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Happy Tuesday, Daily Briefing readers! Jeff Bezos' dreams are set to become reality this morning when he's scheduled to blast into space from Texas. Haitians will begin official mourning for assassinated President Jovenel Moïse. And, millions of Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid al-Adha. |
It's Steve and Jane with today's news. |
🛑 "Do not travel": The CDC raised the travel advisory for the U.K. to a level 4, meaning "avoid travel,'' citing "very high'' levels of coronavirus cases. |
📲 Violation of policy: Twitter said it suspended the account of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., for 12 hours after she posted misleading tweets about COVID-19. |
🚓 "One of the LAPD's largest blunders": The L.A. bomb squad miscalculated the weight of homemade fireworks that resulted in a "catastrophic" explosion, authorities said. |
📺"Stood up for my rights": Britt McHenry's sexual harassment lawsuit against Fox News and George "Tyrus" Murdoch has been voluntarily dismissed by the parties involved. |
🛒"Instead of discontinuing, we'll maintain": Costco reversed course and announced it will keep some senior hours as COVID-19 cases increase nationwide. |
🔴 Want behind-the-scenes access to the Tokyo Olympics? Sign up for USA TODAY's Olympic texts for exclusive access to the Games and athletes chasing gold. |
🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, hear about the first felony sentencing in the U.S. Capitol attack. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker. |
Here's what's happening today: |
Liftoff for Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin |
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is set to go to space Tuesday after his company, Blue Origin, received government approval to launch a rocket. Bezos will board the rocket in Texas with his brother Mark; Wally Funk , an 82-year-old aviator who pushed for female inclusion in NASA's astronaut training programs; and Oliver Daemen, an 18-year-old man who will replace a mystery bidder who decided to postpone taking part in the historic trip. The crew covers two age-related records: both the oldest (Funk) and youngest (Daemen) to fly to space. Bezos' trek into space comes after billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic launched on July 11. |
| The side of a building in Van Horn, Texas, is adorned with a mural of Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos on Saturday, July 17, 2021. | Sean Murphy, AP | |
What else people are reading: |
🔵 "I'll do what I want": Ant Anstead and HGTV star Christina Haack are both moving on after their recent divorce. Why is only one being shamed? |
🔵 Proud Boys leader Henry "Enrique" Tarrio pleaded guilty to two charges, including one related to the burning of a Black Lives Matter banner. |
🔵 Tragic accident: A Utah man hiking with the 9-year-old son of his fiancée fell to his death, leaving the boy to climb down a mountain by himself, authorities said. |
🔴 Column from Christine Brennan: Four days before the opening ceremony of the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the Games' nightmare scenario has become a reality. |
🔴 "No longer scared to hide who I am": Nashville Predators prospect Luke Prokop has become the first openly gay player in NHL history. |
| NHL prospect Luke Prokop in 2020 | Getty Images photo; USA TODAY graphic | |
Official mourning for Moïse begins as Haiti awaits new leader |
Haitians are beginning a series of official ceremonies Tuesday to honor President Jovenel Moïse, nearly two weeks after he was assassinated at his home. Moïse's body was to lie in state starting before dawn in the capital of Port-au-Prince, officials said. He was shot multiple times during the July 7 attack. The ceremonies come as designated Prime Minister Ariel Henry prepared to replace interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph, who assumed leadership after Moïse's death with the backing of police and the military. Henry was chosen for the post by Moïse shortly before he was killed. |
Newsmakers in their own words: Biden alters approach to Facebook |
| President Joe Biden speaks in Washington on Monday, July 19, 2021 | Getty Images photo; USA TODAY graphic | |
President Joe Biden on Monday softened his criticism of Facebook, days after he said the platform is "killing people" because of vaccine misinformation the social media giant allows to circulate on its platform. He shifted the blame from Facebook to a dozen people he said are circulating most of the misleading claims. |
Millions of Muslims to celebrate Eid al-Adha |
On Tuesday, millions of Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid al-Adha , a religious festival commemorating Prophet Abraham's faithfulness to God after being tested with the unfulfilled command to sacrifice his son. The holiday also marks the end of the annual Holy Pilgrimage of Hajj, in which thousands of Muslims travel to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to worship in the Ka'bah, the most sacred site in Islam. Although many people in the United States observed the holiday for one day on Monday, Eid-al-Adha is a three-day celebration in Muslim-majority countries. |
Also on Tuesday ... |
🌎 Devastation aftermath: Belgium will hold a national day of mourning for victims of the floods in Western Europe that have killed hundreds of people. |
⚾ A first for Major League Baseball: A team of five women will make history as the MLB's first all-female on-air crew when they call the Tampa Bay Rays' game against the Baltimore Orioles. |
Milwaukee Bucks are on the verge of their first NBA title in 50 years |
Game 6 of the NBA Finals will see the Milwaukee Bucks attempt to win their first championship since 1971 as they take on the Phoenix Suns on their home floor Tuesday night (9 p.m. ET, ABC). The Bucks grabbed the pivotal victory in Game 5 thanks to another stunning play at an important time from two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and a brilliant night from guard Jrue Holiday. On the other side, the Suns relied too much on their own star player, Devin Booker, USA TODAY's Mark Medina writes . The Suns, the best road team during the regular season, will need to continue their solid play away from home if they want to force a Game 7 back in Phoenix. |
ICYMI: Some of our top stories published Monday |
⚖ "This was a foolish decision": Florida man Paul Hodgkins became the first felon sentenced for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and will serve eight months in prison. |
🎶 Setting the record straight: The fierce debate over the lyrics of Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road" and Mary's dress has officially ended. |
🌎 Restrictions being lifted: Canada will reopen its borders to fully vaccinated Americans starting Aug. 9. |
Tampa Bay Bucs to celebrate Super Bowl win with visit to White House |
President Joe Biden will celebrate the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Super Bowl title when the team visits the White House Tuesday. As the Bucs prepare for training camp, which opens next weekend, they'll celebrate capturing Lombardi Trophy with the president, something Tampa sports teams haven't gotten the chance to do when winning titles in recent years. The Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs to win Super Bowl LV in February. Biden has resumed the tradition of opening the White House to championship sports teams after an uneven record of such visits under the Trump administration. According to a report out of Tampa Bay, seven-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady will join the team for the event in Washington. Brady did not visit after the New England Patriots' last three championship wins. |
📸 Photo of the day: Naomi Osaka's history-making magazine cover 📸 |
| Sports Illustrated magazine cover image for 2021 Swimsuit issue on sale July 22 featuring a photo of Naomi Osaka by Yu Tsai. | Yu Tsai, Sports Illustrated | |
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka appears on the cover of this year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, becoming the first female Black athlete to do so. Osaka's cover comes on the heels of her controversial withdrawal from the French Open after deciding to not speak with media to protect her mental health. |
Osaka will share the cover with rapper Megan Thee Stallion and Leyna Bloom, the first transgender woman to appear on the cover. |
Head here to see more photos from the life and career of Naomi Osaka and here for more images of Megan Thee Stallion. |
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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