Hamas’ political chief was killed in a strike on his home in Iran. Simone Biles makes U.S. gymnastics history and swimmer Katie Ledecky goes for her eighth gold. And a new study found excessive levels of heavy metals in dark chocolate.
Here’s what to know today.
Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh killed in airstrike
Hamas’ political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed early this morning in an airstrike on his home in the capital of Iran. The Palestinian militant group and Iran have said Israel is behind the attack. Haniyeh, 62, was assassinated in Tehran after he attended the inauguration ceremony for Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Hamas said.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed that Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards had been killed in the strike on their residence and said it was investigating, Iranian state media reported.
There was no immediate comment from Israeli authorities.
The hunt for Hamas’ leadership has been ongoing since the group’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel from the neighboring Gaza Strip. In April, three of Haniyeh’s sons were killed in an airstrike in the Palestinian enclave.
The strike came a day after the Israeli military said it had killed a Hezbollah leader, Fuad Shukr, in a suburb of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, that is known to be the home of Hezbollah’s headquarters. The Israel Defense Forces said Shukr was the commander responsible for an attack last week in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights that killed 12 people, mostly children and teenagers.
The attacks build on a yearslong proxy war between Iran and Israel and comes at a delicate time for the region amid concerns that the Israel-Hamas war will spread beyond Gaza.
Read the full story here, and follow our live blog for the latest reaction and analysis.
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U.S. women’s gymnastics team shines and women’s rugby stuns
The U.S. women’s gymnastics team is golden once again. The team — consisting of Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and Hezly Rivera — took home the top prize in yesterday’s team final. Italy won the silver medal and Brazil the bronze. Lee anchored the bars lineup with a gusty routine that expertly juggled risk and reward, and Biles clinched the gold with a gravity-defying routine on floor.
And with Team USA’s win, Biles officially became the most decorated American gymnast in the history of the Olympic Games with eight medals. She’ll have the chance to keep adding to her collection later this week.
In women’s rugby, the U.S. took home its first medal in the event after an improbable comeback that earned them the bronze. Trailing by five with only a few seconds remaining, Alex Sedrick completed a dash to the goal that resulted in a game-tying score before time expired. Sedrick then converted the go-ahead kick to give the Americans a 14-12 win over Australia.
U.S. Open tennis champ Coco Gauff had a tough day in the women’s singles, falling to Croatia’s Donna Vekić after a heated dispute with the umpire. The U.S. men’s soccer team is headed to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2000. Read the full recap of Day 4 of the Olympics.
Stream every moment and every medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Peacock.
Read more
- 🏅 Coming up today: Katie Ledecky goes for her eighth gold, gymnasts Paul Juda and Frederick Richard compete in the individual all-around competition and much more. Follow our live blog for real-time updates on all the action.
- 🏊♀️ Triathletes will swim in the Seine after a last-minute test showed the river water is safe.
- 😘 Meet Ms. Pommel Horse: Stephen Nedoroscik’s girlfriend said she has been loving all the memes.
- 🍻 Americans in Paris are sobered — literally and figuratively — by the lack of alcohol at sporting events.
- 🌊 Thousands of miles from Paris, Olympic surfers took on one of the world’s deadliest waves.
- 🏄 Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina achieved Olympic history — and spawned an iconic photo.
- 📄 A French DJ at the center of the “Last Supper” opening ceremony ire is taking legal action.
- 🔥 Pin-trading is a passionate Olympic side sport, and Snoop Dogg’s pin might win the title for best keepsake.
Watch top highlights
- 🏉 New Zealand women’s rugby performs the Haka after their gold medal win
- ⚽ See the three goals and stellar save that gave the U.S. men’s soccer team a 3-0 win over Guinea
- 💗 ‘Magnificent Seven’ gymnast Shannon Miller says her ‘heart is so full’ seeing Simone Biles surpass her record
- 🏊🏼♀️ Four fastest women ever compete in electrifying 100m backstroke final
JD Vance brushes off a rocky debut
JD Vance said he knew what awaited him as former President Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick. “I mean, I knew that when I came out of the gate there was going to be a couple of days of positive media coverage and then immediately they would go and attack me over everything I had ever said in my life,” he said in an exclusive interview with NBC News while en route to a campaign stop in Reno, Nevada.
