Mediaboss Marketing

Up First briefing: Olympic opening ceremony; Obamas endorse Harris Barack and Michelle Obama endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president Friday. This comes a day after she reiterated her support for Israel. And, how to watch the Olympic opening ceremony.

Good morning. You're reading the Up First newsletter.Subscribehere to get it delivered to your inbox, andlistento the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.

Barack and Michelle Obama have endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, according to a video released by Harris' campaign this morning. The endorsement caps a whirlwind week of campaigning for Harris. Yesterday, she reiterated her support for Israel after she met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Still, she said she will not be silent about the humanitarian toll in Gaza. Harris expressed that Israel has the right to defend itself, but it's time for the war to end.

Vice President Harris and former President Barack Obama attend a White House event marking the anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/Getty Images North America hide caption

One of Mexicos most notorious drug lords, Ismael El Mayo Zambada, is now in U.S. custody. He founded the Sinaloa cartel along with Joaquin El Chapo Guzman. U.S. authorities announced last night that he was arrested in El Paso, Texas. He will appear before an American judge soon. Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of El Chapo and one of the cartel leaders, was also arrested. Zambada is arguably the most important drug lord in Mexico, and he had never been caught before.

Hours before the Olympic opening ceremony is set to begin, SNCF, the French national state-owned railway company, was severely disrupted by what it described as a massive attack. The incidents, which included arson, aimed at paralyzing several high-speed lines linking Paris to the rest of France. The Paris prosecutor has opened an investigation into the willful damage." Many trains have been diverted, others canceled altogether, and repairs are expected all weekend. Even so, the ceremony is expected to go off without a hitch. Athletes and performers will float on boats down the River Seine, where Coco Gauff and LeBron James will be U.S. flag bearers. Here's how to watch the opening ceremony.

NPR's reporters are in Paris, keeping you up-to-date with the events. Seeall of their Olympic coverage here.

by Steve Inskeep, Morning Edition and Up First host

NPRs Steve Inskeep and Taylor Haney speak to voters in Middle Hill, a historically Black neighborhood in Pittsburgh, July 24, 2024. NPR hide caption

Ive done this in just about every election for twenty years: show up in a politically interesting place and talk with any voter who will talk with me. I knock on doors; you learn so much when you meet people at home. If nobody is answering their door I try parks, parking lots, markets, anything. I ask people how theyre voting but try also to learn a little bit about their lives. Few people are political experts but everyone is expert in their experience.

Twenty or so interviews around Pittsburgh are not enough for a poll but are enough for impressions. I came away with three about Kamala Harris:

Ryan Reynolds is Deadpool and Hugh Jackman is Wolverine. Jay Maidment/20th Century Studios hide caption

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

Movies: Ready for a Marvel-ous weekend? Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman finally team up in Deadpool & Wolverine to save the world. The film is full of fan service and Easter eggs.

TV: Tennis legends like John McEnroe and Billie Jean King discuss their legacies in the new PBS documentary series Gods of Tennis. The first episode features King, who faced sexism, and Arthur Ashe, who confronted racism.

Books: Wicked director Jon M. Chu talks about taking inspiration from his Chinese immigrant dad, growing up in Silicon Valley, how meeting Steven Spielberg changed his life and the movies he has worked on in the memoir Viewfinder.

Music: Chappell Roan, a rising 26-year-old pop star from the Midwest, is dominating festival stages with addictive songs like "HOT TO GO!." She's made a name for herself by not shying away from political topics.

Theater: Cats: The Jellicle Ball, a revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats, gets 10s across the board. In the reimagined version, they ditch the furry ears and velvet tails as the characters compete in the ballroom scene for trophies and a new chance at life.

Southwest Airlines unveiled big shifts in how it does business Thursday, saying it will throw out the open-seating model it has used for decades and introduce redeye flights. Here, an employee and passenger are seen at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport last year in Austin, Texas. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.

See more here:
How to watch the Olympic opening ceremony. And, the Obamas endorse Harris - NPR