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Tuesday, August 31, 2021
The Missing Context in America’s Competition with China - Inkstick
The Missing Context in America’s Competition with China - Inkstick: “What does winning this competition with China look like? When can we say we won?” A colleague from a fellow think tank posed these straightforward but weig
Go back to Afghanistan? Men like McMaster and Panetta are addicted to war | Lt Col Daniel L Davis (retired) | The Guardian
Go back to Afghanistan? Men like McMaster and Panetta are addicted to war | Lt Col Daniel L Davis (retired) | The Guardian: They have become virtually incapable of seeing any solution to any foreign problem that does not include the barrel of a gun
When Military Contractors Fund Their Own Pro-War Think Tanks
When Military Contractors Fund Their Own Pro-War Think Tanks: CityWatch is published 24/7 with special e-news blasts on Monday and Thursday evening, with Extras as appropriate around special events such as elections or important issues. Share it with your Neighborhood Council and other activists.
Barack Obama Lied to the American People on Afghanistan - 19FortyFive
Barack Obama Lied to the American People on Afghanistan - 19FortyFive: Obama claimed he was on track in 2014 to bring the war in Afghanistan to a “responsible end.” History tell us something very different.
'The Chosen' will cast fans as extras for the Feeding of the 5,000
'The Chosen' will cast fans as extras for the Feeding of the 5,000: Creators of the hit multi-series on the life of Christ, 'The Chosen,' will source their extras from fans who have supported the show.
Afghanistan collapse reveals Beltway media’s loyalty to permanent war state | The Grayzone
Afghanistan collapse reveals Beltway media’s loyalty to permanent war state | The Grayzone: Biden's popular and long overdue withdrawal from Afghanistan triggered a big media meltdown that exposed its de facto merger with the military.
Playing the Race Card on Larry Elder | City Journal
Playing the Race Card on Larry Elder | City Journal: The media attempt to portray the California gubernatorial candidate as anti-black
Playing the Race Card on Larry Elder | City Journal
Playing the Race Card on Larry Elder | City Journal: The media attempt to portray the California gubernatorial candidate as anti-black
Five Facts on Water in America | RealClearPolicy
Five Facts on Water in America | RealClearPolicy: The bipartisan infrastructure bill that is being considered in Congress contains funding for upgrades to water infrastructure like dams as well as funding to replace lead pipes and other outdated and
Trapped in Afghanistan, Rescued by Volunteers: How a Handful of Americans Freed 5,000 Afghans - WSJ
Trapped in Afghanistan, Rescued by Volunteers: How a Handful of Americans Freed 5,000 Afghans - WSJ: From a lounge at the Willard Hotel in Washington, a group of men and women mobilized a global network to conduct a two-week military-style rescue operation.
Caldor Fire updates: South Lake Tahoe evacuated in California | The Sacramento Bee
Caldor Fire updates: South Lake Tahoe evacuated in California | The Sacramento Bee: The Caldor Fire is now threatening more than 20,000 structures, Cal Fire says.
There Is Still Time To Save U.S. Global Leadership In Nuclear Energy If Congress Doesn’t Cut Off The VTR To Spite Its Face
There Is Still Time To Save U.S. Global Leadership In Nuclear Energy If Congress Doesn’t Cut Off The VTR To Spite Its Face: Congress is set to cut off funding for the very reactor we need to move nuclear power forward. Called the VTR, it will test new types of reactors that will get ten times the energy of existing reactors and create nuclear waste that is easier to handle and isn’t hot for very long.
China to lead small modular reactor market by 2050 - report
China to lead small modular reactor market by 2050 - report: China will hold a lion's share of the global pipeline for new builds small nuclear reactors by 2050, states a new study by Wood Mackenzie
UN team: Unclear if Fukushima cleanup can finish by 2051
UN team: Unclear if Fukushima cleanup can finish by 2051: TOKYO (AP) — Too little is known about melted fuel inside damaged reactors at the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant, even a decade after the disaster, to be able to tell if its decommissioning can be finished by 2051 as planned, a U.N.
Ida shuts Entergy's Waterford-3 nuclear plant because of off-site power loss | S&P Global Platts
Ida shuts Entergy's Waterford-3 nuclear plant because of off-site power loss | S&P Global Platts: Entergy shut its 1.2 GW Waterford 3 nuclear plant in Killona, Louisiana, at 6:12 pm CT Aug. 29 after off site electrical power was lost because of Hurricane Ida, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission s
Ida knocks out all transmission lines into New Orleans, leaves 1M+ without power | Utility Dive
Ida knocks out all transmission lines into New Orleans, leaves 1M+ without power | Utility Dive: Utility industry news and analysis for energy professionals.
‘Hundreds’ of Americans Still in Afghanistan After Last Military Flight: CENTCOM
‘Hundreds’ of Americans Still in Afghanistan After Last Military Flight: CENTCOM: The Pentagon has admitted that “hundreds” of Americans seeking evacuation have been left in Afghanistan, after the last ...
A Christian Response to a Defeat - The Catholic Thing
A Christian Response to a Defeat - The Catholic Thing: Michele McAloon: When we recall the sacrifices of our military in Iraq and Afghanistan, we must not despair. Remember too Christ’s sacrifice.
Monday, August 30, 2021
How big science failed to unlock the mysteries of the human brain | MIT Technology Review
How big science failed to unlock the mysteries of the human brain | MIT Technology Review: In September 2011, a group of neuroscientists and nanoscientists gathered at a picturesque estate in the English countryside for a symposium meant to bring their two fields together. At the meeting, Columbia University neurobiologist Rafael Yuste and Harvard geneticist George Church made a not-so-modest proposal: to map the activity of the entire human brain at…
Tariq Ali, Debacle in Afghanistan — Sidecar
Tariq Ali, Debacle in Afghanistan — Sidecar: The end of NATO’s forever war.
Israeli PM presented Biden with "death by a thousand cuts" Iran strategy - Axios
Israeli PM presented Biden with "death by a thousand cuts" Iran strategy - Axios: Bennett urged Biden to make Iran a top priority.
Robert M. Gates: Poster Child for Bureaucratic Deceit - CounterPunch.org
Robert M. Gates: Poster Child for Bureaucratic Deceit - CounterPunch.org: From 2001 to 2015, the number of U.S. servicemen and women in Afghanistan exceeded 100,000, although four secretaries of defense (Donald Rumsfeld, Robert Gates, Leon Panetta, Chuck Hagel) conceded privately that the war was not winnable and that no strategy would alter our glide path to defeat. In 2019, the last soldier to die in Afghanistan from Ft. Carson in Colorado was Sgt. Maj. James G. Sartor, who was on his seventh combat deployment in Afghanistan. All four of these secretaries presumably signed at least one deployment order for Sgt. Sartor, one of many victims of deceit as the Pentagon played Russian Roulette with military lives.
Will China’s demands on US block cooperation on Afghanistan? | South China Morning Post
Will China’s demands on US block cooperation on Afghanistan? | South China Morning Post: Afghanistan and the Taliban were at the heart of phone call between US Secretary of State Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday.
Pakistan military brooks no dissent on the Taliban - Asia Times
Pakistan military brooks no dissent on the Taliban - Asia Times: PESHAWAR - Pakistan’s autonomous military has hijacked the nation’s Afghanistan policy, a power play that aims to shield the Taliban’s takeover and its
Washington's Hegemony Perches Over the Horizon - Antiwar.com Original
Washington's Hegemony Perches Over the Horizon - Antiwar.com Original: Far away on the frontier of the American empire, thousands of US troops remain surrounding the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. No longer is - Brett Kershaw for Antiwar.com Original
Intelligence community investigation unable to reach consensus on the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Intelligence community investigation unable to reach consensus on the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: US intelligence agencies have been unable to reach consensus on how the COVID-19 pandemic began after a 90-day investigation ordered by US President Joe Biden, an unclassified summary released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence says.
Analysis | A third of U.S. diplomats are eyeing the exits | by Institute for the Study of Diplomacy | The Diplomatic Pouch | Jul, 2021 | Medium
Analysis | A third of U.S. diplomats are eyeing the exits | by Institute for the Study of Diplomacy | The Diplomatic Pouch | Jul, 2021 | Medium: Last month, the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy published a report by three Rangel Fellows at the Harvard Kennedy School that found that approximately a third of Foreign Service Officers were…
Saudi ex-intel chief was surprised by 'carelessness, mismanagement' of American withdrawal, but not by Taliban takeover
Saudi ex-intel chief was surprised by 'carelessness, mismanagement' of American withdrawal, but not by Taliban takeover: The mismanagement of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan came as a surprise, but the Taliban's takeover of the country did not, Saudi Arabia's Prince Turki Al-Faisal told CNBC.
South Lake Tahoe CA in evacuation warning due to Caldor Fire | The Sacramento Bee
South Lake Tahoe CA in evacuation warning due to Caldor Fire | The Sacramento Bee: The Caldor Fire is now threatening more than 20,000 structures, Cal Fire says.
