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Let's Not Pretend That the Way We Withdrew From Afghanistan Was the Problem — In 2005, my colleagues at The American Prospect, Sam Rosenfeld and Matt Yglesias, wrote an essay I think about often. It was called “The Incompetence Dodge,” and it argued that American policymakers …
Discussion:
National Review, The Carpentariat and Commentary Magazine
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The dark future of far-right Trumpist politics is coming into view — The anti-immigrant politics of a certain swath of Republican politicians and Donald Trump loyalists have taken a particularly virulent and ugly turn of late — and if you look closely, you can catch a glimpse of the future direction …


Mike Pompeo takes his own arrows over the Afghanistan collapse — While the chaotic drawdown of the war in Afghanistan has taken a toll on President Joe Biden's standing back home, it's also complicated political matters for one prominent Republican with eyes seemingly on the White House.
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon, Insider, Raw Story and BBC

At Least 250,000 Afghans Who Worked With U.S. Haven't Been Evacuated, Estimates Say
Discussion:
HotAir, Washington Examiner, Washington Post, Commentary Magazine, Associated Press, Crooks and Liars, Politico, The Western Journal, Wall Street Journal, Kevin Drum, Breitbart, Bloomberg, New York Times, Eschaton, Real Clear Politics, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal and New York Magazine

The Real Winner of the Afghan War? It's Not Who You Think.
Discussion:
New Republic

Biden Abandons Our Allies: What It's Really Like on the Ground in Kabul
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Reuters, KTLA and The Hill

How the Senate Botched the Afghanistan Withdrawal
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, National Review, Associated Press, HotAir and Raw Story

The Taliban wants to forget the past, a leader tells The Times, but there will be some restrictions.
Discussion:
HotAir, Politico, The US Sun, Sky News, Forbes, Associated Press, NBC Los Angeles, Insider, Washington Post, Political Wire, WGN-TV and Reuters

U.S. Allies Halt Afghanistan Evacuations, Warn of Growing Threat From Islamic State
Discussion:
Defense One, Sky News, Trending Politics, Associated Press, CNBC and Insider


U.S. troops injured in ISIS attacks on Kabul airport — Multiple U.S. troops and civilians were injured when two explosions shook the area outside Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul in rapid succession this morning, where the United States and NATO allies had been evacuating thousands …
Discussion:
Defense One, Politico, Fox News, Washington Post, ABC News, The Hill, Breitbart, TheBlaze, The Western Journal, New York Post, Associated Press, FOX 5 San Diego and Power Line
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Live Afghanistan Updates: Some Evacuations Halt After Alerts Over Kabul Airport — Some European nations have halted evacuations from Kabul after the U.S., British and Australian governments warned their citizens to stay away from the airport. Australian officials described “an ongoing and very high threat of terrorist attack.”
Discussion:
HotAir, The Guardian, Defense One, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Breitbart, Townhall, Rolling Stone, Washington Post, Slate, UPI, IJR and The Carpentariat


Kabul Airport Explosion Hits Crowd Amid Afghan Evacuations — At least three U.S. troops injured in blast that follows warnings from Western governments of possible attack — An explosion ripped through a crowd of Afghans trying to enter Kabul airport, where the U.S. military is attempting …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Reuters, Human Events, The Gateway Pundit and U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan


White House delays Biden's meeting with Israeli prime minister amid Kabul airport terror attacks
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon, Insider, Bloomberg and Agence France-Presse


In Florida, the pandemic is worse now than it has ever been before. — More people in Florida are catching the coronavirus, being hospitalized and dying of Covid-19 now than at any previous point in the pandemic, underscoring the perils of limiting public health measures as the Delta variant rips through the state.
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Guardian, Townhall, The Big Picture, POLITICUSUSA, eVille Times, Forbes, Off the Kuff, The Texas Tribune, abc7NY, Blue Book Diaries, Associated Press, Office of the Texas Governor, Vox, HotAir, Raw Story, POLITICUSUSA, ABC7, Mississippi Free Press, Washington Examiner, The Daily Beast, RedState, Liberty Unyielding, WEB OF EVIL, TheBlaze and driftglass
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As Florida faces record covid-19 deaths, DeSantis says Biden should follow his lead — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said President Biden has failed to “end covid” and should follow his state's lead, even as Florida experiences record-breaking cases, deaths and hospitalizations.


