Sunday, August 15th, 2021 

The Taliban enters Kabul. (The Washington Post) 

President Ashraf Ghani agrees to form a team for negotiations as he also agrees to step down and allow an interim Taliban government amid the insurgent group’s advance. Among the people in the negotiation team is the first President of Afghanistan after the 2001 US invasion, Hamid Karzai. (TOLO News) 

President Ashraf Ghani leaves the country and flees to Tajikistan. (BBC) 

The Taliban orders its fighters “not to enter Kabul by force” and “await for a peaceful transition” and ordered its troops to stay at the gates of Kabul as negotiations for the transfer of power continue. (TOLO News) 

The Taliban captures Jalalabad, the provincial capital of the Nangarhar Province. The jihadist group faced no resistance as the Afghan military and governor surrendered. Taliban forces enter the Char Asiab District of the Kabul Province, advancing within 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) of the capital Kabul. (Sky News) 

Heavy rain in Japan causes a landslide to occur in Okaya, Nagano. Three people are presumed dead, including a child under ten years of age, after the landslide hit their house. (Reuters) 

Singapore announces the first giant panda cub in the city-state when the 12-year-old Jia Jia gave birth to the cub at River Safari after being artificially inseminated with frozen semen from 13-year-old Kai Kai. (The Straits Times) 

The Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF) in Hong Kong disbands. The pro-democracy group had been under pressure from the government for allegedly being internationally funded. Its leader Figo Chan and key member Jimmy Sham are both in prison, Chan for unlawful assembly and Sham awaiting trial for violation of the national security law. (DW) 

Taliban surrounds Kabul, negotiating with Afghan government The Taliban surrounded Kabul on Sunday and are reportedly in talks with the Afghan government to secure a peaceful transfer of power after a rapid, country-wide offensive. The group said it has instructed its fighters to hold steady and offer safe passage to anyone who wishes to leave Kabul while the negotiations are underway. The United States, meanwhile, has ramped up its evacuation efforts; the goal is to pull all embassy personnel from Kabul within the next 72 hours, CNN reports. President Biden, who on Saturday defended his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan despite the Taliban’s quicker-than-expected takeover, ordered a total of 5,000 troops to the capital region to ensure a safe evacuation process for Americans.NBC NEWS 

Death toll surpasses 300 after Haiti earthquake At least 304 people were killed following a major 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Haiti on Saturday, according to the country’s Office of Civil Protection. More than 1,800 people were reportedly injured. The casualty toll is expected to grow, and the United States Geological Survey estimated fatalities could reach into the thousands. Jerry Chandler, the head of Haiti’s disaster response, said many structures, including houses, have collapsed or been damaged. Haiti is still recovering from a major earthquake in 2010 that killed more than 300,000 people, and the country is still dealing with a political crisis after President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated last month. THE MIAMI HERALD 

Man stabbed at anti-vaccine protest in Los Angeles Violence broke out on Saturday outside Los Angeles City Hall, where anti-vaccine protesters had gathered. They clashed with counter protesters, and a man was eventually stabbed. Police didn’t immediately reveal information about the victim, who was treated at the scene by the Los Angeles Fire Department and remains in serious condition. No arrests had been made as of Saturday afternoon, but an investigation is ongoing. Journalists at the scene said they were attacked by some of the protesters, many of whom were reportedly members of the far-right Proud Boys. HUFFPOST 

Utah blaze prompts mandatory evacuations Around 10,000 people in Utah were subject to mandatory evacuations on Saturday night as the Parleys Canyon Fire, which had burned more than 2,500 acres since it started Saturday afternoon, threatens at least 6,000 homes. The blaze has slowed, the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands said, but it hasn’t been contained. The cause of the fire is believed to be sparks from a catalytic converter. The western United States has dealt with a series of major fires this summer, including California’s Dixie Fire, the nation’s largest blaze which continues to grow. As of Saturday, when it was reportedly “extremely active,” Dixie has burned through 552,589 acres. It’s 31 percent contained, officials said. CNN 

At least 20 killed in Lebanon fuel tanker explosion At least 20 people have been killed and 79 more injured after a fuel tanker exploded in northern Lebanon on Sunday morning, the Lebanese Red Cross announced. A military source told Reuters the explosion took place after the Lebanese army distributed gasoline from a hidden fuel storage tanker it had confiscated, prompting fights between residents who gathered around the tank to fill up since the country is dealing with a fuel shortage amid a severe economic crisis. The army reportedly left the area before the explosion, the cause of which was not immediately clear. One source said the arguments led to gunfire which hit the tank, while a local television channel heard from eyewitnesses that it occurred after an individual ignited a lighter. Many of the victims were taken to hospitals, but had to be turned away because medical centers are not currently equipped to treat severe burns. THE GUARDIAN 

Musk says first orbital stack of Starship ready for flight within weeks  Elon Musk said Saturday that the first orbital stack of SpaceX’s Starship rocket should be ready for flight in the next few weeks, pending regulatory approval. Starship is a reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle, which Musk hopes will eventually carry astronauts and large cargo payloads to the moon and Mars. An orbital flight is planned for the end of the year, and Musk said Saturday he’s optimistic Starship will be ready for a lunar mission with humans aboard before 2024. REUTERS 

Zambian opposition leader poised for presidential victory Zambian opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema is nearing victory in the country’s presidential election. He’s reeled in 63 percent of the vote with 62 of 156 constituencies tallied, but incumbent President Edgar Lungu, who’s currently a distant second, has said the election was “not free and fair,” claiming officials from his party had been chased from polling stations. However, Hichilema said Lungu’s statement was a “desperate final act of an outgoing administration,” and the European Union’s observation mission said that Lungu actually had the advantage of a lopsided playing field during the campaign because of a misuse of state resources and one-sided media reporting. BBC 

Rookie throws no-hitter in first MLB start Tyler Gilbert, a 27-year-old rookie for the Arizona Diamondbacks, threw a no-hitter in his first major league start on Saturday, shutting out the San Diego Padres. Gilbert had made a few relief appearances earlier this season, but Saturday was the first time he toed the rubber in the first inning. He’s just the fourth pitcher in baseball history to throw a no-hitter in his first start, and the first since Bobo Holloman in 1953. Gilbert walked San Diego outfielder Tommy Pham three times during the game, so he fell short of a perfect game. It was the record-tying eighth no-hitter of the 2021 season. ESPN 

Saturday, August 14th, 2021 

The Taliban captures the eastern Logar Province and seizes seven more provincial capitals, Gardez,  Sharana,  Asadabad,  Maymana, Mihtarlam,  Nili and Mazar-i-Sharif, as heavy fighting is reported amid a rapid advance of the group towards the capital Kabul. Mazar-i-Sharif had been visited on Wednesday by President Ashraf Ghani. (DW) (Al Jazeera) 

President Ghani addresses the nation and says that he is in “urgent talks” with local leaders and international partners as the Taliban advances closer to Kabul. Ghani did not comment on the Taliban’s demand that he resign in order to restore talks. (Reuters) 

U.S. diplomatic staff and western nationals are airlifted out of a heavily fortified part of Kabul. (The Guardian) 

It is reported that the Taliban has reached the outskirts of Kabul as the government seeks to control the city as a last stronghold. (Miami Herald)  

Taliban forces seize the palace of U.S.-backed Afghan warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum in Mazar-i-Sharif amid reports that the warlord had left the country. Former warlord and Governor of Balkh Atta Muhammad Nur had also left the country, according to reports. (Nation) 

For the first time since the offensive began, the Taliban commandeers Mi-17 helicopters captured from the Afghan Air Force. The militants were filmed flying the aircraft over the city of Kandahar. The jihadist group has also seized several UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. (MSN) 

U.S. president Joe Biden authorizes the deployment of 5,000 American troops to Afghanistan to help evacuate diplomatic staff and personnel. He reaffirms that the United States should end its 20-year presence in the country. (NBC News) 

