First Thing: Biden urges US to reject ‘extremism and fury’ after Trump assassination attempt

The president called for the nation to come together, as the RNC kicks off in Milwaukee. Plus, a DNA discovery that could help cure pancreatic cancer

Good morning.

President Joe Biden said on Sunday there was “no place in America” for political violence and called on the nation to reject “extremism and fury” after the failed attempt on Donald Trump’s life.

In a primetime address from the Oval Office, Biden said Americans must work towards “national unity” and “cool … down” political rhetoric in the US as the country speeds towards a tumultuous November presidential election.

“There is no place in America for this kind of violence – for any violence. Ever. Period. No exception,” the president said. “We can’t allow this violence to be normalized.” Trump said that following the assassination attempt, he had changed his speech at the Republican national convention to bring “the whole country, even the whole world, together”.

What impact will the violence have on the race? US columnist Arwa Mahdawi argues it will almost certainly boost Trump’s campaign, while the Guardian’s Washington bureau chief, David Smith, writes that Trump’s response – shouting “Fight!” to his supporters – clinched his “status as both messiah and martyr”.

What do security experts think about the assassination attempt? It warrants “an intensive review” of Trump’s security and “a massive realignment”, according to an ex-Secret Service agent.

Trump touches down in Milwaukee as Republican national convention begins

Donald Trump arrived in Milwaukee on Sunday evening before the launch of the Republican national convention, less than 48 hours on from the failed assassination attempt against him that left several attenders injured and two people dead, one of them the shooter.

At the convention, Trump will announce his running mate and the party will formally nominate him. The vice-presidential candidacy is between the North Dakota governor, Doug Burgum, the Florida senator Marco Rubio and JD Vance, a populist senator from Ohio who first rose to prominence with his 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy.

The RNC will feature a slew of conservative speakers on key issues for Trump’s campaign, including immigration, the economy and abortion. But economists have warned that central parts of his policy platform, including high tariffs and wide-ranging tax cuts, are likely to increase inflation and worsen the US’s finances.

How widespread is this economic view? A Wall Street Journal survey of economists found the majority believe inflation, deficits and interest rates would be higher under Trump than Biden.

Scientists make DNA discovery that could help find pancreatic cancer cure

Researchers have made a key DNA discovery that could help cure pancreatic cancer, which is currently the cancer with the lowest survival rates.

The team of scientists from the UK and US have discovered that pancreatic cancer is able to shut down molecules in one of the body’s most important genes, allowing the disease to expand and spread rapidly.

Dr Maria Hatziapostolou, of Nottingham Trent University’s John van Geest Cancer Research Centre, said: “This work, which has provided new understanding and knowledge of how the cancer behaves, will hopefully help pave the way for potential new treatments in the future.”

Pancreatic cancer, which is the deadliest of the 20 common cancers, is often diagnosed at a late stage, where treatment options are few. Over half of patients die within three months of diagnosis.

How many people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year? More than half a million, making it the 12th most common cancer worldwide.

In other news …

It would take 15 years to clear Gaza of almost 40m tonnes of rubble in an effort using more than 100 trucks and costing between $500m and $600m, a UN assessment has found.

Argentina has retained its Copa América title, beating Colombia 1-0 in a thrilling game in Miami. Lautaro Martínez got the goal in the 112th minute.

Paul Kagame, who has ruled Rwanda since 2000, is widely expected to extend his rule of the central African country as voters go to the polls on Monday.

Ukraine is attempting a more personalised approach to attract army volunteers, allowing potential soldiers the option of applying for specific roles, after draft expansion led to thousands going into hiding.

Stat of the day: war prevents 14.5 million children from getting vaccination against disease

Conflicts have hindered global efforts to immunize children against disease, Unicef and the World Health Organization have said, with 14.5 million children lacking a single immunisation dose. The war in Sudan has caused numbers of unvaccinated children to soar from about 110,000 in 2021 to an estimated 701,000 last year.

Don’t miss this: plastic bottle seats and wooden pools: will the Paris Olympics be the greenest yet?

Prioritizing the environment, the Paris Olympics vowed to build as little as possible and make use of eco-friendly and recycled materials to construct and refurbish sporting venues and other features in the cityscape. “We saw the Olympics as a great opportunity to accelerate the city’s green transformation,” said a former deputy mayor for urban planning in the city, Emmanuel Grégoire. The transformation includes 250 miles of new bike lanes, a continuing extension of the city’s Métro network and a massive clean-up of the River Seine.

Climate check: dogs and their owners struggle through US heatwave

More than 245 million Americans are expected to experience 90F temperatures early this week, with some places expecting as high as 105F. And as the climate crisis exposes the world to extreme heat, dog owners and dog walkers say pets are also suffering, while vets have treated animals with blistered paws from walking on scorching sidewalks.

Last Thing: from Joe Biden to Boeing – cartoonist Edith Pritchett’s week in Venn diagrams

Sign up

First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already signed up, subscribe now.

Get in touch

If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email [email protected]