Global Climate Strike drew millions of protesters around the world

by Jill Hudson First Up Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images Here's what we're following today. The Global Climate Strike drew millions of protesters around the world Friday, as young people answered a call from activist Greta Thunberg to demand action on climate change. In the U.S., there are more than 800 marches planned, and thousands of young people are expected to be absent from class.  President Trump blamed "a political hack job" for reports that a whistleblower claimed he had an improper conversation with a foreign leader. The Washington Post on Friday reported the conversation in question involves Ukraine. The president said it was a "totally appropriate conversation. It was actually a beautiful conversation," although he did not specify with whom. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio ended his campaign for president on Friday morning. The mayor of America's largest city was one of the last major candidates to enter the race, but his progressive pitch never caught on in the crowded field. TV broadcasters including CBS, Viacom and WarnerMedia say they are pulling ads by the makers of electronic cigarettes, as concerns over growing teen use of the products and cases of illnesses linked to vaping continue to mount. Meanwhile, in Washington, there's growing consternation and calls for action over youth vaping. In an experiment, researchers found that investors were more likely to bet that a company's stock price would increase if it had more women on staff than average. It suggests investors see value in gender diversity and that companies that hire more women could see their stock prices rise. Firearms manufacturer Colt is suspending production of its popular AR-15 semi-automatic rifle for the civilian market. The gunmaker says it will concentrate instead on fulfilling contracts from the military and law enforcement for the weapon that has come for many to be associated with mass shootings.  Newsletter continues after sponsor message Today's History “Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies – yes, from the comics – is still “really sweet.” AB Archive/Redferns/Getty Images Fifty years ago, the song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Initially released in May of 1969, the song didn't hit it big until later that summer. At first, radio stations wouldn't play it. But once they did, there was no looking back . "The year of Woodstock, the year that we landed on the moon, the year everyone was talking about Charles Manson and the Beatles were breaking up and they had that concert on the roof," says Andy Kim, one of the song’s co-writers, who adds that he was “really, really blown away" when it was announced as the No. 1 song of 1969. “There was this song that just showed up.” Today's Listen Amazon makes a “climate pledge” as workers plan a walkout.  Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images Amazon workers in Seattle are walking out today as part of a push on climate change policies. A day earlier, The company’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, announced Thursday a new climate change pledge that would get Amazon to cut its emissions to levels set by the Paris Agreement by 2040. (Listening time, 3:59) ► LISTEN Justin Trudeau's blackface incidents reveal another side of Canada. Earlier this week, the Canadian prime minister apologized after photos surfaced showing him wearing brownface and blackface as a young man. He announced that he has no plans to resign and vowed to continue his campaign for reelection in October. Trudeau's central message has been inclusion, but his blackface incident reveals another side of Canada. (Listening time, 3:45) ► LISTEN Podcast Of The Day The mysterious death of the hacker who turned in Chelsea Manning. Patrick Semansky/AP Adrian Lamo was a hero in the hacker community for years. "He was like the Tony Robbins of the hacking world," said Lorraine Murphy, an old friend of his. "It is one thing to be gifted at hacking and another to be able to tell the world about it." Everything changed when he began exchanging Internet chat messages with U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning.  ► LISTEN The Picture Show Why GM workers are striking.  Elaine Cromie for NPR Nearly 50,000 General Motors employees with the United Auto Workers went on strike Sunday as the collective bargaining agreement from 2015 expired. The January 2020 closing of the Detroit-Hamtramck plant is part of a larger negotiating strategy for the United Auto Workers union, which also wants General Motors to properly recognize everything members have done and sacrificed to make a "healthy, profitable" auto industry. Many of the workers in this series of portraits explain why they took to the picket lines. Before You Go Jacqueline Larma/AP Scientists say North America has lost 3 billion birds. More than 90% of the loss can be attributed to just a dozen bird families, including sparrows, blackbirds and finches. Colson Whitehead and Marlon James headline the long list of names in contention for the 2019 National Book Award literary prize. Altogether, 50 books across five categories stand a chance at winning the award in November.  NPR’s Tom Huizenga has a provocative discussion with historian Joseph Horowitz about what might have happened if American classical music had embraced black musical forms.  A group of scientists will try to freeze an icebreaker into the ice — for an entire year — to better understand why the central Arctic Ocean is rapidly warming.  What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: dailynewsletter@npr.org 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!

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