Biden braces for fallout as his dire warnings of a Kabul terror attack come true

Biden braces for fallout as his dire warnings of a Kabul terror attack come true

Terrorist explosions outside Kabul's international airport on Thursday that killed 12 US service members came after days of public and private warnings from President Joe Biden of a potential attack that could disrupt the massive airlift effort underway there.

How is it the Taliban can prevent civilians from getting to the airport but not armed terrorists?

Your reminder that when four American soldiers were killed in Niger in 2017, Trump's response was to say nothing for 12 days and then call one of the widows a liar. - Jeff Tiedrich

The World Is A Safer Place Without Republicans

• Fox News military correspondent scolds GOP lawmakers: 'It's not a time for woulda, coulda, shoulda'
• Top State Department Diplomat Blames Americans Left in Afghanistan: 'We Put Out Repeated Warnings' to Leave
• German military evacuates Kabul after airport explosions
• Georgia to send national guard to hospitals amid COVID-19 surge
• At least 90,000 students have had to quarantine because of COVID-19 so far this school year
• Trump sued by Capitol police officers over Jan. 6 attack in lawsuit alleging ‘bias-motivated acts of terrorism’: NYT

The “Art of the Deal” guy cut more deals with the Taliban than he did with the Democrats. - cpoliticditto tweet

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John Bolton Chews Up Pompeo's Rhetoric & Spits It Out

Donald Trump's ex-national security advisor John Bolton criticized former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for distancing himself from the Afghanistan withdrawal when he negotiated the deal with the Taliban.

"Trying to extricate yourself from this withdrawal is I think difficult if not impossible to do, especially to rewrite history about what actually happened," Bolton told Politico in a report published Thursday. "I think that's a prescription for Democratic attack ads that would be fatal to someone's credibility."

The GOP is high-fiving after bombs go off in Kabul. Because they are the American wing of the Taliban. - Tim Hannan

Republican Shenanigans

• Conservative host cuts off Trump after he attacks Pfizer for ‘controlling’ the FDA
• Texas Supreme Court sides with Abbott in blocking San Antonio's school mask mandate
• Trump rages at 'pathetic' Capitol riot committee amid reports they want documents on his 'mental stability'
• Texts show William Barr congratulated Trump's impeachment lawyer as his first Senate trial wrapped up: 'You are a STAR'
• Five schools close due to rising COVID cases in Alabama town that hosted Trump rally
• A Florida dad tried to enter a school maskless. When a student confronted him, he assaulted her, police said.
• ‘You never served’: Trump Jr. mocked for tweet claiming troops refusing vaccine will get ‘re-education’
• 'Smoking gun' evidence shows Trump made illegal donation to Florida attorney general's campaign
• Meghan McCain rips Harris for leaving her dad flowers, not focusing on Afghanistan

Republican politicians right now vehemently outraged over the Taliban killing their own citizens...

...are the very same Americans who spent the last two years passing stand your ground laws and making it legal to drive a car through a crowd of protestors. - Stonekettle tweet

Isn't Poisoning Prisoners Against The Law? Apparently Not In Arkansas.

The head doctor at an Arkansas jail has been treating inmates suffering from COVID-19 with ivermectin, a drug commonly used to treat parasites in animals. A version of the same drug has been approved by the FDA for topical diseases in humans, but warned against by the agency as completely unproven—and downright dangerous—in treating the coronavirus.

Still, the drug has been prematurely and widely hyped by conservatives and far-right types—some of whom oppose vaccines—as a sort of latter-day pandemic miracle drug. 

“But the vaccine doesn’t even guarantee you won’t get sick, it really only stops you from dying.” 

Not dying sounds pretty f*cking spectacular, to me. - Angry Staffer tweet

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Rock The Voter News

• Biden to address the nation this evening on deadly explosions in Kabul 
• Pelosi prescription drug bill faces centrist resistance
• Monica Lewinsky Pushed to Include Infamous Thong-Flashing Incident in Impeachment: Crime Story

Desperate Trump Orders Eric To Become Lawyer. - Andy Borowitz

This Is How A Powerful Republican Is Punished
South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg pleaded no contest Thursday to a pair of misdemeanor traffic charges over a crash last year that killed a pedestrian, avoiding jail time despite bitter complaints from the victim’s family that he was being too lightly punished for actions they called “inexcusable.”

FDA withdraws approval for whatever drug Rand Paul is on. - Andy Borowitz

Americans in Afghanistan have long known it was dangerous to be there. In most every cases it is NOT the USA’s fault they are now stuck in a bad situation. News media finger pointing at Biden is over the top and the MSM should be asking why a war they ignored is now so important? - John Dean

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Business/Tech News

• Oil producers push Democrats to preserve key drilling subsidy
• McConnell: Democrats plotting 'complete assault' on economy
• Federal agencies planning to expand use of facial recognition
• Facebook considering formation of election advisory group: report
• Politico to Be Sold to Publishing Group Axel Springer for Amount Reportedly Near $1 Billion

Same people who won't get vaccinated, wear a mask, or wash their hands to protect others against a disease...

