The investigation into Jan. 6 begins
 THE BIG STORY
"This N***** voted for Joe Biden": Here's what the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrectionists yelled at police officers
The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection kicked off Tuesday with harrowing testimony from four officers who described how they were beaten, punched, kicked, electrocuted, stripped of their weapons and masks, and nearly crushed to death while enduring a stream of taunts, threats, and racist insults from Trump supporters attempting to stop lawmakers from certifying President Joe Biden's electoral victory.
DC Metropolitan Police officers Daniel Hodges and Michael Fanone and Capitol Police Sgts. Harry Dunn and Aquilino Gonell became emotional while describing the violence of that day and the toll it has taken on their physical and emotional health, as well as their frustration and anger with elected officials who have downplayed the events.
Dunn urged lawmakers to "get to the bottom" of the attack during powerful and emotional testimony. "If a hitman is hired and he kills somebody, the hitman goes to jail. But not only does the hitman go to jail, the person who hired them does," Dunn said. "There was an attack carried out on Jan. 6. And a hitman sent them. I want you to get to the bottom of that."
Even as the officers testified before lawmakers, two rioters pleaded guilty, one defendant was ordered to stay in jail, and new charges were unsealed as hundreds of criminal prosecutions of those involved in the insurrection continue to move forward.
More: 👉 Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger blasted their party as the only Republicans on the House Jan. 6 committee 👉 The Justice Department won't agree to defend Rep. Mo Brooks against claims he incited the Jan. 6 riots  US Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn becomes emotional as he testifies before the House select committee. Oliver Contreras-Pool / Getty Images STAYING ON TOP OF THIS
The CDC has changed its mask guidance — again — to say vaccinated people should mask up on places with Delta outbreaks
Fully vaccinated people should go back to wearing masks indoors in counties with "high" or "substantial" COVID-19 infections, the CDC announced on Tuesday. That's now 63% of counties in the US.
The change comes as the highly contagious Delta variant causes COVID-19 outbreaks nationwide, overwhelmingly driven by people who have chosen not to get vaccinated. The CDC said the new change was motivated in large part by new data showing that vaccinated individuals who get infected by Delta — so-called breakthrough cases — could also transmit the virus. SNAPSHOTS
Longtime Democratic donor Ed Buck has been convicted in the meth overdose deaths of two Black men. The convictions mean Buck, 66, could spend the rest of his life in prison.
A swastika was found etched into a State Department elevator near the office of its special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism. An investigation has been launched, two people familiar with the situation told BuzzFeed News.
The Georgia spa shooter was sentenced to life in prison but could still face the death penalty. The 22-year-old man fatally shot eight people in March, six of whom were Asian women.
A man was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill Anthony Fauci and his family. The 56-year-old sent emails with a long list of threats, prosecutors said.
AT HER OWN PACE
Simone Biles has withdrawn from the individual all-around gymnastics final
Her decision comes a day after she pulled out of the team final, citing mental health concerns. "We wholeheartedly support Simone's decision and applaud her bravery in prioritizing her well-being," USA Gymnastics said in a statement on her withdrawal from the all-around final. "Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many."
Biles' move to pull out shows that despite breaking gymnastics records with her skill and strength, she's still changing the sport from the inside out by prioritizing mental health over competition. Former Team USA gymnasts spoke out in support of her. "I feel sick to my stomach. It's just horrible," Aly Raisman, Biles' former teammate in the 2016 Olympics, said on the Today show in response to the pressure that can be placed on one person to perform as highly as Biles.
 Simone Biles competes on the floor at the U.S. Women's Olympic Gymnastics trials in St Louis, Missouri, June 27, 2021. Lindsey Wasson / Reuters SEX WEEK
The business of getting down to business
Scheduling sex is pretty common, actually. A suggestion by a gynecologist — scheduling sex to try to conceive — set contributor Anne H. Putnam on a path to look for others who liked scheduling sex. "Maybe I wasn't the only person who actually liked communicating about sex ahead of time. So I sought out more people who felt the same, and it turned out that many of us are scheduling sex — we're just not talking about it," she writes.
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