We begin with a big sign of progress in the u. S. Vaccination campaign against the coronavirus. But it comes, Hand In hand, with a record the country could do without. As for the milestone, half of americans are now fully vaccinated, according to data released friday. But in the state of florida, the Delta Variant is spreading, at unprecedented speed. We are talking about 20,000 new cases, per day, on average. Florida had more than 134,000 new cases, total, over the past week. The highest number, since the pandemic began. And the fda is stepping up efforts to make a decision about Booster Shots for people whose Immune Systems have been compromised. An Administration Official says the decision could come before early september. But despite the uptick in vaccinations, the covid surge is showing no signs of slowing down. Nick valencia reports. Reporter a major milestone for the country with half the totalu. S. Population fully vaccinated. But the grim count of covid deaths is rising, fast. A 52 increase, over last weeks sevenday average. Florida reported more covid19 cases, over the past week, than any other Sevenday Period during the pandemic. Data published friday by the State Health Department reported 134,506 new covid19 cases over the past week. For an average of 19,215 cases, each day. One unvaccinated, virginia man, reminding people to get the shot before its too late. Im so sorry that i made the mistake to be negligent and not get vaccinated. Vaccinations are so important, and i can do better, as a parent, as a human. And i hope, to god, Everybody Else can, too. Reporter the Gulf Coast Region has, particularly, suffered. Mississippis Tophealth Official giving a dire warning. As everyones aware, we have seen a phenomenal increase in the number of dailyreported cases of covid and this is entirely attributable to the Delta Variant which is sweeping over mississippi um you know, like a tsunami. Reporter in alabama, one of the hardesthit states, Vaccination Rates are up, slightly. But tens of thousands are shots have, already, spoiled because not enough people there want the shot. We are starting to see some wastage. Reporter the push to mandate vaccines continues to be a polarizing issue, especially in schools. New Jerseys Governor is now requiring all kthrough12 students wear masks. But other School Districts in the country have been at odds with their governor over what to do. Floridas governor, standing firm on his ban on mask mandates. If youre coming after the rights of parents in florida, im standing in your way. Im not going to let you get away with it. Reporter but floridas orange County School District is doing what they can to help. Telling School Employees they must wear masks. In louisiana, the emotional toll on Frontline Workers is evident. The state, currently, has the highest rate of new covid19 infections per capita in the nation. Were stressed because we thought that this was getting better. And now, were working as hard even harder than we did a few months ago. Reporter heading into the weekend, there are concerns of another, possible Superspreader Event in south dakota, as 700,000 visitors are expected to attend the sturgis Motorcycle Rally. An event that Drew Fire Last year in the state that pushed back against covidsafety protocols. Republican governor, Kristi Noem tweeting, Theres Risk associated with everything we do in life. Bikers get that better than anyone. This year, the city says It Will provide free Covid Selftest kits. These are just little tests that you get, that you take home. You still do the Nose Swab but you have results within about 15 minutes. Reporter and with cases surging across the country, masks continue to be a hotlydebated issue. In georgia, governor Brian Kemp has said the state does not need a mandate for citizens to, quote, do the right thing. Meanwhile, on the local level, there is a push to increase vaccine confidence, especially among communities of color. Here, in beaufort highway, which is a predominantly latino district of atlanta, core, community organize relief effort, is giving out vaccine for those 12 and up. Nick valencia, cnn, atlanta. So as nick mentioned in his report, the annual Motorcycle Rally in sturgis, south dakota, got underway on friday. About 700,000 people are expected to attend the tenday event, far more than in 2020. Yet, out of last years smaller crowd, the cdc documented 649 new covid cases. Experts say, whether this Years Rally becomes a Superspreader Event will depend on how many people are vaccinated, and how many choose to wear a mask. So, one of the most frightening aspects of the Delta Variant is the number of young children who are becoming sick. And as millions, now, head Back To School, the country is locked in a heated debate over whether they should wear masks in the classroom. The head of the cdc says the latest data all point to the need for masks. The places that are having the problem. The places that are having disease that is transmitted in the schools are the places that arent taking the Prevention Strategies um, the places that arent