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Axios-Ipsos poll: The blame game

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Data: Axios/Ipsos Poll; Chart: Connor Rothschild/Axios

Americans place the most blame for rising COVID-19 cases and the spread of new variants on the unvaccinated, people from other nations traveling to the U.S. and Donald Trump, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

Why it matters: The findings expose a surreal gap between the views of the vaccinated and the unvaccinated, showing how tough getting to herd immunity could be — and providing new evidence that mandates could make a difference.

Updated 2 hours ago - Sports

In photos: Tokyo Olympics day 11 highlights

Jrue Holiday, #12 of Team USA, drives to the basket against Spain during their men's basketball quarterfinal on day 11 of the Olympic Games at Saitama Super Arena on Aug. 3 in Saitama, Japan. Holiday scored 12 points for the U.S. during the game. Photo: Charlie Neibergall - Pool/Getty Images

Day 11 of the Tokyo Olympic Games saw Norway's Karsten Warholm smash the world record in the 400-meter hurdles — and so did the second-placed American Rai Benjamin on Tuesday.

Of note: In men's basketball, Team USA overcame a tough challenge from Spain to win 95-81 and advance to the semifinals — with Kevin Durant scoring 29 points for the Americans.

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Catch up quick on the Olympics every weekday with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Updated 2 hours ago - Technology

Study: Social media giants failing to remove most antisemitic posts

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaking virtually during a March House Energy and Commerce Subcommittees hearing on a laptop computer in Tiskilwa, Illinois. Photo: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Five social media giants failed to remove 84% of antisemitic posts in May and June — and Facebook performed the worst despite announcing new rules to tackle the problem, a new report finds.

Driving the news: The Center for Countering Digital Hatred (CCDH) notes in its study that it reported 714 posts containing "anti-Jewish hatred" to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and TikTok — which were collectively viewed 7.3 million times. These "clearly violated" company policies, according to the CCDH.

Updated 4 hours ago - Sports

Olympics dashboard

Team USA's Simone Biles watching the women's uneven bars final at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday. Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

🚨: Simone Biles will compete in her final Olympic event

🪧: Raven Saunders says U.S. athletes planned "X" protests "for weeks"

🇺🇸: Former dancer Valarie Allman wins U.S. 1st Olympic track and field gold

🏅: Norwegian gold medalist, U.S. silver medalist smash men's 400m hurdles world record

🏋️‍♀️: Transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard: "It gets better"

📷: In photos: Tokyo Olympics day 11 highlights

🏳️‍⚧️: Axios at the Olympics: Games grapple with trans athletesTrans athletes see the Tokyo Games as a watershed moment

Go deeper: Full Axios coverage

Raven Saunders: U.S. athletes planned "X" protests "for weeks"

Team USA's Raven Saunders makes an "X'" gesture during the medal ceremony for the women's shot put at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday. Photo: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Raven Saunders, the American Olympian facing a possible investigation for making a protest gesture on the podium over the weekend, told the New York Times Monday that U.S. athletes had planned "for weeks" to demonstrate against oppression.

Why it matters: Protests are banned at the Tokyo Games. Saunders told the NYT a group of American Olympians had settled on the "X" symbol, which she gestured on the podium after winning silver in the shot put Sunday, to represent "unity with oppressed people."

Ina Fried, author of Login
Updated 7 hours ago - Sports

Transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard: "It gets better"

New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard became the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Olympics. Ina Fried/Axios

Laurel Hubbard, speaking to reporters after becoming the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Olympics, on Tuesday expressed gratitude for the opportunity to compete as an athlete and convince transgender people to work through adversity.

What she's saying: "All I have ever really wanted as an athlete is just to be regarded as an athlete," Hubbard, said in response to a question from Axios. "I suppose the thing I have been so grateful here in Tokyo is just being given those opportunities to just go through life as any other athlete."

Amazon may have violated law in Alabama warehouse vote, NLRB says

The Amazon BHM1 fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama. Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer, Alabama, should hold a new election to determine whether to unionize with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, the National Labor Relations Board said in a preliminary finding Monday.

Details: The e-commerce giant may have illegally interfered in a mail-in election tallied in April on whether workers at the plant should unionize, per a statement from an NLRB hearing officer assigned to the case. Amazon said it would appeal any ruling stipulating that a second vote should take place.

CDC extends policy allowing fast-track deportations

Photo: Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty Images

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday extended a controversial Trump-era policy that expels migrants to prevent the spread of COVID.

