Young voters’ elation for Harris may be plateauing. And, redefining 'conservative'

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With just two weeks until voting closes, a new poll suggests that the initial excitement young voters had for Vice President Harris may be starting to level out. When she first entered the campaign, Harris generated viral memes, attracted large crowds at rallies and saw a boost in the polls, especially among young Americans. However, a recent GenForward poll obtained exclusively by NPR indicates that while Harris is performing better with young Americans than President Biden did before he withdrew from the race, she has struggled to match the historically high support he received from voters under 30 during the 2020 election. This NPR graphic breaks down support for Harris and other candidates among young people by race and ethnicity.

Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

The United States, Ukraine, and South Korea claim to have evidence suggesting that North Korea has deployed troops to Russia, possibly to support Russia in the conflict against Ukraine. Both Russia and North Korea have denied these claims, which would indicate an escalation of the war.

• 🎧 U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has not disclosed the evidence that the U.S. obtained, according to NPR’s Anthony Kuhn. Purported satellite photos of Russian troop transports and videos of North Korean troops receiving uniforms have not been confirmed. The U.S. is not certain that the North Korean troops are going to fight in Ukraine, but if they do, it would be a very serious matter. South Korea has stated that it won't just sit by while North Korea sends troops.

Israeli forces have cut off food, water and medicine in Northern Gaza as it lays siege to the area. People living there feel that it's an attempt to permanently occupy the area and prevent Palestinians from returning. The Israeli military claims that it is impeding efforts by Hamas militants to rebuild. Hundreds of Palestinians, including doctors and aid workers, have been killed in recent days.

• 🎧 The Israeli military says has detained hundreds of militants as part of the operation and has allowed some 20,000 civilians to evacuate Jabalia, where the siege is most intense, for Gaza City, NPR’s Aya Batrawy tells Up First. A World Health Organization team reached a north Gaza hospital this week and says they were blocked by Israel from providing supplies such as blood bags, fuel, and food. “The backdrop to all of this is there are growing calls in Israel from prominent members of this current right-wing government to permanently expel Palestinians and build Jewish settlements in their place,” Batrawy says.

We, the voters

NPR is visiting six key swing states that will likely decide this year’s historic election. This week, Morning Edition is in Pennsylvania to listen to voters about what matters to them and how that will affect their vote.

In the swing state of Pennsylvania, Lancaster County rarely switches political parties when voting in presidential elections. The residents consistently vote for the Republican nominee. However, Mary Mellinger, who describes herself as conservative, feels that her politics no longer align with the majority in her county. Mary and her husband, Andrew Mellinger, are the owners of Linden Dale Farm. They say that one of their main concerns this election season is affordable health care. They have indicated that they won’t be voting Republican this election, but have not explicitly stated whether they'll vote for Harris. Here’s what they have to say about the issues impacting them in their rural county.

Today's listen

Invision

Lately, pop music from female artists has provided an outlet for expressing frustration. These artists incorporate screaming into their music to convey anger toward various issues such as failed relationships, envious fans and societal norms. They even encourage their concert audiences to join in and release their own frustrations. On Morning Edition, psychotherapist Jennifer Cox delves into the significance of this trend in the music industry.

3 things to know before you go

1. Malcolm Campbell has a PhD in molecular biology and spent three decades teaching. He credits his high school civics teacher and unsung hero Don Lawson for helping him understand the true value of education.
2. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has fined Apple and Goldman Sachs $89 million for allegedly harming hundreds of thousands of Apple cardholders by mishandling disputed transactions and using deceptive marketing practices.
3. Boeing machinists voted to reject the company’s latest contract proposal yesterday, prolonging a grueling strike that has already lasted more than 40 days.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.