masking. The places that you are seeing kids in the hospital. The footage of kids in the hospital are, all, places that are not taking Mitigation Strategies to keep our children safe. Despite several u. S. State governors banning mask mandates, many local officials arent playing ball. Houstons School Superintendent says he will propose a Mask Requirement for all students, staff, and visitors at city schools. The proposal will be considered at a Board Meeting next week. Houston mayor, sylvester turner, who recently announced a similar measure for city employees, said he supports the effort. The numbers continue to rise. So to sit back and to do nothing, and to watch this situation occur. When there could be Healthcare Measures put in place. That, at the very minimum, slow it down while we continue to encourage people to get the vaccine, would just would its just not an an acceptable thing to do. So, i have a responsibility to protect the people in the city of houston. And i will do whatever i can to do that. And officials are right to be concerned about the spread of the Delta Variant among children, as hospitals fill up. An 11monthold girl with covid19 is in stable condition, after she was airlifted to a hospital 150 miles away, due to a shortage of beds in the houston area. Doctors say she no longer needs a breathing machine, and her recovery has been, in their words, amazing. The Babys Mom says she gets angry when people dont take covid seriously, saying, quote, its not a joke, our babies are in danger. And the state of florida is, also, battling a sharp rise in the number of younger patients. Hospitals there are seeing pediatriccovid cases soar due to the Delta Variant. And while infections are up in all Age Groups across the state, analysis by tthe miami herald shows the sharpest increase in children under 12 and hospitals are struggling to keep up. The numbers of cases in our hospitals in children and our childrens hospitals are completely overwhelmed. The local hospital here has 116 occupancy for covid. That is mind boggling. Our pediatricians, the nursing, the staff are exhausted, and the the children are suffering. And it is, absolutely, devastating. Weve never seen numbers like this, before. And and we really need to take the steps that are absolutely necessary to reduce the transmission. Earlier, i spoke to dr. John mcguire. He is the chief of pediatric critical Care Medicine at seattle childrens hospital. And i asked him about covid outbreaks, as kids start returning to school. Heres what he said. I think were were worried. Last year, most of the schools in our area were doing, largely, remote. Not inperson schooling. When we saw the return to the classroom, it was during a time when we were seeing lower numbers of covid cases in the community. Unfortunately, now, the the timing of school starting lines up with this new wave of cases. So, it is. Its very concerning. And next hour, we will have more of my interview with dr. John mcguire about covid and the return to school. Now, there are more than 100 large fires burning across the u. S. Wreaking havoc along the western united states. Greece is battling an inferno, and dozens of wildfires are forcing thousands to evacuate. Live from athens, olinda, i understand conditions seem to be getting worse. Yeah. Conditions are very difficult, at the moment. We have strong winds. Its the second day that the these winds are are coming in. And we understand that they are also changing direction, all the time. Which makes the Firefighting Operations much more difficult. As it stands, over a dozen blazes are very, very close to athens, at the moment. Especially, theres a front here in the north suburbs, which is where i am standing. This is the last area that hasnt been evacuated, close to athens. It just seems that, as the fire approaches, more and more areas are being evacuated bringing the fire much closer to the greek capital. One person died yesterday after an Electricity Post fell on him. And and he succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. He is the first victim of the fire. But a lot of people have been taken to hospital with respiratory problems. Where i am now, you can really smell the smoke. You can see the haze, behind me. The atmosphere is really stifling. And its not just athens. It seems that a number of other fires have, also, rekindled, including one close to the ancient site of olympia, the home of the first olympics. This is a fire that, tremendous effort has been put in order to make sure it does not reach the a Archaeological Site just a few days ago but we have news, now, that this fire has rekindled. So as you understand, its its going to be a very hard day, ahead of us, today, kim. Yeah. Seems so. All right. Thanks so much. Back here, in the u. S. , the Dixie Fire in Northern California has exploded in size to more than 434,000 acres, becoming the largest fire in the country. Its burning so fast, its scorched an area the size of central park, every11 minutes for an entire day. Cnns Josh Campbell has more on the devastation its leaving behind. Reporter we