“The United States and 97 other countries said on Sunday that they would continue to take in people fleeing Afghanistan after the American military departs next week and had secured an agreement with the Taliban to allow safe passage for those who are leaving,” the New York Times reports,
DeSantis Advised by Doctor Who Promoted Parasite Drug
“A California psychiatrist who has advised Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on the coronavirus pandemic recently promoted a drug for COVID-19 patients that federal disease experts have strongly warned against after a spike in calls to poison control centers,” the Miami Herald reports.
“The surge of interest in the parasite drug, ivermectin, prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday to issue a national alert advising against its use to treat coronavirus.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“I have three alternatives for my future: being arrested, killed or victory.”
— Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, quoted by the BBC.
Inside Biden’s Biggest Crisis
CNN: “Biden’s national security team had little time to emotionally process the attacks, one official said, as they remained focused both on the airlift mission in Kabul, now entering its most dangerous phase yet, and a new objective to take out the terrorists.”
“For a commander-in-chief known to occasionally flash his temper, multiple aides who spoke to CNN described Biden as consistently calm and level-headed in the aftermath of the attack. Still, by the time Biden emerged into the White House East Room after most of Thursday behind closed doors, the strain of the moment was evident.”
Quote of the Day
“You can’t, as one party, end a war. It takes two parties to end a war. The Taliban and the radical violent jihadists in the world haven’t stopped fighting. They’re going to continue to fight us. The war is not over.”
— Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), quoted by Politico.
Heat Turns Up on Blinken and Sullivan
Washington Post: “In private discussions, some House Democrats have raised the prospect of whether Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan — two of Biden’s most trusted aides — should lose their jobs.”
Both men appeared on the Sunday shows and Playbook says “it wasn’t pretty.”
Jordan Spoke More Than Once to Trump on Jan. 6
Playbook: We know that Donald Trump and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) spoke once on the day of the Capitol riot, but the Ohio Republican has said he doesn’t remember when their conversation took place. We have some new details that could help clear up that timeframe — including confirmation of at least one more phone conversation between Jordan and the then-president during the siege.”
“After a group of lawmakers were evacuated from the House chamber to a safe room on Jan. 6, Jordan was joined by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) for a call during which they implored Trump to tell his supporters to stand down, per a source with knowledge of that call. The source declined to say how Trump responded to this request.”
“Jordan has previously disclosed that he spoke to Trump on Jan. 6, but not the existence of more than one call on the day — a rare piece of new information on the former president’s moves during the riot at a time when House Republicans are loath to discuss such specifics.”
Why Biden’s Competence Strategy Is Flawed
Perry Bacon: “The Biden team should govern competently — and also fight on more polarized issues … instead of trying to dodge them. Biden can’t unilaterally end the partisan ‘uncivil war,’ no matter how hard he tries, because the Republicans are so deeply committed to it. Biden’s strategy implies there are ‘culture war’ issues to avoid and ‘pocketbook’ issues to focus on.”
“In reality, Republicans push almost every issue, from vaccinations to unemployment benefits to voting rights, into the broader, zero-sum fight between the parties. So conservative activists and politicians are opposing mask-wearing in schools just as fervently as they oppose the teaching of critical race theory.”
Far-Right Floods Internet with Calls for Biden’s Ouster
FWIW: “On Facebook, posts about Biden impeachment or removal have received 11.25 million interactions (reactions, comments, shares) since August 15th. By comparison, in that same time period, posts mentioning ‘infrastructure’ received around 5.2 million interactions.”
Nurses Refusing Vaccinations Vex Hospital Leaders
Bloomberg: “For the head of a hospital facing yet another wave of Covid, a vaccine mandate might seem like the only way to keep staff and patients safe. The reality is more complicated, though. Right now nearly 1 in 8 nurses are neither vaccinated nor planning to get a shot.”
“And in some parts of the country, hospital administrators say only about half of their nursing staff are vaccinated.”
“That’s the dilemma. Do you lose more nurses by mandating vaccines and having some quit, or by not requiring shots and facing staff shortages from quarantines and absences when they get sick?”
Traffic to Conservative Media Jumps
Axios: “Web traffic, social engagement and TV ratings for conservative outlets are booming in response to the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan.”
”Conservative news sites had been declining for months following the Capitol siege.”
Hurricane Nears Category 5 Strength
“Hurricane Ida explosively intensified overnight into a high-end Category 4 storm, and is bringing ‘catastrophic effects’ to Louisiana as it gears up to be one of the strongest hurricanes to make landfall in the state’s recorded history,” Axios reports.
“Maximum sustained winds were measured by aircraft to be 150 mph, just shy of Category 5 intensity.”
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) told CNN that Ida “will be one of the strongest hurricanes that hit anywhere in Louisiana since at least the 1850s,”
Czech Pirate Party Eyes First Shot at Government
“Ever since the Pirate movement burst on to Europe’s political scene as a rebellious force 15 years ago, its anti-establishment parties have remained on the fringes of mainstream politics,” the Financial Times reports.
“But when Czech voters head to the polls for a parliamentary election in early October, there is a chance that the party will win enough votes to become the EU’s first Pirates to enter national government.”
Southern Hospitals Running Out of Oxygen
Hospitals in the Southeast are running low on oxygen, with the worst-hit left only 12 to 24 hours worth, Bloomberg reports.
U.S. Strikes Vehicle In Kabul
“The U.S. military carried out a strike on a vehicle in Kabul on Sunday in response to an ‘imminent’ threat to the Afghan capital’s airport by the Islamic State militant group,” the Washington Post reports.
“The U.S. military official said there were ‘significant secondary explosions’ following the Sunday strike, indicating the presence of a ‘substantial amount of explosive material.’”
Hospitalizations Approach Peak as Delta Variant Spreads
“Covid-19 hospitalizations nationwide crossed above 100,000 this week for the second time in the pandemic, overwhelming caregiver capacity in several states,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Keeping ahead of demand is harder now than during earlier surges, according to doctors, nurses and hospital executives. Patients with other illnesses returned to hospitals this year, leaving fewer open beds as Covid-19 cases soared. The demand is most acute in ICUs, which care for the most-critical patients and need highly trained medical staff. Hospitals are short-staffed and unable to recruit enough nurses and respiratory therapists, who are exhausted as the pandemic wears on.”
Republicans Unite on a Midterm Message
Washington Post: “Republicans have been laying a foundation for a midterm argument rooted in casting Biden as a weak leader who has lost control of a swirl of crises, from the surge in migrants at the southern border to a rise in violent crime and now the situation in Afghanistan.”
Whatever its merits, the message does unite the Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump sides of the party.
Biden to Pull Diplomatic Staff from Afghanistan
Washington Post: “President Biden is planning to withdraw the U.S. ambassador and all diplomatic staff in Afghanistan by Tuesday, and it is unclear when — or if — they might return to the country.”
“Despite the Taliban’s expressed interest in having the United States maintain a diplomatic mission in Kabul, the Biden administration has not made a final decision about what a future presence might look like.”
