Sunday, September 5th, 2021 

White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain says that around 100 Americans remain in Afghanistan following the August 31 withdrawal deadline. He also says that the Biden administration will still try to rescue them. (Politico) 

Taliban spokesperson Bilal Karimi says that Taliban forces have entered Bazarak, the capital of Panjshir Province, after gaining more territory in the surrounding areas. (Reuters) 

Mohammad Fahim Dashty, a chief and spokesperson of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, is killed by the Taliban during a fight. (The Week) 

Heavy gunfire is heard in Conakry, Guinea, as soldiers seal off and block the main bridge connecting to the Kaloum neighborhood, which houses the Presidential Palace. President Alpha Condé is arrested and taken away by special forces soldiers but appears to be unharmed. Three soldiers are reportedly killed. (BBC) (Reuters) (Europa Press)(The Economist) 

The military seizes state television and announces on air that the government has been dissolved and that all land borders are closed. (ABC News) 

Contradicting the military’s claims, the Guinean Defense Ministry claims that the coup was thwarted by members of the presidential guard. (BBC) 

Three soldiers are killed and 15 more are wounded as a suicide bomber blows himself up at a checkpoint in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claims responsibility for the attack. (Al Jazeera) 

Twelve police officers are killed and three others are wounded as ISIL militants open fire and bomb a security checkpoint in Kirkuk. (Al Jazeera) 

Violence intensifies during a four-day clash in the Mapuche Araucanía Region in Chile, between Chilean forces and the Mapuche people. A presidential delegate has called on the Congress to speed the arrest and prosecution of what he called “terrorists”. (MercoPress) 

Police fire tear gas and remove barricades in Cetinje, Montenegro, as anti-Serb Montenegrin nationalist protesters attempted to impede the enthronement of Joanikije II to the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral of the Serbian Orthodox Church. (Deutsche Welle) 

The qualification match between Brazil and Argentina at the Arena Corinthians in São Paulo is suspended after officials from the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency entered the pitch and attempted to deport four Argentine players whom they allege to have violated pandemic-related self-isolation guidelines. (The New York Times) 

Kabul airport reopens for domestic flights Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport has reopened for domestic flights after a technical team from Qatar repaired parts of the air traffic control system, Ariana Afghan Airlines and a Taliban commander in charge of airport security said. Several flights resumed between the capital and three other major provincial cities on Saturday, while a humanitarian aid flight from the United Arab Emirates landed at the airport, which was the site of a chaotic evacuation process over the last few weeks as the United States and other Western nations withdrew from Afghanistan after the Taliban took Kabul. Although the airport is up and running again, it’s reportedly still operating without radar or navigation systems. NBC NEWS 

Taliban, resistance continue to clash in Panjshir The Taliban said Saturday they have entered Panjshir, the last Afghan province holding out agains their rule, and a spokesman said the group’s forces seized five of seven districts following clashes with resistance fighters. Opposition forces led by Ahmad Massoud, known as the National Resistance Front, have officially denied that the Taliban had made inroads, claiming Sunday to have surrounded “thousands of terrorists” and captured hundreds of Taliban troops, Al Jazeera reports. On Saturday, U.S. Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Miller said he expects the clashes to develop into a “civil war.” Separately, in Kabul, the Taliban reportedly violently broke up a women’s rights protest, one of several that have taken place in different parts of Afghanistan in recent days. AL JAZEERA 

Death toll from Ida rises to 12 in Louisiana The death toll from Hurricane Ida has risen to 12 in Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) said during a news conference on Saturday. Edwards warned the numbers could still increase, citing the fact that many people are still relying on power from generators, which were blamed for four carbon monoxide deaths among the 12 fatalities. He added that 718,500 customers are still without power in the state, but the number is decreasing — 1.1 million people dealt with outages in the immediate aftermath of the powerful storm. Meanwhile, President Biden, who toured damaged areas in Louisiana on Friday, will travel next week to areas in New York and New Jersey that dealt with severe and fatal flooding after Ida passed through, the White House said. REUTERS 