A major 7.2 magnitude earthquake strikes Petit Trou de Nippes, Haiti, killing at least 304 people and wounding more than 1,800 others. Several homes and buildings collapsed, with the earthquake being felt across the Caribbean. No tsunami warning has been issued. Haiti is still recovering from a major earthquake that impacted the country in 2010. (Reuters)  

The death toll from the flash floods in Kastamonu Province and Sinop, Turkey, increases to 57. (Al Jazeera) 

A firefighting plane, sent to help those affected by the wildfires in Kahramanmaraş, crashes, killing all eight people on board, including five Russian servicemen and three Turkish citizens. (Al Jazeera) 

A fuel truck explodes in Akkar District, Lebanon, killing at least 28 people and injuring 79 others. (Reuters) 

Eleven people are killed by the waves in the sea area off Zhangzhou, Fujian, China. (China Daily) 

Iran announces a six-day general lockdown in all cities that will include the closure of bazaars, markets, public offices, movie theaters, gyms and restaurants as well as a ban on intra-city travel. The lockdown will occur from August 16 to August 21. (The Times of Israel) 

Russia reports a record for the third consecutive day of 819 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 169,683. (Azeri Press Agency) 

Ivory Coast reports its first case of the Ebola hemorrhagic virus since 1994 in an isolated case of an 18-year-old girl who travelled from Guinea and is currently hospitalized in Abidjan. (Reuters) 

BBC journalist Sarah Rainsford says that Russia is permanently expelling her after authorities told her to leave on Thursday. The expulsion is in response to two reporters from Russian state-run news channel Russia-24 being denied visas in the United Kingdom. (Reuters) 

President Edgar Lungu declares that Thursday’s elections were “not free or fair”, citing instances of electoral violence in three provinces, such as the beating of polling agents representing his party Patriotic Front. Early election results showed Lungu trailing behind his opponent, businessman Hakainde Hichilema. (Reuters) 

Taliban continue offensive, near Kabul The Taliban have captured all of Afghanistan’s Logar province and the capital of Paktika province, lawmakers said. The group has also reportedly attacked the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif and reached the Char Asyab district, which is just 7 miles south of the capital, Kabul. The insurgents have faced little resistance from Afghan soldiers in some cities and towns, per Al Jazeera. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday made his first public appearance since the Taliban’s offensive quickened, delivering a televised speech in which he said he “will concentrate on preventing expansion of instability, violence, and displacement of my people.” He added that “consultations” between various political leaders are underway. Meanwhile, amid the withdrawal of U.S. forces, the first American Marines from a contingent of 3,000 arrived in Kabul to help partially evacuate the U.S. Embassy. The rest are scheduled to arrive by Sunday. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Education secretary urges DeSantis, Abbott to rescind mask mandate bans Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on Friday sent letters urging Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to reverse their decisions to ban local mask mandates in schools as their states face an increase in COVID-19 infections. In the letter to DeSantis, whose office threatened to cut the salaries of local school officials who move forward with mask requirements, Cardona said his department “stands with” the “dedicated educators who are working to safely reopen schools and maintain safe in-person instruction.” He added that the White House is prepared to offer federal relief dollars to Florida school districts stripped of state funding. Cardona also told Abbott that his executive order “may infringe upon” Texas school districts’ “authority to adopt policies to protect students and educators as they develop their safe return to in-person instruction plans required by federal law.” POLITICO 

Moderate Democrats warn Pelosi about budget resolution vote A group of nine moderate House Democrats warned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Friday that they won’t vote on the Senate’s $3.5 billion budget resolution until the House passes the upper chamber’s $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill and sends it to President Biden’s desk. Pelosi has said she won’t move on the infrastructure bill until the budget is passed via reconciliation in the Senate (which could be several weeks from now), but the moderates argued in a letter to the speaker that “we simply can’t afford months of unnecessary delays.” House progressives, on the other hand, are determined to link the two, setting up a potential rift within the Democratic Party over the bills. THE HILL 

Consumer sentiment index drops to pandemic low The University of Michigan’s influential consumer sentiment index fell to 70.2 in August, down from 81.2 in July. The mark is below the 71.8 figure registered in 2020, which was previously the lowest since the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the United States. The decline suggests Americans are worried about the latest increase in COVID-19 infections across the country, which has been fueled by the more contagious Delta variant and led to new mask mandates and other restrictions. Richard Curtin, the chief economist for the University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers, said the reading “reflects an emotional response, mainly from dashed hopes that the pandemic would soon end.” He added that it’s likely “consumers will again voice more reasonable expectations.” CNBC notes that other economic data points, such as weekly jobless claims, continue to point to an economic recovery. CNBC 

NOAA: July hottest month on record New data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show July was the hottest month on Earth since modern record keeping began 142 years ago, surpassing the previous record set in July 2016. Rick Spinrad, NOAA’s administrator, said that while July is typically the warmest month of the year, “July 2021 outdid itself” and highlights “the disturbing and disruptive path that climate change has set for the globe.” In the Northern Hemisphere, the land-surface temperature for July was 2.77 degrees hotter than average.  NPR 

Harvard study links COVID-19 infections, wildfire smoke A new study conducted by researchers at Harvard University concluded that in some counties in California and Washington state that have been particularly hard hit by wildfires, nearly 20 percent of COVID-19 infections were linked to elevated levels of wildfire smoke. The researchers also found that the elevated levels of fine particle pollution were linked to an even higher percentage of coronavirus-related deaths. “Clearly, we see that, overall this is a very dangerous combination,” said Francesca Dominici, a professor of biostatistics at Harvard and one of the authors of the study. Previous studies have also suggested that there’s correlation between high coronavirus positivity rates and periods of high wildfire smoke, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that wildfire smoke can make people “more prone to lung infections,” including COVID-19. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Family of Capitol officer who took his own life sue potential attacker The family of Capitol Police Officer Jeffrey Smith, who fatally shot himself after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, filed a lawsuit against an individual who allegedly attacked him during the incident. David Weber, the family’s attorney, said a group of cybersleuths identified the person, who reportedly can be seen on video knocking Smith to the ground. Weber said he turned the name of the alleged attacker over to Washington, D.C., police, who said they are “reviewing the information.” The lawsuit includes a report from a doctor who said Smith suffered a traumatic brain injury that led him to take his own life. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Australian state faces ‘most concerning day’ of pandemic As the entire Australian state of New South Wales prepares to go into lockdown amid a rise in COVID-19 infections, additional military personnel have been deployed to enforce tighter coronavirus restrictions in the greater Sydney area next week. Police have also increased fines for anyone who breaches stay-at-home orders or lies to contract-tracing officials by 4,000 Australian dollars. Australia has been considered a success story throughout the pandemic, having mostly kept cases and deaths low over the last year and a half, but the Delta variant and a slow vaccine rollout have led to a new wave. New South Wales reported 466 new locally transmitted infections on Saturday, a 24-hour record. The state’s Premier Gladys Berejiklian called it the “most concerning day” of the pandemic. CNN 

Albuquerque middle school student shoots, kills classmate A 13-year-old boy at an Albuquerque, New Mexico, middle school was taken into custody Friday afternoon after police said he shot and killed a fellow student during a lunch break on campus. The victim, who is believed to be around the same age, was pronounced dead en route to the hospital. A police officer was on-site and reportedly quickly de-escalated the situation. Authorities called the incident an “isolated shooting” and no other students were injured, though the school was put on lockdown. Police said they’re investigating whether bullying may have played a part in the lead up to the shooting. NBC NEWS 

Friday,  August 13th, 2021 

The Taliban captures the provincial capitals of Lashkargah, Chaghcharan, Puli Alam, Qalati Ghilji and Tarinkot, bringing the number of provincial capitals taken in the past eight days to eighteen. (Al Jazeera) 

