• The latest GOP attacks are deeply ironic. Had more Republicans urged vaccines, the Covid surge would likely have been avoided.
  A new political war over masks is already deepening the national divides that slowed vaccinations and thwarted what once seemed an imminent victory over the coronavirus pandemic.
  
• Pfizer data suggest third dose of Covid-19 vaccine 'strongly' boosts protection against Delta variant
  A third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine can "strongly" boost protection against the Delta variant -- beyond the protection afforded by the standard two doses, suggests new data released by Pfizer on Wednesday.
  
• Why do vaccinated people need to mask? See Gupta's answer
  CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta discusses the CDC's updated guidance that recommends fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors in areas with "substantial" and "high" transmission of Covid-19.
  
• Analysis: New science leads to another CDC update on masks. Even for the vaccinated
  You could almost hear the collective groan of frustration around the country Tuesday when the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention again updated its guidance, encouraging more Americans and all schoolkids and teachers to wear face masks to stop the spread of Covid-19.
  
• See why Victor Blackwell nearly ended interview about masks
  CNN's Victor Blackwell interviews a mother who is against requiring masks in schools to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
  
• Masks and vaccine mandate show CDC and Biden taking emergency action amid Covid-19 surge
  The steps President Joe Biden's administration is adopting this week to re-recommend masks and require vaccines for federal workers amount to emergency actions designed to contain a new surge of Covid-19 that has quickly become the top issue confronting the White House.
  
• Simone Biles drops out of individual all-around final
  • Analysis: How fear affects the mental health and physical safety of gymnasts • Gold medalist Aly Raisman shares concerns she has for Biles
  
• Liz Cheney rebukes GOP leadership after January 6 panel holds first hearing
  • Republicans' Jan. 6 counterprogramming filled with falsehoods • See Cheney's reaction after GOP leader blames Pelosi for insurrection
  
• Satellite photos show massive Chinese missile silo field under construction, researchers say
  China is building a second field of missile silos in its western deserts, according to a new study, which researchers say signals a potential expansion of its nuclear arsenal and calls into question Beijing's commitment to its "minimum deterrence" strategy.
  
• Jake Ellzey wins Texas special election runoff, CNN projects
  Texas state Rep. Jake Ellzey will win the special election runoff in Texas' 6th Congressional District, CNN projects.
  
• Keilar rolls the tape on Biles' critics: Mental health is real
  CNN's Brianna Keilar responds to critics of Simone Biles after the Olympic gymnast withdrew from the individual all-round competition at the Tokyo 2020 games to focus on her mental health.
  
• Largest US retailer will cover 100% of college tuition for its workers
  • Home prices can't go straight up forever. But this probably isn't a bubble • These are the industries where jobs still haven't returned
  
• Opinion: I used to be an elite athlete. I understand Simone Biles's struggle
  Simone Biles, the greatest gymnast in history, made a life-changing choice on Tuesday: She withdrew from the finals of the team competition, putting her own wellbeing first. Her team went on without her, winning silver as the Russian team took the gold. She told members of the media: "I'd just never felt like this going into a competition before and I tried to go out there and have fun... but once I came out here, I was like: No, the mental's not there, so I just need to let the girls do it and focus on myself."
  
• See why this restaurant owner has been targeted by Marjorie Taylor Greene
  An Atlanta restaurant owner defends his decision to enforce a mask-wearing only policy after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene attacked the establishment on her personal Twitter account. CNN's Brianna Keilar reports.
  
• Remington offers $33 million settlement with Sandy Hook school shooting victims' families
  Gun manufacturer Remington has offered nearly $33 million to nine families of victims killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in a proposed lawsuit settlement, according to court documents filed Tuesday.
  
• Man sentenced to life in case of student killed after she mistook car for Uber
  A man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday after a jury convicted him of murder in the 2019 killing of a South Carolina college student.
  
• GOP senator claims Capitol rioters were trying to protect officer
  CNN's Ryan Nobles speaks with Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and other Republican lawmakers about the Capitol insurrection hearing and the harrowing testimony from police officers who were there that day.
  