A Hoped For Future Children's Read About "The America Deserting Afghanistan Scandal" - Modern Diplomacy
A Hoped For Future Children's Read About "The America Deserting Afghanistan Scandal" - Modern Diplomacy: For those of us who care about world affairs and are blessed with the media means to keep up and offer our impressions, cannot help but find the seemingly countless commentaries about the on-going American desertion of Afghanistan more than upsetting on many fronts –politically, culturally, economically; and especially morally and spiritually. There are others, […]
Opinion | History Is Clear. America’s Military Is Way Too Big. - The New York Times
Opinion | History Is Clear. America’s Military Is Way Too Big. - The New York Times: Global military dominance has not lived up to its hype for American interests.
Remaking America’s Broken Foreign Policy | Foreign Affairs
Remaking America’s Broken Foreign Policy | Foreign Affairs: Remaking America’s broken foreign policy.
'No diplomatic process with the Palestinians,' source close to Bennett says after Gantz meets Abbas - Israel News - Haaretz.com
'No diplomatic process with the Palestinians,' source close to Bennett says after Gantz meets Abbas - Israel News - Haaretz.com: Gantz says that Israel is right to take steps to strengthen the Palestinian economy in the first meeting between a senior Israeli government official and Abbas since 2010
Stephen Miller: Here Comes the Afghan Refugee Crisis | RealClearPolicy
Stephen Miller: Here Comes the Afghan Refugee Crisis | RealClearPolicy: The rapid takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban has potentially dire consequences for Afghan women and children. The Islamist group was able to commandeer sophisticated US weaponry and other military
40M People Rely on This River. It’s Drying Up Fast | RealClearPolicy
40M People Rely on This River. It’s Drying Up Fast | RealClearPolicy: On a 110-degree day several years ago, surrounded by piles of sand and rock in the desert outside of Las Vegas, I stepped into a yellow cage large enough to fit three standing adults and was lowered 6
Taliban Takeover: An On-the-Ground Report From Kabul – Rolling Stone
Taliban Takeover: An On-the-Ground Report From Kabul – Rolling Stone: On the ground in Kabul during week one of the Taliban takeover
US mask makers say they're in danger of going broke | TheHill
US mask makers say they're in danger of going broke | TheHill: American face mask manufacturers are warning that they will soon go broke without government support, potentially ceding domestic mask production amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Ida’s Landfall Imminent, Disaster Expert General Russel Honoré Says Time to Declare Climate Emergency | naked capitalism
Ida’s Landfall Imminent, Disaster Expert General Russel Honoré Says Time to Declare Climate Emergency | naked capitalism: Gulf Coast communities face added pollution as Hurricane Ida nears amid the build-out of gas export and plastic-manufacturing plants.
Generals End-Run Around Civilian Intel Analysts - Antiwar.com Original
Generals End-Run Around Civilian Intel Analysts - Antiwar.com Original: In a posting earlier today I alluded to the fact that the National Intelligence Estimate process seems to have fallen into a state of complete disrepair – - Ray McGovern for Antiwar.com Original
Coronavirus update: New study finds antibody therapy highly effective against COVID-19 | Express.co.uk
Coronavirus update: New study finds antibody therapy highly effective against COVID-19 | Express.co.uk: CORONAVIRUS update: As the pandemic wagers on and new variants arise, some experts have suggested the vaccines may become less effective. Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine have made an interesting discovery - antibody therapy, which could be highly protective against COVID-19.
Fully Vaccinated People Account for 1 in 4 COVID Cases Here, CDC Says
Fully Vaccinated People Account for 1 in 4 COVID Cases Here, CDC Says: One in four new COVID cases in this major metropolitan area are breakthrough infections, a new report from the CDC says.
Robert Malone: Vaccine Scientist, Vaccine Skeptic - The Atlantic
Robert Malone: Vaccine Scientist, Vaccine Skeptic - The Atlantic: Robert Malone claims to have invented mRNA technology. Why is he trying so hard to undermine its use?
Sunday, August 29, 2021
Top China diplomat Wang Yi tells US counterpart Anthony Blinken all sides must ‘proactively guide’ the Taliban | South China Morning Post
Top China diplomat Wang Yi tells US counterpart Anthony Blinken all sides must ‘proactively guide’ the Taliban | South China Morning Post: In phone conversation, Foreign Minister Wang Yi says coordination between China and the US over Afghanistan would depend on Washington’s policies towards Beijing in other areas.
COVID misinformation is destroying the mental health of those who believe it: Harvard study - Raw Story - Celebrating 17 Years of Independent Journalism
COVID misinformation is destroying the mental health of those who believe it: Harvard study - Raw Story - Celebrating 17 Years of Independent Journalism: Misinformation about the coronavirus harming those who believe it was the subject of a Saturday segment on MSNBC's "American Voices" with Alicia Menendez.The host interviewed Prof. Roy Perlis, who teaches psychiatry at Harvard Medical School."Harvard out with a new study shining a light on how misin...
Afghanistan: Pope calls for prayer and fasting
Afghanistan: Pope calls for prayer and fasting: After the Kabul airport bombing, Pope Francis renews his appeal to pray and fast to end the violence taking place in Afghanistan.
To Stop War, America Needs a Third Party - by Matt Taibbi - TK News by Matt Taibbi
To Stop War, America Needs a Third Party - by Matt Taibbi - TK News by Matt Taibbi: The American political system has been captured by the military, and only an independent political power can prevent the next Afghanistan
Xi Jinping signals bigger role for China in global fight against terror | South China Morning Post
Xi Jinping signals bigger role for China in global fight against terror | South China Morning Post: Warning is a rebuff to international allegations of human rights abuses, observers say.
The Beauty of the Law — Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermon - YouTube
The Beauty of the Law — Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermon - YouTube: Friends, the more we revere something, the more we surround it with laws. The most important thing in our lives is to be in harmony with God, and so we follo...
Mayorkas to Cubans, Haitians: Do not come to the U.S. - POLITICO
Mayorkas to Cubans, Haitians: Do not come to the U.S. - POLITICO: There isn't a surge in Cuban or Haitian migrants by sea so far, but the U.S. Coast Guard has deployed officials to monitor the situation given upheaval in both countries.
Waiting for God’s Best - The Catholic Thing
Waiting for God’s Best - The Catholic Thing: Elizabeth A. Mitchell: Look not at the size of a problem, or our cross, but at the greatness of God, who accomplishes all – if we let Him.
China and Russia's deal with the devil - UnHerd
China and Russia's deal with the devil - UnHerd: Both superpowers have everything to gain from cosying up to the Taliban
Afghanistan always defeats the West - UnHerd
Afghanistan always defeats the West - UnHerd: A grasp of history might have prevented this disastrous war
China Eyes $1 Trillion of Minerals With Risky Bet on Taliban - Bloomberg
China Eyes $1 Trillion of Minerals With Risky Bet on Taliban - Bloomberg: When the U.S. invaded Afghanistan in 2001, the global economy looked a lot different: Tesla Inc. wasn’t a company, the iPhone didn’t exist and artificial intelligence was best known as a Steven Spielberg film.
10 Images That Illustrate The Shameful Global Vaccine Inequity | Nature Portfolio Microbiology Community
10 Images That Illustrate The Shameful Global Vaccine Inequity | Nature Portfolio Microbiology Community: This series of 10 images tell the story behind the great vaccine apartheid - the single biggest moral and scientific failure during this global crisis
Nemesis: Why the west was doomed to lose in Afghanistan - Prospect Magazine
Nemesis: Why the west was doomed to lose in Afghanistan - Prospect Magazine: And why it could be doomed for good—unless we learn from this catastrophic occupation unmoored from reality
Afghanistan always defeats the West - UnHerd
Afghanistan always defeats the West - UnHerd: A grasp of history might have prevented this disastrous war
Hubris, blunders and lies characterised the war in Afghanistan from the start | The Spectator
Hubris, blunders and lies characterised the war in Afghanistan from the start | The Spectator: Two books, by Toby Harnden and Craig Whitlock, provide a devastating insight into US policy over 20 years
China Is Not Germany Before World War I | The National Interest
China Is Not Germany Before World War I | The National Interest: The rejection of an accommodative approach to China is based on specious assumptions about Beijing’s strategic intentions and the premature dismissal of the potential benefits of reciprocal diplomacy.
Saturday, August 28, 2021
Mutation rate of COVID-19 virus is at least 50 percent higher than previously thought
Mutation rate of COVID-19 virus is at least 50 percent higher than previously thought: The virus that causes COVID-19 mutates almost once a week—significantly higher than the rate estimated previously—according to a new study by scientists from the Universities of Bath and Edinburgh. Their findings indicate that new variants could emerge more quickly than thought previously.
