Top Items:
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 Many are premature — or alternatively, out of date.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:
HotAir, Wall Street Journal, The Hill, The Liberal Patriot, NBC News, Balloon Juice, Townhall, The Bulwark, New York Post and Twitchy
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New York Times:
The Taliban respond with force to an outpouring of public anger. — Even as the Taliban took their first steps to create a functioning government, they faced the first street protests on Wednesday against their takeover of Afghanistan, with demonstrations in at least two cities.
Ahmad Massoud / Washington Post:
The mujahideen resistance to the Taliban begins now. But we need help. — Ahmad Massoud is the leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan. — In 1998, when I was 9 years old, my father, the mujahideen commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, gathered his soldiers in a cave in the Panjshir Valley of northern Afghanistan.
Discussion:
France 24, The Daily Caller and The Drive
NBC News:
Images of bloodied Afghans contradict Taliban's claims of moderation — PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Images of the Taliban cracking down on a protest and bloodied women and children beaten by fighters are contradicting the more moderate image the militant group has been trying to project as it tries to consolidate power in Afghanistan.
Discussion:
Al Arabiya, HotAir, Breitbart, Reuters, New York Post, The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, CNBC, Vanity Fair, Townhall, Louder With Crowder and Twitchy
Jazz Shaw / HotAir:
Kinder, gentler Taliban murder woman in the streets for not wearing a burqa — I'm not sure, but it sounds as if not all of the Taliban militants received their copy of the strongly worded letter from the United Nations. The New York Post is reporting today that a woman in Takhar province …
Discussion:
RedState, New York Post, Washington Examiner and Power Line
Graeme Wood / The Atlantic:
This Is Not the Taliban 2.0 — When the Taliban first sacked Kabul 25 years ago …
This Is Not the Taliban 2.0 — When the Taliban first sacked Kabul 25 years ago …
Discussion:
CNN and Washington Examiner
Douglas London / Just Security:
CIA's Former Counterterrorism Chief for the Region: Afghanistan, Not An Intelligence Failure — Something Much Worse — While it's certainly convenient to depict the shock and miscalculation U.S. officials claim over Afghanistan's tragic, rapid fall to the Taliban as an intelligence failure, the reality is far worse.
Discussion:
The Independent, Reason, Washington Post, TMZ.com, New York Post, HuffPost UK, Trending Politics and The Gateway Pundit
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Tom Rogan / Washington Examiner:
US allies deeply concerned by Biden's detachment — America's closest allies are deeply concerned by what they regard as calamitous recent leadership from President Joe Biden. — The president's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan sits center stage here, but it is seen by allies …
Discussion:
Fox News
Timothy Noah / Washington Monthly:
Nobody Cares Who Lost Afghanistan
Nobody Cares Who Lost Afghanistan
Discussion:
The Daily Signal, Melanie Phillips and Reason
Ed Morrissey / HotAir:
Knives out: CIA sources tell NBC they warned Biden of fast collapse
Knives out: CIA sources tell NBC they warned Biden of fast collapse
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Fox News, National Review, RedState and Breitbart
Tara Copp / Defense One:
2,000 Evacuated from Kabul in a 24-Hour Span, Pentagon Says
2,000 Evacuated from Kabul in a 24-Hour Span, Pentagon Says
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon, Denver Post and Forbes
Quin Hillyer / Washington Examiner:
After epochal disaster in Afghanistan, Biden should step down
After epochal disaster in Afghanistan, Biden should step down
Discussion:
National Review, Washington Post, Forbes, Townhall, City Journal, IJR, Sacramento Bee, Bipartisan Report, Jacobin, Ground News and Crooks and Liars
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:
The Texas Tribune, Slate, Calculated Risk, CNN, Bloomberg, KXAN-TV, HuffPost and Bloomberg
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Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
Trump promoted vaccines on Fox. Then the host goaded him into bashing boosters. — Wednesday was a big day in the fight against the coronavirus. It's the day the U.S. government launched its campaign to get Americans to take booster shots for the vaccines, amid the increasingly challenging situation brought on by the delta variant.
Discussion:
Insider
Phil Helsel / NBC News:
Texas school district makes masks part of dress code to get around Gov. Abbott's order
Texas school district makes masks part of dress code to get around Gov. Abbott's order
Apoorva Mandavilli / New York Times:
Vaccines' protection against virus infection is waning, C.D.C. studies suggest. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released three studies on Wednesday that federal officials said provided evidence that booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna coronavirus vaccines …
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HHS News releases:
Joint Statement from HHS Public Health and Medical Experts on COVID-19 Booster Shots — Today, public health and medical experts from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the following statement on the Administration's plan for COVID-19 booster shots for the American people.
