the cdc now says the covid delta variant is as contagious as chickenpox. and closures are coming. plus vaccine booster shots, how israel is allocating them and how the u.s. could do the same. also one american's gold medal performance at the olympics that has her family, a refugee community and america cheering.

live from cnn world headquarters in atlanta, welcome to all of you watching us here in the united states, canada and around the world. i'm consumkim brunhuber. this is "cnn newsroom." we're getting a much clearer idea of just how alarmed the u.s. government has grown over the delta variant of covid-19. first identified this india in february, the u.s. centers for disease control and prevention now says the delta variant is as connecticut t contagious as measles and chickenpox. and the agency knows that it must revamp its public messaging to emphasize vaccination as the best defense gebagainst the

variant. it leaps from target to target more swiftly an ebola or the common cold. other findings are just as unsettling. investigations of breakthrough cases found that vaccinated people can carry and spread as much virus as unvaccinated people. the data provides some insight into why the cdc is again recommending mask wearing indoors. here is what the director told cnn. we are not crying wolf, this is serious. it is one of the most trachbs missable that we know about. dr. jerome adams served as u.s. surgeon general under president trump. he told chris cuomo the delta variant is unlike anything seen before. here it is. >> at this point if you look at the trajectory of the delta variant in india, in the uk, and you look at how we're busting the curve compared to where they were not in a good way, i do

expect that you will see closures in certain places because health care systems are already starting to be overwhelmed. and i just want to be honest with people. and that is one of the problems we've had, we always want to sugarcoat it for people, we don't want to squarecare people. but this delta variant is really nasty. it is different than the covid that we dealt with last year. and just in a week, we went from no masks to all of a sudden everyone is saying that this is where we're going. >> as the u.s. fights a surge of covid cases driven by the delta variant, president biden is taking steps to push more americans to get vaccinated. jeff zeleny has a look at the choice government workers will soon face. >> reporter: president biden delivering some of the strongest words yet about the need to get vaccinated. taking several steps that his administration can do simply that goes beyond ainy requiring some who work in the

federal government, 4 million or so will have to disclose if they are vaccinated or not. if they are not, they will have to submit to routine testing up to twice a week, they will not be able to travel for, would, they will have a hard mask requirement. so clearly this white house is trying to make it more difficult for people to not be vaccinated in the federal workforce. but what this requirement also is doing is sending a message to private companies that they too should weigh in and step up and that is exactly what they have been doing. we've seen one company after another adding their names and voices to this, but the president clearly talking about this in the starkest terms yet. >> so what is really happening today? after months and months of cases going down, they are going up. why? because of this new form, this new variant called the delta variant. this is a much different variant than the one we dealt with previously. it is highly transmissible, and it is causing a new wave of cases in those not vaccinated.

our experts tell me that cases will go up further before they start to com reporter: the pres directing his defense second lloyd austin to study how covid-19 vaccinations can be added to the vaccinations already required of service members. about 70% or so already have gotten the vaccine, but clearly that means 30% have not and there is deep resistance inside the military. so that is one other thing that the commander in chief, the president, can do. but make no mistake, we heard the president say for one the first times there is going to be a rise in cases because of the delta variant. so the president sounding the alarm, trying to shake the conscience of a country. clearly the pandemic in an entirely new phase. jeff zeleny, cnn, the white house. the u.s. defense department will require all military and civilian personnel to prove their vaccination status.

those unwilling to do so will be required to wear a mask, social distance, submit to regular testing and obey all travel restrictions. the department is also considering adding the covid shot to a list of required vaccines for military workers. and that dangerous delta variant has led many big businesses to insist workers get the covid-19 vaccine or find another job. facebook, google and netflix are among the major companies requiring employees in their workplaces to have the shots. richard quest has the latest from new york. all rig >> reporter: it is the increase in covid cases from the delta variant that is causing the greatest alarm. so from silicon valley to hollywood, executives and hr departments are telling people get vaccinated or face the consequences. and those consequences could include strict testing, unpaid quarantines, even being fired, termination. some business leaders are giving

their workers the ultimate may dumb, get vaxed or get out. a major presence in the restaurant scene in new york says that his staff must be vaccinated in 45 days or they will lose their jobs. and the customers aren't getting off scot-free. if you are not vaccinated, find somewhere else to eat. >> look, in a city that has 26,000 restaurant, if you really want to smoke, you are welcome to do that somewhere else. and i would say the exact same thing here. if you really want to go unvaccinated, you can dine somewhere else and you can also go work somewhere else. i really hope that the small number much our employees who have yet to be vaccinated will say that i actually like this place even better because they cared about me. >> and as many people returning to offices gets even closer, beginning of september, this will become an issue ever more present as workers are told vaccinate or face the