Navy declares 5 missing sailors dead after helicopter crash The United States Navy on Saturday declared five missing sailors dead after a multi-day search following a helicopter crash in the Pacific Ocean about 70 miles off the coast of San Diego. The helicopter was operating on the deck of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier, before it crashed while conducting “routine flight operations.” One sailor was rescued from the helicopter and was reportedly in stable condition as of Wednesday, while five sailors aboard the aircraft carrier were also injured — the Navy did not say how — and were likewise reported to be in stable condition. An investigation into what caused the crash is ongoing.  THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Boeing’s Dreamliner deliveries delayed until at least late October New deliveries of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliners likely won’t begin until at least October because the company has not been able to persuade air-safety regulators to approve its proposal to inspect the aircraft, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing people familiar with the matter. Deliveries were initially halted earlier this year when the Federal Aviation Administration said some undelivered 787s have a new manufacturing quality issue that Boeing needs to fix before shipment. The model has had an excellent safety record and the planes already in-service have continued to be used heavily, but the impasse on the new deliveries has prevented Boeing from moving more than $25 billion worth of planes. THE WALL STREET 

Saturday, September 4th, 2021 

The leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, Ahmad Massoud, announces that resistance against the Taliban will continue despite reports indicating that the Panjshir Valley fell to Taliban control yesterday. Yesterday, Massoud’s ally Amrullah Saleh denied leaving the country and also vowed to continue to resist the Taliban. (Deutsche Welle) 

Two ballistic missiles that were targeting the cities of Najran and Jizan are intercepted by Saudi Arabia. A third missile is intercepted over the city of Dammam, with shrapnel from the third missile injuring two children and damaging 14 homes. (Al Jazeera) 

Syria welcomes Lebanon’s request to import energy through Syrian territory. The energy would be generated in Jordan using Egyptian gas before being transmitted to Lebanon through Syria’s power grid. Lebanon has been dealing with shortages of energy due to its ongoing economic crisis. However, the deal is complicated by sanctions against Syrian officials. (Reuters) 

The Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul reopens to domestic flights and aid after it was closed due to the evacuation. (NBC News) 

A heavy-duty semi-trailer collides with a four-wheel tractor in Boli County, Heilongjiang, China, killing 15 people. (Thepaper) 

New Zealand reports its first death from the Lineage B.1.617.2 Delta variant and its first COVID-19-related death since February in a woman in her 90s with underlying health conditions who died in the North Shore Hospital in Takapuna. (New Zealand Herald) 

Washington’s vaccine mandate will move forward following an agreement between the Washington Federation of State Employees union agency and Governor Jay Inslee. However, the agreement will need to be ratified and employees will still be required to be vaccinated by October 18. (Seattle Times) 

Brazilian federal health regulator Anvisa suspends the use of over 12 million doses of the Sinovac CoronaVac vaccine that were produced in an unauthorized plant. (Reuters) 

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi says that the country is ready to resume nuclear talks and to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Raisi also called on the U.S. to lift its sanctions against Iran. (Middle East Eye) (VOA) 

Thousands of protesters take to the streets of Cetinje, Montenegro. President Milo Đukanović urged protesters to disrupt the enthronement of Joanikije II to the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral, alleging that the Serbian Orthodox Church is undermining the nation’s independence. (BBC) 

White House may need to scale back booster shot plan Top health officials are urging the White House to scale back the COVID-19 booster shot plan because more time is needed to review the data, The New York Times reported. CNN also reported that the Biden administration is discussing whether to scale the plan back, citing an official as saying the FDA doesn’t currently have enough data to recommend a third dose of the Moderna vaccine. A White House spokesperson told the Times that “we always said we would follow the science, and this is all part of a process that is now underway.” When announcing the booster rollout last month, health officials said all Americans would be eligible for an extra shot starting Sept. 20, with individual appointments taking place sometime around six to eight months after the last dose. THE NEW YORK TIMESCNN 

