Pakistan bombing; Yellow trucking meltdown; grieving pet loss : NPR

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Today’s top stories

A massive bombing at a political rally near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border killed at least 54 and wounded nearly 200 on Sunday. NPR’s Diaa Hadid says the attack spotlights how “violence has been spilling over into Pakistan since the Taliban seized Afghanistan nearly two years ago.”

A Pakistani police officer stands guard at the site of Sunday’s suicide bomber attack in the Bajur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, Monday, July 31.

Mohammad Sajjad/AP

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Mohammad Sajjad/AP

A Pakistani police officer stands guard at the site of Sunday’s suicide bomber attack in the Bajur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, Monday, July 31.

Mohammad Sajjad/AP

• The Taliban has been killing suspected Islamic State fighters in Afghanistan, and the Islamic State has been fighting back, Hadid says on Up First this morning. But she says this attack was “politically sensitive” because the targeted party is part of the current Pakistani government coalition. Pakistan is preparing for elections this fall, and Hadid reports that the stakes are high, as voting will be difficult if political parties are targeted like this.

Ukrainian forces have recaptured the southeastern village of Staromaiorske during their counteroffensive against Russia.

• A Ukrainian soldier tells NPR’s Joanna Kakissis that progress has been slow and hard-fought, but reclaiming the village was a strategic win, as it’s one line of attack that aims to cut off Russia’s resupply routes. Russia has also blamed Ukraine for recent drone attacks. Though Ukraine hasn’t officially claimed responsibility, Zelenskyy has said the drone attacks are “absolutely fair” considering Russia’s attacks.

The shipping company Yellow is expected to file for bankruptcy as early as today. The move would put some 30,000 jobs at stake, according to the Teamsters union. Yellow received a $700 million federal loan and was deemed essential to national security during the pandemic. Here’s everything we know about the situation so far.

• The expected shutdown would be the largest trucking bankruptcy in U.S. history, an analyst tells NPR’s Camila Domonoske. Legal filings say the Teamsters union intentionally “triggered a death spiral” by blocking Yellow’s restructuring efforts and scaring away customers with threats of a strike. The Union blames gross mismanagement at the company. Domonoske adds that a Congressional Oversight Board raised red flags about the loan given to Yellow and why it was deemed essential.

Ashley Hemmers, the tribal administrator for the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, got heatstroke while driving to a meeting to present her people’s concerns about climate change. She didn’t make the meeting, but tells NPR’s Leila Fadel how climate change is impacting indigenous communities.

• “For us, it’s one of the highest threats,” she says on Morning Edition. “If we keep extracting from our environment, it won’t just be heat stroke and second and third-degree burns — it’s going to be losing people’s lives.”      

Picture show

Karl Ohiri: Untitled, from “The Archive of Becoming.” Ohiri features old negatives and prints that have been transformed by heat, humidity and time.

Karl Ohiri

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Karl Ohiri

Karl Ohiri: Untitled, from “The Archive of Becoming.” Ohiri features old negatives and prints that have been transformed by heat, humidity and time.

Karl Ohiri

The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City is showcasing work from living West African artists for the first time as part of an ongoing series the museum says will focus on “specific art scenes across the globe.” The current collection of photographs captures the colonial past, beautiful beaches and boisterous protests of Lagos, Nigeria. The exhibition runs through Sept. 16. Check out some of the photographs if you can’t make it.

Life advice

When Keisha “TK” Dutes lost her cat Feisty Misses Peabody, she wasn’t prepared for the grief she felt. She spoke with her friend Alexander Hardy about how to cope with pet loss.

• Give yourself space and time to process the loss.
• Don’t go through it alone, and find a way to channel your grief.
• Don’t forget the good times, and honor your pet in a way that resonates with you.

3 things to know before you go

Don’t worry, this six-foot-tall tsetse fly didn’t bite anyone. He was part of a performance to teach Malawians about preventing sleeping sickness.

Hannah Bialic

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Hannah Bialic

Don’t worry, this six-foot-tall tsetse fly didn’t bite anyone. He was part of a performance to teach Malawians about preventing sleeping sickness.

Hannah Bialic

1. Soccer fans in Malawi might see a person dressed as a colorful tsetse fly on the field. But it’s not a team mascot — the fly’s performance teaches residents about sleeping sickness.
2. Scientists revived a tiny roundworm frozen in the Siberian permafrost for 46,000 years. The remarkable discovery could help researchers understand how other animals adapt to extreme temperatures.
3. Jeffrey Gibson, a multimedia artist who fuses together American, Native American and queer perspectives in visual culture, will be the first Indigenous artist to represent the U.S. at the 2024 Venice Biennale, a prestigious international arts event.

This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi. Anandita Bhalerao contributed.