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid confirms that the jihadist group has captured Afghan warlord Ismail Khan, after the fall of Herat on Thursday. Footage shows Khan and other officials of Herat Province in the custody of the Taliban. (Reuters) 

U.S. Marines begin arriving in Kabul to secure the Hamid Karzai International Airport and evacuate U.S. embassy staff and allied Afghan interpreters. (CNBC) 

Eight soldiers are killed and six more are wounded when a roadside bomb explodes in Rafah, Egypt. The Islamic State claims responsibility for the attack. (Al Jazeera) 

Israeli security forces launch stun grenades to disperse a crowd of worshippers who were praying outside the Cave of the Patriarchs in the occupied West Bank. (Al Jazeera) 

Twenty-one people are dead and 6,000 are evacuated as heavy rains impact five cities in Hubei Province, China. (Al Jazeera) 

A “non-working day” is declared in Russia’s Sakha republic, and residents are urged to stay at home as smoke from wildfires covers the region. The wildfires in Siberia are now larger than the combined size of all other wildfires currently burning in the rest of the world. (The Guardian)  

South Korea signs an agreement with Pfizer to purchase 30 million doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in 2022 as part of a plan to administer 50 million “booster” doses of the vaccine. (The Korea Herald) 

Egypt receives a shipment of 1.7 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine through the COVAX initiative, bringing the total number of COVAX-donated doses to 4.3 million. (Reuters) 

Morocco receives their first shipment of 600,000 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (Morocco World News) 

Zambia receives a shipment of 119,200 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine donated by the United Kingdom through the COVAX initiative. (Anadolu Agency) 

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announces that Canada will require vaccinations for federal public servants and air and train passengers. The mandate is expected to be implemented by the Crown corporation and other federally regulated businesses and will begin as soon as next month. (CBC) 

U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona announces that the Biden administration will offer financial help to schools who defy mask mandate bans imposed by Florida governor Ron DeSantis and Texas governor Greg Abbott. This comes following criticism of DeSantis and Abbott from the Biden administration for banning schools from imposing mask mandates. (Politico) 

Multiple appellate courts in Texas uphold the mask mandates imposed in Bexar, Dallas, Harris, and Travis counties in an effort to override Governor Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates in schools. (The Hill) 

Missouri governor Mike Parson announces that around 500,000 residents have entered the MO VIP program, which incentives vaccination against COVID-19. (KMBC-TV) 

Germany reclassifies the United States, Israel, Turkey, Kenya, Montenegro and Vietnam as “high risk” COVID-19 areas, triggering mandatory 10-day quarantines for unvaccinated travellers unless they can show a negative test after five days. The changes will be in effect from August 17 for Turkey and from August 15 for the rest of the countries. (DW) 

Russia reports a record for the second consecutive day of 815 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 168,864. (Al Jazeera) 

The New York State Assembly says that they will suspend impeachment investigations of outgoing governor Andrew Cuomo once he resigns on August 24. (AP) 

Samsung chairman Lee Jae-yong is released from prison in South Korea after his parole was announced on Monday. Lee served seven months out of a 30 month imprisonment sentence that had been imposed on him for financial corruption. Lee addressed journalists, saying that he will do “his best” from now on and apologizing for his crime. (France 24) 

Nicaraguan police raid the offices of national newspaper La Prensa after the government announces an investigation into allegations of customs fraud and money laundering by its directors. La Prensa had published several critical stories against current president Daniel Ortega, whom they have called a “dictator” numerous times. (Reuters) 

Opposition lawmakers in Argentina present a formal impeachment against President Alberto Fernández for violating COVID-19 restrictions after a photo surfaced of a party that he held in 2020 while the country was under a strict quarantine. Opposition party leader Patricia Bullrich called for Fernández’s removal as mid-term elections approach. (La Nación) 

Friday,  August 13th, 2021 

The Taliban captures the provincial capitals of Lashkargah, Chaghcharan (also called Firozkoh), Puli Alam, Qalat and Tarinkot, bringing the number of provincial capitals taken in the past eight days to eighteen. (Al Jazeera) 

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid confirms that the jihadist group has captured Afghan warlord Ismail Khan, after the fall of Herat on Thursday. Footage shows Khan and other officials of Herat Province in Taliban custody. (Reuters) 

Twenty-one people are dead and 6,000 are evacuated as heavy rains hit five cities in the Hubei Province, China. (Al Jazeera) 

A “non-working day” is declared in Russia’s Sakha republic, and residents are urged to stay at home as smoke from raging wildfires blankets the region. The wildfires in Siberia are now bigger than all other wildfires burning in the world combined. (The Guardian) 

2020 Census data shows U.S. population is more diverse and urban  The U.S. Census Bureau released new data from the 2020 Census on Thursday, showing for the first time ever a drop in the non-Hispanic white population. White people are still the largest racial or ethnic group in the United States, comprising 57.8 percent of the total population, but that’s down from 63.7 percent in 2010. The data — which will be used to redraw congressional and legislative districts in the country just one year before the 2022 midterms — indicates growth among Latino, Asian, and multi-racial Americans. Latinos are the second largest group in the U.S., making up 18.7 percent of the population. The national population rose by 7.4 percent over the last decade, the second slowest rate of growth in U.S. history, and about 80 percent of urban areas saw population gains, as more people are leaving rural regions LOS ANGELES TIMES 

Taliban captures Kandahar and Herat as Biden sends troops to evacuate U.S. personnel  In a major offensive on Thursday, the Taliban captured Kandahar and Herat — the two largest cities in Afghanistan after the capital Kabul. Witnesses told The Associated Press that in Herat, Taliban fighters once held in the city’s prisons are now free and on the streets. Government officials and residents in both cities are fleeing from the militant group, with Kandahar’s governor flying to Kabul for safety. The Taliban also seized the provincial capital Ghazni, cutting off an important highway connecting Kabul with Afghanistan’s southern provinces. The Taliban is estimated to now control over two-thirds of Afghanistan. While Kabul is not yet under direct threat from the Taliban, the newest U.S. military intelligence suggests it could fall within 30 days. President Biden is sending 3,000 troops to Kabul to help evacuate some personnel from the embassy before the U.S. military mission officially ends in late August.THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Britney Spears’ father agrees to step down as conservator of her estate Britney Spears scored a major win in her conservatorship battle Thursday, as her father, Jamie Spears, agreed to step down as conservator of her estate. The revelation was made in new court documents on Thursday, TMZ reports, with Jamie Spears’ lawyer saying their client does “not believe that a public battle with his daughter over his continuing service as her conservator would be in her best interests.” Britney Spears has been under the conservatorship since 2008, and in June told a judge it was “abusive” and she wanted her father removed. In a statement to Variety, Britney Spears’ lawyer Mathew Rosengart called this a “vindication for Britney,” adding that they both “look forward to continuing our vigorous investigation into the conduct of Mr. Spears, and others, over the past 13 years.” VARIETYTMZ 

6 killed in ‘shocking’ mass shooting in Plymouth, England Six people were killed on Thursday evening during a mass shooting in Plymouth, England. One of the deceased is the suspected gunman, police said. A witness told The Times newspaper that she saw a man kick down the door to a house and shoot a woman and girl who looked to be around five years old. Later, after fleeing from the home, the gunman ran through a nearby park and shot two people walking their dogs, The Times reports. Mass shootings are rare in England, which has one of the world’s lowest gun homicide rates. Home Secretary Priti Patel called the incident “shocking,” adding, “my prayers are with those affected.” REUTERS 

Supreme Court rejects request to block Indiana University’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate  Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett on Thursday rejected a request from eight Indiana University students trying to block the school’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. In May, Indiana University announced it was requiring all students, faculty, and staff members get vaccinated, with religious and medical exemptions. Of the eight students who sued, six have received a religious exemption and a seventh is qualified but has not yet applied, The Washington Post reports. Barrett oversees emergency petitions submitted from the school’s region, and in her decision, did not give a reason for the rejection or mention referring the matter to her fellow justices. This was the first case related to vaccination requirements to make it to the Supreme Court, after a federal district judge and panel of the Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit rejected the students’ request.THE WASHINGTON POST 

