| 1 big thing: Experts fear Olympics will be a superspreader
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
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Infectious disease experts say the Tokyo Olympics
don't have strong enough protocols for testing or ventilation, either in
competition venues or in the Olympic village, Axios health care editor
Tina Reed reports. The IOC's playbook
calls for attendees to physically distance themselves from others, to
wear masks, and to get tested daily. They are also required to use a
location-enabled contact tracing app on their smartphones. - But it'll be too easy
for cases to slip through the cracks and then spread, said Annie
Sparrow, a professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Hospital.
- "What about the workers, the
volunteers, the bus drivers exposed for 14 to 16 hours a day who are
going into the village and then going back home to their families?" said
Sparrow, who helped advise the WNBA through the pandemic.
The experts said the IOC's final playbook fails to distinguish the risks posed in contact sports or those that occur indoors. - Some IOC suggestions —
athletes should open windows in the Olympic Village every 30 minutes —
aren't supported by science, said Michael Osterholm, infectious disease
expert at the University of Minnesota.
- Share this story.
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2. Biden to GOP: "Have you no shame?"
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Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images In one of his clearest attacks on
his predecessor (without mentioning his name), President Biden said
yesterday at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia: "Bullies
and merchants of fear and peddlers of lies are threatening the very
foundation of our country." - "We're facing the
most significant test of our democracy since the Civil War," Biden
continued. "That’s not hyperbole. Since the Civil War. The Confederates
back then never breached the Capitol as insurrectionists did on January
the 6th."
What I'm hearing: I got calls and
texts asking me why this wasn't a prime-time address. Some Biden allies
now want him to re-up it as an address to the nation.  A source tells me this isn't Biden's last speech on this topic.
Go deeper: Full text of the speech.
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3. Why cars drive inflation
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
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Inflation is at its highest level since 2008, thanks in very large part to a single item whose price has been going through the roof: Cars. - Used car and truck rental prices
rose 12% in June, and 88% from the year before. Used car prices were up
11% in June and 45% from a year ago, while new car prices were up 2%
and 5%, respectively.
There are strong indications — including data
last week from prominent used car marketplace Manheim — that the
unprecedented rise in auto prices is peaking, Axios' Felix Salmon writes. - So if you're in the market for a car and can wait a few months, you should probably do that.
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Data: Cox Automotive; Chart: Axios Visuals What's happening: The
cause has been a shortage of new cars, which results from a shortage of
the computer chips needed to make any modern car run. - New-car prices haven't risen enormously — sticker prices are sticky, it turns out.
- But the new-car shortage has meant that car-rental companies, faced with booming demand, have become buyers rather than sellers of second-hand vehicles, upending the market's normal delicate balance.
Share this story.
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A message from Facebook
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The internet has changed a lot since 1996 - internet regulations should too
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It's been 25 years since comprehensive internet regulations passed. See why we support updated regulations on key issues, including: - Protecting people’s privacy.
- Enabling safe and easy data portability between platforms.
- Preventing election interference.
- Reforming Section 230.
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4.  Pic du jour: New anti-racism symbol
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Photo: Jon Super/AP
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In Manchester, England, street artist Akse P19
repairs his mural of Marcus Rashford, which was defaced with bigoted
graffiti after the 23-year-old missed a penalty kick in Sunday's Euro
final. - Now, Rashford's hometown mural is covered with hundreds of messages of support and consolation. (BBC)
Go deeper.
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5. Inclusion now a factor for site selection
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Data: CNBC. Table: Axios Visuals The cost of doing business
(including tax climate and incentives) and vitality of infrastructure
(transportation systems) took on bigger weight in this reopening edition
of CNBC's annual "Top States for Business." - CNBC rated states on 85 metrics, including a new category — Life, Health and Inclusion.
See the full list. ... Read the methodology.
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6. Cuba cracks down on internet
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Data: Axios analysis of NetBlocks reports through Feb. 2021; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios Cuba has restricted access to
WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and some Telegram servers in the wake of
the largest anti-government protests in decades, Axios' Ina Fried reports, citing internet watchdog NetBlocks. - Why it matters: Authoritarian governments have increasingly turned to partial or complete internet shutdowns as a response to political unrest.
 Listen to Axios Latino author Marina Franco discuss the latest developments out of Cuba on the Axios Today podcast.
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7. Decoding Biden's ambassadors
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L.A.
Mayor Eric Garcetti, shown at the White House on July 2 celebrating the
Dodgers' World Series win, was nominated July 9 to be ambassador to
India. Photo: Julio Cortez/AP President Biden's picks for ambassador show he's trying to buck up a State Department that felt disrespected in the Trump years, writes Axios politics editor Glen Johnson, author of "Window Seat on the World: My Travels with the Secretary of State." - Biden's nominees so far, a mix of career servants and political supporters, come as a relief to a Foreign Service that has been shaken by cuts.
Biden yesterday packaged his announcement
of former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake for ambassador to Turkey with the
nomination of Kent Logsdon — previously deputy chief of mission in
Berlin, and trip planner for former Secretary of State John Kerry — for
ambassador to Moldova. - Biden ping-ponged between several other political and career announcements, too.
Flake was a Biden colleague in the Senate. As a Republican, Flake allows the president to exhibit some bipartisanship. - Last month, Biden nominated Cindy McCain to be ambassador to the Rome-based UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture.
Share this story.
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8.  Donors give early for midterms
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Republicans' House campaign arm is putting up huge
fundraising numbers as the party seeks to win back control of the lower
chamber in the midterms, Axios' Lachlan Markay reports. - The NRCC's June
fundraising figures topped $20 million, and its total for the second
quarter was more than $45 million — a record quarterly haul during a
year without a national election.
- House Dems' DCCC raised $14.4 million in June, bringing its second-quarter total to $36.5 million — its best-ever Q2.
Between the lines: GOP fundraising has been bolstered by former President Trump, whose name continues to dominate fundraising pleas, AP reports.
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9. Historic All-Star game
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Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
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Players on both sides climbed to the dugout rails to watch L.A. Angels sensation Shohei Ohtani, age 27 (above), who became the first two-way All-Star — both a pitcher and a position player (designated hitter). - Ohtani's 100 mph heat
and perfect first inning made him the winning pitcher before the
near-capacity 49,184 crowd at Coors Field in Denver, The Denver Post reports.
- The AL beat the NL (5-2) for the eighth consecutive time — its 20th win in the past 24 games.
Go deeper: Everyone hated the uniforms, which looked like jumpsuits or pajamas.
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10. 1 cool thing: Airbnb for pools
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Swimply lets owners list when their pool is available for interested swimmers to rent by the hour, Axios Twin Cities' Audrey Kennedy writes. - Depending on the pool, renters can bring between 10 and 25 guests.
- Typical prices range from $30 to $45/hour (and include WiFi access).
What's next: Swimply is building a waiting list for JoySpace,
which will offer per-hour use of private basketball courts, tennis
courts, hot tubs, home gyms, docked boats, home studios and "majestic
backyards."
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A message from Facebook
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Why Facebook supports updated internet regulations
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2021 is the 25th anniversary of the Telecommunications Act of 1996,
the last major update to internet regulation. It’s time for an update to
set clear rules for addressing today's toughest challenges. See how we’re taking action on key issues and why we support updated internet regulations. |
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