🇺🇸 Tim Walz Targets VP Title, 🏊‍♀️ Triathlon Troubles, & 📚 Tips to Tap into Back-to-School Buzz

This week’s edition covers stories 
from August 1st toAugust 7th, 2024.
Today’s issue is 1007 words, a 9-minute read.

Hi hi, it’s Ebe!

The first inklings of Fall are a’brewin’ even though these hot summer gusts keep a’blowin.’ People are moving, kids are going back to school, some are leaving for college, and some are crying about their kids leaving for college. Amidst all this hustle and bustle, you can find me at Home Goods in the candle section and considering buying pumpkin-shaped bowls that I don’t need.

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It’s a great time to be a Minnesotan! If you haven’t heard the big news, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was selected to be Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate in the upcoming presidential election.

Tim Walz being picked as Harris’s running mate caught many Democrats off guard, especially top donors who didn’t know much about him. This choice is a big deal for Harris’s image, as most Americans are still getting to know her compared to Biden or Trump. Walz, who is a hunter and joined the Army National Guard at 17, is seen by Harris as a loyal partner who fits well with her background. He had to practice using a teleprompter for his big speech in Philadelphia. Chris Korge, Harris’s campaign finance chair, mentioned that donors liked Walz and found him relatable. Many young voters like his “big dad energy,” and his comments about the GOP being “weird” in an interview last month made him memeable – in a good way! Harris chose Walz over other finalists, Josh Shapiro and Mark Kelly, because she felt a good personal connection with him and trusted that he wouldn’t let his own ambitions get in the way.

However, as these things go, Walz is under the national microscope, and opponents are bitterly recalling how he handled the riots of 2020 after the murder of George Floyd. Many criticized that it took three days, after one looted Target, a burnt down precinct, and several acts of arson, for Walz to take action and call the National Guard. A review that the city commissioned later found that city leaders did not know what the process was for calling them. Apart from that, news outlets are now reporting on his financial records and a 1995 drunk-driving charge. It’s all so very interesting to me, this game of politics.

What are your thoughts on the pick? What do you think lies ahead for Gov. Walz?

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This just in! The thing that everyone said would happen, happened! Remember a few months ago when Paris was testing the water quality of the Seine River before the Olympics and they found high levels of bacteria but city officials said it was fine? *Narrator voice* it was not fine.

Last week, USA Today reported that the Belgian triathlon team pulled out of their relay on Monday after one of their athletes, Claire Michel, was hospitalized with an E. Coli infection. On the same day Olympic organizers called off a swim training session because the Seine’s water didn’t pass quality tests. 

“The BOIC and Belgian Triathlon must unfortunately announce that the ‘Belgian Hammers’ will not be starting the mixed relay at the Paris Olympic Games tomorrow,” reads a statement from the country, obtained by The New York Post. “The decision, like this communication, was taken in consultation with the athletes and their entourage. Claire Michel, a member of the relay, is unfortunately ill and must withdraw from the competition.”

USA Today couldn’t confirm these reports, which first came from the Belgian newspaper De Standaard. The Belgian Olympic Committee and Belgian Triathlon, the nation’s domestic governing body, didn’t comment on the situation directly but said they hope to “learn lessons for future triathlon competitions. These include training days that can be guaranteed, race days and formats that are clear in advance, and conditions that do not create uncertainty for athletes, entourage, and fans.” Both World Triathlon and the International Olympic Committee said they hadn’t heard about it but were looking into it.

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I always get hit with pangs of nostalgia and melancholy whenever the season changes. Maybe it’s leaving behind the memories of the past, the sun going down earlier, the realization that nothing is permanent and that time stops for nothing and no one. At the same time, these changes also fill me with a buzz of excitement for accomplishing new goals, tying up loose ends, and finding different ways to grow and keep myself sane.

However, the buzz just doesn’t hit the same like when you were still in elementary school, you know? Remember going shopping for school supplies, new clothes, getting to see your friends every day, learning new things, wondering what’s on the lunch menu, recess, etc.?

Even though the light in your eyes might be gone and your childhood illusions are gone, NPR’s Claire Marie Schneider says you can still get that buzz back by trying these things!

Miss packing a school lunch? Try meal-prepping. Kevin Curry, founder of FitMenCook, meal preps twice a week, making five dishes to mix and match over a few days. Change up the flavors with condiments like tahini dressing or BBQ sauce.

Miss back-to-school shopping? Spruce up your wardrobe. Refresh your style with a closet clean-out. Actor and YouTuber Asia Jackson suggests trying on everything and asking, “Do you feel good in this item?” If not, donate it and build your style around what you love.

Miss learning new things? Read more books! Have a fall reading list? Read in the morning, especially on weekends, says NPR’s Lynn Neary. You’re less likely to fall asleep and it’s a great start to your day.

Miss writing in your planner? Make a better to-do list. Follow the two-minute rule: if a task takes less than two minutes, do it right away, says Angel Trinidad of Passion Planner. For bigger tasks, break them into smaller steps.

Miss recess? Bring more play into your life! Play can be simple, like observing nature, painting, or playing a board game. Think about how you liked to play as a kid and find ways to bring that into your life now.

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Stay informed, stay connected. 

See you next week! 

–
Ebe and the NewPrensa team

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