Latest jobs report falls short of expectations The Labor Department said Friday the U.S. economy added just 235,000 jobs in August. That was down from the 1.1. million jobs that were added in July and under the 720,000 jobs that economists were expecting, CNBC reports. The unemployment rate declined to 5.2 percent, the report said. “That is what one would call a big, big miss,” CNN’s Phil Mattingly wrote. The latest numbers came as the Delta variant of COVID-19 has sparked a surge in coronavirus cases in the United States, and experts had their eye on how this would affect the hiring numbers last month. The Labor Department said that in August, “employment in leisure and hospitality was unchanged,” whereas it had increased by an average of 350,000 monthly for the last six months. Additionally, there was a loss of 42,000 jobs in food services and drinking places.  LABOR DEPARTMENTCNBC 

Biden orders Justice Department to review 9/11 documents President Biden on Friday signed an executive order directing the Justice Department and other government agencies to review documents related to the FBI’s 9/11 investigation, which could potentially lead to declassification. Biden promised to declassify the documents during his presidential campaign last year, and has faced pressure to do so from victims’ family members and others directly affected by the terrorist attacks as the 20th anniversary approaches. Many of the people involved in the effort particularly want the federal government to reveal whether there’s information possibly suggesting Saudi involvement in financing the attacks. THE NEW YORK TIMESPOLITICO 

New Zealand aims to strengthen anti-terror laws after supermarket attack After a “known violent extremist” stabbed seven people, three of whom are in critical condition, in an “ISIS-inspired terrorist attack” at an Auckland, New Zealand, supermarket this week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern vowed to strengthen the country’s anti-terror laws. The attacker, who was shot dead by police, had been under constant police surveillance for a while, but a judge reportedly turned down charges against him because New Zealand law does not criminalize planning a terror attack if the person has not taken action. Ardern is confident that parliament will back proposed changes to that by the end of September. The attack comes more than two years after a white supremacist terrorist killed 51 worshippers at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand. THE GUARDIANBBC 

Former Cardinal McCarrick pleads not guilty to sexual assault Former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick on Friday pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy during a wedding reception in Massachusetts decades ago. The 91-year-old, who was defrocked by the Vatican in 2019 in the wake of sex abuse allegations, did not speak at the hearing at suburban Boston’s Dedham District Court; the court entered the not guilty plea on his behalf, set bail at $5,000, and ordered him to stay away from the victim and have no contact with minors. A former archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, McCarrick is the first American Catholic cardinal, current or former, to be criminally charged with child sex crimes. NPRCNN 

‘QAnon Shaman’ pleads guilty to Capitol riot charge A Capitol rioter known as “QAnon Shaman” pleaded guilty Friday to felony obstruction of Congress on Jan. 6. Jacob Anthony Chansley, who infamously donned red, white, and blue face paint while wearing a fur-lined headdress with horns while standing on the Senate dias after lawmakers had abandoned the chamber, could face at least three years in prison. Chansley, as his nickname suggests, has acknowledged he’s a follower of the QAnon conspiracy theory. Chansley submitted his plea by video-teleconference from a low-security prison complex in Littleton, Colorado, where he was taken for psychiatric evaluation in July. He’s one of more than 50 people who have pleaded guilty to charges connected to the Capitol riot among 600 people who have been charged so far. THE WASHINGTON POSTABC NEWS 

Osaka hints at extended leave from tennis after early U.S. Open exit Naomi Osaka on Friday lost her third-round U.S. Open match 5-7, 7-6, 6-4 to Leylah Fernandez. The earlier-than-expected exit prompted the 23-year-old Osaka, one of tennis’ best players, to weigh stepping away from the sport for an extended period. “I honestly don’t know when I’m going to play my next tennis match,” she said during a press conference after the loss. “I think I’m going to take a break from playing for a while.” Osaka said she has only felt relief, not happiness, when winning lately, while losing makes her “feel very sad,” a dichotomy she said she doesn’t think is “normal.” Earlier this year, she withdrew from the French Open and skipped Wimbledon to focus on her mental health, but decided to return for the Olympics in her home country, Japan, as well as the U.S. Open. ESPN 