Delta variant doubles risk of hospitalisation, new study finds | Coronavirus | The Guardian
Delta variant doubles risk of hospitalisation, new study finds | Coronavirus | The Guardian: Outbreak of Delta Covid cases likely to put strain on health services in areas with low vaccination rates, experts say
The Real Reason U.S. Allies in Europe Are Upset About Afghanistan
The Real Reason U.S. Allies in Europe Are Upset About Afghanistan: The anger is real—but anguished humanitarianism is just part of it.
Robert Malone: Vaccine Scientist, Vaccine Skeptic - The Atlantic
Robert Malone: Vaccine Scientist, Vaccine Skeptic - The Atlantic: Robert Malone claims to have invented mRNA technology. Why is he trying so hard to undermine its use?
Opinion | What Trump’s Disgraceful Deal With the Taliban Has Wrought - The New York Times
Opinion | What Trump’s Disgraceful Deal With the Taliban Has Wrought - The New York Times: The conduct of diplomatic relations shouldn't rest solely on the shoulders of presidents.
The Three Exports from Afghanistan That Are Coming: Heroin, People and Terrorism
The Three Exports from Afghanistan That Are Coming: Heroin, People and Terrorism: The end of an empire isn’t pretty. Or as Neil Sedaka sang, “Breaking up is hard to do.” The terrible scenes at Kabul’s airport attest to that — as did those, 46 years earlier, in Saigon. Technicall…
Heroes and saints: 10 powerful books about sports and Catholicism | America Magazine
Heroes and saints: 10 powerful books about sports and Catholicism | America Magazine: A diverse cadre of authors and publishers have produced notable books about sports and Catholicism over the last 10 years. Here are some of the best.
Kabul bombings will bring US and Taliban closer - Asia Times
Kabul bombings will bring US and Taliban closer - Asia Times: The horrific terrorist strikes in Kabul on Thursday that killed at least 13 American servicemen and dozens of civilians will lead to a higher level of
Biden reaffirms US plan to reopen Jerusalem consulate – Middle East Monitor
Biden reaffirms US plan to reopen Jerusalem consulate – Middle East Monitor: During his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett at the White House, US President Joe Biden reaffirmed his administration's plan to reopen the US Consulate General in Jerusalem, news a...
Debating North Korea: US and Chinese Perspectives | 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea
Debating North Korea: US and Chinese Perspectives | 38 North: Informed Analysis of North Korea: The deteriorating US-China relationship is hindering prospects for meaningful cooperation on persistent security challenges, including the Democratic People’s Republic of…
Roaming Charges: Hour of the Goat - CounterPunch.org
Roaming Charges: Hour of the Goat - CounterPunch.org: Curtis LeMay wanted to bomb Vietnam into the Stone Age, "destroying every work of man." HRC wanted to bomb Afghanistan into modernity, destroying every vestige of misogyny. The bombs fell for years until the US finally left. Amid ruins and graveyards, both nations remain culturally much the same. The US, however, is weaker now, morally, politically, and internationally, than it has ever been.
Afghanistan and the Propaganda of Infinite War - CounterPunch.org
Afghanistan and the Propaganda of Infinite War - CounterPunch.org: The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s re-ascendance are producing some incredible lamentations about the decline of American power. This
How America’s response to 9/11 contributed to our national decline
How America’s response to 9/11 contributed to our national decline: In his long war against America, Osama bin Laden has won a sweeping if posthumous victory. The U.S. reaction to the 9/11 attack he masterminded is like the cytokine storm that can occur when COVID-…
Cash will soon be obsolete. Will America be ready?
Cash will soon be obsolete. Will America be ready?: Eswar Prasad examines the economic, financial, and societal effects of the end of cash.
Cuestiona Ted Cruz seguridad de afganos en Fort Bliss
Cuestiona Ted Cruz seguridad de afganos en Fort Bliss: Deben ser enviados a un tercer paÃs, no a EU, afirma en visita a la base
Singapore Ends its Experiment in Liberal Education - by John Berthelsen - Asia Sentinel
Singapore Ends its Experiment in Liberal Education - by John Berthelsen - Asia Sentinel: No reason given for end of Yale collaboration with NUS
US to build military base in middle of Pacific Ocean
US to build military base in middle of Pacific Ocean: The base is seen as another component of the Biden administration’s continued effort to increase its footprint in Oceania.
Friday, August 27, 2021
Plans to Complete Bellefonte Go Bust Again | Neutron Bytes
Plans to Complete Bellefonte Go Bust Again | Neutron Bytes: The long running saga of an effort by Tennessee real estate mogul Franklin Haney to buy the partially completed twin 1200 MWe nuclear reactors at TVA’s Bellefonte site in Scottsboro, AL, may …
After 3-month probe, intelligence community 'divided' on COVID-19's origins - ABC News
After 3-month probe, intelligence community 'divided' on COVID-19's origins - ABC News: U.S. intelligence agencies remain "divided on the most likely origins of COVID-19," according to a declassified summary released Friday afternoon.
Who profits from the Kabul suicide bombing? - Asia Times
Who profits from the Kabul suicide bombing? - Asia Times: The horrific Kabul suicide bombing introduces an extra vector in an already incandescent situation: It aims to prove, to Afghans and to the outside world,
Soldiers of Fortune: Why U.S. Mercenaries Should Not Be Legal - War on the Rocks
Soldiers of Fortune: Why U.S. Mercenaries Should Not Be Legal - War on the Rocks: Early in the morning of July 7, 2021, a heavily armed group entered the home of Haitian President Jovenel Moise and killed him in his bedroom. The
China extends hand to Taliban for rebuilding with eye on Xinjiang - Nikkei Asia
China extends hand to Taliban for rebuilding with eye on Xinjiang - Nikkei Asia: BEIJING -- China's response to the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan has been a mix of offers of engagement with tacit pressure as it seeks to play a
How Will China Deal With the Taliban? | Council on Foreign Relations
How Will China Deal With the Taliban? | Council on Foreign Relations: China could become a crucial supporter of Taliban-led Afghanistan, building Beijing’s influence in South and Central Asia as long as the regime in Kabul does not export extremism.
The Media Was in Love With Joe Biden — Until He Tried to End a War
The Media Was in Love With Joe Biden — Until He Tried to End a War: The establishment media loved Joe Biden until he did a good thing and tried to end the war in Afghanistan. Now they’re looking for blood.
Why there is no solution to our age of crisis without China
Why there is no solution to our age of crisis without China: In the summer of 2021 the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is marking its centenary. It has much to celebrate. The most powerful communist party and by far the most powerful political organisation in the world, it has presided over the largest surge of economic growth ever witnessed. For both the West and China’s immediate neighbours, this unsettling and unexpected fact defines
Photographs of Afghanistan’s Post-9/11 Generation - The New York Times
Photographs of Afghanistan’s Post-9/11 Generation - The New York Times: This summer, the journalist Kiana Hayeri set out to photograph Afghans who grew up after the U.S. invasion in 2001. Instead, she wound up documenting the end of life as they knew it.
NIH launches study of extra COVID-19 vaccine dose in people with autoimmune disease | National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH launches study of extra COVID-19 vaccine dose in people with autoimmune disease | National Institutes of Health (NIH): Trial also will test pausing immunosuppressive medication to improve antibody response.
Like It or Not, the South Korea-US Alliance Is Changing – The Diplomat
Like It or Not, the South Korea-US Alliance Is Changing – The Diplomat: The ROK-U.S. alliance is at a time of transition, and a lot of changes will be required to maintain the strength and effectiveness of the alliance into the future.
Trumpism Has Entered Its Final Form - The Atlantic
Trumpism Has Entered Its Final Form - The Atlantic: In today’s Republican Party, Trump is becoming what was once unthinkable—conventional, unexceptional, even something of an establishment figure.
China Plans to Ban U.S. IPOs for Data-Heavy Tech Firms - WSJ
China Plans to Ban U.S. IPOs for Data-Heavy Tech Firms - WSJ: China plans to propose new rules that would ban companies with large amounts of sensitive consumer data from going public in the U.S., a move that is likely to thwart the ambitions of the country’s tech firms to list abroad.
Coronavirus: Wuhan study finds nearly half of recovered patients still had symptoms a year later | South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: Wuhan study finds nearly half of recovered patients still had symptoms a year later | South China Morning Post: Twenty per cent continued to experience the most common symptoms of fatigue or muscle weakness after 12 months, researchers say.
U.S. controls on experiments with supercharged pathogens have been undercut despite lab-leak concerns - Washington Post
U.S. controls on experiments with supercharged pathogens have been undercut despite lab-leak concerns - Washington Post: Key policy revisions have loosened oversight of NIH-funded "gain of function" research despite some experts' fears it could inadvertently cause a pandemic.
Study confirms virus variants reduce protection against COVID-19
Study confirms virus variants reduce protection against COVID-19: A new laboratory study from Oregon Health & Science University finds that blood serum drawn from people previously vaccinated or naturally infected show "significantly reduced" defense against two widely circulating variants of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
Geoengineering marks scientific gains in U.N. report on dire climate future | Reuters
Geoengineering marks scientific gains in U.N. report on dire climate future | Reuters: Geoengineering science is advancing, but the question remains - should we use it?
