Sunday, August 29th, 2021 

Biden warns of another attack in Kabul President Biden on Saturday afternoon released a statement warning that another terrorist attack near Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport is “highly likely in the next 24-36 hours,” and he directed military commanders in Afghanistan “to take every possible measure to prioritize force protection.” Later, the United States Embassy in Afghanistan alerted American citizens in the area to leave immediately “due to a specific, credible threat.” Everyone else should avoid traveling to the airport “at this time,” the alert said. Despite the threat, the U.S. is still planning to withdraw its ambassador and all diplomatic staffers in Afghanistan by Tuesday’s deadline. UNITED STATES EMBASSY IN AFGHANISTAN 

Firefighters make progress against Caldor blaze but winds loom Firefighters slowed the spread of California’s Caldor Fire as it moved toward Lake Tahoe on Saturday, but strong winds of 25-30 miles per hour are expected to hit the area on Monday and Tuesday and could reinvigorate the blaze. Containment of the fire grew to 19 percent on Saturday, up from 12 percent the day prior, which Cal Fire Cpt. Keith Wade described as a “pretty significant jump for us.” Meteorologist Jim Dudley said Saturday that “we have one more day of fairly light winds across the fire, and then things change.” Many locals and tourists have already fled the Tahoe area, even though there aren’t evacuation warnings in place. There’s hope, though, that manmade fire lines combined with natural barriers like massive granite outcroppings will help save the Lake Tahoe Basin. THE MERCURY NEWS 

Israel says it hit Hamas site in Gaza  The Israeli military says it struck a Hamas military compound “used for manufacturing weapons and training as well as an entrance to a terror tunnel” in Gaza early Sunday in response to incendiary balloons launched from the region. There were no reports of any casualties caused by the Israeli strikes.  The army said it was also responding to what it described as “violent riots” that took place at the Gaza-Israel separation barrier during the day Saturday. Palestinians announced they were resuming protests at the border Saturday with the goal of getting Israel to ease a blockade on Gaza. Israeli forces fired tear gas and stun grenades at the crowd. The two sides are locked in a fragile truce at the moment, following an 11-day conflict in May. FRANCE24 

U.S. military delivers post-earthquake aid to remote areas of Haiti United States military aircraft on Saturday were able to reach some of the remote mountain communities that were hardest hit by a recent, major earthquake that killed more than 2,200 people and destroyed more than 100,000 homes in Haiti. The goal of the airlift was to distribute supplies, including food and protective tarps, to the communities so they are better equipped to make it through the hurricane season after quake-induced landslides destroyed the homes and small plots of many subsistence farmers. “We’re just trying to get as much material out to the most affected areas as fast as we can,” Tim Callahan, a disaster response team leader for the U.S. Agency for International Development, told The Associated Press. So far, troops under the direction of the Miami-based U.S. Southern Command have delivered more than 265,000 pounds of relief assistance. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Theranos’ Holmes may accuse ex-boyfriend of abuse in upcoming trial Court documents reveal that Elizabeth Holmes, the founder and former CEO of Theranos whose criminal trial is set to begin within days, may defend herself by claiming she was the victim of a decade-long abusive relationship with her ex-boyfriend Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, who was also a Theranos executive. The newly unsealed documents suggested Holmes is planning to have an expert testify about the psychological, emotional, and sexual abuse she experienced from Balwani, including tactics he allegedly used to “exert control.” Both Holmes and Balwani were indicted more than three years ago on multiple federal fraud and conspiracy charges for allegedly launching a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud investors over the course of several years by knowingly misrepresenting the capabilities of Theranos’ blood testing technology. They have both pleaded not guilty and could face up to 20 years in prison. CNN 

Brazil’s Bolsonaro says he faces arrest, death, or victory Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Saturday told a group of evangelical leaders in the country that “I have three alternatives for my future: being arrested, killed, or victory,” though he appeared to rule out the first option, stating that “no man on Earth will threaten me.” The right-wing populist leader is trailing his top opponent, left-wing former President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva in the polls. Bolsonaro has frequently questioned the legitimacy of Brazil’s electronic voting system, setting the stage for him to refuse to accept the result of next year’s election if he loses. The head of Brazil’s electoral court has maintained there are no issues with the voting system. BBCREUTERS 

