Hurricane watch: Elsa takes aim at Florida
Good morning, Daily Briefing readers! If you're back at work after a long weekend, here's hoping this week will be gentle.
In the news today, Tropical Storm Elsa is heading for Florida after forcing the evacuations of 180,000 people in Cuba. And, later tonight, the Phoenix Suns, making their first NBA Finals appearance since 1993, will face off against the Milwaukee Bucks.
It's Jane, with Tuesday's news.
💉COVID-19 cases were up in nearly half of U.S. states heading into the July 4 weekend, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. And, Costco will soon drop its senior hours after more than 16 months.
🌡'Horrific': The late June heat wave that scorched the Pacific Northwest with triple-digit temperatures is being blamed for nearly 100 deaths in Oregon.
👰🏼‘Dreams do come true’: Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani have officially tied the knot! Stefani ended fevered wedding speculation with a July 5 Instagram post.
🎬"The Tomorrow War" features ravenous aliens. But one fearsome creature in the film earned true fear from co-star Chris Pratt: jacked-up J.K. Simmons in a tank top.
⚾️ 'I can’t show up for that’: Dave Stewart is livid about the Los Angeles Dodgers’ refusal to discipline starter Trevor Bauer until MLB placed him on administrative leave.
Here's what's happening today:
Tropical Storm Elsa prompts hurricane watch for parts of Florida
Tropical Storm Elsa took aim at the Florida Keys early Tuesday, prompting a hurricane watch for portions of the west coast of state, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm slammed ashore in Cuba Monday, prompting 180,000 people to flee their homes, but there were no early reports of serious damage. The National Hurricane Center said the storm would pass near or over portions of Florida's west coast by late Tuesday and into Wednesday. The storm is posing a new threat to rescue efforts at the condo building that collapsed in Surfside, just outside Miami, on June 24. On Monday, lightning forced crews to pause the search for victims and a garage area in the rubble filled with water, officials said. The collapse killed 28 people and 117 remain missing, authorities said.
NBA Finals tip off with Phoenix and Milwaukee
Game 1 of the NBA Finals gets underway when the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks take the floor Tuesday. The Suns, who are the betting favorites and have home court advantage, are making their first Finals appearance since 1993. On the other side, the Bucks are ending an even longer drought, reaching the final round for the first time in 47 years. Phoenix took both games against Milwaukee in the regular season, in a pair of dramatic one-point victories. For Milwaukee, many eyes will be on two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, and whether he will be able to play for the Eastern Conference champions. Antetokounmpo has been sidelined since injuring his knee against the Atlanta Hawks on June 29. Tuesday's game in Phoenix is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
What else people are reading:
🔴Three men were killed in a shooting at a Georgia country club, including the club's golf professional, Gene Siller.
🔵‘Today hurts’: Amanda Kloots paid tribute to her late husband Nick Cordero, one year after he died of complications from COVID-19.
🎥 Richard Donner, the prolific Hollywood filmmaker behind "The Goonies" and "Lethal Weapon" has died. He was 91.
📺ESPN broadcaster Rachel Nichols apologized over the contents of a leaked phone call and comments she made about colleague Maria Taylor.
Next round of ranked-choice preferences in NYC mayoral primary to be released
The latest round of ranked-choice preferences in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary is expected to be conducted Tuesday. In the most recent count released on June 30, Eric Adams garnered 51.1% of the votes tallied and Kathryn Garcia was second, with 48.9%. Those results were available one day after 135,000 "test" ballots were mistakenly added, then removed. Moreover, that round of results did not include absentee ballots, leaving room for a significant swing. No Democratic candidate won an outright majority in the election on June 22, so the ranked choice preferences of voters are redistributed, as the candidates with the fewest number of first choice votes are eliminated in a series of rounds.
PGA, NFL stars to team up in 'The Match'
Two of the best players in the NFL will face off against each other a little earlier than usual this year when Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady compete in this year's edition of "The Match." The two quarterbacks will team up with golf stars Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson for a made-for-TV golf match. Brady, a member of the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will be paired with Mickelson, the winner of this year's PGA Championship, and Rodgers, the reigning NFL MVP, will team up with 2020 U.S. Open champion DeChambeau. Mickelson and Brady have paired up in a previous edition of "The Match," losing against Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning in May 2020.
ICYMI: Some of our top stories yesterday
🔵11 arrested in Massachusetts standoff: Here's what we know about the group and Moorish sovereign movement.
🔵'Tragic accident': Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks has died after an incident involving fireworks. He was 24.
🔵An 11-year-old boy died Sunday after he and three others were injured on a water ride at a theme park in Iowa.
Chipotle offering burrito deals to vaccinated customers
Chipotle Mexican Grill is the latest restaurant to provide customers an incentive to get vaccinated, with the eatery offering buy-one-get-one free burritos, starting Tuesday. The company's promotion is part of the National Month of Action for vaccinations, an effort by President Joe Biden's administration to get at least 70% of adults vaccinated by the Fourth of July. Although the White House conceded last month that it would fall short the goal, Biden continued to push for Americans to get vaccinated. "My fellow Americans, it's the most patriotic thing you can do." he said during a Fourth of July party Sunday. "So please, if you haven't gotten vaccinated, do it now. For yourselves, for your loved ones, for your community."
📸 Stanley Cup Final: The best photos from the Lightning-Canadiens series 📸
The Montreal Canadiens mixed up their lineup Monday night and staved off elimination against the Tampa Bay Lightning to force Game 5 in the Stanley Cup Final. The Lightning, seeking back-to-back championships, will try to secure the third Stanley Cup in franchise history at home Wednesday night. Check out our gallery of photos from the series.
Contributing: The Associated Press