Friday,  September 3rd, 2021 

The Taliban says that it now controls the Panjshir Valley, and thus all of Afghanistan. Resistance leader Amrullah Saleh denies leaving the country and says that the resistance, also led by Ahmad Massoud, continues. (Reuters) 

Six people are injured, three critically, in a mass stabbing at a supermarket in LynnMall, Auckland, New Zealand. The attacker, a man who had been under surveillance since 2016 for following ISIL online, is shot dead by police. (BBC) (RNZ) 

Rival armed groups clash in Tripoli, in what is described as the worst confrontation since the ceasefire reached in 2020 between the Government of National Accord and the Libyan National Army forces. (Reuters) 

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un demands that officials wage a tougher epidemic prevention campaign in “our style” after he rejects a donation of three million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the U.N. COVAX initiative. (NBC News) 

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommends that healthy children between the ages of 12 and 15 should not be given a COVID-19 vaccine due to children being at low risk for COVID-19 and the vaccine only offering a marginal benefit. (BBC) 

The European Union says that it will not currently recognize a Taliban government in Afghanistan and that the government will be “subjected to conditions”. However, the EU also states that it will still engage the group in diplomatic talks. (Reuters) 

Jake Angeli, also known as Jacob Chansley and “the QAnon shaman”, pleads guilty to obstruction of the electoral college vote count during the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol. His sentencing is scheduled for November 17. (CBS News) 

The European Union and AstraZeneca reach a settlement to end a legal battle over slow delivery of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, with an agreement that requires AstraZeneca to deliver the remaining 200 million doses of its vaccine to the EU countries at the end of March 2022. (Euronews) 

The president of Vanuatu, Obed Moses Tallis, pardons former prime ministers Charlot Salwai, Joe Natuman and Serge Vohor, all of whom were convicted of political and financial crimes, including bribery and corruption. (RNZ) 

Yoshihide Suga, the Prime Minister of Japan, announces that he will not seek re-election after one year in office. Suga had replaced former Prime Minster Shinzo Abe who resigned for health reasons in September 2020. (CNN) 

Biden orders federal effort to counter Texas abortion law  President Biden on Thursday slammed the Supreme Court for declining to block Texas’ new law banning abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, saying the court’s conservative majority’s ruling “unleashes unconstitutional chaos” by defying long-established precedent guaranteeing broader abortion rights. Biden said he had directed a gender-focused White House policy council, the Office of the White House Counsel, and both the Health and Human Services and the Justice departments to “launch of a whole-of-government effort” to see how the administration could respond to the decision and protect existing constitutional abortion rights. The Texas law gives individuals the right to sue anyone involved in an abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, typically around six weeks. The landmark Roe v. Wade decision established the right to abortion until fetal viability at 22 to 24 weeks. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Japan prime minister to step down after just 1 year Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced Friday that he would not seek re-election as leader of the country’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party in late September. The decision signals the end of his term after only one year following rising criticism over his government’s handling of a coronavirus surge fueled by the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. Suga’s support has fallen below 30 percent in recent polls, dropping even after the Tokyo Olympics ended without pandemic-related disasters some had feared. Japan’s next leader isn’t expected to change basic policies or close ties to the U.S., but Suga’s departure brings political uncertainty as the Biden administration works on restoring alliances in the region that were strained by former President Donald Trump’s “America first” focus. THE WALL STREET JOURNALTHE WASHINGTON POST 