Why it matters: The Biden administration has faced backlash for retaining the Title 42 policy, which allows border officials to turn back migrant families to Mexico without the chance for asylum. The ACLU on Monday asked a court to end the administration's use of Title 42.

Evictions lead to rare clash between the White House and Dems

Demonstrators listen as Rep. Cori Bush, a Democrat from Missouri, right, speaks at the U.S. Capitol during a protest against the expiration of the eviction moratorium. Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The White House and Democratic leaders have been dueling — publicly and privately — over who should take responsibility for extending an eviction moratorium that could protect millions of people on the verge of homelessness.

Why it matters: It's a rare moment of dysfunction between the usually-in-lockstep Biden team and congressional leadership.

Updated 14 hours ago - Health

Sen. Lindsey Graham tests positive for COVID-19

Lindsey Graham. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Monday that he has tested positive for COVID-19, despite being vaccinated.

Why it matters: Graham emphasized that the mildness of his symptoms is due to being vaccinated. If he had been unvaccinated his symptoms would be "far worse," he said.

Updated 15 hours ago - World

U.S. consulting with U.K., Romania and Israel on response to alleged Iran attack

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, President Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The British and Romanian governments summoned the Iranian ambassadors to London and Bucharest on Monday to protest last week's drone strike on an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, which both countries have attributed to Iran.

The latest: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a briefing Monday that the U.S. is consulting with the U.K., Romania and Israel to prepare a collective response to the alleged Iranian attack.

Pelosi urges White House to reinstate expired eviction moratorium

Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is urging President Biden and his administration to renew and extend the eviction moratorium after the House failed to secure enough votes to pass legislation to prevent its lapse.

Why it matters: Millions of tenants across the country face the threat of eviction after the moratorium expired this weekend.

Cuomo urges private businesses to move to "vaccine-only admission"

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Monday called for private businesses to incentivize getting vaccinated against the coronavirus by instituting "vaccine-only admission."

Why it matters: The Delta variant is driving up COVID-19 cases around the country, but deaths and hospitalizations are overwhelmingly occurring in unvaccinated people.

Crypto industry faces $30 billion tax threat from infrastructure bill

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

It's finally "Infrastructure Week" and Congress is hammering out the details of a $1 trillion bill inching closer to the finish line. But one area that could face unpleasant consequences from the bill is cryptocurrencies.

Why it matters: Nearly $30 billion in taxes from cryptocurrency transactions, as part of the bill's "pay-fors," is at stake.

Square to acquire "buy now, pay later" company Afterpay

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

Square has agreed to acquire Afterpay, an Australian company in the "buy now, pay later" (BNPL) category, for $29 billion.

Why it matters: This is Square's second big-ticket acquisition this year (after Tidal), showing that it's not shy when it comes to bold moves to expand its business lines.

Updated 21 hours ago - Sports

Laurel Hubbard becomes first openly trans woman to compete at Olympics

Laurel Hubbard. Photo: Stanislav Krasilnikov\TASS via Getty Images

New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard made history on Monday as the first openly transgender female athlete to compete at the Olympics.

Why it matters: The presence of trans and nonbinary athletes at this year's Games has been celebrated by LGBTQ+ rights advocates, but stirred controversy among critics, who argue trans women have an unfair advantage even after taking hormones to lower their testosterone.

Index fund investors saved $357 billion over last 25 years

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Investors who’ve opted to passively track the stock market haven’t just outperformed most active fund managers. They’ve also saved a ton of money in fees while doing it.

Why it matters: There are loads of active fund managers aiming to beat the returns of funds that track indexes like the S&P 500.

22 hours ago - Sports

U.S. gymnast Jade Carey wins Olympic gold in floor exercise final

Jade Carey. Photo: Jeff Pachoud/AFP via Getty Images

American gymnast Jade Carey won Olympic gold in the individual floor exercise final on Monday.

The big picture: Italy’s Vanessa Ferrari won silver and Japan's Mai Murakami and Russian Angelina Melnikova tied for bronze.

Updated 22 hours ago - Sports

Poland grants humanitarian visa to Belarus sprinter

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya of Belarus in 2019. Photo: Ivan Romano/Getty Images

Poland has granted a humanitarian visa to Belarusian Olympian Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, who claims she was taken to the Tokyo airport against her will after criticizing Belarusian coaches, Poland's deputy foreign minister confirmed Monday.

The latest: An activist group called the Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation told AP that it had bought Tsimanouskaya a ticket to Warsaw for Aug. 4.

