The Olympics without spectators
 THE BIG STORY
The Olympics has banned spectators as Tokyo grapples with a COVID surge
Well ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, international spectators were banned from attending the events. But in June, organizers announced that domestic fans will be allowed, despite fears that the Olympics could turn into a superspreader event.
That decision was reversed this week — the Olympics will now have no spectators, after Japan declared a state of emergency in Tokyo, following a rise in COVID-19 cases in the area and a vaccine supply shortage in the country.
Tokyo reported 896 new cases on Thursday, with two deaths and 1,782 hospitalizations. Cases nationwide have risen approximately 17% in the last two weeks.
The decision to have no spectators is yet another setback to the Tokyo Olympic Games, which have already been delayed by a year due to the pandemic.
The games run from July 23 to Aug. 8.  The Ariake Urban Sports Park construction site in Tokyo. Stanislav Kogiku/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images STAYING ON TOP OF THIS
Britney Spears' dad says he's "very concerned" about the "dangerous rhetoric" about him
Last month, Britney Spears made international headlines when she derided the court-mandated arrangement that puts others — including her father Jamie Spears — in control of her life as "abusive." She said the conservatorship has prevented her from exercising a wide range of innate rights, including getting her IUD removed so she can have another baby.
Britney's comments reinvigorated fans and sparked outcry across the world. Political leaders, like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, are now questioning the conservatorship system, while fans and others lodge attacks against the Spears family. Just last month, talk show host Wendy Williams cried "death to them all" in her reaction to the singer's testimony.
Now, in a new court filing, Jamie Spears made it clear that the rhetoric and scrutiny made him afraid. SNAPSHOTS
A gunmaker being sued by Sandy Hook families sent thousands of memes and "random images" to lawyers. The company submitted 34,000 ice bucket challenge videos, go-kart pictures, emojis, and at least one Minion meme. Victims' families believe it was a tactic to delay the trial.
Tarte Cosmetics is denying accusations that it used a filter in a video meant to show how its product requires no filter. After Tarte posted the video, people on the internet began to complain. Some claimed they could see a filter being used to smoothen the texture of the person's skin. The makeup company released a video on its Instagram page to fight the rumors.
Michael Avenatti was sentenced to two and a half years for trying to extort Nike. Avenatti, 50, rose to national prominence when he represented Stormy Daniels. Federal prosecutors said the attorney used his newfound fame and national audience as a weapon against Nike, trying to extort millions of dollars from the company with threats to accuse employees of misconduct. ATHLETES AS INFLUENCERS
The NCAA decision to finally allow college athletes to profit off their own likeness has schools now actively recruiting them as influencers
Until recently, student athletes were barred from making any additional income while in school in the name of maintaining some sanctity of amateurism in college sports — despite the fact that players and their talent helped schools build multimillion-dollar businesses.
But now that the Supreme Court stepped in, starting last week the National Collegiate Athletic Association announced it will temporarily allow student-athletes to take sponsorship deals and make money off their own images and likenesses.
As Tanya Chen writes, almost overnight, colleges changed their approach to recruiting athletes — including offering to manage and grow an athlete's brand.
And this makes sense: Chen wrote last year that student-athletes were some of the first influencers. Many of the influencer business models we see today rely on how effective an influencer is as a brand ambassador, and student-athletes are a perfect demonstration of that at work.  "No better place to build your brand". Texas Soccer / Twitter. TAKE A BREATHER Take it easy this weekend with these longreads
How sleeping on a stranger's couch became a moral dilemma for travelers. Host a Sister is a private Facebook group that allows members to find and accommodate one another for free. It was supposed to be a safe space for women travelers, but that mission nearly destroyed the group when the pandemic hit.
What the anger about influencers getting PPP loans is really about. Since the Paycheck Protection Program loans began in 2020, influencers have been a target of ire for people who want to argue over who is "worthy" of the funds. As Stephanie McNeal writes, "...People refuse to accept that influencers are running small businesses and have no understanding or respect for the work that they do."
I can't stop thinking about Britney Spears' speech. This piece is only a couple of weeks old, but it's worth revisiting in light of all the Britney news. Ema O'Connor wrote about the striking testimony that Britney delivered: "It feels unprecedented to hear one of the biggest pop stars in the world share something so raw and heartbreaking." I hope you take time to tune in to what you need today, Elamin 📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Elamin Abdelmahmoud and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.
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