Tuesday, July 27, 2021

'Lives with all of us forever': Funeral for last ID'd Surfside victim

Estelle Hedaya will be laid to rest, Simone Biles and teammates go for gold and more to news to start your Tuesday. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 
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Daily Briefing
 
Tuesday, July 27
A couple adds fresh flowers to the memorial wall at the site of the Champlain Towers South collapse on Wednesday, July 14, 2021, in Surfside.
'Lives with all of us forever': Funeral for last ID'd Surfside victim
Estelle Hedaya will be laid to rest, Simone Biles and teammates go for gold and more to news to start your Tuesday.

Happy Tuesday, Daily Briefing readers! Lawmakers are on a quest to discover who organized and funded the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. The funeral will be held for Estelle Hedaya, the last victim identified in the devastating condo building collapse in Florida. And, the U.S. women's gymnastics team is aiming for gold. Can they do it? Follow our live blog  for all the action from one of the most hotly-anticipated events of the Tokyo Olympics. πŸ€ΈπŸΎ‍♀️

It's Steve and Jane with Tuesday's news. 

πŸ”΅ What does the ROC mean? If you've noticed these athletes competing at the Tokyo Games and you're not sure what country they represent, you're not alone.

✈️ Remain in place: The United States has no plans to lift travel restrictions denying entry at this point given the rise of the Delta variant, according to the White House.

😷 Missouri's attorney general filed a lawsuit seeking to halt a mask mandate that took effect Monday amid a rise in COVD-19 cases. Tap here for the latest pandemic updates.

🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, hear what the end to the U.S. combat mission in Iraq means. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker.

Here's what's happening today:

Funeral for Estelle Hedaya, last victim ID'd in Florida condo building collapse

More than a month after a horrifying condo building collapse in Surfside, Florida, authorities on Monday identified the last victim as 54-year-old Estelle Hedaya. Her younger brother, Ikey Hedaya, confirmed the news to The Associated Press and her family described the four-week wait to get the confirmation as torturous. A funeral was scheduled for Tuesday. A total of 98 people were killed June 24 when the 12-story Champlain Towers South condominium building crashed to the ground. Ninety-seven bodies were pulled from the debris and one person died at a hospital. County officials accounted for 242 people who had lived in the complex.

A rose wilts at the memorial wall near the Champlain Towers South site on Tuesday, July 13, 2021.
A rose wilts at the memorial wall near the Champlain Towers South site on Tuesday, July 13, 2021.
Amanda Inscore, The News-Press/USA TODAY Network

What else people are reading:

πŸ”΅ The U.S. will end its combat mission in Iraq by the end of the year, President Joe Biden confirmed in a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

πŸ”΅ "We are devastated and at a loss for words": Mike Howe, the lead singer of the influential band Metal Church, has died at the age of 55.

πŸ”΅ "VERY SEXIST RULES": Pink offered to pay a fine issued against the Norwegian women's beach handball team after they wore shorts instead of bikini bottoms.

πŸ”΅ New address: It appears that rapper Kanye West will live at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium until he finishes his album "Donda."

πŸ”΄ "A lot of questions out there": As Republican and former NFL running back Herschel Walker considers a Senate run in Georgia, a turbulent past emerges.

Committee on Jan. 6 Capitol riot meets publicly for first time

A House committee will begin delving into the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol Tuesday, in an attempt to find out who organized and funded a deadly insurrection that threatened to stop the peaceful transition of power. It's the first public hearing of the panel appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to investigate the attack that left five people dead. The panel, featuring seven Democrats and two Republicans, is led by Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. – who has the power to subpoena – and includes Republican Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger , both critics of former President Donald Trump who voted to impeach him. The Justice Department has charged 535 people in the first six months after the insurrection and continues to pursue investigations. 

COVID-19 infections double at VA facilities as agency mandates vaccines for employees

A new order from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs is in effect Tuesday, saying vaccines are mandatory for its health care workers because of concerns about the Delta variant. The requirement, announced Monday, made the federal agency the first to enlist such a mandate and came as coronavirus infections have more than doubled in the past month at VA medical facilities, a USA TODAY review found. The vaccine mandate came as the more infectious Delta variant continues its spread across the country, leading to spikes, outbreaks and the reinstatement of some COVID-19 restrictions in certain areas. 