FDA approves COVID-19 booster shot for immunocompromised The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday night gave formal approval for severely immunocompromised Americans to get a third shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Studies have shown that transplant recipients and others with seriously weakened immune systems don’t get the same level of protection against the coronavirus from the first two doses, but many mount a stronger immune response after a third dose. Less than 3 percent of the U.S. population will be approved for the booster shot. U.S. health officials are closely monitoring how long the vaccines protect people without suppressed immune systems, but Dr. Anthony Fauci said at a White House briefing Thursday that “apart from the immunocompromised, we do not believe that others, elderly or non-elderly, need a vaccine at this moment.”USA TODAY 

Supreme Court strikes down part of New York eviction moratorium The Supreme Court issued an emergency order Thursday night that struck down a New York residential eviction moratorium set to expire at the end of August. The court was ruling on a request from a group of landlords who argued that the 2020 law violates their rights. The unsigned order did not identify which justices supported the decision, but the court’s three liberal justices — Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan — dissented. The court’s majority noted that other parts of New York’s moratorium remain in place, offering some protection to tenants who “suffered a financial hardship” during the pandemic. The Biden administration has issued its own eviction moratorium for much of the country, and that order is also expected to be taken up by the Supreme Court.THE WASHINGTON POST 

Boeing’s Starliner space capsule hits more launch delays Boeing was scheduled to launch its Starliner space capsule to the International Space Station late last month, but now the launch could be delayed for several months as the aerospace giant fixes a dozen valves in the propulsion system that had failed to open as expected during prelaunch checks. Boeing has spent years developing its space capsule, which is supposed to eventually carry astronauts to and from the ISS, and a delay of months would be a significant setback to Boeing’s space program. A software error in December 2019 sent the Starliner into the wrong orbit, making it miss the space station. NASA wants two U.S. companies capable of transporting astronauts to the ISS, and right now it has only Elon Musk’s SpaceX.  THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Coffee prices rising amid Brazil extreme weather, global turmoil Coffee futures have been trading at seven-year highs since late July, buoyed by extreme weather events in Brazil, months of protests in Colombia, a lack of shipping containers in Vietnam, and other global turmoil and pandemic-related export bottlenecks. Smaller coffee roasters and retailers are deciding whether to raise prices, while coffee giants like Starbucks and Nestlé have enough coffee bean supply in storage or locked in that they won’t face rising costs for more than a year. The big wild card is Brazil, the world’s largest coffee producer, which saw damage to its coffee trees during unusual below-freezing weather in July and is now entering its wildfire season after a historically bad drought. If Brazilian farmers have to cut down damaged trees after this year’s harvest, it will take years for Brazil’s coffee exports to recover, and even Starbucks will likely have to consider raising prices. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Thursday, August 12th, 2021 

San Francisco Mayor London Breed issues a mandate requiring proof of full vaccination in indoor public spaces, making San Francisco the first major U.S. city to do so. (KTVU-TV) 

U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra announces that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will require healthcare workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. (Politico) 

CDC: COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t increase miscarriage risk The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday urged pregnant women to get vaccinated against COVID-19 after new research found that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines do not increase the risk of miscarriage. “The vaccines are safe and effective, and it has never been more urgent to increase vaccinations as we face the highly transmissible Delta variant and see severe outcomes from COVID-19 among unvaccinated pregnant people,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. A study of 2,500 pregnant women who got the vaccine found a 13 percent miscarriage rate, versus the average miscarriage rate of 11 percent to 16 percent, the CDC said. The CDC has advised pregnant women to get vaccinated since April, after previously recommending they talk to their doctors first. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

 
FDA expected to approve 3rd vaccine dose for the immunocompromised The Food and Drug Administration will revise its emergency use authorizations for the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines on Thursday, allowing immunocompromised adults to get a third dose, several news organizations report. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines involve two shots, but there is evidence that people who are immunocompromised may only develop low levels of antibodies after being vaccinated, if any at all. A recent study at Johns Hopkins University of organ transplant recipients, who take medicine to suppress their immune systems, showed that a third vaccine dose increased their antibody levels. In July, an advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said extra doses must be approved for immunocompromised adults, who make up about 2.7 percent of the U.S. population. POLITICO 

California requires teachers to get vaccinated or undergo weekly testing California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced on Wednesday that school employees in the state must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing. California is the first state to enact such requirements. “We think this is the right thing to do,” Newsom said, “and we think this is a sustainable way to keeping our schools open and to address the No. 1 anxiety that parents like myself have for young children — and that is knowing that the schools are doing everything in their power to keep our kids safe.” The California Teachers Association pushed hard to get its members access to COVID-19 vaccines when they were first made available, the Los Angeles Times reports, and said at least 90 percent of its ranks report being vaccinated. The state’s largest school district, Los Angeles Unified, is requiring all students and employees — vaccinated or unvaccinated — get tested weekly, as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to spread.  LOS ANGELES TIMES 

The Taliban captures Ghazni, provincial capital of Ghazni Province, putting the armed group on their “main road to Kabul” as US officials warned yesterday that Kabul could rapidly fall to the Taliban. Human rights organizations have accused the Taliban of deliberately targeting civilians, which they have denied, and called for an investigation. Also, amid the rapid advance of the Taliban, an Afghan government spokesman says that the central government proposes a “shared power” with the Taliban as long as violence comes to a halt. (Reuters) 

Afghan authorities arrest Dawood Laghmani, Governor of Ghazni, for abandoning the city of Ghazni when the Taliban captured the provincial capital. The Interior Ministry also reports the arrest of many of his colleagues. (ANI News) 

The Taliban captures the provincial capitals of Ghazni, Qala e Naw, Kandahar and Herat, bringing the number of provincial capitals taken in the past seven days to thirteen.  (Al Jazeera) 

The Pentagon announces it will send U.S. troops to Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport to help evacuate staff from the U.S. Embassy. U.S. Department of State spokesperson Ned Price announced that the embassy will remain open. (The Wall Street Journal) 

The British government announces that 600 troops will be deployed to Afghanistan on a short-term basis in order to help evacuate British citizens and protect Afghan staff and interpreters. Around 4,000 UK nationals are currently in the country. (BBC) 

The United States Census Bureau reports that the total population of White Americans declined for the first time in history, and that population growth is at its lowest since the Great Depression, per the results of the 2020 census. (Reuters) 

Mexico reports a record for the second consecutive day of 24,075 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 3,045,571. (Infobae) 

Cambodia begins to administer the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as a third “booster” dose to people who have received the inactivated virus vaccines developed by Sinopharm (BBIBP-CorV) and Sinovac (CoronaVac) in order to strengthen immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. (The Jakarta Post) 

The Australian Capital Territory enters a lockdown after the first locally acquired case of COVID-19 in over a year was reported. Every state and territory on the east coast of Australia, where the majority of the national population lives, is now under a lockdown. The last time this occurred was at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. (The Australian) 

Argentina condemns the designation of Ahmad Vahidi to a ministerial rank in the new government of Ebrahim Raisi in Iran. Argentina issued a red notice through INTERPOL against Vahidi for his alleged connection with the 1994 AMIA bombing. The Foreign Ministry expressed its condemnation of the designation as “an affront to the Argentine justice and the victims of the brutal terrorist attack”. (Radio Canal) 

Armed locals in Ankara, Turkey, attack shops, houses and cars owned by Syrians. The assaults occurred after a Turkish teenager was killed yesterday during a fight between Syrians and locals, and the wounding of Turkish men who were stabbed by a Syrian man in another incident. (BBC) 

Russia extradites eight criminal suspects to Tajikistan. The suspects are accused of committing murder, fraud, drug trafficking, and desertion. (Asia-Plus) 

