Biden to award Medal of Freedom to Simone Biles, John McCain, and 15 others
![Simone Biles](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LikE2cnDLGrKeLQ4ofvQrG-415-80.jpg)
The White House announced on Friday that President Biden will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 17 people, some posthumously, reports The Associated Press.
The recipients include gymnast Simone Biles, former congressmember Gabby Giffords, Khizr Khan, soccer star Megan Rapinoe, actor Denzel Washington, and former Sen. Alan Simpson.
Also honored will be: civil rights advocate Raúl Yzaguirre, brigadier general Wilma Vaught, civil rights organizer Diane Nash, Father Alexander Karloutsos, civil rights attorney Fred Gray, former University of Texas at Brownsville president Julieta Garcia, Catholic social justice leader Sister Simone Campbell, and the nurse who received the first COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S., Sandra Lindsay.
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Biden will also posthumously award Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Sen. John McCain, and longtime AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka.
The Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian honor. Biden will present the awards at the White House next week. Read more about each recipient at The Associated Press.
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Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
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