Why Is the Gates Foundation Funding the UK's Medicines Regulator? | naked capitalism
Why Is the Gates Foundation Funding the UK's Medicines Regulator? | naked capitalism: Just as importantly, why is the regulator laying off 20-25% of its workforce in the midst of a global pandemic?
As Kabul burns, we need to talk about Pakistan - The Post
As Kabul burns, we need to talk about Pakistan - The Post: The suicide bombings at the Kabul airport are almost certainly the work of the Islamic State’s “Khorasan Province” (ISKP), the branch of the organisation in Afghanistan and Pakistan that was officially recognised by Islamic State (ISIS) “Centre” in 2015. The group had been oddly quiet since the fall of Kabul, and we can now see [...]Read More...
Will Europe survive another migrant crisis? - UnHerd
Will Europe survive another migrant crisis? - UnHerd: The EU is woefully unprepared for an influx of Afghans
The media enabled Afghanistan's collapse - UnHerd
The media enabled Afghanistan's collapse - UnHerd: A gushing press corps made Biden feel invincible
Who are the Islamic State in Afghanistan? – Responsible Statecraft
Who are the Islamic State in Afghanistan? – Responsible Statecraft: The ghastly bombings today in Afghanistan reflect a very real struggle for the Taliban in its quest for control of the country.
In Matters of War, Congress Is Worse Than Useless - by Daniel Larison - Eunomia
In Matters of War, Congress Is Worse Than Useless - by Daniel Larison - Eunomia: Congressional abdication on war powers has been a disaster for the United States over the last seventy years.
Biden’s Afghanistan Exit Was Doomed by a Failure of Leadership
Biden’s Afghanistan Exit Was Doomed by a Failure of Leadership: Debacle. That is the only way to describe President Joe Biden’s handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. How did this happen? Was it an intelligence failure? A military failure? A failure of diplomacy? It was all those things, but above all the mishandling of the pullout was a failure of leadership.
New chief chaplain at Harvard is an atheist | Washington Examiner
New chief chaplain at Harvard is an atheist | Washington Examiner: Harvard University's new chief chaplain is an atheist.
U.S. officials provided Taliban with names of Americans, Afghan allies to evacuate - POLITICO
U.S. officials provided Taliban with names of Americans, Afghan allies to evacuate - POLITICO: The White House contends that limited information sharing with the Taliban is saving lives; critics argue it's putting Afghan allies in harm's way.
Biden admits he bears responsibility for Kabul attack, defends withdrawal when pressed by Doocy | Fox News
Biden admits he bears responsibility for Kabul attack, defends withdrawal when pressed by Doocy | Fox News: President Biden told reporters Thursday that he bears responsibility for the “messy” evacuation and consequential suicide bombings in Kabul.
National Dog Day 2021: Benefits of having a dog - CNN
National Dog Day 2021: Benefits of having a dog - CNN: There are some real benefits of having a dog in your home, as we learned on National Dog Day 2021, but you might be surprised at what science is discovering about other pros and cons of pet ownership.
DOOMSCROLLING - The Catholic Thing
DOOMSCROLLING - The Catholic Thing: David Warren: The scandal, or fiasco, in which our pope has effectively made the sacrifice of the Old Mass illegal is theater of the absurd.
Israel has drastically curtailed intelligence-sharing with the US, report claims | intelNews.org
Israel has drastically curtailed intelligence-sharing with the US, report claims | intelNews.org: THE GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL scaled back significantly intelligence cooperation with the United States in January of this year, following the change of guard in the White House, according to The New Yo…
Supreme Court Blocks Biden's Eviction Moratorium | RealClearPolicy
Supreme Court Blocks Biden's Eviction Moratorium | RealClearPolicy: A divided Supreme Court on Thursday blocked an eviction freeze put in place by the Biden administration to shield cash-strapped tenants from the coronavirus pandemic.
In a ruling that appeared to
Why the Media Is Worse for Biden Than Trump | RealClearPolicy
Why the Media Is Worse for Biden Than Trump | RealClearPolicy: Over the last week, the media has hammered Joe Biden with relentlessly critical coverage of his pullout from Afghanistan, resulting in noticeable drops in his approval ratings. Put aside for a moment
California’s Energy and Climate Regulations Are “Green Jim Crow” | RealClearEnergy
California’s Energy and Climate Regulations Are “Green Jim Crow” | RealClearEnergy: For decades, California has been viewed as a vanguard state, a province that leads America on things like entertainment, fashion, and politics. No longer. Instead, it has become a state to be rebuked,
China news: Beijing wants world to believe Covid leaked from a US lab | Science | News | Express.co.uk
China news: Beijing wants world to believe Covid leaked from a US lab | Science | News | Express.co.uk: CHINA is attempting to convince the world that the coronavirus pandemic did not originate in Wuhan but was leaked from a lab in the US.
Kabul Airport Attack Kills 13 U.S. Service Members, at Least 90 Afghans - WSJ
Kabul Airport Attack Kills 13 U.S. Service Members, at Least 90 Afghans - WSJ: Two explosions ripped through crowds, followed by a gun assault, at Kabul airport, where the U.S. military is attempting to evacuate thousands.
In Afghanistan, the Worst Is Yet to Come – Patrick J. Buchanan – Official Website
In Afghanistan, the Worst Is Yet to Come – Patrick J. Buchanan – Official Website: After Aug. 31, the fate of those left behind will be determined by the Taliban, and we will be made witness to the fate the Taliban imposes. This generation is about to learn what it means to lose a war. Say what you will about President Joe Biden, he has stuck to his guns on…
Thursday, August 26, 2021
Airborne transmission of respiratory viruses | Science
Airborne transmission of respiratory viruses | Science: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted controversies and unknowns about how respiratory pathogens spread between hosts. Traditionally, it was thought that respiratory pathogens spread between people through large droplets produced in coughs and through contact with contaminated surfaces (fomites). However, several respiratory pathogens are known to spread through small respiratory aerosols, which can float and travel in air flows, infecting people who inhale them at short and long distances from the infected person. Wang et al. review recent advances in understanding airborne transmission gained from studying the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections and other respiratory pathogens. The authors suggest that airborne transmission may be the dominant form of transmission for several respiratory pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, and that further understanding of the mechanisms underlying infection from the airborne route will better inform mitigation measures.
Science , abd9149, this issue p. [eabd9149][1]
### BACKGROUND
Exposure to droplets produced in the coughs and sneezes of infected individuals or contact with droplet-contaminated surf
Lessons for Russia From the U.S. Leadership Crisis - Carnegie Moscow Center - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Lessons for Russia From the U.S. Leadership Crisis - Carnegie Moscow Center - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: It would be foolish to assume the American withdrawal from Afghanistan will be repeated everywhere else that there is a U.S. presence.
Why Four Presidents Got Caught in the Afghan Quagmire | Vanity Fair
Why Four Presidents Got Caught in the Afghan Quagmire | Vanity Fair: As diplomat Richard Holbrooke once said about Afghanistan—and Vietnam: “How can we lose when we’re so sincere?”
Was Jeffrey Epstein a Spy? - Rolling Stone
Was Jeffrey Epstein a Spy? - Rolling Stone: Music, Film, TV and Political News Coverage
12 U.S. service members, civilians killed in Kabul airport explosions: Live updates - The Washington Post
12 U.S. service members, civilians killed in Kabul airport explosions: Live updates - The Washington Post: The Biden administration previously warned that the Islamic State poses a threat to the evacuation mission.
Report: The U.S. Accounts For 37% Of Global Arms Exports [Infographic]
Report: The U.S. Accounts For 37% Of Global Arms Exports [Infographic]: As the level of global arms transfers finally levels off after years of sharp growth, the U.S. still commands the bulk of the market.
Who's to Blame for Afghanistan? | The American Conservative
Who's to Blame for Afghanistan? | The American Conservative: There was never a "turning point," never a way to win.
Ambassador Chas Freeman: 'The Abraham accords are a diversion, not a path to peace'
Ambassador Chas Freeman: 'The Abraham accords are a diversion, not a path to peace': Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Chas Freeman says "American and Israeli values diverged long ago. There is no
Does America Still Work? › American Greatness
Does America Still Work? › American Greatness: For nearly two years, Americans have engaged in a great woke experiment of cannibalizing themselves. American civilization has invested massive labor, capital…
Russia Uses Defense Show To Try And Boost Arms Sales To Middle East
Russia Uses Defense Show To Try And Boost Arms Sales To Middle East: Moscow's ambitions to increase arms sales to the Middle East have been on clear display during a major defense show this week
Manufacturing Lament – Mondoweiss
Manufacturing Lament – Mondoweiss: Ever since the United States began its withdrawal from Afghanistan, the mainstream media has implemented a full-court press in support of continued occupation.
