On The Vine: Simone Biles can(t) save the world

I hate what I’m about to do.

I have no right; no grounds to speak on behalf of Simone Biles — I’ve never been an Olympian, I’ve never won a gold medal, never done death-defying leaps and flips for fun, a job or any other reason. I’ve never commanded the attention of a nation, shocked the world, had an entire generation; a culture look to me, watch my every twist and turn. I’ve never stood for and represented something so much bigger than myself.

I’ve never been the survivor of sexual abuse, never forced my body through one grueling trial after another, never been the best bar none at the thing I do than anyone has ever been. I’ve never been asked so much by a country that has historically in so many ways had little regard for me.

I would presume only Simone Biles knows what that is like. Only she knows what it is to be Simone Biles — a black woman, an Olympian, an inspiration, a savior, a survivor, a symbol.

She needed a break? A breath? Needed time to get a handle and keep it all from spiraling out? Yeah, well no shit.

Around the block

‘Civil rights crisis’: Local leaders seek federal investigation of Kansas City police

A collection of Kansas City civil rights groups, during a press conference earlier this week, pointed to a pattern of excessive use of force allegations against the Kansas City Police Department, a lack of accountability, and the fatal police shootings of Black men, as they called for the DOJ to investigate the department.

The Star’s Glenn Rice writes:

A coalition of local civil rights organizations on Monday asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the Kansas City Police Department, pointing to “disturbing patterns” of officer misconduct and violent policing that targets minorities.

Leaders of the coalition said they wanted federal authorities to conduct a thorough review of the department, including its policing practices, allegations of internal discrimination and how the citizens complaints are handled.

“There is a human and civil rights crisis in Kansas City, Missouri, which has been long standing and has great affiliation, death and grief to our communities,” said the Rev. Vernon P. Howard Jr., president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Kansas City. “We are left with no other recourse.”

Don’t miss...

• Kansas City businessmen transforming historic Public Works buildings in Jazz District

• Women’s soccer union launches #NoMoreSideHustles campaign urging better pay for players

• KC Chiefs prioritize mental health as Simone Biles withdraws from Olympic all-around

Kansas City will have a mask mandate. Here’s when it starts and how it applies to you

This speaks for itself... but one can never assume.

As COVID-19, backed by new more transmissible variants and vaccine hesitancy, continues to surge again, Mayor Quinton Lucas has instituted a new mask mandate.

The mandate will require masks in public indoor spaces where social distancing cannot be maintained, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas announced Wednesday.

It goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 2 and lasts until at least 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 28. Kansas City lifted its previous mask mandate in May.

The order applies to those over the age of 5, regardless of vaccination status, with a few exemptions.

“It is a setback, and it’s one that we’re going to try to make sure we fix,” Lucas said.

Beyond the block

Simone Biles withdraws from individual all-around gymnastics competition at Tokyo Olympics to focus on mental well-being

By now you’re likely aware Simone Biles withdrew from the all-around individual and team final gymnastic competitions at the Tokyo Olympics. She cited her mental health as the reason when speaking to the media following the competition.

“After further medical evaluation, Simone Biles has withdrawn from the final individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games, in order to focus on her mental health,” USA Gymnastics said in a statement on Wednesday. “We wholeheartedly support Simone’s decision and applaud her bravery in prioritizing her well-being. Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many.”

Droves of people — mainly conservative pundits, talking heads and carpetbaggers — have so many thoughts on the matter.

Some reading for you...

• Simone Biles was abandoned by American Olympic officials, and the torment hasn’t stopped

• The Olympics Rely On, but Don’t Support, Black Girl Magic

• Simone Biles and the Power of ‘No’

• The Radical Courage of Simone Biles’s Exit from the Team USA Olympic Finals

• Simone Biles and ‘the twisties’: How fear affects the mental health and physical safety of gymnasts

Biden meeting with Democrats on DACA

A federal judge in Texas ruled earlier this month that the program that has shielded hundreds of thousands of undocumented young adults from deportation was unlawful. The ruling, which now blocks the government from approving new DACA applicants, again threatens the future of immigrants in the U.S. known as Dreamers.

Stef W. Kight writes for Axios:

President Biden will meet with 11 Democratic members of Congress at the White House Thursday to discuss the next steps for providing a pathway to citizenship for undocumented migrants brought to the U.S. as children, a White House official told Axios.

Why it matters: Congressional Democrats plan to try to pass pathways to citizenship for so-called Dreamers, TPS holders and undocumented essential workers in the upcoming reconciliation package. Biden also has consistently called on Congress to pass legislation to protect Dreamers.

‘Terror’: Crackdown After Protests in Cuba Sends a Chilling Message

The response to protests in Cuba, with citizens calling for government and economic reforms, has turned dire.

For The New York Times Ernesto Londoño and Daniel Politi report:

The courage many Cubans showed when they poured into the streets two weeks ago — chanting “Down with the dictatorship!” and “We are not afraid!” — has curdled into fear for many...

When Cubans, spurred by a severe economic crisis, erupted in a rare wave of public rallies, government critics on the island and abroad hoped the act of defiance would force the island’s authoritarian rulers to embrace political and economic reforms.

Instead, the response by authorities has been draconian. State-run media outlets denounce demonstrators as vandals and looters. Police officers have gone door-to-door making detentions, human rights activists and protesters said.

An estimated 700 people are being held by the government, according to human rights organizations. In some cases, their families went days without knowing where their loved ones were being held, or what their legal status was. In others, protesters have been convicted in quick trials that don’t require the presence of a defense lawyer, according to human rights activists.

The crackdown has paralyzed, at least for now, the rebellious spirit that took hold on the island for a few hours on that recent Sunday as thousands of Cubans chanted, “Freedom!”

For the culture

All the newsletters bleed together at some point, so I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned before, but I absolutely, wholeheartedly with a fiery passion love Will Smith.

Smith, who somehow is walking this planet without an Oscar, is set to star in “King Richard,” an upcoming Warner Bros. film about Venus and Serena Williams’s father Richard Williams, and his push to help them become two of the greatest athletes of all time.

Well, the first trailer just dropped!

“You not just going to be representing you, you gonna be representing every little black girl on Earth,” Smith as Richard Williams says.

Am I excited? Yes. Will I be there opening night? Yes. Will I subsequently watch it three more times? You bet. Will I throw a fit if someone swoops in and steals another potential Oscar away from Will Smith? Like you can’t even imagine.

Also check out...

• For Kyrie Irving, another big effort: bringing clean water to a Pakistani village

• ‘Prison Break’ star Wentworth Miller reveals autism diagnosis

• Ex-President Obama joins NBA Africa as strategic partner and minority owner

Catch you later

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