🥇 Axios PM: New USA star

Boozy scoops | Thursday, July 29, 2021

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Comcast   Axios PM By Mike Allen ·Jul 29, 2021 Good afternoon. Today's PM — edited by Kate Nocera — is 509 words, a 2-minute read. 🚨 Bulletin: President Biden to mandate federal workers declare vaccination status as part of aggressive plan against rising COVID-19.     1 big thing: Suni Lee is Team USA's new star Suni Lee. Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images   Sunisa "Suni" Lee's gold medal in women's all-around gymnastics in Tokyo today was a remarkable win not only for the U.S. Olympic team but also for the Hmong community. Why it matters: This win puts Lee in rarified air — and sets her up to be the face of U.S. gymnastics at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Axios' Kendall Baker tells me. Lee is from St. Paul, which has one of the largest Hmong populations in the U.S., Axios Twin Cities' Nick Halter writes. Many from the Hmong community were recruited to fight for the U.S. during the Vietnam War, but fled to the U.S. as refugees after being left to fend for themselves in Laos. Lee is the first Hmong American to win a medal in the Olympics and the first Asian American woman to win gold in the all-around. Lee's family and friends gathered to watch the livestream this morning. Local anchor Gia Vang — also a Hmong American — captured the jubilant reaction. Watch it here. Photo: Martin Bureau/AFP via Getty Images Simone Biles, who exited the competition earlier this week citing her mental health, cheered Lee on from the stands. In an interview with reporters in Tokyo after the win, Lee said she nearly quit after her dad, John, was partially paralyzed in a fall from a ladder two years ago. "I definitely haven't let it sink in yet, as I feel like it's just not real life ... the past two years with COVID and my dad," she said. What's next: Lee just graduated from high school and heads to Auburn next month.     2. 💵 Robinhood wants to be your wallet Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev towers over Times Square today. Photo: Brendan McDermid/Reuters   Robinhood had a disappointing stock opening today, but pitched itself for the long run as more than just a brokerage or trading platform, but a "single money app," Axios' Felix Salmon writes. CEO Vlad Tenev told the AP he aspired to move into payments, and let users deposit a paycheck or split a bar tab. "Five years from now," Tenev told Andrew Ross Sorkin on CNBC, "we want Robinhood to be the most trusted and most culturally relevant money app worldwide."     A message from Comcast Comcast brings Team USA and the Olympic Games home to millions     Combining the storytelling of NBCUniversal with Xfinity's innovative technology, Comcast is delivering this summer's Games at a greater scale and across more platforms than ever. What this means: Viewers will have unparalleled access to all 7,000 hours of the heart stopping and inspiring competition.     3. Catch up quick Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios   1. 🌳 Male trees are wreaking havoc in a prolonged, crippling allergy season: Pollen counts are spiked by "botanical sexism" in cities, where male trees are preferred, horticulturist Tom Ogren tells Axios. Go deeper. 2. Ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick was charged with sexually assaulting a teen in the 1970s. Go deeper. 3. D.C. reinstates indoor mask mandates. Go deeper.     4. Boozy scoops Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios   Several startups have found a way to make your summer ice cream cone even more of a treat: Add booze. The total revenue for alcohol-infused ice cream is expected to reach more than $450 million by 2025, Bloomberg reports. Tipsy Scoop has flavors such as Cake Batter Vodka Martini and Tequila "Hot" Chocolate Ice Cream. Clementine's Naughty & Nice Creamery offers ice cream flavors that can reach the equivalent of 22.5% ABV. Go deeper.     A message from Comcast Comcast supports Team USA in inspiring a better tomorrow     Comcast is proud to support Team USA and share their incredible stories. Their achievements fuel the Team of Tomorrow. Those we inspire today can build a better future. It's why Comcast spent a decade addressing digital inequities. Comcast will invest $1B to help people succeed in a digital world.   Like this email style and format? Learn more about Axios HQ. It'll help you deliver employee communications more effectively.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Suite 1300, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: