Biden Ran on Competence and Empathy.  Afghanistan Is Testing That.  —  The chaotic endgame of the American withdrawal has undercut some of the most fundamental premises of President Biden's presidency.  —  For most of the last week, in the fires of the worst foreign policy crisis …

Security Alert - Embassy Kabul, Afghanistan (August 21, 2021)  —  Event: Because of potential security threats outside the gates at the Kabul airport, we are advising U.S. citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and to avoid airport gates at this time unless you receive individual instructions …

The treacherous journey into Kabul airport to escape Taliban-controlled Afghanistan  —  Dispatch from Afghanistan  —  KABUL — Two days after the Taliban's sudden takeover of Kabul, we were given a chance to escape: seats on a chartered plane to Qatar set to take off from the city's airport within hours.

Pompeo Is Lying About Afghanistan  —  He laid the groundwork for the Taliban takeover.  Now he's blaming Biden.  —  Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump's former secretary of state, blames President Joe Biden for the chaos in Afghanistan.  “We're letting the Taliban run free and wild,” he complained a few days ago on Fox News.

Biden picks Rahm Emanuel as ambassador to Japan and Nicholas Burns as top envoy to China  —  (CNN)President Joe Biden on Friday announced his intention to nominate Rahm Emanuel as ambassador to Japan and Nicholas Burns as ambassador to China.  —  The two top diplomatic positions …

Orlando urges reduced water usage as liquid oxygen used to purify water goes to COVID patients  —  The city of Orlando and its water utility made an urgent appeal Friday afternoon for residents to cut back sharply on water usage for weeks because of a pandemic-triggered shortage of liquid oxygen used to purify water.

Capitol Police officer who shot Ashli Babbitt exonerated in internal probe  —  The Capitol Police officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt outside a door of the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot has been formally exonerated after an internal investigation, according to a department memo obtained by NBC News.

Kemp signs order blocking COVID-19 mandates on Georgia businesses  —  Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed an executive order Thursday that blocks local governments from mandating COVID-19 restrictions on businesses.  —  Private sector businesses and sports teams can follow local COVID-19 requirements …

Facebook, Fearing Public Outcry, Shelved Earlier Report on Popular Posts  —  The company praised itself this week for being “the most transparent platform on the internet.”  —  When Facebook this week released its first quarterly report about the most viewed posts in the United States …

The F.D.A. is aiming to give full approval to Pfizer's Covid vaccine on Monday.  —  The Food and Drug Administration is pushing to approve Pfizer-BioNTech's two-dose Covid-19 vaccine on Monday, further expediting an earlier timeline for licensing the shot, according to people familiar with the agency's planning.

Maker of Popular Covid Test Told Factory to Destroy Inventory  —  One of the leading producers of rapid tests purged supplies and laid off workers as sales dwindled.  Weeks later, the U.S. is facing a surge in infections with diminished capacity.  —  For weeks in June and July …

‘The Taliban Are Here’: The Final Days Before Kabul's Collapse  —  A lack of urgency in the U.S. and Afghanistan led many to believe the capital city had more time  —  Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, a former World Bank technocrat and author of the book “Fixing Failed States,” …

The Science of Masking Kids at School Remains Uncertain  —  At the end of May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a notable, yet mostly ignored, large-scale study of COVID transmission in American schools.  A few major news outlets covered its release by briefly reiterating …

CDC warns older adults, travelers in COVID high-risk groups not to take cruises, even if they're vaccinated  —  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its guidance for travelers who are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 to recommend they avoid cruise ships, regardless of vaccination status.

AP urges DeSantis to end bullying aimed at reporter  —  NEW YORK (AP) — Twitter suspended the account of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' press secretary for violating rules on “abusive behavior” after The Associated Press said her conduct led to a reporter receiving threats and other online abuse.

Column: Larry Elder is the Black face of white supremacy.  You've been warned  —  Larry Elder smiled the smug smile of a Black conservative who could very well be liberal California's next governor.  —  “Where do you start with the damage Gavin Newsom has done to the state that we both love?”

Dem centrists say DCCC is threatening to withhold fundraising if they oppose Biden priority  —  Multiple House Democratic centrists have fielded calls from their caucus's campaign arm that they took as a warning they would be cut off financially if they oppose their party's $3.5 trillion budget framework …

DOJ wants three months in jail for Proud Boys leader who burned BLM flag  —  (CNN)The Justice Department told a judge on Friday that Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio should get three months in jail for burning a Black Lives Matter flag in December and bringing high-capacity rifle magazines to Washington …