memeorandum: Exclusive: First U.S. COVID deaths came earlier — and in different places

9:35 AM ET, August 23, 2021

Top Items:

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:

Why so many people find Biden an easy target — The vehemence with which many politicians and media pundits on the left and right have attacked President Biden should not be surprising. Given the chaotic and heart-wrenching scenes in Afghanistan, the commander in chief becomes an obvious target …

Discussion: CNBC, Townhall, Digby's Hullabaloo, USA Today and Mediaite

Axios:

Biden doesn't plan to fire anyone over Kabul chaos, sources say — Biden isn't inclined to fire any senior national security officials over the chaos in Kabul unless the situation drastically deteriorates.

Discussion: HotAir, Breitbart, Deadline, CNN and TheBlaze

Alissa J. Rubin / New York Times:

Did the War in Afghanistan Have to Happen? — In 2001, when the Taliban were weak and ready to surrender, the U.S. passed on a deal. Nearly 20 years later, the Taliban hold all the cards. — Taliban fighters brandished Kalashnikovs and shook their fists in the air after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks …

Discussion: New Republic

Meagan Flynn / Washington Post:

Hundreds of Afghans arrive at Northern Virginia Community College, greeted by outpouring of support — They kept coming: people carrying bags of clothes, bags of toiletries, bags of diapers and baby formula and toys and books. — All were donations for the hundreds of Afghan refugees …

Discussion: Insider, RedState and Townhall

Sally Lockwood / Sky News:

Afghanistan: Taliban warns there will be ‘consequences’ if Biden delays withdrawal of US troops — The Taliban meets Sky News in Doha to discuss what happens next - and issues a stark warning about the withdrawal of troops from the country. — Created with Sketch.

Discussion: Associated Press, Washington Post, Yahoo News, Politico, RedState, USA Today, The Guardian, Bloomberg and NBC News

Washington Examiner:

Democrats trust the Taliban more than their fellow Americans — Now that the Taliban are going door to door, hunting and executing Afghans who worked for the United States, Democrats want everyone to know that conservatives in the U.S. are just as dangerous — or even worse.

Discussion: NBC News, Washington Post and CBS News

John Harwood / CNN:

Why Biden's Afghanistan exit wasn't about good politics — (CNN)In ending America's longest war, President Joe Biden did something popular. It was never going to help him politically. — That was true before damaging images of chaos and desperation filled American television screens last week.

Discussion: Raw Story, The Stream, NPR, The Global Warming …, Politico and Trending Politics

Politico:

Deadlines burn Biden — If Joe Biden's withdrawal plan from Afghanistan has appeared chaotically rushed, it's a product of his own making. — The White House has been clear for weeks that there wouldn't be a “mission accomplished moment” to end America's longest war.

Discussion: HotAir, CNN, National Review and Ace of Spades HQ

Washington Post:
Biden says safe zone around Kabul airport to expand, as Pentagon enlists commercial airlines to aid evacuations

Discussion: Insider, Washington Examiner, NBC News, HuffPost, Gizmodo, New York Times, Al Jazeera, 6abc, Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, Financial Times, Fox News, Washington Times and NPR

Wall Street Journal:
Fire Fight Erupts at Kabul Airport as Security Situation Deteriorates

Discussion: CBS News, Associated Press, Breitbart, Trending Politics and NBC4 Washington

Reuters:
U.S. ‘unwavering’ in Afghanistan evacuations, Biden says; Taliban beat back crowd at airport

Discussion: The Guardian, Washington Post, Al Jazeera, HotAir, Slate, RedState, Politico and New York Post

CNN:
Taliban issue death sentence for brother of Afghan translator who helped US troops, according to letters obtained by CNN

Discussion: New York Post, POLITICUSUSA, Mediaite, Washington Post and New York Times

Washington Post:
At least 21 dead, 20 missing after ‘catastrophic’ flooding in central Tennessee, officials say

Discussion: The Daily Beast, WKRN-TV and The Hill

Telegraph: Boris Johnson will push Joe Biden to delay US withdrawal from Afghanistan

NBC News:
Afghan staff at U.S. Embassy losing faith in evacuation efforts, diplomatic cable says

Discussion: HotAir, Insider, New York Post, BizPac Review, Reuters, New York Times, Washington Times, The Western Journal, UPI, Forbes, The Drive and Washington Post

New York Times: Hospitals and Insurers Didn't Want You to See These Prices. Here's Why.

