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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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, Bloomberg, The Nation, The Dispatch, Insider, New York Post, Power Line, Breitbart, Forbes, Washington Free Beacon, Raw Story, The Mahablog, The Daily Caller and New York Times
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.
Discussion:
New York Times, HotAir, BBC, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, UnHerd, Reuters, Washington Post, CNN, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Politico, Washington Post, Portland Mercury, New York Post, National Review, Washington Monthly, The White House and Foreign Policy, more at Mediagazer »
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, New York Times, HotAir, The Daily Beast, Politico, Townhall and TheBlaze, 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
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
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 »
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, Washington Post and The Moderate Voice
Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
A primer on false narratives about Afghanistan — There are many alarmist headlines pronouncing with certitude what has occurred or will occur in Afghanistan. Many are premature — or alternatively, out of date. Others ignore information now available to us that debunks fanciful explanations …
Discussion:
NPR, New York Post and Wall Street Journal
Washington Post:
Taliban strikes conciliatory tone, consolidates power as de facto leader returns to country
New York Times:
The Taliban respond with force to an outpouring of public anger.
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Guardian and Al Jazeera
CNN:
Biden administration faces daunting odds of pulling off massive Afghanistan evacuation in 2 weeks
Discussion:
New York Post, Mediaite and Breitbart
Politico:
POLITICO Playbook: Biden's approval rating drops below 50
Discussion:
The Hill, Washington Post and American Greatness
Edmund DeMarche / Fox News:
No official US evacuation plan for Americans outside Kabul, report says
Discussion:
HotAir, RedState and Yahoo Lifestyle
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
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:
Intelligence Warned of Afghan Military Collapse, Despite Biden's Assurances
Discussion:
National Review, Daily Mail, New York Post, Politico, CNN, Breitbart, NBC News, HuffPost, HotAir, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, The Hill, Insider, The Daily Caller, Talking Points Memo and The Colorado Sun
Samuel Chamberlain / New York Post:
Trump calls Afghanistan collapse ‘most humiliating’ moment for US
Discussion:
HuffPost, Metro.co.uk, National Review, Insider and Sputnik News
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, Washington Post, KXII-TV, Houston Chronicle, Raw Story and NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
Office of the Texas Governor:
Office Of The Governor Statement Concerning Governor Abbott — Office of the Governor Communications Director Mark Miner today issued a statement after Governor Greg Abbott tested positive for COVID-19: — “Governor Greg Abbott today tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, HuffPost, Reuters, Bloomberg, The Wrap, HotAir, KXAN-TV, The Hill, Forbes, Vanity Fair, The Guardian, The Daily Caller, UPI, Breitbart, National Review, Insider, USA Today, TheBlaze, Common Dreams, NPR, Chad Prather for Texas, Washington Examiner, CNN, VICE and The Texas Tribune
Washington Post:
Alabama has ‘negative’ ICU beds free as U.S. hospitals struggle with surge of cases … PLEASE NOTE — The Washington Post is providing this important information about the coronavirus for free. For more free coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, sign up for our Coronavirus Updates newsletter where all stories are free to read.
Klark Byrd / Paris News:
Paris ISD to require masks as part of dress code
Discussion:
Insider, CBS Dallas / Fort Worth, Political Wire and Washington Post
Reuters:
U.S. reports more than 1,000 COVID deaths in single day
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Forbes, The Guardian, Balloon Juice, Washington Examiner and NBC News
Kelly Weill / The Daily Beast:
QAnon 'Queen's' Followers Are Sending Insane Anti-Vaxx Notes to Hospitals
Discussion:
Raw Story, Insider and The Guardian
al.com:
Alabama has net of only 2 ICU beds in state, hospital association says
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Hill and New York Times
Anita Sircar / Los Angeles Times:
Op-Ed: As a doctor in a COVID unit, I'm running out of compassion for the unvaccinated. Get the shot
Discussion:
NOQ Report
Edmund Lee / New York Times:
The owner of Politico is said to be seeking $1 billion in a deal with Axel Springer.
Discussion:
New York Post, Variety, The Wrap and Hollywood Reporter
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.
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
Ron Faucheux / Washington Examiner:
Are the wheels coming off the Biden administration? — When we look back at the first year of Joe Biden's presidency, will August of 2021 stand out as the time the wheels came off? — Despite the Senate passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, a substantial legislative accomplishment …
Discussion:
CNBC and Crooks and Liars
Rudy Takala / Mediaite:
Twitter Says Taliban Spokesman Will be Allowed to Remain if He Doesn't Get Too Violent — Twitter is refusing to join its peers in the social-media world in prohibiting the Taliban from using its platform. — Asked on Tuesday whether Twitter would join Facebook, TikTok and other tech companies …
Discussion:
New York Post, The Daily Caller, CNN, New York Post, Breitbart, Townhall, Page Array, The Wrap, Townhall and CNBC, more at Techmeme »
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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