At 94, Martha Tucker's dream came true:

Martha Tucker tries on a wedding dress.
Martha Tucker tries on a wedding dress.
Photo by Angela Strozier; USA TODAY graphic

About 70 years after Jim Crow laws blocked Martha Tucker, a Black woman, from trying on wedding dresses in bridal shops in Alabama, she was able to fulfill her dream at the age 94.

One of Tucker's granddaughters, Angela Strozier, along with some family members, set up an appointment at a local David's Bridal store after they overheard Tucker talking about her experiences in the 1950s. Earlier this month, she got her makeup done and went into the store to find her long-awaited dress.

US women's gymnastics team goes for Olympic gold 

Tuesday's action at the Tokyo Olympics will be headlined by one of the most anticipated events of 2021 — the women's gymnastics team final. After a not-so impressive qualifying round, the Simone Biles-led team will look to reclaim its status as heavy favorites and win a third consecutive team gold medal. The competition will begin at 6:45 a.m. ET. Team USA can also secure another gold medal in softball after a walk-off win against Japan on Monday. Tuesday has already seen plenty of exciting events as 17-year-old American Lydia Jacoby stunned swimming fans and experts by winning the women's 100 breaststroke, Naomi Osaka was upset in the third round of the tennis tournament and the U.S. women's basketball team defeated Nigeria, but showed it has some things to work out as the tournament goes on.

Team USA's Lydia Jacoby, 17, celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women's 100-meter breaststroke at the Tokyo Olympics.
Team USA's Lydia Jacoby, 17, celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women's 100-meter breaststroke at the Tokyo Olympics.
Getty Images photo; USA TODAY Sports graphic

Newsmakers in their own words: 

Republican Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger on Capitol Hill in Washington in May 2021
Republican Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger on Capitol Hill in Washington in May 2021
Associated Press photo; USA TODAY graphic

Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger said Monday he is willing to call fellow Republican lawmakers to testify before the select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Kinzinger also shrugged off questions about possible retaliation from House GOP leaders after he became the second Republican to agree to serve on the panel at the invitation of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Southwest monsoon rain brings drought relief, but also flooding

Monsoon rain in the Southwest is putting a dent in the extreme to exceptional drought across the region, and portions of Arizona and New Mexico are seeing some of the most significant changes . On Tuesday and over the next couple of days, the monsoon rain threat will diminish across those states, the National Weather Service said, and focus instead on southern portions of California, Nevada and Utah. Although the rainfall helps diminish the drought, it can lead to dangerous floods. 

ICYMI: Some of our top stories published Monday

🏈 Powerhouse programs on the move: Texas and Oklahoma announced they will leave the Big 12 Conference and a mammoth college football shake-up begins.

⚕ Megan Fox and HGTV's Christina Haack are among the celebrities who are praising psychedelics: This is what medical experts want you to know.

🏈 "We're hopeful for a positive resolution": NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers is close to an agreement on a reworked contract and is expected to suit up for the Green Bay Packers in 2021.

πŸ“Έ Photo of the day: A Team USA first in synchronized diving πŸ“Έ

Jessica Parratto and Delaney Schnell compete in the women's 10-meter platform synchronized diving competition.
Jessica Parratto and Delaney Schnell compete in the women's 10-meter platform synchronized diving competition.
Rob Schumacher, USA TODAY Sports

The American diving duo of Delaney Schnell, 22, and Jessica Parratto, 27, took silver in the women's synchronized 10-meter platform Tuesday at the Tokyo Olympics, marking the first time the U.S. women have won medals in the Olympic event. China won gold and Mexico took home bronze. 

Head here to see photos of Schnell, Parratto and other Americans with their medals and click here to see some of the defining images from the Games.

The Daily Briefing is free, but several stories we link to in this edition are subscriber-only. Please support our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.

Contributing: The Associated Press

 
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