By Mia Osmonbekov
Cronkite News
CHICAGO – When President Joe Biden won the 2020 election, Democrats offered a sharp contrast with incumbent Donald Trump’s strict border policies and harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric.
“Not only do immigrants support us – immigrants are us,” the party’s platform said.
By Mia Osmonbekov
Cronkite News
CHICAGO – Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, fresh from Kamala Harris’ vice presidential short list, kicked off the morning for Wisconsin Democrats on Tuesday with a plea to avoid complacency and get voters to the polls.
“We cannot allow Donald Trump to get within a mile of the White House again,” the former astronaut told the breakfast crowd on Day 2 of the Democratic National Convention. “This is not rocket science. It isn’t. If it was, I could help you with that.”
By Mia Osmonbekov
Cronkite News
CHICAGO – Democrats in Arizona view the fight over reproductive rights as a key to victory in November. The strategy is front and center at the Democratic National Convention too.
One hard-to-miss symbol is the 20-foot inflatable IUD outside the United Center, where thousands of delegates are gathering this week to rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
“This issue is going to help us from the top of the ticket to the bottom of the ticket,” said state Sen. Eva Burch, D-Mesa, one of the state party’s delegates in Chicago. “I’m talking not only about the presidential race and our local legislative races, but also when it comes to judges and to other local elections, to city councils.”
By Kelechukwu Iruoma
Cronkite News
CHICAGO – Arizona Democrats are feeling good about Vice President Kamala Harris’ chances of achieving what Hillary Clinton could not: making history as the first female president.
“She can break the glass ceiling,” said Gabriella Cázares-Kelly, Pima County Recorder and one of the state’s 91 delegates at the Democratic National Convention this week in Chicago. “She has the support of Arizona women, men, and nonbinary. She has a lot of support everywhere.”
Clinton, the former first lady, New York senator and secretary of state, lost the 2016 race to Republican Donald Trump – dashing Democrats’ hopes of ending the all-male presidential winning streak that began with George Washington in 1789.
CHICAGO – After months of anxiety over the presidential contest, Arizona Democrats basked in a far more optimistic vibe as the party’s national convention opened Monday.
“Excited, invigorated and happy,” was how delegate Llama Habern of Cornville described the mood – now that Vice President Kamala Harris is atop the ticket, reversing a downward spiral before President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid.
“How excited everyone is in general is very motivating, very encouraging,” Habern said.
By Scott Sandulli
Cronkite News
PARIS – Hosting the Olympics gives any city a chance to show itself off to the world. Paris, with the Eiffel Tower lit up at night among several glamorous visuals, hardly needed any introduction when the world converged upon the City of Light for the 33rd Olympiad.
Even in such a picturesque atmosphere, the distinct street culture survives the millions of tourists that flock to Paris every year. Graffiti lines many public spaces and is embraced as part of a cultural identity. Among the arrondissements, it might as well be their screaming crowd backdrop as they play against their friends and foes in a little-known, tight-knit community of Paris street sports. Continue reading “From skateboarding to basketball, Paris showcased its street sport culture during Olympics”
By Walker Smith
Cronkite News
PARIS – Even though the Paris Games are over, a commitment to the mental health of athletes is not.
While it’s the pinnacle of sporting achievement, the Olympics create a pressure-filled environment for athletes that almost no other competition can mimic. The weight of a nation, the expectations of greatness and the knowledge that this may be the only chance at gold all take a toll on an Olympian’s mental health.
The IOC and Team USA are proactive in protecting the athletes’ mental health as well as finding ways to help block out social media attacks. The Paris Olympics highlighted that mental health awareness continues to grow through therapy, high-tech relaxation and AI.
By Mateo Arenas
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – When looking for a best bet, the data never lies.
Since legalization in 2021, sports gambling has surged in the state of Arizona. In April, the state outpaced the betting mecca of Nevada, with almost $100 million more wagered at sportsbooks in the month, according to the Arizona Department of Gaming. With a checkered past related to wagering on sports, Arizona State University students have plenty contributed to the massive handle.
“I absolutely think sports betting has picked up a lot recently, especially just in classes and stuff. More of it being like a regular day activity rather than, ‘Oh we’re sports betting,’” said ASU student Douglas Santo. “I think you’ve seen it kind of infiltrate the classrooms, like it’s not something where people are trying to be quiet about or tiptoe around it.
