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Worth a Click: 11 Stories You Should Read Today

By DNAinfo Staff | August 9, 2016 4:09pm 

 Simone Biles competes on the balance beam during Women's qualification for Artistic Gymnastics on Day 2 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Simone Biles competes on the balance beam during Women's qualification for Artistic Gymnastics on Day 2 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
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Tom Pennington/Getty Images

NBC Analyst Apologizes for Saying Gymnast Simone Biles’ Adoptive Parents “Are NOT Her Parents”

Commentator Al Trautwig came under fire from adoption advocates after calling U.S. gymnast Simone Biles’ adoptive parents her grandparents during NBC’s Olympics coverage — then took to Twitter to double down on his word choice, stating “They may be mom and dad but they are NOT her parents.”

Biles and her sister were adopted out of foster care by their biological grandparents, legally making them her parents. Trautwig has since deleted the tweet and apologized for his comments. [Washington Post]

Female Olympians Face Everyday Sexism in the Media

Corey Cogdell-Unrein is a three-time Olympian who won bronze in women’s trap shooting, but the Chicago Tribune instead chose to focus on her role as “wife of Bears’ lineman.” 

In the four days since the 2016 Summer Olympics began, media coverage of female athletes hasn't exactly been steller. Swimmer and gold medalist Katie Ledecky was referred to as “the female Michael Phelps” and world-record holder Katinka Hosszu’s success was credited to her husband who stood by on the sidelines. [New York Magazine]

Syrian Refugee Turned Olympic Swimmer Saved 20 in Sinking Dinghy

Yursra Mardini, an 18-year-old Syrian refugee competing as a swimmer on the refugee Olympic team, once swam with her sister for three hours in the Aegean Sea dragging a sinking boat to safety, The Independent reports.

“I want everyone to think refugees are normal people who had their homelands and lost them not because they wanted to run away and be refugees, but because they have dreams in their lives and they had to go," she said. 

While the inspiring young woman won her 100-meter butterfly heat last weekend, she did not advance to the semifinals. [Independent and ABC]

Roger Ailes Used Fox’s Money to Spy on Enemies and Employees Alike

The allegations just keep coming about ousted Fox News chief Roger Ailes, who resigned last month after numerous women came forward accusing him of sexual harassment. In addition to being an alleged serial “predator,” as one woman described him, sources have also accused Ailes of misappropriating corporate money to run an in-house spy agency, which allegedly kept tabs on people within the company as well as perceived outside enemies. [New York Magazine]

A Former CIA Officer Is Running for President

Former CIA officer Evan McMullin will run for president as a third-party Conservative alternative to Donald Trump, who he described as “a real threat to our republic.” He had harsh words for Hillary Clinton as well, saying she “recklessly handled classified information in an attempt to avoid accountability and put American lives at risk.” Although his bid is a long shot, McMullin could have a chance at disrupting the vote in Utah, where Trump was trounced in the primary by Sen. Ted Cruz. [CNN]

World’s Longest Hunger Striker Ends Fast

The Indian activist, Irom Sharmila, ended her 16-year fast Tuesday morning, stating she wants to be released from custody and run for office. The 44-year-old activist, who started the fast after 10 people were killed by Indian soldiers, was locked up and force-fed under a law that makes attempting suicide illegal. Sharmila ate honey in front of several reporters on Tuesday to demonstrate the end of the hunger strike. [The Guardian]

John Oliver Hits the Nail on the Head About Journalism

Comedian John Oliver made a biting but poignant segment on “Last Week Tonight” about the industry’s struggle to remain relevant while continuing to deliver news readers need. Virality is killing journalism, he states, but also “us and our unwillingness to pay for the work journalists produce.”

What the Heck Is ‘Cupping’ and Is It Pseudo-Science?

Find out what those big purple circles are that you’ve been seeing on Olympic athletes all week, from Michael Phelps to the men’s gymnastics team. Turns out, it’s a traditional Eastern method of pain relief, but the jury is out on whether it really works or not. [Vox]

What Does it Take To Keep an Independent Record Store Alive?

While record shops are becoming an endangered species, Used Kids, a record store in Columbus, Ohio, has been open for more than 30 years — and it’s still going. Here’s a look at its history, and what they’re doing to keep afloat. [Pitchfork]

Here’s Lucy! ‘Scary’ Statue Is Replaced With One That Looks Like Her

Now everyone loves Lucy again. A new statute of the TV icon Lucille Ball was unveiled in her hometown of Celoron, New York after photos of the previous statute — a grimacing, scary version — went viral last year and complaints poured in that it did not resemble the beloved comedian. [New York Times]

Bride Walks Down the Aisle With Man Who Received Her Late Father’s Donated Heart

The New York Times has this tearjerker of a wedding profile about a bride who asked the man who got her father’s donated heart to walk her down the aisle. The man who was saved by the transplant told the bride to hold onto his wrist during the procession, “where his pulse is strongest." Pass the tissues. [New York Times]

This column was compiled by DNAinfo reporters Nikhita Venugopal, Shaye Weaver, Eddie Small, Noah Hurowitz, Rachel Holliday Smith, Gwynne Hogan, Dartunorro Clark, Carolina Pichardo, Irene Plagianos, Jeanmarie Evelly and Allegra Hobbs.