Good morning. It's Friday, July 30, and we're covering the country's newest gymnastics star, new economic numbers, and much more. Have feedback? Let us know at hello@join1440.com.

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NEED TO KNOW

Suni Lee Takes Gold

American gymnast Suni Lee won gold yesterday in the women's individual all-around competition, edging out Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade. The win came on floor, the event's final rotation, where Lee dazzled (watch video) and Andrade landed out of bounds twice.

Lee extended the streak of American dominance in the event. She follows Simone Biles (2016), Gabby Douglas (2012), Nastia Liukin (2008), and Carly Patterson (2004) in claiming gold in the individual all-around. Aly Raisman (2016) and Shawn Johnson (2008) also picked up silvers during their tenure. Watch Lee's family react to the win here.

For her part, Andrade's silver was the first Olympic medal in the history of Brazilian women's gymnastics. Standing on the podium culminated a remarkable comeback for the 22-year-old Andrade, who suffered her third ACL tear in 2019. Individual event finals for gymnastics will be held Sunday through Tuesday. 

Finally, check out photos capturing the tears and triumphs across all the Games so far.

Economic Climb

The US economy grew at a 6.5% seasonally adjusted annualized rate in the second quarter, according to data released yesterday. The growth has now surpassed its prepandemic level, lifted by an economic reopening and multiple rounds of federal aid. The figure still landed below the 8.4% rate expected by analysts, a shortfall reportedly impacted by pandemic-induced supply-chain disruptions and labor shortages.

Consumer spending grew at an 11.8% annual rate, one of the most significant surges on record (Bloomberg, paywall). However, other economic measures remain low: The US still has 6.8 million fewer jobs than before the pandemic, and the unemployment rate for Black workers in June was 9.2%.

Experts estimate the economy may grow as much as 7% for all of 2021, the biggest growth since 1984, if it can weather the storm as coronavirus cases continue to rise and government aid decreases. See current US COVID-19 data here.

Former Cardinal Charged

Former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick faces charges relating to sexual abuse of a minor, prosecutors revealed yesterday. He becomes the first US cardinal—a status second only to the pope in official church rank (see 101)—formally charged with sexual crimes against a minor.

Once one of the most powerful church officials in the US, the 91-year-old McCarrick was defrocked in 2019 after an internal investigation concluded ample evidence of abuse existed. In a relatively rare move, the Vatican published the full report (review here), which found multiple senior officials overlooked or ignored claims of sexual abuse and misconduct, allowing McCarrick to rise through church ranks. The current charges allege McCarrick sexually assaulted a teenage boy at a wedding reception in 1974. 

McCarrick will be arraigned in Massachusetts on Sept. 3. 

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In partnership with Miso Robotics

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Miso Robotics and Flippy are at the forefront of the $70B quick-service restaurant industry. Learn more about this opportunity today.

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

Brought to you by The Ascent

> Scarlett Johansson sues Disney for breach of contract for releasing "Black Widow" in theaters and Disney+ on the same day (More)

> South African Tatjana Schoenmaker breaks 200-meter breaststroke world record as American's Lilly King and Annie Lazor take silver and bronze (More) | See complete schedule of today's events (More) | Updated medal count (More)

> Los Angeles Lakers reportedly acquire former MVP Russell Westbrook from Washington Wizards in blockbuster trade (More) | Oklahoma State's Cade Cunningham taken No. 1 overall by Detroit Pistons in last night's NBA Draft (More) | See full draft results (More) | ... and baseball sees a number of blockbuster trades (More)

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Science & Technology

> Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine efficacy against COVID-19 infection slips to 84% after six months, new data shows; shot remains 97% effective against severe cases (More)

> Renewable power sources became the second-largest source of electricity generation in the US in 2020; Natural gas accounted for 40% of generation, followed by renewables (21%), nuclear (20%), and coal (19%) (More)

> European Space Agency scheduled to launch the world's first reprogrammable satellite today (More)

Business & Markets

> Amazon sees third consecutive $100B revenue quarter but misses revenue expectations for the first time in three years; shares fall 6% in after-hours trading (More)

> Founder of electric vehicle maker Nikola indicted on securities fraud charges after allegedly lying to investors (More)

> Free stock trading app Robinhood falls 8% in first day of trading to $29B valuation (More) | Wood pellet grill maker Traeger shares up 22% in first day of trading to $3B valuation (More) 

Politics & World Affairs

> Japan extends state of emergency to four additional areas as COVID-19 cases spike around Tokyo; amid the Olympics, the city's caseload has spiked to 3,800 per day (More)

> Biden administration to allow pandemic eviction moratorium to expire tomorrow; census officials say 3.6 million households may face eviction within the next two months (More) | Senate passes $2.1B Capitol security package in unanimous vote; a quarter goes to reimbursing National Guard for Jan. 6-related security (More)

> First Hong Kong protester sentenced under controversial national security law faces nine years in prison (More)

IN-DEPTH

Sugar-Coated Danger

Nature | Megan Scudellari. After 19 months of work, scientists have developed the most detailed view of how the coronavirus infects cells. (Read)

The Time Tax

Atlantic | Annie Lowrey. The subtle and not-so-subtle ways American bureaucracy steals your time. (Read, paywall)

The Jessica Simulation

SF Chronicle | Jason Fagone. Having never recovered from the death of his fiancée, 33-year-old Joshua Barbeau turned to AI to speak with her once more. (Read)

'Nobody's Gonna Talk'

Vox/Epic | Kaleb Horton. Revisiting the mystery of the 1976 Chowchilla bus kidnapping and the fate of its 26 schoolchildren. (Read)

DON'T FLIP OUT

In partnership with Miso Robotics

Miso Robotics' helpful and efficient robotic kitchen assistant, Flippy, is taking the world by storm with its cost-effectiveness and speed. The overhead rail system costs 50% less to produce and has little to no real estate footprint. It's no wonder White Castle has drafted its services in a North American beta rollout.

With technology at the forefront of the $70B quick-service restaurant industry, Miso Robotics and Flippy are a pair to watch. Learn more about the tech and how you can invest in their growth today.

Please support our sponsors!

ETCETERA—THE BEST OF JULY 2021

Editor's note: Three million monthly clicks can't be wrong. Here are our most-read items from July.

(7/21) Rare glass octopus captured on video.

(7/14) Ranking the best US cities to live in 2021.

(7/15) The year's best memes (so far).

(7/27) This Olympian literally left it all out on the track.

(7/27) Transylvanian lamb shepherds top this year's best iPhone photos.

(7/12) Watch a billion years of tectonic plate movement in 40 seconds.

(7/7) Dad balances beer and baby while catching a baseball.

(7/22) Dubai beats the heat with fake rain.

(7/22) Ranking the year's best documentaries (so far).

(7/16) A fascinating map of medieval Europe.

(7/13) Seriously, stop dumping pet goldfish in lakes!

(7/19) Clickbait: How not to scare away bears.

(7/8) Bonus Clickbait: Whale watchers fail at watching whales.

Historybook: Automobile pioneer Henry Ford born (1863); Uruguay wins first World Cup (1930); HBD Arnold Schwarzenegger (1947); Medicare and Medicaid established in US (1965); RIP actress Claudette Colbert (1996)

"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths."

- Arnold Schwarzenegger

We'll see you in August!

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