Comparing SARS-CoV-2 natural immunity to vaccine-induced immunity: reinfections versus breakthrough infections | medRxiv
Comparing SARS-CoV-2 natural immunity to vaccine-induced immunity: reinfections versus breakthrough infections | medRxiv: Background: Reports of waning vaccine-induced immunity against COVID-19 have begun to surface. With that, the comparable long-term protection conferred by previous infection with SARS-CoV-2 remains unclear. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study comparing three groups: (1)SARS-CoV-2-naive individuals who received a two-dose regimen of the BioNTech/Pfizer mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine, (2)previously infected individuals who have not been vaccinated, and (3)previously infected and single dose vaccinated individuals. Three multivariate logistic regression models were applied. In all models we evaluated four outcomes: SARS-CoV-2 infection, symptomatic disease, COVID-19-related hospitalization and death. The follow-up period of June 1 to August 14, 2021, when the Delta variant was dominant in Israel. Results: SARS-CoV-2-naive vaccinees had a 13.06-fold (95% CI, 8.08 to 21.11) increased risk for breakthrough infection with the Delta variant compared to those previously infected, when the first event (infection or vaccination) occurred during January and February of 2021. The increased risk was significant (P<0.001) for symptomatic disease as well. When allowing the infection t
Safety of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine in a Nationwide Setting | NEJM
Safety of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine in a Nationwide Setting | NEJM: Original Article from The New England Journal of Medicine — Safety of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine in a Nationwide Setting
Afghanistan in Chinese Media - by Jordan Schneider - ChinaTalk
Afghanistan in Chinese Media - by Jordan Schneider - ChinaTalk: How the PRC is processing the Taliban takeover
Biden’s Welcome Hypocrisy on Climate Policy - WSJ
Biden’s Welcome Hypocrisy on Climate Policy - WSJ: The White House is encouraging oil production even as it warns of an existential crisis—giving it room to pursue needed practical solutions
China to cushion Taliban from Western sanctions - Asia Times
China to cushion Taliban from Western sanctions - Asia Times: This week will stand out as a pivotal moment in Joe Biden’s presidency. It has been a humble moment yet bold and decisive, farsighted but tactical, and
Blair’s criticism of the Afghan withdrawal is a robust defence of Western militarism – Middle East Monitor
Blair’s criticism of the Afghan withdrawal is a robust defence of Western militarism – Middle East Monitor: The architects of the 'war on terror' have hit back following the humiliating US withdrawal from Afghanistan. From the political leaders who sanctioned never-ending wars to the intellectual high p...
Sturgis Rally Is What a Vaccine-Era Coronavirus Superspreader Event Looks Like
Sturgis Rally Is What a Vaccine-Era Coronavirus Superspreader Event Looks Like: Unlike Lollapalooza in Chicago, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was the perfect storm for a vaccine-era superspeader event.
What Ever Happened to the “Lay Moment”? - The Catholic Thing
What Ever Happened to the “Lay Moment”? - The Catholic Thing: Stephen P. White: If the laity lived their priestly and prophetic ministries more fully, how might the Church be changed for the better?
Pat Buchanan was right about Afghanistan - The Post
Pat Buchanan was right about Afghanistan - The Post: Pat Buchanan, paleoconservative and three-time Republican Party leadership hopeful, hasn’t yet faded into obscurity. Last week, the Conservative blogger Rod Dreher stirred up controversy on Twitter after posting a tweet stating ‘He told us so’. Why was Buchanan, long since marginalised from mainstream conservative spaces, back in favour? The answer is simple: the fall of Kabul [...]Read More...
What modern feminism is hiding - UnHerd
What modern feminism is hiding - UnHerd: Does Amia Srinivasan believe the orthodoxies that fill her new book?
This drug is effective in treating severe COVID-19, study finds
This drug is effective in treating severe COVID-19, study finds: The SARS-CoV-2 virus has infected over 165 million people worldwide causing nearly 3.5 million deaths. Recent vaccination efforts have been hindered by multiple coronavirus variants that challenge current vaccines. While infection generally produces a mild disease, in some patients it can develop into a severe inflammatory COVID-19 requiring medical intervention. In a previous study from […]
Finally the Media Are Starting to Tell the Truth About California, Drugs, & Homelessness - by Michael Shellenberger - Michael Shellenberger
Finally the Media Are Starting to Tell the Truth About California, Drugs, & Homelessness - by Michael Shellenberger - Michael Shellenberger: Why it takes a political earthquake for progressives to face reality
With US Diversity Focus, China Becoming STEM Leader | RealClearPolicy
With US Diversity Focus, China Becoming STEM Leader | RealClearPolicy: All three of us are mathematicians who came to the United States as young immigrants, having been attracted by the unmatched quality and openness of American universities. We came, as many others befo
Can we worry only about a wounded Israeli soldier, and not the victims in Gaza too? - Opinion - Haaretz.com
Can we worry only about a wounded Israeli soldier, and not the victims in Gaza too? - Opinion - Haaretz.com: Is it permissible to look in another direction? Is it even possible? The grave injury of Border Policeman Barel Hadaria Shmueli has swept Israel into an almost unpreceden
U.S. Afghanistan Debacle Won't Lead China to Invade Taiwan - Bloomberg
U.S. Afghanistan Debacle Won't Lead China to Invade Taiwan - Bloomberg: Chinese strategists may be gloating about the humiliating U.S. exit from Afghanistan. But they know that any attempt to seize the island by force would still be deeply risky.
Joe Biden’s Perfect Foreign Policy Storm
Joe Biden’s Perfect Foreign Policy Storm: COVID is raging, the Taliban is back, and the planet is on fire — an ideal opportunity for the U.S. to change the way it acts. It can start by accepting from Afghan refugees.
Kabul airport explosions: US personnel among casualties - CNN
Kabul airport explosions: US personnel among casualties - CNN: At least two explosions took place outside the Kabul airport on Thursday as the United States and other countries try to evacuate their citizens and Afghans at risk from the Taliban.
Defending the US withdrawal from Afghanistan - Between The Lines - ABC Radio National
Defending the US withdrawal from Afghanistan - Between The Lines - ABC Radio National: How does the Taliban victory in Afghanistan affect America's reputation?
Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant Among Vaccinated Healthcare Workers, Vietnam by Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, Nghiem My Ngoc, Lam Anh Nguyet, Vo Minh Quang, Nguyen Thi Han Ny, Dao Bach Khoa, Nguyen Thanh Phong, Le Mau Toan, Nguyen Thi Thu Hong, Nguyen Thi Kim Tuyen, Voong Vinh Phat, Le Nguyen Truc Nhu, Nguyen Huynh Thanh Truc, Bui Thi Ton That, Huynh Phuong Thao, Tran Nguyen Phuong Thao, Vo Trong Vuong, Tran Thi Thanh Tam, Ngo Tan Tai, Ho The Bao, Huynh Thi Kim Nhung, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Minh, Nguyen Thi My Tien, Nguy Cam Huy, Marc Choisy, Dinh Nguyen Huy Man, Dinh Thi Bich Ty, Nguyen To Anh, Le Thi Tam Uyen, Tran Nguyen Hoang Tu, Lam Minh Yen, Nguyen Thanh Dung, Le Manh Hung, Nguyen Thanh Truong, Tran Tan Thanh, Guy Thwaites, Le Van Tan, OUCRU COVID-19 Research Group :: SSRN
Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant Among Vaccinated Healthcare Workers, Vietnam by Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, Nghiem My Ngoc, Lam Anh Nguyet, Vo Minh Quang, Nguyen Thi Han Ny, Dao Bach Khoa, Nguyen Thanh Phong, Le Mau Toan, Nguyen Thi Thu Hong, Nguyen Thi Kim Tuyen, Voong Vinh Phat, Le Nguyen Truc Nhu, Nguyen Huynh Thanh Truc, Bui Thi Ton That, Huynh Phuong Thao, Tran Nguyen Phuong Thao, Vo Trong Vuong, Tran Thi Thanh Tam, Ngo Tan Tai, Ho The Bao, Huynh Thi Kim Nhung, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Minh, Nguyen Thi My Tien, Nguy Cam Huy, Marc Choisy, Dinh Nguyen Huy Man, Dinh Thi Bich Ty, Nguyen To Anh, Le Thi Tam Uyen, Tran Nguyen Hoang Tu, Lam Minh Yen, Nguyen Thanh Dung, Le Manh Hung, Nguyen Thanh Truong, Tran Tan Thanh, Guy Thwaites, Le Van Tan, OUCRU COVID-19 Research Group :: SSRN: Background: Data on breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant infections are limited.
Methods: We studied breakthrough infections among healthcare workers of
Methods: We studied breakthrough infections among healthcare workers of
Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray Reduces Covid-19 Viral Load By 95% Within 24 Hours: Study | ZeroHedge
Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray Reduces Covid-19 Viral Load By 95% Within 24 Hours: Study | ZeroHedge: ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Origins of SARS-CoV-2: window is closing for key scientific studies
Origins of SARS-CoV-2: window is closing for key scientific studies: Authors of the March WHO report into how COVID-19 emerged warn that further delay makes crucial inquiry biologically difficult.
