Jon Stewart pushes VA to help veterans sickened after post-9/11 exposure to uranium
WASHINGTON (AP) — Comedian Jon Stewart is urging the Biden administration to address a loophole in a major veterans aid bill that has excluded some of the first responders after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. These troops fell ill after being deployed to a former Soviet base near Afghanistan that was contaminated with high levels of uranium. To illustrate what the troops faced at Karshi-Khanabad, Uzbekistan, or “K2,” Stewart explained to The Associated Press, “imagine you’re stationed inside the meth lab on ‘Breaking Bad.’” However, the legislation did not cover radiation-related illnesses at K2, unlike for millions of other veterans exposed to contaminants during various conflicts.
Calls for Maya Rudolph to reprise her Kamala Harris on ‘SNL’ are flooding social media
NEW YORK (AP) — People are speculating about whether Maya Rudolph will return as Vice President Kamala Harris on “Saturday Night Live” following President Joe Biden’s announcement on Sunday. Rudolph, a former “SNL” cast member, has been busy with various projects, including earning four Emmy nominations last week for different roles. Rudolph portrayed Harris multiple times as a guest on “SNL” in 2019 amid the 2020 presidential election cycle, winning an Emmy for one of her appearances. While discussions about Rudolph’s return to “SNL” are premature as the show is on hiatus, her representative has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Wembanyama returns home for Olympics. The basketball star will be one of Paris’ biggest attractions
PARIS (AP) — Standing out in a Paris cultural scene dominated by food, fashion, and the arts is a challenge for athletes, but Victor Wembanyama is poised to change that. The 7-foot-4 basketball sensation captivated audiences during his NBA rookie season, enhancing his global reputation. Now, the 20-year-old returnshome for the Paris Olympics as the standout in his country’s delegation.
Horses take to the air with passports and carry-ons ahead of equestrian eventing at Paris Olympics
PARIS (AP) — The U.S. eventing team’s horses embarked on their journey from a farm in Pennsylvania to France for the Paris Olympics. After an eight-hour flight to Luxembourg from JFK airport, the horses traveled by lorry to their pre-Olympic base camp in Vittel, a four-hour drive from Paris. Following a period of rest and acclimatization, they will arrive at Versailles Palace’s regal gardens for their Olympic check-in on Wednesday. The eventing competition commences Saturday with team and individual dressage.
Eminem brings Taylor Swift’s historic reign at No. 1 to an end, Stevie Wonder’s record stays intact
Eminem’s 12th studio album, “The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce),” has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, displacing Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” after 12 weeks at the top. Swift broke Whitney Houston’s previous record held by her album “Whitney,” which spent its first 11 weeks at No. 1. Swift equaled Morgan Wallen’s “One Thing at a Time,” which also debuted at No. 1 and maintained that position for 12 consecutive weeks. Stevie Wonder’s 1976 masterpiece, “Songs in the Key of Life,” still holds the record with 13 weeks at No. 1.
Colombia’s president signs bill to ban bullfighting in the South American country
BOGOTÁ, Colombia (AP) — Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, has signed a bill banning bullfighting in the country, reducing the number of nations where the tradition is legal. The ban, approved by Colombia’s Congress in May following heated debates, calls for a complete prohibition of bullfights nationwide by 2027. Supporters of bullfighting argue that the ban infringes on the rights of minorities to express their cultural heritage and plan to challenge the law in Colombia’s Constitutional Court.
Andy Murray confirms Paris Olympics will be the two-time gold medalist’s last event before retiring
PARIS (AP) — Two-time Olympic men’s singles champion Andy Murray announced that the Paris Olympics will mark his final tournament as he prepares to retire. Murray, 37, stated that he has arrived in Paris for his last ever tennis competition. The tennis events at the Paris Olympics will commence on Saturday at Roland Garros. Murray clinched his gold medals at Wimbledon during the 2012 London Olympics and defended his title in Rio de Janeiro four years later. Murray expressed that representing Britain during these competitions was the most memorable experience of his career. Murray underwent hip replacement surgery in 2019 and has faced subsequent injuries.
Warner Bros. Discovery informs NBA it will match Amazon Prime Video’s offer to air games
Warner Bros. Discovery has notified the NBA that it will match Amazon Prime Video’s $1.8 billion per year offer to air games, continuing its longstanding relationship with the league. Turner Sports, belonging to Warner Bros. Discovery, has held an NBA package since 1984, with games airing on TNT since the network’s inception in 1988. The NBA’s Board of Governors approved 11-year media rights deals with Disney, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video at their meeting in Las Vegas. The NBA spokesperson confirmed that the league is considering the matching offer.
Harris steps into the limelight. And the coconut trees and memes have followed
Vice President Kamala Harris’ emergence as a potential fall nominee for Democrats has sparked a surge of memes capturing her swift rise to prominence. Following President Joe Biden’s exit from the 2024 presidential race and his endorsement of Harris as the party leader, internet users are engaging with a variety of Harris-related memes. Supporters of Harris are creating new interpretations of past online content used by detractors to criticize her. Noteworthy celebrities are also contributing to the wave of attention on Harris’s candidacy.
Most airlines except one are recovering from the CrowdStrike tech outage. The feds have noticed
While most airlines are returning to normal operations following the CrowdStrike tech outage, Delta Air Lines continues to struggle for the fourth consecutive day. Delta canceled over 700 flights on Monday, bringing the total cancellations since the outage began on Friday to more than 5,500. This performance has drawn scrutiny from the federal government, with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaking to Delta CEO Ed Bastian about the situation. Buttigieg expects Delta to promptly issue refunds and cover expenses for stranded customers affected by the ongoing cancellations.
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