...are right now telling you how they would have defended an airport in the middle of a warzone. - Stonekettle tweet

So, How Are Things Going In Covid Infected Florida?
Efforts to keep the sickest COVID-19 patients breathing are draining resources across the state and in Tampa Bay — creating competition between hospitals and municipal water systems for crucial supplies of liquid oxygen.

I wonder about a nation that does more vetting for the host of Jeopardy than for the president. - Jeet Heer tweet

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Odd News

• Fossil confiscated in police raid is one of the most complete pterosaur skeletons ever found
• Woman sentenced to jail, fined for stepping off trail at Yellowstone geyser
• Female hummingbirds look like males to avoid attacks, study suggests
• Virginia woman donates 6 feet, 3 inches of hair to charity
• Australian farmer honors late aunt by arranging sheep into a heart

Time To Deflate Photo

Sky camping in China. Maybe I'd camp there if I could wear a parachute. Maybe.

Peace.

Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Charging $6,500 for Seat on Flight Out of Kabul

Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Charging $6,500 for Seat on Flight Out of Kabul

Blackwater founder Erik Prince is among the growing number of private defense contractors and former spies who are attempting to turn a profit on desperate Afghans who want out of their country before the U.S. shutters its 20-year mission on August 31.

Just so there’s no confusion…

Prince Eric: Husband of Ariel.

Erik Prince: Brother of Cruella de Vil. - OhNoSheTwitnt

The World Is A Safer Place Without Republicans

• Dozens of California students, parents stranded in Afghanistan after summer trip abroad
• U.S. Officials Reportedly ‘Infuriated’ by Two Congress Members Who Went to Kabul: ‘As Moronic as It Is Selfish’
• African American Mayors Association says they'll coordinate with White House, others to take in Afghans
• Jan. 6 Select Committee Probe Zeroes In On Trump Officials With Record Requests

Pro tip: if you sat silent when Trump abandoned Syria and evacuated exactly zero of our Kurdish allies and handed over our military bases to Russia, kindly sit the fuck down and shut the f*ck up and spare us your fake outrage over Afghanistan. Biden is rescuing tens of thousands. - Jeff Tiedrich

Say What? If The Supreme Court Is Going To Enforce Trump's Policies, Then They Should Make Mexico Pay For The Wall!
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday denied President Joe Biden's bid to rescind an immigration policy implemented by his predecessor, Donald Trump, that forced thousands of asylum seekers to stay in Mexico awaiting U.S. hearings.

Why are Republicans cheering for the US to fail in Afghanistan? - Tristan Snell tweet

Republican Shenanigans

• Lindsey Graham: 'I think Joe Biden deserves to be impeached'
• Texas attorney general's own office clears him of bribery, abuse of office allegations
• More than half of Fla. schools defy DeSantis
• Kayleigh McEnany Says When Trump Was President, 'You Didn't See Crisis After Crisis'
• MyPillow launches yet another effort to get Dominion's defamation lawsuit dismissed
• 'He is a perverted narcissistic': Minnesota GOP strategist paid teen girls with cash, gifts for sex, prosecutors say
• FCC proposes $5 million robocall fine against right-wing operatives Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman

Jacob Wohl is 23 years old. He's facing possible prison and $5,100,000 fine for racist voter suppression aimed at black people in five states.

23 years old. 

I mean, this kid is making old white Republican Senators look like rank amateurs. - Stonekettle tweet

Seriously, you’ve got to be pretty stupid to prefer to take horse deworming medication to treat Covid-19 instead of an FDA-approved vaccine to prevent it. - Jon Cooper tweet

Nancy Pelosi Gets The Job Done

The House of Representatives narrowly approved a budget resolution that provides the framework for a $3.5 trillion spending deal following an impasse between House leaders and centrist Democrats that threatened to derail progress on the vast majority of President Biden's domestic agenda.

Tuesday's vote was 220-212 along party lines.

White Golfer Glad He Supported Trump

No mulligans for Jack Nicklaus – in golf or politics. After publicly endorsing former President Donald Trump ahead of the 2020 election, the famed golfer has no regrets.

Last October, Nicklaus tweeted a six paragraph letter preaching his support for Trump. “This is not a personality contest,” the 18-time major champion wrote. “It’s about patriotism, policies and the people they impact. His love for America and its citizens, and putting his country first, has come through loud and clear.”

Let’s be honest..