consequences. richard quest, cnn, new york. some people in israel are getting covid vaccine booster shots. we'll take you live to jerusalem for the latest and explain how booster shots could work in the united states as well. it is day 7 of the tokyo olympics and athletes are competing for gold in 29 sports. japan's largest doctor association is washrning the medical system will collapse if the covid pandemic continues. tokyo set a record for a third consecutive day with nearly 4,000 new cases. blake essig is standing by live in tokyo, but we'll start with world sport anchor patrick snell here in atlanta.

a lot action to talk about. >> 21 gold megd medals came up grab this is friday. let's start where south african star with a day to remember. not only winning gold in the 200 meter breast stroke, but also breaking the world mark with a time of 2:18.95. just overcome with emotion upon realizing what she had 34 accomplished there. and lilly king led until the 150 meter turn but then the south african powered away to that famous victory but king with the silver medal. and the 24-year-old not representing the united states to win gold, this in the 200 meter backstroke. get this, since 1992. his winning time, 1:53.27.

ryan murphy taking silver. and in the bmx bike racing, we've been following this closely. connor fields was involved in a crash earlier today. failing to finish during the third round of the men's semis. fields taken away in an ambulance. we've learned that the 28-year-old is now awake thankfully and awaiting further medical evaluation. the final for the record won by the young dutchman, despite the fact he may have suffered a fractured knee en route to his gold medal. flori >> and another crash in the third round of the first women's semi final, the us a australian competitor did not finish the run. according to team australia, she did initially show signs of a mild concussion. but has since been medically cleared. and how about this for a great

story. great britain's 22-year-old who needed crowd funding support to get to japan that the first place to compete, she hold off colombia to win gold by the finistf finest of moor argins. >> patrick, thank you. and we still didn't though if simone biles will compete in anymore events, but she posted and then deleted images which might be a clue. they show her struggling with her dismounts and saying she still has the twisties. biles withdrew from would events earlier this week. >> and so we'll have more now on the surge in covid cases.would earlier this week. >> and so we'll have more now on the surge in covid cases. blake, we heard a stark warning from physicians there. explain for us why they are sounding the alarm now.

>> reporter: just within the past 24 hours, infection rate in cases linked to the olympics have set records. here in tokyo, cases reported yesterday were up nearly 100% compared to the same day last week. and according to the national institute of infectious disease, the delta variant is responsible for about 70% of the cases being reported here in tokyo. although olympic-related cases remain relatively low, a public health expert says that the olympic bubble has already burst and the more transmission outside the general population, the more likely for those within the bubble to get infected. so at this point, a fifth wave of infection continues to swell across the country and nhk is reporting that osaka and other prefectures have asked for a declaration of emergency. that request is expected to be approved here within the next

couple hours. this is just a day after the prime minister asked people to stay indoors and watch the olympics from home as cases continue to rise. that request is being taken seriously by some. take a listen. >> translator: i'm a bit scared of covid-19 so i personally wouldn't have wanted to go to the stadium and just plan to watch the games on tv. if there were no pandemic, i would have definitely bought a ticket. all my friends and i are cheering on the athletes from home in front of the tv and enjoying the games. >> reporter: with the state of emergency already in place for tokyo, an order that has done nothing so far to slow the spread of infection. japan's medical association fears that if the surge continues, the medical system will collapse, a concern echoed by japan's top coronavirus adviser yesterday who said that the greatest danger is the fact that the general public does not share a sense of crisis. >> thanks so much for the

update, blake essig. and coming up, it is a big win for u.s. gymnastics, but sue any lee's gold medal is an even bigger win for communities in minnesota. and plus january 6 committee will soon meet to discuss what is next in the investigation into the capitol hill insurrection. we'll have the latest from washington. om taking to the streets to talk about credit. can you repair your credit yourself? yes. -great. how? uhhh... how long does credit repair take? i don't know, like 10 years. what? are you insane? what's a good credit score? go. 600. maybe if you're trying to pay thousands extra in interest rates. cut the confusion, get started with a free credit evaluation at creditrepair.com. look, this isn't my first rodeo and let me tell you something, i wouldn't be here if i thought reverse mortgages took advantage of any american senior,

