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.
đđźââď¸ 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 on your timeline 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.
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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 â worried that if someone caught both together, the virus could mutate to become both severe and highly contagious. Read more
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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 âseriously consideringâ leaving the state, according to a new report that paints a troubling picture of the challenges facing fire survivors â and the Maui County as a whole. Read more
Photo of the day:Â ‘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.
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.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Daily Briefing: Everyone’s vacation looks amazing
