“The U.S. on Monday finally reached President Joe Biden’s goal of getting at least one COVID-19 shot into 70% of American adults -- a month late and amid a fierce surge by the delta variant that is swamping hospitals and leading to new mask rules and mandatory vaccinations around the country.
In a major retreat in the Deep South, Louisiana ordered nearly everyone, vaccinated or not, to wear masks again in all indoor public settings, including schools and colleges. And other cities and states likewise moved to reinstate precautions to counter a crisis blamed on the fast-spreading variant and stubborn resistance to getting the vaccine.
“As quickly as we can discharge them they’re coming in and they’re coming in very sick. We started seeing entire families come down,” lamented Dr. Sergio Segarra, chief medical officer of Baptist Hospital Miami. The Florida medical-center chain reported an increase of over 140% in the past two weeks in the number of people now hospitalized with the virus.
Biden had set a vaccination goal of 70% by the Fourth of July. That figure was the low end of initial government estimates for what would be necessary to achieve herd immunity in the U.S. But that has been rendered insufficient by the highly contagious delta variant, which has enabled the virus to come storming back.
There was was no celebration at the White House on Monday, nor a setting of a new target, as the administration instead struggles to overcome skepticism and outright hostility to the vaccine, especially in the South and other rural and conservative areas.
The U.S. still has not hit the administration’s other goal of fully vaccinating 165 million American adults by July 4. It is about 8.5 million short.
New cases per day in the U.S. have increased sixfold over the past month to an average of nearly 80,000, a level not seen since mid-February. And deaths per day have climbed over the past two weeks from an average of 259 to 360.
Those are still well below the 3,400 deaths and a quarter-million cases per day seen during the worst of the outbreak, in January. But some places around the country are watching caseloads reach their highest levels since the pandemic began. And nearly all deaths and serious illnesses now are in unvaccinated people.” Read more at AP News
“The ACLU is returning to court with the Biden administration over the continued use of Title 42, a Trump-era order citing coronavirus as a rationale to block migrants.” Read more at Axios
“BEIJING (AP) — China suspended flights and trains, canceled professional basketball league games and announced mass coronavirus testing in Wuhan on Tuesday as widening outbreaks of the delta variant reached the city where the disease was first detected in late 2019.
While the total number of cases is still in the hundreds, they are far more widespread than anything China has dealt with since the initial outbreak that devastated Wuhan in early 2020 and over time spread to the rest of the country and the world.
China has not eliminated but largely curbed COVID-19 at home with quick lockdowns and mass testing to isolate infected people whenever new cases pop up. Most previous outbreaks didn’t spread far beyond a city or province. This time, cases have been confirmed in more than 35 cities in 17 of China’s 33 provinces and regions.
The cities of Nanjing and Yangzhou have canceled all domestic flights, and Beijing has halted long-distance trains from 23 stations. The Chinese Basketball Association said that matches of its men’s professional league would be suspended because of the pandemic.” Read more at AP News
“Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said he had tested positive. If he had not been vaccinated, he said, his symptoms ‘would be far worse.’” Read more at New York Times
“Millions of renters are at risk of losing their homes over the next months after a nationwide temporary ban on evictions expired last week. The CDC put the hold in place last year to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, and now that the Delta variant is surging, that's become a concern again. Still, the expiration of the eviction moratorium seemed to catch the White House and Democrats in Congress by surprise, as both scrambled in the last few days to find a fix to prevent a major housing crisis. All of this could have perhaps been avoided: The Supreme Court ruled in June that extending the freeze would require Congress' backing. But that authorization didn't come.” Read more at CNN
“WASHINGTON (AP) — The $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package unveiled by the Senate includes more than $150 billion to boost clean energy and promote ‘climate resilience’ by making schools, ports and other structures better able to withstand extreme weather events such as storms and wildfires.
But the bill, headed for a Senate vote this week, falls far short of President Joe Biden’s pledge to transform the nation’s heavily fossil-fuel powered economy into a clean-burning one and stop climate-damaging emissions from U.S. power plants by 2035.
