Tunisian president ousts prime minister, suspends parliament amid unrest

Tunisian President Kais Saied announced Sunday that he had dismissed the country's prime minister and frozen the parliament amidst mass protests in the country, Reuters reports. Why it matters: The move escalates Saied's longstanding feud with Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and poses a challenge to the 2014 constitution that "split powers between president,...

1h

Capitol Police chief: Officers testifying before Jan. 6 committee "need to be heard"

New Capitol Police chief Tom Manger said officers testifying before the Jan. 6 select committee this week "need to be heard."Driving the news: The select committee's first hearing is set to take place on Tuesday and will feature testimony from law enforcement officers who were subject to some of the worst of violence during the insurrection.The big...

6h

America experiences “Friendscape” crisis as close ties dwindle

New research shows Americans have fewer friends than in the past, and are less likely to have a best friend.Why it matters: At a time of excruciating mental and societal stress, this is another sign we're breaking apart. And the friendship drought could get worse with more people working remotely or hybrid-ly.Here are two key findings, from May polling...

7h

Pelosi appoints GOP Rep. Kinzinger to Jan. 6 committee

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Sunday that she has appointed Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) to serve on the House select committee investigating the Jan 6. Capitol riot. Why it matters: Pelosi's announcement comes after she rejected two of the five Republican appointments offered by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).Pelosi's...

8h

Bezos beats Branson in space billionaires' battle for attention

Jeff Bezos' flight into space generated more interest from the public than Richard Branson's, and both billionaires overshadowed their respective space companies.Why it matters: Data shows an outsized public interest in the personalities at the center of the space trips, compared to the companies behind them — which could reinforce public suspicion...

12h

U.S. golfer Bryson DeChambeau will miss Olympics after testing positive for COVID

Bryson DeChambeau has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the Tokyo Olympic Games, USA Golf announced late Saturday.What he's saying: "I am deeply disappointed not to be able to compete in the Olympics for Team USA," DeChambeau said in a statement. "Representing my country means the world to me and it is was a tremendous honor to make this team....

17h

California's largest blaze razes homes as 88 huge wildfires rage in U.S.

Flames from California's biggest wildfire were engulfing homes in the state's north overnight — one of 88 large blazes raging in the U.S.Driving the news: The Dixie Fire, which erupted July 14 near the origin of the deadly 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County, was tearing through the community of Indian Falls, per AP. The blaze has burned across more than...

18h

Gymnast Suni Lee to make history with debut at Tokyo Olympics

When Sunisa "Suni" Lee steps up to the mat at the Tokyo Olympics, she'll be thinking of her father's pep talks even as he watches from thousands of miles away. The big picture: The 18-year-old made history this year when she became the first Hmong American to be named to a U.S. Olympic team. Even more special was her dad's presence in the crowd at the...

18h

Swimmer Chase Kalisz first American to win Tokyo Olympics gold medal

Swimmer Chase Kalisz has become the first Team United States Olympian to win gold at the Tokyo Games.The big picture: The Rio 2016 silver medalist's winning time in the men's 400 meters Individual Medley Final was 4 minutes 9.42 seconds. His teammate Jay Litherland took silver, .86 seconds behind him. Moments later, Kieran Smith grabbed a third medal...

21h

DOJ won't investigate nursing home deaths in New York, Pennsylvania or Michigan

The Department of Justice has decided not to launch a civil rights investigation into whether policies in New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan contributed to pandemic deaths in nursing homes, according to a letter sent to Republicans. Why it matters: The Trump DOJ requested data from the three states plus New Jersey last August "amid still-unanswered...

22h