Year after year, Black leaders say, Democratic politicians court their vote and promise systemic change — then fail to follow through. Some activists are concerned that President Biden is falling into that pattern too, failing to defend Blacks' voting rights after vowing to have their backs during his campaign.

 

View this email online by Korva Coleman and Christopher Dean Hopkins First Up Natacha Pisarenko/AP Here's what we're following today. The medal was bronze, but for Simone Biles it couldn't shine brighter. The superstar U.S. gymnast missed most of the Olympics dealing with mental health issues, but returned to compete on the balance beam. Her third-place finish delivers her seventh medal, tying her for the most ever among U.S. gymnasts. President Biden is poised to announce that the U.S. has successfully delivered 110 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to other nations. But that huge number is just a fraction of the 11 billion vaccines that are needed to inoculate 70% of the world against the disease, and the logistics of that effort are daunting. When hackers steal a Facebook account, the victims are finding it almost impossible to get real customer support from the social media behemoth. Some have gotten so desperate to get anyone's attention that they've shelled out $299 for a VR headset from Oculus — a Facebook-owned company that actually answers the phone, and has been able to help some people. Year after year, Black leaders say, Democratic politicians court their vote and promise systemic change — then fail to follow through. Some activists are concerned that President Biden is falling into that pattern too, failing to defend Blacks' voting rights after vowing to have their backs during his campaign. The ACLU and other groups are suing the Biden administration over a Trump-era rule. Title 42 blocks most migrants from entering the U.S. as a way to stop the spread of the pandemic, and allows border agents to send tens of thousands of asylum seekers and migrants back across the border. Activists say it illegally blocks migrants from seeking humanitarian protection in the U.S. Newsletter continues after sponsor message Today's Listens Claire Harbage/NPR Moab, Utah, was once held up as a national model for how to reinvent an economy based on tourism and recreation. This summer, though, the town has felt overrun, as vacation-starved Americans have overflowed out of the nearby national park and over the entire area. "Any flat spot on a busy weekend, people are camped there, even if [it's] right next to the no camping sign," says one resident. It's leading to problems with human waste and illegal campfires. Read the story or listen to it. Many LGBTQ teens are seek out connection in a world that provides few safe spaces. Those who land on the social networking app Grindr often find something far riskier. In the past six years, more than 100 men across the U.S. have faced charges related to sexual assault or attempted sexual activity with minors they met on the app, and some underage users have reported exploitation and trafficking. Hear their stories or read about them. The northern U.S. states were opposed to slavery, but that didn't mean they were open to free Blacks. The new book Until Justice Be Done looks into their "Black laws," how they abused former slaves, and the efforts that finally overturned them. Listen to an interview with author Kate Masur. The Tokyo Olympics Michael Steele/Getty Images Long distance Dutch runner Sifan Hassan stumbled and fell during the last lap of her 5,000 meter qualifying heat, but got up and won the race anyway. Now she's got a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics — and it may not be her last there. If you think parenting is stressful, imagine parenting while also competing at the highest level of a sport. A $200,000 fund set up by the Women's Sports Foundation and the clothing maker Athleta is helping Olympic and Paralympic moms in the U.S. afford child care. Lora Webster, a Paralympics sitting volleyball player who is expecting her fourth child, explains what her grant has meant to her.   Before You Go Rich Fury/Getty Images for NARAS When Whitney Houston covered "I Will Always Love You," it became a smash hit. Dolly Parton says she invested the money she got as the writer of the song in a black community near her. New animal welfare laws could take almost all pork off the menu in the state. Just 4% of pig farms supplying the state with meat are in line with the new rules. Around 500 women ages 40 and above met over the weekend in Chicago for a trip back to their childhoods: It was a meetup for a club that embraces Double Dutch jump-roping for adults. Prolific actor Saginaw Grant, hereditary chief of the Sac & Fox Nation of Oklahoma, died at 85. The Marine Corps veteran held roles in film and TV, including in Breaking Bad and The Lone Ranger. Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from Illinois Public Media - WILL (edit station). 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!