A glorious farewell to the 2024 Olympics
It’s time to say goodbye to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Indie group Phoenix and R&B singer HER wowed the crowds in a glamorous closing ceremony. Symbolizing the handover to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Tom Cruise descended a rope into the stadium, received the Olympic flag and rode off on his motorbike.
The performance then transitioned back to a live feed from Los Angeles, with the Red Hot Chili Peppers performing “Can’t Stop” on Venice Beach, followed by performances by Billie Eilish and Snoop Dogg, and an appearance by Dr. Dre to perform “The Next Episode.”
Team USA wins two basketball gold medals
Stephen Curry celebrates after the United States’ win over France. Mark J. Terrill/AP
The U.S. team won gold medals on the final weekend of the tournament with narrow victories in the men’s and women’s basketball finals.
Stephen Curry scored a team-high 24 points in a late performance to lead the team to a 98-87 victory and thwart France’s basketball saga on Saturday night, as the men’s team, including All-Stars LeBron James and Kevin Durant, led the United States to its fifth consecutive Olympic title.
The women’s team won their eighth Olympic gold medal on Sunday. It was a close game, with France putting up a tough fight until the final seconds, but WNBA champion A’ja Wilson led the U.S. to a 67-66 victory.
With the women’s victory, the United States tied with China for the most gold medals won by a single country, marking the first time that both nations have done so at a Summer Games. The United States led the overall medal count with 126, while China came in second with 91.
Jordan Chiles must give back his bronze medal
Jordan Chiles competes in the floor exercise final in Paris. Naomi Baker/Getty Images
The International Olympic Committee said Sunday that U.S. gymnast Jordan Childs must return the bronze medal she won in the floor exercise, upholding an investigation that found her coach’s protest that led to her stepping onto the podium was four seconds too late.
USA Gymnastics disputed the allegations, saying coach Cecil Lundy requested an investigation within 47 seconds of the one-minute grace period, and said it provided time-stamped video evidence.
Meanwhile, Romania’s Ana Barbos won the bronze medal in the floor exercise.
President Macron celebrates unity at Paris Olympics
French President Emmanuel Macron, center row left, congratulates swimmer Leon Marchand on winning the gold medal in the men’s 200-meter medley. Pascal Le Segretin/Getty Images
President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with NBC News on Sunday that he was proud of how the French people, with their traditions and passion, have shown the world how great a country can be.
Paris’ hosting of the Olympics comes just weeks after France was in the midst of serious political tensions, a general election and a divided parliament. The United States is also facing national elections. Asked how important the U.S. vote is to the world, Macron said U.S. leadership sets the tone for many other countries. He cited U.S. athletes as an example, praising not only their impressive medal hauls and sportsmanship but also the values they have demonstrated on the world stage.
“I would never give advice to anyone in your country, but I think we should send a clear message that great things, with camaraderie and joy, are still possible in our world,” he said.
Other Olympic highlights:
In the first-ever Summer Olympics draw, the United States and China each won 40 gold medals. If the U.S. women’s team were an independent nation, they would have won the third-most medals behind the United States and China. The U.S. women’s soccer team beat Brazil 1-0 to win the gold medal. With this, the U.S. team won its fifth gold medal overall and its first since the 2012 London Olympics, once again reigning supreme in women’s soccer. Lin Yuting defeated Poland’s Julia Szeremeta to win the featherweight gold medal on Saturday, shaking off more than a week of baseless accusations that she should not fight women. Boxing champion Imane Kheriff has filed a lawsuit against France for online harassment after a series of criticisms and false allegations about her sexual performance during the Olympics, her lawyer said.
Trump campaign claims it was hacked
Former President Donald Trump’s campaign claimed it was hacked by an Iranian group.
The hack has not been confirmed by NBC News but was first reported by Politico, which said it received the emails from an anonymous account sharing internal Trump campaign documents.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Chang said in a statement that the hack occurred in June, “coinciding roughly with the time period in which President Trump selected his running mate.”
“Iranian groups with ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sent spear-phishing emails to senior officials in the presidential campaign in June,” Chang said, pointing to a Microsoft report released on Friday.
Political Overview
Campaign slogans: At a recent rally, supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris chanted “lock him up!”, a chant that Harris quickly blocked for legal and practical reasons.