• 'Time for action:' Voting and civil rights groups intensify pressure on Biden and Congress to move on federal election bills
  Civil rights activists and voting rights groups this week are intensifying pressure on Congress to advance federal voting rights legislation as a bulwark against an array of new laws in Republican-controlled states that make it harder to vote.
  
• All bets are off if the Fed and White House are wrong about inflation
  The White House and the Federal Reserve broadly agree: Inflation isn't here to stay. Red-hot prices will cool off as the US economy reopens.
  
• Bob Odenkirk hospitalized after collapsing on set of 'Better Call Saul'
  Bob Odenkirk, star of hit TV shows "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul," was rushed to the hospital after collapsing on set on Tuesday, the TMZ entertainment website reported.
  
• How much do I need to sleep? It depends on your age
  Do you find yourself dozing off at your desk, even after what you thought was a good night's rest? Then you probably have the same question as so many others: How much do I need to sleep?
  
• Meteor lights up night sky across Texas and four other states
  This "fireball" awed unsuspecting bystanders across five states as it plummeted through the atmosphere at 30,000 mph.
  
• Analysis: The explosive Brexit spat that no one is talking about could slam the UK economy
  Boris Johnson has spent decades agitating against the European Union and the last five years battling to free the United Kingdom from the shackles of regulation from Brussels. Now he's in the awkward position of finding himself at the mercy of EU leaders for permission to rejoin an international treaty, or risk devastating Britain's multi-billion-dollar legal services industry.
  
• Hobby Lobby ordered to forfeit ancient artifact bought for $1.6 million in 2014
  A New York federal court has ordered US craft store Hobby Lobby to forfeit an ancient artifact purchased at a 2014 auction that "originated in the area of modern-day Iraq and entered the United States contrary to federal law," the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
  
• See dog's heartbreaking reaction after owner abandons him
  A husky is abandoned on road and tries to chase vehicle that left him. CNN's Jeanne Moos reports on an arrest and the pup's new home.
  
• Daniil Medvedev asks who will take responsibility if he dies in Tokyo Olympics' heat and humidity
  Amid spiking temperatures and humidity at the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday, tennis player Daniil Medvedev posed an unsettling question: Who would take responsibility if he were to die on court?
  
• Almost a week ago Kanye West held a listening event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium -- and he hasn't left
  Mercedes-Benz Stadium is Team Yeezy.
  
• Crocodile drags teen into the ocean
  18-year-old Kiana Hummel is recovering in the hospital after she was attacked by a 12-foot-long crocodile while on vacation in Mexico. CNN affiliate KGO reports.
  
• Pocket $200 After Spending $500
  
  
• Federal student loan payment pause and other Covid relief programs are ending soon
  Sixteen months after the coronavirus pandemic upended the economy and left millions of Americans out of work, the historic relief programs Congress put in place are set to start expiring.
  
• Masking is the safest way to have US children back in schools, CDC director says
  
  
• New mask guidance shows the Delta variant has changed the pandemic landscape
  The change in CDC guidance recommending all Americans wear a mask indoors in areas with high Covid-19 transmission is a sign of the change the Delta variant has carved into the pandemic landscape, Dr. Anthony Facui told CNN.
  
• Masks are back, as Delta variant forces dramatic reversal in US
  Less than a month ago, the United States seemed to be shaking off the shackles of the coronavirus pandemic. A sense of achievement was in the air. At a Fourth of July celebration, President Joe Biden said America was roaring back to life and "closer than ever" to declaring its independence from the virus.
  
• Fauci: You get vaccinated because you want to save your life
  Dr. Anthony Fauci and CNN's Chris Cuomo discuss the importance of wearing masks and getting vaccinated as the Delta variant of Covid-19 continues to surge around the US.
  
• House physician reinstates mask mandate amid Delta variant spread in the US
  The US House is reinstating its mask mandate as the Delta variant emerges as the dominant strain of Covid across the country and in light of the new US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, the House attending physician announced Tuesday.
  
• California residents urged to turn off lights and set AC to 78 degrees or higher
  California's power grid operator has issued a statewide alert urging residents to cut back electricity use Wednesday due to higher-than-normal temperatures expected in Northern California and tight energy supplies across the West.
  