are learning new details about a fire that ripped through the community of greenville, here in Northern California. Officials telling us that at least 100 homes were destroyed. On friday, officials were also working to account for four residents. Officials said that not everyone had heeded Evacuation Orders from locallaw enforcement. Now, the sheriff here is a native of greenville. He spoke about the devastation that this fire brought to his hometown. Efforts of firefighters, resources in law enforcement, the fire spread into the community of greenville and caused mass destruction. For those of you that dont know, i am a lifelong resident of greenville. And i want to start by saying my heart is crushed by what has occurred there. And to the folks that have lost residences and businesses, ive met some of them, already. Their life is now, forever, changed. And all i can tell you is im sorry. Reporter of course, as we cover these fires, we also have to talk about the cause. Experts continue to tell us that a major driver in these longerfire seasons, the more intense fires that we are seeing, is climate change. We are also hearing from veteran firefighters telling us that what they are seeing, as they are trying to battle these blazes, its unlike anything they have ever seen. Now, as far as where things stand from here, on friday, officials said that this Dixie Fire had exceeded 400,000 acres burned. It is now the largest Fire Burning in the united states. We are also told by officials that over 5,000 firefighters are here, onsite, trying to stop a blaze. Im Josh Campbell, back to you. And joining me, now, is meteorologist, derek van dam. Derek, two separate continents. Two simultaneous disasters. What more can you tell us . Yeah. The fires, over the western u. S. , as well as the fires across Southeastern Europe are, both, dangerous and unpredictable due to the nature of the wind and the Drought Conditions that are in place. Just in greece, alone, the past 24 hours, nearly100 new fires. Of which, 64 are still active. So, they are making some progress in some of the smaller fires. But, of course, as the reporter just discussed, a moment ago, they continue to approach certain populated areas, including the suburbs of athens. And its not just greece we are talking about italy. We are talking about southwestern portions of turkey. You can see the hot spots from this modus Satellite Image. Scattered about much of the mediterranean and its all under the backdrop of extreme heat that has taken place across this region. A Heat Dome has formed. Not much to push that stagnant Air Mass out of the way. So we continue to see that heat build, even though there was a Brief Reprieve in the heat, yesterday. The mercury in the thermometer continues to climb. Just take athens, for instance, we are focusing on that location because of the fires nearby. And you can see Daytime Highs through the weekend, into earlynext week, only go up from here, as does the chances of stronger winds. And unfortunately, no rain to help quell the fires across this area. Not the best news. Now, lets take you to another continent. This is, of course, north america. The Western Parts of the u. S. We are looking at a Satellite Image from Northern California. This is the Dixie Fire that josh just mentioned, a moment ago. And you can see, the plume of smoke just emanating from this intense, intense fire. 21 containment with over 430,000 acres burned, so far. This is an incredibly fastmoving, very erratic wildfire. Californias thirdlargest fire, on record. That really is saying something. And it continues to burn. In fact, 110,000 acres burned in a 24hour period. That was from Thursday Night into friday morning. And that is incredible because into friday evening, i should say, thats equivalent to the size of several central parks. I mean, this is just a disaster that continues to unfold across this area as the winds continue to pick up. Our longstanding drought continues. And with the smoke associated with these wildfires, it continues to degrade the air in locations that are severalhundred miles away from the wildfires. Kim. All right. Thanks so much, appreciate it. Well, the u. S. And britain have just issued an urgent warning to their citizens in afghanistan. Leave, now. After the break, well take you behind the front lines of the desperate battle, now, underway for the countrys secondlargest city. Plus, a key part of president joe bidens economic agenda is getting closer to happening. Well have the latest on the 1 Trillion Bipartisaninfrastructure Bill making its way through the senate. Stay with us. Do you have a Life Insurance Policy you no longer need . Now you can sell your policy, even a term policy, for an immediate cash payment. Call Coventry Direct to learn more. We thought we had planned carefully for our retirement. But we quickly realized that we needed a way to supplement our income. Our friends sold their policy to help pay for their medical bills and that got me thinking. Maybe selling our policy could help with our retirement. Im skeptical, so i did some research