Viral News: A month after President Biden’s target date, the US reached the goal of 70 percent of the population vaccinated against Covid-19.

  The vaccination campaign was set back by reluctance and resistance by some in the population — particularly some states — and by the arrival of the more contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus.

  It’s not a magic bullet. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham announced he’s tested positive for Covid-19, but that his symptoms are mild, which he attributes to having been vaccinated. “I am very glad I was vaccinated because without vaccination I am certain I would not feel as well as I do now,” the conservative Republican, wrote on Twitter. “My symptoms would be far worse.”

Real Money: A billion here, a billion there. President Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill has been introduced to the Senate. It calls for $550 billion in new spending over the next five years.

  Here’s just some of what’s in it:

• Roads, bridges, major projects: $110 billion 
• Passenger and freight rail: $66 billion 
• Public transit: $39 billion 
• Airports: $25 billion 
• Ports: $17 billion 
• Zero, low emission, and electric vehicle transportation: $15 billion 
• Broadband: $65 billion 
• Power infrastructure: $73 billion 
• Clean drinking water: $55 billion 

Inside Job: The widow of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse

told CNN that the security team of 30-50 men disappeared the night of July 7^th when their home was invaded by assassins speaking Spanish.

  Martine Moïse was wounded as gunmen entered the home, her elbow and forearm shattered by bullets. She said she and her husband tried to hide under the bed, but about a dozen gunmen entered the room.

  She said they were looking for something specific. “They came to the room to find something, because I heard them saying, ‘No es eso, no es eso — eso es’ (in Spanish: ‘That’s not it, that’s not it — that’s it’). Which means they found what they were looking for.”

  Then one of them made a phone call, she said, confirming the identity of the president, and shot him as he lay on the floor. Mrs. Moïse said she believes she was left for dead.

The Spin Rack: A flood of tenant evictions might follow the expiration of the federal eviction moratorium. President Biden is being criticized for allowing the ban to expire and at the same time he’s calling on the states to speed up the delivery of rental relief money and lay down eviction restrictions of their own. — The Biden administration is leaving in place the pandemic public health rule that allows the US to turn away hundreds of thousands of migrants seeking refuge. — Former President Donald Trump plans to fight the release of his tax returns to Congress. A lawyer representing him said, “We’re going to fight this tooth and nail.” — Microsoft magnate Bill Gates and his wife Melina have finalized their divorce. She walks away with billions. — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sat for 11 hours of grilling on July 17 by the state attorney general’s office investigating complaints of sexual harassment against him. The proceedings were kept private but we can assume the gov said behind closed doors what he says in public, “I didn’t do it.”

Five Ring Roundup: Gymnast Simone Biles returned to Olympic competition possibly one last time to win bronze on the balance beam. Considered the greatest gymnast of all time, she had pulled out of all other competitions saying her mind and focus were not right. “I wasn’t expecting to medal,” Biles said. “To have one more opportunity to be at the Olympics meant the world to me.”

  Kevin Durant scored 29 points in the US defeat of Spain to lead the US into the basketball finals.

   The springy surface of the new running track in Tokyo is producing records. Among them is the Olympic record for the 100 meter dash, set at 10.60 seconds Saturday night by Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica.

  Even the rest of the pack was running faster that previous Olympic winners.

  On Sunday Lamont Marcell Jacobs of Italy set an even more stunning record of  9.80 seconds in the Olympic 100, passing Usain Bolt as the world’s fastest human. 

  Transgender weight lifter Laurel Hubbard from New Zealand was knocked out of the women’s 87+ kilogram competition after failing on all three of her attempts.

  Her appearance in the Olympics has caused some discussion about transgender athletes. She didn’t transition until age 35 and now at 43, she was b the oldest of the 13 finalists. She thanked the Olympic committee and said it’s “been extraordinarily supportive and I think that they have reaffirmed the principles of the Olympics that sport is something that all people around the world can do, that it is inclusive and successful.” 

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