“It’s here to stay, and people know that.”
While betting on college campuses is hardly a new fad, the legalization of sports betting in 38 of 50 states has certainly brought the daily betting lines out of the shadows. Gone are the days when ESPN spoke about spreads in innuendo, and here are the days of throwing over/under bets in math class.
“I would say mostly everyone I talk to has at least placed more than 50 sports bets in their life,” said ASU rising senior Brendon Pehar. “I find myself watching a game, and the first thing I ask about the game to my friend is, ‘What do you got on this?’”
By Abigail Scott
Cronkite News
PARIS – If the Paris Olympics taught us anything, it’s that the combination of high-altitude and extreme heat training in Arizona help prepares athletes for high-level competition. From Flagstaff’s mountainous elevations to the scorching deserts of Tucson and Phoenix, these environments are proving to be invaluable for building endurance and resilience.
Approximately 250 Olympians and Paralympians trained in Flagstaff before the Tokyo Games, and many others escaped to the Phoenix and Tucson areas for warmth during winter months. A similar amount did the same before Paris.
Among the distance runners who trained in Flagstaff and competed in Paris is Grant Fisher, who grabbed bronze in the men’s 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. Many others who competed came to the Phoenix area to train in the winter for the forgiving weather, included triathlete Kirsten Kasper. Continue reading “Paris Olympics showcase athletes who choose to train in Arizona’s heat, high altitude”
By Melanie Hogue
Cronkite News
PARIS – From this year’s Paralympics’ mascot proudly displaying a disability to the introduction of the first nursery in the Olympic Village, the Paris Games inspired conversations about inclusivity.
Although the Games are coming to a close, the discussion is far from over. Paris has long been a site of historic milestones for women, from Joan of Arc to Marie Curie. This year’s Olympics, the first to achieve full gender parity – an equal number of male and female athletes represented – marks significant progress since women were first allowed to compete in 1900, in Paris.
At the time, women only represented 2.2% of athletes and were limited to competing in tennis, sailing, croquet, equestrianism and golf. Today, that has expanded to 20 mixed gender events and 152 female competitions at this year’s Games, including triathlon, which has been put in the spotlight recently due to the controversy over swimming in the Seine River. Continue reading “As Paris Olympics comes to a close, gender equity, inclusivity discussions continue”
By Walker Smith
Cronkite News
PARIS – Hollywood may be the cinematic capital of the world, but few cities are featured more in film than the City Of Light. From American favorite such as “The Da Vinci Code,” “Midnight in Paris,” “Mission Impossible: Fallout” and “Taken” to French hits like “Amélie,” Paris has provided the backdrop for some of cinema’s best projects.
Paris’ flexibility as a film-making city has no bounds. The city has countless iconic scenes from movies. With its rich film history, more and more directors requested to shoot in Paris following the COVID-19 shutdown.
“The thing with Paris is its beauty,” said Juliette Dubois, founder and director of Ciné-Balade. “You can project what you want to project. This is part of the magic, and also there is all the history, all the heart which has inspired the movie makers.” Continue reading “Action! Paris’ beauty translates to a city that serves as a backdrop to endless movies”
By Tyler Bednar
Cronkite News
PARIS — It was clear early on that diver Delaney Schnell had the right personality to become an Olympian.
Her mother, Cindy Feaman, who was her middle school cross country coach, recalls Schnell not wanting to run one day. All of a sudden, something clicked in her as she walked to the trophy table.
“She walked over to the award table, and there was this horse trophy,” Feaman said. “I saw her eyes, she’s staring at it, I saw her eyes, and I knew she was going to run that race hard. She came in second, but she gave it her all to try and get that trophy.”
Continue reading “A plunge into greatness: Arizona diver Delaney Schnell wraps up second Olympics”
By Lux Butler
Cronkite News
PARIS – Weeks before starting her sophomore year of college at the University of Arizona, Maryam Sheikhalizadehkhanghah made her second appearance on the Olympic stage in Paris, swimming the 50-meter freestyle for team Azerbaijan.
