Why poor debate may not have hurt Biden. And, Israel orders another Gaza City evacuation

Today's top stories

Israel has again ordered the evacuation of Gaza City as it renews military action there. Many residents, who had just returned to find their homes destroyed, are ignoring the order to evacuate Gaza’s largest city – assuming that there's no safety in the south. This escalation comes as the U.S. announced that it would resume shipment of 500-pound bombs to Israel that had been paused in a bid to reduce civilian casualties in Gaza, according to U.S. officials.

• 🎧 “Utter devastation,” NPR’s Hadeel Al-Shalchi reports from Tel Aviv on Up First. A local civil defense group said yesterday that the Gaza City neighborhood of Shujaiya is uninhabitable. Fatima al-Da’ama tells Al-Shalchi that while her family told her to leave, she said what’s the point: “Since nowhere is safe, I’d rather die at home. At least I am familiar with my neighborhood.”
• ➡️ The stepped-up military activity comes as cease-fire negotiations look set to resume in Qatar with U.S., Egyptian and Qatari mediators. According to multiple sources close to the talks, Hamas appears to be shifting to a more gradual approach toward meeting its core demands in exchange for a six-week cease-fire, including a permanent end to the fighting and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

​​​​​​President Joe Biden has been under the microscope since his disastrous debate two weeks ago. The president embraced the spotlight in a rare solo press conference Thursday night, but he again stumbled, referring to Vice President Kamala Harris as “Vice President Trump.” He also faced a lot of questions about whether Harris would be a better candidate to take on Donald Trump.

• 🎧 NPR’s Asma Khalid asked Biden if he still saw himself as a bridge to a younger generation of Democrats, as he said during the 2020 campaign. Biden insisted the situation had changed and made it clear he would not drop out of the race, even if his team hypothetically showed that Vice President Harris could fare better against Trump.
• 🎧 After Biden’s debate performance, though, the presidential race remains statistically unchanged, a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll finds. NPR’s Domenico Montanaro reports that we are in a "hyperpolarized landscape," with people having very fixed views of both men. But one thing that is notable in this latest NPR poll is this: two-thirds of Americans find it more concerning to have a president who does not tell the truth than one who is too old for the job.

Dermatologists are ringing the alarm on a TikTok trend among teens and pre-teens called “glass skin.” The skincare craze is a multi-step routine in pursuit of dewy seemingly poreless, glowing complexion much like glass. Trying to achieve this look can backfire, causing irritated, red, peeling, flaking or burning skin for young kids due to products like chemical exfoliants and retinol that have harsh ingredients for their skin, which is thinner than adult skin. Instead, Dallas-based dermatologist Elizabeth Houshmand recommends that youth keep their skin care routine simple: a gentle cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen.

Behind the story

This essay was written by Morning Edition producer, Claire Murashima.

Humans go through millions of pounds of plastic every day. Much of it could take centuries to decompose. This level of waste inspired Plastic Free July, a movement aiming to engage individuals to reduce single-use plastic consumption.

I spoke to Plastic Free July’s founder Rebecca Prince Ruiz, who gave up single-use plastics after touring a recycling plant and seeing how much waste her town produced. I attempted this challenge in 2019 by replacing my deodorant with one that came in a glass jar, buying reusable cotton rounds and by using a menstrual cup.

I'm trying again this year. I'm ditching single-use plastics for a week and reporting it for Morning Edition. Through this experiment, I hope to find more plastic alternatives I can stick with.

Here's my plastic-free game plan:
♻️ Cut out online shopping and food delivery.
♻️ Fill my own containers in the bulk section of my grocery store.
♻️ Carry a kit with reusable food storage and silverware in my tote bag whenever I leave the house.
♻️ Replace single-use plastics with plastic-free alternatives if any run out.

Want to take the challenge with me? Check out these tips from Prince Ruiz to set yourself up for success. And, tune in to Morning Edition on July 26 to see if I complete the challenge.

Weekend picks

Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:

🍿Movies: Action-filled adventures, comedies, coming-of-age tales and more are taking over big screens this summer. You don’t want to miss the new cinematic crop, and luckily we have you covered on what to watch up until Labor Day.

📺 TV: House of the Dragon is halfway through its second season. Whether you’re just now jumping in or all caught up, here are all the episode recaps to make sure you don’t miss a thing ahead of Sunday night.

📚 Books: Photographer Cory Richards came close to death while mountain climbing in and documenting some of the most dangerous places on Earth. He goes beyond his adventures and explores his struggles with mental health in the new memoir, The Color of Everything: A Journey to Quiet the Chaos Within. 

🎵 Music: ‘Oh my, good Lord’ Shaboozey has a lot to celebrate as his chart-topping hit A Bar Song (Tipsy) lands him a top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. He is the first Black male artist to top both this chart and Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.

❓Quiz: This week has been awash of news about politics from a celebrity calling for President Biden to drop out the race to the GOP's 2024 platform. Test your knowledge and see if you can ace this quiz.

3 things to know before you go

1. Bread, milk… and gun ammunition. People in multiple southern states can now buy ammo out of AI-powered vending machines in their local grocery store.
2. Leave your checkbook at home if you’re going to Target. The retailer announced that it will stop accepting checks on July 15. Are we nearing the end of the paper check?
3. Researchers have identified why cats scratch furniture. They have some tips on how cat owners can stop the habit or at least curb the behavior.

This newsletter was edited by Obed Manuel.