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members of the house committee investigating the insurrection will hold a strategy session to discuss next steps including subpoenas. jessica dean has the latest from washington. >> reporter: cnn is learning from a source familiar that members of the january 6 house select committee plan to meet on friday ain pelosi's office as they strategize. of course this is after the blockbuster testimony from the four officers who risked their life defending this capitol and the people inside of it on january 6. we're told that members are considering what they will be doing about subpoenas, who the

next witnesses will be. the chair of that committee benny thompson has said that they might come back during their august recess to do more business or potentially hold another hearing. jessica dean, cnn, capitol hill. the u.s. space agency nasa says that there was a spacecraft emergency on thursday in low orbit. >> one in the crosshairs. copy. >> a russian space module misfired its thrusters during a maneuver pushing the space station out of position in a kind of tug of war. communications went down for 11 minutes between the ground and the iss. they eventually got things under control. the u.s. and russian space agencies are investigating. but nasa town down played the incident calling it a exciting hour. several states are under thunderstorm and tornado warnings. check out this video of

pennsylvania, the person who shot this says that he was at a youth football practice when the weather changed out of nowhere. that is when they saw what appears to be a tornado, though that hasn't been confirmed by the national weather service. joining me now is jean norman. are we going to see more of whatever that was? >> well, it depends on where you are. parts of the ohio river valley, you are not out of the woods yet from seeing more pictures like this. a toward did strike just theet northeast of philly. but this is one of 15 tornados that has struck over the last two days stretching from the great lakes down across the mid-atlantic and northeast. also over 200 reports of wind damage and nearly two dozen reports of large hail. now, the remnants of that storm system continue to push its way into the lower part of the ohio river valley, sections of kentucky and tennessee still seeing a couple rumbles early this morning.

but there could be mor today. along that same front that is trying to sag, or as it sags into the hot and humid air mass that has been in place over the mid south and southeast for the last couple of days, making it just oppressive. meanwhile monsoon storms continue across the west and yes, believe it or not, that smoke is still a problem for places like minnesota and iowa. but severe storms stretch from nebraska down to iowa and toward missouri. the potential for maybe a few isolated tornados and maybe even some strong winds with those storms as they move on through. the forecast shows a lot of those storms rolling down from the central plains all the way down into the mid-atlantic and at least portions of the ohio river valley tomorrow. and that is where they will be. there will also be some heavy rains associated with these storms anywhere from 2 to 4 inches falling in the areas that you see shaded in yellow. but how about the northeast,

getting a break from the hot weather, 80 degrees in new york city, 75 chicago. big d still knocking on 99 where the heat advisories are still in effect. so kind of a mixed bag. if you are in the south, sweat it out. >> thanks so much, gene norman. in washington, president biden is calling on lawmakers to extend a nationwide eviction moratorium. it was designed to help people who fell behind with their rent because of the pandemic, but the moratorium is about to expire. millions of americans could end up on the streets. but there is help out there, but many don't know about it. ♪ >> reporter: las vegas looks like a post-pandemic play dgrou there's days. woo-hoo. in the cold light of day around the courthouse, hey -- >> all of us lost our jobs. and it was on the strips.

>> reporter: apparently nearly 12 million americans are now behind on their rent and the federal covid era eviction ban for thonow expires med night saturday. >> you will see nationwide on the 1st eviction notices being issued. and here in nevada? >> seven days later if you don't respond, you're out. >> reporter: congress has approved nearly $47 billion to help people across the country. >> i didn't know that. i mean, i bet you a lot of other people do not know that as well. >> reporter: she's right. only about $3 billion was actually dished out through the end of june. spreading the word is hard and bureaucracy gets in the way. thousand in nevada -- >> you cannot be -- >> reporter: as soon as he apply for that federal money, you cannot be kicked out while it is in process. that is a state law. >> that is a state law. that every state should pass.

>> reporter: a few other states like california will keep some eviction protections in place. >> anyone impacted by this pandemic that cannot pay rent 100% of that rent will be paid for. >> reporter: and there is one group that will benefit when the eviction ban disappears. squeezed landlords. >> we have many, many members that have exhausted all of their savings. i don't know how long that road will be before we became solid again, but certainly on the road to it depending on whether or not july 31st truly is the end of the moratorium. >> reporter: but lifting some state level eviction bans last summer say researchers meant more than 10,000 covid deaths. >> if families are forced to go to a shelter or double up, you're risking more exposure. doing it when the delta variant

is out of control is a really bad idea. >> reporter: leslie says that she was evicted once already. moved in with her mom. and now you and your mom are -- >> yeah, getting evicted as well. >> reporter: nick watt, cnn, las vegas. giant of the u.s. senate has passed away. michigan's carl levin tied thirst at the age of -- died thursday at the age of 87. he was this office 36 years and a staunch defending of civil rights. his family called him a tireless advocate for the role that government can play in the lives of the american people and ensuring that government programs meet their commitments. coming up, the delta variant is much worse than anybody thought. the latest data from the cdc reveals a virus as contagious as

measles being spread by people who are vaccinated. and israel will be the first to offer a third shot of the covid vaccine. why the government is pushing for boosters.

