July 25, 2021

On the Sunday shows, Anthony Fauci tells the country it is “going in the wrong direction” and puts the blame on the unvaccinated and the Delta variant, calling the surge an “unnecessary predicament.” The same message runs on CNN, PBS, Voice of America, and the BBC almost word for word. On CNN’s State of the Union he separately defends U.S. funding of research at the Wuhan lab as “necessary,” days after his clash with Rand Paul over gain-of-function work.

The mask guidance is already fraying. USA Today reports that although the CDC still tells vaccinated Americans masks are optional, many of the health experts it quotes are putting theirs back on as cases climb, a gap between the official line and what its own messengers are doing. The reversal is two days away.

In France, lawmakers approve a bill to counter a fourth wave by extending the health pass to restaurants, trains, and other venues. At the Tokyo Games, the IOC rules that athletes must wear masks everywhere except the few seconds atop the medal podium.