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The Daily Briefing

YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP

Wed Jul 31 2024

Nicole Fallert | Newsletter Writer

@nicolefallert

Americans aren't sacrificing summer vacation amid high food and gas prices. Simone Biles is now the most-medaled American Olympic gymnast. Kamala Harris is hitting battleground states next week with her future running mate.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. The Seine passed the Olympic water test.

Before you get too much travel FOMO, think about cost

It's easy to get envious of others' Instagram posts these days. Millions of Americans are taking big summer vacation trips this year, driven partly by pent-up COVID-19 demand but also funded in part by the booming stock market and increasing wages. Airports are reporting record travel, and analysts say vacationers plan to spend more on their trips, even as higher gas prices, interest rates and food costs are pinching their everyday spending. How are they affording it? They're cutting back elsewhere or saving longer.

From the podium: A dominant show for USA women's gymnastics

Led by the incomparable Simone Biles, the Americans coasted to yet another Olympic gold medal Tuesday night at Bercy Arena, finishing atop the podium for the third time in the four most recent trips to the Summer Games.

It was never really close: The team (aka "The Golden Girls" ) finished nearly six points ahead of the silver medal winners Italy, with Brazil grabbing bronze.

•	With Tuesday's gold, 27-year-old Biles passed Shannon Miller for the most Olympic medals won by an American gymnast. She now has eight – and perhaps a few more on the way over the next week.
•	There's plenty more action coming from Paris for Wednesday: LeBron James and the U.S. men's basketball team play South Sudan. Superstar U.S. swimmer Katie Ledecky competes in the 1,500-meter final.
•	Yesterday in Paris was really, really hot. Athletes and attendees sweltered across the Games (time to get a tiny fan!), triggering experts to consider what happens to the Olympics as climate change escalates.

🏅 For more news from the Paris Games, follow @usatodaysports for on-the-ground updates, text our Olympics WhatsApp channel and sign up for USA TODAY's daily Olympics newsletter, Chasing Gold.

The Olympic champion U.S. women's gymnastics team.

Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports

More news to know now

•	Kamala Harris will visit multiple battleground states with her future running-mate next week.
•	The Fed makes its decision on interest rates on Wednesday.
•	El Chapo's son pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking.
•	Trump will speak to Black journalists in Chicago, drawing criticism.
•	Time to play today's USA TODAY Crossword! Click here for Sally's expert analysis.

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

Hamas' top political leader killed during raid in Iran

Hamas' top political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed Wednesday in an apparent assassination at his residence in Tehran, according to the Palestinian militant group Hamas and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Details about the killing, and who was responsible, were still emerging. Hamas and its ally Iran immediately blamed Israel. Read more

Kari Lake wins Arizona GOP primary

Kari Lake won her Republican primary in Arizona on Tuesday and will now face Democratic challenger Rep. Ruben Gallego in what is expected to be one of the most closely-watched and hard-fought U.S Senate races in the 2024 general election. Read more

A bird flu vaccine is coming

Federal officials are ramping up seasonal flu shots for livestock workers as part of an effort to prevent them from also getting sick with bird flu ‒ worried that if someone caught both together, the virus could mutate to become both severe and highly contagious. Read more

Keep scrolling

•	Lady Gaga's Olympics opening ceremony number was prerecorded.
•	The Atlas V rocket lifted off in its final national security mission.
•	Maybe give your deli meat a quick safety check.
•	I spent years covering a serial killer. There's one answer I still want to find.
•	Summer's heat wave to drive up electric bills - but by how much?

Growing number of Maui residents are 'barely surviving'

Nearly half of Maui residents say their financial situation has worsened since the Lahaina fire and 1 in 5 are "seriously considering" leaving the state, according to a new report that paints a troubling picture of the challenges facing fire survivors – and the Maui County as a whole. Read more

Photo of the day: 'Hotties for Harris'

Megan Thee Stallion on Tuesday took a break from her Hot Girl Summer tour to campaign for Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris before a crowded arena in Atlanta. "I want to start off by saying: Hotties for Harris," Megan said before launching into a compilation of her songs.

Megan Thee Stallion Kamala Harris campaign

Rapper Megan Thee Stallion performs at a presidential election campaign event for U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in Atlanta on July 30, 2024.

Dustin Chambers, REUTERS

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.