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 | | | A 'tenuous situation' in Kabul | | Secretary of State Antony Blinken will address evacuation efforts in Afghanistan, COVID-19 closes a Texas town and more news to start your Wednesday. | | |
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| Good morning, Daily Briefing readers! Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to provide details on how many Americans have left Afghanistan, and how evacuation efforts project moving forward. |
| And, take some time to unwind at a National Park today — admission is free to celebrate the National Park Service's 105th anniversary. |
| It's Julius here, with Thursday's news. |
| 🔵 New this morning: 11 days after Haiti was struck by a massive earthquake, miracles and tragedies remain as determined Haitians maintain hope and determination. |
| 🔵 The Supreme Court ruled President Biden may not suspend the policy that forces migrants to wait in Mexico while U.S. officials process their asylum claims. |
| 🔵 As many as nine victims of the 98 who died in the Surfside condo collapse might have survived the initial cave-in, but were not found by rescue teams, an investigation shows. |
| 🗳️ House Democrats passed a major voting-rights bill, which aims to restore DOJ review of changes in election law in states with a history of discrimination. |
| 🎧 On today's 5 Things podcast, hear how COVID-19 vaccine efficacy might be dropping as the delta variant surges through the country. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker. |
Blinken to provide update on Afghanistan |
| Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday will provide an update on how many Americans are still in Afghanistan and how many have gotten out, as well as evacuation projections. On Tuesday, President Joe Biden said the U.S. is on track to complete its withdrawal of military forces by the Aug. 31 deadline but is preparing contingency plans in case the Taliban does not cooperate with the evacuations. The president added that although the Taliban has worked with the U.S. to ensure the evacuation of Americans, it's a "tenuous situation," pointing to gunfighting that has broken out. "We run a serious risk of it breaking down as time goes on." |
 | | President Biden said the U.S. is still on track to leave Afghanistan by its Aug. 31, but is also preparing contingency plans. | | USA TODAY graphic | |
Rudy Giuliani associate expected to plead guilty in finance conspiracy case |
| Igor Fruman, an associate of Rudy Giuliani charged in a campaign finance conspiracy, is expected to plead guilty Wednesday , according to court documents. Fruman, who was charged in 2019 with partner Lev Parnas and two others, worked with Parnas in Giuliani's effort in Ukraine to find damaging information on then-presidential candidate Joe Biden. Notice of Fruman's intent to change his not guilty plea was filed Monday in federal court in Manhattan where he has been charged with funneling foreign money to U.S. political campaigns. As part of their work for Giuliani, Fruman and Parnas helped former President Donald Trump's personal attorney meet a Ukrainian prosecutor to push for an investigation of Biden, then Trump's then political rival. |
What else people are reading |
| 🔒 Town shuts down: The small town of Iraan, Texas, has essentially shut down due to a COVID-19 outbreak. |
| 💉 'Keep your guard up': CDC studies are showing waning COVID-19 vaccine efficacy as the delta variant sweeps the U.S. |
| ⛔ Vice President Kamala Harris trip delayed: The vice president's trip to to Vietnam on Tuesday was delayed after her office was made aware of a possible case of the so-called Havana syndrome. |
| 📉 Biden's approval rate: President Joe Biden's approval rate is down to 41% after the most recent developments in Afghanistan. |
| 🔵 Charlie Watts dies: The drummer who provided the backbone of the Rolling Stones' songs for more than half a century has died. He was 80. |
 | | Charlie Watts, the drummer who provided the backbone of the Rolling Stones' songs for more than half a century, has died, his publicist said. He was 80. | | USA TODAY graphic | |
Aaliyah's life, music return to focus on anniversary of her death |
| Singer Aaliyah died 20 years ago Wednesday in a plane crash in the Bahamas. She was 22 years old. The anniversary of her death comes as R. Kelly's trial for sex trafficking continues in New York. Aaliyah is one of six women named by the prosecution in the charges against Kelly, who illegally married the singer when she was 15 and he was 27. Last week, Aaliyah's sophomore album "One in a Million" hit streaming services after years of disagreement between her estate and Barry Hankerson, the late artist's uncle and founder of label Blackground Records. |
Go to a National Park for free |
| The National Park Service is celebrating its 105th anniversary Wednesday with free admission to all 423 sites, which include much more than national parks. President Woodrow Wilson established the Park Service on Aug. 25, 1916. Aug. 25 is one of three remaining free entrance days at national parks this year. The others are National Public Lands Day on Sept. 25 and Veterans Day on Nov. 11. |
 | | Yosemite Falls is one of the park's most iconic landmarks | | iStock / GarysFRP | |
MLS All-Star Game to feature top players in US, Mexico's Liga MX |
| Star players from Major League Soccer and Mexico's Liga MX will take part in a groundbreaking All-Star game Wednesday night at Los Angeles' Banc of California Stadium (9 p.m. ET on FS1 and TUDN/Univision). The combined All-Star game is the latest step in the growing relationship between the two leagues, representing the third major shared event between MLS and Liga MX, joining the Leagues Cup and the Campeones Cup. The Seattle Sounders have the most representatives on the MLS All-Star team with six, with Seattle midfielder Cristian Roldan — whose brother Alex is also on the team — serving as captain. |
ICYMI: Some of our top stories published Tuesday |
| ✈️ Members of Congress in Kabul: Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Mich. arrived at the airport in Kabul on Tuesday, stunning U.S. officials and military. |
| ⚽ Carli Lloyd's retirement: Soccer star says the decision means "Mrs. Hollins" can go out into the world. |
| 💉 Kids and COVID-19: Pfizer's vaccine is FDA-approved for adults, but it's still a "no-no" to vaccinate kids under 12, experts say. |
📸Photo of the day: Tokyo Paralympics get underway📸 |
 | | Japan's Yui Kamiji, centre, Shunsuke Uchida, right, and Karin Morisaki light the Paralympic cauldron during the opening ceremony for the 2020 Paralympics at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama) ORG XMIT: TOK572 | | Shuji Kajiyama, AP | |
| The Paralympics in Tokyo began Tuesday with the event's opening ceremony. The lighting of the Paralympic cauldron was done by Japan's Yui Kamiji, center, Shunuske Uchida, right, and Karin Morisaki. |
| To see more highlight's from the Tokyo Paralympics Opening Ceremony, check out this gallery. |
| The Daily Briefing is free, but several stories we link to in this edition are subscriber-only. Please support our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today. |
| Contributing: The Associated Press |
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