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more now on the chilling internal report from the centers for disease control highlighting just how threatening the delta variant has become. new data says the strain is as contagious as the chickenpox and caused more severe disease. and also suggests vaccinated people with breakthrough infections can carry just as much of the virus as the unvaccinated. health officials are urged to ignore that the war has changed.

the "washington post" first reported on the new cdc data saying that the agency knows that it must revamp its public messaging to emphasize vaccination as the best defense against a variant so con text message ycontagious. leaping from target to target more swiftly than ebola or the common cold.contagious. leaping from target to target more swiftly than ebola or the common cold.leaping from target more swiftly than ebola or the common cold. israel will be offering a booster to those fully vaccinated. and elliott gut man is joining me now from jerusalem. pfizer said that we might be needing a booster. why is israel going ahead with this booster plan? >> i think israel doesn't want to take any chances. it has seen a dramatic spike in the number of covid cases in the country. over the last few day, we've seen more than 2,000 cases every day. cast your mind back a month or

two, fewer than ten case as day. so it doesn't want to take any chances.as day. so it doesn't want to take any chances. about 2,000 people have already gotten the booster and no adverse effect. and two-thirds who received a third dose showed that they had more antibodies and then also we had data from pfizer this week which said that third dose could strongly boost the number of antibodies in people receiving a third dose by more than five-fold for those aged 18 to 55. and so israel felt that it was better to err on the side of caution. it has thousands more doses arriving in the country and actually the third dose campaign has already kicked off, there was some people in a suburb of tel aviv who was the first to receive their third dose.

and the president who is age 60, he went on live television to also receive police third dose along with his wife. he said that it is really a good lesson for human kind, the need to protect each other by ensuring that people are vaccinated. and the prime minister who is only age 49, so not eligible, he also chimed in saying that israel will share any data and insights with the world and he said that we'll win but together. >> yeah, interesting not without controversy given how many people around the world haven't had a first shot let alone a third. thanks so much, elliott. and many in the united states are looking at israel and wondering if a potential booster dose is needed. the white house is taking a clear stance saying that it is not needed right now, but if that changes, the u.s. is ready. >> let me be clear, this is not white house, this is the fda, it is scientists, which i think

everyone would agree is the gold standard. they are evaluating the data, taking all the inputs and they will decide when and if americans need boosters. right now they are certain that no americans need boosters. they have said that. but i will tell you, wolf, if we do -- if they do decide that americans need booster, we are ready. we have the supply and people will be able to get a booster shot if it is needed in a fast and efficient manner. >> that was jeff zients the covid response coordinator speaking with wolf blitzer. other measures like mask mandates are being reintroduced in many cities. in atlanta while they have issued an executive order requiring masks at all indoor public places, so he hawe have series of reports beginning with natasha chen. >> reporter: the city of

atlanta, areas of high levels of community transmission according to the latest cdc data, this follows the savannah's mayor on monday also requiring masks indoors. the mayor johnson said that yes this punishes the minority of people that are vaccinated due to the ib inaction of people who did not do so. but governor kemp said that there would not be a lockdown or statewide mask mandate. the 7 day rolling average of new cases is at its highest level since early march. >> reporter: governor ron desantis is doubling down on his stance when it comes to masks. he does not believe government or cool officials should be requiring students to wear them in the upcoming school year. that said, where i am right now in broward county, the school board decided to require masks for the upcoming school year given the new cdc guidelines. let's move a little further south, miami-dade the school board there is also going back

to the drawing board after those guidelines came out and they too are reconsidering how they will move forward when it comes to mask policies for the upcoming school year. we checked in with a handful of districts and many of them sort of echoed that sentiment that they are now trying to figure out how they will move forward with mask policy for the upcoming school year given what the governor is saying, given what the cdc guide leans and what is best for their students. >> reporter: despite the rising number of covid cases, that could not keep this crowd behind me away from lollapalooza. if ticket holders want to get inside, they will have to follow a few rules. first, if you are vaccinated, you have to show proof. so bring a printed version of your vaccine card. if you don't have the covid-19 vaccine, you will be required to obtain a negative covid test at least 72 hours prior to entry. some people are concerned events like this will be a superspreader event.

