Top Items:
Mike Pence / Wall Street Journal:
Biden Broke Our Deal With the Taliban — It's a foreign-policy humiliation unlike anything our country has endured since the Iran hostage crisis. — 'The likelihood there's going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country [of Afghanistan] is highly unlikely," …
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Reuters:
Biden's vow to airlift Afghan allies meets ticking clock, risky rescue — President Joe Biden's pledge to evacuate thousands more at-risk Afghans who worked for the U.S. government will run into the cold reality of a fast-closing window of time, insecurity all over Afghanistan and major logistical hurdles.
Chris Kahn / Reuters:
Biden approval drops to lowest of 7-month presidency after Taliban takeover — President Joe Biden's approval rating dropped by 7 percentage points and hit its lowest level so far as the U.S.-backed Afghan government collapsed over the weekend in an upheaval that sent thousands of civilians …
Discussion:
HotAir, Washington Post, Reason, The Nation, Bloomberg, The Dispatch, Insider, New York Post, Power Line, Breitbart, Forbes, Washington Free Beacon, The Mahablog, New York Times, Politico and National Review
David Rohde / New Yorker:
Trying—and Failing—to Save the Family of the Afghan Who Saved Me — Twelve years ago, Tahir Luddin helped us both escape after we were kidnapped by the Taliban. Now I am struggling to get his family out of Kabul. — In the middle of March, I texted my friend Tahir Luddin …
Discussion:
The Dispatch, New York Post, National Review, HotAir, The Daily Beast, Townhall, TheBlaze and New York Times, more at Mediagazer »
Ed Morrissey / HotAir:
Senate Dem: We're gonna get to the bottom of this disgrace in Afghanistan; UPDATE: Pelosi too? — Joe Biden's speech on Monday clearly didn't solve any of his problems — not in Kabul and not in Washington DC. Unmoved by Biden's finger-pointing, even his own party's leadership wants …
Discussion:
The Hill, The Carpentariat and Townhall
Quin Hillyer / Washington Examiner:
After epochal disaster in Afghanistan, Biden should step down — President Joe Biden should resign in disgrace. — Seriously. As I have argued for decades , it is long past time for American politicians to adopt the Asian cultural model of resignations, as a matter of honor, for gross failures or derelictions.
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Stream, Foreign Affairs and Louder With Crowder
The Intercept:
The Taliban Have Seized U.S. Military Biometrics Devices … The Taliban have seized U.S. military biometrics devices that could aid in the identification of Afghans who assisted coalition forces, current and former military officials have told The Intercept.
Discussion:
Task & Purpose, Washington Post, The Drive, Raw Story, Opinion Today and New York Times, more at Techmeme »
Yaroslav Trofimov / Wall Street Journal:
Taliban Block Routes to Kabul Airport, Hampering Evacuations From Afghanistan — Residents in eastern city of Jalalabad stage first protest against Taliban rule — Afghans and Westerners stranded in Kabul after Sunday's Taliban takeover started trickling into the city's U.S.-controlled airport …
Discussion:
HotAir, Anadolu Ajansı … and Townhall
Jerry Dunleavy / Washington Examiner:
From prison to power: Taliban leaders go from jail, to negotiating table, to Kabul — Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund returned to Afghanistan after nearly two decades on Tuesday, a reversal of fortune that saw him go from Taliban co-founder to prisoner in Pakistan to negotiator in Qatar to a now-central figure in Kabul.
Discussion:
Vox, The Moderate Voice and Washington Post
Washington Post:
Taliban strikes conciliatory tone, consolidates power as de facto leader returns to country … At a wide-ranging news conference in Kabul on Tuesday, Taliban leaders in Afghanistan offered conciliatory messages, met with skepticism by experts, promising not to discriminate against women …
Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
A primer on false narratives about Afghanistan
Discussion:
NPR, New York Post and Wall Street Journal
New York Times:
The Taliban respond with force to an outpouring of public anger.
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Guardian and Al Jazeera
Jon Sopel / BBC:
Three ways this Afghanistan crisis really hurts Biden
Discussion:
RedState, National Review, The Boston Globe, NBC News, Washington Post, Crooks and Liars and NPR
Politico:
POLITICO Playbook: Biden's approval rating drops below 50
Discussion:
The Hill and American Greatness
CNN:
Biden administration faces daunting odds of pulling off massive Afghanistan evacuation in 2 weeks
Discussion:
New York Post, Mediaite and Breitbart
Edmund DeMarche / Fox News:
No official US evacuation plan for Americans outside Kabul, report says
Discussion:
HotAir, RedState and Yahoo Lifestyle
New York Times:
Afghanistan Live Updates: Taliban Meet Public Protest With Violence
Discussion:
Nikkei Asia, HotAir, UPI, Just Security, BizPac Review, Financial Times, The Gateway Pundit, Al Jazeera and Mediaite, more at Techmeme »
Haley Strack / The Federalist:
Obama Freed The Taliban Leader Who Engineered Kabul Takeover
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon, Summit News, Hindustan Times, Washington Examiner, The Gateway Pundit, Fox News and New York Post
New York Times:
Body Parts Found in Landing Gear of Flight From Kabul, Officials Say
Discussion:
Washington Post, Israpundit, CNN, The US Sun, Common Dreams and Washington Examiner
Samuel Chamberlain / New York Post:
Trump calls Afghanistan collapse ‘most humiliating’ moment for US
Discussion:
HuffPost, Metro.co.uk, National Review and Sputnik News
Shelly Kittleson / Politico:
In the Taliban's Birthplace, White Flags, Jailbreaks and Fears of Revenge
Discussion:
National File
New York Times:
Intelligence Warned of Afghan Military Collapse, Despite Biden's Assurances
Discussion:
Daily Mail, New York Post, Breitbart, Politico, CNN, NBC News, HuffPost, HotAir, Washington Post, The Hill, Insider, The Daily Caller, Talking Points Memo, National Review, The Colorado Sun and Wall Street Journal
Jeffrey Morris / Covid Data Science:
Israeli data: How can efficacy vs. severe disease be strong when 60% of hospitalized are vaccinated? — A surge involving the rapidly-transmitting Delta variant in heavily vaccinated countries has led to much hand-wringing that the vaccines are not effective against Delta, or vaccine efficacy wanes after 4-6 months.
