Top Items:
New York Times:
Intelligence Warned of Afghan Military Collapse, Despite Biden's Assurances — Even as the president was telling the public that Kabul was unlikely to fall, intelligence assessments painted a grimmer picture. — WASHINGTON — Classified assessments by American spy agencies over the summer painted …
Discussion:
HotAir, New York Post, Crooks and Liars, National Review, The Colorado Sun, NaturalNews.com and Bipartisan Report
RELATED:
Paul Farhi / Washington Post:
The Washington Post evacuates Afghan employees and family members from Taliban-held Kabul — A group of Washington Post employees, including Afghan journalists and their families, safely departed Kabul on Tuesday, ending some anxious hours in the wake of the Taliban's swift takeover of Afghanistan.
Discussion:
Poynter and Committee to Protect …, more at Mediagazer »
Associated Press:
Taliban vow to honor women's rights but within Islamic law — KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A Taliban spokesman promised Tuesday that the insurgents who overran Afghanistan in recent days would respect women's rights and would not exact revenge, seeking to calm a wary population and skeptical world powers.
Discussion:
Raw Story, The National Interest, Associated Press, Snopes.com, Daily Kos, The Daily Caller, Insider, Political Wire, Fox News, RedState and TFIPOST, more at Mediagazer »
CNN:
The Taliban knocked on her door 3 times. The fourth time, they killed her — (CNN)Najia was at home with her three young sons and daughter in a small village in northern Afghanistan when Taliban fighters knocked on their door. — Najia's daughter Manizha, 25, knew they were coming …
Jeff Stein / Washington Post:
Biden administration freezes billions of dollars in Afghan reserves, depriving Taliban of cash — The move comes as the White House has scrambled to redraw its Afghanistan policies — The Biden administration on Sunday froze Afghan government reserves held in U.S. bank accounts …
Discussion:
National Review
Associated Press:
Taliban announce ‘amnesty,’ urge women to join government — KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban declared an “amnesty” across Afghanistan and urged women to join their government Tuesday, seeking to convince a wary population that they have changed a day after deadly chaos gripped …
Condoleezza Rice / Washington Post:
The Afghan people didn't choose the Taliban. They fought and died alongside us. — Condoleezza Rice was secretary of state from 2005 to 2009 and national security adviser from 2001 to 2005. She is director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. — It didn't have to happen this way.
Washington Post:
72 hours at Camp David: Inside Biden's lagging response to the fall of Afghanistan — Marine One lifted off Friday at 1:36 p.m. for Camp David bearing a leader headed on a long-planned August vacation: President Biden, clad in a black baseball cap and a light-blue short-sleeved shirt …
Discussion:
Insider, Washington Examiner, ABC News, Politico, Breitbart, The Western Journal, Twitchy, CNN, Vox, RedState, Newsweek and spectatorworld.com
Hans Nichols / Axios:
Biden officials: Trump left bare cupboard on Afghanistan — Senior national security officials presiding over a historic foreign policy collapse are privately expressing deep frustrations about the thin Afghanistan withdrawal plans left behind by Donald Trump.
CNN:
Biden administration embroiled in internal blame-shifting amid Afghanistan chaos
Biden administration embroiled in internal blame-shifting amid Afghanistan chaos
Discussion:
Digby's Hullabaloo, Breitbart, HotAir, TheBlaze, Ace of Spades HQ, The Drive, The Western Journal, Washington Examiner and Twitchy
Politico:
Pelosi loses patience with centrists on infrastructure deal
Pelosi loses patience with centrists on infrastructure deal
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Washington Examiner, The Hill, Talking Points Memo, Washington Free Beacon, Breitbart, NRCC, Daily Kos, Fox News, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Democrats, Raw Story, Crooks and Liars and NBC News
Allahpundit / HotAir:
Joementum: Two new polls show support for Afghanistan withdrawal nosediving
Joementum: Two new polls show support for Afghanistan withdrawal nosediving
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon, Politico, Insider, Commentary Magazine, BizPac Review and The Western Journal
The White House:
Remarks by President Biden on Afghanistan
Remarks by President Biden on Afghanistan
Discussion:
HotAir, Washington Examiner, Associated Press, Fox News, Bloomberg, Just Security, IJR, NPR, RedState, The Hill, Insider, New York Times, Talking Points Memo, Politico, National Review, PolitiFact, The Bulwark, The Western Journal, The Daily Caller, Breitbart, Washington Times, Jerusalem Post, Bush Center, The Guardian, The Intercept, Reuters, The Hill, All Arab News, Religion News Service, Atlantic Council, Washington Post, Washington Post, Power Line, Washington Examiner, The Daily Beast, Washington Post, Front Page Magazine, The Hill, Townhall, emptywheel, The Bulwark, Japan Times, spectatorworld.com, Newsweek, Washington Post, The Week, New York Times, Informed Comment, Washington Examiner, Politico, The Boston Globe, Washington Post, Deseret News, Washingtonian, The Daily Beast, Associated Press, Forbes, Dana Loesch's Chapter …, The New York Times Company, USA Today, Defense One, Washington Post and Politico
Ed Morrissey / HotAir:
Pentagon: We may have 10,000 Americans stuck in Kabul
Pentagon: We may have 10,000 Americans stuck in Kabul
Discussion:
Fox News, Washington Post, National Review, Politico, Breitbart, The Western Journal, Forbes, The Hill and The Drive
Dan Bilefsky / New York Times:
A Taliban official's TV interview with a female presenter is part of a broader campaign.