Saturday, August 28th, 2021 

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul warns Americans to leave the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul due to a “specific, credible threat”. Additionally, U.S. President Joe Biden issues a warning of another attack on the airport in the next “24–36 hours”. (Business Insider) 

British troops return to the United Kingdom from Afghanistan, ending the evacuation process at the airport and the country’s involvement in the war. (Time) 

Co-leader of the Panjshir resistance and self-proclaimed president Amrullah Saleh criticizes the United States for its withdrawal and for its demand last year of releasing Taliban prisoners as part of the negotiations. Saleh says that the Taliban’s rule “won’t last long” and appeals to the European Union for support. (Saudi Gazette) 

The Japanese Health ministry confirms that two men died after receiving their second dose of the contaminated Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from one of three manufacturers. The ministry said that the cause of the deaths was still being investigated. (Radio France Internationale) 

Kosovo reimposes its nightly curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. and delays the start of the school year until September 13 due to a worsening COVID-19 situation in the country. Only essential staff will be allowed to work in public and private institutions until September 13. (Politiko) 

Following the airstrike by the United States on August 27, Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid condemned the attack saying they consider the airstrike a “clear attack on Afghan territory”. (Reuters) 

U.S. military says retaliatory airstrike likely killed ISIS leader in Afghanistan The United States military said Friday that it conducted an airstrike against the Islamic State in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province in retaliation for a suicide bomb attack outside the gates of Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport that killed nearly 200 Afghan civilians and 13 American service members on Thursday amid a chaotic evacuation process following the Taliban’s takeover of the capital city. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. Navy Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said “initial indications” are that the strike killed an unnamed extremist leader whom the U.S. intelligence community believes was involved in the planning of the bombing, as well as potential future attacks. The U.S. has warned American citizens at certain airport gates to leave immediately as credible threats remain, though evacuation flights continued to leave Friday.  THE NEW YORK TIMES 

RFK assassin recommended for parole Sirhan Sirhan, the man convicted of assassinating Sen. Robert F. Kennedy (D-N.Y.) in Los Angeles in 1968, was recommended for parole Friday during his 16th appearance before a California parole board. The 77-year-old has served 53 years in prison. The two-person panel’s ruling will be reviewed over the next several months, and it will then be sent to California’s governor, who will have 30 days to sign off on the decision, reverse it, or modify it. Two of Kennedy’s surviving sons, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Douglas Kennedy, expressed support for Sirhan’s potential release, though several of their siblings oppose it. CNBC 

Powell indicates Fed may soon scale back support of U.S. economy Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday indicated that the central bank will begin scaling back its pandemic-related support of the United States economy, which Powell said has seen “more progress in the form of a strong employment report for July.” Because of the spread of the Delta coronavirus variant, he added that “we will be carefully assessing incoming data and evolving risks,” but he still believes the “prospects are good for continued progress toward maximum employment.” Powell also said he remains confident inflation, which rose more than 4 percent annually last month, is transitory. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

U.S. intelligence review inconclusive on coronavirus origins A United States intelligence report did not reach any firm conclusions on whether the coronavirus that sparked the COVID-19 pandemic first jumped to humans through contact with an infected animal or a lab leak. An unclassified summary of the report released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence suggested both theories are plausible, but the intelligence community “remains divided.” President Biden ordered U.S. agencies to review the matter, criticizing China — where the virus originated — for preventing international investigators from accessing “critical information” about the pathogen. The agencies involved in the review did reach “broad agreement” that the virus was “not developed as a biological weapon” and that Chinese officials “did not have foreknowledge of the virus” before the initial outbreak of COVID-19. NPR 

Biden meets with Israel’s Bennett at White House President Biden on Friday had his first in-person meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett since the latter assumed his post earlier this year. The pair met at the White House, where Biden said he looks “forward to us establishing a strong personal relationship.” The meeting was aimed at demonstrating “an unshakable partnership between our two nations,” Biden said. Although Bennett and Biden have different views on Iran — Biden made it clear he’s seeking a deal with Tehran, while Bennett said he presented an alternative plan for Israel’s rival — and Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the former said he’s determined to “bring a new spirit” to the U.S.-Israel relationship built on “good will … hope, decency and honesty … unity and bipartisanship.” His predecessor, former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was known for having a somewhat contentious relationship with American Democrats.  THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Scientists discover world’s northernmost island A team of Danish scientists from Copenhagen University accidentally discovered the world’s northernmost island off the coast of Greenland last month. The researchers thought they had arrived at Oodaaq, an island discovered by a Danish survey team in 1978, to collect samples, but they later checked their exact location and realized they were 850 yards northwest of that landmass. The newly-discovered island, which is only about 100 feet across, was revealed by shifting pack ice, and it’s not known how long it will remain above sea level, Morten Rasch, the head of the mission, said. Rasch also said that the discovery isn’t a “big deal” from a scientific perspective, but he did admit that it’s “funny to be among those six people ever on earth who have had muddy boots at the most northerly point in the world.” BBC 