But does Vance think he has disappointed Trump? “No,” he said.
Vance has recently faced relentless criticism from allies of Vice President Kamala Harris, the de-facto Democratic presidential nominee, for his 2021 comments referring to women who don’t have children as “childless cat ladies.” This week’s trip to the West, which also includes stops in California and at the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona, is a bit of a reboot.
While Harris characterizes Vance as “weird,” he’s calling her “weak.” Beyond that, Vance is also focused on border issues and envisions what type of role he wants to play as Trump’s vice president.
More 2024 election coverage:
- In Georgia, Harris derided Trump on border security, marking her sharpest effort yet to rebut Republican assertions that she has failed to secure the border.
- Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly’s hawkish position on migration before it was popular with the party could make him an ideal running mate for Harris.
- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is relatively unknown on the national stage, but he has plenty of friends in Congress who think he could help Harris as VP.
- What is Harris’ foreign policy? It depends on whom you ask.
- Harris’ ascent has made her the latest high-profile target of the “DEI hire” insult.
- And conservatives are also attacking Harris’ laugh as “crazy,” “nuts” and a “cackle” — language that experts say is steeped in sexism.
Former ballerina convicted in husband’s killing
A Florida jury was not persuaded by a former ballerina’s self-defense claim in the fatal shooting of her husband and convicted her of manslaughter late yesterday. Ashley Benefield had been charged with second-degree murder, but the jury convicted her of the lesser crime in the so-called “Black Swan” killing of Doug Benefield in 2020.
Benefield testified that she feared for her life when she fatally shot her husband during what she described as a terrifying confrontation with him at her home south of Tampa. But prosecutors challenged her account, saying evidence from the day of the killing did not match her description of the fight. They accused her of using “unfounded” allegations of domestic abuse to obtain sole custody of the couple’s child. Read more about the verdict.
Benefield was taken into custody after the verdict. A date has not been set for her sentencing.
Excessive heavy metals found in dark chocolate
Chocolate lovers, here’s a bit of bitter news to chew on: A new study found that dark chocolate products sold nationwide may contain excessive amounts of heavy metals.
The research, led by scientists at George Washington University, examined more than 70 dark chocolate products from retailers such as Whole Foods Market, Amazon and GNC. Overall, 43% of the products studied exceeded acceptable levels of lead and 35% exceeded acceptable cadmium levels. In fact, the study found that organic cocoa products were even more likely to have higher levels of lead and cadmium. The study based what it deemed “acceptable levels” on a California law that sets the maximum allowable levels for heavy metals in food.
Researchers said that avoiding heavy metals entirely in our diets is almost impossible, as foods such as rice, fish, fruits and vegetables have been known to contain varying amounts of metals. But there are ways to avoid excessive exposure.
Politics in Brief
Arizona politics: Kari Lake won the Republican Senate primary in Arizona, officially setting up a critical matchup against Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego.
Project 2025: The Heritage Foundation official leading Project 2025 is stepping down and the group is winding down its policy work following sustained criticism from Trump.
Exclusive interview: In a sit-down interview with “NBC Nightly News,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said he was outraged by the assassination attempt on Trump and warned that democracy would not survive if political violence persists.
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Staff Pick: Do you know the Muffin Man? This is him👇
In sight but out of reach to the public is the Olympic Village, a place full of athletes — and their love stories. One particular romance capturing the hearts of millions on social media is that of Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen and his adoration of the Village bakery’s chocolate muffin. The saga of the “Olympic muffin man” serves as a window into athletes’ lives beyond the competition of the Games. — Olivia Palombo, platforms intern
In Case You Missed It
- Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets for a second day as tensions grew over the presidential election’s legitimacy.
- Evacuation orders were issued in Southern California as a result of the newly ignited Nixon Fire, while other blazes across the state continue to grow.
- United Airlines apologized for sending a “No Fly List” letter to Super Bowl champ Terrell Davis after he was handcuffed and taken off a flight earlier this month.
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Before July officially ends, let’s take a look at the 23 new products that NBC Select editors loved this month. This month’s selection includes the newest Beats portable speaker, an electric toothbrush with an oscillating head, Hoka running shoes and more. Can’t get enough? See what got staffers’ stamp of approval in June.
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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