• Extreme weather is upending lives in the West. 'You walk around with this vague sense of terror'
  It was the heat, in part, that pushed Eric Beck to leave Los Angeles.
  
• Oregon's Bootleg Fire has devoured 400 buildings, 342 vehicles
  Oregon's fierce Bootleg Fire has destroyed more than 400 structures and 340 vehicles since it began three weeks ago, officials said Tuesday.
  
• New York City restaurant unveils $200 French fries
  Jerome Powell, this story's for you.
  
• Chicken sandwich and BTS meal helped boost McDonald's sales
  McDonald's celebrity meal strategy and revamped chicken sandwich lineup is working.
  
• Adventurer's plan to walk on water to NY in a floating bubble ends on a Florida beach
  Extreme athlete Ray "Reza" Baluchi planned to spend the next three or four weeks on the Atlantic Ocean "walking" from Florida to New York in a hamster wheel-like vessel he calls his bubble.
  
• See Snoop Dogg and Kevin Hart's hilarious Olympics show
  Rapper Snoop Dogg and actor Kevin Hart have joined forces on Peacock TV to offer their hilarious take on the Tokyo Olympics.
  
• Apple, Google and Microsoft made $57 billion last quarter
  A rapid shift to digitization due to Covid-19 has handsomely benefited the world's biggest tech companies. Yet even as the pandemic eased, they still minted record sums of money.
  
• Amazon is everywhere. Here's how the US could break it up
  On any given day, you might receive a package you ordered from Amazon, log onto a website hosted by Amazon, ask an Amazon device about the weather and grab groceries at a Whole Foods owned by Amazon. Amazon is more than just the "everything store." It's become something of an "everything company" that touches nearly every corner of our lives and the economy.
  
• Higher prices could be here to stay if the Fed doesn't act soon
  Back in March, people were freaking out about rising long-term interest rates and inflation fears. But now the 10-year US Treasury yield has fallen back again.
  
• Airports are facing a new shortage as they try to meet skyrocketing demand
  The seats are full on most planes, but in some cases, the fuel tanks are not.
  
• Is a Yeti water bottle worth it? Absolutely. Here's why
  
  
• We cooked 48 meals to find the best nonstick pans. Here are our favorites.
  
  
• Are Swedish dishcloths worth it? Absolutely. Here's why
  
  
• These $60 earbuds rival the AirPods in many ways
  
  
• 27 things you'll want to buy during Nordstrom's massive Anniversary Sale
  
  
• Snag our runner up for best alarm clock for under $20 today
  
  
• Finding the PS5 is a nightmare — here's how to actually have a chance
  
  
• Apple's new $99 MagSafe pack extends the battery of your iPhone
  
  
• We spent months testing mesh Wi-Fi routers and the Eero 6 is the best
  
  
• The best men's sandals to buy now, according to style experts
  
  
• 25 phenomenal beauty products our editors can't live without
  
  
• Now's your last chance to get Delta's increased 90k-mile credit card bonus
  
  
• This is the most GOAT thing Biles has ever done
  Just days before Friday's Opening Ceremony, news broke that a member of the US Women's Gymnastics team had tested positive for Covid-19. I have no doubt that many of us had the same reaction:
  
• Where the fight to build a better democracy starts
  During former President Donald Trump's rally in Arizona on Saturday, he, once again, asserted that the 2020 presidential election was rife with fraud when no such evidence exists. Republican-controlled state legislatures across the country are not backing away from passing laws that attempt to dilute the voices of minority voters. And right-wing media channels like Fox News and Newsmax are keeping up their effort in spreading misinformation. Together, these various actors in the political arena and right-wing media have created the ultimate dangerous recipe for eroding trust in American institutions, elections, and worse, democracy itself.
  
• The real reason for sexualized women's uniforms in elite sports
  You know the old line about Ginger Rogers doing everything Fred Astaire did, just backward and in high heels? That's also the story of world-class women athletes: They're doing most of what the men do (and sometimes more), and doing it while being ogled, booed, scolded, sanctioned, fined and otherwise hyper-policed because of what they wear to compete.
  