EPA report warns people of color face disproportionate harm from climate change People of color will face disproportionate harm from climate change, including disproportionate deaths from extreme heat and property loss from flooding, the Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday in a new analysis. Joe Goffman, acting head of the EPA Office of Air and Radiation, said the comprehensive review was the “first of its kind.” The report looked at the possible impacts of a global temperature rise of 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to preindustrial levels. American Indians and Alaska Natives are 48 percent more likely than other groups to live in areas that would face flooding from sea level rise. Latinos are 43 percent more likely to live in areas where intense heat would reduce work hours. Black people would have elevated death rates. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Former Georgia DA indicted over handling of Ahmaud Arbery killing Former Georgia prosecutor Jacquelyn Lee Johnson was indicted Thursday by a grand jury for allegedly “showing favor and affection” for the white men who killed Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was running through their neighborhood last year. Arbery was fatally shot after Gregory McMichael, 64, and Travis McMichael, 34, his son, followed Arbery in their pickup. They said they thought he was a burglar. Arbery’s family said he was jogging. Johnson, who was Brunswick Judicial Circuit district attorney when Arbery was killed in February 2020, was indicted on charges of violation of oath of public office and obstruction of a police officer by saying Travis McMichael should not be arrested, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced. She lost re-election in November. NBC NEWS 

Virginia Supreme Court clears way for removing Lee Monument The Virginia Supreme Court on Thursday rejected appeals seeking to block Gov. Ralph Northam’s 2020 order to take down Richmond’s iconic but divisive Lee Monument. The justices unanimously rejected appeals to preserve the statue made by five nearby property owners and an heir of the family that donated the land for the monument to the Confederate general. Northam called for moving the statue last year as racial justice protests erupted in Richmond, the former capital of the Confederacy, after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police. Northam’s office said preparations for removing the 130-year-old, 60-foot-tall statue of Lee on a horse began months ago, and the ruling cleared the way for the Department of General Services to get started. NBC NEWS 

Judge orders Capitol riot defendant back to jail A judge on Thursday ordered Capitol riot suspect Doug Jensen to return to jail because he violated the conditions of his release by using the internet to watch conspiracy theory content, including some on presidential election recounts from MyPillow guy Mike Lindell. Jensen wasn’t supposed to use the internet after his release. He is accused of leading a mob that chased a Capitol Police officer in the Jan. 6 riot by former President Donald Trump’s supporters aiming to overturn Trump’s election loss to President Biden. His lawyer had argued that he has since recognized that he “bought into a pack of lies,” according to BuzzFeed News. But District Judge Timothy Kelly said Thursday it was “clear that he has not experienced the transformation that his lawyer previously described.” CNN

Renaissance hedge fund executives to pay billions in back taxes A group of current and former executives at pioneering hedge fund Renaissance Technologies have agreed to pay up to $7 billion in back taxes, interest, and penalties, the company told investors Thursday. The tax settlement, possibly the largest in U.S. history, ends a long dispute with the Internal Revenue Service over how Renaissance’s key Medallion fund booked short-term gains for tax purposes. Among those paying the IRS are Renaissance founder and quantitative-investing pioneer James Simons, a mathematician who used algorithms to exploit lucrative short-term patterns in financial markets, and former co-CEO Robert Mercer. Simons, 83, is a longtime Democratic donor. Mercer, 75, was former President Donald Trump’s largest financial backer in 2016, and helped found Cambridge Analytica, the consulting firm embroiled in scandal for harvesting Facebook data to aid Trump’s campaign. THE WALL STREET JOURNALTHE NEW YORK TIMES 

Ohio man arrested over confrontation with NBC News correspondent Authorities on Thursday arrested Benjamin Eugene Dagley, the Ohio man who aggressively accosted NBC News’ Shaquille Brewster as he was reporting on Hurricane Ida’s aftermath. Dagley, 54, was taken into custody at a shopping plaza in Dayton, Ohio, U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott said in a statement. A warrant was issued for Dagley’s arrest on two counts of assault, one count of disturbance of the peace, and one count of violation of emergency curfew after the confrontation in Gulfport, Mississippi, officials said. “This violent fugitive was attempting to flee from his charges in Gulfport but the swift work of our task force members resulted in a timely arrest,” Elliott said. Brewster was doing a live MSNBC shot on the coast when a man later identified by police as Dagley pulled up in a white pickup truck and got in Brewster’s face, shouting at Brewster to “report accurately.” NBC NEWS 

