Kathy Hochul takes office, Tokyo Paralympics, Pumpkin Spice: 5 things to know Tuesday
Tokyo Paralympic games begin Tuesday
The Paralympics will take center stage in Tokyo on Tuesday as the Summer Games officially kick off in Japan. As with the Olympics, the Paralympics were postponed a year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. There will be some fans, with Japan allowing some students to watch the Paralympians compete. This year, more than 4,000 athletes representing at least 134 nations will pursue medals across 540 events. From world records to dreams come true, 240 athletes will represent the U.S. in Tokyo. The 2021 U.S. roster features 129 returning Paralympians, 105 athletes making their Paralympic debut and the delegation holds a combined holds a collective 233 medals from 51 Paralympic champions. The Games will run through August 4.
- The Afghanistan flag will be displayed in the Paralympic opening ceremony even though the country's athletes were unable to reach the Games after the Taliban took control of the country.
- Paralympic swimmer Abbas Karimi, born without arms, poised to be first refugee medalist at Tokyo Games.
- Paralympian Patrick Flanagan devastated after wheelchair 'destroyed' on the way to Tokyo.
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Kathy Hochul becomes New York's first female governor
Kathy Hochul was sworn in as New York's governor early Tuesday, replacing Andrew Cuomo, who resigned under the weight of a sexual harassment scandal that engulfed his administration and derailed his political future. After officially taking office, Hochul makes history as the first woman to serve as New York's governor. She will take part in a small ceremonial swearing-in at 10 a.m. Tuesday and an inaugural address at 3 p.m. Looking ahead, Hochul will eventually pick her own successor. In the meantime, state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, will take over some of the lieutenant governor's duties. Hochul, a democrat from Buffalo, will be in office for the remainder of Cuomo's term, which runs through 2022.
- Kathy Hochul's political views: How New York's next governor rose to power.
- Who is Kathy Hochul? What to know about the next governor of New York.
- Outgoing Gov. Andrew Cuomo puts in for retirement. Here's how much his pension could be.
Britain to push US on Aug. 31 exit from Afghanistan
Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to press President Joe Biden Tuesday at an emergency meeting of Group of Seven leaders on the U.S. deadline to leave Afghanistan on Aug. 31. Britain says that without Americans, other countries will have no choice but to stop their own operations to help people fleeing the Taliban takeover. Some U.K. military leaders have said Britain should keep troops at Kabul airport to continue the evacuation effort even if the Americans leave. But Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said “there is a hard reality that there would be no international airlift without the way that the U.S. are underpinning it.” Biden has not ruled out extending the airlift beyond the Aug. 31 deadline he set before the Taliban’s swift takeover in Afghanistan, but he said he hoped it would not be necessary.
- US lacks leverage over Taliban amid chaotic Afghanistan exit: 'They have us in a corner.'
Twitter flagged Trump's tweets on election fraud. They spread anyway.
A New York University study of Trump tweets published Tuesday raises new questions about the safeguards used by social media companies to halt the flood of falsehoods in elections. The researchers examined tweets from Nov. 1, 2020 through Jan. 8, 2021 that were flagged by Twitter. Blocking engagement with Trump’s tweets limited their spread on Twitter but not elsewhere, researchers found. The tweets were posted more often and were more popular on other social media platforms. When Twitter slapped a warning label on Trump’s tweets, they were more popular than his tweets that had no label, researchers said. The study was published in Harvard's Kennedy School Misinformation Review.
- Do Facebook and Google censor conservatives? Trump, Republicans bet claims they do will rally GOP base in 2022
- Is banning Trump from Facebook a First Amendment issue? Clarence Thomas, other conservatives say it is
Pumpkin Spice drinks are back at Starbucks. It must be fall.
It's unofficially fall. Coffee giant Starbucks is bringing back its Pumpkin Spice Latte on Tuesday, a day earlier than last year. For some, the return of the drink – dubbed "PSL" for short – signals the end of the summer season, despite the heat. Starbucks' Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew also rejoins the seasonal lineup for its third year alongside the fall menu's pumpkin bakery assortment. Starbucks started selling its Pumpkin Spice Lattes in 2003, and others quickly hopped on the trend. Pumpkin spice season got an earlier start at Starbucks' competitor Dunkin', which launched its seasonal menu last week — including a new Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew.
