Daily Briefing: Intense manhunt for killers in Baltimore
Multiple shooters opened fire at a crowded block party in south Baltimore early Sunday, killing two people and wounding 28. Also in the news: Severe weather is forecast for swaths of the United States ahead of the Fourth of July amid concerns about wildfire risks. French cyclist Victor Lafay broke his team's winless 15-year streak in the first round of the Tour de France.
🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Um, can I please have this dog parade for my birthday this year?
Now, here we go with Monday's news.
Search for Baltimore shooters amid calls for gun control
No arrests had been made early Monday after multiple shooters fired on a block party in south Baltimore early Sunday.
Acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley said a 20-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman were killed and at least two survivors were in critical condition. Officials urged residents to help with the investigation and to assist the families of the victims as officials and residents demanded accountability.
The victims ranged in age from 13 to 32 and four of them were under 18, Worley said.
Hours before the shooting there had been several false alarms of people mistaking the sounds of fireworks for gunfire at the block party, Lakell Nelson, 54, told the Baltimore Sun. However, when she was leaving, the actual shooting began and "the shots were just going on and on and on."
The shooting renewed calls for focus on the alarming number of illegal guns in the city. Baltimore has recorded nearly 130 homicides and close to 300 shootings this year.
Dangerous weather warnings for Fourth of July
More than 110 million Americans are under hazardous weather alerts as severe thunderstorms and dangerous heat levels persist across the country, weather forecasters warned. Parts of the South, Midwest, and East Coast remained under severe thunderstorm alerts Sunday after several days of extreme weather conditions. The threat of dangerous and severe thunderstorms will extend across parts of the Midwest and South, from Tennessee to New Jersey, according to AccuWeather. Read more
More news to know now
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A man named in the Supreme Court’s LGBTQ rights ruling says he never requested a wedding website.
One person is dead after a plane crashed near a South Carolina golf course, officials say.
On today's 5 Things podcast, a report from the Moms for Liberty conference and what role they may play in the lead-up to the 2024 election. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.
What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
Fourth of July fireworks come as some parts of US are 'primed to burn'
With hot and dry conditions across much of the West, the Fourth of July weekend carries the risk of an explosive start to wildfire season, experts warn. From Lake Tahoe to Castle Rock, Colorado, some officials are extinguishing traditional firework shows in favor of drone light displays to celebrate Independence Day. But other communities in California, Nevada and Arizona are citing wet winters and spring months for the return of live firework shows. Still, experts warn the conditions are ripe for wildfires sparked by amateur firework displays or other careless actions. Read more
Is the West's water crisis spreading?
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Hundreds of new laws took effect July 1. What are they?
The start of the month meant hundreds of new laws went into effect in states across the country. While the vast majority of this legislation will not change the day-to-day lives of most people, there are some new state laws that will have a much more significant impact on both residents and visitors. More than 200 laws took effect in Florida on Saturday, including changes to a ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy and a law dubbed by critics as the "don't say period" bill because it could prohibit the teaching of the menstrual cycle before the sixth grade. Read more
More lawmakers are embracing reparations for Black people
Ahead of the July Fourth holiday, more than 45% of Americans said racism is a big problem or the biggest problem facing the United States, according to a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll. Polling shows reparations for slavery are just as divisive as other issues along lines of race, but in recent years the subject has been injected with new vigor from activists exhausted with being ping-ponged between protest and vote strategies. Read more
Quick hits
Hollywood actors agreed to a 12-day contract extension to avert a strike as talks continue.
Elon Musk says he's temporarily capping how many tweets you can read.
Zoe Saldaña challenges "negative" media portrayal of Latinos with film ''The Absence of Eden.''
Voices: I'm a drag queen who loves reading to kids. Those protesting me are the real danger.
MLB All-Star Game snubs: Eight players who should (and maybe will) be headed to Seattle.
Photo of the day: Victor Lafay's historic Tour de France stage win
It took a late breakaway by Victor Lafay for French team Cofidis to end its 15-year winless streak at the Tour de France. The rider took the lead within the final kilometer (0.6 miles) and held on for victory in what was the Tour's longest stage this year. The peloton came charging at the end but couldn't catch up with him ahead of the finish line. Read more
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.
Associated Press contributed reporting.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Balitmore shooting, gun control, July 4, Fourth of July, fireworks, Florida, reparations, NASCAR, Tour de France: Daily Briefing
