Supreme Court rejects effort to block Trump sentencing, Hurricane Debby looms over Southeast, and Simone Biles wins final Paris medal
The Yodel newsletter: Get caught up on this morning’s news
Good morning, all. What’s inside the box Olympic athletes get with their medals? Here’s the answer to that and other big Olympics questions you might have. Now, on to the news.
NEED TO KNOW
Trump’s hush money sentencing moves forward
There were significant developments yesterday in Donald Trump’s New York hush money case and an Arizona “fake electors” case related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in his favor.
Hush money case: The Supreme Court rejected a long-shot bid to block Trump’s sentencing after he was convicted of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. He’ll be sentenced on Sept. 18. [Politico]
Fake electors case: Former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors, who have accused 11 Trump supporters of fraudulently posing as the state’s electors in an effort to get him into office. [NBC News]
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
?? Hurricane Debby impacts
At least five people have died as a result of Hurricane Debby, which has been downgraded to a tropical storm. Dangerous flash floods and record-setting rain are projected in Georgia and South Carolina today. [AP]
?? Americans injured in Iraq
Several U.S. troops were injured in a suspected rocket attack in Iraq. The Defense Department blamed Iran-aligned militia groups, calling it a “dangerous escalation” amid fears of a wider Middle East war. [CNN]
?? Google loses antitrust case
A federal judge ruled that Google illegally monopolized online search by paying device makers, including Apple, and browser companies to make Google their default search engine. [New York Times]
?? Biles’s final Paris medal
Simone Biles and teammate Jordan Chiles won a silver and bronze medal, respectively, in the floor competition. The medal ceremony went viral after they bowed down to gold medalist Rebeca Andrade. See the photo. [Yahoo Sports]
?? ‘John Wick’ TV series
Lionsgate Television announced a John Wick TV series that would serve as a sequel to the franchise, but there’s no word yet on a release date or if star Keanu Reeves will appear on the show. [Hollywood Reporter]
WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY
???? At the Olympics, sprinter Gabby Thomas runs the 200m final during primetime, starting at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. [USA Today]
? In baseball, the Red Sox and the Royals play again at 8:10 p.m. ET on the MLB app. [AP]
?? And don’t forget to: Read your daily horoscope. Play the Crossword. Check the forecast in your area.
TODAY IN HISTORY
In 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover successfully landed on Mars. Among its many tasks was the transmission of images of the planet's surface; the rover once spent a day filming the planet from dusk till dawn. Here’s the footage. [Space]
3 QUESTIONS
...about friendships in the U.S.
Anthony talked to Yahoo Senior Health Writer Rebecca Corey about the American Friendship Project, a survey expected to last several years that just released its first results.
Anthony: Tell me about the American Friendship Project. What was the purpose of the research?
Rebecca: The project was meant to examine the current state of American friendships after the surgeon general said we were facing a “loneliness epidemic.” Their study looked at how many friends the average person has, how they maintain their friendships — that sort of thing.
Anthony: What did it find? Is the problem of loneliness as bad as many people think?
Rebecca: I’d say the results were kind of mixed. It found the average American has four or five friends — that’s good. But 42% of people feel like they aren’t as close to them as they’d like to be, and over half are struggling to make new ones.
Anthony: What can people do to nurture their relationships?
Rebecca: We have a tendency to just text each other, but based on my conversations with experts, I’d suggest calling to reconnect. And if you want to foster new friendships, ask your bestie to bring someone along next time you hang out.
Go deeper: See what else the American Friendship Project found.
FEEL-GOOD MOMENT
Merce Hershey, a 97-year-old great-grandma, started going to the gym two years ago in hopes of improving her health. Since then, she’s gone from a rack pull of 11 pounds to one of 95 pounds. “I'm in excellent health, really,” she noted. “The doctor said, 'Fantastic.’” [GMA]
Have a wonderful day. See you tomorrow!
?? P.S. Before you go, your daily advice: Want to lower your stress levels and avoid injuries? Experts say improving your flexibility can help. [CNN]
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