As kids start heading back to school in Delta-riddled parts of the country, Republicans and school districts have a tricky choice to grapple with: Stay the course of eschewing masks and fueling infections to make Joe Biden look bad? Or protect children from a constantly changing virus? A real Catch-COVID-22.
 

• Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) said on Tuesday that he regretted signing a law in April that barred local officials from implementing mask mandates, now that surging coronavirus cases in Arkansas have tarnished the glory of owning the libs. That’s actually a little too much credit: Hutchinson said he wished “that it had not become law,” as if some other prankster governor broke in to politicize public-health measures in the middle of the night. Hutchinson has called for a special legislative session to revisit the ban amid a recent spike in cases among children. 
   
• It’s not the only state where the Delta variant has windmill dunked on GOP anti-mask posturing. Just days into the school year in southern Mississippi, out-of-control outbreaks have forced a number of school districts to rethink their “mask if the spirit moves you” policies. And after an unrepentant Gov. Doug Ducey (R-AZ) banned Arizona schools from requiring masks, one of the state’s largest school districts has gone ahead and required them anyway, with overwhelming support from staff, students, and parents.
   
• It’s unclear what legal consequences Arizona schools might face for the crime of protecting human life, but several Florida school districts are planning a similar revolt in spite of a threat from Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) to withhold state funding. Even the Broward County School District, which said earlier this week that it would abandon its mask mandate to comply with DeSantis’s order, announced Wednesday that the requirement will stay in place for now. In Duval County, schools have tried to thread the needle by issuing a mask rule that parents can opt out of, forcing a 12-year-old to advocate for younger kids who can’t get vaccinated.

Speaking of small helpless babies, let’s see how our friend Ron is handling the latest criticism of his abject coronavirus failures.
 

• A day after President Biden chewed out DeSantis and Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) for their pandemic-prolonging policies—an important shift towards holding GOP saboteurs accountable for the current wave of infections—DeSantis responded with some very tough, very alpha Big Boy Whataboutism: “Why don’t you do your job? Why don't you get this border secure? And until you do that, I don’t wanna hear a blip about COVID from you, thank you.” A strong choice for a guy whose approval rating now sits at just 44 percent, with 49 percent of Florida voters evidently less than psyched about living in the Delta epicenter.
   
• Here’s the good news: liberal strongholds have started to move past mask mandates to vaccine mandates, with huge early success. New York City’s vaccination campaign surged 40 percent after Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered city employees to get the jab and offered a $100 incentive—and that was in the week that ended on Saturday, before The Big Jabble (shh, shhh, it’s gonna catch on) announced a vaccination requirement for public, indoor activities. Los Angeles leaders will consider a similar get-vaxxed-or-get-shunned rule, to the great excitement of LA-based progressive media companies.

Republican governors can hide behind the passive voice all they want: It was their gleeful rejection of public-health measures that stalled the pandemic recovery and paved the way for a deadly resurgence, and their own policies that have left schools unsafe even with vaccines widely available. It’s about time more Democrats started saying it out loud. 

Keep It is your ultimate source for pop culture news. Each week, Ira Madison III, Aida Osman, and Louis Virtel explore the intersection between entertainment, culture and politics with your favorite comedians, journalists, actors, musicians, and activists! This week, the Keep It crew is joined by the legendary and hilarious Jennifer Coolidge to talk about her new HBO series The White Lotus and her new film, Swan Song. You won’t want to miss this. New episodes of Keep It drop every Wednesday. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

We interrupt our regular booing of Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) to direct a hearty “resign, bitch” at his brother. CNN host Chris Cuomo didn’t mention the New York attorney general’s report on his brother’s sexual harassment during his show on Tuesday night, nor did he address the report’s new details about his wildly inappropopriate role in managing Andrew’s response to the scandal—which seems to have included drafting a statement for him.  A number of CNN employees said they were disturbed that the network hadn’t fired him over the revelations. Meanwhile, Manhattan and Westchester County prosecutors have formally requested evidence from New York Attorney General Letitia James’s probe, which could lead to new criminal investigations, and a majority of New York State Assembly members are now prepared to smash that impeachment button if Cuomo doesn’t resign.