Trump plane claim: A former Trump Organization executive disputed Trump’s claim that he was on a helicopter with former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown that was forced to make an emergency landing in the 1990s.
“My Heart Won’t Go On”: Celine Dion’s management team and record company said the use of her song at a Trump campaign rally in Montana was “unauthorized.”
No tax on tips: Harris has pledged to end taxes on tipped wages for service workers, echoing Trump’s proposal.
White House ‘deeply concerned’ by reports of Israeli attack causing multiple casualties
People gather at a school being used as a makeshift shelter for displaced Palestinians in Gaza City. Omar Al-Qatta/AFP – Getty Images
The Israel Defense Forces bombed a school-turned-shelter shelter on Saturday morning, killing at least 100 people and wounding dozens, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense, marking one of the deadliest attacks in the 10-month war as mediators discuss continuing efforts to ease rising tensions in the region. The White House said it was “deeply concerned” by reports of civilian casualties in the attack and urged Israel to take steps to “minimize civilian casualties.”
The IDF has issued multiple statements claiming that the attack was aimed at a Hamas command center buried inside the compound, but has disputed the death toll and the impact of the attack. Hamas denies it had a command center inside the school and has called Israel’s claim that 19 fighters were killed in the attack “false and unfounded.”
Many young children in Gaza are suffering from illnesses caused by drinking or bathing in contaminated water, according to Gaza families, doctors and humanitarian organizations. Common illnesses include hepatitis and skin infections. Gaza’s water system relies heavily on wells and desalination plants, but much of that infrastructure is in disrepair.
The Uvalde shooter’s uncle pleaded with police to let him speak to the shooter.
The uncle of the gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers at a school in Uvalde, Texas, in May 2022 pleaded with police to calm his nephew, according to a 911 call included in an extensive audio and video recording released by city officials.
“Maybe he’ll listen to me because he listens to everything I say,” the man, who identified himself as Armando Ramos, said in the 911 call. “Maybe he can do something to turn himself in or turn himself in.”
The recording also includes a frantic 911 call made as the shooter, Salvador Ramos, arrived on the grounds of Robb Elementary School: “Oh my god, they have guns,” a woman tells the dispatcher, adding, “Hurry up!”
Generation Alpha’s new slang confuses parents
Leila Register/NBC News via Getty Images
It started with Gen Z’s “slay” and “tea.” Now it’s “sigma,” “gyatt,” and “fanum tax.” Gen Alpha, born after 2010, are the new internet darlings, but many parents find intergenerational conversations increasingly confusing. Some Gen Zers are even calling this Gen Alpha way of speaking “brainrot.”
A 45-year-old father says he is perplexed by the slang used by his daughters, ages 9 and 11. “I try to get them to explain what it means, but often they end up totally confused,” he says.
In case you missed it
More than 76,000 people were evacuated from Russia’s Kursk region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country’s troops had crossed the border and were fighting on “aggressor territory.” A Ferguson, Missouri, police officer was seriously injured outside the city’s police station during a protest Friday night on the 10th anniversary of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, a key moment in the nationwide Black Lives Matter movement. The New York apartment of Columbia University’s chief executive officer was vandalized with red paint and crickets, police said. A man arrested in May for allegedly hitting and killing a driver has been charged with the murder of a beloved neurosurgeon found dead in his home. At least four people whose homes burned down in this summer’s Park Fire in Northern California were also homeless six years ago in another wildfire in the same region. California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order requiring state agencies to evacuate homeless people. Encampments on public lands have sparked disagreements among local officials and advocates. Across Florida, aging apartment buildings are facing millions of dollars in escalating expenses and structural repairs to comply with new regulations. The costs have pushed some apartment owners into financial difficulties. A new short documentary delves into the national debate over “Drag Story Hour” reading events, focusing on the perspective of children who attended the events. In a box office showdown between Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, both husband and wife emerged victorious. “Wolverine vs. Deadpool” was the top movie in North America for the third consecutive week. It was closely followed by “It Ends With Us,” a romance drama starring Lively, which debuted with a stellar $50 million. Here’s how to get a good view of tonight’s annual Perseid meteor shower.
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