Statement by President Joe Biden on the Evacuation Mission in Kabul  —  This morning, I met with my national security team in Washington and my commanders in the field.  We discussed the strike that U.S. forces took last night against the terrorist group ISIS-K in Afghanistan.

DOD Identifies Marine Corps, Navy and Army Casualties  —  The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of 13 service members who were supporting Operation Freedom's Sentinel.  They died Aug. 26, 2021, as the result of an enemy attack while supporting non-combatant evacuation operations in Kabul, Afghanistan.

What Went Wrong With the Pandemic in Florida  —  Even a large state that emphasized vaccinations in treating the coronavirus can be crushed by the Delta variant when no other measures are put in place.  —  MIAMI — The unexpected and unwelcome coronavirus surge now unfolding in the United States …

A Calif. elementary school teacher took off her mask for a read-aloud.  Within days, half her class was positive for delta.  —  A CDC-funded simulation projects that without masking or testing, up to 75 percent of children under 12 could be infected within three months.

Taliban block Kabul airport to most as foreign airlifts wane  —  KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban forces sealed off Kabul's airport Saturday to most Afghans hoping for evacuation and most NATO nations flew out their troops after two decades in Afghanistan, winding down a frantic airlift …

Clarissa Ward's chilling interview with ISIS-K leader  —  The terror group ISIS-K has claimed responsibility for the deadly bombing attack outside Kabul airport which killed 13 US troops and more than 90 Afghans.  CNN chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward speaks with an ISIS-K leader …

Donald Trump's recounting of his 2020 conversation with a Taliban leader is something else  —  (CNN)Donald Trump called into conservative talk radio host Hugh Hewitt's show on Thursday, spending almost 45 minutes doling out his usual mix of braggadocio, blame-gaming and just plain old riffing.

Doctor advising DeSantis promoted ivermectin to treat COVID-19 despite FDA warnings  —  'Any physician that espouses this should be reported to the state medical association," one medical expert said.  —  Updated Just now  —  A California psychiatrist who has advised Gov. Ron DeSantis …

Surprise, panic and fateful choices: The day America lost its longest war  —  KABUL — On the day that Afghanistan's capital fell to the Taliban, delivering the definitive verdict on a war that had lumbered on ambiguously for nearly 20 years, one of the city's top security officials woke up preparing for battle.

Justified shooting or fair game?  Shooter of Ashli Babbitt makes shocking admission  —  “That's my job.”  Those three words summed up a controversial interview this week with the long-unnamed officer who shot and killed Ashli Babbitt on Jan. 6.  Shortly after being cleared by the Capitol Police …

Anti-vaxx police officer who had been taking horse worm medicine dies from Covid  —  Joe Manning complained that Facebook ‘censured’ him for posting misinformation about the coronavirus  —  COVID victim's family turn wake into testing event  —  A police officer who frequently voiced anti-vaccine sentiments …

Miss. Gov.: South's response to COVID impacted by belief in ‘eternal life’  —  Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves talked about the pandemic Thursday, Aug. 26, at a re-election fundraiser in Shelby County held at a replica of the Mississippi governor's mansion. … TOPICS

A Journey Through Kabul on the Day of the Fall  —  A Times correspondent who grew up in the Afghan capital returned before the Taliban's victory, taking in the end of one era and the fearful start of another.  —  KABUL, Afghanistan — In the hours before the Taliban walked into Kabul …

The Sanctioning of Trump's Lawyers Is Exactly What Is Supposed to Happen  —  Those who represented the president in his frivolous election lawsuits should have known better.  —  About the authors: Bradley P. Moss is a partner at the Washington, D.C., law office of Mark S. Zaid …

Trumpists live in an alternate reality — but they believe in it, and that's terrifying  —  It has shaped their world, and it's killing America  —  I had not seen my mother for two years, for reasons we all understand too well.  Several weeks ago, I was finally able to journey home.

Died, Two Women on the Frontline  —  The Defense Department on Saturday officially identified the service members who were killed, and family and friends paid tribute to their lives and their sacrifice.  —  One of the last photos that Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee shared with her family shows …

A solution to the voter ID standoff  —  Today marks the 58th anniversary of the March on Washington, when Martin Luther King Jr. brought a huge crowd to call for voting rights for all Americans.  Sadly, voter suppression is back, in a big way.  It is taking a wide array of new forms …

Pentagon says Taliban and Haqqani ‘co-mingling’ as State Department defends calling them ‘separate entities’  —  The Pentagon said that there is “marbling” and “co-mingling” between the Taliban and the Haqqani network as the State Department defends calling the two groups “separate entities” …

The rapidly shifting Hispanic experience of American criminal justice  —  Vanishing disparities in jail, probation, and parole rates — rising levels of law enforcement employment  —  An otherwise dull new government report on incarceration contains a startling fact: Hispanics are slightly less likely to be jailed than whites.

What Trump's Disgraceful Deal With the Taliban Has Wrought  —  Ms. Schake, a foreign policy expert who worked for the National Security Council and the State Department during George W. Bush's administration, is director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute.

Americans Are Losing Sight of the Pandemic Endgame  —  Entirely eliminating infections is an unrealistic goal, but successful vaccines will avoid the worst outcomes.  —  About the author: Céline R. Gounder is an internist, infectious-disease specialist, and epidemiologist …

Granholm Chartered Military Jet to Ukraine as US Struggled To Evacuate Americans From Afghanistan  —  Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm earlier this week chartered a military jet to attend a diplomatic summit in Ukraine as the Pentagon struggled to evacuate Americans and allies from Afghanistan …

Texas Anti-Mask ‘Freedom Rally’ Organizer Fighting For His Life With COVID-19  —  A Texas man who helped organize protests against pandemic restrictions is fighting for his life after being hospitalized for nearly a month with COVID-19, the  —  San Angelo Standard-Times reported.