Good morning. It's Wednesday, July 28, and we're covering Simone Biles' withdrawal from Olympic events, a plea in Atlanta's March mass shooting, and much more. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Team USA Falls Short

The US women's gymnastics team won silver in the team all-around competition yesterday, coming up short against the team representing the Russian Olympic Committee. The second-place finish came after superstar Simone Biles withdrew from the event following her performance on the vault (see photos).

Biles, considered one of the best gymnasts in history, later cited the mental toll of the Games (watch here), saying she wasn't in the right headspace and that the team would benefit if she stepped back. Early this morning, Biles said she would also withdraw from Thursday's individual all-around.

The performance ends a decade of dominance by the women's team, who took gold in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and racked up five World Championships since 2011.

See the full schedule of Olympic events here, and track medal count here.

Finally, wondering where the phrase "Russian Olympic Committee" came from? Read this.

Guilty Plea in Atlanta

The man accused of killing eight people and injuring another amid an Atlanta-area shooting spree in March pleaded guilty yesterday to the first four murders. The plea allowed Robert Aaron Long, 22, to avoid the death penalty in the first of two cases, while sentenced to four consecutive life sentences plus 35 years without parole. 

Long carried out the attacks at three separate Asian American-owned spas spread across northern Atlanta on the afternoon of March 16. The first was located in Georgia's Cherokee County—yesterday's plea related to these crimes—while the second and third were located in Fulton County. Claiming to have been motivated by frustration over sex addiction, Long faces 19 counts in Fulton County, including four murder charges and domestic terrorism.  

Many have called for adding hate crime enhancements to the sentencing—six of the eight killed were Asian American (see profiles).

Korea(s) Reconnected

North Korea and South Korea reestablished cross-border phone lines yesterday, ending more than a year of diplomatic silence between the two countries. The lines are used as the primary means of direct communication between government officials on either side of the demilitarized zone. North Korea had severed the hotline last June after alleging South Korean activists had attempted to airdrop leaflets critical of the Kim Jong Un regime. 

Viewed as a sign Kim may be warming to possible diplomatic engagements, some analysts say a severe economic and humanitarian crisis fueled by the pandemic may be the driving force behind the decision. Without engaging in negotiations, the North is unable to leverage changes to its nuclear program in exchange for aid or reduced sanctions. 

Officials agreed to engage on the hotline twice a day.

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

Brought to you by The Ascent

> Olympics: Swimmer Katie Ledecky wins gold in first-ever women’s 1500-meter freestyle race, the sixth gold of her career (More) | Team USA drops softball gold medal game to Japan 2-0 (More) | Tennis star Naomi Osaka eliminated in third round by the Czech Republic's Markéta Vondroušová (More)

> Slipknot cofounder and drummer Joey Jordison dies in his sleep at age 46 (More) | US government sells one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album forfeited by "Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli, who reportedly paid $2M for the album in 2015 (More)

> "Better Call Saul" star Bob Odenkirk hospitalized after collapsing while on set of the show in New Mexico (More)

From our partners: Say hello to a one-card-wallet. The Ascent's credit card expert personally signed up for this credit card, thanks to its impressive mix of benefits. Up to 5% cash back, a big bonus, no annual fee, the list goes on.

Science & Technology

> Facebook unveils plans to develop its "metaverse," an immersive social network-based world using augmented and virtual reality (More)

> Study suggests distortions in visual perceptions in the late teens may be predictive of schizophrenia or other hallucinogenic disorders in midlife (More)

> Scientists identify gene controlling the production of female cockroach pheromones; blocking the gene makes the bugs less attractive, offering a potential nonchemical means to control cockroach populations (More)

Business & Markets

> Tech companies soar: Microsoft reports highest quarterly revenue figure ever (More) | Alphabet (Google) sees record profits and sales as consumer shopping continues to shift online (More) | Apple sees best Q3 in company history, but shares fall after chip supply warning (More)

> Walmart announces up to $1B investment in employee college tuition for employees over next five years (More)

> Starbucks exceeds quarterly expectations; quarterly sales higher than pre-pandemic levels (More) | Visa beats quarterly expectations as consumer spending levels continue growth (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> House select committee probing the Jan. 6 storming of the US Capitol begins hearings, with Capitol and DC metro police officers testifying (More) | New footage released; watch here (More, warning: strong language)

> Health officials recommend vaccinated people resume wearing face masks when indoors in areas of substantial to high transmission (More) | US cases continue to rise, now averaging 61,300 per day; deaths continue to hover near 300 per day (More)

> Cardinal Angelo Becciu, former adviser to Pope Francis, begins embezzlement and fraud trial; Becciu allegedly misused more than $400M in church funds (More) | First Hong Kong protester sentenced under the city's new controversial national security law (More)

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ETCETERA

Report captures what we all know—rent is skyrocketing.

Help contribute to the World Regret Survey.

America's 40 best ice cream shops.

Floating Teslas in boat mode​.

The 2021 Audubon Photography Awards.

Find authors similar to your favorite writer with this literature atlas. 

"Ghostbusters" is back! (w/trailer)

A pair of white orcas spotted off the Japanese coast.

Clickbait: Man in giant hamster wheel washes up on a Florida beach.

Historybook: RIP composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1750); 14th Amendment, granting US citizenship to formerly enslaved persons, is officially adopted (1868); Former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis born (1929); Tangshan earthquake kills more than 240,000 in China (1976).

"One man can make a difference and every man should try."

- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Have a great day.

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