Wednesday News: “How the Taliban have — and haven’t — changed in 20 years”; “Team MAGA Goes Full Nativist on Afghan Refugees”; “Covid-19 Boosters to Be Offered to Pfizer, Moderna Recipients”; “Maryland, Virginia say they stand ‘ready and willing’ to take in more Afghan refugees”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, August 18.

• What Cutting-Edge Science Can Tell Us About Extreme Weather
• The lambda variant is ominous for what it says about the future trajectory of the pandemic (“The lambda variant is alarming experts who fear, more generally, a return to lockdown era COVID-19 conditions”)
• Pesticides can amplify each other. Bees have become the victims. (“To save insects and help ourselves, experts say we have to rethink the regulation of poisonous chemicals” We really need to ditch a lot of their uses, such as for lawns and other non-essential stuff.)
• China made 14 GW of solar modules in June – and more than 80 GW in six months
• Covid Fear Is Back in Markets, and It’s Global
• Pope Francis Encourages Covid Vaccines in Media Campaign (“Getting the vaccines that are authorized by the respective authorities is an act of love”)
• Allies, rivals reconsider America’s global role in wake of Afghanistan exit (“European allies have discussed their need to play a bigger part in security matters as Russia and China consider how to push their interests in a Taliban-led Afghanistan.”)
• U.S. Halted Dollar Shipments to Afghanistan to Keep Cash Out of Taliban’s Hands
• Taliban strikes conciliatory tone, consolidates power as de facto leader returns to country
• Intelligence Warned of Afghan Military Collapse, Despite Biden’s Assurances
• Biden’s vow to airlift Afghan allies meets ticking clock, risky rescue
• Body Parts Found in Landing Gear of Flight From Kabul, Officials Say
• Three ways this Afghanistan crisis really hurts Biden
• The Washington Post evacuates Afghan employees and family members from Taliban-held Kabul
• UNICEF ‘quite optimistic’ after Taliban comments on girls’ education, official says
• Taliban Start to Destroy Monuments to Political Foes
• Afghanistan: reports emerge of Taliban beating Afghans seeking to flee Kabul (“US voices concern at reports of violence against women and children trying to pass through Taliban checkpoints, as evacuations continue”)
• Taliban says it will be more tolerant toward women. Some fear otherwise.
• Evacuations from Afghanistan gather momentum as Taliban promise peace
• A once-defeated insurgent returns to Afghanistan as its likely next leader
• The ‘Anonymous Sources’ Are Engaged in a Monumental Ass-Covering Campaign on Afghanistan
• Taliban in power may find themselves fighting their own insurgents (“Analysis: new regime may face enemy composed not of fighters loyal to former US-backed government but those who see new rulers as sellouts”)
• How Afghanistan’s Ghani Went From President to Villain in Hiding
• How Will the Taliban Rule? Here’s the Early Evidence.
• Taliban Violently Crush First Public Protest in Afghanistan
• How the Taliban have — and haven’t — changed in 20 years (“The Islamic militant group wants international legitimacy. But it’s still the Taliban.”)
• The One Big Thing Biden Got Right About Afghanistan (“A new Pentagon report is scathing in its conclusions about the 20-year war.”)
• The Taliban insists it has changed. Afghanistan’s future hinges on whether that’s true.
• Taliban Block Routes to Kabul Airport, Hampering Evacuations
• Russia sees potential cooperation with Taliban but prepares for the worst
• Biden’s presidency — and U.S. foreign policy — now hinge on pulling off one of the greatest airlifts in history
• I Fear for My Afghan Sisters
• Afghan Airlift Deadline Must Be Extended, Lawmakers Tell Biden
• Ex-defense secretary: Trump’s push to get US troops out of Afghanistan possibly ‘undermined’ deal with Taliban
• Afghanistan evacuations pick up pace as Taliban claim women, press will have rights
• Team MAGA Goes Full Nativist on Afghan Refugees
• Biden approval drops to lowest of 7-month presidency after Taliban takeover
• The Memo: Democrats vent frustration with Biden on Afghanistan
• CIA warned of rapid Afghan collapse. So why did U.S. get it so wrong?
• 3 Top Senate Democrats Pledge To Probe ‘Flawed’ Afghanistan Withdrawal
• Biden refused to fall for two decades of military dissembling (“How could so many have been so dishonest?”)
