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Here's what we're talking about:
- A special election in Ohio will test Trump's political prowess
- Amazon's historic defeat of a unionization effort may not be final
- Study estimates world will see a shortfall of 5 million girls over the next 10 years
What we're watching today: President Joe Biden plans to meet with Latino community leaders to discuss the economy and voting rights and to commemorate the anniversary of the El Paso, Texas, mass shooting.
With Phil Rosen.
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
1. SO GOES OHIO?: Former President Donald Trump faces a key test in Ohio later today. Trump's endorsement is considered the GOP's golden ticket, but a stunning failure of a Trump-backed candidate in Texas last week has cast doubt on his brand's longevity.
Here's what to expect in a special US House election primary, per my colleagues:
The field: Three state lawmakers - state Sens. Stephanie Kunze and Bob Peterson and state Rep. Jeff LaRe - will most likely divide support from "old establishment" Republicans whose support for Trump is variable. Trump endorsed the coal lobbyist Mike Carey, but he's expected to have to jockey against Ron Hood, a conservative former state lawmaker, for MAGA voters' support.
- Ohio Republicans say Trump doesn't have it in the bag: "Five-thousand votes could win this thing, no poll could properly catch the turnout, there's just no way to guess," one Ohio Republican consultant told my colleagues.
Trump is trying to do his part: His post-White House political team has been fairly active, pouring in $350,000 from a super PAC run by the top Trump advisor Corey Lewandowski. Trump himself appeared at a tele-rally last night after a similar appearance last week.
- But not all Republicans agree with his call: Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky endorsed Hood. And former Rep. Steve Stivers, who held the seat, is backing LaRe.
Read more about what Ohioans are saying about Trump's role in the race.
2. Mask mandates are coming back in some areas: Gov. John Bel Edwards of Louisiana reissued a statewide indoor mask mandate for nearly everyone as COVID-19 cases in the state hit the grim mark as the worst per capita in the world.
US hits its 70% vaccination goal a month late: CDC data indicates Biden's Independence Day goal of getting 70% of US adults to get at least one COVID-19 shot has been reached just under a month later than hoped, NBC News reports. Experts say this is a good step but still isn't nearly enough.
- Meanwhile, more businesses are adding vax requirements: Gym chains have become the latest companies to adopt mandates. Equinox and SoulCycle, which is owned by Equinox Group, will soon require members to provide proof of vaccination.
3. White House says it can't extend eviction moratorium: The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, reiterated the administration's belief that it does not have the power to unilaterally extend a now-lapsed eviction ban without Congress. The inability of the Biden administration and Congress to act puts at least 6 million renters at risk of eviction.
AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
4. Sen. Lindsey Graham tested positive for COVID-19: Graham, who was vaccinated, praised his decision to do so, pointing out that his mild symptoms could be much worse. Over the weekend, the South Carolina Republican attended a party with Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia on the Democrat's houseboat. Other senators could have also been exposed.
5. Another officer who responded to the Capitol riot has died: Kyle DeFreytag, an officer who served in the DC Metropolitan Police Department for nearly five years, died by suicide. He is the fourth officer who responded to the riot to die by suicide. More on the news.
6. Amazon's historic defeat of a unionization effort may not be final: The National Labor Relations Board official overseeing the union election at Amazon's warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, recommended that a new election be held after it was found the company violated labor law. Amazon plans to appeal. Regardless, the decision is not final. Here's what happens next.
7. Trump will keep fighting to protect his tax returns: A lawyer for the former president promised to fight any effort by the Treasury Department to turn over Trump's returns to Congress after the Justice Department gave its OK last week, The Wall Street Journal reports. Here's the latest in the long-running saga.
8. Texas Democrats received some backup for their voting-rights fight in Washington: More than 100 state lawmakers from across the country came to the nation's capital to push Congress and the White House to act. They are scheduled to rally outside the Capitol later today. Federal voting-rights legislation has stalled in the Senate, but the state lawmakers are hoping to change that.
9. The world could see a shortfall of 5 million girls over the next 10 years: Sex-selective practices documented in southeastern Europe and Southeast Asia have already led to a higher ratio of males to females at birth since 1970. A study estimates the disparity's impact and notes concerns over a "marriage squeeze."
10. All the moments you missed at the Olympics: Simone Biles won bronze on the balance beam minutes ago in her highly anticipated return after withdrawing from five other events. Guan Chenchen and Tang Xijing of China won gold and silver. Biles was all smiles after nailing her routine.
Team USA dispatched one of its biggest rivals in men's basketball: Kevin Durant and his star-studded teammates staged a comeback against Spain. The Americans are on to the semifinals.
Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
Golden redemption: The American gymnast Jade Carey rebounded to win gold 24 hours after taking a terrifying stumble.
Team Belarus is under investigation after a sprinter accused it of retaliating against her: International officials are awaiting a full report from the Belarusian National Olympic Committee on sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya's claim that her country retaliated against her after she criticized the national team, Reuters reports. Poland granted Tsimanouskaya a humanitarian visa and is letting her stay at its Tokyo embassy. More on the story rocking the Olympics.
Team USA defends shot putter who may have broken rules against protesting: Raven Saunders' raising of her arms and crossing them to show solidarity "for oppressed people" didn't violate the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee's rules against demonstrations, the organization has found. The IOC, which has stricter rules on protests than the US does, hasn't reached a decision on any punishment yet, USA Today reports. More on the US's defense of Saunders.
Watch him whip and nay nay: Dressage has been in the Olympics for over a century. Horses often perform to dramatic ballads or classical compositions. Not Mopsie. The American rider Steffen Peters, who was previously a DJ, and his horse of a different color move to club bangers. Everything you need to know about the games' newest star.
Today's trivia question: Sticking with the games: The Olympics are often criticized for spawning stadiums that are rarely used again. But one stadium will be able to say it's hosted three different games. Where is it? Email your guess and a suggested question to me at [email protected].
- Yesterday's answer: Olympic torches and their accompanying flame have traveled by boat, plane, train, horseback, and camel. (The tradition also has a horrendous history.) While unlit torches had previously been sent into space, Russia opened another chapter when two cosmonauts took a torch on a spacewalk in 2013.