A Taliban official's TV interview with a female presenter is part of a broader campaign.
Discussion:
Insider, Talking Points Memo and euronews
Katie Shepherd / Washington Post:
As Afghans scramble to escape the Taliban, Fox News hosts lean into anti-refugee rhetoric
As Afghans scramble to escape the Taliban, Fox News hosts lean into anti-refugee rhetoric
Discussion:
New York Magazine, The Daily Beast, HuffPost and Politico
Luis Martinez / ABC News:
Human remains found in wheel well of C-17 military plane that departed from Kabul
Human remains found in wheel well of C-17 military plane that departed from Kabul
Discussion:
Politico, USA Today, Metro.co.uk, The Daily Caller and HotAir
Greg Bluestein / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Georgia gov open to accepting Afghanistan refugees after Taliban takeover
Georgia gov open to accepting Afghanistan refugees after Taliban takeover
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, Page Array and Boston Herald
Kevin Breuninger / CNBC:
Taliban pledged safe passage of civilians to Kabul airport, White House says
Taliban pledged safe passage of civilians to Kabul airport, White House says
Discussion:
Fox News, The Hill, Financial Times and Political Wire
Erin Doherty / Axios:
Taliban accumulate massive amounts of U.S.-supplied firepower
Taliban accumulate massive amounts of U.S.-supplied firepower
Discussion:
Insider, National File and BizPac Review
Wall Street Journal:
Taliban Consolidate Control in Afghanistan's Capital, Thousands Remain Stranded
Taliban Consolidate Control in Afghanistan's Capital, Thousands Remain Stranded
Discussion:
Defense One, HotAir, National Review, Washington Post, TheBlaze, The National Interest, New York Post, HuffPost, New York Times, The Daily Caller and Human Events
Jonathan Allen / NBC News:
Even Biden allies question execution of Afghanistan withdrawal
Even Biden allies question execution of Afghanistan withdrawal
Discussion:
HotAir, Washington Examiner, The Daily Beast, Reuters, Breitbart, Fox News, City Journal, The Hayride, The Federalist, The Daily Caller, Trending Politics, The American Spectator, CNN and IJR
Wall Street Journal:
Biden to Afghanistan: Drop Dead
Biden to Afghanistan: Drop Dead
Discussion:
HotAir, Washington Examiner, Associated Press, American Greatness, National Review, New York Times, RedState, Tangle, ABC News and Washington Post
Nick Niedzwiadek / Politico:
Taliban steps forward after overtaking Afghanistan
Taliban steps forward after overtaking Afghanistan
Discussion:
Insider, Politico, USA Today, Associated Press and RedState
Harper's:
Bad News — In the beginning, there were ABC, NBC, and CBS, and they were good. Midcentury American man could come home after eight hours of work and turn on his television and know where he stood in relation to his wife, and his children, and his neighbors, and his town, and his country, and his world.
Discussion:
Kevin Drum, more at Mediagazer »
Ryan J. Reilly / HuffPost:
Instagram Posts Seal Fate Of Trump-Loving Bodybuilder Who Dragged Capitol Cop — The FBI has arrested Logan Barnhart, whom online sleuths dubbed “CatSweat,” with the help of the Sedition Hunters community. — When former President Donald Trump sent a tweet early this year promoting Jan. 6 as a …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, CNN, HuffPost UK, Bipartisan Report and Raw Story
Sharon LaFraniere / New York Times:
U.S. to Advise Boosters for Most Americans 8 Months After Vaccination — Nursing home residents and health care workers will most likely be the first to get booster shots, as soon as September, followed by other older people who were vaccinated last winter.
