The Hill Articles: August 18, 2021

Federal judge rules against Trump-era approval of Alaska drilling project 2 killed in shooting at Indiana automotive plant US suggests world leaders skip General Assembly in-person Federal appeals court upholds Texas ban on standard abortion procedure Briahna Joy Gray: Democrats playing ‘game of chicken’ with infrastructure bills Tampa-area school district imposes mask mandate after 10K students forced to isolate North Carolina legislature passes bill eliminating pistol permit system Shop owner who called police on peaceful BLM protesters ordered to pay $4.5K Tennessee’s most populated county reimposes indoor mask mandate Overnight Defense: Top general acknowledges intel missed speed of Afghan collapse 1K beds in Mississippi empty due to staff shortage as state sees record hospitalizations Feds deliberately targeted Black Lives Matter protesters Census Bureau computer servers target of January 2020 cyberattack Vaccine mandates: A liberty-minded perspective Attorney says FBI investigating claims tied to DeShaun Watson IMF suspends Afghanistan’s access to resources At least 47 dead in Burkina Faso attack by suspected Islamist militants After the gold standard, we got bigger government and a smaller dollar Prince Andrew reportedly now a ‘person of interest’ in Jeffrey Epstein investigation Overnight Health Care: US to start booster shots on Sept. 20 | Biden to require COVID-19 vaccination of all nursing home staff | Democrats embrace COVID mandates in governor races Congress poised to grill Biden officials on messy Afghanistan exit Biden says troops will stay in Afghanistan until all Americans are out On The Money: Fed officials signal move toward tapering bond purchases | New home construction falls 7 percent in July | Top Democrat unveils bill aimed at making housing more affordable Afghanistan disaster puts intelligence under scrutiny Hillicon Valley: Feds expected to reveal new strategy in Facebook antitrust fight Carrie Underwood faces backlash after liking anti-mask tweet EPA to block pesticide that Trump administration protected California university will examine students’ feces to determine potential outbreaks Biden says ‘chaos’ was unavoidable following Afghanistan withdrawal Biden calls out governors who oppose school mask mandates Overnight Energy: US bans use of pesticide tied to health problems in children The Hill’s Sustainability Report: Cities are making mammals bigger Union-boosting efforts in spending plan are trouble for women-owned businesses Olympian sells her medal for baby’s life-saving surgery Democrats embrace COVID-19 mandates in governor races Pentagon leaders defend Afghanistan evacuation effort after intelligence faltered Almost half of transgender people have experienced mistreatment by medical provider: research Biden nominates National Park Service director after years of acting heads Australia needs help from the US to defuse the ‘gas bomb’ New research finds vaccines losing effectiveness against getting delta variant but protect against more severe effects Top Democrat unveils bill aimed at making housing more affordable NYPD says unvaccinated officers must wear masks on duty Redistricting is starting — here’s what you need to know Danny DeVito backs Nabisco boycott amid strike Former Afghan women’s soccer captain: Take down photos, ‘get rid of your national team uniform’ Oregon becomes latest state to offer help in resettling Afghan refugees A $10 billion plan to clean the nation’s water is murky on facts Florida moves to punish its schools for mask mandates More than 130 pet deaths may be linked to Midwestern Pet Foods, FDA says Prosecutor calls R. Kelly a ‘predator’ as trial opens Garth Brooks cancels tour dates amid COVID-19 surge Colorado governor rescinds 1864 policy that led to massacre of Native Americans The judicial black box of Supreme Court recusal Kushner associate pardoned by Trump charged with 2 felonies in New York US official acknowledges ‘harassment’ at Taliban checkpoints on road to airport Ex-Purdue Pharma chair says he, family and company not responsible for opioid crisis Bipartisan group of lawmakers call on Biden to ensure journalists safe passage out of Afghanistan Biden administration to require vaccination of all nursing home staff Fed officials signal move toward tapering bond purchases EPA bans use of pesticide linked to developmental problems in children Another system of migration is possible Watch live: Biden delivers remarks on COVID-19 response and vaccinations Taliban going door-to-door, telling Afghans to return to work: report Embassy says US can’t guarantee safe passage to Kabul airport Garth Brooks cancels remaining tour dates due to COVID-19 surge Progressive pollster: 65 percent of likely voters would back polluters tax GOP senator calls for Biden’s defense, foreign policy team to resign Afghan ambassador says Ghani stole millions, calls for arrest We need a Reagan tax revolt to counter today’s big-government spending Trump criticizes evacuation of Afghans, calls for prioritization of Americans Olympian auctions silver medal to pay for boy’s surgery Energy Department proposes reversal of Trump-era furnace efficiency rollback Biden surrenders Afghanistan to terrorists Northern Calif. fire jumps from 6K to 54K acres in less than a day Power your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods with this $15 charging cable US university announces it will fine, cut internet access to unvaccinated students Biden to welcome new Israeli leader to White House California GOP recall candidate given subpoena in middle of debate Iran closes border to fleeing Afghans CDC studies show vaccine protection against infection wanes over time Biden discusses Afghanistan withdrawal with Merkel Questions and answers on Biden’s new booster shot plan The infrastructure bill will increase the debt — stop telling Americans otherwise ACLU: Pentagon still using Trump policy blocking service members’ path to citizenship Restaurant owners sue New York City, de Blasio over indoor vaccine mandate Ex-MLB pitcher sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting teen Family with 1-year-old and dog found dead in remote hiking area New York police must wear