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Today's top stories
President Biden and former President Donald Trump have agreed to hold two presidential debates. CNN is expected to host the first one on June 27 — long before early voting begins. ABC is expected to host the second on Sept. 10. The two debates circumvent the fall schedule and traditional format proposed by the Commission on Presidential Debates.
The United Nations has revised down its tally of women and children killed in the last seven months in Gaza. The revision, which now quotes only the number of women and children killed based on those who have been fully identified by Gaza's Health Ministry, caused some confusion in media reports. One was shared by Israel's foreign minister, claiming that the U.N. halved the number. U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq clarified that the Health Ministry's death toll of more than 35,000 people killed in the ongoing Israeli military offensive in Gaza remains reliable. The death toll estimate spans the seven months since the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attacks that killed 1,200 people in Israel. Here's a closer look at the backlash.
Also this week, the Biden administration said it would move ahead with a $1 billion arms transfer to Israel. NPR's Mara Liasson reports that the White House has been "trying to show the nuances in this issue," which has caused deep divisions in his party. Biden said last week he wouldn't give Israel bombs that could be used in Rafah, but made the distinction that other military aid would continue.
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico is in stable but serious condition after being shot several times on Wednesday, according to local officials. Police have a suspect in custody and say the assassination attempt was politically motivated.
Picture show
![Bertha and Wilson Twitchell stand outside their home in Kasigluk, Alaska. Wilson grew up here. He drew an image of what the land looked like when he was young: Grass and dry land surrounded the house, stretching at least 80 feet to the riverbank, where he remembers playing with toy boats. Now, when the water is particularly high, the house is nearly an island.](https://assets.vpm.org/dims4/default/b5bbafb/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1687+0+0/resize/880x495!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2024%2F05%2F16%2Fdiptych-1_wide-7d73bb6c56b6b3cba600ab2684cab522776c6dca.jpg)
Wilson Twitchell and his wife are raising seven children in a small home in Kasigluk, a Yup'ik village of about 450 people in Southwest Alaska. They love their village — but they're not sure how much longer their house will stay standing. The permafrost beneath their village, once frozen year-round, has begun to thaw. The Twitchells, like families in Alaska Native communities across the state, are in a race against time to move. And it's not clear where they will go.
See photos showing how climate change is affecting this Alaskan community and read about what can be done.
Deep dive
![Mixed race kid enjoying outdoors and the authenticity of connecting with nature in Auckland, New Zealand.](https://assets.vpm.org/dims4/default/feb74a7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2066x1162+0+0/resize/880x495!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2024%2F05%2F16%2Fgettyimages-860450454-1-_wide-ceb8d1c22ee699d276f73a646465fa4b86141581.jpg)
Spending time outdoors isn't just good for getting some fresh air. It can also improve children's eyesight. Pediatric ophthalmologist Noha Ekdawi says it's one of the best forms of prevention for nearsightedness, which has been rapidly growing in the U.S. and worldwide.
3 things to know before you go
![Killer whales are pictured during a storm in the fjord of Skjervoy in 2021 off the coast of northern Norway. Researchers say orcas are stepping up "attacks" on yachts along Europe's Iberian coast.](https://assets.vpm.org/dims4/default/5463ce4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6954x3911+0+0/resize/880x495!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2024%2F05%2F16%2Fgettyimages-1237062068_wide-7cc1705ba6824c2eaa6f9e114bbcb6866205b869.jpg)
This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi.
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