22 hours ago - World

U.S. expands Afghan refugee program as Taliban violence escalates

The American flag is reflected on the windows of the U.S. embassy building in Kabul on July 30, 2021. Photo: Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images

The State Department announced Monday it is expanding grants of eligibility for refugee status in the U.S. for at-risk Afghans, citing an increase in violence by the Taliban ahead of the U.S. military's total withdrawal.

Why it matters: The Biden administration has faced pressure to do more to help Afghans who assisted the U.S. military over the course of the two-decade war. The expansion will allow thousands more Afghans and their family members to apply for permanent refugee resettlement, according to the State Department.

23 hours ago - Technology
Column / Tech Agenda

The push for a "PBS for the internet"

Photo illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios. Photos: Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

The concept of a new media ecosystem that's non-profit, publicly funded and tech-infused is drawing interest in policy circles as a way to shift the power dynamics in today's information wars.

Why it matters: Revamping the structure and role of public media could be part of the solution to shoring up local media, decentralizing the distribution of quality news, and constraining Big Tech platforms' amplification of harmful or false information.

23 hours ago - Economy & Business

Why hybrid work is the enemy of change

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Companies around the world are responding to the pandemic-induced rise of telework by transitioning to a hybrid of in-person and remote work. But that model is inherently flawed, experts say.

The big picture: Employers haven't been clear with their definitions of hybrid work — whether it means the workforce is hybrid or the workweek is hybrid — and that hasn't allowed workers to make the big changes to their lifestyles that flexible work should allow.

23 hours ago - Sports

U.S. women's soccer team loses to Canada, ending chances at gold

Tobin Heath the United States looks on during the Women's quarterfinal match with the Netherlands. Photo: Francois Nel/Getty Images.

The U.S. women's soccer team lost 1-0 to eighth-ranked Canada in the Olympics semifinals on Monday, ending its chances at winning a gold medal in Tokyo.

Why it matters: The loss marks the second straight Olympics the U.S. team will not play in the gold medal match. The team was knocked out by Sweden in the quarterfinals during the Rio Games in 2016.

Updated 24 hours ago - Sports

The Olympic events to watch today

Laurel Hubbard. Photo: Dan Mullan/Getty Images

5 events to watch today...
  • Women's soccer: The U.S. takes on Canada in the semifinals at 4 a.m. ET on USA Network (Watch the replay at 8 p.m. on NBC). Sweden meets Australia at 7 a.m. ET in the second semifinal match on USA Network.
  • Baseball: The U.S. plays Japan in round two of the knockout stage. The winner will move straight to the semifinals. The game starts at 6 a.m. ET on NBC Sports.
  • 🏋️‍♀️ Women's weightlifting: New Zealand's Laurel Hubbard is set to make history as the first openly transgender athlete to compete at the Olympics. Watch Hubbard and others in Group A of the women's 87+ kg, including American Sarah Robles, starting at 6:50 a.m. on nbcolympics.com.
  • 🏐Beach volleyball: The first match of the women's beach volleyball quarterfinals start 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
  • 🤸 Gymnastics: Watch the replay of men's rings and vault event finals, as well as American Jade Carey compete in the women's floor final starting at 8 p.m. on Peacock.

The tea leaves of Boston's historic mayoral race

(Clockwise from top left) Boston City Council President Andrea Campbell; Acting  Mayor Kim Janey; At-large Councilor Annissa Essaibi George; and former City Council President Michelle Wu. Photos: Getty Images

For the first time in history, a white man is not in serious contention to be the next mayor of Boston, a city with a checkered racial history.

Why it matters: The face of Democratic Party politics has changed, with more women and people of color running and winning races. As high-profile races like Boston's — and New York's — attract multiple people of color in a primary, some candidates say that allows for more ideological diversity, as well.

Column / Harder Line

Rising gasoline prices signal trouble for climate change action

Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios

Cutting oil production before we cut our demand for oil could undermine much of the progress that needs to be made on climate change.

Why it matters: If companies cut back on producing oil but consumers don’t cut back on consuming it, demand will exceed supply and prices will shoot up. That’s bad for our pocketbooks and risks the transition to cleaner energy.

Ina Fried, author of Login
Aug 2, 2021 - Sports

Elite trans athletes decry youth sports bans

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

TOKYO — While transgender inclusion in elite sports presents some challenging issues, bans on participation in youth sports are simply about hate and cruelty, several top trans athletes told Axios this week.

The big picture: Lawmakers in more than half of the states have considered such bans, and they have been signed into law in at least eight states, though legal challenges remain.

Aug 2, 2021 - Health

The double-sided risk of bad vaccine communication

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

The public conversation around who's at risk as the Delta variant continues to spread in the U.S. has gone off the rails, and it's very possible that it will just get worse.

