memeorandum: Did the War in Afghanistan Have to Happen? (Alissa J. Rubin/New York Times)

10:55 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: HotAir, CNBC, Washington Post, Washington Post, Telegraph, Digby's Hullabaloo, Townhall, USA Today and Reuters

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: The Carpentariat, Daily Kos, New Republic, Reuters and Raw Story

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, The Dispatch, Washington Post, Washington Post, Financial Times, TheBlaze, Washington Post, The Spectator World, New Yorker, CNN and U.S. Department of Defense

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: HotAir, Associated Press, Yahoo News, Human Events, New York Post, Breitbart, RedState, The Daily Caller, USA Today, The Guardian, Bloomberg, Fox News, Washington Post, NBC News and CBS News

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: HotAir, Insider, RedState, Townhall, Mother Jones and Instapundit

John Harwood / CNN:
Why Biden's Afghanistan exit wasn't about good politics

Discussion: Politico, Common Dreams, NPR, The Global Warming …, The Stream and Trending Politics

Washington Post:
Taliban rejects extending Aug. 31 U.S. pullout, calling it a ‘red line’

Discussion: CBS News, CNN, New York Post, Just Security and Associated Press

Politico:
Deadlines burn Biden

Discussion: HotAir, CNN, Townhall and Trending Politics

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

Discussion: The Daily Caller, New York Post, POLITICUSUSA, Mediaite, Power Line and New York Times

Jack Newman / Daily Mail: ‘There will be consequences’: Taliban warn US and Britain to get out, saying August 31 withdrawal deadline is a ‘red line’ …

Washington Examiner:
Democrats trust the Taliban more than their fellow Americans

Discussion: NBC News, Washington Post, Slate and New York Post

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

Discussion: Kevin Drum, Associated Press, CBS News, Human Events, Reuters, Breitbart, New York Times and Trending Politics

Liv Klingert / Politico: Taliban threaten consequences if US delays Afghanistan exit

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

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

Discussion: NPR, Talking Points Memo, Associated Press, CNN, The Daily Beast, WKRN-TV and The Hill

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

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

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: Financial Times, Foreign Policy, HotAir, Hackwhackers and The Daily Caller

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

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

Morgan Chalfant / The Hill:
Harris says administration ‘singularly focused’ on Afghanistan evacuation

Discussion: HotAir, Washington Post and POLITICUSUSA

Washington Post:

Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine wins full FDA approval, potentially persuading the hesitant to get a shot — The licensing is a landmark event that could have major effects, experts said. — Federal regulators Monday granted full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine …

Discussion: Politico, ABC News, Associated Press, New York Post, TheBlaze, Hackwhackers, BizPac Review and Forbes

US Food and Drug Administration:

FDA Approves First COVID-19 Vaccine — Approval Signifies Key Achievement for Public Health — For Immediate Release: — Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Bloomberg, CBS News, CNN, New York Times, Washington Examiner, Townhall, The Verge, Talking Points Memo, The Guardian, WKRN-TV, Trending Politics, Mediaite, Forbes, Fox News, FOX31 Denver and Political Wire

NBC News:

FDA grants full approval to Pfizer's Covid vaccine — The Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech's two-dose vaccine Monday for people ages 16 and up, making it the first Covid-19 vaccine to pass this final regulatory hurdle. — “The FDA's approval of this vaccine …

Discussion: CNN, USA Today, IJR and Just The News

New York Times:

The F.D.A. grants full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. — The Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine for people 16 and up, making it the first to move beyond emergency use status in the United States.

Discussion: NPR

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: Breitbart, The Hill and Washington Examiner

Berkeley Lovelace Jr / CNBC:
FDA grants full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid shot, clearing path to more vaccine mandates

Discussion: HotAir, STAT, Trending Politics, ABC7 and POLITICUSUSA

Politico: States gripped by Delta variant face case surge with fewer health workers

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

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

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: Fox News, Mediaite, Twitchy and 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: The Hill, Politico, Breitbart, Wall Street Journal, Daily Kos, The Daily Caller, Common Dreams and Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Burgess Everett / Politico:

Sinema: I simply won't back a $3.5T spending bill — Kyrsten Sinema still opposes her party's plans for a $3.5 trillion, party-line spending bill. And she's not up for a negotiation about it. — As House Democratic leaders hold back Sinema's own Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure bill …

Russell Berman / The Atlantic:
The Man in Joe Biden's Way

Discussion: Roll Call, Real Clear Politics, The Hill, One America News Network, CNN, UPI, Florida Politics and NBC News

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

Discussion: Raw Story, Maryland Matters and The Hill

Eliza Shapiro / New York Times:

N.Y.C. Will Mandate Vaccines for Teachers and School Staff — New York City will require every Department of Education employee — including teachers, principals, custodians and all central office staff — to have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine by Sept. 27 …

Discussion: Associated Press

Washington Free Beacon:

Democratic National Committee's Top Data Firm Stands by Cuomo — A top Democratic National Committee firm is allowing outgoing New York governor Andrew Cuomo to solicit donations, even as party leaders and fundraising platforms have abandoned the scandal-plagued Democrat in the wake of sexual harassment allegations.

Jimmy Vielkind / Wall Street Journal:
Andrew Cuomo Keeps Low Profile in Final Days as New York Governor

Discussion: The 19th

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.

Caitlin Owens / Axios:

We're all going to pay for the unvaccinated — The spike in hospitalizations of unvaccinated adults — which are almost all preventable — cost the U.S. health system more than $2 billion in June and July, per a KFF analysis. — Why it matters: Those costs are ultimately shouldered by all of us …