and called Coventry Direct. They explained Life Insurance is a valuable asset that can be sold. We learned that we can sell all of our policy or keep part of it with no future payments, who knew . We sold our policy. Now we can relax and enjoy our retirement as we had planned. If you have One Hundred Thousand Dollars or more of Life Insurance you may qualify to sell your policy. Dont cancel or let your Policy Lapse without Finding Out what its worth. Visit conventrydirect. Com to find out if you policy qualifies. Or call the number on your screen. Coventry direct, redefining insurance. Americas withdrawal from afghanistan is almost complete but peace seems farther away from ever. The embassy warns that its ability to assist u. S. Citizens is extremely limited, and is advising those leaving to use commercial flights. And moments ago, the british Foreign Office repeated the same Warning Tos is citizens that it, first, issued friday. In recent weeks, the taliban have advanced relentlessly in afghanistan. A few hours, a provincial capital in the north fell to the islamist group. Although the fighting continues, its the Second Provincial Capital to fall in the past day. The key city near the border with iran was the first. The u. N. s Special Envoy to afghanistan had this strong warning for the international community. In the past weeks, the War In Afghanistan has entered a new, deadlier, and more destructive phase. The taliban campaigned, during june and july, to capture rural areas has achieved significantterritorial gains. From this strengthened position, they have begun to attack the larger cities. And kandahar is one of those larger cities, now, under attack. Its strategically and symbolically important and afghanistans National Army is fighting, desperately, to maintain control. But Kandahars Halfmillion residents have few routes of escape and even fewer options. Our Clarissa Ward takes us behind the front lines in the besieged city. Reporter On The Road to kandahars front line, there is, still, civilian traffic even as the taliban inches deeper into the city. Afghan commandos have agreed to take us to one of their bases. This used to be a wedding hall. Now, its the frontline position. Most of the fighting here happens at night. But taliban snipers are at work, 24 hours a day. Snipers . Yes. Reporter the men tell us, the taliban are hiding in houses, just 50 yards away from us. And they shoot from peoples homes . They shoot from Civilian Homes . Yeah, you see these are our civilians homes. We cannot use the big weapons, the heavy weapons. Reporter up on the roof, this major wants to show us something. So you can actually see the taliban flag just over on the mountaintop there. See the flag. Reporter its been nearly a month since the taliban penetrated afghanistans secondlargest city. Since then, these men havent had a break. U. S. Air strikes only come in an emergency. The rest of the time, its up to them to hold the line. We feel a little bit weak, without u. S. Air strikes and Ground Support and equipment, he says. But this is our soil, and we have to defend it. In a villa in the eastern part of the city, Kandahari Lawmaker is hunkered down. In decades of war he says hes never seen the fighting this bad. Millions of people in this city are waiting for when they will be killed. When someone will kill them. When their home will be destroyed and it is happening, every minute. Reporter just spell out, for me, here. The taliban is, basically, surrounding the entire city of kandahar, now, is that correct . Definitely, yes. And so, where is there to go . Nowhere. So, there is only two options. Do or die. Do or die . Yes. And what does do look like . That is the thing to convince different sides to ceasefire. To work on peace. To convince them to not to fight, not to kill. Reporter but that is a tall order in a city where war has become part of everyday life. You can probably see there is a lot more cars On The Road than there were, previously. And thats because, in just two minutes, at 6 00 p. M. , the Cellphone Network gets cut across the city, and thats when the fighting usually starts. Throughout the night, the sounds of Gunfire And Artillery pierce the darkness. Kandahar is the birthplace of the taliban. They are intent on taking it back. And the government knows it cannot afford to lose it. By day, an eerie calm holds. The u. N. Says more than 10,000 people are now displaced in this city. On the outskirts of town, we find 30 families camped out in an abandonedconstruction site. He is saying that none of these children have fathers. All of their fathers have been killed in the fighting. 