masks if they’re unvaccinated, department says New Zealand reports six more coronavirus cases after locking down over single infection Scientists name creature they dug up after ‘Hobbit’ character Pope Francis says getting vaccinated is ‘an act of love’ How the delta variant has changed the COVID-19 pandemic The cost of living in each state The infrastructure bill won’t eliminate lead pipes — which aren’t the biggest problem Chicago teachers at ‘impasse’ with district ahead of reopening, union president says Hochul leading Democrats in primary for New York governor: poll Disney World loosening outdoor mask requirements An age-old problem: systemic inequality in health care for seniors and how Congress can fix it Chicago group asks Supreme Court to block Obama library construction Facebook to share data on most ‘widely viewed’ content First polls show mixed picture on Rubio-Demings race Georgia board takes step toward possible takeover of Atlanta-area elections Afghan women express shock, fear, defiance under new Taliban rule New home construction falls 7 percent in July COVID-19: Booster shots are the right call US coronavirus deaths soar past 1,000 in a single day Jack Morris apologizes for comments about Shohei Ohtani Serbian president dares Twitter to delete his account Judge overturns Philadelphia’s decision to remove Christopher Columbus statue 1,000 killed since coup in Myanmar, rights group says Republican flips Connecticut state Senate seat Florida senator seeks probe of Ben & Jerry’s halting sales in Israeli settlements Cuba issues social media laws banning posts critical of government Baseball announcer blasted for mocking Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani’s accent on air Poll finds growing support for voter ID requirements The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Presented by AT&T — Biden administration lays out plan for COVID-19 booster shots There is a blueprint to win for Democrats in 2022 CNN reporter in Afghanistan: ‘No way’ civilians can get past Taliban Woman surprised when 10-foot-long python emerges from spice rack in grocery store Progressive activist to challenge Tim Ryan in Ohio Senate primary United Airlines tells employees not to duct tape unruly passengers Most Americans would give up the internet for their pets Tulsa Race Massacre survivors ask for DOJ investigation amid search for mass graves Texas school says parent ripped mask from teacher’s face US to offer vaccine booster shots in September T-Mobile: Hackers stole data of 40 million people Climate impacts: After the devastating fires, come dangerous mudslides Afghan service members fled to Uzbekistan in dozens of US-supplied planes, helicopters VA crisis hotline sees uptick in calls after Kabul collapse Conservative group targets Kelly, Hassan over $3.5T spending plan 30 years later, still willfully blind to sharia supremacy Afghan reporter to NATO chief: ‘Please don’t recognize the Taliban’ Twitter testing feature for users to report misinformation Pence slams Biden over ‘disasterous’ Afghanistan withdrawal Democrat unveils bill to redirect Pentagon spending toward global vaccination efforts Disability rights group sues Texas governor over ban on school mask mandates Journalist sues Congress for Jan. 6 surveillance footage, other records Biden’s Afghanistan blunder in perspective Senators call for FTC investigation of Tesla’s Autopilot feature New treatment being tested for aggressive breast cancer: aspirin New wildfire explodes through California town US reiterates support for Taiwan after Afghanistan withdrawal Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled to United Arab Emirates Biden administration to start booster shots on Sept. 20 After hubris and humiliation in Afghanistan, will humility follow? Florida county declares pandemic state of emergency amid hospital resource shortage Rising: August 18, 2021 Aquarium announces two gay penguin couples during nesting season Watch live: White House COVID-19 response team holds briefing Biden administration seeks to speed review of asylum cases Mississippi eighth grader dies of COVID-19 amid escalating mask battle Don’t blame veterans for Afghanistan withdrawal, and don’t forget about them Chicago reinstates indoor mask mandates following rise in COVID-19 cases Two US officials in Germany hit by ‘Havana syndrome’: report What can we do now to avert the worst climate impacts? Biden average approval rating dips below 50 percent for first time in office US, 20 other nations call on Taliban to ‘guarantee’ protection for women and girls Condoleezza Rice: Last four US presidents have ‘made mistakes’ in Afghanistan Wisconsin state senator who opposed mandates tests positive for COVID-19 Pick up this versatile OtterBox power bank for over 30% off Texas school officials think they’ve found dress code loophole in Abbott ban Alabama has more intensive care patients than ICU beds, official says After Afghanistan, where next? Biden must show resolutenes August Virtual Event: The Digital Inclusivity Crisis in American Education Texas Supreme Court rules fleeing Democrats can be arrested Taliban fire into crowd, beat protesters: reports Stories of Afghans left behind will hurt America around the world Texas school district strikes back at governor by saying masks are part of dress code Arizona governor withholding grants to schools with mask mandates Los Angeles mandating masks at large outdoor events 11th governor to contract COVID-19 is controversial leader against mask mandates Biden-Harris immigration plan neither serious nor realistic Pope Francis touts vaccine in ad campaign Majority of workers in new poll favors vaccine mandates Clemson orders mask usage after court ruling More than 1,000 COVID-19 deaths recorded as US returns to April levels Do not underestimate Kathy Hochul The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by AT&T – US speeds evacuations as thousands of Americans remain in Afghanistan Biden draws ire of GOP, progressives with call to boost OPEC output The Memo: Democrats vent frustration with Biden on Afghanistan FTC expected to reveal new strategy in Facebook antitrust fight Biden finds few Capitol Hill allies amid Afghanistan backlash Lobbying world