Notably, the deal omits mention of a Clean Electricity Standard, a key element of Biden’s climate plan that would require the electric grid to replace fossil fuels with renewable sources such as solar, wind and hydropower.” Read more at AP News
“Donald Trump to fight release of tax returns. The former president will fight any move by the Treasury Department to turn over his tax returns to Congress, his lawyer said, days after the Justice Department directed the agency to provide the documents to a House panel.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“WASHINGTON — With no Supreme Court opening to slow them, President Biden and Senate Democrats are putting judges on federal trial and appellate courts at a much faster clip than any of Biden’s recent predecessors, including former president Donald Trump.
Eight judges already have been confirmed, including potential Supreme Court pick Ketanji Brown Jackson to the federal appeals court in Washington. More than 30 other judicial nominations are pending for more than 100 openings.
By this time four years ago, the Senate, then under Republican control, had confirmed four Trump nominees, including Justice Neil Gorsuch.
But in 1993 and 2009, the start of the last two Democratic administrations, no judges had been confirmed by the end of July.” Read more at Boston Globe
“Texas Democrats are rallying in the nation's capital today to push Congress to pass voting rights legislation -- and they're bringing reinforcements. More than 100 Democratic state legislators are joining the effort, many of them from Republican-led states that have passed restrictive voting bills. Since the 2020 election, at least 18 states have enacted 30 new laws making it harder to vote. Democrats in Congress have pitched a sweeping voting and election bill, but it was shot down by Senate Republicans. Several Senate Democrats are now working on a revised bill in hopes of reaching a bipartisan compromise.” Read more at CNN
“Prominent civil rights leaders the Revs. Jesse Jackson and William J. Barber were among about 200 people arrested outside the US Capitol on Monday while protesting for Congress to end the filibuster, protect voting rights, and raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.” Read more at Boston Globe
“The Biden administration plans to indefinitely extend a Trump-era policy that allows the government to swiftly expel migrants encountered at the US-Mexico border. The Trump administration instituted the policy at the start of the pandemic, citing coronavirus concerns. But immigrant advocates and health experts argue it has no public health basis and instead puts migrants in harm's way. Tens of thousands of migrants continue to cross into the US each month, and officials say facilities are overwhelmed. Meanwhile, a government watchdog announced it is looking into a facility for unaccompanied migrant children at Fort Bliss in Texas following complaints that it felt more like a warehouse.” Read more at CNN
“The State Department is offering potential refugee status to new categories of Afghans who assisted the United States during the war in Afghanistan, including those who worked for news media and nongovernmental organizations.
The department said in an announcement Monday that the action was meant to protect Afghans ‘who may be at risk due to their US affiliation’ but who were not eligible for a special immigrant visa program that has begun to resettle thousands of Afghans and their family members.
The White House has been under heavy pressure to protect Afghans who worked with the US military over the past 20 years and who may be in danger from Taliban reprisals as the United States withdraws its troops from Afghanistan. As the Taliban make territorial gains around the country, Biden administration officials and prominent members of Congress have grown increasingly concerned about the threat to Afghans with ties to the United States.
The first planeload of more than 200 Afghan interpreters, drivers, and others who aided the US military arrived last week in the Washington area for resettlement as part of a government initiative under two congressionally devised special visa programs.” Read more at Boston Globe
“Air quality alerts remain in effect Tuesday in several states across the U.S. due to smoke from severe Western wildfires. On Monday, smoke was impacting air quality in portions of the interior Northwest, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming and the upper Midwest, the National Weather Service said. Wildfires emit huge volumes of microscopic smoke particles that researchers say can be harmful if breathed in and lead to both immediate and long-term health impacts. Despite firefighters making progress over the weekend containing some of the largest fires, authorities warned that the risk of flare-ups remained high due to unpredictable winds and dry conditions.” Read more at USA Today
“For the second time in a week, former President Donald Trump will put the strength of his political endorsements on the line on Tuesday. A Trump-backed congressional candidate in Ohio faces a crowded Republican primary, just days after another Trump-favored candidate lost a run-off election in Texas. A victory by coal industry lobbyist Mike Carey would give Trump a chance to reclaim a measure influence within the Republican Party; a defeat would trigger more questions about the real value of his endorsement. Carey is part of an 11-member Republican primary field that includes three members of the state legislature. They are vying to replace U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers, a Republican who retired from Congress to run the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.” Read more at USA Today
“In November 2019, Alexander Vindman's testified before the House Intelligence Committe about an explosive quid pro quo he said he had heard then-President Donald Trump offer Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. That testimony, probably the most significant of Trump's first impeachment hearing, catapulted Vindman into the public eye – and ultimately led to his being fired from his job on the National Security Council. Vindman details his side of the story in a new book, ‘Here, Right Matters’ to be published Tuesday by Harper Books. ‘The president was not held accountable for his actions,’ Vindman said in an interview with USA TODAY's Susan Page.” Read more at USA Today
Simone Biles shows off her bronze medal.LAURENCE GRIFFITHS/GETTY
“TOKYO — Simone Biles found something a little more manageable than the weight of the world.
