Today’s Big Story

Biden Bows Out

Spoiler alert: Kamala Harris will win the nomination

The words “unprecedented” and “historic” are probably used too often to describe the state of American politics (especially in recent years). So they’ve become somewhat devalued, but they certainly fit President Biden’s announcement on Sunday to end his reelection campaign. While he and other Democrats initially indicated they planned to stay the course, it seems they finally caved to the pressure.

Just three days after the Washington Post reported that former President Barack Obama told allies he was concerned about Biden’s “viability,” Biden released a statement saying that it’s “in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.” In a separate social media post, Biden endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to replace him as the Democratic Party’s standard-bearer ahead of its national convention Aug. 19-22 in Chicago.

In a presidential race that’s already been rocked by a felony conviction and an assassination attempt, the latest plot twist added to the sense of drama that has gripped the nation’s politics this year. As the Washington Post’s Dan Balz writes, “the party has rules to guide them to making Harris—or perhaps someone else—the nominee. But there are no rules for a candidate to go from playing the secondary role, loyally promoting and defending Biden, to suddenly being the leader, making a case for herself.”

And while she’s not officially the nominee, yet, within hours of Biden’s announcement, elected Democrats from all wings of the party had rallied behind Harris to endorse her as Biden’s successor—hoping that a seamless succession could end a month of damaging chaos and confusion. According to the New York Times, Harris has already taken control of Biden’s enormous political operation and contacted Democratic leaders in Congress and state houses to ask for their support. The Biden campaign formally renamed itself “Harris for President,” giving her immediate access to an account that had $96 million in cash at the end of June. On an internal call, the Biden campaign’s leaders told staff members that they would now work for Harris.

Of course, even the most serious of announcement kickstarts plenty of memes on social media. And over on Truth social, Donald Trump asks if he can get a refund for the anti-Biden ads he’s run so far. But maybe that’s a joke, too.

Israel Strikes Yemen

And orders evacuation of part of Gaza humanitarian zone

For the first time, Israel has struck inside Yemen, following a deadly drone attack launched by Houthi rebels on Friday that breached Israel’s multilayered air-defense system and hit an apartment building near the United States Embassy branch office in Tel Aviv. Since the October 7 attacks by Hamas, the Houthis (an Iran-backed Islamist group based in Yemen) have been targeting shipping in the Red Sea in solidarity—they say—with Gaza. After Israel struck back on Saturday, the Houthis said they launched a fresh barrage of missiles towards Israel.

Israeli air defenses intercepted a missile that “approached Israeli territory from Yemen” following an air raid siren in the Eilat area, according to a statement by the Israel Defense Forces. The area is a popular beach resort, and mid-July is high season for Israeli vacationers.

Early this morning local time, the Israeli military ordered the evacuation of part of an area in the Gaza Strip it has designated a humanitarian zone. The military said it is planning to begin an operation against Hamas militants who have embedded themselves in the area and used it to launch rockets toward Israel. According to the Associated Press, the announcement came during delicate negotiations seeking a cease-fire in Gaza, with U.S. and Israeli officials expressing hope that an agreement is closer than ever.

Tadej Pogacar Wins Tour de France

He defeated his rival Jonas Vingegaard by 6:17 after a final time trial victory in Nice

Tadej Pogacar had no need to attack on the final stage of the Tour de France. Defending a lead of more than five minutes in Sunday's time trial, he was set to comfortably win the race for the third time—but that didn’t stop him from pushing. With his main rival Jonas Vingegaard unable to challenge him, the 25-year-old Slovenian rider celebrated his Tour victory in style with a dominant win in the time trial for the 17th stage win of his already illustrious Tour career.

In the 111th edition of the race, the tour wrapped up not in Paris but on the French Riviera in Nice. In fact, the race bypassed the French capital altogether this year due to the Olympics. Leaving aside Lance Armstrong, whose seven victories from 1999 to 2005 were stripped from him after revelations of drug use, the record for most victories in the tour is five, held by four riders. Pogacar’s three tied him for sixth place.

Pogacar also became the first cyclist to secure the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France in the same year since Marco Pantani in 1998. Meanwhile, an American placed in the top 10 for the first time in a decade. Riding with the race leaders over much of the 2,173-mile course, Visma-Lease A Bike team member Matteo Jorgenson, of Boise, Idaho finished eighth overall. He will now go straight from the Tour de France to Paris for the Olympics. Jorgenson and Magnus Sheffield were named last month to fill the final two spots on the U.S. Olympic road cycling team for the 2024 Games. Both are first-time Olympians.

Beware of Deli Meat

CDC issues warning after dozens of illnesses and at least two deaths in a listeria outbreak

Maybe skip the sandwich at lunch … at least two people have died and dozens more have been hospitalized in connection with a listeria outbreak linked to meat sold at U.S. deli counters, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. So far, 28 people in 12 states have needed to be hospitalized, the CDC confirmed.

The largest confirmed outbreaks were in New York state, with seven cases, and Maryland, with six. The two people who died lived in Illinois and New Jersey. The CDC admits the true number of infections is often higher as many go unreported. The FDA estimates roughly 1,600 people in the U.S. get sick with listeriosis each year, with approximately 250 of those infections resulting in death. While some cases can be resolved without medical care, nearly 95% of infections result in hospitalization.

The listeria bacteria, which are naturally found in soil, can contaminate many foods. Officials said that it can affect sliced deli meats and smoked fish, as well as spreadable cheese, unpasteurized milk and even melons and sprouts. Possible symptoms from an infection include fever, muscle aches and tiredness.

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