Biden and McCarthy's debt ceiling stalemate; worldwide vaccine decline; "stand your ground" laws and gun violence.

Plus, how to protect yourself during tick season. [View this email online]( [NPR Up First Newsletter]( by Suzanne Nuyen April 20, 2023 Good morning. SpaceX will try to [launch its Starship again]( this morning after a delay earlier this week due to a frozen valve. Here's what else we're following today. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy laid out Republicans’ plan yesterday to tie an increase in the nation’s debt limit to sweeping federal spending cuts. The legislation would [raise the country’s ability to borrow by $1.5 trillion]( through March of next year — whichever comes first. It would also roll back federal spending, limit its growth, repeal parts of the Inflation Reduction Act and stop the administration from enacting its student loan forgiveness plan. [Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy gave a speech about the economy at the New York Stock Exchange on April 17.]( Photographer/Source 🎧 NPR's Barbara Sprunt tells the Up First podcast this morning that McCarthy's bill would be "dead on arrival in the Senate." Still, Republicans hope if it passes in the House, it would "[put some political pressure on Biden]( to come back to the negotiating table." Biden and McCarthy have been at a stalemate for months, and the president has urged McCarthy to "take default off the table." The Supreme Court has extended its temporary stay on the abortion pill mifepristone case until tomorrow night. Meanwhile, the manufacturer of a generic form of mifepristone is [suing the FDA]( in an attempt to preserve access to the drug. Vice President Kamala Harris has been traveling nationwide to speak to local lawmakers, students and health care workers. 🎧 NPR's Asma Khalid says Harris can talk about a woman's body and choice with an authenticity that activists tell her President Biden can't necessarily do. On Up First, she also says Democrats have said the president is not as comfortable speaking about abortions because he's Catholic. But while he's not "out there rallying the troops," his role is to "[set the direction of his administration](. Khalid adds that he's "framing abortion more broadly as a threat to democracy." A new report from UNICEF reveals that 67 million children globally didn't receive all or some of their routine vaccines between 2019 and 2021. It's the [biggest drop in childhood vaccinations in a decade](. Lily Caprani, the organization's chief of global advocacy, says the vaccination decline "will be measured in children's lives." 🎧 On the Up First NPR's Rhitu Chatterjee says polio cases are rising, and 33 countries saw "[large and disruptive outbreaks]( of the measles. But countries are working hard to catch up, and many, like the Philippines, have found innovative ways to "get to people where they are," with their vaccination campaigns. Simple mistakes have resulted in three shootings in the past week that have renewed focus on "stand your ground" laws. [Ralph Yarl was shot]( when he approached the wrong house to pick up his brothers. T[wo cheerleaders were shot]( after one accidentally got in the wrong car. Kaylin Gillis was killed when she [pulled into the wrong driveway](. 🎧 Allison Anderman from the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, says media reports and survey data show that these types of shootings are on the rise. She tells A Martinez on Morning Edition "stand your ground" laws are "[dramatic expansions" of self-defense principles]( that embolden people to respond with lethal force at the "slightest provocation." --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- [At a migrant camp in Matamoros, Mexico, Ender Prieto, a Venezuelan migrant, waits for the CBP One app to upload a face picture. Shortly after, the app returned an error.]( Eyder Peralta, NPR CBP One is a new app that the Biden administration unveiled in January for asylum seekers and migrants without valid visas. It was meant to alleviate the crisis at the southern border and make the trip north safer by letting migrants cross safely once they have an appointment. Instead, its constant glitches and error messages mean they're often forced to wait in unsafe places under unsafe circumstances. 🎧 NPR's Eyder Peralta spoke to some migrants waiting for their appointments. [Listen to their stories here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Blacklegged ticks, also called deer ticks, are not insects, but rather arachnids. They can carry more than a dozen rare diseases, including Lyme disease.]( Getty Images Spring has sprung, and so has Lyme disease. Blacklegged ticks, which carry Lyme disease, are now active for more of the year due to climate change and warmer temperatures. [Here's how to protect yourself]( 🕷️Wear light-colored clothing with cuffs over socks and use permethrin tick repellent to protect your skin. 🕷️ Bathe or shower as soon as you return inside. Ticks can be killed by running clothes through the dryer for 15 minutes. 🕷️ If you've been bitten, remove ticks with fine-pointed tweezers and wash the bite with antibiotic soap. Keep the tick and send it to a lab for diagnosis. 🕷️ If you feel Lyme disease symptoms, see a doctor immediately. Don't wait to find a tick or rash. --------------------------------------------------------------- [ A feral cat sits in the grass. ]( Photographer/Source Save the feral cats! Organizers of a New Zealand hunting contest received backlash and had to cancel an event that would have given a cash prize to the [child that killed the most feral cats](. Did you have a Facebook account between May 2007 and December 2022? You can now [apply for your share]( of a $725 million privacy lawsuit settlement. Damar Hamlin says he's returning to football with renewed purpose. The Buffalo Bills safety's foundation, Chasing M, is dedicated to raising [awareness for Commotio cordis]( the condition that caused his cardiac arrest. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Find a Station]( --------------------------------------------------------------- This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi. 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 Best of NPR emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]