Bronze.
The American gymnastics superstar earned her seventh Olympic medal and second in Tokyo with a third-place finish in the balance beam final on Tuesday, a week after she took herself out of several competitions to deal with a mental block that prevented her from twisting while performing.
Biles drilled a slightly watered-down version of her usual routine in front of a crowd that included IOC President Thomas Bach. The bronze — matching the one she captured in Rio de Janeiro five years ago — moved her into a tie with Shannon Miller for the most Olympic medals by an American gymnast.” Read more at Boston Globe
Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi shares the gold medal in the high jump yesterday with Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar. Photo: Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images
“Friends and rivals Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy and Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar ended up sharing gold yesterday in the men's high jump final.
It was an instantly iconic moment: The men were tied and officials explained to them they could have a jump-off to determine the winner. But Barshim asked the official, ‘Can we have two gold?’
The official could barely answer before Tamberi and Barshim exploded in celebration.
“Best race in Olympic history:' An inside look at the record-breaking duel between Rai Benjamin and Karsten Warholm in the 400-meter hurdles final.” Read more at USA Today
“The U.S. defeated Spain in men’s basketball, moving on to the semifinals. And the U.S. beach volleyball duo of April Ross and Alix Klineman are in the semifinals.” Read more at New York Times
“Laurel Hubbard, a weight lifter from New Zealand, became the first openly transgender woman to compete at the Olympics.” Read more at New York Times
Brittney Reese (USA) in the women's long jump final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Olympic Stadium.Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports
“Brittney Reese takes part in the women's long jump final during the Tokyo Olympics. Reese would win the silver medal, her third Olympic medal in the event.” Read more at USA Today
“110 million — The number of Covid-19 vaccine doses the U.S. has sent overseas so far, to 65 countries, according to the White House.
30% — The percentage increase in base pay for Goldman Sachs's entry-level employees—first-year analysts—to $110,000, from a previous starting salary of $85,000, according to a person familiar with the matter.
$10 million — The amount Ernst & Young will pay to settle a regulatory investigation into allegations that it improperly obtained confidential information in pursuit of a contract to audit a public company’s books.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Theranos patients: The emerging wild card in the trial of Elizabeth Holmes.
The government hopes patient testimony—if a judge allows it—in the closely watched criminal fraud trial will support the charge that Elizabeth Holmes touted the company’s medical tests as reliable despite knowing of bad results. The former executive has pleaded not guilty.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“The New York state attorney general’s investigation into sexual-harassment allegations against Gov. Andrew Cuomo has entered its final stages and is expected to wrap up this month, people familiar with the inquiry said.
Investigators questioned the Democratic governor in his Manhattan office on July 17, and have since conducted follow-up interviews with at least two of his accusers, some of the people said. Last week, several outside attorneys working on the attorney general’s probe toured the Executive Mansion and the governor’s office suite at the state Capitol—the sites of some of the alleged harassment under investigation, two of the people said.
Mr. Cuomo requested the investigation in March after two former aides said he sexually harassed them in the workplace. Other women subsequently made accusations, including a current employee who said the governor groped her breast during an encounter at the Mansion—an accusation that Mr. Cuomo has denied.
Mr. Cuomo has denied he touched anybody inappropriately and apologized if his behavior made anybody uncomfortable.
High-level Democrats have joined Republicans in calling for Mr. Cuomo to step down, but he has remained in office, arguing that he should be afforded due process by the investigation. The findings of the probe are likely to revive debate about Mr. Cuomo’s ability to continue in office and to affect his expected bid for a fourth term next year. They will also be considered as part of a broader impeachment investigation being conducted by the New York state Assembly, lawmakers said.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Amazon warehouse workers in Alabama may get a second chance to form the company’s first union, after a US labor board official recommended a rerun of a landmark vote that failed to pass in April.
