News from the note…
A roundup of the day’s news that might be of interest to you.
This is an OPEN THREAD, folks. Chat about any of the stories listed, share links to stories that caught your eye today, and generally have a good time discussing whatever you want.
U.S. Army Major General Hank Taylor says there will be more than 4,000 Americans troops on the ground in Kabul by the end of Tuesday.
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 17, 2021
He says flights through the night lifted about 700 to 800 people out of the city, including 165 American citizens https://t.co/XvdB9mvIYm pic.twitter.com/KBzzbd88fS
Former President Bush says the US must "cut the red tape for refugees" in Afghanistan who are trying to flee in the wake of the chaos caused by the Taliban's rapid takeover of the country. https://t.co/n1ijgyE0qC
— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 17, 2021
The Biden administration on Sunday froze Afghan government reserves held in U.S. bank accounts, blocking the Taliban from accessing billions of dollars held in U.S. institutions, according to two people familiar with the matter.https://t.co/Xw3nMqthA9
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) August 17, 2021
Human remains were found inside the wheel well of a C-17 military plane that had been swarmed by hundreds of people on the tarmac as it took off from Kabul, U.S. official confirms.
— ABC News (@ABC) August 17, 2021
The discovery was made upon landing in Qatar on Monday. https://t.co/55zH0r6BMr
Taliban declares "amnesty" and calls on women to join new government https://t.co/USCC2C5iVF
— Axios (@axios) August 17, 2021
Texas has requested 5 mortuary trailers from the federal government in anticipation of an influx of dead bodies as Covid-19 surges across the state, state officials say. https://t.co/gUxZSChesg
— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 16, 2021
AP sources say U.S. health experts are expected to recommend COVID-19 vaccine boosters for all Americans, regardless of age, eight months after they received their second dose of the shot. An announcement is expected as soon as this week.https://t.co/Rq06SW0RJ4
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 17, 2021
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced a nationwide lockdown after the country confirmed one coronavirus case — the first locally transmitted Covid-19 case in the community since February. https://t.co/TAPV643oIh
— CNN (@CNN) August 17, 2021
Some rioters, even while pleading guilty, have pushed back when pressed by judges to take responsibility. Defendants who plead guilty aren't required to apologize, though it can persuade a judge to show leniency at sentencing. https://t.co/h8pyS0vUfU
— CNN (@CNN) August 17, 2021
NASA's plans to land people on the surface of the Moon by 2024 are now essentially out of reach.https://t.co/VIs88UCiVb
— Axios (@axios) August 17, 2021
U.S. officials declared the first-ever water shortage from a river that serves 40 million people in the West. Water levels at the largest reservoir on the Colorado River — Lake Mead — have fallen to record lows. https://t.co/PRNR8uqRFm
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 17, 2021
