Companies spend hundreds of millions of dollars to be sponsors at the Olympic games -- an investment that can mean big returns. But this year the pandemic has put sponsors in a very tight spot.

• Plus, GOP leaders fight for a say in blue cities.
• And, the Delta variant in the U.S. -- by the numbers.

Guests: Axios' Hope King, Danielle Chemtob, and Sam Baker.

Credits: Axios Today is produced in partnership with Pushkin Industries. The team includes Niala Boodhoo, Sara Kehaulani Goo, Dan Bobkoff, Alexandra Botti, Nuria Marquez Martinez, Sabeena Singhani, Amy Pedulla, Naomi Shavin, and Alex Sugiura. Music is composed by Evan Viola. You can reach us at [email protected]. You can text questions, comments and story ideas to Niala as a text or voice memo to 202-918-4893.

Go deeper:

• Olympics to miss the mark for many sponsors
• “Burn the ships”: Tariq Bokhari wants the GOP to take back Charlotte
• "A pandemic of the unvaccinated"