ABBA to release first studio album in 40 years ABBA, the iconic 1970s Swedish group known for huge hits like “Dancing Queen,” is returning to release its first studio album in 40 years, Variety reported on Thursday. The group also will launch a concert set for London in May 2022 called “ABBA Voyage.” It will feature singers Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, and instrumentalists/songwriters Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus performing as digital avatars designed by George Lucas’ visual effects company, Industrial Light & Magic. “We’re going to be able to sit back in an audience and watch our digital selves perform our songs on a stage in a custom-built arena in London next spring,” the group said on its website. “Weird and wonderful!” VARIETY 

Thursday, September 2nd, 2021 

Former Royal Military Police soldier Ben Slater is arrested by the Taliban while trying to evacuate 400 Afghans and 50 staff members. (The Independent) 

The Taliban enters the Panjshir Valley and clashes with Panjshir resistance forces led by Ahmad Massoud. The Taliban reports gaining some territory as both sides also claim heavy casualties. (Reuters) 

Israeli soldiers open fire on rioting Palestinians during violent demonstrations on the Gaza Strip border, killing one person and injuring 5 others. (The Times of Israel) 

Indian authorities deploy security forces in the Kashmir Valley in order to restrict public movement and impose a near-total internet blackout following the death of senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani. (France 24) 

Taiwan receives its first shipment of 932,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (The Asahi Shimbun) 

Prime Minister Erna Solberg announces that children aged 12 to 15 years old in Norway will be offered the single-dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. However, only the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that is currently recommended for this age group. (Norwegian Institute of Public Health) 

Poland declares a state of emergency on its border with Belarus amid an increase in illegal migration. The Polish Border Guard says that there were around 3,500 attempts to illegally cross the border in August, 2,500 of which were not successful. (Reuters) 

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announces that there is no “foreseeable recognition” of the Taliban government in Afghanistan although he asserts that the United Kingdom will nevertheless directly engage the group in necessary talks. (Al Jazeera) 

The End Friday 

The Taliban enters the Panjshir Valley and clashes with Panjshir resistance forces led by Ahmad Massoud. The Taliban reports gaining some territory as both sides claim heavy casualties. (Reuters) 

Indian authorities deploy security forces to clampdown on public movement and impose a near-total internet blackout in Kashmir Valley after the death of senior separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani. (France 24) 

At least 15 people are killed by flash flooding and tornadoes in New York and New Jersey as the remnants of Ida pass over the Northeastern United States. (BBC) 

 
A sharply split Supreme Court refuses to block Texas abortion law A sharply divided Supreme Court late Wednesday ruled 5-4 against blocking Texas’ new law banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The law, which took effect Wednesday, lets people file lawsuits against any clinic or doctor who provides abortions after six weeks, effectively banning 85 percent of abortions. The conservative majority said the challenge by abortion providers “raised serious questions regarding the constitutionality of the Texas law at issue,” but failed to justify blocking it. The court’s three liberal justices and Chief Justice John Roberts dissented. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the Texas law was a “flagrantly unconstitutional” attempt to “circumvent” the court’s precedents, which clearly establish the right to abortion up to fetal viability at 22 to 24 weeks. USA TODAY 

3 Colorado police officers, 2 paramedics indicted over Elijah McClain’s death Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser announced Wednesday that three suburban Denver police officers and two paramedics were indicted on manslaughter and other charges over the death of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man, after he was put into a chokehold and injected with a powerful sedative when he was stopped walking home from a convenience store in Aurora, Colorado, two years ago. Police body camera video showed McClain, described by family and friends as a kind, gentle introvert, pleading with officers not to hurt him, saying, “I’m just different.” Stories about the gentle nature of McClain, a massage therapist who volunteered to play violin to comfort cats at an animal shelter, spread quickly on social media, fueling outrage over the case and making it a focus of protests against racial injustice and police brutality. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