35yearold rubina fled with her two daughters to escape the fighting after her husband was shot dead. But still, it gets closer and closer. Last night, i didnt sleep all night, she says. And the fear was in my heart. In the short time we are there, more families arrive. Street vendor says they fled the village after an air strike hit. Three dead bodies were rotting outside our home, for days, but it was too dangerous to get them, he says. The taliban is attacking, on one side. The government is attacking the other side. In the middle, we are just losing. Back at the base, dust coats the chairs where wedding guests would normally sit. As the Siege Of Kandahar continues, life here is in limbo with no end in sight. Clarissa ward, cnn, kandahar. U. S. Military has concluded that last Weeks Deadlydrone Attack on an israellinked Tanker Ship was carried out by iran. The Foreign Ministers of the g7 nations issued a joint statement, on friday, saying allavailable evidence clearly points to iran. Iran insists it had no role in the attack. We get the latest from cnns Frederik Pleitgen in iran. Well, the u. S. Military now says that it has evidence that the drone that was used to attack the israelimanaged Ship Mercer Street was manufactured in iran. Essentially, what the pentagon is saying, is that a forensic team from the u. S. Military went onboard that ship after it was hit and what they managed to do was they managed to recover some of the parts of that drone, which they say was a suicide drone. In other words, one that crashed into that ship. Of course, killing two of the sailors. They managed to recover some of the parts of that drone. And they said, looking at those parts, it became clear that those were parts that were usually used by iran. They, also, said that that drone had used militarygrade explosives. Now, of course, even before all of this, the u. S. And israel had blamed the iranians for that attack. Iran denies all of that. However, the israelis have come out, and have said that they would be able to retaliate against iran, on their own. Now, this has caused some angry reactions here, from the iranians. You have the spokesman for irans Foreign Minister saying, and this is a quote, in another brazen violation of international law, the israeli regime now blatantly threatens with military action. Such malign behavior. We state this clearly. Any foolish act against iran will be met with a decisive response. Dont test us. Now, of course, all of this comes, just on the heels of a new president taking office here in iran. A hardliner, who has said that iran will continue to act boldly here, in the middle eastern region. Fred pleitgen, iran. The u. S. Senate looking to against a key part of president joe bidens economic but hurdles remain for the 1 Trillion Infrastructure Bill. We will have more on that. Stay with us. Ve settings, not t, for better Frangrance Control than febreze plug. Take control of your fragrance with air wick. Most Bladder Leak pads were similar. 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Its horse dancing. Magnificent. With the best of the olympics, and everything else you love, its a way better way to watch cheer on Team Usa with xfinity x1. Say Show Me the olympics in 4k so you can watch in stunning 4k ultra hd. The u. S. Senate will reconvene in the coming hours in the latest bid to advance a trilliondollar Infrastructure Bill. At least ten republicans need to join with democrats for it to reach a final vote. And thats not the only hurdle it faces. Ryan nobles has the latest, from washington. Reporter it is, by no means, an easy process. But the senate is moving closer to passing that trilliondollar bipartisan infrastructure package. And it it could happen as soon as earlynext week. The senate, for the most part, on friday, was not conducting any business. And that s because they are allowing this process to take its place. And on saturday, sometime in the afternoon, they are expected to break the filibuster on this big bill. And both, republicans and democrats do believe the 60 votes necessary to break the filibuster, which is a key step, could happen. Now, after that, it is anybodys guess. At any point, if all 100 senators agree, they could fast track this legislation. Training, meaning, they could pass it out of the senate as soon as saturday night. But if even one senator decides to slow down that process, that means they are going to have to jump through a number of hoops, before they get there. That could mean a series of votes thatd have to take place between saturday, sunday, and then, potentially, even into monday and tuesday before the bill is finally passed. Now, there is, still, a great degree of optimism that, ultimately, this bill will make it over the Finish Line. This is just the lastminute haggling between republicans and democrats trying to get as much as they can into this bill, before it passes. Keep in mind, this, of course, a byproduct of a 5050 senate where, essentially, every member of the senate has the opportunity to slow this process down and thats exactly what we see playing out here. Now, even after it passes the senate, this package still has a long way to go. Of course, its going to go over to the house where they are going to review it. Potentially, make changes. But already, the House Speaker Nancy pelosi has said that they are not moving ahead with this legislation, until they see that bigger, 3. 5 trillion Reconciliation Package come, along with it. And the senate is expected to vote on the resolution, which is just the shell of that 3. 