Discussion:
Vanity Fair, Times of San Diego, Gizmodo, New York Post, Forbes, Florida Politics, Bloomberg, NPR, Wall Street Journal, Politico and The Atlantic
U.S. Embassy / U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan:
Security Alert: U.S. Embassy Kabul (August 18, 2021) — U.S. government-provided flights are departing. U.S. citizens, LPRs, and their spouses and unmarried children (under age 21) should consider travelling to Hamid Karzai International Airport. You should plan to enter the airport at Camp Sullivan.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, CNBC, Forbes, New York Post and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
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Allahpundit / HotAir:
Fiasco: Embassy tells Americans in Afghanistan to “consider” heading to the airport — with no guarantees of safety
Fiasco: Embassy tells Americans in Afghanistan to “consider” heading to the airport — with no guarantees of safety
Discussion:
ABC News, National Review, RedState and Trending Politics
Yaroslav Trofimov / Wall Street Journal:
Taliban Block Routes to Kabul Airport, Hampering Evacuations From Afghanistan
Taliban Block Routes to Kabul Airport, Hampering Evacuations From Afghanistan
Discussion:
HotAir, Washington Post, National Review, Breitbart, Anadolu Ajansı …, Human Events, U.S. Central Command and Townhall
Jeremy Diamond / CNN:
Biden to require nursing homes get staff vaccinated or lose federal funds — Surgeon general on Covid-19 boosters: The time is now — (CNN)The Biden administration will direct all nursing homes to require their staff be vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to continue receiving Medicare …
Discussion:
Forbes, Politico, USA Today, The Intellectualist and Just The News
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Zeke Miller / Associated Press:
AP Source: Biden to require vaccines for nursing home staff
AP Source: Biden to require vaccines for nursing home staff
Discussion:
CBS News, Washington Examiner, Wall Street Journal, Breitbart, POLITICUSUSA and Fox21Online
- Raheem J. Kassam / The National Pulse:
EXC: Joe Biden's State Dept Halted A Trump-Era ‘Crisis Response’ Plan Aimed At Avoiding Benghazi-Style Evacuations Just MONTHS Before Taliban Takeover. — Joe Biden's State Department moved to cancel a critical State Department program aimed at providing swift and safe evacuations of Americans …
Discussion:
Ace of Spades HQ
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- Raheem J. Kassam / The National Pulse:
Stunning Poll Reveals Trump Would Win Election Held Today, As Nearly 1 In 10 Democrats ‘Regret’ Their 2020 Vote. — Stunning new poll numbers from Rasmussen Reports suggest nearly 1 in 10 Democrats regret their vote in the 2020 Presidential election, with 12 percent of ‘Moderates’ saying the same …
Discussion:
Townhall, Small Dead Animals, Ace of Spades HQ, Wall Street Journal, Israpundit and CD Media
FiveThirtyEight:
Latest Polls Of The California Recall Election — Voters will decide whether to remove Gov. Gavin Newsom and — if removed — whom to replace him with — Opponents of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California have gathered enough signatures to trigger a recall election for him on Sept. 14 …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Tangle, Twitchy, Political Wire and CalMatters
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CNBC:
Ousted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani resurfaces in UAE after fleeing Kabul, Emirati government says — Ousted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who fled his country as its capital Kabul was being overtaken by Taliban fighters, is now in the United Arab Emirates.
Discussion:
mofaic.gov.ae, CNN, New York Post, Vanity Fair, The Times of Israel, Washington Examiner, Politico and Insider
Brett Samuels / The Hill:
Poll finds growing support for voter ID requirements — A large majority of voters support laws requiring photo identification, according to a new poll from an election integrity group conducted as Democrats push for sweeping elections reforms. — A poll released this week …
Discussion:
Townhall and USAFeatures.news
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Ian Millhiser / Vox:
Democrats have finally identified the greatest threat to voting rights — the Supreme Court
Democrats have finally identified the greatest threat to voting rights — the Supreme Court
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The 19th and UPI
CNN:
Mississippi eighth grader dies a day after positive coronavirus test — (CNN)A 13-year-old Mississippi girl has died just one day after testing positive for coronavirus, according to Smith County School District Superintendent Nick Hillman. — The girl wasn't feeling well last Thursday and her mother kept her home, Hillman said.
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Laura Davison / Bloomberg:
U.S. Households Paying No Income Tax Hit 61% of Total Last Year — Stimulus payments, other aid slashed federal tax bills — Zero-tax filers to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2022 — Nearly 61% of U.S households paid no federal income taxes during pandemic-stricken year of 2020 …
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Heather Long / Washington Post:
The U.S. could be on the verge of a productivity boom, a game-changer for the economy — Rapid adoption of robots and artificial intelligence during the pandemic combined with a rebound in government investment is making some economists optimistic about a return of a 1990s economy with widespread benefits
New York Times:
The Biden administration will use a federal civil rights office to deter states from banning universal masking in classrooms. — The Biden administration, escalating its fight with Republican governors who are blocking local school districts from requiring masks to protect against the coronavirus …
Discussion:
Washington Post
Brian Schwartz / CNBC:
Federal officials press GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert over apparent personal use of campaign funds — Federal officials are pressing Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., for answers on the apparent personal use of campaign funds. — A letter from the Federal Election Commission to the treasurer …
Discussion:
Bipartisan Report, Raw Story, The Intellectualist, Political Wire and The Wrap