 A summer uptick in COVID cases is in full swing, especially one strain. The FLIRT variant of COVID gets its name from its two mutations, FL and RT. The FLIRT strains, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, make up more than half of COVID infections nationwide. Only Hawaii is showing a likely decline in overall cases. ABC's Jim Ryan. Hitting Mexico, the third named storm this Atlantic hurricane season, Tropical Storm Chris, bringing heavy rain and a threat of flooding. It's just now a tropical depression.