Countries are ramping up efforts to contain COVID-19 amid the surge of the highly infectious Delta variant. Unlike earlier forms, the Delta variant spreads easily, even outdoors, and that means the coronavirus is surging across the hot countries of the global south that had been spared massive outbreaks until recently. CBS News senior foreign correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reports. Source

New analysis shows vaccination rates are more than 11% higher in counties President Biden won in 2020 compared to counties won by former President Trump. Jen Kates, the Kaiser Family Foundation’s senior vice president and director of global health, spoke to CBSN’s Elaine Quijano about her research into the growing gap. Source

Feds claim facility in Gainesville, Georgia, failed to implement safety procedures needed to prevent nitrogen leak. Source

“I just want to make my community proud, make America proud, and show the world something new,” Bloom said. Source

The Tokyo Olympics are officially underway after opening with a somewhat subdued ceremony. CBS News foreign correspondent Lucy Craft joined CBSN from Tokyo to discuss the opening of the games and the protests surrounding them. Source

“Today’s vote shows that progress is possible,” Sen. Raumesh Akbari said. Source

President Biden is addressing the surge in COVID-19 cases across the U.S., saying we have a pandemic among the unvaccinated. CBS News senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang joined CBSN with more on the president’s plea for Americans to get the shot, plus pandemic aid for homeowners and the latest on the infrastructure bill. Source

The opening ceremony is taking place Friday morning, marking the official start of the Games. Source

A CDC expert panel met Thursday to discuss the small risk of rare side effects linked to some COVID-19 vaccines. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices reviewed cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder associated with the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. There have been 100 reported cases, including one death, among the more than 13 million J&J doses given in the U.S. Dr. David Agus explains why the committee says the benefits of the vaccines far outweigh any risks. Source

After members of Congress responded to a “CBS This Morning” report on Alexis Hernandez’s debt, military officials have waived the bill. Source