Friday,  August 27th, 2021 

The United States launches an airstrike in Nangarhar, killing two Islamic State members and wounding a third. It is reported that one of those killed was planning more attacks in Kabul. (CNN) 

Afghan political leader and activist Fatima Gailani, who helped draft a new constitution for Afghanistan and also took part in peace talks with the Taliban, blames exiled former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani for the current “chaotic” situation in the country, and says that U.S. President Joe Biden also contributed by withdrawing troops without a “political settlement” in place. (Deutsche Welle) 

The United States urges the Taliban to include former President Hamid Karzai and former Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah in the formation of the new inclusive government. (Al Jazeera) 

Crowds return to the Kabul airport a day after the suicide bombing at the airport. (VOA) 

A U.S. Marine lieutenant is relieved of his duties after posting a video demanding accountability from military leaders over the evacuation. (TMZ) (California News Times) 

The death toll from the ISIL suicide bombing attack at the airport in Kabul yesterday increases to 175. Three British citizens are confirmed to have been killed in the attack. (Al Jazeera) 

The newly appointed Minister of Finance  of Zambia Situmbeko Musokotwane says that he has begun to negotiate with the International Monetary Fund on a $12 billion external debt. Musokotwane says that he is also working with other private funds to which Zambia owes payments. Musokotwane anticipates that Zambia “will not be able to immediately cancel all debts”. (Reuters) 

Cuba recognizes cryptocurrency as legal tender, becoming the second nation to do so after El Salvador. (Al Jazeera) 

The number of severe COVID-19 patients in Japan surpasses 2,000 for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. (The Japan Times) 

Danish Minister of Health Magnus Heunicke announces that the country will lift all COVID-19-related restrictions on September 10 as it considers that the “epidemic is under control” and does not pose “a critical threat to society”. The country will also lift the obligation to present an immunity passport in order to attend certain events as more than 70% of Danes are fully vaccinated. (The Guardian) 

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announces that the U.S. government has opened a mass vaccination site at the Dulles International Airport for arriving Afghan refugees. (AP) 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports the world’s first deer positive case of COVID-19 from white-tailed deer in the state of Ohio. (CTV News) 

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation recommends that children between the ages of 12 and 15 be included in the COVID-19 vaccination program using the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccination bookings for this age group will begin on September 13. (ABC News Australia) 

The Taliban regime appoints Khalil Haqqani as head of security in Kabul. Haqqani, a veteran of the Soviet–Afghan War and war on terror, is a designated terrorist by the United States, and is currently wanted on a US$5 million bounty. (NBC News) 

In a 73−50 vote, the Congress of Peru approves the leftist cabinet of President Pedro Castillo, who thanked the Congress for “granting confidence”. The vote increased the approval of Castillo’s government, which currently holds a 38% approval rating. (Reuters) 

The End Sunday 

Friday,  August 27th, 2021 

Xx_https://youtu.be/6kf1oGXks5g 

Australia, New Zealand, Norway and Spain end their evacuation flights from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. (Reuters)  

Prominent Afghan female activist Fatima Gailani and part of the Doha agreement team labels Ashraf Ghani as a “national traitor” and criticizes former president Hamid Karzai for the fall to the Taliban. She vows to return to Kabul as she also criticizes U.S. President Joe Biden for the withdrawal of troops. (DW) 

The United States urges the Taliban to include former President Hamid Karzai and former Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah in the formation of the new inclusive government. (Al Jazeera) 

At least 9 killed and more than 80 injured in explosion at military compound in southern Kazakhstan. (Euronews) 

The newly appointed Minister of Finance  of Zambia Situmbeko Musokotwane says he has begun to negotiate with the International Monetary Fund on a $12 billion external debt. Musokotwane says he is also working with other private funds to which Zambia owes payments. Musokotwane anticipates that Zambia “will not be able to immediately cancel all debts”. (Reuters) 

