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3:50 PM ET, August 16, 2021

memeorandum

 Top Items: 
Craig Whitlock / Washington Post:
Afghan security forces' wholesale collapse was years in the making  —  In the summer of 2011, Army Lt. Gen. William Caldwell IV made a round of public appearances to boast that he had finally solved a problem that had kept U.S. troops bogged down in Afghanistan for a decade.
RELATED:
Associated Press:
The latest on Afghanistan: Four Afghans dead after fall from US plane wheel well  —  Here's the latest on the rapidly unfolding events related to Afghanistan:  —  Report: Afghans who worked for US may temporarily go to bases in Wisconsin and Texas  —  The U.S. intends to evacuate tens …
Joseph Choi / The Hill:
US reaches deal with Taliban on evacuations: report  —  The U.S. has reached a deal with the Taliban to ensure that evacuations from Kabul's airport can take place without interference from the group, according to a report by The Associated Press.  —  The deal was reached in talks in Doha …
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
After Sunday It's Even More Clear Biden Was Right  —  Americans, or at least the commentating classes, are watching aghast as events unfold in Afghanistan.  Some are second-guessing the wisdom of withdrawal - after all, how hard is it to maintain a few thousand soldiers there permanently?
Chris Cillizza / CNN:
Joe Biden is facing a crisis of competence  —  (CNN)At the heart of Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign was a single word: competence.  —  After four years of Donald Trump's incompetence in, well, everything, the Biden argument was that the country badly needed a steady hand on the tiller …
ABC News:
Afghanistan updates: Chaos at Kabul airport, world responds  —  As people rush to leave, leaders contemplate recognizing the Taliban government.  —  United States troops have taken control of the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan as chaos continues after Afghanistan's president fled the country …
Anatol Lieven / Politico:
Why Afghan Forces So Quickly Laid Down Their Arms  —  In the winter of 1989, as a journalist for the Times of London, I accompanied a group of mujahedeen fighters in Afghanistan's Ghazni province.  At one point, a fortified military post became visible on the other side of a valley.
Preston Byrne:
Did America just lose Afghanistan because of WhatsApp?  —  In the middle of a conflict, good analysis is hard to come by.  Because adversaries do not telegraph their plans to one another, plans depend greatly on the fact patterns surrounding their execution, and no human mind can possibly observe …
Wall Street Journal:
Three Killed in Kabul Airport as Afghans Scramble to Escape Taliban  —  Mass evacuations follow the insurgents' capture of Kabul after a rapid sweep of the country  —  At least three people were killed by gunfire Monday morning in chaotic scenes at the passenger terminal of Kabul's international airport …
James Gordon Meek / ABC News:
Afghanistan's collapse: Did US intelligence get it wrong?  —  American intelligence sources say they correctly predicted the fall of Kabul.  —  As panicked Afghans watched Taliban fighters roll into the capital city of Kabul Sunday, sealing the collapse of the U.S.-backed government there …
Wesley Morgan / Washington Post:
He spent his adult life helping U.S. soldiers. Now, he's desperately fleeing Afghanistan.
Discussion: Associated Press
Daniel Silverberg / The Atlantic:
Biden Was Right  —  The president made a difficult but necessary choice.
Wall Street Journal:
‘Saigon on Steroids’: The Desperate Rush to Flee Afghanistan
Kurt Schlichter / Townhall:
Our Military Is A Woke Joke
Daria Litvinova / Associated Press:
Uzbekistan says it downed Afghan military plane crossing in
Discussion: Breitbart
Gerald F. Seib / Wall Street Journal:
America's Failures in Afghanistan Were Bipartisan and Long-Running
Discussion: Twin Cities
David E. Sanger / New York Times:
For Biden, Images of Defeat He Wanted to Avoid
Olivier Knox / Washington Post:
The Daily 202: Kamala Harris heads to Singapore and Vietnam in second trip as vice president
Martin Amin Rahmani / The Bulwark:
We Didn't Think Our American Friends Would Leave Us in the Dead of Night
Associated Press:
Detainee says China has secret jail in Dubai, holds Uyghurs  —  A young Chinese woman says she was held for eight days at a Chinese-run secret detention facility in Dubai along with at least two Uyghurs, in what may be the first evidence that China is operating a so-called “black site” beyond its borders.
Discussion: The Daily Caller and HotAir
CNN:
Exclusive: Title, cover and details of new Trump book from Bob Woodward and Robert Costa revealed  —  (CNN)First it was “Fear,” then it was “Rage,” now it is “Peril.”  That is the title of the highly-anticipated third book about President Trump from legendary journalist Bob Woodward …
Discussion: The Guardian
Axios:
Scoop: Investigation finds fired Tennessee vaccine official mailed dog muzzle to self  —  A Tennessee investigation found evidence that the state's fired vaccine chief, Michelle Fiscus, purchased a dog muzzle that she previously claimed someone had mailed in an attempt to intimidate her.
Meridith McGraw / Politico:
The GOP waves white flag in the same-sex marriage wars  —  To mark the beginning of Pride Month this year, Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel did what party leaders do on these types of occasions: She sent out a tweet.  —  “Happy #PrideMonth!” she wrote, " …
Jewish Journal:
A New Israel-Hating Curriculum is Coming to California School Districts … If you've been following the Ethnic Studies controversy in California over the past few years and came away thinking the Jewish community was left relatively unscathed, think again.  —  The Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum …
John Nichols / The Nation:
Ron Johnson Does the Bidding of the Ultra-Rich  —  A new study reveals that Johnson's “principled” stand for tax reform may enrich two of his campaign donors by half a billion dollars.  —  Ron Johnson's public image is that of a delusional conspiracy theorist who struggles to pull together coherent sentences.
 