5 trillion plan, perhaps as soon as next week, as well. It will, then, go over to the house, which will begin that process. So, what is likely to happen here is, once the bill passes the senate, its going to go over there and sit on the house side. The the bipartisan package is going to sit there, on the house side, until the Reconciliation Package can be passed. So the long and short of this, well, they are making progress, it is unlikely that either of these bigbudget bills, these Infrastructure Bills, will be anywhere near president Joe Bidens Desk until sometime in the fall. But the fact that they are gonna cross this hurdle here, in the next couple days, is a very significant step. Ryan nobles, cnn, on Capitol Hill. And joining me now is thomas gift. Thanks so much for being with us, again. So, as we just heard there, senators could approve the bill this weekend. Or they could drag their feet with a flotilla of amendments. Do you expect it to pass smoothly in the senate . Or are there still major roadblocks ahead for this bipartisan bill . Good morning, kim. Its really good to be with you, as always. The last 48 hours have put the brakes on this Infrastructure Bill, No Doubt about it. I still think its just a temporary impasse but with almost two dozen amendments on the table and the package ballooning, its never easy. One of the mainsticking points is new regulations over the taxing of cryptocurrency brokers, which was intended to be one source of revenue and financing the bill. The Digitalcurrency Lobby objected to language that this would have expanded the Tax Burden on certain intermediaries. But its not just these technical amendments holding up the bill. The nonpartisan congressional Budget Office came out with an estimate, on thursday, which projected that the deal would balloon the deficit by 256 Billion over a decade. That contradicts the claim which was always suspect and relied on some kind of Creative Accounting to suggest that this bill would be revenue neutral and fully costed. So that may also be giving some republican Budget Hawks some cold feet. But all in all, i think this is just something they have to work through and that will get through in the senate. Speaking of republicans, It Will need votes from at least ten of them to pass. So, why would they vote for this . Sending a big win to biden and the democrats. And what kind of backlash could they face from their voters, back home . And we have to remember, Donald Trump threatened republicans who voted for this would face primaries in the in the midterms. Its a terrific question, kim. And i think this is still Mitch Mcconnell we are talking about. And clearly, there are a few things he wants less than to hand the White House a Slamdunk Win but i think Gop Leadership has made a few calculations here. So first, republicans may believe this could make moderate democrats less likely to support the next Blockbuster Spending Bill biden has proposed through budget reconciliation. The idea is to give democrats a victory here. Show a reasonable willingness to reach across the aisle. And senators, like joe manchin, might not rally behind a fullypartisan sending spree, next. Additionally, republicans may see this as a necessary concession to prevent what they perceive as an even worse outcome. Democrats responding by killing the filibuster out of frustration from not getting this bill enacted. And lastly, to your point, i think supporting this bill, despite what trump has said, isnt likely to generate a huge amount of backlash against republican lawmakers. Some but not a huge amount because infrastructure still polls well, even among conservative voters. And a new poll, just coming out of harvard last week, showed that about 70 of americans broadly approve of this deal. So theres still quite a bit of consensus, across the country, that something needs to get done here. Yeah. All right. So, republicans arent the only potential stumbling blocks. Democrats, as well. Because if the senate approves it, goes to the house. And house democrats want to see the Senate Vote on that more expensive, socalled humanInfrastructure Bill. Climate goals, renewable energy, childcare, so on. So, if if that Bill Isnt to the liking of Progressive Democrats, how likely is it that bidens own party will be the barrier standing in the way of this Signature Achievement . Well, thats certainly an issue and there is No Doubt that progressives have been making a fuss about this Infrastructure Bill not going far enough. And thats just what we see, publicly. So you can bet that, behind closed doors, the White House is getting an earful from the left flank in congress. Even with a 1 Trillion price tag, the legislation has been watered down significantly from the 2 Trillion number biden, originally, proposed and thats despite the fact that this bill still includes considerable investments that go beyond standard infrastructure initiatives like roads, bridges, tunnels. And so, i think in the end, Progressive Democrats will go along with the legislation even if begrudgingly. But much of the