally fired a gun, according to reports from 2015 to 2022 compiled by Everytown, a gun safety advocacy group.
National investigative journalist Suzy Khimm followed the aftermath of Skye’s shooting and the toddler’s recovery, exploring how Skye’s story connects to a crisis in the US Read the full story here.
How Gut Bacteria Can Cause Food Cravings or Weight Gain
Certain gut bacteria may increase a person’s risk of binge eating and becoming obese, a new study suggests. In a series of experiments, mice and humans with a tendency to binge eat had similar levels of two types of bacteria in their microbiomes — one harmful and one beneficial. Researchers found that if they increased the numbers of a type of beneficial bacteria called Blautia, they were able to prevent addictive eating behaviors from developing in the mice. While researchers aren’t sure how the bacteria protect against the development of compulsive eating, they have theories.
Paris 2024: What’s next after day 1 of the gymnastics tests?
Reigning all-around bronze medalist Frederick Richard leads the men’s competition after the first day of the Olympic gymnastics trials in Minneapolis. Richard took first place on the floor and high bar and third place on the parallel bars. Other contenders for the men’s team are U.S. champion Brody Malone, Shane Wiskus, Paul Juda and Asher Hong. Here’s what else happened.
Team USA’s gymnastics lineups will be determined by the end of the weekend. Simone Biles is a lock for the women’s team, but you’ll have to wait until the weekend to find out who joins her. Leaders include reigning Olympic all-round champion Suni Lee and six-time world medalist Shilese Jones. Meet the other top contenders and potential dark horses.
More highlights from the Olympic Games:
Politics in brief
Weight Loss Medications: A bill that would allow Medicare to cover weight loss drugs goes to the House of Representatives after the Finance Committee voted to pass the legislation, which had languished in Congress for more than a decade.
Israel-Hamas war: The Pentagon is making preparations to evacuate Americans According to officials familiar with the plan, the force would be deployed from Lebanon if fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensifies.
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Staff choice: President’s stolen pocket watch finally recovered
Last year, a sharp-eyed Florida auctioneer recognized the significance of a pocket watch he was up for auction. The 126-year-old timepiece turned out to belong to Theodore Roosevelt, and the priceless gift had accompanied the former president into battle during the Spanish-American War, during his time in office and during an exploration of the Amazon. And this week, almost four decades after it was stolen, the watch was repatriated to his parental home. — Claire Cardona, editor of the latest news
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Want to impress your guests at your summer barbecue? It starts with what you cook with. Pitmasters say charcoal and wood smokers produce the best flavor, while pellet and electric smokers are more convenient. Here’s what else you need to know. And for all sides, NBC Select editors tested and recommended this popular air fryer/toaster oven.
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