Good morning. It's Monday, June 21, and we're covering the first named storm of the year to make US landfall, election results in Iran, and much more. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Tropical Storm Claudette

At least 12 people were killed over the weekend as Tropical Storm Claudette battered much of the Gulf Coast. Ten of the deaths came from a multicar crash along Alabama's Interstate 65; nine of the victims were children, including a nine-month-old girl. Officials said the cars likely hydroplaned (how it works) on wet roads. A father and son were also reportedly killed after a tree fell on their house Saturday. 

The storm made landfall in southeast Louisiana early Saturday, dropping between 5 and 10 inches of rain in many areas as it moved east across Mississippi and Alabama. The system caused widespread flooding across much of the Southeast US (see photos/videos), with a number of tornadoes reported. 

The first named storm of the season to make US landfall, Claudette is expected to bring heavy rain to the Carolinas through today. See the storm's trajectory here.

Iran's New President

Religious conservative Ebrahim Raisi has been elected as Iran's new president, winning an estimated 62% of Friday's vote. Raisi, the head of the country's judicial system, will be inaugurated in August and replace moderate Hassan Rouhani, who was term-limited and did not run. Raisi has close ties with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with some observers calling the election a foregone conclusion.

The country has been mired in an economic crisis due to sanctions and the pandemic, and reports suggested widespread disillusionment among Iranian voters. Turnout was estimated at 49%, down from 70% in the 2017 presidential election. Raisi was allegedly a key figure in mass killings of political prisoners in the late 1980s, and is currently under sanctions by the US and European Union. 

The results come as the US attempts to rejoin the 2015 nuclear agreement. Reports suggest Khamenei is seeking a new deal before Raisi assumes office.

Summer Begins Amid Heat Wave

Summer officially began yesterday, as marked by the June solstice—the point at which the sun is at its northernmost point from the celestial equator. The date comes 20 days after meteorological summer, which began June 1 and tracks annual climate cycles. 

The seasons turn as much of the US Southwest, West Coast, and some Plains states continue to bake under a stifling heat wave. Palm Springs, California, hit 123 degrees Thursday, tying the highest temperature ever recorded in the city; Phoenix hit 118 degrees at its earliest date on record; and Denver saw three straight days of 100 degrees for the third time (and earliest) on record. The primary short-term culprit has been a weather phenomenon known as a heat dome (see how it works). 

Over the longer term, western officials have expressed concern over water levels, including the Hoover Dam, where Lake Mead is at 36% of its full capacity. 

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

Brought to you by The Ascent

> Jon Rahm becomes first Spanish golfer to win US Open, his first major championship (More) | Utah Jazz eliminated by Los Angeles Clippers; Clippers advance to Western Conference finals for first time in 51-year franchise history (More)

> Tribeca Film Festival wraps with Dave Chappelle documentary at Radio City Music Hall, which reopened for first time since the pandemic (More) | Vivendi sells 10% stake in Universal Music Group, valuing the record label at $40B (More)

> Nine-time Olympic medalist Allyson Felix makes fifth Olympic track team (More) | Twelve-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte fails to make Team USA, likely ending his Olympic career (More) | See full US Olympic swimming trials results (More)

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Science & Technology

> India grapples with rising number of Mucormycosis, or black fungus, cases; likely linked to the use of steroids to treat COVID-19 patients (More) | Average US COVID-19 deaths fall below 300 per day, cases near 11,000 per day; see data  (More)

> China launches first crewed flight to its new Tiangong space station; the successful docking marks a milestone in the country's ambitions in space (More)

> Physicists demonstrate first-ever cooling of a human-scale object close to its quantum ground state; the 22-pound object is part of the mirror system of LIGO, the US-based gravitational wave detector (More) | Quantum Mechanics 101 (More)

Business & Markets

> US stock markets slide Friday (S&P 500 -1.3%, Dow -1.6%, Nasdaq -0.9%) as investor concerns on Fed rate increases grow; Dow closes worst week since October (More)

> Amazon’s annual Prime Day kicks off today; analysts estimate last year’s two-day event led to more than $10B in sales (More)

> TikTok owner ByteDance saw revenues more than double in 2020 to $34B; has 1.9 billion monthly active users (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> US Catholic bishops vote 168-55 to formulate conditions under which pro-choice Catholics may be denied communion; issue was reportedly raised in November following the election of President Joe Biden, a practicing Catholic (More)

> Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan says the CIA will no longer be allowed to launch operations from bases in the country; officials warn counterterrorism and intelligence gathering to decline as US withdraws from Afghanistan (More)

> One killed, one injured after truck crashes at an LGBTQ Pride parade in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; officials believe the incident was an accident (More) | See video taken after crash (More)

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ETCETERA

Brothers claim record for longest highline walk in Yosemite (w/photo). 

Rhode Island makes financial literacy mandatory. 

The world's most premature baby celebrates his first birthday.

Employees choose the country's best CEOs.

New jellyfish species discovered in a Japanese aquarium. (w/video)

Two 17th-century original paintings found in a roadside dumpster.  

A 30-foot whale shark surprises Gulf divers.

When you grow the world's most expensive mango.

Clickbait: Scientists cure hiccups.

Historybook: US Constitution is ratified (1788); Benazir Bhutto, first female prime minister of Pakistan, born (1953); HBD actor Chris Pratt (1979); HBD Prince William (1982); Frida Kahlo is first Hispanic woman honored on US postage stamp (2001).

"Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?"

- Frida Kahlo

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