bickering we are seeing within the democratic Party Isnt going to fade away and its likely that the compromises required to get this bill over the Finish Line will only kindle more frustration from the left, going forward. And that is, certainly, as you suggest, likely to complicate the next, major Spending Bill that biden hopes to get passed. Right. Okay. So, im going to combine my, you know, two two aspects here because we only have one one minute left. But i want to get how important this Infrastructure Bill is to bidens presidency and for democrats going into the midterms. And then, i just want to get your opinion whether this is, in any way, a vindication of bidens claim that that he can reach across the aisles, bring bipartisanship back to washington . Or is it is infrastructure just this this one Off And Congress will, again, you know, congeal, basically, as soon as this is done . Right. Another, great question. Purely, in terms of political optics, i think its possible to overestimate how bad it would be for biden if he didnt get infrastructure passed because what you get is just typical scapegoating and it might backfire against republicans, more. But clearly, the White House wants a win here and a loss would be, if not devastating, a serious setback. Biden is, already, staring down other, big challenges, both domestically and internationally, including whats unfolding in afghanistan, immigration and border issues, concerns about the Delta Variant and how that is going to impact the economy. All of bidens marquee accomplishments, so far, including a litany of Executive Orders and the Covid19 Relief Bill have, obviously, come without republican backing. So to your point, biden really needs to show that on an issue, like this, relatively straightforward. He can forge consensus on Capitol Hill and that his Leadership Leadership negotiating skills are up to the task because on other legislative priorities, Mitch Mcconnell is going to revert to fullon obstructionism. Absolutely. Thanks so much. Thats all the time we have. Thomas gift in oxford, england. Really appreciate you coming on. Thanks, kim. Coming up on cnn newsroom. Attorneys for Andrew Cuomo come out swinging after an investigation into sexualharassment complaints against the New York governor. Please, stay with us. Fixodent ultra dual power provides you with an unbeatable hold and strong seal against food infiltrations. Fixodent. And forget it. Well, would ya look at that it was an accident. I was speaking of accidents, we accidentally left you off the Insurance Policy during enrollment, and youre not covered. Not even a little bit . Mmmmm. No insurance. 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Reporter a new York State attorney generals report, this week, found the governor sexually harassed 11 women. A report, the governors lawyers say was done to support a predetermined narrative. I asked why did this report ignore Documentary Evidence . And why did they not want to tell you . Reporter a woman named in the ags report as Executive Assistant one filed a complaint, thursday, with the albany sheriffs office. Its the firstknown Criminal Complaint of Sexual Misconduct against the governor. In the executive mansion, the governor hugged executive Assistant Number one and reached under her blouse to grab her breast. This was the culmination of a pattern of inappropriatesexual conduct. Reporter but lawyers for Cuomo Say thats not what happened. She was at the mansion that day for several hours. And she wasnt just working with the governor. She was working with other staffers. Emails that she sent, while she was at the mansion, reflect that she was joking while she was there. She was eating snacks. And she even offered to stay longer at the mansion when her work was done. The Governors Office said it notified police of the allegations several months ago in accordance with state policies. The governors lawyers also taking issue with another accusation that the governor inappropriately touched a State Trooper assigned to his security detail. The lawyer saying, cuomo sought her out at an event to recruit her, and to increase diversity. He liked how she maintained eye contact. He liked that she was assertive with him in the conversation. And then, he asked one of the troopers he knows about her and they said, yeah, shes excellent. And hes like, i dont understand this. Why do i not have women on my detail . Reporter Cuomos Lawyers say t the governor will address the troopers allegations directly, soon. Another Accuser Lindsey Boylan says she left the Governors Office, after being harassed. The governors lawyers say thats, also, not true. She was leading the public to believe a false story. That she left because of Sexual Harassment and a Badwork Environment when, in fact, she left after being confronted with a number of complaints. And then, really wanted her job back and they wouldnt give it back. Cuomos lawyers who suffered technical issues during their presentation saying they are preparing official response to the allegations and will submit it to the stateimpeachment committee by the august13th deadline. The new York Attorney Generals Office responded in a statement saying, there are 11 women, whose accounts have been corroborated by a mountain of evidence. Any suggestion that attempts to undermine the credibility of these women or this investigation is unfortunate. The office, also, says It Will be making redacted transcripts of witness interviews available to the new York State assembly. Paula reid, cnn, New York. The Tokyo Olympics are almost over but theres still history to be made. 