Discussion:
Calculated Risk
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Phil Helsel / NBC News:
Texas school district makes masks part of dress code to get around Gov. Abbott's order … A small Texas school district has made facial coverings part of its dress code, in a bid to get around Gov. Greg Abbott's executive order banning mask mandates. — The board of the Paris Independent …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Insider, KXII-TV, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story and NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
Reuters:
U.S. reports more than 1,000 COVID deaths in single day — The United States reported more than 1,000 COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday, equating to around 42 fatalities an hour, according to a Reuters tally, as the Delta variant continues to ravage parts of the country with low vaccination rates.
Discussion:
Bloomberg, POLITICUSUSA, Houston Chronicle, Forbes, The Guardian and Balloon Juice
al.com:
Alabama has net of only 2 ICU beds in state, hospital association says — As Alabama faces a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations due to a low vaccination rate and the more contagious delta variant of the coronavirus, the state has a net of only two ICU beds, the Alabama Hospital Association said Monday.
Discussion:
WSFA-TV, The Hill, Washington Post, Mediaite and The Guardian
CNN:
Arizona governor to exclude school districts with mask mandates from new education grants
Discussion:
The Hill, Fox News, Washington Examiner, Office of the Arizona Governor, Arizona Republic, Reason, POLITICUSUSA and Associated Press
Klark Byrd / Paris News:
Paris ISD to require masks as part of dress code
Discussion:
CBS Dallas / Fort Worth, Washington Post, Washington Examiner and Political Wire
Kelly Weill / The Daily Beast:
QAnon 'Queen's' Followers Are Sending Insane Anti-Vaxx Notes to Hospitals
Patrick Svitek / The Texas Tribune:
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tests positive for COVID-19
Discussion:
Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, HuffPost, The Texas Tribune, CNN, Slate, New York Times, KXAN-TV, HuffPost, Bloomberg, CBS News, Reuters, Chad Prather for Texas, CNN, The Guardian, Vanity Fair, Forbes, National Review, The Wrap, NPR, Insider, VICE, USA Today, UPI, Breitbart, Common Dreams, HotAir, TheBlaze, The Daily Caller, The Hill, Sputnik News, Crooks and Liars, Patterico's Pontifications, RedState, Louder With Crowder, TMZ.com, KTLA, Twin Cities, Denver Post, CBS Dallas / Fort Worth, Off the Kuff, Political Wire and KVEO-TV
Paul Blest / VICE:
How to Actually Get a Trump Voter Vaccinated
Discussion:
Raw Story and Washington Post
New York Times:
The School Culture Wars: ‘You Have Brought Division to Us’ — From mask mandates to critical race theory and gender identity, educators are besieged. “You are just trying to keep everything from collapsing,” one official said. — July and August are supposed to be the quietest months of the school year.
Wall Street Journal:
BuzzFeed Clashed With NBCUniversal as It Pursued SPAC Deal — Chief Executive Jonah Peretti of BuzzFeed signed off on terms that could put more pressure on the company if its shares don't rise. He is confident investors will be pleased with the results. — As BuzzFeed Inc. was exploring plans …
Steve Israel / The Hill:
Do not underestimate Kathy Hochul — As summer winds down, the most frequently asked questions in New York are: — A) What happened to the Mets? — B) Mask or no mask? — The first three engender hot debate. The fourth requires an understanding of New York politics to answer.
HuffPost:
The Behind-The-Scenes Campaign For The Next Social Security Commissioner — Former Rep. Donna Shalala, a White House aide and a Social Security expert are all up for the job. — An aide to President Joe Biden on labor issues is among the top contenders to lead the Social Security Administration …
Steven Allen Adams / Martinsburg Journa:
Progressive group launches ReplaceJoeManchin.com — CHARLESTON — Whether U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin decides to run for a third six-year term in 2024 or retires sometime in the near future, a group of progressive activists are creating a framework in the hopes of replacing Manchin down the road.
Discussion:
The Nation
Brendan Farrington / Associated Press:
DeSantis top donor invests in COVID drug governor promotes — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — who has been criticized for opposing mask mandates and vaccine passports — is now touting a COVID-19 antibody treatment in which a top donor's company has invested millions of dollars.
Discussion:
RedState, Raw Story, Twitchy and Hackwhackers
Jesús A. Rodríguez / Politico:
What Kamala Harris' Law School Years Reveal About Her Politics — The signs in downtown San Francisco that day, outside of the University of California Hastings College of the Law, might as well have been plucked from today's racial justice protests. “Rise Above Racism,” “Should This Still Be Happening? …
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