Texas tornado, Titanic sub, Biden impeachment vote: Morning Rundown

Oxygen aboard the missing Titanic sub is running out as a desperate search for the vessel continues. A tornado leaves several dead in a Texas town. And House Republicans are expected to forgo an impeachment vote for President Biden.

Here’s what to know today.

The five men at the center of the search for the missing sub

A shared zeal for adventure — and the financial resources to chase after it — brought a group of five people together to see one of history’s most notorious disasters.

OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush was part of the team that built the Titanic tourist sub, born out of a desire to “document the world’s most famous shipwreck.”

British tycoon Hamish Harding’s past adventures include a flight last year to outer space and a trip 35,000 feet under the Pacific Ocean to the Mariana Trench.

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Shahzada Dawood, who hails from one of Pakistan’s wealthiest families, enjoyed taking ambitious excursions, including a trip to Antarctica, a friend said. His 19-year-old son Suleman is also aboard the Titan.

And Paul Henry Nargeolet knows so much about the Titanic that some refer to him as “Mr. Titanic.” He’s completed 37 dives to the famous shipwreck and has overseen the recovery of some 5,000 artifacts.

Now, these men are at the center of a race against the clock.

The U.S. Coast Guard predicted that the oxygen supply on the missing sub will run out just after 7 a.m. Eastern today. Yesterday’s search efforts expanded “exponentially,” covering a surface area twice the size of Connecticut and 2.5 miles deep.

Tornado strikes small Texas town

A tornado killed at least 3, destroyed buildings and flipped over semi-trucks as it barreled through Matador, Texas, a community of about 500 people about 66 miles northeast of Lubbock, officials said last night. Here’s what we know so far about the damage.

House forgoes Biden impeachment vote

After a day of internal fighting, House Republicans will likely put off a vote on impeaching President Joe Biden. Instead, they are expected to vote today to refer the resolution to the Homeland Security and Judiciary committees to pursue the matter.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy spent yesterday urging rank-and-file Republicans to oppose the resolution, which was offered by Rep. Lauren Boebert on Tuesday, arguing that such an important issue would get in the way of GOP efforts to investigate Biden. But Boebert fought back against the suggestion that her efforts to impeach the president were premature.

How abortion access has changed

Since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision removed federal abortion protections in June of last year, more than one-quarter of states have banned abortion outright and several more have severely restricted access. For many women, abortion access is now largely a function of financial and geographic circumstances.

See three charts that show how the Supreme Court’s decision affected abortions across the country.

▼ Today’s Talker

An alleged human remains theft ring...

… highlights a need for federal rules that could thwart the rise of for-profit “body brokers.” The calls from experts follow the recent prosecution of a former Harvard Medical School employee, who is accused of swiping human remains from the school and selling them to a network of buyers. Unlike organ donation, few rules govern body donation programs.

▼ Politics in Brief

A rare censure: The House voted to censure Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff for his criticisms of Donald Trump and his role in Trump’s first impeachment inquiry. Schiff was forced to stand on the House floor to receive a verbal rebuke.

Big speech: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address both chambers of Congress today. Leaders say India is a vital ally in containing the rise of China.

Court date set: Hunter Biden is scheduled to appear in federal court on July 26 in Delaware, where expected to admit to tax-related charges in a plea deal.

‘One-man army of hate’: A Trump supporter who used a stun gun on a police officer during the Jan. 6 attack shouted “Trump won” after he was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison.

▼ Staff Pick

Sextortion and abductions

On Discord, a hugely popular chat app for teens, child predators are grooming kids before exploiting and sometimes abducting them. A months-long investigation found 35 child abductions where Discord was allegedly involved and hundreds of active servers that appeared to advertise child exploitation content. In this story, I build on previous reporting of child exploitation on social media sites. — Ben Goggin, deputy tech editor

▼ In Case You Missed It

Thirty-one people were killed and seven were injured in an explosion at a barbecue restaurant in China.

A powerful hail storm injured nearly 100 concertgoers at a Louis Tomlinson show in Colorado, including at least seven who were taken to local hospitals.

Singer Ava Max says she was slapped on stage during her performance in Los Angeles.

The judge who sentenced Alex Murdaugh to life in prison says he “felt sorry” for the convicted murderer.

Genetic genealogy and a knife sheath was used to link Bryan Kohberger, the suspect in the murders of four Idaho college students, to the crime scene.

A pregnant woman and her unborn child died after her 2-year-old son shot her.

▼ Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

Mark your calendars. Amazon announced this year’s Prime Day will be July 11 and 12. Here’s everything you need to know leading up to the event and a look at bestsellers from last year’s Prime Day to give you an idea of what kinds of deals to expect.

Thanks for reading today’s Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson. If you’re a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign-up here.