Daily Briefing: 'Deadliest weather we have'

Relief is in sight for millions of Americans affected by extreme heat. Christopher Bell clinched the 2024 USA TODAY 301 NASCAR Cup Series in New Hampshire. Americans are picking gender-neutral names for their babies more often than ever before.

👋🏾 I'm Jane, Daily Briefing author. Add Travis Kelce to the rolling credits of the Eras Tour.

Heat blasts East while floods swamp Midwest

A swath of the East saw temperatures linger near 100 degrees or more Sunday as cities sweltered amid the relentless heat gripping the region. Baltimore declared a "code red extreme heat alert" through Monday.

• "Heat is the deadliest weather we have in New York City," Mayor Eric Adams warned on social media. "If you don’t have an (air conditioning), don't sit at home in the heat − it can be deadly."

• A modicum of relief was in sight. AccuWeather meteorologists say a change in the weather pattern will cause temperatures across the Northeast to retreat from record territory within days.

• In Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds declared a flooding emergency in 21 counties. In South Dakota, Gov. Kristi Noem said the rain was slowing down, but "we need to keep vigilant. The worst of the flooding along our rivers will be Monday and Tuesday," she said.

Hajj became a death march for 1,300 in extreme heat

The annual Muslim pilgrimage to the sacred city of Mecca that wrapped up last week became a death march for over 1,300 Hajj participants who died in temperatures that climbed above 124 degrees. Saudi Arabia's health minister blamed the fatalities on pilgrims "walking long distances under direct sunlight without adequate shelter or comfort." The 5-6 day odyssey drew almost 2 million pilgrims from around the world. "It's only by God's mercy that I survived, because it was incredibly hot," Aisha Idris, a Nigerian pilgrim, told the BBC. Read more

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What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

Christopher Bell wins USA TODAY 301 NASCAR Cup Series

Christopher Bell outlasted the rain, darkness, repeated cautions and the rest of the field to win the 2024 USA TODAY 301 NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Bell, who also won Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, stood victorious in a race that lasted more than six hours after a rain delay that lasted 134 minutes and 14 cautions. It marked Bell’s second win in five career starts at New Hampshire. He is now second in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with eight races remaining in the regular season.

Multiple people, including a priest, killed in attacks in Russian Republic, officials say

Gunmen opened fire at synagogues, churches, and a police post across two cities in Russia's North Caucasus region of Dagestan on Sunday, killing more than 15 police officers and several civilians, including an Orthodox priest, officials said. The gunmen opened fire in the cities of Makhachkala and Derbent in the predominantly Muslim region along the Caspian Sea, according to authorities. Dagestan's Gov. Sergei Melikov said early Monday that six of the gunmen had been “liquidated." The governor declared Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday as days of mourning. "This is a day of tragedy for Dagestan and the whole country," he said. Read more

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New parents care less and less about gender in naming their babies

Expect to hear Dylan, Avery and Logan more often in coming months. Those three names topped names.org's list of gender-neutral names in 2023, and the site expects them to grace thousands more birth announcements in 2024. Americans are picking gender-neutral names for their babies more often than ever before. Just under 17% of 2023's baby names were unisex, based on names.org's criteria. “I think it’s part of a broader trend of Americans for unique names,” said Matthew Kolb, chief technical officer of names.org. Read more

Photo of the day: Noah Lyles is the fastest man in America

Noah Lyles matched his personal-best time of 9.83 to win gold in the 100 meters at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials Sunday. Kenny Bednarek ran a personal-best 9.87 to finish second and Fred Kerley crossed the line at 9.88 to place third. The three will advance to the Paris Olympics where the fastest man in the world crown will be on the line.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Heat wave, flooding, Hajj, NASCAR, Noah Lyles: Daily Briefing