The Olympics begin; funeral for slain Melvindale police officer; Lions training camp; more

Good morning, and happy Friday!

☀️ It'll be 80 degrees today and sunny — the last bit of last weather until it heats up and becomes humid again.

Yesterday was National Intern Day , and I'm thankful to have a wonderful experience as an intern here at the Free Press (and anchoring this newsletter!). My fellow interns have done some important, fantastic work this summer — you'll see stories from Free Press interns Carmela Guaglianone, Jenna Prestininzi, Liam Rappleye and Jalen Williams in today's Daily Briefing.

🎧 Prefer to listen to the news? Here are today's top stories .

It's Olympics time! 🏅

I'm passing today's top story to Free Press sports reporter Dave Birkett. Take it away, Dave!

Bonjour from Paris, where I'll spend the next two-plus weeks covering the Olympic Games for the Free Press and USA TODAY. I'll file daily "postcards" to take you behind the scenes of one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

It took me a minute to get my bearings when I arrived in town Tuesday but, by the end of the night, I ran into Michigan State's assistant track coach at the Eiffel Tower — he's in town helping coach one of his athletes — and I spent the day Thursday at Olympic Village.

The village is a sight to behold , with world-class athletes from every country bouncing around the streets. Athletes have access to meals 24/7 and a wide range of amenities, and I talked to so many engaging people for stories I'll write over the next few weeks.

For now, I give you the story of the Michigan flag hanging from a balcony at Team USA's building inside of the village. It hangs proudly from a corner room — and it took me talking to a Buckeye to find out who's it was.

Competition at the games already has started, but the opening ceremony is Friday and the U.S. has a chance to win its first medal Saturday. I'll be on the ground to help cover both — and give subscribers more of the coverage you deserve.

Here's today's postcard , which is free for all readers. Postcards from here on out will be for subscribers only. Not a digital subscriber? Here's our latest offer .

➡️ Local stars in the Olympics: See which Michiganders you should watch at the Games

Also worth reading

🚨 Crime: A procession and funeral for Melvindale police officer Mohamed Said, who was killed in the line of duty last Sunday, will take place today in Dearborn . The man charged with killing Said had only been discharged from parole weeks before he was named as a suspect. He was previously in prison for a carjacking case , in which he injured a police officer and allegedly took his gun. He now faces a murder charge — among a host of others — in Said's death.

🥥 Politics: I'm a native Californian, so I've known about now-Vice President Kamala Harris since her days as a senator. But her short-lived run for president in the 2020 election cycle put her name on many people's radars for the first time. Now, she's the favorite for the Democratic nomination. Here's what some longtime pro-Harris Michiganders are saying .

🏢 Business: Lineage, a Novi-based cold storage company that relocated from California seven years ago, just completed the biggest initial public offering on the stock market so far this year.

🏈 Football: There was extra star power at Detroit Lions training camp Thursday, with both Hulk Hogan and Clarissa Shields making appearances. See what else happened on Day 2 of camp, including how the new kickoff rules impacted practice.

🎭 Weekend fun: If you love cars, cats or beer, there's something for you to do in metro Detroit this weekend. Not sure those three would mix very well together, though.

Thanks for reading! If you like our work, please consider a digital subscription . We'd love your support!

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: The Olympics begin; funeral for slain Melvindale police officer; Lions training camp; more