5 things to know for August 4: Coronavirus, Andrew Cuomo, housing, Afghanistan, India

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By Dominic Rech, CNN

It could be February before all eligible Americans get at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, according to CNN analysis of CDC data.

Here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

(You can also get “5 Things You Need to Know Today” delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)

1. Coronavirus 

New York City will require proof of vaccination to enter all restaurants, fitness centers and indoor entertainment venues, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced. “If you’re unvaccinated, unfortunately, you will not be able to participate in many things,” he said. Countries in Europe have rolled out similar measures and incentives to try to get people vaccinated. New York’s move comes as a surge of Covid-19 — fueled by the Delta variant and low vaccination rates — is sending the US backward in the pandemic, with hospitalizations reaching wintertime levels. Covid-19 cases in children and teens just jumped 84% in a week, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported. The Delta variant is also wreaking havoc in China and across Africa. China is grappling with its worst outbreak in months and introducing mass travel restrictions, while deaths in Africa surged by 80% in a month.

2. Gov. Andrew Cuomo

New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women and created a “hostile” work environment for women, a report released by the state attorney general said. Investigators said they found a “pattern” of inappropriate behavior by Cuomo, which included both “unwanted” touching and comments of a “suggestive and sexual nature.” President Biden said Cuomo should resign. State legislators in both parties vehemently condemned Cuomo’s conduct, with the investigation prompting renewed calls for his impeachment. Cuomo denies the allegations and has shown no willingness to resign over them. “I want you to know directly from me that I never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances,” Cuomo said. CNN anchor Chris Cuomo’s role in his brother’s inner circle, which raises questions about journalistic ethics, is also detailed in the report.

3. Housing 

The CDC has issued a fresh stop to certain evictions, saying that evicting people could be detrimental to public health and interfere with efforts to slow the pandemic. The new moratorium comes after Biden and his administration called on Congress to extend the prior one, setting off fury among members of his own party. The new ban applies to parts of the country with high or substantial transmission of Covid-19 and will last until October 3. Even if this new moratorium isn’t legal or sustainable, crushing humanitarian and political pressure left Biden no choice but to take a chance on it, CNN’s Stephen Collinson writes. The expiration of the original eviction moratorium left millions of Americans struggling to pay rent in the pandemic in the lurch.

4. Afghanistan  

A car bomb exploded yesterday near the home of Afghanistan’s acting defense minister in Kabul. The blast went off close to Bismillah Mohammadi’s residence, where four assailants were also killed by Afghan security, a defense ministry spokesman said. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. Earlier Tuesday, an Afghan army commander had urged people in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province, to leave their homes if the Taliban was active in their area. “We won’t spare the Taliban alive at any cost,” he said. Concerns keep mounting over the civilian toll of the militant group’s advance on some of the country’s biggest cities. In recent days, the US has ramped up airstrikes on Taliban positions to try to halt militants’ advances. A US defense official detailed a deteriorating situation, telling CNN: “It’s not going well.”

5. India 

Hundreds protested today in the Indian capital Delhi for the fourth day straight as outrage continues to build over the alleged rape and murder of a 9-year-old girl from one of India’s most oppressed castes. Protesters marched holding signs demanding accountability for the girl’s death. “We want justice,” they chanted, with placards that read: “Justice for India’s daughter.” The parents of the girl attended the protests as well. Her mother sobbed and screamed, at times calling out for her daughter to “come back.” Police are investigating the crime as an incident of caste violence and have arrested four men alleged to be involved in the girl’s death. Some protesters yesterday burned effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as anger grew over his silence on the issue and the perceived failure of the government to protect young girls.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Archaeological ‘treasures’ include (really) old fruit 

If you thought eating an overripe banana was bad, you might want to steer clear of this 2,400-year-old discovery.

Vaccine developer gets a Barbie doll 

How can you honor someone who innovates a Covid-19 vaccine? Well, with a Barbie doll, obviously (navy pantsuit included).

The ‘Venom’ sequel trailer is here 

This one isn’t for the fainthearted.

Dramatic scenes from the Olympic velodrome 

Sometimes, things in life boil over. Especially when the pressure is high. Case in point: The bizarre confrontation that ensued when Denmark and Great Britain cyclists collided at Tokyo 2020.

Machu Picchu is older than previously thought

The Inca citadel wasn’t built in 1450, for your information. It was actually decades earlier, according to a new study.

OLYMPICS UPDATE

If you thought the velodrome fallout wasn’t feisty enough, it turns out badminton can get heated, too. South Korea plans to pursue a formal complaint after a Chinese Olympian repeatedly swore during a match.

Follow the latest Olympic updates and highlights here.

TODAY’S NUMBER

$15 trillion

That’s just about what US household debt soared to in the last quarter. A surge in credit card spending and home purchases caused US household debt to increase by $313 billion, or 2.1%, in the second quarter, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. In total, American consumers held $14.96 trillion in debt at the end of June.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“What I saw on 4 August killed my heart.”

It’s been one year since the devastating blast that tore through Beirut, Lebanon. Samia Doughan, who lost her husband in the port explosion, recalls the horrors from one of the largest nonnuclear blasts in history.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY

Meet Dominator, the domino robot with a new record 

Watch this unusual robot attempt a world record by laying 100,000 dominoes in around 24 hours. Oh, and it’s Mario-themed. (Click here to view.)

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