The Book Club: “up Home” And More Short Reviews From Readers

The international swimming federation says its executive director has been ordered to testify as a witness in a U. S. criminal investigation into the case of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance in 2021 yet were allowed to continue competing. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The news comes just three weeks before the Paris Olympics where 11 of the Chinese swimmers who tested positive for the banned heart medication three years ago are set to compete. A House Committee on China asked the Justice Department and the FBI on May 21 to investigate the case under a federal law that allows investigations into suspected doping conspiracies even if they occurred outside the U.

Around 134 million people in the U. S. are under alerts as an “extremely dangerous and record-breaking” heat wave broils much of the country, according to the National Weather Service. Regions that may see temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) or much higher into the triple digits (well above 37 degrees Celsius) include nearly all of the West Coast, the southern Plains, most of the lower Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley and parts of Florida, said Bob Oravec, a lead forecaster with the National Weather Service. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] The Pacific Northwest will see the mercury rising later in the weekend.

Dental hygiene student Miki Sudo of Florida has won her 10th women’s title at the annual Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] On Thursday, Sudo consumed 51 hot dogs in 10 minutes and set a new world record for women. The 38-year-old defending champion last year won after eating 39 1/2 hot dogs, while her personal best is 48 1/2, the women’s world record. She defeated 14 competitors from around the world, including 28-year-old rival rival Mayoi Ebihara of Japan.

President Joe Biden, 81, has spoken out following his much-criticized performance during the first 2024 presidential debate on Thursday, June 27. In a radio interview with Civic Media’s The Earl Ingram Show, which aired in full on July 4 following the release of a snippet preview, the Democratic Party leader reflected on the debate.“I had a bad night, and the fact of the matter is that, you know… I screwed up.

Nikki Hiltz doesn’t just represent the U. S. on the race track. “This is bigger than just me,” the 29-year-old from California told NBC after qualifying for the Olympics on June 30 after running 1500 meters in 3 minutes and 55.33 seconds, a personal best and a meet record in the women’s event.

Rishi Sunak, the leader of Britain’s Conservative Party and the country’s current Prime Minister, is standing for re-election on Thursday, July 4. Sunak has been Prime Minister since October 2022 and is married to Akshata Murty, who comes from a wealthy family in India. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Murty’s father, N. R. Narayana Murthy, is worth approximately $4.7 billion according to Forbes, making him the 669th richest person in the world, per the publication’s real-time estimations on July 4.