Trump's indictment, Ukraine's offensive, Montana youth's climate lawsuit

Plus, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi dies at 86.

View this email online by Suzanne Nuyen June 12, 2023 Good morning. Artist and nightclub owner D'Arcy Drollinger is adding government official to her resume. She'll kick off San Francisco's Pride this month as the city's first drag laureate. Here's what else we're following today. Former President Donald Trump will appear in federal court in Miami tomorrow after he was indicted on 37 counts related to the mishandling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home, obstruction of justice and making false statements. At the Georgia Republican convention this weekend, he called the charges "ridiculous and baseless." John Bazemore/AP 🎧 For the most part, Trump's presidential rivals are defending him and going after the DOJ, according to NPR's Domenico Montantaro. On Up First this morning, he questions how his rivals will differentiate themselves from Trump, the Republican frontrunner, if they won't address his legal troubles. 🎧 Republican strategist Sarah Longwell tells Leila Fadel on Morning Edition that his rivals' decision to support Trump allows him to "suck up all this oxygen" and puts him at the center of the primary. But when it comes to the general election, she says Trump is unpopular among swing voters. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave his first confirmation on Saturday that the Ukrainian offensive against Russian troops has begun but shared little further information. 🎧 NPR's Greg Myre says this battle is expected to be the biggest of the war and play out for most of the summer. He reports Ukraine wants to drive to the southeast coast to cut Russian forces in half. Russia has dug in with minefields, trench networks and barricades in areas they expect Ukrainian troops to attack. Sixteen young people head to court in Helena, Mont., today in the first youth climate lawsuit to ever make it to trial in the United States. The plaintiffs say state leaders are violating the state constitution, which says citizens have a right to "a clean and healthful environment" by not addressing climate change. The landmark case's outcome could impact other children’s climate litigation in state and federal courts. (via Montana Public Radio) Four children are recovering at a hospital in Colombia after being found alive in the Amazon jungle — 40 days after the plane they were on crashed.  🎧 NPR's John Otis says the Colombian government called the rescue a miracle. The children survived in an area full of wild animals, rivers and occasional landmines. The Huitoto Indigenous children grew up in the jungle and were able to forage for food. Otis says the kids are now in stable condition.  Newsletter continues after sponsor message Living better Meredith Miotke /for NPR Living Better is a special series about what it takes to be healthy in America. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that generates desire. It draws us to things essential for survival, like water and food. But it can also hook us on things like sugary foods and social media — even if it makes us unhappy. Parents can curb these cravings for their kids with "anti-dopamine parenting."  🧠 Dopamine surges are short-lived. Take away your kid's trigger and wait five minutes. 🧠 Find "Goldilocks" activities that give your children just the right amount of dopamine without making them feel worse afterward. 🧠 Create environments in your home where kids can't access problematic devices or foods. 🧠 Instead of banning a habit completely, look for a more productive version, like choosing educational video games.  Today's listen Courtesy of Universal Music Find a moment of peace this morning before the work week begins with lullabies inspired by ancient Viking music. Icelandic pianist and composer Gabríel Ólafs was inspired by an out-of-print collection of Viking melodies that he found in an antique bookstore. 🎧 Listen to the soothing tunes as Ólafs discusses his newest album, or read the story. Gregorio Borgia/AP Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has died at 86. His lifestyle left a mark on pop culture, while his abrasiveness and constant legal woes trashed political norms and tainted Italy's image. The 76th Annual Tony Awards took place this weekend. It was unscripted due to the writer's strike. See a list of the winners, and read six takeaways from the ceremony. Chemical physicist Stafford Sheehan invented a process to turn carbon dioxide into yeast. The innovation could make Mars exploration more feasible and feed people on Earth more sustainably. Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit 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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