Liftoff For Bezos And Blue Origin; First Capitol Rioter Gets 8 Months In Prison; Google Searches For 'Dating' Reach A 5-Year High

Plus, auto racing's electric future. [View this email online]( [NPR]( by Korva Coleman and Jill Hudson First Up [The New Shepard Blue Origin rocket lifts-off from the launch pad carrying Jeff Bezos along with his brother Mark Bezos, 18-year-old Oliver Daemen, and 82-year-old Wally Funk prepare to launch on Tuesday in Van Horn, Texas. The crew are riding in the first human spaceflight for the company.]( Joe Raedle/Getty Images Here's what we're following today. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos became the second billionaire this month to reach the edge of space. He was accompanied by three others — his brother Mark Bezos, female aviation pioneer Wally Funk and 18-year-old Oliver Daemen — aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard. [Read more here](. Stocks fell sharply on Monday as COVID-19 infections tied to the delta variant surged around the world, [raising concerns about the global economy](. A U.S. Capitol rioter has been sentenced to eight months in federal prison [and two years of supervised release](. The sentencing is the first in a felony case stemming from the deadly Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters. For more news, follow the [Morning Edition live blog]( or listen to the [Up First news podcast](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Listens [Major automakers like Jaguar develop all-electric race cars to compete in Formula E. Here Mitch Evans, in a Jaguar, leads rivals during the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in New York City on July 11.]( Handout/Jaguar Racing via Getty Images Formula E is an all-electric auto race — like Formula 1, but battery-powered. And some of the innovation seen on the race track could eventually make it to your driveway. [Listen here]( or [read the story](. Law enforcement is targeting illegal guns as violent crime rises in cities across the country. Residents of hard-hit neighborhoods in Chicago are stepping up to fight gun violence, too. [Hear the story](. --------------------------------------------------------------- The Picture Show [U.S. gymnast Simone Biles, shown here at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, is seeking a second all-around Olympic gold medal.]( Tony Gutierrez/AP Against great odds, the world's top athletes are about to take the spotlight at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Here are [10 things to watch]( during the first half of the games. [Edinson Castro, an ex-FARC rebel, is now a guide for tourists in the jungle.]( Carlos Saavedra for NPR Members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, a Marxist rebel group known as the FARC, used to chain their kidnap victims in the jungle until they received ransom. [Now tourists pay ex-guerrillas]( hundreds of dollars to take them hiking and whitewater rafting there. --------------------------------------------------------------- Before You Go [A selection of online dating app logos are seen on a mobile phone screen. Google searches for "dating" have jumped to a 5-year high.]( Leon Neal/Getty Images - Google tweeted last week that searches for "dating" have reached a 5-year high in the U.S. Searches for 'dating apps for older people," "top dating apps 2021," and "virtual first date ideas" have also all seen a significant spike. [Here's the story](. - Ben & Jerry's said it will [stop selling its ice cream]( in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. --------------------------------------------------------------- Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Daily News emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]