At just 20, Sheikhalizadehkhanghah has made a name for herself in multiple countries. Born in Iran, she immigrated to Azerbaijan at a young age to pursue her swimming dreams and then made another pivotal choice to move to the U.S. to attend and compete for the University of Arizona.
“It’s a really good feeling and I’m really glad that I could represent my country for a second time and I’m also really proud of myself because it’s a lot of challenges and a lot of hard working to be able to stay at this place,” Sheikhalizadehkhanghah said. “I’m also really proud that I also represent my university as a Wildcat here.” Continue reading “University of Arizona swimmer Sheikhalizadehkhanghah represents Azerbaijan in Paris Olympics”
By Doyal D’angelo
Cronkite News
PARIS – The idea of the Olympics leaves many people imagining a mega-event with flocks of people from all over the world participating in cultural exchange, contributing to a flourishing economy and filling up restaurants and bars.
Yet as many tourists and Parisians have discovered, the Olympics have not brought the expected amount of customer traffic that local businesses wanted. As a large number of Parisians have left the city to vacate the Olympics altogether, businesses like historic cafe Le Sarah Bernhardt hoped to capitalize on the event, yet this opportunity for increased business didn’t material for many.
“We didn’t think the Olympic games were like this,” said Nicolas Vernhes, general manager at Le Sarah Bernhardt. “We’ve been waiting for a lot of tourists and they’re not here.” Continue reading “Big events often hurt business, but Paris’ historic Le Sarah Bernhardt cafe perseveres during Olympics despite closure”
By Walker Smith
Cronkite News
PARIS – Walking down the canals and streets of Paris, the Summer Olympics’ presence is felt everywhere. Multi-colored signs say “Paris 2024,” fan festivals buzz with thousands of people and stadiums at the feet of iconic Parisian architecture highlight the energy of the Games.
But that might not be the first thing visitors notice. Instead, it’s the walls of metal fences built to guide traffic and block trespassers from event sites, or the sirens from a line of police vehicles rushing through the narrow streets. They’ll for sure see the lines of officers around the city armed with assault rifles. Continue reading “Keeping the Olympics safe: Paris finds success securing city but can L.A. do the same in 2028?”
By Abigail Scott
Cronkite News
PARIS – For Nico Young, the moment was like no other.
“Walking out into the stadium was overwhelming,” he said. “At first, it felt like being at a concert, but I was the singer, the one everyone was looking at.”
Many of them were. On Aug. 2, the day of the Paris Olympics’ 10,000 meters, Young was barely 22, the youngest U.S. Olympian in the race in 20 years. And his time of 26 minutes, 58.11 seconds was so fast it would have set the Olympic record at any other Summer Games. Except this competition was so fast Young, who stayed with the leading pack much of the race, finished 12th.
By David Bernauer
Cronkite News
PARIS – For the first time, amateur runners had a chance to follow in the Olympians’ footsteps and run the same course used for the marathon earlier in the day. Among the athletes that competed Saturday?
Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.
The congresswoman is a fitness fanatic, having competed in multiple marathons and Ironman triathlons, summited Mount Kilimanjaro in 2013 and hiked Mount Fuji in July
“The opportunity to run in the Olympics, that’s like a bucket list, so I couldn’t miss it,” Sinema told Cronkite News Friday in Paris.
And she didn’t. She was one of 20,000 amateur runners who competed in the Marathon Pour Tous (Marathon For All), finishing in 4:48.48. The race started in Paris and looped through Versailles, passing through some of the city’s most iconic landmarks.
The senator, 48, started running cross country in high school, and by her own admission, wasn’t very good. Not until her 30s and now 40s did she start getting faster, she said, a classic late bloomer.
“Growing up, my family, we were pretty poor, and so I didn’t have a lot of money to play lots of different sports,” Sinema said. “But running, all you need is a pair of tennis shoes. I just kind of increased my distance over the years and found it’s a great way to relieve stress and also hang out with friends.”
It wasn’t long before Sinema was competing in long distance races and finishing well. In 2019, she qualified for the Boston Marathon, and in a three-mile race for government officials and media staff, she posted the fasted female time and broke a senate record in the process. Sinema would soon start competing in Ironman triathlons, which required her to learn how to swim.
