Thursday, August 1, 2024

The 🐐 of all 🐐s

Simone Biles has now surpassed all the other Olympic GOATs. It's Thursday's news. ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ 

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The Short List

Thu Aug 1 2024

 

Laura L. Davis Audience Editor

@lauradavis

Simone Biles has now surpassed all the other Olympic GOATs. Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan were freed by Russia in prisoner swap. And there's a new alphabet song in town.

👋Hey, Thursday! It's Laura Davis here, and the weekend is in sight! Let's get you caught up on the news.

But first: Let's explore the best of the American bar scene. 🍸 From neighborhood taverns to the finest cocktail meccas, see USA TODAY's top bars for 2024.

📲 The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news – fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

Biles' incomparable legacy

Simone Biles is the best to ever do it and it's not even close. In her sport. And in all others. She'd probably even crush writing this newsletter. With her second Olympic all-around title Thursday night, Biles showed why she's exceptional even among the most elite athletes. She's now, as teammate Jordan Chiles put it earlier this week, the greatest of the greats. 🥇 How she's twisted and turned to the top.

Biles wins another gold: See all the Olympics gymnastics results.
Team USA picks up plenty of other medals, too: All our live updates.
Olympic female boxers are being attacked. Slow down and look at the facts.
USA rowers earn first gold medal in men's four since 1960.
Why Biles' stunning gymnastics routines can be hard to watch.

Usp Olympics Gymnastics

Simone Biles celebrates after winning gold in the Olympic women's gymnastics all-around on Thursday.

Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports

Americans freed in Russia prisoner swap

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan were released from Russian custody Thursday as part of a six-nation deal that was the biggest prisoner exchange between Washington and Moscow since the Cold War. 👉 Here's how the swap unfolded.

What they're saying: "Their brutal ordeal is over, and they are free," said President Joe Biden, speaking from the White House. Biden thanked U.S. allies Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Turkey for helping in what he described as a "feat of diplomacy." 

Real quick

Hawaii could lose 40% of its beaches by 2050. What happens now?
Cardi B announces pregnancy after filing for divorce from Offset.
'Trad wives' influencer blasts viral article as 'attack on our family.'
Your 'chronically single' friend is tired of you saying this one thing.
A sign spooky season is here: Spirit Halloween stores start opening.

Drumroll, please …

It's about to be official. Democrats began a virtual roll call on Thursday to vote Vice President Kamala Harris as the party's presumptive presidential nominee. Delegates have until the deadline on Monday at 6 p.m. EDT to return their ballots. Harris skyrocketed to the top of the ticket after President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race on July 21. Within the first 24 hours, Harris had accumulated more than enough delegate support to win the nomination. 🗳️ See how the roll call works.

Are your kids singing the new alphabet song?

Have your kids come home singing their ABCs to a familiar tune – but one that somehow sounds just a bit off? You're not imagining it: The alphabet song is changing. The newer version, which has become increasingly common in American primary education, takes the same tune but restructures the phrasing, instead placing the pauses after "G," "N," "Q," "T," "W" and ending with "XYZ." The closing lines are also different, now sung, "Now I never will forget, how to say the alphabet." 🎶 Here's what's behind the change.

A break from the news

🍪♨️ Dessert on the grill? Check out these yummy recipes.
😱🎥 Watch: Hot air balloon narrowly misses house in Ohio.
🍳💘 That's hot! Shop Paris Hilton's new line of pink cookware.

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hi: laura@usatoday.com. Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.

Several members of Sonya Massey's family, including her mother, Donna Massey, listen to speakers at a rally at Comer Cox Park on July 28, 2024. Sonya Massey was fatally shot in her home on July 6 by a Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy speaking a national outcry.

"I don't want you guys to hurt her please," Sonya Massey's mother, Donna, tells 911 dispatchers the day before her daughter was killed by a deputy.

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The National Hurricane Center is continuing to track a "well-defined tropical wave" in the Atlantic Ocean that is currently producing showers and thunderstorms over Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and could develop into Tropical Storm Debby this weekend.
 

Hurricane forecasters worried about storm heading toward Florida

The National Hurricane Center is continuing to track a tropical wave in the Atlantic that could develop into Tropical Storm Debby this weekend.

Picture said to show leader of Hamas' military wing, Mohammed Deif, at a location given as Gaza Strip in this handout picture released on January 7, 2024.
 

Israel says it killed Mohammed Deif, architect of Oct. 7 attack

Mohammed Deif, the commander of Hamas' military wing, was killed in an airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip last month, the Israeli military said.

Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker waves at fans to celebrate their 37-33 win over Michigan at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021.
 

Fired football coach Mel Tucker files lawsuit against MSU

Tucker was fired after a USA TODAY investigation revealed sexual harassment allegations against him by rape survivor Brenda Tracy.

Vice Presidential nominee JD Vance speaks during the Faith and Freedom Coalition's God & Country Breakfast on Thursday morning at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee during the fourth day of the Republican National Convention.
 

Hey, Trump? No one likes Vance. Try again.

GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance is, in the parlance of political strategists, 'not good.' He's an unlikable misogynist, and he needs to go.

Regan Smith (USA) before the the women's 100-meter backstroke semifinal during the Paris Olympics.
 

Olympic swimmers are wearing big parkas before racing. Here's why

Why does Regan Smith and many other Olympic swimmers look like they're about to conquer the arctic tundra before they race?

Peyton Manning poses for a photo in front of the Eiffel Tower.
 

NBC backs Olympics opening ceremony co-hosts who got online backlash

Peyton Manning and Kelly Clarkson drew strong reactions online during NBC's opening ceremony coverage, but the network was "extremely pleased."

US fitness coach Richard Simmons attends the 2013 "A Time For Heroes" held at the century park in Los Angeles, June 2, 2013. Richard Simmons, Legendary Fitness Guru and TV Personality, Dies at 76.
 

Richard Simmons' staff hit back at controversial Pauly Shore comments

The family of the late fitness guru Richard Simmons is slamming comedian Pauly Shore, who is producing a biopic on the star, for recent comments.

An ATM inside of a Target in Philadelphia is damaged on Oct. 28, 2020, after three men detonated an explosive to steal money from the machine.
 

Man gets prison for blasting Philly ATMs with dynamite, stealing $417k

Cushmir McBride was part of a crew that blasted open ATMs with dynamite during looting in Philadelphia, hauling of $417,000.

Police lights are activated on a squad car Saturday, May 28, 2022, in the parking lot of the Hard Rock Rockford Casino in Rockford.
 

Florida dad accused of leaving 10-year-old daughter on side of road

A Florida man was arrested on Tuesday after allegedly throwing his 10-year-old daughter out of his car in the night, court records show.

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