Russia reports a record 808 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 168,049. (The Moscow Times) 

Rand Paul belatedly discloses wife’s COVID-19 drugmaker stock Sixteen months past a legal deadline, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Wednesday filed a disclosure with the Senate revealing that on Feb. 26, 2020, his wife, Kelley, purchased stock in Gilead Sciences, a company that produces an antiviral drug used to treat COVID-19. Under the STOCK Act, the disclosure should have been filed within 45 days of the purchase. The Justice Department last year launched investigations into several senators who sold stock shortly before the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Paul’s spokeswoman said the senator did not attend any confidential briefings about COVID-19, and he just recently found out that while he filled out the proper stock reporting form last year, it was never transmitted.  THE WASHINGTON POST 

U.S. inflation rises at slower pace Inflation slowed in July, the Labor Department reported Wednesday, giving economists more confidence that this year’s sharp rise is temporary, sparked largely by booming car prices. The consumer price index rose 0.5 percent in July, or 5.4 percent from a year earlier, but core CPI — which strips out volatile food and energy prices — rose just 0.3 percent, below expectations. The Federal Reserve has maintained that the high inflation rate is “largely transitory,” but some Fed officials are urging the central bank to announce next month a curtailing of bond buying in the fall. “The July inflation report appears to give a little something to both the hawks and the doves within the Fed,” says Jim Baird, chief investment officer for Plante Moran Financial Advisors. MARKETWATCH 

Wednesday, August 11th, 2021 

The Taliban captures its ninth provincial capital in six days, seizing Fayzabad, the capital of Badakhshan Province, amid a rapid advance in northern Afghanistan. The capture came as President Ashraf Ghani appeals to local warlords to confront and fight the Taliban. The jihadist group also took control of Kunduz Airport, after hundreds of Afghan National Security Forces personnel in the area surrendered with all of their military equipment.  (Al Jazeera) 

United States officials warn that Kabul could be isolated and could fall under Taliban control in 1–3 months. (ANI News) 

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan says that the Taliban “will not negotiate with the Afghan government as long as Ghani is the president”. Khan further states that he “tried to persuade the Taliban” months ago but that they remained firm on their stance. (Reuters) 

Chief of General Staff of the Afghan Armed Forces Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai is removed by President Ashraf Ghani as the Afghan military continues to collapse across the country. (BBC) 

Amnesty International and Project Ploughshares accuse the Canadian government of violating the Arms Trade Treaty by supplying weapons to Saudi Arabia that could then be used in Yemen. Canada became a signatory of the treaty in 2019. (Al Jazeera) 

An investigation by the BBC into the involvement of Russian mercenary group Wagner Group in the recent Libyan conflict reveals that the group engaged in several war crimes, such as killings of prisoners of war, intentional killings of civilians, and leaving unmarked mines in civilian areas. The investigations also revealed that Yevgeny Prigozhin, a businessman with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, was involved in the group’s operations, and that the group likely obtained their weapons and supplies from the Russian military. The investigation was made possible by data on a Samsung tablet that was left behind in the battle of Tripoli and a document provided by Libyan intelligence services. (BBC) (RFE/RL) 

The Central Bank of Lebanon ends fuel subsidies, announcing that they would instead offer “credit lines for fuel imports based on the market price for the Lebanese pound”. The decision is likely to result in a significant increase in fuel prices amid an economic crisis in the country. (Reuters) 

Train drivers across Germany go on strike to demand better pay in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing 700 trains, including 190 freights, to a standstill. The strike is expected to end early Friday. (Reuters) 

Poland’s Sejm votes 226–218 to pass a bill strengthen the country’s ban on non-European Economic Area entities from owning a majority stake in its broadcast networks. The opposition, American politicians, and TVN24, whose ownership by American media company Discovery, Inc. is being targeted by the bill, criticize it as a restriction on free speech. It goes to the Senate for a final vote. (Reuters)  

The National Medical Products Administration approves China’s first mixed-COVID-19 vaccine trial combining the CoronaVac vaccine made by Sinovac and the DNA-based vaccine made by Inovio. (France 24) 

Denmark confirms that they will purchase 280,000 doses of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for a total price of 37 million crowns ($5.84 million) or roughly $20.9 per dose as part of a European Union agreement with Novavax. (Reuters) 

The Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices approves the first round of clinical trials on humans of the PHH-1V vaccine made by Hipra. (Barron’s) 

The number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Turkey surpasses 80 million, with 50% of people over the age of 18 being fully vaccinated. (Daily Sabah) 

Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino announces that Canada will issue a vaccine passport for international travel. (U.S. News & World Report) 

California Governor Gavin Newsom announces that healthcare workers in the state will be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine or undergo COVID-19 testing. (KSBY-TV) 

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announces that state government employees will be required to receive the vaccine or undergo testing for COVID-19. (AP) 

Oregon Governor Kate Brown reissues a mask mandate for indoor public spaces, making Oregon the 10th U.S. state to do so. (Newsweek) 

Chile begins to administer booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine for people over the age of 55 who have already received two doses of the Coronavac vaccine. (Valor Econômico) 

A British man working at the British embassy in Berlin is arrested by German police on suspicion of spying for Russia. (Reuters) 

A court in Russia opens a criminal investigation into Alexei Navalny, who is already serving a 2 and a half year sentence for parole violations. The move comes one day after another court opened a criminal investigations into Navalny’s allies Leonid Volkov and Ivan Zhdanov. (Reuters) 

The Libyan Military Prosecutor’s Office issues an arrest warrant for Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of late dictator Muammar Gaddafi and prospective candidate in the upcoming elections, for his connections to the Wagner Group. (The Libya Observer) 

Amid an unprecedented heatwave and ongoing wildfires, regional authorities report a temperature reading of 48.8°C (119.8°F) on the island of Sicily. If verified by the World Meteorological Organization it would be the hottest temperature ever recorded in both Italy and Europe. (BBC) 

YouTube suspends the account of U.S. Senator Rand Paul for one week for spreading misinformation about the effectiveness of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Paul subsequently stated in a tweet that he considered the suspension to be “a badge of honor”. (The Guardian) 

Andrew Cuomo announces resignation in wake of sexual harassment allegations  New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Tuesday announced his resignation, following multiple allegations of sexual harassment. Cuomo said his resignation would be effective in 14 days to allow for a smooth transition to Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), who will become the state’s first female governor. The first allegations against Cuomo surfaced in late 2020 and more women came forward this year, prompting an investigation from New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office. The findings, unveiled last week, took a definitive stance that the allegations were legitimate, but Cuomo continued to deny them and initially said he would stay on until the courts ruled on the matter. In a televised statement Tuesday morning, Cuomo didn’t reverse his denial, but suggested he’d be a distraction if he stayed on the job and said leaving office would be the “best way I can help” New York. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

19 GOP senators join Democrats to pass bipartisan infrastructure bill The Senate on Tuesday passed the long-anticipated $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. After several weeks of arduous negotiations between the parties, the final 69-30 vote was definitive, with 19 Republican senators joining their Democratic colleagues in support of the package. It now heads to the House, where Democrats have the votes to pass it quickly. President Biden said he called each Republican who joined the Democrats to thank them for doing so and praised them for showing “a lot of courage.” He also gave a shout out to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for casting his vote in favor of the package. “This bill shows that we can work together,” Biden said. “I know a lot of people … didn’t think this could happen … that bipartisanship was a thing of the past.” CNBC 

Senate approves $3.5 trillion budget plan Less than 24 hours after the Senate approved a bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure package, 69-30, senators adopted a $3.5 trillion budget blueprint on a 50-49 party-line vote early Wednesday morning. Approval of the budget plan came after an all-night “vote-a-rama” session where senators considered a raft of non-binding amendments. “The Democratic budget will bring a generational transformation for how our economy works for average Americans,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said after the vote. Lawmakers will now have to write the legislation on expanding Medicare, providing free community college, paid family leave, fighting climate change, and other priorities of President Biden’s agenda. Wednesday’s vote unlocks the budget reconciliation process that will allow Senate Democrats to pass their package with no Republican votes, but both bills still have to pass in the House. NPR

