Missing submersible search, Antony Blinken in London; Virginia primaries

Plus, these photographers reimagine fairy tales with Black children in mind. [View this email online]( [NPR Up First Newsletter]( by [Suzanne Nuyen]( June 20, 2023 Good morning. NPR's fifth annual Student Podcast Challenge received more than 3,300 entries. Hear from the [middle school finalists]( and read about [all of them]( before we announce the winner. The U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards are searching for a 21-foot submersible carrying five people after it went missing in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday. The vessel is [known for taking tourists underwater]( to view the Titanic wreckage. [This undated photo provided by OceanGate Expeditions in June 2021 shows the company's Titan submersible.]( AP 🎧 Retired submarine captain David Marquet tells Michel Martin on Morning Edition that the recovery process will be complicated because of how [small and deep underwater]( the submarine is. Because the hatch is bolted from the outside, the vessel must be brought to shore to remove the passengers. Marquet says he's "hopeful" they'll be found alive but says "the families should prepare themselves for bad news." Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in London today to attend a conference on Ukraine's war recovery, which takes place tomorrow. The visit follows a meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing. 🎧 The U.K. has announced tightening sanctions on Russia, according to NPR's Lauren Frayer. On Up First this morning, she says the government wants to [keep Russian assets frozen]( if/when the war ends until Moscow agrees to compensate Ukraine. 🎧 Blinken acknowledged China and the U.S. had "profound differences" but called his talks to Xi "[candid, substantive, and constructive]( Israeli officials plan to advance thousands of settler homes next week. The U.S. State Department says it is "deeply troubled" by the decision and is calling for de-escalation after heightened violence in the occupied West Bank. 🎧 The plans involve about 4,800 settler homes in the West Bank, making the total number of settler homes advanced this year nearly triple last year's numbers, according to NPR's Daniel Estrin. He says Israel has also introduced a [quicker pipeline for approval]( which could make it harder for countries like the U.S. to step in and make it harder to "see a future where Israel can uproot from these areas and let Palestinians have their own country." Virginia residents are voting in the final day of the state's primary. Redistricting in the state has led to [fierce competition]( this year, making for an expensive primary season. 🎧 WAMU's Margaret Barthel reports many incumbents were drawn into the same districts, which has [prompted retirements]( in both parties and emboldened new challengers. Democratic candidates are making a case for a younger, more diverse, progressive party, but Barthel reports voters are concerned about losing experience and influence in the delegation. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- [A young girl with locs sits in a golden crown, wearing a golden dress as she sips tea.]( CROWNED Husband and wife photographers Kahran and Regis Bethencourt started their careers in children's fashion photography. They noticed many Black kids who came in for headshots straightened their natural hair and wanted to encourage them to be themselves. Their new book, [CROWNED: Magical Folk and Fairy Tales from the Diaspora]( reimagines fairy tales with stunning photos of Black children of different ages, skin tones and hair textures. --------------------------------------------------------------- [An ornamental palm tree stands in an empty field where there were once houses in Houston.]( Claire Harbage/NPR Climate change is forcing people to move — but they're not going far. A study from Rice University looking at homeowners who [sold their flood-prone homes]( to the government found that most people moved within a 20-minute drive from their old homes. 🏠 The results question the idea that climate change could cause mass migration to less disaster-prone areas of the U.S. 🏠 It's also good news for local governments who were worried that helping people relocate would decimate their tax bases. 🏠 But it also found that housing segregation persisted: 96% of people who started in a majority-white neighborhood ended up in a similar community. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Max Park, age 21, holds a gold Rubik's cube-shaped trophy and smiles. ]( Schwan Park Max Park grew up with fine motor skill difficulties — a symptom of his autism. Now, he's [set a new world record]( for the fastest time, solving a 3x3x3 Rubik's cube. He calls "speedcubing" a form of therapy. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro says a stretch of the I-95 in Philadelphia is expected to [reopen within the next two weeks](. It collapsed on June 11 after a gasoline tanker caught fire beneath an overpass. An NCAA panel is recommending the removal of marijuana from its banned drug list, arguing that testing should be [limited to performance-enhancing drugs]( and that cannabis does not enhance performance. --------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Up First emails. 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