the city's top health official says there is always that risk, there is a chance we could see a spike in the number of covid cases, not only here in chicago, but across the state. but she said that she feels confident and comfortable because the event is outside. parts of the chinese capital are under lockdown after two new covid cases cropped up this week. the first in nearly six months. authorities say that they now know where it came from, an inbound flight from russia. the city has recorded 185 infections so far. and new this hour, the first person convicted under hong kong's national security law has just been sentenced. he is getting 9 years in prison for incitement to secession and terrorism. kristie lu stout is live in hong kong with the details. we're watching to see how strictly this new national security law will be enforced.

what does this tell us? >> reporter: yeah, this is a very serious penalty here. we just got the news within the last hour, the first person convicted under the national security law has been sentenced to nine years in prison. it was on tuesday when 24-year-old was found guilty of incitement and terrorism. his lawyer says the defense plans to appear these decisions. he was arrested on july 1, 2020 just hours after the national security law was first imposed on hong kong. he was holding a flag with a forbidden message on it that said liberate hong kong, revolution of our times. and he crashed his motorcycle into several riot police officers who were trying to stop him. he was denied bail, denied a jury for this trial, that is a significant departure from hong

kong's previous legal system and also the three judges who are presiding over this case were hand picked by the top leader carrie lam. critics say that this trial and this sentencing is part of a greater crackdown on dissent in the city. here is joseph chang. >> hong kong people now realize that people are in a very difficult situation, not only that democracy is beyond our hope, but our very basic freedoms that we cherish are now being compromised. >> reporter: but top chinese officials are unwavering in their support for the national security law. they say it brings stability and prosperity to the territory. wch within the last year, over 130 people have been arrested under the law. >> all right. thanks so much, kristie lu stout live in hong kong. the u.s. state department says that it is concerned about the treatment of foreign

journalists in china. the bbc has been a recent target labeling the network a rumor spreading broadcasting corporation. the u.s. says china's harsh rhetoric toward any new it is perceives to be critical of prc policies has provoked negative public sentiment leading to sense in-person confrontations and harassment including online verbal abuse and death threats of journalists simply doing their jobs. coming up, afghan interpreters are beginning to be evacuated to the u.s. but thousands more remain living in fear as threats intensify. and plus what sunisa lee's historic gold medal means. it takes a certain kind of person to change the world. my great-great-grandmother, my great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather was that kind of person.

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firefighters in southern turkey are battling 20 wildfires down from nearly 60 a few days ago. officials say the blazes have killed at least four people, more than 2,000 farm animals have also died. dozens ofville think as haages ordered to be evacuated. surging temperatures are causing biggest meltdown of the year for green land.e whole state of florida and more than 5 centimeters of water. this is the third instance of extreme melting in greenland in the past decade. an initial group of a began interpreters are set to arrive in virginia in the coming hours. it is part of president biden's vow not to abandon those who helped in the longest war, but thousands are still waiting their turn as they fear

retribution from the taliban. kylie atwood reports. >> i'm counting down my end of life. >> reporter: every day that the taliban control surges in afghanistan, the situation grows more deadly for afghan interpreters who are trying to flee the country after working alongside u.s. troops and diplomats. three interpreters who have applied for special immigrant visas to the u.s. spoke to cnn and described just how urgently they must get out of the country. because after years of putting their lives on the line, next to u.s. soldiers, the taliban are hunting them down. >> we're leaving the country. or our future will be dark, they will cut our head. >> reporter: he is referring to a recent report of a taliban beheading afghans who worked alongside u.s. troops. these afghans fear for their

families as well as themselves. and cnn is concealing their identities to keep them safe. one of them, niab, is particularly concerned about what will happen to his daughters if the taliban take over. >> they will destroy the schools and prevent the girls to go to school. >> reporter: all three men we spoke with had faced terrifying threats. one of them explained what happened to him earlier this month when the taliban knocked on his door. >> my family hide me and told them he was gone and then they search their house and i was hide in the oven. they burned my house and nothing remain to us. all our materials -- >> reporter: they burned your house? >> yeah. >> reporter: after that, he snuck out of the hometown in the middle of the night embarking on a dangerous journey to kabul

where the taliban are not in control. this army captain worked with rameesh and encouraged him to flee to kabul. >> to me it is the comrade in rm as, and indelible duty to not be tray they will. you put these people on a tier as you would your own family. >> reporter: he says the united states could not have done the job on the ground without the interpreters by their side. he feels angry thinking about the ones who may not make it out. >> if you allow and fully know all of these people signing up for this promise to come literally to the promised land and to just let it go, that is a betrayal to those people. >> reporter: about 20,000 afghans have applied for sivs, 700 will fly into the united states in the coming weeks while visas are finalized. yet the total processing time can take years.