Federal government sends hundreds of ventilators to Florida Hundreds of ventilators from the federal government’s Strategic National Stockpile have been sent to Florida, as the state deals with a surge in COVID-19 cases. An official with the Department of Health and Human Services told NBC News that Florida received 200 ventilators, 100 smaller breathing devices, and related supplies. As of Tuesday, there were 14,787 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Florida — 145 percent more than during the state’s last peak in July 2020, the Florida Hospital Association said. Almost 90 percent of intensive care unit beds and 85 percent of all patient beds are full, with health officials saying most people hospitalized are unvaccinated. The equipment was requested by local and state health officials, NBC News reports, and when asked about the ventilators, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said he would “have to check to see if that’s true or not.” Despite the rising number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, DeSantis says he will not reverse his ban on mask mandates. NBC NEWS 

Taliban captures 3 more Afghan provincial capitals The Taliban seized control of three more of Afghanistan’s provincial capitals on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to journalists and local officials, continuing the group’s string of victories against the U.S.-backed Afghan military. The Taliban’s capture of Faizabad, Farah, and Pul-e-Khumri give it control over nine of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals and, according to a senior European Official, at least 65 percent of Afghanistan. The Pentagon now believes Kabul, the national capital, could fall within 90 days, according to a military assessment reported by The Washington Post. But President Biden said Wednesday he does not regret withdrawing U.S. forces by the end of the month. “Look,” he told reporters, “we spent over a trillion dollars over 20 years. We trained and equipped, with modern equipment, over 300,000 Afghan forces. And Afghan leaders have to come together” now and “fight for themselves.” BBC NEWS 

Wildfire smoke reaches the North Pole With hundreds of blazes burning in Siberia, for the first time in recorded history smoke from wildfires has reached the North Pole. The smoke traveled more than 1,864 miles to get to the North Pole, NASA said in a press release. The smoke is also covering areas of Mongolia and is visible in some western regions of Greenland and Canada. The fires are burning in the Sakha Republic, an unusual occurrence because of how much snow covers the ground and the fact that its northern region is one of the coldest places on Earth, NASA said. Climate change has resulted in the area reporting higher temperatures, with the ground temperature reaching a record high of 118 degrees Fahrenheit and the air temperature hitting 89.4 degrees in June, NPR reports. NPR 

Texas House speaker signs warrants to arrest 52 absent Democratic lawmakers The Texas House voted 80-12 on Tuesday to approve the arrest of 52 Democrats who left the state in July so there wasn’t the quorum needed to pass a strict election bill that would add new restrictions on voting. After the vote, House Speaker Dade Phelan (R) signed civil arrest warrants for the lawmakers, which will be delivered to the House sergeant-at-arms on Wednesday morning, Phelan’s spokesman told The Dallas Morning News. Earlier Tuesday, the Texas Supreme Court overturned an order signed by District Judge Brad Urrutia that would have prevented 19 Democratic House members from being subject to “a call of the House.” Rep. Chris Turner, chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, said in a statement it is “fully within our rights as legislators to break quorum to protect our constituents. Texas House Democrats are committed to fighting with everything we have against Republicans’ attacks on our freedom to vote.”  THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS 

China sentences Canadian to 11 years in case tied to Huawei A court in Dandong, China, sentenced Canadian citizen Michael Spavor to 11 years in prison Wednesday on spying charges filed shortly after Canada detained well-connected Chinese business executive Meng Wanzhou in December 2018. Meng, the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies and daughter of its founder, awaits a key ruling on her bid to avoid extradition to the U.S. to face criminal charges tied to violating Iran sanctions. Shortly after Meng’s detention, China arrested Spavor and Canadian former diplomat Michael Kovrig on spying charges and abruptly increased the 15-year drug smuggling sentence for a third Canadian, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, to a death sentence. Critics are calling China’s court actions “hostage politics.” BBC NEWS

Tuesday,  August 10th, 2021 

The Taliban tightens its grip in many districts and cities in northern Afghanistan as President Ashraf Ghani calls on local militias to fight the armed group. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby says that the United States is willing to continue their airstrike campaign against the Taliban but warned that “it is up to the Afghan government to defend themselves” and also added that “it is their struggle”. (Reuters) 

The Taliban captures the city of Farah, the capital of the southwestern Farah Province, as well as the city of Puli Khumri, the capital of the northern Baghlan Province. These are the seventh and eighth provincial capitals to fall under Taliban control in the past five days. (Al Jazeera) 

Chancellor Angela Merkel and leaders of 16 German states agree to phase out free COVID-19 testing for citizens beginning on October 11 and will begin requiring non-vaccinated people to show a negative test result to enter certain indoor venues as well as to attend cultural, sport, and entertainment events once the infection rate in a region reaches 35 per 100,000 people unless they have recovered from COVID-19 in order to pressure people to get vaccinated. (The Guardian) 

A court in China upholds the death sentence of a Canadian man convicted of drug smuggling. The man, originally sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, had his sentence upgraded on appeal. Canadian authorities say that the sentence is in retaliation for the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the CFO of Huawei, in Vancouver in 2018. (DW) 

Russian authorities open a criminal investigation into Leonid Volkov and Ivan Zhdanov, two prominent allies of incarcerated activist Alexei Navalny, for raising funds for a banned political network. It is the first investigation of its kind on Navalny’s allies. (Reuters) 

Andrew Cuomo announces his resignation as Governor of New York following allegations of sexual harassment, as well as an investigatory report by New York Attorney General Letitia James which stated that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women during his time in office. Cuomo’s resignation will take effect on August 24 and he will be succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, who will become the first woman to serve as Governor of New York. (NBC News) 

 

Tuesday,  August 10th, 2021 

The Taliban tightens its grip in scores of districts and cities in the north as President Ashraf Ghani calls on local militias to fight the armed group. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby says that the United States is willing to continue their airstrike campaign against the Taliban but warned that “it is up to the Afghan government to defend themselves” and added that “it is their struggle”. (Reuters) 

The Taliban captures the city of Farah, the capital of the southwestern Farah Province, after briefly fighting with government forces. It is the seventh provincial capital to fall under Taliban control in five days. (Al Jazeera) 

A court in China upholds the death sentence of a Canadian man convicted of drug smuggling. The man, originally sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, had his sentence upgraded on appeal. Canadian authorities say it is in retaliation for the arrest of the chief of Huawei in Vancouver. (DW) 

Russian authorities open a criminal investigation into Leonid Volkov and Ivan Zhdanov, two prominent allies of incarcerated activist Alexei Navalny. It is the first investigation of its kind on Navalny’s allies and the charges of which they stand accused carry up to eight years imprisonment. Both are living abroad. (Reuters) 

Andrew Cuomo announces that he will resign as Governor of New York following allegations of sexual harassment, as well as an investigatory report by New York Attorney General Letitia James which stated that Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women during his time in office. His resignation will take effect on August 24. (NBC News) 

 
Democrats tee up $3.5 trillion budget plan to follow infrastructure passage  The Senate is expected to approve a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill Tuesday morning, then the chamber will begin considering a $3.5 trillion budget blueprint Senate Democrats released Monday. The budget blueprint, expected to pass with only Democratic votes, will unlock the reconciliation process, allowing the ambitious spending proposal to move out of the Senate with no Republican support. The budget package envisions two years of free community college, universal pre-kindergarten, expanded Medicare coverage of dental and vision, and efforts to combat climate change and poverty, paid for mostly through higher taxes on profitable corporations and wealthy households. The $3.5 trillion price tag is a ceiling, and agreeing on the actual measures and funding mechanisms will pit moderate and progressive Democrats against each other. POLITICO 