Danish Minister of Health Magnus Heunicke announces that the country will lift all COVID-19 restrictions as of 10 September as it considers that the “epidemic is under control” and does not pose “a critical threat to society”, just as it will lift the obligation to present a COVID passport to attend certain events. More than 70% of Danes have received the full vaccination schedule. (The Guardian) 

A federal prosecutor indicts President Alberto Fernández for violating the sanitary measures he himself decreed in July 2020 during a birthday celebration party of First Lady Fabiola Yáñez. Fernández appeals to evade trial and volunteers to donate his salary. The prosecutors reject his proposal as they say that government officials cannot skip trial. (MercoPress) 

Former Prime Minister of Mali Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga is arrested accused of corruption for his involvement in the purchase of a presidential plane in 2014. (Reuters) 

The Taliban regime appoints Khalil Haqqani as head of security in Kabul. Haqqani, a veteran of the Soviet–Afghan War and war on terror, is a designated terrorist by the United States, and is currently wanted on a US$5 million bounty. (NBC News) 

Suicide bombers kill 13 U.S. troops, dozens of Afghans Two suspected Islamic State-affiliate suicide bombers attacked outside the Kabul airport on Thursday. One of the blasts killed 13 U.S. troops and wounded 15 others. At least 95 Afghans also were killed in the attacks. The blasts came after repeated warnings by the United States and its allies of potentially imminent terrorist threats against the chaotic effort to evacuate Americans, other foreigners, and Afghans who have worked with foreign missions and are desperate to escape following the recent takeover. The U.S. deaths were the first American military fatalities in Afghanistan since two soldiers were killed in a February 2020 insider attack by an Afghan soldier. President Biden vowed that the U.S. would hunt down the attackers. THE WASHINGTON POST 

7 Capitol Police officers sue Trump, extremist groups over Jan. 6 attack Seven Capitol Police officers on Thursday filed a lawsuit against former President Donald Trump and some of his supporters over their roles in the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The civil rights lawsuit accuses Trump and right-wing extremist groups such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers of using domestic terrorism in a failed effort to keep Trump in power even though he lost the 2020 election. The plaintiffs, five of whom are Black, said the plot used white supremacist-laden conspiracy theories falsely alleging voter fraud, particularly in heavily Black areas. Damon Hewitt, president of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which is representing the officers, said the insurrection “was a blatant attempt to stifle the votes and voices of millions of Americans, particularly Black voters.” THE HILL 

Supreme Court blocks Biden administration’s latest eviction ban The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the Biden administration’s extension of the eviction moratorium imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to keep people from losing their homes during the coronavirus crisis. The court’s six-member conservative majority said Congress would have to approve the policy for it to continue. “Congress was on notice that a further extension would almost surely require new legislation, yet it failed to act,” the court wrote in an unsigned, eight-page opinion. The court’s three liberal justices dissented. The majority said the CDC’s moratorium was based on a statute letting it “implement measures like fumigation and pest extermination,” but it “strains credulity” to suggest it has the “sweeping authority” necessary to ban evictions nationwide. CNN 

Illinois governor imposes mask, vaccine mandates Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday announced that all educators, college students, and health-care workers in the state would be required to be vaccinated. Pritzker also imposed a statewide indoor mask mandate for everyone age 2 and up, as part of an intensifying effort by the state government to combat a coronavirus resurgence driven by the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant. “Let’s be clear, vaccination is the most effective tool we have for keeping people out of the hospital and preventing deaths,” said Pritzker, a Democrat. “Nearly all Illinoisans who are hospitalized with COVID are the Illinoisans who are not vaccinated. And those hospitalizations are only increasing.” CHICAGO TRIBUNE 

