Hey there! It’s Wednesday, and my dog, Princess Leia, tricked me into feeding her even though my husband already did. Here’s what you need to know today.

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1. RIP, hot vax summer

Many Americans had hoped this summer would spell the end of pandemic-era restrictions and a return to something closer to normal. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week signaled that’s not the case by bringing back guidelines for indoor mask-wearing, reports The Washington Post.

Now, the nation is wrestling with how to essentially save the unvaccinated from themselves.

Business leaders are questioning whether to bring employees back to offices in the coming months, raising concerns over the country’s economic rebound. [WaPo]

Google today pushed back its return date for employees to October, and workers must be vaccinated. Expect other companies to follow. [CNBC]

And the U.S. is moving closer to vaccine mandates. President Joe Biden is expected to require federal workers to get vaccinated or undergo strict testing measures, a move that follows similar plans announced this week by officials in New York and California. [New York Times]

While Chicago is moving full-steam ahead with Lollapalooza this week, the fate of other summer events appears unclear. Two big ones, the Pride Parade and Market Days, are being urged to take strict safety precautions or cancel. [Block Club Chicago]

2. Simone Biles’ withdrawal marks a cultural shift at the Olympics

Citing her mental health, star gymnast Simone Biles announced she will not compete in the individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympics. Her decision, applauded by her teammates, highlights a cultural shift at the Games, which is taking the mental health of athletes seriously.

Even before this week, the International Olympic Committee brought in mental health officers for athletes and coaches, reports NPR. And there is a 24/7 help line for them.

“It’s been really stressful with COVID and the protocols, we have a number of athletes who’ve been caught up either with COVID or contact tracing,” says Jess Bartley, director of mental health services for Team USA. “The protocols in general can be kind of isolating. It’s a very different experience at the games.” [NPR]

Meanwhile, if all the Olympic athletes who are openly LGBTQ were represented as a country, they’d be coming in 14th in the world for their medal count. [NPR]

3. Senators announce bipartisan infrastructure deal, but do they have enough votes?

A bipartisan group of senators today said they reached a deal on a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package.

The plan under consideration would be the largest infusion of federal money into the nation’s public works in more than a decade.

It would provide $110 billion in new funds for roads, bridges and major projects, reports Axios. About $65 billion will be allocated for broadband, and $73 billion for the country’s electric grid and power structures.

The bill needs 60 votes in the Senate in order to move forward, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he wants a vote before lawmakers recess in less than two weeks. [Axios]

4. Sandy Hook families offered nearly $33 million from gunmaker

Gun manufacturer Remington this week offered $3.66 million each to nine families of children killed in the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

A federal law prevents gunmakers from wrongful death lawsuits, but the families tried a different tactic: accusing the company’s marketing strategy of contributing to the massacre.

Lawyers for the families say the “company marketed rifles by extolling the militaristic qualities of the rifle and reinforcing the image of a combat weapon — in violation of a Connecticut law that prevents deceptive marketing practices,” reports CNN. This week’s proposed settlement is being reviewed by the families’ attorneys. [CNN]

5. Thanks to climate change, summer may never be the same

What appears to be a never-ending onslaught of extreme weather — from massive heat waves to wildfires that are creating fire tornados — may signal the end of summers as we know them, climate scientists say.

The extreme weather is “not unexpected,” as scientists for years have warned about the consequences of climate change, Rick Thoman, a climate specialist at the University of Alaska, told The New York Times.

“And we have a pretty good idea what the long run looks like: It will be a painful transition, and in a couple of generations, the world will be different — different than the world that was, and different than the world that is now.” [New York Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• President Biden wants to raise the threshold for products considered made in the U.S. [NPR]
• Ed Buck, a wealthy California political donor, was convicted on charges he injected gay men with methamphetamine in exchange for sex, leading to two deaths and other overdoses. [NPR]
• Many federal pandemic relief programs, such as a pause in student loan payments, will end soon. [CNN]
• Every state but Mississippi has at least one LGBTQ elected official. [New York Times]

Oh, and one more thing …

Arthur, the longest-running animated series for kids, is coming to an end in early 2022.

The show, which followed an 8-year-old aardvark, will be remembered for “teaching kindness, empathy and inclusion through many groundbreaking moments to generations of viewers,” wrote the show’s executive producer.

Arthur is known for featuring characters from different cultures, classes and family backgrounds.

As NPR reports, “At times it was boundary pushing — an episode of the show’s spin-off, Postcards from Buster, received criticism from then-Education Secretary Margaret Spellings for a 2005 episode that featured lesbian parents, and Alabama Public Television refused to air a 2019 episode that showed a same-sex wedding.” [NPR]

Tell me something good …

What is your favorite summertime memory?

Janet writes:

“Playing in the sprinkler in the front yard, eating watermelon on breaks and catching fireflies. Also running barefoot (!!) in the alley during thunderstorms — exciting and maybe dangerous!!”

Feel free to email me at therundown@wbez.org or tweet me at @whuntah.

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