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California’s Caldor Fire pushes toward Nevada state line The fast-growing Caldor Fire, which has already forced thousands of people to evacuate the Lake Tahoe basin in California, pushed toward the Nevada state line on Wednesday. A red flag warning of potential fire danger remained in effect in the area. The National Weather Service said low humidity and wind gusts as strong as 45 miles per hour could produce new flames on Sierra ridge lines. The fire now covers about 320 square miles, and is only 20 percent contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Nevada authorities opened evacuation centers to accommodate the 22,000 South Lake Tahoe residents and others forced to flee their homes. USA TODAY 

Poll: Most vaccinated people want COVID-19 booster shot Most vaccinated Americans want to get a coronavirus booster shot when they become available, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday. The Biden administration hopes to launch a national campaign to make an additional dose available to eligible people starting Sept. 20, provided health regulators give their approval. Studies show protection against COVID-19 infections gradually wanes, but a booster shot after six to eight months can dramatically increase protection, although some scientists argue the need hasn’t been proven. The Reuters/Ipsos survey found that 76 percent of adults who have received at least one dose want to get a booster. Six percent didn’t want one, and 18 percent were undecided. The government has already started offering third shots to immunocompromised adults. REUTERS 

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma dissolved in settlement Purdue Pharma was dissolved Wednesday as part of a bankruptcy settlement requiring the company’s owners to hand over $4.6 billion as payback for the drug maker’s role in the opioid epidemic. The settlement, which still requires minor adjustments, included the controversial condition that it essentially absolves the owners — the Sackler family — and Purdue Pharma of further liability related to opioid addictions and deaths. The agreement will end thousands of lawsuits brought by state and local governments, tribes, hospitals, and individuals over the role of Purdue Pharma, maker of the highly addictive painkiller OxyContin, in a crisis that has resulted in the deaths of more than 500,000 people nationwide. Judge Robert Drain of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains, New York, called the result “bitter,” saying he had expected a higher settlement. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Air travel falls to lowest level since May The number of people passing through airport security has fallen to a four-month low as summer travel season ends and rising coronavirus cases reduce demand at airlines. The Transportation Security Administration screened just under 1.35 million people on Tuesday, falling to the lowest point since May 11. Business travel normally picks up after summer vacation season ends and schools reopen, but airline executives at Frontier, Southwest, American, and Spirit airlines last month warned that their revenue and profit could be weaker than previously forecast as rising coronavirus cases fueled by the highly contagious Delta variant resulted in weakening bookings. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leaders this week urged unvaccinated people not to travel over the coming Labor Day weekend. CNBC 

2 Trump Organization employees expected to testify to grand jury Two Trump Organization employees are set to testify before a grand jury this week in Manhattan prosecutors’ investigation into the business practices of former President Donald Trump’s company, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. One of the employees is Matthew Calamari Jr., corporate director of security and son of the Trump Organization’s chief operating officer. Calamari received an apartment from the company, and prosecutors are examining how he reported this on his taxes, the Journal reported. The other, Jeffrey McConney, is a senior financial executive who prepared Calamari Sr.’s personal tax returns. The Trump Organization and its chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, were charged with tax fraud in July for allegedly failing to report employee perks like apartments and private school tuition.THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Joe Rogan says he’s taking ivermectin for COVID-19 Joe Rogan, host of the nation’s most popular podcast, announced Wednesday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and was taking numerous treatments, including the human version of the horse dewormer ivermectin. The comedian, who has downplayed the importance of coronavirus vaccines on his Joe Rogan Experience podcast, said he returned home from the road Saturday and experienced a headache and fever. A test confirmed he had COVID. He said he “immediately threw the kitchen sink” at the virus, including taking ivermectin, which is used to kill parasites in animals and humans but unproven as a treatment for COVID-19. Poison control centers have reported a spike in calls about illnesses from ivermectin exposure after conservative media figures and some doctors pushed it as a COVID treatment despite FDA warnings.  THE WASHINGTON POST 

