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With back-to-school season heading into full swing — depending on where you are in the country — we’ve got education on the mind. So Nice News’ August Cause of the Month is Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a literacy initiative that has distributed nearly 245 million books (and counting) to children under 5 in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Ireland since 1995.
Here’s how the book gifting program works: Each month, the Imagination Library works with local affiliates and partners to mail a high-quality, age-appropriate book to all registered children, at no cost to the child’s family and regardless of income. Click here to donate and learn how to register a young reader.
Culture
White House Executive Chef Retires After Nearly Three Decades of Service
It’s hard enough making a meal for a table of friends. Imagine doing it for presidents, world leaders, and their families. That’s exactly what Cristeta “Cris” Comerford’s life has looked like for nearly three decades.
This week it was announced that the 61-year-old executive chef of the White House has retired, leaving a legacy far beyond the kitchen. She was not only the first woman to hold the prestigious position, but also the first person of color.
Before joining the White House team in 1995 as an assistant chef, Philippines-born Comerford worked in Chicago and Washington, D.C., per The Washington Post. Ten years later, she was named executive chef, making her in charge of designing and executing menus for state dinners, social events, holiday functions, and official luncheons.
Comerford isn’t one for the spotlight (or for revealing her recipes), but in a rare interview with CNN in 2014 said she got to know each presidential family — from the Clintons to the Bidens — in order to serve them best. She added that her success was more than just expert cooking. “Temperance and the way you treat your co-workers would be up there as well,” Comerford said. “At the end of the day, whatever you do and whatever your mission is, it’s only successful because of your team.”
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Sports
After Winning Bronze, the US Women’s Rugby Team Is Blazing a Trail for the Next Generation
We’re excited to bring you the first story from Nice News’ Paris Olympics correspondent, Raymond Braun. It’s the story of a rising star in the world of elite athletics (and the world of social media): the U.S. women’s rugby sevens team.
On Tuesday evening, with dramatic flair, the athletes achieved a historic upset. In the final play of an electric and emotional match, they beat 2016 gold medal champions Australia 14-12 to clinch the bronze medal. The team’s bronze is the first-ever medal for U.S. women’s rugby, and the first medal for the USA rugby program in 100 years. The men’s rugby team last medaled in the 1924 Games — coincidentally also held in Paris — where they scored gold.
Todd Clever, a global rugby icon and former board member and athlete representative for Team USA Rugby, tells Nice News that of the 37 different countries he’s played in, “the atmosphere for the [Team USA women’s bronze medal match] was the best I’ve ever experienced.”
Dive deeper into their story and learn what team superstar Ilona Maher had to say after Tuesday’s match.
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Tech
In a 91-3 Vote, Senate Passes Bill to Protect Kids Online
Efforts to protect children in the digital world are making headway: On Tuesday, the Senate passed legislation aiming to protect kids online in a 91-3 vote. It marked the first significant congressional move in decades to enforce accountability among tech companies when it comes to young people’s online safety.
The Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, would require platforms to exercise “duty of care” to ensure minors get the safest online experience possible. This would look like making safeguards the default (not an option), mitigating cyberbullying, and prohibiting advertisements that include tobacco products, gambling, or alcohol.
The Senate also made updates to a 1998 child safety law, including prohibiting online companies from collecting personal information from users under 17 without their consent, an increase from 13.
Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey and Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy co-sponsored the update and issued a joint statement, noting that the legislation “has been intensely vetted, has strong support on both sides of the aisle, and directly targets Big Tech’s underlying incentive to keep young people scrolling, clicking, and liking for as long as possible.”
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Something We Love
Cafe Hailee
Social media can be an amazing resource for finding new recipes (or just watching people make aesthetically pleasing meals, if cooking isn’t your thing). Cafe Hailee is the perfect destination for both. The website and Instagram page from Hailee Catalano encapsulate a delightful corner of the internet — the only thing better than the inventive-yet-simple recipes is the chef’s sunny personality. Two of my recent favorite dishes are the halibut with corn and coconut and the grated zucchini orecchiette, both making use of summer produce. Bonus: Her husband Chuck Cruz has his own, equally enjoyable cooking account. – Ally Mauch, Associate Editor
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Inspiring Story
Pursuing goals on and off the field
Angel City, the Los Angeles women’s professional soccer team, launched a philanthropic initiative to bring the world’s most popular sport to more youth across the city, at little or no cost to them. The goal is to reach 14,000 kids between the ages of 5 and 17. “This is a long-term play,” said Catherine Dávila, the team’s head of community and marketing.
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Eyes on Paris
Katie Ledecky is one of Team USA’s most famous athletes — and considered by many to be the greatest female swimmer of all time — so we’d be remiss not to include her in the Nice News Olympics coverage.
The 27-year-old competed in her signature event, the 1500-meter freestyle, yesterday afternoon and handily secured the eighth gold medal of her Olympic career, in addition to beating her own Olympic world record time. Her win should be no surprise, given that she nearly lapped her competitors during Tuesday’s qualifying heat. The New York Times headline says it all: “In the 1,500, There’s Katie Ledecky and Then There’s Everyone Else.”
In general, the U.S. is leading the overall medal count and on Tuesday became the first country to surpass 3,000 total Olympic medals.
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Quote of the Day
“In books I have traveled, not only to other worlds, but into my own.”
– ANNA QUINDLEN
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