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NATO assembles, Trump revels and Clarence Thomas takes fire

 
Today's INTERNATIONAL story

Biden says NATO will help Ukraine beat Russia

What happened
President Joe Biden kicked off NATO's 75th anniversary summit on Tuesday with a speech lauding the Atlantic alliance and pledging new military aid to help Ukraine fend off Russia's invasion. He also surprised outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg by awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor.

Who said what
"There are no cost-free options with an aggressive Russia as a neighbor," Stoltenberg told the 32 NATO leaders. "Remember, the biggest cost and the greatest risk will be if Russia wins in Ukraine. We cannot let that happen."

Biden said the U.S. and several other NATO allies will be providing Ukraine with four more Patriot missile arrays and dozens of other air defense systems to protect cities from Russian bombardments like Monday's missile barrage that destroyed Kyiv's children's hospital. Vladimir Putin wants to "wipe Ukraine off the map," Biden said. "And we know Putin won't stop in Ukraine. But make no mistake, Ukraine can and will stop Putin."

Biden's "forceful speech" sought to "bolster confidence in both the alliance and his own political standing" after his "disastrous debate performance 12 days earlier," The New York Times said. "By all measures, he passed the test," speaking in a "strong voice, with few errors," though he used a teleprompter. Still, Reuters said, "some diplomats at the summit said the damage" from Biden's debate performance "was hard to erase."

What next?
Biden is meeting Wednesday with British Prime Minister Kier Starmer. On Thursday, Biden will huddle with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and "hold a rare solo press conference," Reuters said, "also aimed at quieting concerns."

 
 
Today's POLITICS story

Trump revels in Democrat disarray, slams Harris

What happened
As Donald Trump returned to the campaign trail on Tuesday, he "reveled in the mounting turmoil surrounding President Joe Biden's campaign in the wake of their debate" and ratcheted up his "attacks on both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris," The Associated Press said.

Who said what
"Joe's own party wants him to throw in the towel and surrender the presidency after a single 90-minute performance," Trump told supporters at his golf resort in Doral, Florida. If Biden had "picked someone even halfway competent" as vice president, "they would have bounced him from office years ago." Trump "consistently mispronounced Harris' first name and used a nickname mocking the way she laughs," The Washington Post said. And he tauntingly challenged Biden to a round of golf. 

The president "doesn't have time for Donald Trump's weird antics," Biden's campaign said. "He's busy leading America and defending the free world."

What next?
The vice president began a three-day campaign swing in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Harris, Biden's presumptive replacement if he dropped out of the race, would beat Trump 42% to 41%, according to a new national poll reported at Politico. Biden trailed Trump by 1 point.

 
 
Today's LEGAL Story

Senators seek special counsel for Thomas' gifts

What happened
Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said Tuesday they had asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint a special counsel to investigate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and benefactors who showered him with free luxury vacations, plane travel, evidently forgiven debts and other gifts.

Who said what
In a July 3 letter to Garland, Wyden and Whitehouse called for a criminal investigation into the "strong possibility of multiple federal ethics, tax and false statement violations" by the conservative justice. "We do not make this request lightly," they wrote. "The evidence assembled thus far plainly suggests that Justice Thomas has committed numerous willful violations" of federal laws. Two days before the senators sent their letter, CBS News said, Thomas, in a "pivotal court ruling, questioned whether the DOJ has the power to even appoint a special counsel."

What next?
The Justice Department has the legal authority to appoint a special counsel to investigate Thomas, but "inevitably it would be seen as political retribution for rulings the justices made that they don't like," Jeremy Fogel, the director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute, told The Washington Post. "I just don't know how you get out of that box."

 
 

It's not all bad

Eating baby carrots three times a week can significantly increase skin carotenoids in young adults, potentially lowering the risk of chronic illnesses like heart disease and some cancers, according to a study presented last week at the American Society for Nutrition's annual meeting. Higher skin carotenoid levels correlate with increased antioxidant protection, which is reflected in improved skin health and immune function. Experts now want to study the effects of other carotenoid-rich foods, like sweet potatoes and green leafy vegetables.

 
 
Under the radar

The drug rapamycin is commonly used to suppress the immune system in transplant patients, but scientists have found that it may also have anti-aging properties. The drug has "gained a large following thanks to longevity researchers and celebrity doctors who, citing animal studies, contend that [it] could be a game changer in the quest to fend off age-related diseases," said The Washington Post.

Rapamycin is a molecule "produced by soil bacteria on the extremely remote Easter Island located in the South Pacific, and was initially used for its antifungal properties," said the Daily Mail. It was later found to have immunosuppressant properties.

The drug has not been officially approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a tool to combat aging in humans. "The agency doesn't consider aging to be a disease, and rapamycin's generic status means there's little financial incentive to run expensive clinical trials to test it on age-related afflictions," said the Post.

This has not stopped biohackers, or people who are looking to expand their lifespan. Rapamycin has shown promise in reducing aging in mice, dogs and worms. Some people have been prescribed the treatment for this purpose, but "anecdotes are no replacement for science," said NPR. "To figure out the risks and benefits of a drug, research is needed."

Doctors also warn that "no one knows what the optimal dose might be for humans," the Post said, "and taking certain quantities of rapamycin can lead to reproductive harm and insulin resistance, as well as making the body more susceptible to infection."

 
 
On this day

July 10, 1962

Telstar 1, the first communications satellite that could transmit live television broadcasts between the U.S. and Europe, was launched by NASA. The triumph was short-lived. Telstar 1 was rendered inoperable following a high-altitude American nuclear test seven months later, though the satellite itself remains in orbit.

 
 
TODAY’S newspaperS

"Copper thieves darken streets across the U.S.," The New York Times says on Wednesday's front page. The New York Post focuses on a different type of alleged thievery: "Buns of steal," or cheating at the Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest. Meanwhile, the effort to get President Joe Biden to quit his reelection bid "is in flux," The Wall Street Journal says. USA Today says "signals point to keeping Biden on." Democrats are either "fearful or resolute" on Biden's prospects, The Washington Post says. "As rich demur, Biden plays up smaller donors," the Times says. And "top Democrats swallow fears and back Biden." 

► See the newspaper front pages

 
 
Tall tale

Upper management

There is one unusual prerequisite for applying to Vietnam National University's School of Management and Business: Potential students must meet a minimum height requirement. Women have to be at least 5 feet, 2 inches tall for admission, while men have to be at least 5 foot 4, Deutsche Welle reported. The school enacted the rule because it strongly believes in the "connection between height and success."

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Theara Coleman, Nadia Croes, Catherine Garcia, Scott Hocker, Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, Justin Klawans, Harold Maass, Devika Rao, Rafi Schwartz and Peter Weber, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Yuri Gripas / Abaca / Bloomberg via Getty Images; Joe Raedle / Getty Images; Leigh Vogel / Getty Images for MoveOn; Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images