Wednesday, September 1st, 2021 

U.S. Department of State spokesperson Ned Price announces that 23,876 Afghan refugees have arrived in the United States. He also says that the efforts did not end on August 31 and that Americans who are still in Afghanistan will be provided with “tailored” evacuation plans. (CNBC) 

Taliban senior member Amir Khan Muttaqi says that the group has now surrounded the Panjshir Valley, the last stronghold of anti-Taliban resistance, and calls for the rebels to “put down their weapons” saying that the Taliban wants an Islamic Emirate for all Afghans and adding that there is “no need to fight”. The Panjshir resistance is led by self-proclaimed president Amrullah Saleh and Ahmad Massoud. (Reuters) 

The Taliban holds a military parade in the Afghanistan city of Kandahar showing equipment used by the U.S. military. A Black Hawk helicopter is also shown at the parade. (Business Insider) 

Seventy-three children are abducted by armed men at a rural secondary school in Zamfara State, Nigeria. The government of Zamfara State has closed all public schools in order to prevent similar attacks. (Reuters) 

India’s economy rebounded at a record rate of 20.1% in the three months from April to June even as the country was affected by a devastating second wave of COVID-19. (BBC) 

An oil spill that originated from Syria‘s largest refinery is growing and spreading across the Mediterranean Sea, and could reach the island of Cyprus by Wednesday. Syrian officials said last week that a tank filled with 15,000 tonnes of fuel had been leaking since August 23 at a thermal power plant in the Syrian coastal city of Baniyas. Satellite imagery analysis now indicates that the oil spill was larger than originally thought, covering around 800 square kilometers and is approximately 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the Cyprus coast. (9 News) 

Over 2.4 million children in Israel return to school on the start of the new academic year with mandatory masks and COVID-19 testing aimed at reducing an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the highly-vaccinated country primarily caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant. (Israel Today) (Al-Arabiya English) 

The head of Israel’s Biological Institute, Professor Shmuel Shapira, reveals that midway through vaccine development, its office was requested by the government of then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to suspend development of a locally developed vaccine. (Ynet News) 

Moderna, the Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, and Spanish drug maker Rovi issue a joint statement indicating that they have found particles of stainless steel in some vaccine vials, but that the particles did not pose any additional health risks. The companies also state that they are working with the Japanese government to recall three suspended batches of the vaccine. (Reuters) 

France begins to administer booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to people over the age of 65 and people with underlying health conditions, provided that they have received both doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago. People who received the single-dose Janssen vaccine can also receive a booster dose of either of the two other vaccines at least four weeks after they first received a vaccine. (Euronews) 

Italy expands the mandatory usage of “Green Pass” health certificates to some forms of public transport, including long-distance trains, domestic flights and ferries. The pass is now also mandatory for school and university staff, as well as university students. (The Local Italy) 

Spain reaches a target of fully vaccinating 70% of the population. (El País) 

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation announces a recommendation that 500,000 people with severe immunosuppression should receive a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. (The Daily Telegraph) 

Pope Francis defends the dialogue with China via the appointment of new Catholic bishops. Francis says that uneasy dialogue is better than no dialogue at all and compared the talks with China with those with Eastern European countries during the Cold War. The Vatican and China have had strained relations since the communist party took power in 1949. (Reuters) 

The U.S. Department of Justice secures its 50th guilty plea in its criminal investigation of the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol. (CNN) 

Protests occur in front of hospitals across Greece to oppose compulsory vaccination for healthcare workers which takes effect today and could result in the dismissal of up to 10,000 unvaccinated workers. (Daily Sabah) 

Romanian Prime Minister Florin Cîțu dismisses justice minister Stelian Ion. (Reuters) 

The End