Judy Woodruff:

In the Olympic competition, the U.S. women’s soccer team faced elimination today. In the end, they beat the Netherlands on penalty kicks to move to the semifinals.

In bicycle motocross racing, American Connor Fields, the defending gold medalist, suffered a violent crash and missed the finals. He’s hospitalized, in stable condition.

Back in this country, new heat waves are roasting the Pacific Northwest and the Southeast. Going into the weekend, more than 60 million Americans are under heat advisories. Temperatures are expected to top 100 degrees in parts of Idaho and Washington state.

In U.S. economic news, a key inflation index jumped in June by the most since 1991. The indicator used by the Federal Reserve was up 3.5 percent from a year earlier.

Meanwhile, Wall Street was mostly lower today. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 149 points to close at 34935. The Nasdaq fell 105 points. The S&P 500 shed nearly 24.

And two passings of note. Former Michigan Senator Carl Levin died Thursday, of lung cancer. Over 36 years, the veteran Democrat became an influential voice on military issues. He voted against sending troops to Iraq in 2002.

And, years later, he argued the invasion failed to stop terrorism.

>>> ad: Don't Miss Today's BEST Amazon Deals!
Originally Appeared Here