• Lurching back to 'normal' is risky
  Through all the horror of the pandemic, something unexpected has happened: The last 18 months have been perhaps the most accessible period in American history for people of all abilities. Covid restrictions and safety measures forced nondisabled Americans to expand the public use of outdoor spaces and also invest heavily in remote access for work, education, entertainment and other social institutions and encounters of all kinds.
  
• You can't keep us from teaching honest history
  With a new school year around the corner -- when students will return needing more support than ever -- what topic is trending on Twitter and animating the airwaves? Ensuring that schools are safe and welcoming? Nope. Helping students recover from the isolation and anxiety of Covid? Nope. How to accelerate learning? Nope. Instead, it's a contrived uproar over something that is not even taught in elementary and secondary schools: critical race theory.
  
• Democratic strategist Stephanie Cutter credits a fearless streak to a strong career
  
  
• How the King of Calypso helped change the world
  
  
• Save over 25% -- Summer Stays in Ocean City, Md
  
  
• Why You Should Refi ASAP
  
  
• 6 reasons this is the best cash back card of 2021
  
  
• Ecuador revokes citizenship of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange
  An Ecuadorian court on Monday ruled in favor of revoking the citizenship of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, according to a judgment published by the Judicial Branch of Ecuador.
  

• Most Americans probably won't be able to get a Covid-19 vaccine until mid-2021, CDC director says
  A wedding in Maine is linked to 176 Covid-19 cases and the deaths of seven people who didn't attend the celebration, demonstrating just how easily and quickly the virus can spread at social gatherings, public health experts say.
  
• Tracking Covid-19 cases in the US
  
  
• Trump knew testing Covid-19 vaccines would take months, Woodward book shows
  President Donald Trump knew back in the spring that it would probably take a year to develop a coronavirus vaccine, according to interviews with journalist Bob Woodward.
  
• What you need to know about coronavirus today
  More than half a million children in the United States have been diagnosed with Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association.
  
• ICUs are nearing capacity in this French city. And it's only September
  Dealing with the first wave was like a sprint, the second will be more like a marathon.
  
• Crowded parties and coronavirus concerns keep high schoolers from returning to the classroom
  Overcrowded parties have forced several high schools to go back to online learning in hopes of staving off Covid-19 outbreaks.
  
• NIH 'very concerned' about serious side effect in AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine trial
  The Food and Drug Administration is weighing whether to follow British regulators in resuming a coronavirus vaccine trial that was halted when a participant suffered spinal cord damage, even as the National Institutes of Health has launched an investigation of the case.
  
• CDC study finds coronavirus rarely kills children, but minorities at higher risk
  Children and teens from minority groups are disproportionately hit by coronavirus, just as older adults are, according to the findings of a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  
• A 9-year-old who's been battling coronavirus for 6 months says the illness is a big deal
  Eli Lipman, 9, and his father have been battling the impact of Covid-19 since March, and he said life as a "long hauler" isn't easy.
  
• How to help siblings get along better
  Sibling rivalry is often taken as an unexamined fact of family life -- as much a part of parenting as potty training or bedtime stories.
  
• Here's why a vaccine will not stop the Covid-19 pandemic right away
  Dr. Umair Shah remembers the last mass vaccination campaign the US waged.
  
• Unpopular teens could be at higher risk of heart conditions later in life, study suggests
  Many of us hope to escape who we were in high school -- particularly if you were last in line to be picked in gym class -- but a growing body of research suggests that how popular you are in adolescence has a link with psychological and physical health decades later.
  
• These immunocompromised college students felt isolated when the fall semester began. So they did something about it
  At first, Cameron Lynch thought she would need prepared questions for the group to discuss in their first Zoom call.
  
• Italian airport gets world's first five-star anti-Covid award
  Travelers eager to fly again may want to consider Italy as their next destination.
  
• Depression and anxiety during and after pregnancy may harm childhood development, study finds
  A mother's depression and anxiety from conception through the first year of the baby's life is associated with negative developmental outcomes through adolescence, according to a study published Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.
  
• How to sleep better — kids and grown-ups alike
  Like many moms, Sofia Axelrod found the lack of sleep really hard after giving birth. But unlike many moms, she refused to accept that the exhaustion was inevitable.
  