U.S. intelligence agencies delivered a report to Biden on the virus’s origins. - The New York Times
U.S. intelligence agencies delivered a report to Biden on the virus’s origins. - The New York Times: The nation’s spy agencies have not yet concluded whether the disease was the result of an accidental leak from a lab or if it emerged naturally in a spillover from animals to humans.
Extra Shots from J. & J. and Pfizer Give Immune Boost, Companies Report - The New York Times
Extra Shots from J. & J. and Pfizer Give Immune Boost, Companies Report - The New York Times: The Food and Drug Administration will evaluate the new data as the Biden administration pushes a booster shot strategy.
Henry Kissinger on why America failed in Afghanistan | The Economist
Henry Kissinger on why America failed in Afghanistan | The Economist: It was not possible to turn the country into a modern democracy, but creative diplomacy and force might have overcome terrorism, says the American statesman | By Invitation
Afghanistan: The End of an Era?. (A Twitter thread by @helenacobban) | by Helena Cobban | Project 500 Years | Aug, 2021 | Medium
Afghanistan: The End of an Era?. (A Twitter thread by @helenacobban) | by Helena Cobban | Project 500 Years | Aug, 2021 | Medium: Can we say that what is happening in #Afghanistan is the #EndOfAnEra? Yes, in many different ways… (thread) > First, it’s the end of this 20-year era in US/world politics bracketed by 2 searing…
Coronavirus breakthrough as AstraZeneca hails results of vaccine alternative treatment | Science | News | Express.co.uk
Coronavirus breakthrough as AstraZeneca hails results of vaccine alternative treatment | Science | News | Express.co.uk: A BREAKTHROUGH has been made in the heroic fightback against coronavirus as AstraZeneca has announced the results of its vaccine alternative treatment.
The Great Game in central Asia is over - and America lost | Middle East Eye
The Great Game in central Asia is over - and America lost | Middle East Eye: Biden has very few options to restore US global credibility and counter the rise of the Eurasian power bloc. And all of them are bad
Enough is Enough: Antifa Attacks Reporter in Portland - by Matt Taibbi - TK News by Matt Taibbi
Enough is Enough: Antifa Attacks Reporter in Portland - by Matt Taibbi - TK News by Matt Taibbi: Antifa's influence may be exaggerated, but it's not a mythical Snuffleupagus, either, as they showed in attacking reporter Maranie Staab from our partner News2Share this past weekend.
The Great Game of Smashing Countries - CounterPunch.org
The Great Game of Smashing Countries - CounterPunch.org: As a tsunami of crocodile tears engulfs Western politicians, history is suppressed. More than a generation ago, Afghanistan won its freedom, which the United States, Britain and their “allies” destroyed. In 1978, a liberation movement led by the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) overthrew the dictatorship of Mohammad Dawd, the cousin of King Zahir Shar. It was an immensely popular revolution that took the British and Americans by surprise.
The Real Afghanistan Disaster: The War Was Lost Long Ago - 19FortyFive
The Real Afghanistan Disaster: The War Was Lost Long Ago - 19FortyFive: The media is practically on fire with an invective directed against President Joe Biden for how this inglorious withdrawal from Afghanistan is being conducted. Most critics are implying that absent Biden’s withdrawal, none of this chaos would have happened and the Ghani government and military would have remained in power indefinitely. Those critics are dead […]
Fauci: Early use of monoclonal antibodies can reduce hospitalization, death
Fauci: Early use of monoclonal antibodies can reduce hospitalization, death: COVID-19 sufferers can reduce their risk of hospitalization and death by up to 85 percent if they receive monoclonal antibody treatments in the early stages of their illness.
Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Don’t Blame the Afghans
Don’t Blame the Afghans: If the United States fails to understand its mistakes, it will continue to repeat them.
Centralization Is at the Core of Afghanistan’s Problems – The Diplomat
Centralization Is at the Core of Afghanistan’s Problems – The Diplomat: Can the Taliban learn from history?
As Delta spread, Covid vaccine effectiveness against infection fell to 66%
As Delta spread, Covid vaccine effectiveness against infection fell to 66%: In one study of U.S. frontline workers, the effectiveness of the vaccines at preventing infection fell from roughly 90% to 66%.
Iran articulates nuclear positions ahead of Vienna talks - Tehran Times
Iran articulates nuclear positions ahead of Vienna talks - Tehran Times: TEHRAN – While the new Iranian president, Ayatollah Seyed Ebrahim Raisi, is busy forming his administration, Western countries impatiently ask the new Iranian government to set a date for the resumption of the Vienna nuclear talks.
‘There’s So Much More to Afghanistan’: Khaled Hosseini Reflects on His Birthplace - The New York Times
‘There’s So Much More to Afghanistan’: Khaled Hosseini Reflects on His Birthplace - The New York Times: The author of “The Kite Runner” and “A Thousand Splendid Suns” talks about the pain and frustration of watching the country from afar.
Ray McGovern: War Criminals Welcome at Fordham Law? - Antiwar.com Blog
Ray McGovern: War Criminals Welcome at Fordham Law? - Antiwar.com Blog: John Rizzo, the CIA’s top lawyer, who gave the green light for torture, is dead. My former CIA colleague, John Kiriakou, who knew him well, has written a fitting “encomium.” Kiriakou knew Rizzo well and describes him as “the unapologetic godfather of the CIA’s torture program, a monstrous crime against humanity that he defended unabashedly … Continue reading "Ray McGovern: War Criminals Welcome at Fordham Law?"
In Defense of Monarchies Post the Afghanistan Collapse - Ali Shihabi
In Defense of Monarchies Post the Afghanistan Collapse - Ali Shihabi: With the Afghanistan collapse, the time has come to revisit the Western obsession with promotion of democracy in the Arab and Muslim world.
Iran to move away from nuclear-centered foreign policy - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Iran to move away from nuclear-centered foreign policy - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East: Iran’s likely new foreign minister will not be as focused on the nuclear deal as was his predecessor.
Diplomacy is the only way forward in Afghanistan now - The Boston Globe
Diplomacy is the only way forward in Afghanistan now - The Boston Globe: The Taliban aren’t likely to be America’s friends. But they don’t have to be our enemy either.
White Catholics today condemn slavery. But are they ready to fight its new manifestation—mass incarceration? | America Magazine
White Catholics today condemn slavery. But are they ready to fight its new manifestation—mass incarceration? | America Magazine: While American Catholics today would unequivocally condemn the institution of slavery and Jim Crow segregation, most do not see or work against one of its most prominent present-day manifestations: mass incarceration.
Pollak: 13 Things the Next California Governor Can Do After Newsom Recall
Pollak: 13 Things the Next California Governor Can Do After Newsom Recall: A new California governor will have a short window to make an impact after the recall. Here are 13 things that can be done.
Can burying power lines prevent California’s next big wildfire? | Salon.com
Can burying power lines prevent California’s next big wildfire? | Salon.com: PG&E, one of the country’s largest utilities, wants to put 10,000 miles of lines underground
U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla Applaud SEC Decision to Provide Full PG&E Settlement Funds to Victims of Recent California Wildfires
U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla Applaud SEC Decision to Provide Full PG&E Settlement Funds to Victims of Recent California Wildfires: U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla Applaud SEC Decision to Provide Full PG&E Settlement Funds to Victims of Recent California Wildfires
Vaccine mandates may herald the end of the republic - American Thinker
Vaccine mandates may herald the end of the republic - American Thinker: COVID-19 may end up destroying everything. Everything. Including our way of life. And our prosperity. Or, more accurately stated, the elites' reaction to the virus may do what no previous enemy, foreign...
Enough with the hyperbole: Leaving Afghanistan won't harm America's international standing - U.S. News - Haaretz.com
Enough with the hyperbole: Leaving Afghanistan won't harm America's international standing - U.S. News - Haaretz.com: The United States may no longer be willing to fight an unwinnable war with no vital interests at stake, but that's only part of the story. The real reason for leaving Afghanistan is a broader shift in foreign policy priorities
Three major networks devoted a full five minutes to Afghanistan in 2020 – Responsible Statecraft
Three major networks devoted a full five minutes to Afghanistan in 2020 – Responsible Statecraft: It should be no surprise then, that Americans are shocked at the images of violence and the grim political situation on the ground today.
An 'Extraordinary' Relationship with Ukraine Makes No Sense - by Daniel Larison - Eunomia
An 'Extraordinary' Relationship with Ukraine Makes No Sense - by Daniel Larison - Eunomia: An “extraordinary” relationship between the U.S. and Ukraine is not warranted by American interests or European security.
