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Daily Briefing: California averts rolling blackouts

Nicole Fallert   | Paste BN

California power grid managers issued an emergency alert and pleaded with people to reduce their electrical use. The Supreme Court will make a big decision this fall involving federal elections. Did Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine? Keep reading for our "Don't Worry Darling" drama recap.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert. Here at Daily Briefing we're always looking to improve and would love your feedback on this newsletter. If you haven't already, please jot down your thoughts here (don't worry, you won't hurt my feelings!). Now, here's Wednesday's news.

🌅 Up first: Experts released high-resolution footage of the Titanic for the first time, allowing viewers to peer at the iconic shipwreck front and center. Read more

California weathers heat wave without rolling blackouts

A brutal Western heat wave brought California to the verge of ordering rolling blackouts but the state’s electrical grid managed to handle historic demand, with consumer conservation as a key reason the grid survived. The state's 39 million people were warned that demand might outstrip supply as temperatures in many areas soared past 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius). Officials said peak electricity demand on Tuesday hit 52,061 megawatts, far higher than previously reported levels. A cooling effect may not come until later this week. Read more 

  • The new normal: Dramatic increase in deadly US heat waves now likely inevitable, but experts say there's still hope.
  • Grand Canyon National Park warned visitors to prepare for excessive heat after a hiker's death.

📷 Photo of the day: Extreme temperatures scorch US under heat dome 📷

The record-breaking heat events of recent summers will become much more common in places like North America and Europe, new research says. There's still hope that global temperature increases resulting from human-caused climate change can be curbed, but experts warn that heat waves are destined to become more prevalent in coming decades. Read more

Click here to see more photos of the severe heat hitting the U.S.

🌤 What's the weather up to in your neck of the woods? Check your local forecast here.

Here's how SCOTUS is already influencing the November elections 

The nation's highest court is already having a big impact on this year's midterm elections, in which control of Congress is up for grabs along with governorships in more than half the states. And the court's docket for the term that begins in October is all but certain to have major repercussions for the next presidential election in 2024. Read more

One thing to know: The Supreme Court will also consider a case this fall that legal experts say could fundamentally change how federal elections are run.

More news to know now:

Suspect in Canada stabbing spree still at large as police action fails 

Hopes of apprehending the remaining suspect in the Canadian stabbing massacre were dashed Tuesday when authorities acknowledged they had not located him. Police with guns drawn earlier surrounded a house on an Indigenous reserve that was the site of some of the Sunday morning attacks, while an emergency alert warned that the suspect might be in the area. Later in the day, police sent another alert saying Myles Sanderson – one of two brothers believed to have killed 10 people and wounded 18 in a series of stabbings – was not in the community. Read more

  • From Tennessee: A body identified as a teacher abducted while she was jogging; suspect charged with murder.

Just for subscribers:

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10.5 million children worldwide were orphaned or lost a primary caregiver due to COVID, study finds

Researchers who examined the World Health Organization's data on excess mortality as of May 2022, found that the majority of those children – 7.5 million – were orphaned while 3 million lost a primary caregiver. Grandparents, aunts and cousins and other caregivers are now stepping into the void created by COVID-19, but challenges abound in shouldering the financial and emotional costs. Corresponding research also found significant racial disparities among children affected. Read more

College football: Georgia moves up to No. 2, passing Ohio State

Alabama remains No. 1 after an almost flawless opener but there's a new No. 2 in the first updated Paste BN Sports NCAA Re-Rank 1-131.Georgia moves up one spot and replaces No. 3 Ohio State after crushing Oregon 49-3 for the largest margin of victory against a ranked opponent in program history. While the Buckeyes should be commended for beating Notre Dame, the Bulldogs' dominance against the Ducks gives them the ammunition to move closer to the Crimson Tide. Read more 

A little less heavy

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at Paste BN, 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 Paste BN here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.

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