“I didn’t have a lot of access to swimming (as a child), so I was an adult learner,” Sinema said. “I can swim good now, you know, I’m pretty decent.”
In all, she’s done four full Ironmans and “a bunch” of half Ironmans.
Sinema trains almost everyday to keep in shape. Within the busy schedule of being in Congress, how does she find the time to train? It’s simple.
“The reality is, I just wake up early in the morning,” Sinema said. “If you are dedicated to it, you can get the training in, you can work your job and you can enjoy this incredible opportunity of running.”
The reality is she may have more time to train in the future. In March, she announced she would not run for a second term.
She does her best to run or cycle every single day and lift weights a few times a week in order to not lose muscle mass. While some are collecting chip crumbs on their couches, she’s making sure she’s in physical shape to allow for her demanding athletic schedule. If she’s on the treadmill though, she might watch a Netflix show or two.
“I like ‘The Gentlemen,’” Sinema said. “There was a movie, and then they made a Netflix show, and they’re both very good. I would highly recommend it.”
Another advantage of coming to Paris? The anonymity. It’s a far cry from the U.S. where security escorts her wherever she goes.
“Nobody knows who I am here, nor do they care,” Sinema said. “So I get to be kind of normal. It’s wonderful.”
The same can’t be said for the incredible athletes who are recognized everywhere they go that Sinema has been following throughout the Olympics.
“I am one of those people who struggles with productivity during the Olympics because I obsessively watch everything and I get super hyped,” Sinema said. “Obviously the U.S. athletes are amazing, and we’re killing it in track and field.”
With less than 100 days until the election, Sinema preaches a message of inclusivity, saying as a country we have more in common with each other than we don’t, and the Olympics promote the same message.
“What I love about the Olympics is how it brings people from all over the world together, and the camaraderie and support that you see through sport is amazing,” Sinema said. “It has the power to transcend pettiness and politics and show the real heart of the human spirit and bring us together.
“The person who’s making the most noise on Twitter is not usually the one who’s going to solve your problems.”
For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.
By Walker Smith
Cronkite News
PARIS – Food is sacred in Paris. From the way cafes make croissants differently to each brasserie’s take on steak and frites, the culinary scene in the City of Light is one of the most prestigious in the world. Yet tucked in a courtyard on the corner of Place du Colonel Fabien sits a restaurant that is one of a kind and has its roots in a culture far outside France’s borders.
The first soul food restaurant in Paris: Gumbo YaYa Southern Kitchen.
Located in Paris’s 10th District, Gumbo YaYa was started in 2015 by Afro Parisian chef Lionel Chauvel-Maga. In the near decade that followed, the spot received awards, grew into a passionate community, and attracted big names to its doors, including some of the biggest current stars in American music, including Tyler the Creator, Frank Ocean and Lil Yachty. Continue reading “Soul food in Paris? Popular Gumbo YaYa attracts hip hop stars, loyal following during Olympics”
By Melane Hogue
Cronkite News
PARIS – With over 15 augmented reality experiences developed, this year’s Summer Olympics is incorporating AR like never before.
The IOC and the Paris 2024 organizing committee engaged in a variety of digital partnerships to bring AR into the Olympics. From the world’s first AR vending machine to Olympic-themed filters and Lenses, each AR experience offers a new way for users to engage with this year’s Games.
From its inception by computer scientist Ivan Sutherland at Harvard in 1968 to the launch of Pokémon Go in 2016, AR has entered the mainstream. Since then, AR, known for its digital overlays onto the real world, has found applications across various industries, including healthcare and entertainment. Continue reading “AR takes center stage at Paris Olympics, from interactive vending machines to immersive posters”
By Lux Butler
Cronkite News
PARIS – The Paris Olympics have taken social media by storm, and at the top of the trending list are the beds that were provided in the Olympic Village.
“Oh my God, these cardboard beds are so stiff,” said Sierra Vista native Jasmine Schofield, a swimmer competing for Dominica this summer. “It’s actually terrible.”
Paris officials made the decision for the 2024 Games to use the cardboard frames as a part of their initiative to make the Games as eco-friendly as possible. Continue reading “Cardboard cutouts: ‘Stiff’ beds in Olympic Village receive mixed reviews as Paris Games wind down”
