5 things to know for Tuesday, July 20, 2021

TORONTO -

Canada has now fully vaccinated 57.19 per cent of the country's eligible population. Here’s what else you need to know to start your day.

1. Escaping the Taliban: Afghan interpreters who helped Canadian troops on the front lines have yet to hear from the federal government on how it plans to extract them, as many desperately try to escape the resurging Taliban. 

2. B.C. wildfires: A threatening wildfire has forced more residents from their homes as roughly 300 blazes are burning across British Columbia. 

3. Border reopening: The federal government will allow fully vaccinated American travellers into the country starting on Aug. 9, with other foreign nationals following suit in September. 

4. Mix and match: Despite a recommendation by Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization, some cruise lines are not accepting passengers who received a mix of COVID-19 vaccine doses. 

5. Extreme heat: Neighbourhoods with racialized and lower-income families suffer more from extreme heat in Canadian cities, climate scientists say, echoing new U.S. research. 

One more thing…

Blast off: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is set to soar today on his space travel company's first flight with passengers on board.  

In this photo provided by Blue Origin, from left to right: Mark Bezos, brother of Jeff Bezos; Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and space tourism company Blue Origin; Oliver Daemen, of the Netherlands; and Wally Funk, aviation pioneer from Texas, pose for a photo. (Blue Origin via AP)