• The WHO has called for a moratorium on vaccine booster shots through September to help ensure that vaccine supplies go toward poorer countries where people can’t yet access their first shot. WHO officials said they don’t object to potential third doses for immunocompromised groups.
   
• Your Tuesday Ohio House primary results: Shontel Brown defeated Nina Turner, in a win for the Democratic Party establishment, and Trump-endorsed candidate Mike Carey unfortunately glided to victory in a crowded GOP field. 
   
• Here’s an infuriating example of how renters are getting evicted because they have yet to receive the rental assistance they’ve been approved for, even with the new CDC eviction moratorium in place. 
   
• A judge has temporarily blocked a Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) order to pull over vehicles transporting migrants, after the Justice Department filed a lawsuit.
   
• A couple of updates on Racist Villains of Yore: Gov. Mike Parson (R-MO) has pardoned the St. Louis Gun Couple, as promised, and Amy Cooper has learned nothing at all. 
   
• A federal judge in Colorado has ordered sanctions against two lawyers behind a Big Lie lawsuit, which he called “the height of recklessness.”
   
• The Senate voted unanimously to award the Congressional Gold Medal to police officers who defended the Capitol on January 6. The House has already passed the measure.
   
• The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has fired its principal flutist, who’d been spreading conspiracy theories about the election and vaccines on social media, but has hired an extra trombonist to follow her around going “womp womp.”
   
• Burns burns ‘Berg.

Newly released emails provided by the Justice Department to the House oversight committee provide the latest chilling evidence of just how doggedly then-President Donald Trump pursued a full-blown coup. On December 28, 2020—a day after this batshit phone call—Jeffrey Clark, the then-acting head of DOJ's civil division, circulated a draft letter that he wanted the two top Justice Department officials to sign onto. The letter urged Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) and other officials to arrange a special legislative session to “investigate” voter fraud in the Georgia election, and to do it before Congress could certify the results—so that the legislature could send an alternative slate of electors. The refusal of then-Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and then-Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue to sign the letter was all that prevented the scheme from moving forward. Anyway, fun fact about Clark: He now works for a right-wing legal group fighting mask and vaccine mandates around the country.

In 2021 mental health is finally a thing, especially as people are not feeling like their normal selves. Let’s support one another and talk openly. Whether or not therapy is your thing, knowing it’s available and affordable is important, for you or perhaps a loved one.  

Millions of people are trying and loving online therapy. It doesn’t have to be sitting around just talking about your feelings.

So, what is therapy, exactly? It’s whatever you want it to be.

You can privately talk to someone if your stress is too much to manage, you’re battling a temper, having relationship issues, anxiety, depression, etc… Whatever you need, there’s no more shame in these normal human struggles. We take care of our bodies, why not our minds, too? Without a healthy mind, being truly happy and at peace is HARD.

BetterHelp is customized online therapy that offers video, phone and even live chat sessions with your therapist, so you don’t have to see anyone on camera if you don’t want to. It’s much more affordable than in-person therapy and you can start communicating with your therapist in under 48 hours.

It’s always a good time to invest in yourself, because you are your greatest asset. See if online therapy is for you by heading to BetterHelp.com/crooked for 10% off your first month.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) has signed a gun control law that closes a background check loophole on private gun sales.

Fully-vaccinated people are three times less likely to contract the Delta variant (including asymptomatic infections) than unvaccinated folks, and have smaller viral loads on average, according to a new U.K. study.

Nearly nine in 10 voters are against partisan gerrymandering, according to a new RepresentUs poll. What perfect conditions to do something about it!

Canadian soccer player Quinn is poised to become the first nonbinary Olympic medalist.