Discussion:
Gizmodo, CNBC, TheBlaze, Forbes, Vanity Fair, Denver Post, NBC Chicago, The Root, HotAir, FiercePharma, Digby's Hullabaloo, Human Events, Daily Kos, UPI, Insider, Breitbart, The Daily Caller, Townhall, Raw Story, Wall Street Journal, Balloon Juice, Washington Post, New York Post, Mediaite, Politico, Wall Street Journal, CNN, The Colorado Sun, FOX 5 San Diego, The Gateway Pundit, NBC 6 South Florida, NPR and National Review
Joshua Zeitz / Politico:
Joe Biden's Kabul Is Not Gerald Ford's Saigon — Over the past week, as Taliban fighters shattered the brittle façade of Afghanistan's armed forces, many commentators noted the unnerving similarity to 1975, when television viewers shuddered at images of frantic embassy personnel …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, National Review, spectatorworld.com and Fox News
RELATED:
Molly Beck / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Sen. Andre Jacque of De Pere hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19 — MADISON - One of the Legislature's most active lawmakers who has opposed mask and vaccine mandates has received hospital care after testing positive for COVID-19. — Sen. Andre Jacque, a Republican from De Pere …
Discussion:
Twin Cities and Raw Story
Jim Langevin / Foreign Policy:
I'm a Democrat Who Opposed the Withdrawal. This Catastrophe Is Why. — At minimum, Biden owed our allies in Afghanistan a plan. — During a hearing of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee about Afghanistan in May, I asked a senior Defense Department official if the U.S. military …
Discussion:
Politico, The Hill, National Review and Raw Story
Tim Kelly / Reuters:
As Taliban takes over, some swap iconic AK-47s for made-in-America rifles — The Russian Kalashnikov AK-47 and its derivatives have long been the assault rifle of choice for militant groups because of their rugged design, but some Taliban fighters are trading them in for captured U.S. guns as Afghanistan's government collapses.
Abdullah Shihipar / Slate:
You Should Start Telling Your Unvaccinated Relatives They're Not Welcome at Thanksgiving — It's a tough conversation to have with relatives. Have it early. — As summer comes to an end and fall approaches, employers—including the federal government and some school districts and airlines …
Amara Omeokwe / Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Retail Sales Fell 1.1% in July as Spending Fell Across Categories — Sales are well above pre-pandemic levels, but spending on goods retreated over the month — Spending at U.S. retailers fell sharply in July, amid cooling purchases of goods and signs of some pullback in consumer demand …
Discussion:
Kevin Drum
Jamie Killin / Insider:
I'm a landlord with 24 properties. We're suffering during Biden's eviction ban, too, and no one is helping. — The Biden administration's eviction moratorium, which covers most US counties, lasts until Oct. 3. — Landlords like Julio Gonzalez, who owns 24 East Coast properties, are struggling to navigate costs.
Wall Street Journal:
As Delta Surges, Covid-19 Breakthrough Cases Remain Uncommon — WSJ analysis finds higher risk of infection from strain, but research shows that vaccines still protect against most serious illness — The Delta variant of the Covid-19 virus appears to be breaking through the protection vaccines provide …
Discussion:
National Review, Politico and Political Wire
New York Times:
American Hospitals Buckle Under Delta, With I.C.U.s Filling Up — The summer surge in coronavirus cases in the United States, led by the domination of the more contagious Delta variant, is well into its second month, and the number of those hospitalized with Covid-19 has reached heights last seen during the overwhelming winter wave.
Discussion:
The Atlantic
NBC4 Washington:
DC Tunnel History Site Flagged Suspicious Activity Before Capitol Insurrection — Web traffic to WashingtonTunnels.com was so unusually high starting on Jan. 1 that the site's operator notified the FBI — The founder and administrator of an obscure website about underground infrastructure in Washington …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Steve Benen / MSNBC:
Another GOP voter caught casting a ballot for a dead relative … In the wake of Donald Trump's defeat last fall, Republicans launched a desperate search for illegally cast ballots to help justify the GOP's conspiracy theories. But as regular readers know, despite all the hysterical rhetoric …
Discussion:
Raw Story
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
The House Suicide Squad's Nonsensical Reason to Kill Biden's Agenda Gottheimer claims the bridges can't wait a few weeks. — Nine House Democrats are refusing to support the budget plan containing Joe Biden's signature domestic agenda. The leader of the renegade caucus …
Discussion:
Politico and The Mahablog
Jeffrey Toobin / CNN:
Attorney General Merrick Garland, don't prosecute Donald Trump — Editor's Note: Jeffrey Toobin is chief legal analyst for CNN and the author of “The Nine” and “The Oath.” The opinions expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion at CNN. — CNN —