COVID hospitalizations exceed 100,000 for 1st time since January For the first time since January, the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 in the U.S. has risen above 100,000, due to a surge fueled by the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus. Levels are highest across the South. Florida is the state with the most hospitalizations, with more than 17,000. Texas is next with more than 14,000. Both states have Republican governors who have taken drastic actions to prevent local governments from imposing mask and vaccine requirements. Many hospitals across the country have been overwhelmed, with many running short of beds in their intensive care units. Children are increasingly affected. Kids now account for 36 percent of Tennessee’s COVID-19 cases. The state has recorded 14,000 pediatric cases in the last week, up 57 percent over the previous week, Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey said. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Texas House approves GOP voting restrictions Texas’ Republican-led House on Thursday passed new voting restrictions after an unprecedented effort by Democrats to stop it by fleeing the state to deny the chamber a quorum. The measure passed 79-37 in a mostly party-line vote. Democrats first blocked the legislation in May with a dramatic walkout, then left the state en masse after GOP Gov. Greg Abbott called a special session. During a 38-day standoff, the Democrats pleaded with members of Congress to enact new voting protections. The delay ended when enough Democrats returned for Republicans to resume efforts to approve the bill. The state Senate has passed a similar bill, and now will consider the House version, which adds new ID requirements for people seeking to vote by mail, bans drive-through and 24-hour voting options, and empowers partisan poll watchers. NPR 

Tropical Storm Ida intensifies, aims for Gulf Coast Tropical Storm Ida gained strength in the Caribbean Sea early Friday as it passed near Grand Cayman about 310 miles east-southeast of the western tip of Cuba, according to the National Hurricane Center. Ida is expected to continue intensifying and hit the U.S. Gulf Coast, possibly as a powerful hurricane, by late Sunday or early Monday. After reaching tropical storm strength overnight, with top sustained winds of 40 miles per hour, Ida is expected to reach hurricane strength over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico by Saturday morning. It could continue gaining steam and “be near major hurricane strength” by the time it reaches the northern Gulf Coast, the center said. NBC NEWS 

Capitol Police officer who shot Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt goes public U.S. Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd stepped forward Thursday to publicly identify himself as the officer who fatally shot Jan. 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt as she tried to force her way into the House chamber. “I know that day I saved countless lives,” Byrd told NBC News anchor Lester Holt. “I know members of Congress, as well as my fellow officers and staff, were in jeopardy and in serious danger.” Byrd, a 28-year veteran of the force, explained that he repeatedly yelled at the rioters to stop trying to break through the barricaded door to the Speaker’s Lobby. Byrd, who is Black, said he had received death threats, some racist in nature, since his identity was leaked online. NBC NEWS 

Department of Education forgives $1.1 billion ITT Tech student loans The Department of Education said Thursday it would forgive $1.1 billion in federal loans to about 115,000 former students who attended the now-defunct ITT Technical Institute but left after March 2008 without finishing their degree. ITT Tech shut down in 2016, closing more than 130 schools after the Education Department said it could no longer enroll new students who needed federal loans and grants. Students had long accused the for-profit college of using fraudulent recruitment practices, and the Education Department launched an investigation. The department found that “for years, ITT hid its true financial state from borrowers while luring many of them into taking out private loans with misleading and unaffordable terms that may have caused borrowers to leave school.” AXIOS 

120 coronavirus cases in 5 states linked to Sturgis motorcycle rally Public health officials have linked more than 120 new coronavirus infections to the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota, which ended on Aug. 15. The South Dakota Department of Transportation said close to 526,000 vehicles passed through Sturgis during the rally, which started Aug. 6, a 14 percent increase over 2020 traffic, and a 5 percent jump from 2019. Through contact tracing, South Dakota health officials have linked 16 cases to the event, while their counterparts in North Dakota have identified 42 cases, followed by Wyoming with 32 cases, Wisconsin with 20 cases, and Minnesota with 13 cases, The Washington Post reported on Thursday. A report by state and federal public health researchers concluded that one death and at least 649 infections were connected to the 2020 rally. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Thursday, August 26th, 2021 

A suicide bombing attack occurs at an entrance of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, followed by another blast and gunfire. At least 62 Afghan civilians, 28 Taliban militants, and 13 U.S. servicemembers are murdered during the attack. More than 150 others are wounded. ISIL-K, who have threatened the airport in recent days, have claimed responsibility for the attack. (BBC) (The Guardian) 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that the United Kingdom will continue evacuations despite the terrorist attacks that occurred at Hamid Karzai International Airport. (Sky News) 

U.S. President Joe Biden, in an address to the nation, says that the evacuation of American citizens will continue despite the terrorist attacks. He also vows that the U.S. will avenge the deaths of the 13 Marines killed in the attacks by “hunting down” those responsible and “making them pay”. (AP) 