South Dakota Covid cases quintuple after Sturgis motorcycle rally — Two weeks after the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, reported Covid infections in the state have risen nearly sixfold. — South Dakota counted 3,819 new cases in the past two weeks, including seven deaths …
Discussion:
Hackwhackers, Dakota Free Press, Yahoo News, KARK-TV, Forbes, Raw Story, HotAir, The Hill, Insider, Townhall, The Gateway Pundit, Twitchy and Balloon Juice


Bodies stacked to the ceiling as COVID-19 surge creates backlog at Florida funeral homes, crematories
Discussion:
Daily Kos, The Daily Beast, HotAir, Raw Story, Crooks and Liars, Ace of Spades HQ and National Review

Hospitalizations hit 100,000 in United States for first time since January
Discussion:
Forbes


Capitol Police Officers Sue Trump and Allies Over Election Lies and Jan. 6 — The suit, which took a broad view of the riot's origins, was the latest effort to hold former President Donald J. Trump accountable for the Capitol attack. — A group of seven Capitol Police officers filed …
Discussion:
The Hill, Washington Post, WJHL, Washingtonian, Bipartisan Report, Raw Story and Common Dreams


Exclusive: Police Lieutenant Who Killed January 6 Capitol Rioter Ashli Babbitt Finally Identified — For more than seven months, the U.S. Capitol Police officer who shot and killed Ashli Babbitt, an unarmed protester climbing through a broken window in a hallway of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, has remained anonymous.
Discussion:
Breitbart, UPI and The Gateway Pundit


Why the Media is Worse for Biden Than Trump — Over the last week, the media has hammered Joe Biden with relentlessly critical coverage of his pullout from Afghanistan, resulting in noticeable drops in his approval ratings. Put aside for a moment whether this reflects failures by Biden or biases by the media.
Discussion:
Washington Times, Fox News, Althouse, Twitchy, NOQ Report, Ace of Spades HQ and Raw Story


Axel Springer to Acquire POLITICO — Delivers on Axel Springer's growth strategy / Continuing its strategic expansion in the U.S. media market — BERLIN & WASHINGTON—(BUSINESS WIRE)—The publishing group Axel Springer signed an agreement to acquire POLITICO, including the remaining 50 percent share …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, CNN, The Daily Caller, The Hill, CNBC, Washington Post, New York Post, Washingtonian, Variety, Mediaite, Deadline and Hollywood Reporter, more at Mediagazer »


Maggie Haberman and the never-ending Trump story — NEW YORK — When the first Donald Trump story of the 2016 election cycle came her way, Maggie Haberman decided not to break it. — It was May 2015, and Trump adviser Sam Nunberg was helping orchestrate the imminent announcement of the reality star's candidacy.


The Party of Lincoln Is Now the Party of Jim Crow — Not a single House Republican voted for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. — “Old battles have become new again,” said US Representative Terri Sewell, of Alabama, as she introduced the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act for Tuesday's essential vote in the House.
Discussion:
Associated Press, Washington Examiner, Washington Post, Common Dreams and The Atlantic


‘Afghan terror’ at US-Mexico border — Joe Biden's Afghanistan debacle shows us how much damage one president can do. But why would it stop there? — The lack of contrition from the president or anyone in his administration leads to the alarming conclusion that they haven't learned a thing.
Discussion:
Tangle, MSNBC, Slate, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post


Secretary Antony J. Blinken On Afghanistan — REMARKS TO THE PRESS PRESS BRIEFING ROOM WASHINGTON, D.C. — SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good afternoon. I'd like to give you all an update on the situation in Afghanistan and our ongoing efforts there, particularly as they relate to U.S. citizens …
Discussion:
Power Line, Washington Post, CNBC, Washington Examiner, Trending Politics and IJR


The Mountain Lions: these nine cities boomed in the COVID era — These nine western cities have the fastest surging housing markets. — Coastal cities like Washington D.C. and San Francisco were already expensive places to live at the start of the 2010s.


No Labels Offered Conservative Democrats Hundreds of Thousands to Spurn Nancy Pelosi Fundraiser … The dark-money group No Labels offered to raise $200,000 for two of the so-called Unbreakable Nine — the House Democratic faction blocking the party's agenda this week …
Discussion:
Raw Story and Political Wire


A naked baby helped Nirvana sell millions of records. Now 30, he's suing the band for ‘child pornography.’ — Spencer Elden may very well be the most famous naked baby the world has ever seen. — A photo of him as an infant — submerged in water and seemingly chasing a dollar bill dangling …
Discussion:
New York Times, BBC, Mercury News, UPI, Rolling Stone, Variety, HotAir, Vanity Fair and CBS News


The New Chief Chaplain at Harvard? An Atheist. — The elevation of Greg Epstein, author of “Good Without God,” reflects a broader trend of young people who increasingly identify as spiritual but religiously nonaffiliated. — The Puritan colonists who settled in New England in the 1630s …
Discussion:
TheBlaze


ABC News President Calls for Independent Investigation of Sexual Assault Allegations — A lawsuit by an ABC News staffer accused former ‘Good Morning America’ producer Michael Corn of sexual assault; he denied the allegations — ABC News President Kim Godwin told staffers on a conference call Thursday …
Discussion:
The Hill, TVNewser, The US Sun, BizPac Review and Fox News


The Real Story Behind the $25,000 Trump Donation to Pam Bondi — When Trump used his charity to make a donation in 2013, executives claimed they didn't know the money was going to a political group. Newly unearthed records prove otherwise. — It was the personally signed $25,000 check …
Discussion:
Digby's Hullabaloo, Bipartisan Report and Raw Story