Tuesday, August 3 top stories
Hello, it is Tuesday, August 3. I’m back in the studio. Thank you to Callie Frye for covering the news yesterday. Here are today’s top stories.
AG: Cuomo sexually harassed staffers
The New York State Attorney’s Office issued a report on its sexual harassment investigation on Governor Andrew Cuomo (D).
The office said it conducted 179 interviews and found that the governor engaged in a pattern of sexual harassment towards former and current staffers which included groping, hugging, kissing, and making inappropriate comments. The office said Cuomo’s conduct violated state law.
The investigation also found that Cuomo’s office fostered a toxic workplace and that at least one victim experienced retaliation.
Cuomo has for months denied any wrongdoing. Today he said he never did anything inappropriate.
It is possible that the New York State legislature will start impeachment proceedings.
President Joe Biden called for Cuomo to resign.
Lindsey Graham infected with Covid-19
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham (R) announced he tested positive for Covid-19 despite being vaccinated. He said he had flu-like symptoms and said he is grateful for the vaccination because he believes he would have worse symptoms otherwise. Graham is 66 years old.
Simone Biles wins bronze
Simone Biles won the bronze medal on the balance beam. She pulled out of several events because of mental health concerns and experiencing the “twisties,” a term that describes a gymnast's feelings of a loss of coordination between the mind and the body when doing somersaults. She was able to bounce back and did enough to win a medal. Biles previously won a bronze medal on the balance beam at Rio 2016. She now has seven medals overall, tying Shannon Miller for having the most medals as a US gymnast. It is not known whether she will retire or return for another Olympics during Paris 2024.
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NYC requires vaccinations
The mayor of New York City announced that proof of vaccinations will be required before anyone can enter restaurants, gyms, and indoor entertainment. The city will create a “Key to NYC Pass” for people to use for proof of vaccinations. It is the first time that a major U.S. city has issued this kind of requirement. The mayor said he understands that not everyone will agree, but he said “it’s time,” and said it’s about saving lives.
In separate but related news, there are now more and more major employers who are requiring its employees to be vaccinated. There is a clear push to get the remaining unvaccinated people in the U.S. population to be inoculated to turn back the tide against the pandemic and the Delta variant.
Transgender Olympic athlete is grateful
Laurel Hubbard, who is on the New Zealand women’s weightlifting team, said she is grateful to be able to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as a transgender athlete. She did not advance through the first round of lifts and was eliminated from competition. She is the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Olympics. Many news reporters and people on social media called Hubbard names or criticized the idea of her competing. Hubbard met the guidelines set forth by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Weightlifting Federation on transgender athletes. Hubbard said she hopes she is able to inspire other people to press on through adversity.
Snow in Brazil
A few days ago, over 40 cities in Brazil experienced snow due to a rush of cold air from Antarctica. There was snowfall of about one inch and for many Brazilians it was their first time experiencing snow. The last time Brazil was hit with large snowfalls was in 1957. It is important to note that because Brazil is in the Southern Hemisphere, the weather patterns are opposite of us in the northern hemisphere. That means Brazil’s coldest months are during our hottest months, and vice-versa.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
Cuomo:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/08/03/ny-gov-andrew-cuomo-sexual-harassment-report/5468494001/
Graham:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/08/02/sen-lindsey-graham-south-carolina-tests-positive-covid-credits-vaccine/5460229001/
Biles:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2021/08/03/olympics-tuesday-update-simone-biles-mens-hurdles-usa-hoops/5465242001/
NYC: https://www.axios.com/new-york-city-vaccine-mandate-proof-cfc491ea-668a-492b-905b-5c8c6776410f.htmlk
Hubbard: https://www.axios.com/laurel-hubbard-trans-olympic-weightlifter-historic-109cb7fe-97a7-406d-8143-e552d69bf076.html
Brazil: Rare Snowfall Blankets Cities Across Brazil | Smart News | Smithsonian Magazine