• We're in a She-cession
  
  
• Americans need to 'hunker down' this fall and winter as Covid-19 pandemic will likely worsen, Fauci says
  Nearly 30 US states are reporting downward trends in Covid-19 cases, but the pandemic will likely worsen again, according to the country's leading infectious disease expert.
  
• Sex gets complicated during the pandemic
  When the pandemic hit, couples found themselves worrying about getting sick, losing income, teaching their children at home while working full time (or worrying full time about sending them to school).
  
• Craving sugar during a pandemic? Here's how to tame your sweet tooth
  Cakes, cookies, pie.
  
• Poor sleep linked to weight gain in 2-year smartphone sleep tracking study
  Not sleeping enough or getting a bad night's sleep over and over makes it hard to control your appetite. And that sets you up for all sorts of health problems, including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes.
  
• What is an EUA, and what does it have to do with how quickly we get a coronavirus vaccine?
  With talk of the possible availability of a vaccine candidate heating up, you might have heard the term Emergency Use Authorization -- or EUA -- all over the news lately. But what is it exactly, and how does it apply to vaccines?
  
• Some college towns grapple with Covid-19 after students return for fall semester
  While many colleges and universities are offering classes online, that hasn't necessarily stopped students from gathering. And now some college towns are grappling with outbreaks of Covid-19 as the start of the fall semester complicates local responses to the pandemic.
  
• AstraZeneca's Oxford vaccine trial to resume, the university says
  The AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine trial, halted last week after an unexplained illness in one of the volunteers, will resume, the University of Oxford announced Saturday.
  
• Covid-19 school closings linked to increase in depression and suicide, study finds
  Primary school students in China experienced more depressive symptoms and made more suicide attempts after schools closed for the pandemic, a new study found.
  
• One of the leading coronavirus vaccine trials is currently paused. Prominent vaccine researchers tell CNN that's unusual
  Vaccine clinical trials are notoriously difficult to conduct.
  
• My lifelong Muppets obsession helped me explain the pandemic to my preschooler
  Growing up with "Sesame Street" in the early 1980s, I found pieces of myself in Cookie Monster's sweet tooth, Big Bird's gentleness and in Grover, who was outgoing and always willing to help others, even though he made a lot of hilarious mistakes.
  
• How to reboot your workout routine: Let's set the foundation
  After time off from exercising, it's understandable if you're having a hard time getting motivated. You may even feel a bit bad, but I'm here to say it's important to go easy on yourself.
  
• Wildfire smoke and your health: Do you need to worry?
  Wildfires have broken out across the United States on an unprecedented scale, with 77 large complexes of fires engulfing 3 million acres in a matter of weeks.
  
• Fauci says normal life may not be back until the end of 2021
  Dr. Anthony Fauci said it could be the end of 2021 before life gets back to how it was before Covid-19.
  

• Bob Odenkirk hospitalized after collapsing on set of 'Better Call Saul'
  Bob Odenkirk, star of hit TV shows "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul," was rushed to the hospital after collapsing on set on Tuesday, the TMZ entertainment website reported.
  
• Kanye West: Mercedes-Benz Stadium is embracing his residency
  Mercedes-Benz Stadium is Team Yeezy.
  
• Joey Jordison, former Slipknot drummer, dies at 46
  Joey Jordison, a founder of the heavy metal band Slipknot, has died, his family announced in a statement provided Tuesday to CNN.
  
• John Stamos wants to tell you about the most famous crime you may have never heard of
  Right off the bat John Stamos knows it's surprising that he's narrating a true crime podcast.
  
• 'Prison Break' star Wentworth Miller reveals autism diagnosis
  Wentworth Miller has revealed he received an autism diagnosis a year ago, and he's sharing his feelings about it with the world.
  
• 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' trailer: There's something strange in the neighborhood
  There's something weird going on in the trailer for "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," and it don't look good. But the movie does.
  
• 'Jungle Cruise' navigates turning the ride into a highly enjoyable trip
  Transforming theme-park attractions into movies is hardly a science, and Disney's success with "Pirates of the Caribbean" is balanced by efforts like "The Haunted Mansion." Through that lens, "Jungle Cruise" delivers about as ably as it possibly could, creating a light-hearted adventure that owes as much to "The Mummy" as anything in Disney's fleet.
  
