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Simone Biles is back, evictions loom across US, thunderstorms in West: 5 things you need to know Monday

Editors
·4 min read

Simone Biles news, women's soccer stunner highlight Day 10 in Tokyo

If you're just getting up, there's a lot to talk about at the Tokyo Olympics: USA Gymnastics said Monday that gymnastics superstar Simone Biles would compete in the last event final, balance beam, scheduled for Tuesday night. It will be her first competition since she withdrew from the women’s team final last week, citing concerns for her mental health and physical safety. Meanwhile, the U.S. Women's National Team was stunned in the Olympic soccer tournament semifinals by familiar foe Canada. A 74th minute goal was the lone score of the contest to give Canada a 1-0 win. The team still has a chance to win an Olympic medal when they face the loser of Sweden vs. Australia in the bronze medal match. Also, America's Jade Carey won a gold medal on floor exercise.

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Evictions loom for millions after moratorium expires

Millions of Americans are facing eviction Monday after the federal freeze on evictions expired Saturday. The moratorium, put in place by the CDC in September, was the only tool keeping millions of tenants in their homes. Landlords successfully challenged the order in court, arguing they also had bills to pay and suggesting that tenants could access nearly $47 billion in federal money set aside to help pay rent. But advocates for tenants said the distribution of the money had been too slow to be able to pay landlords on time. Without an extension, they feared a spike in evictions and lawsuits seeking to boot out tenants who were behind on their rents. Even with the delay, roughly 3.6 million people in the U.S. as of July 5 said they face eviction in the next two months, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey.

Wildfire-weary West faces thunderstorms, potential flash floods

Western states under siege from numerous wildfires may face a new threat Monday as thunderstorms head their way, raising the possibility of flash flooding. The National Weather Service said the storms are expected to hit the interior western states, particularly the area from the Great Basin to the Rockies, and may help douse some fires but won't provide relief to drought-stricken California. Spots left barren of vegetation by the rash of wildfires throughout the West are especially prone to flash flooding when pelted by heavy rainfall, leaving parts of of Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Washington and Montana under a flood watch. The downpours haven’t reached Oregon or California yet, where two of the country’s largest wildfires burn – although not as wildly as in previous days. In Oregon, containment of the Bootleg Fire, the nation’s largest at more than 640 square miles, increased from 56% to 74% on Sunday.

NBA free agency begins — kind of

Less than two weeks after the Milwaukee Bucks won the 2021 NBA Finals, players around the basketball world will already be talking to teams about where they're going next. Monday marks the beginning of the NBA free agency process, a drama-filled time period of signings and trades that shake up the basketball landscape on an annual basis. This year's free agency season, pushed back by delays from the pandemic, will operate a bit differently than normal. Starting at 6 p.m. ET Monday, free agents and teams can begin negotiations, but players won't be able to put pen to paper on any new contracts until 12:01 a.m. ET Friday, when teams are officially allowed to sign new players. Some of the biggest names on the market include Kawhi Leonard — who declined his player option for next year — Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry, Lonzo Ball, Mike Conley and John Collins.

DaBaby feeling the heat after homophobic remarks

Rapper DaBaby is taking the consequences of recent homophobic remarks he made. The six-time Grammy-nominated artist, 29, came under fire for derogatory remarks referencing HIV/AIDS made during a show in Miami last Sunday. Days later, he made similar remarks after releasing his NSFW song and music video "Giving What It's Supposed to Give." On Sunday morning, the Lollapalooza music festival dropped Da Baby from doing his scheduled closing set in Chicago Sunday night. His comments, and subsequent apology, have been met with backlash from fellow musicians, including Madonna, Questlove, Elton John and Dua Lipa.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Simone Biles is back, NBA free agency, evictions: 5 things to know Monday