Some Republican lawmakers are demanding that NBA players end their endorsement contracts with Chinese sports retailers Anta and Li-Ning, which continue to source cotton from the Xinjiang region, Politico reports.
Why it matters: The U.S. government has warned that businesses with supply chains and investments in Xinjiang — where China has been accused of carrying out a genocide against Uyghur Muslims — run a "high risk" of violating U.S. laws on forced labor.
U.S. gymnast Sunisa "Suni" Lee won Olympic gold on Thursday in the individual all-around event.
The big picture: Simone Biles, who withdrew from the event to focus on her mental health, cheered from the stands with the rest of the women's gymnastics team as they watched Lee and teammate Jade Carey compete. Brazil's Rebeca Andrade won the silver and Russian Angelina Melnikova took the bronze.
U.S. pole vaulter Sam Kendricks, reigning world champion and Olympic bronze medalist, tested positive for coronavirus and will withdraw from the Games, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said in a statement Thursday.
Driving the news: "In alignment with local rules and protocols, he has been transferred to a hotel to be placed in isolation and is being supported by the USATF and USOPC staff," the U.S. Olympic committee wrote.
There's been plenty of Olympics drama on day six of the Tokyo Games Thursday — notably China's women's swimming team beating the U.S. and Australia in the record-setting 4x200-meter freestyle relay.
The big picture: Katie Ledecky helped the U.S. win silver, which also beat the previous world record smashed by China's team. Team USA grabbed two more swimming gold medals, when Caeleb Dressel won the men's 100m freestyle and Bobby Finke triumphed in the first men's Olympic 800m freestyle.
China grabbed Olympic gold in the women's 4x200m freestyle relay, in a surprise record win in Tokyo Thursday.
The big picture: Katie Ledecky made up time as Team USA's final swimmer to help the U.S. take silver. Australia, which was the heavy favorite, won the bronze. All three teams finished ahead of the previous world record pace.
What she's saying: "the outpouring love & support I’ve received has made me realize I’m more than my accomplishments and gymnastics which I never truly believed before. 🤍" Biles said.
American swimmer Caeleb Dressel snagged his second gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics Thursday, winning the men's 100-meter freestyle race and setting a new Olympic record.
The big picture: It's his first individual Olympic gold of his career. He won gold earlier this week in the men's 4x100m medley relay, and brought home two gold medals for relays in Rio.
American swimmer Bobby Finke won gold in the first-ever men's Olympic 800-meter freestyle final on Thursday.
The big picture: The 21-year-old came from behind in the last 50 meters to win the race, beating Italy's Gregorio Paltrinieri, who won silver, and Ukraine's Mykhailo Romanchuk, who took bronze.
Former Olympic team doctor Larry Nassar spent more than $10,000 on himself while in prison for criminal sexual conduct, paying $300 in restitution towards his victims, per a Wednesday court filing obtained by the Washington Post.
Driving the news: Since being imprisoned in 2018, Nassar received deposits totaling $12,825 into his prison bank account — including two pandemic stimulus checks totaling $2,000. He has paid about $100 per year in court-ordered penalties to his victims, the Post reported.
Former and current Olympic gymnasts are rallying behind Simone Biles after she pulled out of the team and individual all-around competitions due to mental health concerns.
Why it matters: Leading up to the Tokyo Olympics, Biles was billed as the favored gold medalist and greatest of all time. But the weight that came with bearing the title led her to step away, resulting in support and praise for her honesty in discussing mental health challenges.
Twenty track and field athletes, including 10 from Nigeria, will not compete at the Olympics after failing to meet anti-doping testing requirements, the Athletics Integrity Unit announced Wednesday.
The big picture: Nigeria is the country most impacted. Other countries included Belarus, Bahrain, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco and Ukraine. The names of the banned athletes were not disclosed.
TOKYO- The U.S. women's 3x3 basketball team defeated the squad from Russia 18-15 on Wednesday night to win the first-ever Olympic gold medal in the sport.
What's next: Minutes later, the Latvian men defeated the athletes from Russia 21-18 to take the men's gold medal.
Simone Biles' leadership on the mat has never been questioned. After her shocking withdrawal from Tuesday's team final, she proved just as capable a leader off of it.
What happened: During the first rotation, Biles performed an uncharacteristically bad vault, appearing to lose herself in midair.
Olympic champion Simone Biles is receiving widespread praise for putting "mental wellness over all else" after withdrawing from the U.S. women's team finals and the upcoming all-around final at the Tokyo Games this week.
The big picture: Leading figures from the world of sports, politics, entertainment and fans, including former first lady Michelle Obama and U.S. swimming legend Michael Phelps, have lauded the four-time Olympic gold medalist.
Female Olympians in Tokyo are rejecting the uniforms that have long defined their sports, highlighting a double standard that exists how women dress in competition vs. men.
Driving the news: During their qualifying round Sunday, Germany's women's gymnastics team wore full-length unitards, eschewing the conventional leg-barring leotards worn by most female gymnasts.
U.S. gymnastics great Simone Biles won't defend her Olympic title in the upcoming all-around final as she continues to focus on her mental health, USA Gymnastics announced Wednesday.
Driving the news: The 24-year-old four-time Olympic gold medalist's decision comes after she pulled out of the women's gymnastics team finals on Tuesday, saying she didn't want to jeopardize her health and well-being. USA Gymnastics said in a statement it applauded Biles' "bravery in prioritizing her well-being."
Katie Ledecky took home the Olympic gold medal in the women's 1,500-meter freestyle swimming race Tuesday night ET, becoming the first female swimmer to win the newly added division. Team USA's Erica Sullivan won silver.
Of note: The Tokyo Games mark the first time that the long-distance race has been open to women, and Ledecky paid tribute to her predecessors after the race. "I just think of all the great U.S. swimmers who didn’t have a chance to swim that event," she said on NBC.
