Twin earthquakes rock Venezuela, killing at least 164 and injuring nearly 1,000. Lawmakers zero in on a billionaire Wall Street player as the Epstein files hearings continue. And Americans reflect on the country’s greatest achievements in an NBC News poll.
Here’s what to know today.
At least 164 people are dead, and nearly 1,000 are injured, after back-to-back earthquakes hammered Venezuela on Wednesday.
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The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of the first earthquake was about 100 miles west of the capital Caracas. The second hit the nearby town of Yumare only 39 seconds later, with a magnitude of 7.5.
The quakes struck during a national holiday in Venezuela, while many people were at home. Images showed buildings flattened and roads collapsed in Caracas and surrounding areas. Residents described evacuating swaying buildings and seeing entire walls collapse.
Twenty aftershocks had been recorded, according to Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who declared a state of emergency during an address on state television. She announced the airport in Caracas was closed after sustaining heavy damage. All schools and non-essential services were also suspended.
President Donald Trump pledged support, saying he had “instructed all agencies of our government to get ready to move quickly.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. was “immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance.”
The quakes are among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century.
Follow the latest on our liveblog.
Campus ambassadors hired by major AI companies like Anthropic, Microsoft and Perplexity have popped up at thousands of universities around the world, promoting AI tools to students with company merchandise and discounts, or even free bubble tea.
Tech companies’ efforts to tap into the college-age demographic market to develop strong brand loyalty amid the ongoing AI gold rush have been extensive. Microsoft had student ambassadors at over 1,000 colleges in more than 75 countries and Perplexity had 120 across 50 campuses in the U.S.
To learn how these ambassadorships operate, I spoke to student ambassadors in the United States, Africa, and the U.K., learning about their pay, onboarding process, and enthusiasm for the technology, which isn’t always universally shared on campuses as AI skepticism grows.
— Samantha Elkins, tech reporter
Americans are reflecting on the country’s greatest accomplishments in its 250 years, and several themes have emerged. According to the latest NBC News poll, top of mind for many was the 1865 amendment that abolished slavery.
Other top contenders include victory in World War II and the moon landing. The poll was open-ended, and a majority of the answers fell into broader categories. Nearly two-thirds of respondents chose an event related to the expansion of rights, such as the 13th and 19th amendments.
Some respondents recalled tangible achievements they’ve seen throughout their lifetimes, like one California woman who noted the strides in education accessibility she’s seen as an educator.
“There’s more opportunity to further people’s education than there used to be. I am an educator. I can see the difference from when I started in the ’70s. There’s more money for scholarships, more opportunity to get a good education,” she said.
Read more about the poll’s findings as America nears its 250th anniversary.
More Politics news:
The phrase “Please call Leon Black” appears more than 300 times in the Jeffrey Epstein investigative files released by the Justice Department.
Black, the former CEO of Apollo Global Management, is the latest in a line of America’s powerful ruling class who have gone before Congress to discuss their ties to the man who preyed on women for years. He and Epstein had a business relationship stretching back decades.
Lawmakers are expected to press the billionaire Wall Street player on Friday when he testifies before the House Oversight Committee investigating the federal government’s handling of the Epstein case. They are hoping to uncover more about the financial web Epstein wove that funded his sex trafficking operations and have said they believe Black may have played a role.
Black has denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein’s criminal conduct but has said he deeply regrets “having had any involvement with him.” His attorney, Susan Estrich, has also pointed to an independent investigation of the pair’s relationship at the behest of Apollo, which revealed he only paid the late sex offender for tax and real estate planning advice.
Read more about the questions lawmakers have raised about Black’s financial dealings with Epstein.
Surging healthcare costs have been a driving force in making life increasingly unaffordable for many Americans — and the premiums patients pay for care at facilities owned or run by private equity firms only add to the burden.
Jill Shannon, a former healthcare worker with Stage 3 renal cancer, experienced this financial squeeze herself. After agreeing to a doctor-recommended treatment for chemotherapy, Shannon learned she’d have to pay $6,000 out of pocket for the procedure at Memorial Medical Center, a community hospital run by Lifepoint Health.
She battled with the financial department to lower the payment to $4,000 but eventually canceled her appointment over the cost. Shannon did not know that Lifepoint Health, the hospital’s operator, is owned by a huge private equity firm called Apollo Global Management.
Private-equity-controlled hospitals collected $669 more in profits per patient than facilities with different ownership structures, research from Campaign for Accountability found. The research also found that private equity acquisition had no statistically significant effect on hospital operating costs per patient, undercutting the argument that the firms’ higher profits were a result of a streamlined business.
Over the past two decades, hospital costs have risen faster than any other sector of the U.S. economy and have been a key factor in driving Americans into debt.
For subscribers: Read more about the private equity impact on U.S. healthcare here.
Tim Weah knew his father was a big name in soccer, but it wasn’t until he attended the World Cup in South Africa at 10 years old that the reality set in.
A young Tim saw how strangers reacted when they saw his father, crowding around him and asking for photos.
His father, George Weah, is from Liberia and is considered one of the greatest players the continent has ever produced, appearing for the European powers Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan. Tim inherited his father’s skills but is now carving his own path on the U.S. men’s national team.
“He’s a good player,” George said. “The most important thing is, he can fit in. He can fit into any team he goes to because he’s a quality player who plays everywhere.”
Family lore has it that Tim started kicking a soccer ball around when he was barely 1 year old. With his parents’ support, he joined Paris Saint-Germain’s academy as a young athlete, training under world-class coaches and trainers. After leaving PSG, he had stints playing for Lille, Juventus and Marseille.
Throughout Tim’s journey, his father made a point to support his son and avoid drawing comparisons to his legacy on the pitch.
“I always say to Timothy, ‘Play well, train well, be respectful, be disciplined — that’s it.’ When you have the talent, it’s just a matter of time,” George said.
And although his father, who went on to serve as Liberia’s president, attained a list of accolades on the soccer field, making the World Cup roster (twice) is an achievement that sets Tim apart. Now his father is there to bask in his success.
Read the full interview with Tim Weah and his family here.
💥 What you missed: In one of the shock results of the tournament, South Africa beat South Korea to reach the knockouts for the first time. Mexico maintained a 100% winning record, sending Czechia home. A Vinícius Junior brace helped Brazil to a 3-0 win over Scotland, with the latter’s hopes of progressing now hanging by a thread. Canada finished second in their group after defeat to Switzerland. It’s the first time Canada has made it beyond the group stages, but a second-place finish means the co-hosts will play no further matches at home.
🇺🇸 Winning mentality: After sustaining a calf injury in the match against Paraguay, Christian Pulisic says he was feeling positive and hopes to play a role in the U.S. group match against Turkey.
⚽ A journey across the Atlantic: The world’s oldest soccer ball has traveled from Scotland to Florida to go on display for the first time in the United States.
🗓 What to watch today: A heavy slate of games is on tap today, including Ecuador vs Germany at 4. p.m., Japan and Sweden at 7 p.m. and USA-Turkey at 10 p.m. See the full schedule. We will be live-blogging all the games closer to kick off.
📩 Join the excitement: Sign up for The Sports Desk newsletter for more in-depth World Cup coverage.
While we like to use Prime Day to snag top tech at a massive discount, at NBC Select, our editors are also taking advantage of the deals on items we use every single day, like Tide Pods and Dawn dish detergent. You’re bound to need a restock, so why not get them on sale? Looking for something specific? We rounded up 223+ of the very best deals to shop before Prime Day ends.
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