An official at the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) determined Amazon’s tactics against unionization tainted the election sufficiently to warrant a do-over. Workers had voted by a margin of 2-1 not to form a union in what was viewed as a huge blow to labor advocates seeking to organize Amazon, the second-largest employer in the country.
In the coming weeks, a regional director for the NLRB will decide whether to order the rerun based on this recommendation, according to an official with the board who spoke with Reuters on Monday and asked not to be named. Amazon said it planned to appeal.” Read more at The Guardian
“Lives Lived: George Forss was selling his photographs of New York City for $5 on the sidewalks when a renowned photojournalist discovered his work and took up his cause. Forss died at 80.” Read more at New York Times
“The leader of an organization helping Belarusians flee the country has been found dead a day after he went missing. Ukrainian authorities have launched a criminal case into what they called a suspected premeditated murder. Belarus had already come under international scrutiny in recent days after an Olympic sprinter from the country alleged she was being forcibly removed from the Tokyo Games and told to head home against her will. She got a humanitarian visa from Poland yesterday after refusing to board a flight back. Belarus has been in turmoil since last year, when its longtime leader declared victory in a disputed election, leading to mass protests and a violent crackdown.” Read more at CNN
“Global liquidity. The International Monetary Fund is set to allocate $650 billion of its special drawing rights (SDR) to shore up finances of poorer countries hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The assets will be allocated based on the size of a member nation’s economy, but plans are already in place to encourage richer countries to funnel their SDRs to countries more in need.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Big companies are considering permanently cutting travel to slash costs and carbon emissions, Erica Pandey writes for Axios What's Next.
Why it matters: Business travel is a massive part of the global economy — with trillions of dollars and millions of jobs at airlines, hotels and travel agencies hinging on its return.
Corporate travel is projected to remain at 30% of 2019 levels by the end of 2021, according to a Deloitte survey of travel managers.
76% of surveyed companies say they're going online for internal meetings that used to require flying.
Some parts of business travel are expected to bounce back, including conferences and trade shows.
The bottom line: Ya can't network on Zoom.” Read more at Axios
“President Biden and his top aides are rebuffing activists who want the White House to pressure Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to retire, sources with direct knowledge of the situation tell Jonathan Swan.
Behind the scenes: Both Biden and White House chief of staff Ron Klain believe applying such pressure — publicly or even privately — would politicize and damage the institution of the Supreme Court.
They're also afraid it could backfire.
Why it matters: Anxiety is rising on the left about Breyer, who turns 83 on Aug. 15 and has shown no inclination to vacate his seat for a younger liberal justice.
Progressives have PTSD about Ruth Bader Ginsburg's fateful decision to hang on through the Obama era. She died during Donald Trump's presidency, giving Republicans the power to choose her replacement.
Biden would be perfectly happy if Breyer chooses to step down soon.
But the president and Klain disagree strongly with progressive activists who are urging a presidential pressure campaign on Breyer to retire, according to sources with direct knowledge.
They also think it's tactically stupid. They believe that pressuring Breyer could cause the justice to stay in his job longer to prove he's unmoved by political interference.
Breyer appears to be relishing his new role as the court's most senior liberal justice. It's far from clear that he would give this up because of presidential pressure.
A White House spokesman, Andrew Bates, said: ‘The president's view is that any considerations about potential retirements are solely and entirely up to justices themselves.’
State of play: Most Democrats in Congress — even staunch progressive senators like Elizabeth Warren — have held back from publicly calling for Breyer to retire.
Public pressure on Breyer has come mainly from advocacy groups. The most aggressive has been Demand Justice, led by Brian Fallon, a former spokesman for Obama's Attorney General Eric Holder.
Demand Justice first called for Breyer to step down in January. The group has run an online petition and digital ads, and hired a billboard truck to circle the Supreme Court.
Fallon told Axios: ‘For Democrats to sit on their hands and be content to potentially watch a slow-motion replay of the RBG situation play out just goes to show the folly of our party's passive approach to the courts over the years.’” Read more at Axios