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Happening Today: G-20, Vatican, Soy Milk, Preterm Birth Rates, Joey Chestnut, Stevie Ryan

What to Know

  • President Trump is leaving for Europe in preparation for his second appearance on the world stage at the G-20 Summit, NBC News reported
  • Almost 10 percent of newborns in the U.S. are born premature, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • YouTube star Stevie Ryan has died in an apparent suicide, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office

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Trump Leaves for Europe, Faces Tough Conversations at G-20

President Trump is leaving for Europe in preparation for his second appearance on the world stage at the G-20 Summit, NBC News reported. Trump arrives in Warsaw, Poland, and is expected to make a speech in the afternoon and meet with the leaders of Poland and Croatia. He will also attend the summit of the Three Seas Initiative, all before the summit that begins in Hamburg, Germany, with his counterparts from countries including Russia, France, Germany, Turkey, Mexico, and more. In a much-anticipated face-to-face, Trump is slated to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, likely to discuss Ukraine, Syria, and alleged Russian meddling in the election. After Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, Trump could receive a potentially chilly reception for the world leaders. And they there are tough conversations to be had, including battling terrorism and international trade and climate change.

Vatican Acknowledges Past Problems at “Pope's Hospital”

The Vatican secretary of state acknowledged that there were problems at "the pope's hospital" for children in the past, but said the new administration is making a "serious effort to resolve them." Cardinal Pietro Parolin said some of the problems identified by current and former Bambino Gesu Pediatric Hospital staff in 2014 were "truly unfounded." But for problems that were verified, "there was an attempt, and there is currently an attempt and serious effort to resolve them," he said. Parolin was responding to an Associated Press investigation that found that under its previous 2008-2015 administration, the mission of the children's hospital had shifted to focus more on profits than on its young patients. A Vatican-commissioned report reached that conclusion in 2014 after a three-month investigation into staff complaints that corners were being cut and safety protocols ignored because of pressure to produce.

Soy “Milk”? Even Federal Agencies Can't Agree on Terminology

Dairy farmers want U.S. regulators to banish the term "soy milk," but documents show even government agencies haven't always agreed on what to call such drinks. The U.S. Department of Agriculture "fervently" wanted to use the term "soy milk" in educational materials for the public, according to emails recently released in response to a lawsuit. That irked the Food and Drug Administration, the agency that oversees the rule defining milk as coming from healthy cows. It's "not a trivial decision," the FDA warned in one of the 2011 emails about the USDA's desire to use the term. The sour history over who gets to use "milk" reaches back to at least 1997, when a soy foods group petitioned the FDA to recognize the term "soymilk." A couple of years later, the group pointed out that the FDA itself had used the term. Even now, the National Milk Producers Federation says it's working to build support for legislation directing the FDA to enforce the federal standard. The dairy group says both "soy milk" and "soymilk" are inappropriate ways to describe non-dairy drinks made from soybeans, and that the one-word version is just an attempt to get around the definition.

Preterm Birth Rates Have Increased in the U.S.

Almost 10 percent of newborn babies in the United States are born premature according to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NBC News reported. The report also included the rising births of more low birth weight babies than in previous years and births overall fell across the U.S., while high-risk births became more common, according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. “The increase in the preterm birth rate is an alarming indication that the health of pregnant women and babies in our country is heading in the wrong direction,” Stacey Stewart, president of the March of Dimes, a charity organization, told NBC News.

Joey Chestnut Breaks Nathan's Famous July Fourth Hot Dog Eating Competition With 72 Dogs Downed

Reigning hot dog-eating champion Joey Chestnut has taken the win again in the Nathan's Famous July Fourth hot dog eating competition. He trounced the competition with 72 dogs and buns eaten at Coney Island, besting his previous Coney Island record of 70 dogs in 10 minutes. Carmen Cincotti came in second place with 62. "It's another great Fourth of July," Chestnut said moments after winning his 10th Mustard Belt in 11 years. The tally broke the previous record at a Nathan's hot dog eating competition for dogs downed, although Chestnut said he thought he could have done better. The women's division of the contest earlier saw reigning champion Miki Sudo, of Las Vegas, take her fourth title in a row, eating 41 dogs in 10 minutes. She beat Michelle Lesco, who downed 32 franks and buns. Women's record-holder Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas came in third with 30.

YouTube and VH1 Star Stevie Ryan Dies at 33

YouTube star Stevie Ryan has died in an apparent suicide, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office. According to the office's website, the 33-year-old died at a residence on July 1. The death comes just one day after Ryan posted a tribute to her grandfather who had recently died. "The man of my dreams will now only be in my dreams," she wrote to her Twitter followers. "I'll miss you everyday, forever. I love you my Pa." Fans first grew to love Ryan with her impersonations of various celebrities as well as her YouTube page titled "Little Loca." In fact, her page received close to 15 million views total. She later earned her own pop culture sketch series on VH1 called "Stevie TV" that aired from 2012 to 2013. Ryan also co-hosted Brody Jenner's reality show titled "Sex With Brody."

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