Florida governor’s office threatens school officials’ salaries over mask mandates Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R) office on Monday said the Florida Department of Education could withhold the salaries of superintendents and school board members whose districts refuse to follow DeSantis’ executive order banning mask mandates on campuses. Florida is seeing a record surge in the number of new COVID-19 cases, and several school districts have filed lawsuits against DeSantis’ order or voted to have students wear masks. Florida Department of Health data shows that among kids 12 and younger, there were 13,596 new COVID-19 cases reported last week, up from 10,585 new cases the week before.CNN 

Biden welcomes DOJ commitment to review 9/11 documents previously under wraps  President Biden on Monday released a statement saying he welcomes the Justice Department’s filing that “commits to conducting a fresh review of documents” related to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks “where the government has previously asserted privileges.” The remarks come after more 1,600 people affected by 9/11, including victims’ family members, signed a letter asking Biden not to attend a ceremony marking the 20th anniversary of the attacks at Ground Zero in New York next month if the administration did not release related classified documents and information. One of the signees, Brett Eagleson, whose father was killed in the World Trade Center, specifically told CNN on Friday that the group wants to know whether the documents reveal any information on the alleged role of the Saudi Arabian government in the attacks.  JOE BIDEN 

Woman sues Prince Andrew, accusing him of sexual assault when she was 17 Virginia Giuffre, one of the women who accused Jeffrey Epstein of trafficking her when she was a teenager, filed a lawsuit in federal court Monday alleging that Britain’s Prince Andrew sexually assaulted her when she was 17. “I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me,” Giuffre said in a statement. “The powerful and rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions.” The suit says Prince Andrew knew Giuffre was a minor when he allegedly forced her to have sex with him in London. She is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. In 2019, Andrew told BBC’s Newsnight that he had “no recollection” of ever meeting Giuffre, and he could “absolutely categorically tell you” he did not force her to have sex. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Arkansas down to just 8 ICU beds amid COVID-19 surge COVID-19 hospitalizations in Arkansas rose by 103 patients Monday to 1,376, the state’s largest daily increase since the start of the pandemic, and intensive care units also saw sizable increases as the Delta variant spreads. Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) said that these “are very startling numbers. We saw the largest single-day increase in hospitalizations and have eclipsed our previous high of COVID hospitalizations. There are currently only eight ICU beds available in the state. Vaccinations reduce hospitalizations.” There was an increase in vaccinations on Monday, with the number of first and second doses administered in the state up by 5,115. Last week, Hutchinson said he regrets signing a law banning the state and local governments from imposing mask mandates. ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT GAZETTE 

Pentagon to require COVID-19 vaccination for military personnel The Pentagon said Monday that members of the U.S. military will need to be vaccinated by mid-September, or earlier if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gives full approval to the vaccines before then. About 65 percent of active-duty service members are fully vaccinated, ranging from 75 percent of Navy personnel to 59 percent of Marines, according to Pentagon data. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said vaccines are important to maintaining military readiness. “Mandating vaccines in the military is not new,” he added. “Since the first days of basic training and throughout our service, we’ve received multiple vaccines.” THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

NBC’s Tokyo Olympics viewership hits new network low  U.S. athletes won more medals, 113, and more gold medals, 39, at the Tokyo Olympics than any other country, but fewer Americans tuned in to watch them than in previous years, NBCUniversal said Monday. The average prime-time viewership over the 17 days, 15.5 million households, was the lowest since NBC started broadcasting the Games in 1988 and represented a 42 percent drop from the Rio Olympics in 2016. NBC Sports Chairman Pete Bevacqua said NBC was “prepared for these numbers,” adding, “For better or worse, I really do believe the pandemic and postponement impacted these Games,” but they still “will be very, very profitable for NBCUniversal.” NBC owns the U.S. media rights to the Olympics through 2032. THE WALL STREET JOURNALBBC NEWS 

Time’s Up head resigns after advising Cuomo in harassment scandal Roberta Kaplan, chairwoman of the sexual abuse survivor advocacy group Time’s Up, said Monday that she is resigning after being criticized for her involvement in New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s (D) response to his sexual harassment scandal. “Unfortunately, recent events have made it clear that even our apparent allies in the fight to advance women can turn out to be abusers,” Kaplan said in her resignation letter. “We have felt the raw, personal, and profound pain of that betrayal.” The board of the LGBTQ rights group the Human Rights Campaign also launched an investigation into the role its president, Alphonso David, played in Cuomo’s pushback against the same accuser, Lindsey Boylan. David and Kaplan’s involvement was detailed in the New York attorney general’s report on Cuomo’s sexual harassment of 11 women. New York’s state assembly leaders pledged to hold an impeachment vote on Cuomo within several weeks.  THE NEW YORK TIMESTHE WASHINGTON POST 

Monday,  August 9th, 2021 

The Taliban captures Samangan (Aibak), the provincial capital of Samangan Province, making it the sixth capture of a provincial capital by the Islamist group in the past four days. (Al Jazeera) 

The Afghan National Security Forces launch a counter-offensive, in an attempt to retake Kunduz, which was captured by the Taliban yesterday. Heavy fighting is reported elsewhere in the northern part of the country, where the Islamist group has launched an offensive. Civilians flee Kunduz, trying to reach Kabul as there are conflicting reports as to who is responsible for dozens of civilian casualties. (Reuters) 

Violence occurs in Lebanon due to the severe fuel shortages that are affecting the country, leaving 3 people dead. (Al Jazeera) 

France begins to require people who want to enter shopping centres, cafés, restaurants, or travel by long-distance bus, train, and airplane, to show a health pass generated by a QR code, which contains either proof of full vaccination, a negative test result from the previous 72 hours, or that the person has recovered from COVID-19. (France 24) 

Iran reports a record for the second consecutive day of 40,808 new cases and 588 deaths from COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 4.199 million and the nationwide death toll to 94,603. (Asharq Al-Aswat) 

United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announces that all service members will be required to be vaccinated by mid-September. (ABC News) 

The U.S. CDC announces that 60% of Americans have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (Reuters) 

Nicaragua recalls its ambassadors to Argentina, Mexico, Costa Rica and Colombia for “consultations” after those countries recalled their ambassadors to Nicaragua over a crackdown on the opposition in Nicaragua. (Reuters) 

Direct commercial flights between Russia and Egypt resume for the first time since the Metrojet Flight 9268 bombing in 2015, which killed 224 people, most of whom were Russian tourists. A Rossiya Airlines passenger plane landed in Sharm El Sheikh carrying 518 passengers, and was welcomed with a water cannon salute, roses and flags. (Reuters) 

A priest is murdered at a church in Saint-Laurent-sur-Sèvre, France, by the same person who committed the arson at the Nantes Cathedral in July 2020. He is arrested after confessing to the killing. (BBC) 

The Brazilian government announces that President Jair Bolsonaro will attend a military parade featuring tanks and armored vehicles in Brasília tomorrow, as a preparation for military exercises. The parade is expected to pass near the National Congress building as a controversial bill reinstating paper ballots and ending electronic voting, which is supported by the government, is set to be voted. As the bill is widely expected not to pass, critics argue that Bolsonaro is using the parade as a show of force and intimidation against the Congress. (Correio Braziliense) (UOL) 

Smoke from wildfires in Siberia is detected in the Geographic North Pole for the first time in recorded history, according to NASA. The space agency says that as of August 6 “most of Russia” is covered in smoke, while Russia’s weather monitoring institute Rosgidromet says that the situation “continues to deteriorate” in the far-eastern Sakha region with around 3.4 million hectares (8.4 million acres) of land currently on fire. (The Guardian) 

