promoearn: Why Pelosi's expected visit to Taiwan matters

Tuesday, August 2

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, center, tours the parliament house in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022.

Why Pelosi's expected visit to Taiwan matters

It would be the highest-level U.S. visit to the island in 25 years.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to visit Taiwan, rebuking threats from Beijing, according to media reports. Five states will hold primaries, including a contentious vote on abortion in Kansas. Scroll down for a special look from our reporters at the future of comedy.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, and here's Tuesday's news.

🌅 Up first: Two people in the McKinney Fire's path were found dead as California's largest wildfire of 2022 burned more than 50,000 acres in Klamath National Forest over the weekend, authorities said Monday. Read more

Burned playground equipment is seen in the ruins of the century old Klamath River Community Hall which was destroyed by the McKinney Fire in the Klamath National Forest northwest of Yreka, California, on August 1, 2022.

DAVID MCNEW, AFP via Getty Images

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expected to visit Taiwan, according to media reports

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Malaysia on Tuesday for the second leg of an Asian tour that has been overshadowed by an expected stop in Taiwan, which would escalate tensions with Beijing. China views Taiwan as part of its territory, though Taiwan sees itself as a sovereign country. Here's what we know so far.

Why Pelosi's expected visit matters:

•	China's repeated warnings: On Monday, Chinese official Zhao Lijian said the military will "not sit idly by" if Pelosi visits Taiwan, according to Reuters.
•	More context: While there have been no official announcements, local media in Taiwan reported that Pelosi will arrive in the capital Taipei on Tuesday night, becoming the highest-ranking elected U.S. official to visit the self-ruled island in more than 25 years.
•	America's ambiguous policy: The U.S. has long embraced a murky middle ground that seeks to support Taiwan without infuriating Beijing. President Joe Biden said the U.S. would come to Taiwan's defense militarily if China invaded to take over the island.

Workers build a security zone outside a local hotel in Taipei on August 2, 2022, where US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi might be staying.

SAM YEH, AFP via Getty Images

More news to know now:

•	🏫 Apple, Google and Starbucks were among companies that expressed support for Harvard and UNC in an upcoming Supreme Court case on affirmative action.
•	📰 A Texas militia member was sentenced to more than 7 years in the most severe punishment in a Capitol riot case yet.
•	💉 California declared a monkeypox state of emergency as the state seeks more vaccines.
•	🤑 After a historic $1.3B Mega Millions lotto win, dozens flocked to the lucky Illinois gas station.

🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, hear about the aftermath of the U.S. killing of al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker.

It's primary Tuesday in five states

Five states host primaries Tuesday: Michigan, Arizona, Missouri, Kansas and Washington. Former President Donald Trump, Democratic infighting and abortion are among the chief issues that will help decide which party wins control of Congress and governors' offices in November. Kansans will vote on whether to change the state constitution and allow the Legislature to outlaw abortions. The Republican gubernatorial primary in Arizona features a proxy battle between Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence, the former running mates who might oppose each other for the 2024 presidential nomination. Read more in our state-by-state review of the contests.

•	USA TODAY Opinion: Tuesday's primaries, election conspiracies and Donald Trump's long trail of broken brains.

Signs in favor and against the Kansas Constitutional Amendment On Abortion are displayed outside Kansas 10 Highway on August 01, 2022 in Lenexa, Kansas. On August 2, voters will vote on whether or not to remove protection for abortion from the state constitution.

Kyle Rivas, Getty Images

Just for subscribers:

•	📈 You can still nab that raise despite inflation. How companies can still afford benefits.
•	💼 Only one Latina has been CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Why do so few Hispanic women make it to the top?
•	💪 In a pandemic-weary nation, resilience has become critical. But where does it come from, and how do we develop it?
•	📩 Threats, FOIA floods and the long shadow of 2020: Michigan clerks and the new world of elections.

These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here. Already a subscriber and want premium content emailed to you every day? We can do that! Sign up for the Your Day newsletter.