What we're watching: Even as experts and officials try to put vaccinated Americans' risk in context, the world is still gathering data on the vaccines' effectiveness. Reassuring the majority of vaccinated Americans they d0n't need to freak out could backfire if it causes those who are at risk to let down their guard.

The case for climate change realism

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

It’s getting harder and harder to communicate the two essential realities of human-caused climate change: that our failure to slow and eventually stop it is contributing to devastating human suffering all over the world, and that it’s not too late to act.

The big picture: Experts have long told climate communicators —including scientists, journalists and politicians — that disaster porn immobilizes people, leaving them cowering in a corner. You've got to give them a sense of hope, the research shows.

Updated Aug 2, 2021 - Sports

Simone Biles will compete in her final Olympic event

Team USA's Simone Biles watches the Women's uneven bars final from the stands at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre on the ninth day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo: Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images

Simone Biles will compete in the Olympic individual balance beam final, USA Gymnastics announced Monday.

Why it matters: This is Biles' last chance to add to her Olympic medals count, after she withdrew from five Tokyo Games gymnastics events to focus on her mental well-being.

In photos: Tokyo Olympics day 10 highlights

Puerto Rico's Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (L) wins ahead of American Kendra Harrison in the women's 100m hurdles final during the Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on August 2, 2021. Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images

Day 10 of the Tokyo Olympic Games saw Puerto Rico bag its first-ever track gold medal when Jasmine Camacho-Quinn beat American world record holder Kendra Harrison to win the women’s 100-meter hurdles Monday.

The big picture: There was better news for the U.S. in the basketball, where the women's team beat France 93-82. The U.S. is entering the medal round undefeated, Axios' Ina Fried reports from Tokyo. France still advanced to the quarterfinals.

Updated Aug 2, 2021 - Sports

IOC "looking into" American Raven Saunders' Olympic podium gesture

Team USA's Raven Saunders gestures on the podium with her silver medal after competing in the women's shot put event during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on Sunday. Photo: Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images

The International Olympic Committee is "looking into" U.S. shot-putter Raven Saunders' gesture on the Tokyo Games podium after she won a silver medal, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams told reporters Monday.

Why it matters: Saunders told AP she placed her hands above her head in an "X" formation while on the podium to stand up for "oppressed" people. The IOC has banned protests during the Tokyo Games.

Aug 2, 2021 - World

New Zealand Human Rights Commission launches housing crisis investigation

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Housing Minister Megan Woods view inside the Flatbush Salvation Army Housing development on June 3, 2021 in Auckland, New Zealand, as they open two new public housing developments in June. Photo: Phil Walter/Getty Images

New Zealand's Human Rights Commission launched a national inquiry into the country's housing crisis.

Why it matters: While NZ is one of the world's wealthiest nations, it's an expensive place to live. Human Rights Commission chief Paul Hunt noted in a statement: "Successive governments have failed New Zealanders," resulting in a "massive human rights failure."

Updated Aug 2, 2021 - Sports

Olympic sprint champ Jacobs: Reconnecting with U.S. dad "gave me desire" to win

Italy's Lamont Marcell Jacobs celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the men's 100m final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on Sunday. Photo: Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images

Italy's surprise 100-meters Olympic gold medalist Lamont Marcell Jacobs opened up Sunday about how reconnecting with his American father over the past year has helped spur him on.

What he's saying: The Texas-born sprinter told reporters after setting a European record of 9.80 seconds to win gold in Sunday's event that getting back in touch with his father "gave me the desire, the speed, that something more that helped me being here and win the Olympics."

Aug 2, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Bipartisan Senate group releases $1 trillion infrastructure bill

Members of the bipartisan infrastructure group during a press conference. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

A bipartisan group of senators released full legislative text for their roughly $1 trillion "hard" infrastructure bill late Sunday night, setting it up for debate on the floor this week.

Why it matters: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) kept senators in town for a rare legislative weekend in order to formally begin debate on the 2,702-page bill. Now the Senate can begin a potentially days-long amendment process before a final vote as early as this week.

Updated Aug 2, 2021 - Health

Florida sets new COVID hospitalization record as cases spike

Nurses bring a portable x-ray machine to a treatment tent outside the emergency department at Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, Florida, set up to serve as an overflow area as the number of COVID-19 infections surges throughout Brevard County. Photo: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Florida reported Sunday that 10,207 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized — the most in the state since the pandemic began, per AP.

Why it matters: The report comes a day after the CDC released data showing Florida confirmed a state record 21,683 new coronavirus cases in one day.