• DaBaby defends homophobic comments amid backlash
  DaBaby has addressed his recent controversial comments at the Rolling Loud music festival in Miami.
  
• Ashton Kutcher and Mika Kunis say they don't believe in bathing their kids or themselves too much
  It looks like the Kutcher-Kunis family is saving money on soap.
  
• The Tokyo Olympics will feature more coverage than ever, no fans, and a lot of different ways to watch
  The Olympics will go on without the roar of in-person crowds, while offering a dizzying assortment of events via not only NBC and its sister cable networks but dedicated site NBCOlympics.com and the company's new streaming platform, Peacock.
  
• Olympics schedule and events to watch Tuesday
  The 2020 Tokyo Olympics continue Tuesday. Here just some of the events that viewers can enjoy watching. (Don't forget: Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of Eastern Time in the US.)
  
• Ellen Burstyn to reprise her role in new 'The Exorcist' trilogy
  A new trilogy continuing the story of "The Exorcist" will have original star Ellen Burstyn reprising her role of Chris MacNeil, a mom whose daughter Regan, played by Linda Blair, begins exhibiting strange behavior.
  
• Britney Spears files to remove her father as conservator of her estate
  Britney Spears' newly hired lawyer filed a petition Monday seeking to remove the singer's father, Jamie Spears, as conservator of her estate.
  
• Machine Gun Kelly posts cryptic tweet about his new movie 'Midnight in the Switchgrass'
  Apparently Machine Gun Kelly isn't a fan of his new movie, "Midnight in the Switchgrass."
  
• Issa Rae is married
  We may still be waiting to see who (if anyone) her character on "Insecure" ends up with, but in real life, Issa Rae is now a married woman.
  
• John Travolta honors Kelly Preston's last role
  John Travolta remembered his late wife over the weekend by posting a clip from her final film.
  
• The 'Dexter' revival trailer is here
  "Dexter" is back.
  
• Dieter Brummer, 'Home and Away' star, dead at 45
  Dieter Brummer, the Australian actor best known for his role as heartthrob Shane Parrish on TV soap "Home and Away," has died at the age of 45.
  
• Looks like Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck have made it Instagram official
  For beloved Bennifer fans, the long desired reunion of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck might actually be happening.
  
• Tokyo Olympics go for the gold despite controversy
  In this edition of Pop Life Chronicles, CNN's Lisa Respers France spills the tea on the Tokyo Summer Olympics, Netflix has a new spin on a dating show formula, Broadway diversifies its offerings, and more.
  
• TV OT: 'Ted Lasso' returns and why am I watching 'So Freakin' Cheap'?
  You better believe that "Ted Lasso" was the most anticipated Season 2 debut in my household since we waited for the return of "Instant Hotel." (We sometimes have trash taste. I don't apologize.)
  
• Amanda Kloots responds to criticism for dating again after late husband Nick Cordero's death
  Amanda Kloots, whose husband Nick Cordero died of Covid-19 last year, responded to criticism over her announcement that she is dating again.
  
• 12 Ted Lasso-like TV mentors we love
  Everyone needs a warm-hearted mentor to guide us through life's troubles. These loveable TV characters are just that.
  
• Jordan Peele's next film is titled 'Nope'
  Yep, you read the headline correctly.
  
• 'Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins' and 'Masters of the Universe' roll out old toys in new packages
  Old toys never die. They just keep coming back in new poses and flexing different muscles as movies and TV shows.
  
• 'Ted Lasso:' A great show, or just the right show at the time we needed it?
  Is "Ted Lasso" a great show, or was it just the show we (or at least a lot of us) needed last summer during the pandemic? That's the question as the Apple TV+ series returns for its second season, fresh off a record haul of Emmy nominations for a first-year comedy, and with plenty of outspoken fans.
  
• 'Old' finds director M. Night Shyamalan up to the same old tricks
  M. Night Shyamalan is up to his old tricks in "Old," but after his heralded breakthrough with "Split," he's back on a downward trajectory. While the premise again has an eerie "Twilight Zone"-type quality, the long journey to a payoff -- littered with pretty awful dialogue -- might be picturesque, but it's no walk on the beach.
  