 
World’s climate scientists issue ‘code red for humanity’ The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a dire report Monday warning that the world was already locked into more weather-related disasters, higher and more acidic oceans, and other significant changes to the planet due to greenhouse gas emissions humans have put into the atmosphere since the 1850s. In all five scenarios the 234 climate scientists laid out, the world fails the most ambitious climate target set in the 2015 Paris Agreement — keeping the world less than 1.5 degree Celsius warmer than pre-industrial times — though the scientists said the most dire scenario, doing nothing, is less likely than before. United Nations Secretary General António Guterres called the report’s findings “a code red for humanity” and said we owe it to “the entire human family” to cut emissions fast and sharply to avoid catastrophe. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Top Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa resigns amid harassment scandal Melissa DeRosa, the top aide to embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), has resigned, she said in a statement Sunday night. The resignation comes a week after New York’s attorney general released a report finding that Cuomo had sexually harassed 11 women, but DeRosa’s statement did not mention the report or its political fallout, saying only that “personally, the past two years have been emotionally and mentally trying.” Widely viewed as the ultimate Cuomo loyalist, DeRosa was mentioned by name 187 times in the attorney general’s harassment report. DeRosa’s departure, the first from Cuomo’s inner circle, is seen as a huge blow to Cuomo’s efforts to stay in office despite calls for his resignation and a looming impeachment.  POLITICO 

Dixie Fire now 2nd largest blaze in California history The Dixie Fire in California has now burned more than 463,000 acres, making it the second largest wildfire in state history. The blaze, which started on July 13, has swept through four counties in Northern California — Plumas, Butte, Lassen, and Tehama — and destroyed the town of Greenville, Lassen National Park’s historic Mount Harkness Fire Lookout, and more than 400 homes and commercial buildings. Sheriff’s officials in Plumas County also say that four people in the area threatened by the fire are missing. As of Sunday morning, the fire was 21 percent contained. The Dixie Fire is the largest wildfire currently burning in the United States, forcing thousands to evacuate from their homes. The largest fire in California history was the Complex Fire, which burned more than 1 million acres in 2020.LOS ANGELES TIMES 

Taliban captures 3 Afghan provincial capitals The Taliban took effective control of three of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals on Sunday and Monday — Kunduz, Taliqan, and Sar-i-Pul — in a relentless offensive that has already seized much of rural Afghanistan and includes an assassination campaign against senior officials in Kabul, the country’s capital. The Taliban has also captured the capitals of Nimroz and Zawzjan provinces, and is laying siege to Kandahar and Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province. The Taliban’s sweep through Afghanistan accelerated after the U.S. and NATO allies started drawing down forces leading up to President Biden’s deadline for an Aug. 31 withdrawal. The U.S. is providing limited air support to the overstretched Afghan security forces, but the White House is making it clear that Afghanistan’s internationally recognized government will stand or fall on its own. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Sunday, August 8th, 2021 

Olympics wrap up with closing ceremony The 2020 Olympics officially wrapped up on Sunday in Tokyo with the closing ceremonies. The Tokyo Games were under scrutiny for the past year as the world dealt with the coronavirus pandemic. There were concerns about whether the International Olympic Committee and Japan should have called the whole thing off, but the spectator-less two-week event appears to have gone more or less according to plan, with few COVID-19 infections reported within the Olympic bubble. In terms of the actual athletic events, the United States took home the most overall medals with 113, while also edging China for most golds at 39 thanks to late victories from the women’s basketball and indoor volleyball teams. ESPN 

Taliban reportedly take key Afghan city The Taliban have seized the northern Afghan city of Kunduz, the group and city officials said Sunday. It’s the third provincial capital overtaken by the Taliban in as many days, as a rapid offensive continues amid a U.S. troop withdrawal. Kunduz, which is home to 374,000 people, is considered a key city, militarily and politically. It was briefly captured by the Taliban in 2015 and 2016 before Afghan forces pushed the insurgents out with the aid of American airstrikes. On Saturday, the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan released a statement advising all American citizens in Afghanistan to leave the country immediately as the fighting intensifies. AL JAZEERA 

Austin, Texas, down to single-digit ICU bids amid COVID-19 surge As COVID-19 infections, fueled by the more contagious Delta variant, continue to increase across the United States, the pandemic has worsened substantially in Austin, Texas, where state health data show there are only six open ICU beds and 313 ventilators available. The metro area of almost 2.4 million people raised its risk level to the highest option this week. The situation is “dire,” city officials said. Austin Mayor Steve Adler told The New York Times that the current scenario could have been avoided if Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) hadn’t barred local governments from issuing mask mandates.  BLOOMBERG 

Protesters take to streets in Myanmar on anniversary of 1988 uprising Protesters took to the streets in Myanmar on Sunday, the anniversary of a previous military junta’s suppression of a 1988 popular uprising. The current junta seized power from Myanmar’s democratically elected government in a February coup, and demonstrations have continued since then, although they’ve become more muted over time as the junta cracked down on protesters. But on Sunday, at least six separate protests were documented on Facebook pages of opposition groups throughout Myanmar, per Reuters, and the crowds reportedly referenced the “8-8-88” democracy uprising during their marches. FRANCE24 

Aramco reports big increase in net income  Saudi state oil giant Aramco reported a net income of $25.5 billion in the second quarter of 2021, an increase of 288 percent and the highest figure for the company since the end of 2018. Last year, in the same quarter, Aramco reported a $6.6 billion net income. The jump is the result of a big recovery in oil and chemical prices and demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aramco’s president and CEO Amin Nasser said the company’s expectation is that the global economic recovery will continue, adding that he remains “extremely positive about the second half of 2021 and beyond.” CNBC 

Alibaba under fire after sexual assault allegation After an employee at Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba accused her supervisor of sexual assault while they were on a business trip and said the company initially failed to respond to her request for an investigation, Alibaba said in a statement on Sunday that it has suspended several employees and “established a special internal task force to investigate the issue.” Police in the eastern Chinese city of Jinan, where the alleged assault took place, said they are also investigating the incident. The woman’s allegations sparked widespread anger toward Alibaba, which is facing a regulatory crackdown from Beijing, on Chinese social media platforms. REUTERS 

Messi to leave Barcelona Professional soccer star Lionel Messi gave a tearful press conference on Sunday during which he confirmed he’s ending his 21-year association with Barcelona because of the club’s financial problems. The 34-year-old Messi, who hails from Argentina and is considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time, said he did everything he could to stay with Barcelona, but it ultimately wasn’t possible. Sources have said he’s already reached an agreement with French side Paris Saint-Germain, but during the press conference Messi said that’s just “one possibility.” BBC 

The Taliban captures the capitals of the Kunduz, Takhar, and Sar-e Pol provinces. In Kunduz, the Taliban seize key government buildings, leaving the government forces only in control of the airport. In Takhar, the Taliban seize Taloqan, and heavy fighting was reported as the Taliban intensifies its offensive in the north. In Sar-e Pol, the Taliban drive government forces out of the main military base. (BBC) 

Rwandan and Mozambican forces retake the city of Mocímboa da Praia, the last rebel stronghold in Cabo Delgado Province. Rwanda had sent 1,000 troops to help Mozambique fight the Islamist insurgency that began in 2017. (BBC) 

The Chinese government files a lawsuit against the tech conglomerate Tencent, alleging that the company’s “youth mode” for the WeChat application violates laws protecting minors. Authorities did not give specific details as to which laws the application violates. (The Verge) 

Russian opposition activist Lyubov Sobol, a prominent ally of Alexei Navalny, leaves Russia, days after being sentenced to eighteen months of parole-like restrictions. (Reuters) 

Protests against the military government occur across Myanmar in honor of the anniversary of the 8888 Uprising. (Reuters) 

The Summer Olympics officially end in Tokyo with the closing ceremony. The United States won the most medals and also won the most gold medals, with 113 total medals and 39 gold medals. The Olympic Flag is handed over to the Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo in preparation for the 2024 Games. (NBC News) 

The Styrian Grand Prix is red-flagged in lap 3 after a collision involving Spanish Dani Pedrosa and Italian Lorenzo Savadori that destroyed both motorcycles. (Radio France Internationale) 

The End