The United States says that it is taking steps to boost humanitarian aid into Afghanistan despite the Taliban being blacklisted by the treasury. The United States also says that it is working with local partners to facilitate humanitarian aid to reach the Afghan population. (Reuters) 

Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Russia and the Netherlands end their evacuation flights from Hamid Karzai International Airport ahead of a Taliban ultimatum to leave by August 31. Several shots are fired in the direction of an Italian military plane as it was departing the airport, although the airplane was not the intended target and no casualties or damage have been reported. (BBC) 

A mass grave containing between 5,000 and 8,000 skeletons is discovered in Odessa, Ukraine, during exploration works for a planned expansion of Odesa International Airport. The graves are believed to date back to the late 1930s during a major purge. (BBC) 

Japan suspends the usage of 1.63 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine due to concerns of contamination in some unused vials. (BBC) (The Washington Post) 

Russia reports a record 820 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide death toll to 179,243. (Barron’s) 

Argentina condemns “energetically” the designation of Mohsen Rezai in a ministerial rank in the government of Ebrahim Raisi in Iran. Yesterday, Argentina had renewed its condemnation of the designation of Ahmad Vahidi as minister of the interior. Both men are wanted by Argentina and Interpol over alleged connections with the 1994 AMIA bombing. The Foreign Ministry condemns Iran for its “affront to Argentine justice”. (Notimérica) 

Ty Garbin is sentenced to six years in prison and fined $2,500 for his role in the kidnapping plot of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer last year. He is the first person to be sentenced in the conspiracy, which includes thirteen other accused plotters who are currently awaiting trial. (BBC) 

The Taliban announce the re-imposition of the public ban on music in Afghanistan. Zabiullah Mujahid, the official spokesperson for the Taliban, expressed the hope that the Emirate would be able to “persuade people not to do such things instead of pressuring them.” (The Daily Telegraph) 

Pope Francis appoints Italian nun Alessandra Smerilli as Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, becoming the first woman to do so. (Vatican News) 

The End Friday 

1,500 Americans still in Afghanistan as threats loom over evacuation About 1,500 American citizens remain in Afghanistan as the U.S. government rushes to evacuate everyone seeking to leave before the Aug. 31 deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday. More than 4,500 U.S. citizens have been flown out of Afghanistan in the chaotic evacuation effort that began at Kabul’s international airport after the Taliban seized control of the country earlier this month. U.S. and allied planes flew 19,200 people out of Kabul in the last day, and more than 10,000 others were at the airport awaiting flights, officials said Wednesday. European leaders warned the airport was no longer safe. A British official said there had been “very, very credible reporting of an imminent attack” there, possibly within “hours.” THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Panel investigating Jan. 6 attack demands Trump documents The House select committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters made broad requests for federal agency records on Wednesday. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the committee’s chair, sent letters demanding materials pertaining to the insurrection and to Trump’s attempts to reverse his election loss to President Biden. Thompson demanded that agencies hand over documents covering such matters as “the former president’s knowledge of the election results and what he communicated to the American people about the election.” Thompson told the agencies to hand over the materials within two weeks. “Our Constitution provides for a peaceful transfer of power, and this investigation seeks to evaluate threats to that process,” Thompson wrote. THE WASHINGTON POSTTHE HILL 

Man sentenced to 6 years in prison for Whitmer kidnapping plot Ty Garbin, a 25-year-old Michigan man who admitted he was part of a 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) from her summer home, was sentenced Wednesday to 75 months in prison and fined $2,500. More than a dozen men have been accused of participating in the plot. Government lawyers said the plotters discussed attacking legislators at the Michigan state Capitol before shifting to the kidnapping plan. Garbin is the only person to have pleaded guilty in the case. Prosecutors said he has cooperated extensively. Garbin, a mechanic, was upset by Whitmer’s COVID-19 restrictions, his lawyer said. Garbin apologized in court, saying he “can’t even begin to imagine the amount of stress and fear” the plot caused Whitmer and her family.  NBC NEWS 

Appeals court upholds Dylann Roof’s death sentence A three-judge panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld the death penalty for Dylann Roof, the South Carolina man convicted of killing nine African-American members of a historic Black church in Charleston. Roof was sentenced to death in January 2017 for the 2015 attack. He was the first person in the U.S. to receive the death penalty for a federal hate crime. Overwhelming evidence presented at the trial, including some of Roof’s own writings, confirmed that he was a white supremacist, and that he planned the attack over several months, hoping to start a race war. “His crimes qualify him for the harshest penalty that a just society can impose,” the judges wrote. THE STATE 