 
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 More Items: 
The Hill:
Our economy is on the road to recovery, and workers are in the driver's seat
Jo Yurcaba / NBC News:
Meet Tori Cooper, the 1st Black trans woman on the presidential HIV council
Discussion: The Root
Lindsay Kornick / Fox News:
Mark Levin: We were freer before the American Revolution than we are today
Discussion: Crooks and Liars
globaltimes.cn:
Afghan abandonment a lesson for Taiwan's DPP: Global Times editorial
Discussion: HotAir and Fox News
Bernie Becker / Politico:
The low-hanging fruit  —  Presented by the National Association of Manufacturers
Adam Shaw / Fox News:
Arizona AG calls on Biden to replace Mayorkas as GOP pressure over border numbers grows
Discussion: National Review
 Earlier Items: 
Donald J. Trump:
Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America
Discussion: The Daily Caller
Eliot A. Cohen / The Atlantic:
A Moment for Soul-Searching  —  My Afghanistan war lasted almost exactly two years …
Wall Street Journal:
Bitcoin Fans Are Suddenly a Political Force
Dave Orrick / Twin Cities:
Ugly drama inside MN GOP threatens chairwoman's job
Discussion: Fox News and Law & Crime
Alex Seitz-Wald / NBC News:
Early indicators suggest Democrats' House majority is in jeopardy
Discussion: Salon, Fox News and New Republic
Juan Williams / The Hill:
Trump's coup attempt should bar him from 2024 race
United States Department of State:
Joint Statement on Afghanistan
 

 
From Techmeme:

Ina Fried / Axios:
OpenAI raised $6.6B led by Thrive Capital, the largest VC deal of all time, valuing it at $157B, with participation from Microsoft, Nvidia, SoftBank, and others

Daniel Thomas / Financial Times:
Amazon plans to increase the number of ads on Prime Video in 2025 after not seeing a sharp drop in subscribers since adding advertisements in January 2024

Abner Li / 9to5Google:
Google updates Gmail for Android and iOS with new summary cards that are more glanceable and actionable and a new “Happening soon” section above the inbox

 
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