California Business Headquarters Now Leaving Twice As Fast, With No End In Sight | Hoover Institution
California Business Headquarters Now Leaving Twice As Fast, With No End In Sight | Hoover Institution: Align Technology is a $2.47 billion business revolutionizing orthodontics. Darvis is an artificial intelligence firm creating safer and more efficient hospitals. Moov is the first interactive platform for buying and selling high-technology equipment. The common thread? These remarkable companies are among the 74 known California businesses that have relocated their
Biden Calls on Companies to Mandate COVID-19 Vaccination
Biden Calls on Companies to Mandate COVID-19 Vaccination: President Joe Biden said on Aug. 23 that U.S. companies should impose vaccination requirements. "Today I'm calling on ...
Washington's Arrogance Survives Afghanistan Disaster - Antiwar.com Original
Washington's Arrogance Survives Afghanistan Disaster - Antiwar.com Original: Despite the Afghanistan disaster dominating global headlines, American policymakers don’t seem to realize that they just lost a war. After Washington - Doug Bandow for Antiwar.com Original
How to Calculate Delta-Variant Risks for Children This Fall - WSJ
How to Calculate Delta-Variant Risks for Children This Fall - WSJ: With vaccinations not yet available for children under 12, parents must weigh the risks and benefits of autumn activities, from in-person school to sports, play dates and birthday parties.
FDA Gives Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine Full Approval - WSJ
FDA Gives Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine Full Approval - WSJ: The clearance of the shot is the agency’s first full approval of a Covid-19 vaccine. It comes as U.S. hospitals are seeing a surge in cases tied to the contagious Delta variant.
How Afghanistan withdrawal could lead to a harder policy against China – Responsible Statecraft
How Afghanistan withdrawal could lead to a harder policy against China – Responsible Statecraft: Biden is getting attacked on all sides for putting its 'credibility' on the Taiwan issue at risk. Will he cave to it?
Robert D. Kaplan on why America can recover from failures like Afghanistan and Iraq | The Economist
Robert D. Kaplan on why America can recover from failures like Afghanistan and Iraq | The Economist: A favourable geography gives the United States many advantages over its rivals, including the freedom to make calamitous mistakes | By Invitation
Millions of At-Home Covid Rapid Tests Risk Going Uncounted by US - Bloomberg
Millions of At-Home Covid Rapid Tests Risk Going Uncounted by US - Bloomberg: Popular at-home Covid-19 tests from Abbott Laboratories and Quidel Corp., available without a prescription, were launched without a mechanism for reporting results to health officials, potentially leaving many cases uncounted by authorities as the delta variant spreads around the U.S.
First U.S. COVID deaths earlier -- and in different places -- than previously thought
First U.S. COVID deaths earlier -- and in different places -- than previously thought: Amended death certificates indicate that COVID contributed to the deaths of people in six states, including California, in January 2020, weeks before what is currently considered the earliest U.S. …
Wuhan lab leak theory: How Fort Detrick became a centre for Chinese conspiracies - BBC News
Wuhan lab leak theory: How Fort Detrick became a centre for Chinese conspiracies - BBC News: Apparent Chinese propaganda efforts are spreading ahead of a US report on Covid-19 origins.
Third Pfizer dose 86% effective in over 60s, Israeli HMO says | Reuters
Third Pfizer dose 86% effective in over 60s, Israeli HMO says | Reuters: A third dose of Pfizer (PFE.N)/BioNTech's (22UAy.DE) COVID-19 vaccine was found to be 86% effective in people aged over 60, an Israeli healthcare provider said on Wednesday, citing initial results from a study of thousands of members.
NIH begins study of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and postpartum | National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH begins study of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and postpartum | National Institutes of Health (NIH): Researchers will evaluate antibody responses in vaccinated participants and their infants.
The Coming School Opening Covid Train Wreck | naked capitalism
The Coming School Opening Covid Train Wreck | naked capitalism: Covid warning for the fall: assume the brace position.
U.S. Struggles to Count Its Citizens in Afghanistan as Biden Weighs Withdrawal Delay - WSJ
U.S. Struggles to Count Its Citizens in Afghanistan as Biden Weighs Withdrawal Delay - WSJ: The Biden administration prepared to discuss with allies a withdrawal from Afghanistan beyond an Aug. 31 deadline that left just eight days to evacuate thousands of people.
Plow that Field - The Catholic Thing
Plow that Field - The Catholic Thing: Randall Smith: God has asked us to plant this field, the field we have before us now in the United States of America. And yet we grumble.
Backstories: “The Chosen” - The Catholic Thing
Backstories: “The Chosen” - The Catholic Thing: Brad Miner reviews the new film(s) about Jesus. Without a doubt, it’s the best-ever presentation of the life of our Lord put on film.
The Bitter Fruits of Interventionism – Patrick J. Buchanan – Official Website
The Bitter Fruits of Interventionism – Patrick J. Buchanan – Official Website: One of the principal casualties of Kabul is the establishment's grand vision of a U.S. foreign policy for the new century — where liberalism and democratic capitalism have won the battle for the future, and the U.S., victorious in the Cold War, would lead the world in the realization of a New World Order where…
US military gives Biden a deadline to decide on extending Afghanistan evacuations - CNNPolitics
US military gives Biden a deadline to decide on extending Afghanistan evacuations - CNNPolitics: The US military is advising President Joe Biden that he must decide by Tuesday whether to extend the evacuation in Afghanistan beyond August 31, according to a defense official directly familiar with the discussions, though Biden has yet to make a decision.
$15 drug gets COVID patients off oxygen support in under week – study - The Jerusalem Post
$15 drug gets COVID patients off oxygen support in under week – study - The Jerusalem Post: Fenofibrate could dramatically shorten the treatment time for severe COVID patients.
Covid 19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: Israel claims new treatments could be a 'game-changer' - NZ Herald
Covid 19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: Israel claims new treatments could be a 'game-changer' - NZ Herald: Experts in Israel have been working on new ways to beat Covid.
Notes on the 'Loss' of Afghanistan - by Thomas Neuburger - God's Spies by Thomas Neuburger
Notes on the 'Loss' of Afghanistan - by Thomas Neuburger - God's Spies by Thomas Neuburger: The Taliban are far from unique in Afghan life
Keep The US Embassy In Kabul Open - PopularResistance.Org
Keep The US Embassy In Kabul Open - PopularResistance.Org: I was on the small U.S. Department of State team that reopened the U.S. Embassy in Kabul in December 2001 and strongly feel that if the U.S. really cares for the people of Afghanistan, it should keep the U.S. Embassy open. History reveals that generally when U.S. military strategies don't work such as in Cuba (1959), Viet Nam (1975), Nicaragua (1979 and 2018), Iran (1979) and North Korea (1953), the U.S. closes embassies and wrecks havoc through brutal sanctions on the economies of the countries to have some sort of soul-soothing revenge for the politicians that put the U.S. in conflict with the countries. I’m no supporter of the Taliban, its violence, its treatment of girls and women—and boys and men who don’t agree with them.
Monday, August 23, 2021
Court wants more answers from PG&E by Wednesday – Chico Enterprise-Record
Court wants more answers from PG&E by Wednesday – Chico Enterprise-Record: One day after, Pacific Gas & Electric has to inform Northern District Court Judge William Alsup if it will produce the troubleman who responded to the Dixie Fire, it will have to answer several…
PG&E Slumps After Scrutiny Over California Wildfires Escalates
PG&E Slumps After Scrutiny Over California Wildfires Escalates: (Bloomberg) -- Utility giant PG&E Corp. is once again coming under the spotlight for its role in California’s wildfires, sending its shares falling the most in a week. Regulators threatened to heighten enforcement action against the company for its track record of safety lapses, while a federal judge is probing its role in starting the second biggest-wildfire in the state’s history, which has been raging for more than a month. PG&E shares dropped as much as 4.1% Thursday, the most since Aug. 12.
When The Gospel Gets Flesh And Blood Real – A Sermon On John 6:56-69 – Interrupting the Silence
When The Gospel Gets Flesh And Blood Real – A Sermon On John 6:56-69 – Interrupting the Silence: “But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about [his teaching], said to them, ‘Does this offend you?’” Let’s start there. Who’s offended by today’s gospel (John 6:56-69)? Raise yo…
Niall Ferguson on why the end of America’s empire won’t be peaceful | The Economist
Niall Ferguson on why the end of America’s empire won’t be peaceful | The Economist: As it leaves Afghanistan in chaos, America’s decline mirrors Britain’s a century ago. It may also invite wider conflict, warns a historian | By Invitation
A Strategy for Avoiding Two-Front War | The National Interest
A Strategy for Avoiding Two-Front War | The National Interest: The greatest risk facing the twenty-first-century United States, short of an outright nuclear attack, is a two-front war involving its strongest military rivals, China and Russia. Such a conflict would entail a scale of national effort and risk unseen in generations, effectively pitting America against the resources of nearly half of the Eurasian landmass.
Fuel loading under way at China's HTR-PM : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
Fuel loading under way at China's HTR-PM : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: The loading of spherical fuel elements has begun at the demonstration high-temperature gas-cooled reactor plant (HTR-PM) at Shidaowan, in China's Shandong province. The milestone came one day after the issuance of an operating licence for the twin-unit plant, which is scheduled to start operations later this year.
