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Star power

Julius Lasin   | Paste BN

Plenty of stars are honored for TV and on the baseball diamond. President Joe Biden hits back at restrictive voting laws. And what you need to know about a third COVID-19 shot.

👋 It's Julius, and let's get to Tuesday's news, shall we? 

But first, an incredibly smol cow. 🐄 Meet Rani, who at 20 inches tall, might be the world's tiniest cow.

The Short List is a snappy Paste BN news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here or text messages here.

'The Mandalorian' and 'The Crown' lead Emmys pack

Disney's "The Mandalorian" and Netflix's "The Crown" continued their successful runs Tuesday, each earning 24 Emmy Awards nominations,, tied for the most in this year's field. Not far behind was another show on Disney+, Marvel's "WandaVision," which nabbed 23 nominations. And in an acting category, history was made with Mj Rodriguez becoming the first trans performer nominated for a lead acting Emmy. The most tightly contested race this year may be for Best Limited Series, which features beloved shows "I May Destroy You," "Mare of Easttown," "The Underground Railroad," "The Queen's Gambit" and "WandaVision." The 2021 Emmys will air Sept. 19 on CBS (8 EDT/PDT), with host Cedric the Entertainer.

'21st century Jim Crow assault'

President Joe Biden was in Philadelphia on Tuesday to advocate for voting rights and to warn Americans of an "assault" on democracy.  "The 21st century Jim Crow assault is real," Biden said during comments on voting. "It's unrelenting." The president also turned his attention to lawmakers, calling on Congress to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. The president's remarks came as at least 14 states have enacted laws that restrict voting access following last year’s presidential election. Voting rights have been a point of emphasis for the Biden administration, with Vice President Kamala Harris announcing last week a $25 million expansion of a Democratic National Committee initiative to bolster voter education, voter protection, targeted voter registration and deployment of new technology to increase voter access. 

What everyone’s talking about

Thousands of homes threatened as heat wave, wildfire rages

Major wildfires continue to rage across the West on Tuesday as an unrelenting heat wave and historic drought turned a wide swath of the nation into tinder. The 67 blazes had consumed 1,434 square miles of mostly timber and brush, but an undetermined number of homes have burned and thousands were threatened. The Bootleg Fire, the largest blaze in the country, has raced through 240 square miles, burned seven homes and 40 additional buildings.  Looking ahead, heat will only make things worse for fire crews as high temperatures remain above average through the week, with widespread readings in the 90s and 100s, AccuWeather said. Temperatures will only increase over the weekend and into next week, forecasters said. 

Do you need a booster shot for COVID-19? Here's what to know.

Although vaccine companies are studying the effectiveness of a third COVID-19 shot, the U.S. government has said boosters aren't needed — at least for now. A third shot hasn't been proven safe or effective yet, and there are many vulnerable people across the world who haven't yet had the first dose of a vaccine. Notably, more than 99% of those being treated in hospitals for COVID-19 are unvaccinated. Studies have also shown the three vaccines available in the United States — Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson — remain effective against all the common variants, including delta, studies have shown. What's unknown is how long protection will last. However, Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said that if vaccines weren't protecting against the variant, many more vaccinated people would be falling seriously ill. "I'm not worried yet," he said. 

Real quick

It's 'Shotime' at MLB All-Star Game

MLB's midsummer classic takes place tonight, when the National League All-Stars host the American League All-Stars at Coors Field in Colorado. Although there are plenty of marquee names on both sides, much of the focus will be on Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani, who will be the starting pitcher and leadoff hitter for the American League. Ohtani, who is also coming off a brief but exciting showing at last night's Home Run Derby, is the first player in MLB history to be voted as an All-Star pitcher and position player. However, the National League will hope to slow Ohtani down and end their seven-game All-Star losing skid. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. 

A break from the news

This is a compilation of stories from across the Paste BN Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here.

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