• The U.S. Should Take As Many Afghan Refugees As It Can
• How the Right Wing Is Using Biden’s Afghanistan Withdrawal to Start a New Culture War
• Can Biden’s rescue plan for Afghans work? Not if the MAGA right has its way.
• As COVID-19 Cases Soar, More Hospitals Report ICUs Nearing Capacity, With Worst To Come (“More than a quarter of the nation’s occupied ICU beds are being used for COVID-19 patients.”)
• U.S. will extend COVID-19 transport mask mandate through Jan. 18
• U.S. reports more than 1,000 COVID deaths in single day
• If GOP governors want schools to remain open, they will walk back reckless anti-mask mandates
• Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients are left in the dark on booster shots. They deserve better.
• Covid-19 Boosters to Be Offered to Pfizer, Moderna Recipients (“The Biden administration is expected to call Wednesday for a third Covid-19 shot for Americans who were fully vaccinated with the two-shot regimen, citing the threat from the Delta variant”)
• Dear Colleague on Passing Budget Resolution to Deliver Once-in-a-Generation Progress For The People
• A Trump judge ordered Biden to reinstate one of Trump’s cruelest immigration policies (“A new court order is the latest immigration decision placing conservative politics ahead of the rule of law.” These Trump judges are going to be a problem for many years to come, unfortunately.)
• Who Created the Renewable-Energy Miracle?
• Solar costs dropped more than 70% over the last decade, and Biden wants to accelerate the trend (“The Biden Administration wants solar power to be 40% of electricity generation by 2035, up from 3% today.”)
• Solar could be 40% of U.S. power by 2035 -Biden administration
• What Gentrification Means for Black Homeowners
• Break Up Big Chicken
• DC Tunnel History Site Flagged Suspicious Activity Before Capitol Insurrection
• New Mexico to re-implement indoor mask mandate; vaccinations required in hospitals, congregate settings
• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tests positive for COVID-19
• Cox served with subpoena, Elder blasted for remarks on women at California recall debate
• Florida officials find two school districts violated DeSantis’s mask mandate restrictions
• The owner of Politico is said to be seeking $1 billion in a deal with Axel Springer.
• Senators Mark Warner, Tim Kaine Sign Letter to Biden Administration Urging Creation of “humanitarian parole category specifically for women leaders, activists…journalists” etc. in Afghanistan
• Maryland, Virginia say they stand ‘ready and willing’ to take in more Afghan refugees
• Governor Northam Announces Historic Enrollment in Early Childhood Education Programs
• Major bump in Va. preschool enrollment anticipated due to funding increase
• [UPDATED with HIGHLY Revealing “Hot Mic” Moment] “Anyone who doubted that the redistricting amendment was a total partisan sham should have those doubts erased now.” (“…in the end, the citizens are only on the commission as window dressing. The power still lies with the legislators, nearly all of whom are determined to gerrymander.”)
• Va. Redistricting Commission votes to allow use of political data, reject university map-drawers
• Virginia’s bipartisan redistricting commission struggling with partisan pressures (Very simplistic and “both sides” headline by the WaPo)
• Group pushes for task force to reimagine how local prosecutors can transform the criminal justice system
• Newsletter: Redistricting is hot right now
• Avula: Rollout of COVID booster shots for all Virginians could take months but the state is ready
• Tuesday (8/17) Virginia Data on COVID-19: With Delta Now Dominant, Hospitalizations (1,191) at Highest Level Since Mid-March, 10-Day New Cases (+21,307) Highest Since Late February(!)
• In Reversal, VDH Will Release Locations of COVID-19 Outbreaks As Cases Tick Up
• ‘Who knew Nixon was a homeboy?’ A Q&A with lieutenant governor hopeful Winsome Sears
• Virginia co-op’s fee hike would shrink savings from solar, energy efficiency (“Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative is seeking to increase fixed charges on customers by $5 a month next year, a proposal that’s being fought by national advocacy group Solar United Neighbors.”)
• Richmond fire, police unions opposed mayor’s mandate that all city workers get vaccinated; Stoney says they could be fired if they don’t.
• Watch Live: Final Civilian Review Board Task Force Town Hall
• Over his own objections, Richmond superintendent offers plans that would change duties of police in schools
• Former Rocky Mount police officers reject plea agreement offer in Capitol riot case
• Opinion: Build on the vision of EVMS’s founding
• Craig County School Board eases mask mandate exceptions after chair resigns
• D.C.-area forecast: Scattered downpours possible later today; still humid, but lower rain chances tomorrow