Who is Tim Walz? What to know about Harris' VP pick. And, a new Hamas leader

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Today's top stories

Vice President Harris introduced the nation to her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, last night at a Philadelphia rally. It marked the first time the Democratic ticket appeared together in person. Harris cited Walz’s time as a National Guardsman and teacher and some of his progressive accomplishments as governor during his introduction. Here are five takeaways from the event.

• 🎧 “Where he was most effective in energizing the crowd was when he went on the attack,” NPR’s Asma Khalid, who was in the arena, tells Up First. This is one of the reasons why Harris picked him. Republicans are working on a bunch of ways to respond, but it doesn’t seem they have landed on a definitive answer. Khalid says they’re trying to define Harris and Walz as liberal extremists.
• ➡️ Harris has now built a 51%-48% lead over Trump, according to the latest NPR poll. Black voters, white women with college degrees and women who identify as political independents are fueling her rise, though the race remains close.
• 🎧 Before Walz was governor, he unseated a long-time Republican congressman in southern Minnesota in 2006, Dana Ferguson of Minnesota Public Radio says. After serving more than a decade in the House, he won the election for governor in 2018 and 2022. He had to compromise with GOP leadership in his first few years in the role. More recently, he has worked with the Democratic majorities in the state capitol to pass a slew of progressive laws, including free school meals and legal guarantees for abortion access. Republicans will likely criticize his use of executive authority to close schools, businesses and places of worship during the pandemic and the timing of his National Guard deployment after George Floyd’s murder.
• ➡️ What will happen to Minnesota's state politics now? It's not in Walz's interest to resign as governor until after the election results are known. Here's how the chips may fall if he becomes vice president. (via MPR)

Thousands of additional police are flooding British streets today after a week of race riots across the U.K. Far-right mobs attacked people, mosques and immigration law offices after three young girls were stabbed to death last week. False rumors spread that the killer was an undocumented Muslim migrant.

• 🎧 NPR's Lauren Frayer is in England, where she says the atmosphere is full of "hysteria, disinformation, people just repeating things over and over they see online." Far-right groups are tapping into existing prejudices and amplifying them online. Frayer says Elon Musk is playing a role in this. When Musk bought Twitter, he reversed bans on some far-right figures, including a leader of the English Defence League, Tommy Robinson. The two have been sharing conspiracy theories and Musk wrote that “civil war is inevitable” in the U.K. The U.K. government has pleaded with him to use his platform responsibly. It has sped up court appearances for suspects, flagged social media posts that incite violence and arrested people for hate speech online.

Hamas announced yesterday that it has chosen Yahya Sinwar, its local leader in Gaza, to take over as the Palestinian militant group’s new worldwide political leader. Sinwar fills the role Ismail Haniyeh left behind after his assassination, presumably by Israel. Hamas’ 50-member council selects its leaders in a secret ballot. Sinwar is widely seen as the group’s most hard-line figure and is believed to have helped mastermind the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

I'm really into

At 19, NPR’s Amy Morgan fell in love with rugby after joining the club sport on her college campus. At first, she dropped the ball many times, was confused by the rules and even sprained her ankle. Still, she kept at it — eventually becoming team captain, club president and coach. Morgan stopped playing after 16 years and started a family, but remained a fan. Watching the U.S. women’s Olympic rugby team make history in Paris with America’s first Olympic medal in rugby sevens prompted her to reflect on her experience with the sport. Here are a few lessons that have served her in rugby and life.

What are you really into? Fill out this form or leave us a voice note at 800-329-4273, and part of your submission may be featured online or on the radio.

Life advice

Remember what it felt like to go shopping for school supplies, pick out the perfect first-day outfit and walk into your classes for the new school year? Well, being a grown-up doesn’t mean you can’t harness that buzzy back-to-school energy. Here are some activities you probably did as a kid, updated for adults.

• 🏫 If you used to pack a lunch for school, try meal-prepping. Cook five dishes to mix and match and provide variety to your day.
• 🏫 Spruce up your wardrobe and personal style with some shopping.
• 🏫 Create a fall reading list and set yourself up for success by reading in the morning.
• 🏫 Miss writing in a planner? Make a better to-do list by creating clear, short and doable action items.
• 🏫 Bring more play time into your life — whether it's a hobby like painting and playing a board game, or just a new outlook.
• 🏫 Change your mindset on friendship. If you want to make new friends, assume that other people also need friends.

3 things to know before you go

1. U.S. lawmakers want to ban weighted sleepwear for infants over concerns that the garments could harm young babies. Federal data shows at least five infant deaths linked to the products, but the companies say their products are safe.
2. 7-Eleven is expanding its U.S. menu to include Japanese food items in order to boost sales. Famima!!, an upmarket Japanese chain of mini-marts, tried to bring a similar food flair to Los Angeles but failed. (via LAist)
3. Homicide rates in Boston have plummeted this year. The historic low represents one of the most dramatic drops in deadly violence across more than 200 U.S. cities that also saw rates fall. (via WBUR)

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.