Lawmakers face bipartisan criticism over secret Afghanistan trip House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and a bipartisan collection of other members of Congress on Wednesday leveled harsh criticism against Reps. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.) and Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) for making a secret trip to Afghanistan to observe the chaotic evacuation effort that followed the Taliban’s takeover of the country. Pelosi said she found out about the trip on Tuesday but said nothing, to avoid endangering the congressmen’s safety. “This is deadly serious,” Pelosi said, adding that lawmakers were discouraged from going to Afghanistan to avoid straining limited resources ahead of the Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told Fox News on Wednesday that the trip “put people in jeopardy,” although he understood why the lawmakers went. NBC NEWS 

Texas governor bans COVID vaccine mandates Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Wednesday issued an executive order banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates regardless of a vaccine’s FDA approval status, The Texas Tribune reported. His previous executive order also prohibited COVID vaccine mandates, but only for shots under emergency use authorization. The decision came one day after Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine, Comirnaty, received full FDA approval, a certification many health officials and lawmakers hoped would encourage shot mandates and curb vaccine hesitancy. But Abbott’s order said no state governmental entity can compel anyone to get vaccinated, even with an FDA approved vaccine. The order also barred private entities that receive government funding from denying entry over vaccination status, or requiring people to share that information. THE TEXAS TRIBUNE 

N.Y. governor says COVID death toll higher than Cuomo said New York’s new governor, Kathy Hochul, said Wednesday on her first day in office that the state had nearly 12,000 more COVID-19 deaths than former Gov. Andrew Cuomo had revealed publicly. “The public deserves a clear, honest picture of what’s happening,” Hochul told NPR. Cuomo’s administration had provided the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with data on the state’s full death toll of nearly 55,400 people, but he had only reported the 43,400 deaths that occurred in hospitals and long-term care facilities to the public as of Monday, hours before he left office to avoid impeachment after being accused of sexually harassing at least 11 women. Federal health officials and some academic institutions tracking coronavirus deaths had been using the higher figure for months. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

J&J: COVID booster shot increased antibodies 9-fold Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday that booster shots for its one-dose coronavirus vaccine produced a nine-fold increase in antibodies compared to 28 days after the first shot. The company said the data came from two Phase 2 studies conducted in the United States and Europe in which some of the roughly 2,000 participants got booster doses six months after their first shots. “We have established that a single shot of our COVID-19 vaccine generates strong and robust immune responses that are durable and persistent through eight months,” Dr. Mathai Mammen, global head of research and development for Janssen, said in a statement. “With these new data, we also see that a booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine further increases antibody responses among study participants who had previously received our vaccine.” CNN 

Delta to charge unvaccinated workers $200 monthly to cover medical bills Delta Air Lines told employees in a Wednesday memo that unvaccinated people on the company’s health plan would have to start paying a $200 monthly surcharge to cover possible COVID-19 medical bills. “The average hospital stay for COVID-19 has cost Delta $50,000 per person,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said. “This surcharge will be necessary to address the financial risk the decision to not vaccinate is creating for our company.” The company said the fee would take effect Nov. 1, which would give workers plenty of time to get fully vaccinated if they don’t want to pay. Bastian framed the charge as a security deposit to cover potential expenses, but the memo also noted that vaccinations are part of the company’s effort to prevent the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus to the airline’s destinations. GIZMODO 

Judge sanctions pro-Trump lawyers over Michigan election lawsuit A federal judge ordered sanctions against Sidney Powell, Lin Wood, and several other pro-Trump lawyers who filed a lawsuit trying to overturn Michigan’s 2020 presidential election results, saying they engaged in “a historic and profound abuse of the judicial process.” U.S. District Judge Linda Parker said the lawsuit “was never about fraud — it was about undermining the People’s faith in our democracy and debasing the judicial process to do so.” She said sanctions against the lawyers who tried to reverse former President Donald Trump’s election loss were necessary to “deter the filing of future frivolous lawsuits designed primarily to spread the narrative that our election processes are rigged and our democratic institutions cannot be trusted.” Parker, who dismissed the Michigan lawsuit in December, ordered the lawyers to attend ethics classes. Wood said he would appeal. CNNREUTERS 

Wednesday, August 25th, 2021