• 'Sexy Beasts' dresses up 'The Dating Game' in 'The Masked Singer's' makeup
  Dating shows keep getting weirder, but the basic formula remains remarkably faithful to the early days of television. So on the heels of Netflix's "Love is Blind" (which returns next week) and in advance of HBO Max's "FBoy Island" comes "Sexy Beasts," which weds the hidden-face conceit of "The Masked Singer" to "The Dating Game," yielding predictably ridiculous results.
  
• 'Schmigadoon!' spoofs old musicals, in a series that's too cute for its own good
  "Schmigadoon!" was clearly made by and for people who love musicals, for better and occasionally worse. Seeking to create enough original music to power a TV series is always a major challenge, with the added burden that the songs in this 10-episode Apple TV+ show are largely spoofs aimed at those who have spent too much time watching Turner Classic Movies.
  
• 'Turner & Hooch' goes to the dogs
  Who's a good show? Not "Turner & Hooch," which goes to the dogs in the wrong way, leaving behind a Disney+ series that's basically a remake but tries too hard to position itself as a sort-of revival. The result is a semi-confused cop drama that no amount of drooling and soulful puppy-dog eyes can fix.
  

• Delta variant travel restrictions: Tourists wonder where they can go -- and whether they should
  The 2021 summer travel season started out full of hope and promise, but by the day, two words are threatening to dismantle it all.
  
• Worried about traveling with unvaccinated kids? 6 questions answered on how to manage the risks
  Across the US, Covid-19 cases are rising again, primarily in unvaccinated populations. Most of these cases are due to the highly infectious delta variant of SARS-Cov-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. Many children are among those who aren't vaccinated, simply because no vaccines have been authorized for children under 12. About a quarter of children aged 12-15 years have been vaccinated. Given the rise in cases and the inability to vaccinate young children, many parents are concerned about the safety of traveling this summer.
  
• The Cape Town Opera Company is hitting all the high notes
  Hear the powerful voices of an award-winning ensemble tell universal stories, and follow along in South Africa as they build a new audience and educate the next generation about the fun side of this classic art form
  
• The Soviet spy steam railway that's still running
  Deep in the dense green forests of Germany's Mittelgebirge central mountains lies a remarkable railway that has survived war, political upheaval, Cold War tension and repression, economic hardship and repeated threats of closure.
  
• Man escapes hotel quarantine by tying bed sheets together
  Which countries are tightening their Covid corsets and which are letting it all hang loose? CNN Travel reveals all in our latest weekend round-up.
  
• Solving the mystery of a 140-year-old thrift store violin
  Music lover Hans Öqvist bought a violin from a Swedish thrift store in the mid-1990s. Some 20 years later, he tracked down the descendants of the violin's original owner.
  
• See disaster-stricken lagoon turned pink
  A lagoon in Argentina has turned pink after experts and activists say the water was polluted from a nearby factory.
  
• Is it cultural appropriation to wear another country's national dress when you travel?
  Stepping into Pandora Cheng's qipao rental store in central Hong Kong is like stepping back in time. A brown leather Chesterfield sofa sits in one corner beside a gramophone, opposite row-upon-row of tailor-made qipaos, the traditional high-neck Chinese dress.
  
• The 'carmageddon' engulfing Europe this summer
  So, you're all set for a trip to Europe in this most uncertain of summers. You've booked your flight, navigated all the paperwork for your destination (and for getting home), and have prepared yourself for snafus along the way. Oh, and you're fully vaccinated.
  
• China looks to outshine Japan at next year's winter Olympic games
  These are not the Olympics of Japan's dreams. The Games were supposed to be a comeback after decades of economic stagnation and devastation from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. With geopolitical rival China hosting the Winter Olympics, Japan wants to avoid losing center stage. CNN's Selina Wang reports.
  
• Hiking Spain's 'Coast of Death'
  Spain's Camino dos Faros snakes atop soaring cliffs that drop sharply to the sea, traversing a portion of Atlantic shoreline known as the Coast of Death (Costa da Morte). Despite its sinister name, a trek here can deliver a powerful calm.
  