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Soft Music hello, Colonial Penn . We want to take you live now to bangkok. What you are seeing there is police in Thailands Capital facing off against protestors angry over the governments handling of the coronavirus pandemic. According to johns hopkins university, the country has reported more than 714,000 cases. And this week has seen daily records of, both, cases and deaths. Thai Health Officials report that, so far, only about 6 of the country has been fully vaccinated. And well stay on this story, as it develops. Well, for the fourth day in a row, tokyo has reported more than 4,000 new coronavirus infections. The city has counted more than 4,500 new cases, saturday. Tokyo is under a state of emergency, until august 31st. And cases, all over japan, are rising. The country passed the 1 Million mark on friday. It is saturday in japan and its the Lastfull Day of the Tokyo Olympics. Weve been seeing a flurry of finals and new medals across the board. China is leading the goldmedal count with 38. But the u. S. Has the most medals, overall, at 102. And Theres Plenty of action, still, to come. Cnn Sports Andy scholes joins me now. Andy, so one of those Gold Medals for Team Usa was for mens basketball. One of the closest games in olympic history, i understand. So how was the team able to get it done, after such a shaky start . Team usa. They started playing much better once they got all their players in after the nba finals. And it really just came down to Kevin Durant proving he is the best player in the world. Wasnt going to let his team lose. Team usa. They had lost to france in the olympic opener. Looking for a little revenge in the Gold Medal game. The dunk, plus the foul. Then, moments later, knocks down the three. He finished with a gamehigh 29 points. U. S. Led by five at halftime. France did their best to keep this Game Close but jason tatums three here gives usa a tenpoint lead wither under four minutes to go. And the u. S. Would go on to win 8782 to win their fourthconsecutive Gold Medal. We had an amazing finish in the mens four by 100 meter relay. It was italys first gold in the relay, and first medal in the event since they won bronze in 1948. The new fastest man in the world after winning the 100 meter said after another gold, this is the year of italy. Certainly, has been a nice year for them. Italy, of course, winning the euros last month. You dont see many Buzzer Beaters in wrestling but we saw in in the mens freestyle match. 13 seconds left. Get the takedown to make it 87. Now, six seconds to get another takedown and he gets it at the buzzer, right here, to win gold. Just incredible. Immediately, goes over to hug his coach. The 21yearold from minnesota, then, also, doing a bunch of backflips through the air to celebrate. Thats pretty awesome, considering he is 260 pounds. All right. Finally, Marathon Runners normally they build up and train for years for the olympics. Well, not american molly seidel. This was only her third marathon and she won the bronze medal. Seidel a national Champion Cross Country runner back in college but she never ran marathons. In 2016, after an Injury And Suffering from ocd, her Running Career looked to be over. Seidel was working as a babysitter and in a coffee shop, in 2020. But the 27yearold never gave up. She only qualified for the olympicqualifying marathon due to her halfmarathon time. She finished second in that race beating many other seasoned Marathon Runners to punch her ticket to tokyo. You see her family there back in wisconsin just going crazy. She is the First American to win a medal in this event, since 2004. You see her just overcome with emotion there, kim. To win this race and just incredible that she did it in just her third marathon, ever. You think about it. Just the amount of marathons and hours so many other athletes put in and she won in her third. Congrats to her. What an incredible feat. Unbelievable story. Andy scholes, thanks so much f. Appreciate it. I am kim brunhuber, i will be back, in just a moment, with more cnn newsroom. Please, do stay with us. Covid19 cases are surging in the u. S. As some areas see their worst case numbers yet. Plus, theres also good news on the vaccine front. Well explain what you need to know. Also ahead, terrifyingly similar scenes from different continents. A close look at fires ravaging parts of western u. S. And greece. And its a fourth straight olympic gold for Team Usa basketball but it was no walk in the park against france. Well have live highlights from toky