Death toll climbs to 37 in Kentucky flooding as severe weather looms

Another round of severe storms that could linger through the day Tuesday threatens to bring further rainfall, high winds and even flash flooding to Kentucky residents still trying to find their footing. At a news conference Monday morning, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said that five days after the flooding began, a minimum of "hundreds" of people remain unaccounted for in the state. The death toll rose to 37 Monday evening and is still expected to rise as search efforts continue this week. Here's what we know

A Perry County school bus, along with other debris, sits in a creek near Jackson, Kentucky, on July 31, 2022.

SETH HERALD, AFP via Getty Images

Rethinking obesity: An epidemic ends with kids

For four decades, Americans have essentially thrown up their hands in the face of this growing obesity epidemic, bemoaning the problem and lack of solutions. And the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated trends in childhood weight gain: from 2019 to 2020, obesity increased by 6% among elementary school children – multiple times the typical annual increase, according to a study. It's too soon to tell, experts say, but the path to addressing widespread obesity has to start in childhood when habits are established, lessons learned and capping weight gain remains realistic. Explore more of USA TODAY's 6-part series examining America's obesity epidemic.

Terrance Hopkins plays during a soccer class in April 2022 at the Ferguson Crestmont Boys & Girls Club in Bloomington, Ind. Children had fewer sports options to help keep them active during the height of the pandemic, adding to fitness and weight gain concerns.

Rich Janzaruk/USA TODAY NETWORK

ICYMI: Some of our top stories yesterday

•	🟡 The first shipment of grain left the Ukrainian port of Odesa thanks to a deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey.
•	📣 Airbnb apologized after a TikTok user called out a Mississippi ''slave cabin'' listing.
•	🎵 Beyoncé was accused of using an ableist slur. Here are other terms we should stop saying too.
•	💼 Travel is back in full swing this summer — Here are 13 products to pack to improve your flight.
•	🏈 The Brown's Deshaun Watson was suspended six games without pay after he was accused by more than two dozen women in Texas of sexual misconduct.

What does the future of comedy look like?

In 2022, comedy is more accessible than ever. Though some comics were early adopters to the TikTok craze, the COVID-19 pandemic and shuttered comedy clubs in 2020 forced many comedians (famous or not) to get crafty. Many reached their audiences online, and with the meteoric rise of TikTok – growing from 133 million to 902 million annual users in three years. It's clear social media has changed the comedy landscape, prompting comedians to bring their authentic selves. As part of a special USA TODAY series on the future of the industry, meet the new wave of comedians proving there's humor in humanity.

•	Comedians like Chappelle, Gervais want to punch down, but what about the need to punch up?
•	Do stereotypes have a place in comedy? Phoebe Robinson, more comedians talk being in on the joke.
•	Why comedians make intimate comedy specials: ''We want to be heard.''

Comedians are flocking to TikTok and changing the comedy industry. Pictured here from top left are Leo González, Ben Brainard, Elyse Myers, Robyn Schall, Jacon Milan and Misha.

Photos provided to USA TODAY

📷 Photo of the day: Iraqi protesters occupy Parliament in Baghdad 📷

Thousands of followers of influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed into Iraq's Parliament on Saturday. The protests are the latest challenge for oil-rich Iraq, which remains mired in a political and socioeconomic crisis despite elevated global energy prices. Al-Sadr's bloc emerged from elections in October as the biggest parliamentary faction but was still far short of a majority. After nine months, deadlock persists over establishing a new government.

Click here to see more photos of the protests in Iraq's parliament.

Supporters of Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr, take part in a mourning ritual amid the Shiite Ashura commemoration period as they occupy Iraq's parliament in the capital Baghdad's high-security Green Zone while protesting a rival political bloc's nomination for prime minister, on August 1, 2022.

AHMAD AL-RUBAYE, AFP via Getty Images

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY. Send her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.