Nancy Pelosi backs candidate in race to succeed her and Blue Origin rocket explodes: Morning Rundown

Morning RundownNancy Pelosi backs candidate in race to succeed her and Blue Origin rocket explodes: Morning RundownPlus, experts say a post-pandemic desire for community is one reason teen “takeovers” are spreading across the country.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 29, 2026, 7:04 AM EDTBy Elizabeth RobinsonNancy Pelosi weighs in on the race to succeed her. A Blue Origin rocket explodes on the launchpad and shakes nearby houses in Florida. And why teen “takeovers” are spreading across the country. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Here’s what to know today.Nancy Pelosi weighs in on the race to succeed herRep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., during an event in San Francisco on April 10.Benjamin Fanjoy / Getty Images fileNancy Pelosi did not plan to endorse anyone in the race to succeed her in Congress. But after noting how many women who used to represent California have been replaced by men, the former speaker felt she had to step in for a female candidate, she told NBC News in an exclusive interview. This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.Pelosi has thrown her support behind San Francisco supervisor Connie Chan. Polls show state Sen. Scott Wiener far ahead in next week’s primary, while Chan and Saikat Chakrabarti, a wealthy tech engineer and co-founder of the progressive group Justice Democrats, slug it out for the No. 2 spot on the November ballot. The first woman to serve as speaker of the House, Pelosi says she was motivated by her hopes to put more women “at the table,” not her desire to keep one man away from it. “To have a woman who’s top-notch, young woman, a mom — that’s really important — and an Asian American, a Chinese American, to me, I just thought she would do the very best job, and that’s what the measure of it was,” Pelosi said. “I want a woman who can do, and I want a person who c...