Not everyone in politics is old

Plus, how to make a baby glacier.

View this email online by Carol Ritchie and Suzanne Nuyen September 10, 2023 Good morning. This week, actor Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for rape, ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was sentenced to 22 years for his role in the Jan. 6 riot, and the Coast Guard arrested a man trying to run a giant hamster wheel across the Atlantic.   Best of NPR Not everyone in politics is old. Meet the youngest state leaders for the Democratic and Republican parties, each going after votes among some tough demographics. Eamon Queeney for NPR/Quentin Renard Gunn for NPR Anderson Clayton of North Carolina is the youngest — and only Gen Z — state party chair in the country. Clayton thinks Democrats have neglected rural communities like hers, and taken voters her age for granted. Clayton has set out to convince small-town residents that President Biden has their back. "Joe Biden is the first president in 50 frickin' years that said, if you live in a rural area, [you] deserve to have a future." In Alabama, Republican Party Chair John Wahl is the youngest state GOP chair. Wahl wants to win Black votes by connecting on issues like faith and the economy, and he’s pushing party recruiters to bring on viable GOP candidates in split-party districts. He also plans to visit college campuses to engage students in debate. Democrats in Alabama are taking note and calling on the national Democratic Party to pay attention. Wahl and Clayton are not the only young people getting involved in politics:  Gun-control activist David Hogg, 23, has launched a political action committee to back young candidates, targeting open, Democratic-held seats in the 2024 primary season. A recent survey found that Gen Z primarily relies on social media for news instead of traditional media — and those young people want more information before voting next time. To flip Millennial and Gen Z voters red, young conservative leaders say the party needs to focus on issues young voters are passionate about, like environmental concerns and the cost of college and housing. But missing from that list is the GOP’s Achilles' heel: abortion. Newsletter continues after sponsor message The Week That Was Diaa Hadid/NPR How do you make baby glaciers? Ancient tradition in Pakistan’s highlands holds that combining chunks of white (female) glaciers with chunks of brown (male) glaciers sparks the creation of a newborn that will grow big enough to serve as a water source for farmers. Now residents are combining that folklore with science to replace water lost to climate change. Legacy airlines are ditching regional airports. American, Delta and United combined have left 74 regional airports since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The trend is changing the way many Americans travel. If you find yourself in loud situations, you might be doing more damage to your hearing than you think. Lucky for you, we have a cartoon ear on staff to give expert advice on taking care of your delicate listening devices. Why are workers at the Detroit Three automakers asking for a 46% pay raise? Bold union demands, bolstered by a tight labor market, have paid off for American Airlines pilots and UPS employees. Now the UAW is pointing to automakers' recent profits as evidence that the companies can afford to increase workers' wages.  Podcast Picks NPR/Getty Images Code Switch: Explore how race affects every part of society, with empathy and humor. 🎧 The 104th NFL season began this week. In this episode, we take a look at how the league's history of problems with race and diversity can affect players, coaches and fans. tbh, from KALW: This podcast is made for and by teenagers — and anyone else who wants to know what's on their mind. 🎧 Climate change news can depress you quickly. Recent Newark Memorial High School graduate Meher Indoliya reflects on her feelings of climate fatigue and asks how we can stay hopeful in the face of the climate crisis. The Pulse, from WHYY: Host Maiken Scott takes you behind the doors of operating rooms, into labs with scientists and into unexpected corners of the health and science world. 🎧 A growing number of companies are making employees return to in-person work. What's the difference between remote and in-person? Hear about the latest research on which work settings are best. You Make The NPR Network Possible.  Your financial support is the NPR Network's greatest strength. When you donate to the NPR Network, you help keep journalists on the ground. You lift up voices and stories too often ignored and help keep media independent from the influence of the powerful. Show your support today with a donation. It takes all of us. Help today.  Donate Now Scott's Thoughts AP How reliable is eyewitness testimony? Some 51,000 people were in Wrigley Field on Oct. 1, 1932, to see Game 3 of the 1932 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees. Babe Ruth came to bat in the 5th inning and gestured toward center field. Or did he?   It is called Babe Ruth’s Called Shot. But was he pointing to where he would hit Charlie Root’s next pitch — or just at Charlie Root on the mound?   This debate was revived on our show this week in an interview with Joe Posnanski for his new book, Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments.    The Cubs hurled obscenities at Ruth. He stepped out of the box and pointed.    A 12-year-old named John Paul Stevens, who would grow up to be Supreme Court Justice Stevens, remembered, “Ruth did point to the center-field scoreboard. And he did hit the ball out of the park after he pointed with his bat."   Yet Root always said if Ruth had pointed at center, he would have thrown his next pitch in Ruth’s ear.   Root and Ruth met 10 years later with cameos in the film The Pride of the Yankees.  Historian Donald Honig said Root told his old adversary, "You never pointed out to center field before you hit that ball off me, did you?" He says the Babe replied, "I know I didn't. But it made a hell of a story, didn't it?" It reminds us today how we can’t always be sure of what we think we see. 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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