Dan Bilefsky / New York Times:
Live Updates: Pressure Grows on Biden to Extend Afghan Withdrawal Deadline

Discussion: Reuters, Talking Points Memo, UPI, Forbes and Associated Press

Jon Craig / Sky News:
Afghanistan: Tony Blair slams President Biden for ‘imbecilic’ military pullout and says crisis risks relegating UK to ‘second division of global powers’

Discussion: Hackwhackers, The Daily Caller and Mother Jones

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Distinguished persons of the week: Let's hear it for the deep state

Discussion: Financial Times, Daily Kos, New Republic, The American Spectator, Reuters, Twitchy and The Irish Times

Yeganeh Torbati / Washington Post: In Florida, DeSantis cut jobless aid just as virus began terrifying new wave

Josie Ensor / Telegraph:
Joe Biden's aides ‘too afraid’ to tell him he was wrong on Afghanistan, say White House insiders

Matt Viser / Washington Post:
Afghans' suffering is ‘heartbreaking’ but unavoidable, Biden says

Discussion: Boston Herald, Breitbart, Washington Times, The Dispatch, HotAir, New Yorker, Washington Post, Washington Post, Fox News, Washington Post, Financial Times, The Spectator World, Instapundit and U.S. Department of Defense

Brendan J. Lyons / Albany Times Union:

Cuomo's dog Captain left at mansion after governor departed — ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who has been staying with one of his sisters in Westchester County in the final days of his third term, recently has asked staff members at the Executive Mansion if anyone would like to keep his dog …

Discussion: Political Wire

Washington Post:

Let's take the win. Let's do infrastructure first. — The authors are Democratic members of the House of Representatives from Georgia, Hawaii, California, Texas, Maine, New Jersey and Oregon. — Time kills deals. This is an old business saying and the essence of why we are pushing …

Discussion: Politico, The Hill, Breitbart and Wall Street Journal

Olivia Beavers / Politico:
McCarthy faces speakership test on infrastructure vote

Discussion: Raw Story, NBC News and Maryland Matters

Washington Post:

Third Pfizer dose significantly lowers risk of infection in seniors, Israeli data shows … 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.

Discussion: UPI and Washington Examiner

Mercury News:
Exclusive: First U.S. COVID deaths came earlier — and in different places — than previously thought

Discussion: Homeless on the High Desert, ACA Signups, Raw Story, Washington Post, Political Wire, NBC News and Wall Street Journal

Politico: Health worker crunch pressures states battling Delta variant

Michelle Hackman / Wall Street Journal: Why Illegal U.S. Border Crossings Likely Aren't Fueling the Covid-19 Surge

Matthew Boyle / Breitbart:

'I'd Follow Him Through Hell With Gasoline Pants On': Outlaw Platoon's Sean Parnell Surges in PA as Biden Fails in Afghanistan — Sean Parnell, the Afghanistan war veteran who led the infamous “Outlaw Platoon” for more than a year of heavy fighting against the Taliban and terrorists …

The New York Times Company:

Zeynep Tufekci Joins The New York Times as an Opinion Columnist — Zeynep Tufekci, a sociologist and writer, joins Opinion as a columnist. Her columns bring readers deep reporting that examines big ideas, on the pandemic and far beyond it. Read more in this note from Kathleen Kingsbury.

Peter Fenn / The Hill:

How to prevent Democrats from digging their own grave in 2022 — Earlier this month a coalition of progressive groups announced they were going to spend upwards of $100 million on television and digital ads to boost President Biden and the Democrats. When in doubt, flood the airwaves. What a waste!

Martin E. Comas / Associated Press:

U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz marries girlfriend in California elopement — MIAMI (AP) — U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, eloped to Southern California and married his girlfriend Ginger Luckey on Saturday in a small ceremony on Catalina Island. — The controversial 39-year-old Republican …

Discussion: Insider, Vanity Fair, The US Sun and Fox News

Brian Kahn / Gizmodo:

Trump's Border Wall Torn Apart by Arizona Monsoon Rains — Record monsoon rains have blown floodgates off their hinges as Trump's border wall breaks down. — Alerts — It turns out ignoring bedrock environmental laws may not have been the best choice for a multibillion-dollar construction project.

Discussion: Raw Story

Ben Smith / New York Times:

Russian Journalists Meet a Crackdown With Dark Humor, and Subscribers — Meduza, a leading independent news site, fights back with jokes and a stunning donation campaign. But can it stand up to the Russian state? — RIGA, Latvia — There's a certain kind of American podcast …