Georgia Democrats excited ahead of Harris’ visit and U.S. men’s gymnastics makes history: Morning Rundown

Kamala Harris heads to Georgia while JD Vance goes West. The U.S. women’s gymnastics team looks to dominate a day after the men’s gymnastics team makes history. And research shows an Ozempic-like weight loss drug could help Alzheimer’s patients.

Here’s what to know today.

Renewed excitement among Dems as Harris heads to Georgia

Georgia Democratic state Rep. Sam Park’s district in Gwinnett County is one of the state’s largest jurisdictions. It was once a conservative stronghold but now goes to Democrats thanks to demographic shifts and a diverse base of Black, Latino and Asian voters. And with Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign picking up steam, Park is among the Georgia Dems who have noticed a shift in his community. 

“There’s an incredible amount of enthusiasm for Kamala Harris,” he said. “I haven’t seen anything like this in many years in Georgia politics.”

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Harris is set to speak at a campaign event tonight in Atlanta, her second rally since she launched her presidential campaign just over a week ago. Democratic legislators, organizers and voters in the state feel Harris has boosted their chances of keeping the once-red state in blue hands this November.

Polling has signaled early strength for Harris among voters of color and Gen Z voters. But a bigger question looms: In a state that Democrats have carried in recent years by only the thinnest of margins, will Harris be able to attract wavering Republicans and independents?

Read the full story here.

More 2024 election coverage: 

• Follow our live blog for highlights from the campaign trail.
• North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper backed out of consideration as Harris’ running mate.
• As a possible Harris VP pick, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s abortion record gets fresh scrutiny.
• Some famous “white dudes,” including “The Dude” himself, rallied in support of Harris.
• JD Vance is headed West as his campaign tries to move past a bumpy rollout after his debut as Trump’s running mate.

Paris 2024: U.S. wins big in gymnastics, skateboarding and more

The U.S. men’s gymnastics team leapt to the Olympic podium with a thrilling finish on the pommel horse to earn a bronze medal. The team — consisting of Frederick Richard, Brody Malone, Paul Juda, Asher Hong and Stephen Nedoroscik — finished behind Japan and China and edged out Britain. It’s the men’s first Olympic team medal in gymnastics since 2008. 

The U.S. team built early momentum with stellar rotations on still rings and vault, improving its scores from the qualifying round. Hong became the third American to sail through parallel bars, and Richard was a star on high bars and on floor. But it was Nedoroscik’s pommel horse routine, surely not made any easier by a 2½-hour wait on the sidelines, that helped clinch the bronze medal.

In men’s skateboarding, Americans Jagger Eaton and Nyjah Huston nabbed the silver and bronze medals, respectively. The two had been in contention for the gold and silver medals until Yuto Horigome of Japan nailed his final trick, a nollie 270 to nosebluntslide (See this video at the 4:28 mark if you, too, aren’t sure what that is), stunning the crowd and earning him the top prize.

And for all the discussion leading up to Paris about who was left off the U.S. women’s basketball team, the squad’s game yesterday against Japan showed how much talent is on it. A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart led the team to a 102-76 win in open group play, marking the beginning of the U.S. women’s quest for an eighth straight gold medal. 

Also, the U.S. women’s rugby sevens team advanced to the semifinals for the first time, Canadian swimming prodigy Summer McIntosh easily won her 2024 gold and Ukraine’s Olga Kharlan won the country’s first medal. Read the full recap of Day 3 of the Olympics.

Stream every moment and every medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Peacock.

Read more

• 🥇 The U.S. women’s gymnastics team’s “redemption tour” starts today. Follow our live blog for the latest updates.
• 🏐 Ex-NBA player Chase Budinger is reveling in his first Olympic beach volleyball win — and in a chance encounter with LeBron James.
• 🤳🏻 U.S. women’s rugby player Ilona Maher is everyone’s favorite Olympian on TikTok.
• 🏊 Staying out of the pool helped the U.S.’s Nic Fink and Great Britain’s Adam Peaty secure swimming medals.
• 🩱 This 18-year-old aims to win Team USA its first double artistic swimming gold in 40 years. 
• 🛏️ Some athletes are ditching the Olympic Village for hotels.

Watch top highlights

• The biggest moments from the match between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal
• Snoop Dogg taps his ‘lung power’ during a swim with Michael Phelps
• Beach volleyball duo Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss shine in Team USA’s strong win versus Australia
• How Flavor Flav became official ‘hype man’ for the U.S. women’s water polo team

Biden calls for Supreme Court overhaul

President Joe Biden called for term limits for Supreme Court justices and mandatory ethics rules to “restore trust in courts” and “preserve the system of checks and balances that are vital to our democracy.”

In remarks made yesterday in Texas, Biden also called for a constitutional amendment that would stipulate that former presidents don’t have any immunity from federal criminal indictments, trials, convictions or sentencing. “The court is being used to weaponize an extreme and unchecked agenda,” he said.

On term limits, Biden has proposed an 18-year cap. If applied to the current court, Justice Clarence Thomas’ term would have ended in 2009, Chief Justice John G. Roberts’ in 2023 and Justice Samuel A. Alito’s would end this year. Read more about Biden’s proposed reforms.

However, getting such legislation passed through Congress before the end of his presidency is unlikely.

Ozempic-like weight loss drugs may protect against Alzheimer’s

A weight loss drug similar to Ozempic appeared to slow cognitive decline in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease, adding to growing evidence that a class of medications used in some popular diabetes and weight loss drugs may also protect the brain. The research, which will be presented today at an Alzheimer’s Association conference, looked at liraglutide, the active ingredient used in two of Novo Nordisk’s older weight loss and diabetes drugs. After one year, cognitive decline in the patients who got liraglutide had slowed as much as 18% compared to those who didn’t get the drug. 

Liraglutide is part of a class of medications that also includes semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy. Both drugs have been shown in studies to cut the risk of dementia in patients with Type 2 diabetes. Some medical experts predict these drugs, known as GLP-1s, may be the next advancement in treating Alzheimer’s. 

Politics in Brief 

Arizona politics: Voters today will finalize the matchup in a critical Senate race. Rep. Ruben Gallego is running uncontested on the Democratic ticket, while Trump-backed Kari Lake is the Republican front-runner. Here’s what to know about Lake’s GOP competitors, plus other races to watch.

Want more politics news? Sign up for From the Politics Desk to get exclusive reporting and analysis delivered to your inbox every weekday evening. Subscribe here.

Staff Pick: The buzzy new bachelor’s degree: AI

Not long ago, a computer science degree was once seen as a golden ticket to high-paying tech jobs. But between increased competition and major cuts across the industry, a job out of college is anything but guaranteed. Could a degree in artificial intelligence offer new graduates an edge? Reporting intern Victoria Feng talked to students and new graduates about why they think an AI major helps them stand out. — Elizabeth Robinson, newsletter editor

NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

 If you want to avoid bacteria, mold, mildew or other debris from building up in your air conditioner, you should be cleaning the unit once a year and the filter every two to four weeks. Here’s how to clean a window AC properly. Plus, if you’re having a humid summer, don’t sleep on the best dehumidifiers.

Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.

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