Good morning and welcome to way too early, the show that was robbed of the bronze and the steeplechase.

I'm Jonathan Lemire on this Thursday, August 5th.

Let's start with the news.

With coronavirus cases surging across the country thanks to the Delta variant, Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning that an even more deadly strain could be possible.

In an interview with McClatchy, Dr. Fauci said the virus is being given ample time

to morph into a more dangerous variant due to continued spread in unvaccinated areas. He said,

quote, if another one comes along that has an equally high capability of transmitting,

but also is much more severe, then we could really be in trouble. Dr. Fauci also warned that COVID cases

are rising in a very steep fashion across the country and may double in the coming weeks to 200,000 a day.

As the nation weighs lifting travel restrictions, the Biden administration is reportedly

developing a plan that would require nearly all foreign visitors to be

fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before entering the United States. The plan, first reported by

Reuters, will be part of a new system to be put in place after the current restrictions on travel

into the country are lifted, but officials have yet to determine when that might be done.

According to Reuters,

the White House wants to reopen travel, which would boost business for the airlines and tourism industry. But a White House official said the nation is, quote, not ready to immediately

lift restrictions because of the rising COVID-19 caseload and highly transmissible COVID-19 variant.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports some of Florida's largest school districts have announced

they will either keep or issue new mask mandates due to the latest COVID outbreak ravaging the state.

The move challenges Governor Ron DeSantis' order that threatens to withhold funds from schools if they mandate students wear face coverings.

According to the Post, at least four school districts in the state are pushing back against the governor's staunch opposition to new virus restrictions or mask mandates after he issued an executive order on Friday.

Broward County Public Schools, the second largest district in Florida and the sixth largest

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