Happy Friday! It seems we forgot to knock on wood when we announced there was no longer a need for our daily COVID charts. With the Delta variant raging, we’ve decided to resurrect the TMD COVID-19 data on a limited basis, providing an update once or twice a week.

We hope you’re so ecstatic about this news that you forget to ask us how softball went last night.

Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories

• The Biden administration on Thursday announced sanctions on Cuban Minister of Defense Alvaro Lopez Miera and the Cuban Ministry of the Interior’s Special National Brigade for their respective roles in “facilitating the repression of peaceful, pro-democratic protests in Cuba that began on July 11.” Biden, in a statement, vowed to work with partners in the region to pressure the Cuban regime to release political prisoners, restore internet access, and guarantee Cuban citizens fundamental rights.

• By a vote of 407-16, the House yesterday moved to expand a visa program for Afghans who have aided U.S. forces throughout the war in Afghanistan. The number of special immigrant visa passes available will nearly double from 11,000 to 19,000 if the legislation is passed in the Senate, and visa applicants will no longer have to prove they face a specific threat from the Taliban to earn a visa. Surviving spouses and children would also retain eligibility even if the applicant dies before their visa is approved.