Hey there. I'm Krista Bo here to tell you about the good stuff happening lately. You'll hear how a lawmaker was able to get her voice back.
Rep. Jennifer Wexton
00:00:07
She truly don't know what you've got till it's gone. Because hearing the new eye of my old voice for the first time was music to my ears.
'Plus, how a high school cross-country team gives back during the dog days of summer. From CNN, this is 5 Good Things.
The 2024 Summer Olympics kicked off this week in Paris. And for the first time ever, the world's biggest sporting event is set to achieve near total gender parity. CNN's Emily Williams has more to share about the milestone. Hey, Emily.
Hi, Krista. So that's right. The International Olympic Committee has created a 50/50 split between spots for male and female athletes for the very first time. And Team USA athletes like Kelsey Bing and Morelle McCane are pumped about it. It's so exciting to be a part of.
My hope is, is that our team can continue to inspire the next generation.
We have fought for our rights to be here. I just want to say, thank you for those in the past, because you guys fought hard for me to be here right now, and just watching women's sports just evolve is just beautiful.
Fun fact it's pretty interesting that this is happening during the Paris Olympics, because the first Olympics ever that women could compete in was also in Paris in 1900. But that year, women made up 2% of the athletes and they could only play five sports tennis, golf, sailing, croquet and equestrianism.
Oh, wow. So we've come pretty far since then?
Definitely. Now, equity isn't just about having an equal number of men and women competing, right? So the IOC has made sure men's and women's events are also scheduled fairly. So by that I mean doing things like giving the closing slots for some sports to the women instead of the men for a change. That's what they're doing for the marathon this year. Former Olympian and IOC member Angela Ruggiero said that for a long time, it's just been the assumption that men's sports get those big closing slots.
And so it starts with that question of why is it always been done that way? How can we think differently to change the paradigm, to give women more visibility, or at least equal visibility, and let the fans decide and what the fans have said consistently is they love it.
A cook with a big heart and a tiny kitchen, says the Olympics won't stop him from feeding people living on the streets in Paris.
I go on the streets with my bike, with all my mates, and I did everything for free throughout this report.
This week, CNN Heroes is saluting Manu Solidaire, who prepares dozens of meals and delivers them by bike to people experiencing homelessness. He's the first to admit he's not a real chef.
It's just my passion for more than ten years.
And he's not alone while he cooks, Manu livestreams the whole process on his TikTok account to his over 350,000 followers who support his efforts through donations. Since starting this initiative in 2022, Manu's goal with his videos is to change perceptions around homelessness.
It's to show to the world there is some people, they work all their life and right now, they have some problems and maybe you can understand their situation.
Now, with the world's eyes on Paris for the Summer Games, many homeless people have been moved out of the city.
But the problem is, we can't just hide the poverty of the country without any solution. There is a lot of homeless people I know really well. If I can't find them on the street if needed, maybe I will take the train to continue to deliver my food.
One thing hasn't changed for Manu since the very first meal he gave away: the joy that this work brings. To learn more about his story had to cnn.com/heroes.
Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton reclaimed her voice on the House floor this week.
Rep. Jennifer Wexton
00:04:06
Over the past year, the fight for disability rights has become a personal one.
Wexton is battling progressive supranuclear palsy, or PSP – a condition that's robbed her of the ability to speak. But that hasn't stopped her from using her voice in Congress. She made history in May when she delivered a floor speech using a text to voice app. But that voice didn't sound like her. Together with her team, Wexton gathered old clips of her speaking before PSP. Thursday was the first time she, or any lawmaker for that matter, took her new AI voice to the House floor. She shared how much it meant to her to hear her own voice again.
Rep. Jennifer Wexton
00:04:41
If you truly don't know what you've got till it's gone. Because hearing the new I of my old voice for the first time was music to my ears. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard, and I cried tears of joy.
Weston's not seeking reelection because of her health concerns. She said it's been a difficult road, but she's been grateful to have her platform in Congress to speak up for people with disabilities.
Rep. Jennifer Wexton
00:05:02
I hope I can be a voice, even an AI voice, for Americans facing accessibility challenges and other disabilities, because too often people only see us for that disability, and in truth, we are so much more.
'The boys cross-country team at Steinbrenner High School in Florida is keeping up with an eight year tradition this summer, taking shelter dogs out on runs three times a week. They've been doing this with the Humane Society of Tampa Bay since 2017. Head coach Allison Szponar says it's a win win for the team and the dogs.
We bring them to a local park, and then they kind of run some of that excess energy while giving our guys, you know, another mile or two.
C.J. Clark is a senior who's been doing this since he was a freshman and says the runs really boost team morale. Even though they got to wake up at the crack of dawn.
Everybody's upbeat and ready to go, and you could just see when you get to the park, you're running the dogs. Everybody has a smile on their face, so it's great.
Even alumni like Ethan Russ come back to run with the dogs.
It's just good to know that you're doing something that's making a difference, that's helping these dogs, helping their temperament out, helping them burn off energy to eventually get adopted.
Coming up. We'll tell you where you can get some tacos that are so good. They're worthy of a Michelin star and they're cheap!
When you think of a michelin starred restaurant, you may think of like white tablecloths, fancy foods, and high prices. But what about a taco for like five bucks? Taquería El Califa de León in Mexico City has become the first Mexican taco stand to earn a coveted Michelin star. The stand is just about ten feet wide, and it has a very simple menu of four tacos, including its signature gaonera taco, which Michelin called "exceptional." They make it with thinly sliced beef that's cooked to order, seasoned with salt and a squeeze of lime, served on a freshly made corn tortilla. After getting their star in the first ever Michelin Guide Mexico, CNN saw the stand draw lines around the block.
How long have you been in line for?
At least an hour. I have high hopes,.
And customers were happy to see that even a tiny taco stand can get top culinary honors.
More Michelin stars should be given to places like this rather than fine dining, because this is like real accessible food.
All right, that's all for now. Join us tomorrow for the next edition of One Thing. Host David Rind speaks to CNN's Ed Lavandera, who visited one of the poorest and hottest regions in the U.S. that's getting connected to the power grid for the first time.
5 Good Things is a production of CNN Audio. This episode was produced by Emily Williams and me, Krista Bo. Our Senior Producer is Faiz Jamil. Greg Peppers is our Supervising Producer. Matt Dempsey is our production manager. Dan Dzula is our Technical Director and Steve Lickteig is Executive Producer of CNN Audio. We get support from Joey Salvia, Haley Thomas, Alex Manasseri, Robert Mathers, Jon Dianora, Leni Steinhardt, Nichole Pesaru, and Lisa Namerow. Special thanks to CNN Heroes, CNN Sports and Katie Hinman. Thanks for listening. Take care – 'till next time.