• Liverpool stripped of its UNESCO World Heritage listing
  It's famous for its docks, the Beatles, and its two world-renowned soccer teams -- but now, Liverpool is going through a different kind of notoriety.
  
• World's best airlines for 2021, ranked by AirlineRatings.com
  It's been a strange year for the aviation industry, with many airlines grounding aircraft for significant chunks of 2020.
  
• Seagull smacks into teen on an amusement park ride
  A teenager got smacked by a seagull while on an amusement park ride. CNN's Jeanne Moos reports on the midair collision.
  
• Australia races against time to avoid an 'in danger' rating at UNESCO vote
  The Australian government and a United Nations body are facing off this week over whether the Great Barrier Reef is "in danger" of losing its "outstanding universal value."
  
• Air traffic controller's 'slip of the tongue' nearly causes plane crash
  An air traffic controller at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport gave incorrect instructions to pilots in an incident that nearly saw two planes come within 300 feet of crashing into each other on Tuesday.
  
• Indonesian Covid-positive man disguises himself as wife on Citilink flight in order to fly
  An Indonesian man is reportedly facing arrest after disguising himself as his wife in order to board a flight.
  
• Ready to vacation again? This TikTok travel guru has tips
  Ben Kielesinski spent the pandemic transporting his followers out of lockdowns and into ice caves, lush forests and waterfalls. From where to go to how to pack, he shares his tips for ensuring your next vacation is the trip of a lifetime.
  
• The Covid travel checklist: What to know before you go
  While our suitcases have been gathering dust over the past 16 months, the travel industry has been rapidly adapting to cope with the demands of the new Covid era.
  
• Bill Clinton turned down tea with the Queen to 'be a tourist' and eat Indian food
  Former US President Bill Clinton declined offers of tea with Queen Elizabeth and dinner at the British Prime Minister's official country house because he wanted to "be a tourist," go shopping and eat Indian food during his first official visit to the UK with Tony Blair as leader in 1997, according to formerly classified documents.
  
• See sandstorm engulf city in China
  A sandstorm as high as 100 meters (328 feet) hit Dunhuang City in northwestern China on July 25. Local police imposed traffic controls on the city's expressway as visibility reduced to less than five meters.
  
• Yosemite park ranger shares heartbreaking plea to visitors to slow down after a bear cub was killed by a car
  A ranger at Yosemite National Park is pleading to visitors to drive slow and stay alert after another bear was killed by a car.
  
• Ancient 'sunken city' discovered in Egypt
  Divers have discovered rare remains of a military vessel in the ancient sunken city of Thônis-Heracleion -- once Egypt's largest port on the Mediterranean -- and a funerary complex illustrating the presence of Greek merchants, the country said on Monday, July 19.
  
• Find out which countries are welcoming US tourists back
  US passport holders have more international travel options now than at any point during the Covid-19 pandemic.
  
• Is Antarctica a country? The future of the world's least understood continent
  As long as humans have known of its existence, they have wanted to visit Antarctica.
  
• Canada surpasses US vaccination rate as country prepares to reopen its borders
  Canada notched a significant milestone this weekend, fully vaccinating about 50% of its population and surpassing the US vaccination rate for Covid-19.
  
• Europe's finest al fresco dining spots for this summer
  Few experiences herald the joys of summer living like eating and drinking outdoors, or dining al fresco as Italians call it, literally "in the open air."
  
• Three women found out they had the same cheating boyfriend, so they went on a road trip
  Bekah King, Abi Roberts, and Morgan Tabor discovered they all had the same cheating boyfriend. Rather than succumbing to their sadness the three young women said they dumped him, saved up money to purchase and renovate a school bus and are now on a road trip together.
  
• The abandoned airport terminal where everything still works
  "The first thing you notice about New Orleans are the burying grounds -- the cemeteries -- one of the best things there are here" wrote Bob Dylan in his 2004 book "Chronicles: Volume One."
  
• What's the best pizza city in the USA? 'Modernist' authors have a surprise for you
  It's not up to you after all, New York. And Chicago -- the wind has been taken out of your deep dish sails.
  

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