Amazon: Regrowing Forests Have Offset Less Than 10% of Carbon Emissions from Deforestation | naked capitalism
Amazon: Regrowing Forests Have Offset Less Than 10% of Carbon Emissions from Deforestation | naked capitalism: Unless drastic changes are made to halt deforestation and encourage forests to regrow, the Amazon cannot fulfil its potential to mitigate climate change.
Joe Biden is stealing Republican thunder - The Post
Joe Biden is stealing Republican thunder - The Post: Donald Trump completed his capture of the Republican Party on May 27, 2016 in Anaheim, California — by insulting “a guy, nobody ever heard of this guy.” “I shouldn’t even do this because I build up his name,” Trump told the Golden State crowd. “His name is Bill Kristol.” “I don’t understand,” the future president said [...]Read More...
The Afghan Resistance has begun - UnHerd
The Afghan Resistance has begun - UnHerd: Vengeance is unfurling over a wounded land
Twilight of the American Left - UnHerd
Twilight of the American Left - UnHerd: The dissident 'post-Left' mocks the Democrats' progressive agenda
Russia and America’s overlapping legacies in Afghanistan
Russia and America’s overlapping legacies in Afghanistan: U.S. withdrawal from and Taliban triumph in Afghanistan generate an acute security challenge for Russia, Pavel K. Baev writes in an examination of Russia and America's overlapping legacies in Central Asia.
Pfizer COVID Vaccine Gets FDA Approval : Coronavirus Updates : NPR
Pfizer COVID Vaccine Gets FDA Approval : Coronavirus Updates : NPR: The approval replaces the emergency use authorizations granted last December and could make it easier for employers, the military and universities to mandate vaccination.
‘Becoming Trader Joe’ Review: The Secrets of His Success - WSJ
‘Becoming Trader Joe’ Review: The Secrets of His Success - WSJ: The founder of Trader Joe’s targeted the overeducated and underpaid—people who wanted real maple syrup at a discount.
Remote Work May Now Last for Two Years, Worrying Some Bosses - WSJ
Remote Work May Now Last for Two Years, Worrying Some Bosses - WSJ: The longer that Covid-19 keeps people home, the harder it may be to get them back to offices, executives say.
Pentagon Orders Airlines to Help With Afghan Evacuees as U.S. Weighs New Exit Deadline - WSJ
Pentagon Orders Airlines to Help With Afghan Evacuees as U.S. Weighs New Exit Deadline - WSJ: The Pentagon said it had activated a rarely used program that compels commercial airlines to be used in times of a national emergency.
More Children Are Hospitalized With Covid-19, and Doctors Fear It Will Get Worse - WSJ
More Children Are Hospitalized With Covid-19, and Doctors Fear It Will Get Worse - WSJ: Doctors fear cases will rise further as the Delta variant spreads and schools reopen. “This is different than we saw before,” a hospital official says.
Sunday, August 22, 2021
CEOs got bonuses while workers struggled during the pandemic – Center for Public Integrity
CEOs got bonuses while workers struggled during the pandemic – Center for Public Integrity: CEOs at the largest publicly traded companies earned, on average, 351 times in pay as much as the typical worker in their industry.
Cable News Military Experts Are on Defense Industry Dole
Cable News Military Experts Are on Defense Industry Dole: Many former military and public officials appearing in the news have more than a patriotic interest in a continued occupation.
Three spiritual exercises for facing a long future with Covid-19 | America Magazine
Three spiritual exercises for facing a long future with Covid-19 | America Magazine: It can be dispiriting, even infuriating, to imagine our future with Covid-19. Spiritual exercises inspired by Ignatius can help us become more aware and move past our anger.
(1) Time to Test Your Faith — Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermon - YouTube
(1) Time to Test Your Faith — Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermon - YouTube: Friends, today’s Gospel concludes John’s reflection on the Eucharist. At the end of this remarkable chapter, we are faced with a question that defines the Ch...
In Los Angeles, This Covid-19 Surge Is Different From Earlier Outbreaks - WSJ
In Los Angeles, This Covid-19 Surge Is Different From Earlier Outbreaks - WSJ: The center of the pandemic in the region has moved from poor, crowded neighborhoods to affluent ones with younger populations.
On Anti-Nuclear Bullshit | The Breakthrough Institute
On Anti-Nuclear Bullshit | The Breakthrough Institute: Ted Nordhaus examines the lies and "bullshit" that have become pervasive in anti-nuclear rhetoric.
Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals ex vivo signatures of SARS-CoV-2-reactive T cells through ‘reverse phenotyping’ | Nature Communications
Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals ex vivo signatures of SARS-CoV-2-reactive T cells through ‘reverse phenotyping’ | Nature Communications: The in vivo phenotypic profile of T cells reactive to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2 antigens remains poorly understood. Conventional methods to detect antigen-reactive T cells require in vitro antigenic re-stimulation or highly individualized peptide-human leukocyte antigen (pHLA) multimers. Here, we use single-cell RNA sequencing to identify and profile SARS-CoV-2-reactive T cells from Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. To do so, we induce transcriptional shifts by antigenic stimulation in vitro and take advantage of natural T cell receptor (TCR) sequences of clonally expanded T cells as barcodes for ‘reverse phenotyping’. This allows identification of SARS-CoV-2-reactive TCRs and reveals phenotypic effects introduced by antigen-specific stimulation. We characterize transcriptional signatures of currently and previously activated SARS-CoV-2-reactive T cells, and show correspondence with phenotypes of T cells from the respiratory tract of patients with severe disease in the presence or absence of virus in independent cohorts. Reverse phenotyping is a powerful tool to provide an integrated insight into cellular states of SARS-CoV-2-reactive T cells across
Covid-19: FDA set to grant full approval to Pfizer vaccine without public discussion of data | The BMJ
Covid-19: FDA set to grant full approval to Pfizer vaccine without public discussion of data | The BMJ: Transparency advocates have criticised the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) decision not to hold a formal advisory committee meeting to discuss Pfizer’s application for full approval of its covid-19 vaccine.
Last year the FDA said it was “committed to use an advisory committee composed of independent experts to ensure deliberations about authorisation or licensure are transparent for the public.”1 But in a statement, the FDA told The BMJ that it did not believe a meeting was necessary ahead of the expected granting of full approval.
“The FDA has held numerous meetings of its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) related to covid-19 vaccines, including a 22 October 20202 meeting to discuss, in general, the development, authorisation, and licensure of covid-19 vaccines,” an FDA spokesperson said.
“The FDA also has held meetings of the VRBPAC on all three covid-19 vaccines authorised for emergency use and does not believe a meeting is needed related to this biologics license …
Ivermectin Should Not Be Used to Treat Covid, F.D.A. Says - The New York Times
Ivermectin Should Not Be Used to Treat Covid, F.D.A. Says - The New York Times: “You are not a horse,” the Food and Drug Administration said. “Stop it.”
Will Americans Who Were Right on Afghanistan Still Be Ignored? | naked capitalism
Will Americans Who Were Right on Afghanistan Still Be Ignored? | naked capitalism: Quelle surprise! No one is held accoutable for huge, predictable strategic and moral failures like going to Afghanistan, because profit
Hard Sayings - The Catholic Thing
Hard Sayings - The Catholic Thing: Fr. Paul D. Scalia: To prepare for Communion, seek a proper docility and waxlike disposition so that Christ’s image may be impressed upon us.
Opinion | For the Seventeenth Time, Afghanistan Was Never “Winnable” | Mike Lofgren
Opinion | For the Seventeenth Time, Afghanistan Was Never “Winnable” | Mike Lofgren: Mike Lofgren | Forget what armchair generals say: disaster was foreordained three months into the 2001 invasion.
Opinion | Here’s why the U.S. national security apparatus keeps producing failures - The Washington Post
Opinion | Here’s why the U.S. national security apparatus keeps producing failures - The Washington Post: When it comes to foreign policy, the U.S. government is its own worst enemy.
Can the Taliban bring peace? - UnHerd
Can the Taliban bring peace? - UnHerd: America couldn’t stabilise Afghanistan — perhaps its enemies can
The West has lost its virtue - UnHerd
The West has lost its virtue - UnHerd: We have abandoned the taboos that held us together
The Afghan Resistance has begun - UnHerd
The Afghan Resistance has begun - UnHerd: Vengeance is unfurling over a wounded land
New Kabul Scare: Terror Groups and Anti-Aircraft Missiles - by Jeff Stein - SpyTalk
New Kabul Scare: Terror Groups and Anti-Aircraft Missiles - by Jeff Stein - SpyTalk: No one knows the number of MANPADS left behind in Kabul, if any. But the DoD-linked RAND Corp estimated 4,500 last year.
The Queenship of Mary - Relevant Radio
The Queenship of Mary - Relevant Radio: While August 22nd used to be reserved for the celebration of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pope Paul VI moved it to the Saturday following the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, bringing Jesus