president biden has promised -- >> we'll stand with you just as you stood with us. >> reporter: but the united states government has not yet laid out a comprehensive plan to get these afghans out of the country before the complete u.s. troop withdrawal next month. due to the urgent nature of the challenge, many individuals like paine have taken it upon themselves to contribute. a former afghan interpreter living in virginia set up a nonprofit to help sivs based on his own experience. >> when i came here at the airport, i realized that the government has not taken care of us and i was on my own. and from that time, i thought that i have to do something to help he's sivs when coming to the united states and they don't know anybody. >> reporter: earlier this month he waited at the airport to welcome an afghan si vichlt recipient and his family to the united states.

the nonprofit paid for their flights. it is an emotional and hopeful scene. but a glance at his phone offers a reality check. hundreds of messages rngs all afghans pleading with him to help them get out. each of these siv applicants has children, one has five children. and i tell you that to underscore the fact that it is not just these 20,000 siv applicants trying to get here because they feel their lives are in jeopardy, it is also their charger families. kylie atwood, cnn, washington. colombia's capital saw new clashes between police and protestors wednesday. police say that six offices were injured and ten people were arrested including three minors. colombia was rattled by anti-government protests that began in april. and dozens of protestors have been killed by security forces but officials dispute those numbers. and coming up, 18-year-old

suni lee vaulted through hardship and been on the way to olympic gold. we'll tell you about it next. ♪ ♪ ♪ aloha! isn't this a cozy little room? sorry your vacation request took so long to get approved, so you missed out on the suite special. but lucky for you, they had this. when employees are forced to wait for vacation request approvals,it can really cramp their style.

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scarlett johansson who plays black widow alleges that the company breached her contract. the actress argues that she is losing potential box office earnings because her film was released simultaneously on the disney plus streaming platform. disney says the lawsuit has no merit and releasing it on disney plus will increase her compensation. the film has made about $318 million worldwide since its release. round one of the nba draft was held thursday night and there was little doubt who would be the first pick. >> in the 2021 nba draft, detroit pistons select cade

cunningham from oklahoma state university. >> and he went first overall to the pistons. and the 19-year-old freshman guard from oklahoma state was one of the best players in college basketball last season leading the cowboys to the second round of the ncaa tournament. he will look to get the pistons back to their storied success. you see it there, pure joy in minnesota, family and friends of suni lee react as she snagged go gold. for lee's family and for her community back in the u.s., it is a reflection of their resilience in overcoming

hardship and tragedy. will ripley tells us about see k lee's road to gold. >> reporter: from a family of refugees to olympic gold for team usa. >> it didn't even feel like real life. >> reporter: 18-year-old suni lee, stepping up when simone biles stepped back. taking women's individual all-around gold. win number six in the event for team usa, tying the former soviet union's record. >> this medal would not be possible without my coaches, the medical team, my parents and this is just so surreal and i haven't even let it sink in yet. >> reporter: nearly 6,000 miles away in oakdale, minnesota, the small refugee community celebrating big time. lee's parents fled for the u.s. and her dad says winning gold is the greatest achievement.

>> all the hard work, all the broken bones, all the time you missed vacationing with us, it paid off. >> reporter: lee's road to gold tougher than most. in 2019, her father fell from a ladder leaving help paralyzed from the chest down. in 2020, her aunt and uncle died of covid-19. >> there was a point in time where i wanted thi that i would get here including injuries and stuff. so there are definitely a lot of emotions but i'm super proud of myself for sticking with it and believing in myself. >> reporter: and now suni lee making olympic history. will ripley, cnn, tokyo. >> what a fantastic story there. i'm kim brunhuber. thank you so much for watching. "early start" is next.

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the war has changed. leaked cdc documents revealing just how contagious the delta variant is and how the agency must rethink its public messaging on covid. >> if in fact you are unvaccinated, you present a problem. >> president biden's most urgent plea yet to unvaccinated americans. can his plan work? we have to go back to where it all started.

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