If Donald Trump had evacuated 24,000 people from Afghanistan in 24 hours, Van Jones would be on TV right now saying “this is the moment he became President” or some sh*t like that. - Santiago Mayer

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Before Facebook & Fox News you would have to go to a bus station lobby at 4am to meet someone who would tell you that vaccines were a government plot meant to destroy us. - Noel Casler

Rock The Voter News

• Biden to convene cybersecurity summit with tech executives
• Biden’s Approval Rating Drops to 41%, Disapproval Up to a Whopping 55% Amid Kabul Crisis: USA Today Poll
• Apathetic voters could hand California recall to Republicans: ‘Folks seem unaware’
• N.Y. governor adds 12,000 deaths to publicized COVID tally on 1st day in office

Let Me Take A Wild Guess, This Doofus Is A Proud Boy.
Police in California say they found a man found passed out in a vehicle and in possession of stolen mail that included 300 recall ballots for the state’s gubernatorial recall election next month. They also reportedly found Xanax, methamphetamine, a loaded handgun, and California drivers’ licenses with other people’s names.

Things won't get "back to normal" until domestic terrorists start going to jail. - Middle Age Riot

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CVS and Chevron joined other large employers, the U.S. military, and some states and universities in requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for many workers. Delta Air Lines is raising health insurance premiums for unvaccinated workers. - Joel Rosen

Business/Tech News

• China Announces Major Shale Oil Discovery
• Afghanistan Coverage Powers Fox News to No. 1 in Weekly Primetime Ratings — Network Tops All Broadcast and Cable Rivals in Rare Feat
• Spirit Airlines says canceled flights cost $50M, hurt bookings
• Woman taken off Spirit Airlines after lighting a cigarette and blowing smoke in passengers' faces
• Top official says LA fire department a 'very hostile work environment' for women

Spirit Airlines be like:

Roundtrip from Tampa to Denver: $7

Carry on + Check in bag: $984 - Antonio Paris

Pfizer CEO Delivers Sobering News

The current COVID-19 vaccines may reach a point where they no longer work against variants, says Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla. 

Bourla went on FOX News’ America’s Newsroom Tuesday to discuss his company’s recent FDA COVID vaccine approval. He explained while the vaccines are effective against the current set of variants, the company is working on a system to develop new vaccines for any new mutations that arise.

Still trying to understand why evacuating over 80,000 people and ending a war that’s older than me is supposed to be a bad thing. - Santiago Mayer

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Yesterday a friend came by to visit and was fully masked. After exchanging greetings from a distance, I asked if he had gotten a vaccine. He smiled and said that Jesus would protect him. I frowned and said Jesus won't protect you but the vaccine will. Then why are you wearing a mask? No answer.

I then asked him what was the most famous quote from Jesus and he proudly replied -- Love Thy Neighbor! I said follow Jesus' advice so you won't give me or anyone the virus. And do not visit me again until you are vaccinated. He was saddened and so was I but I don't want the virus. 

Was that mean of me?

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Odd News

• Rare 'Einstein Ring' captured by Hubble reveals the depths of the universe
• Ancient DNA from a teen girl reveals previously unknown group of humans
• Doctors warn against viral Milk Crate Challenge: 'Real people are getting real injuries'
•  Nirvana Sued for Sexual Exploitation by Baby on 'Nevermind' Album Cover
• Florida house for sale has a giant oak tree at the center

Time To Deflate Photo

Bora Bora in French Polynesia looks like my idea of heaven.

Peace.

Taliban say they won't allow Afghans to leave country, reject evacuation extension

Taliban say they won't allow Afghans to leave country, reject evacuation extension

The Taliban said Tuesday that they would not allow Afghans to leave the country and warned that the US must stick to next week's deadline to pull out, as a frantic Western evacuation operation at Kabul airport picked up the pace

Taliban Name Sean Spicer Press Secretary. - Andy Borowitz

The month after 9-11, I did this meme

The World Is A Safer Place Without Republicans

• White House Announces Nearly 22,000 People Evacuated From Kabul in Past 24 Hours
• CIA Director Reportedly Met With Taliban Leader As Evacuation Deadline Approaches
• Adam Schiff Says It's 'Possible' But 'Very Unlikely' U.S. Can Finish Evacuations by August 31
• Reuters photographer killed in Afghan military retreat, general says, body found mutilated
•  Airbnb will begin housing 20,000 Afghan refugees globally for free.

Update: Between 3AM ET on 8/23 and 3AM ET on 8/24, a total of approximately 21,600 people were evacuated from Kabul. 37 US military flights carried approximately 12,700 evacuees, and 57 coalition flights carried 8,900 people.

Since August 14, the U.S. has evacuated and facilitated the evacuation of approximately 58,700 people. Since the end of July, we have re-located approximately 63,900 people. - The White House posted on Facebook

Taliban To Sell US Data?
As the Taliban settles in to its revived rule in Afghanistan, the group could soon try to strengthen its ties with international powers like Pakistan and China, Politico reports. One way they might go about a friendship offering? Selling data that's been left behind during the United States' evacuation.

CIA Begrudgingly Impressed By How Well They Trained Future Taliban Members In 1980s. - The Onion

We didn't "lose" Afghanistan so much as Donald Trump gave it to the Taliban, all wrapped up in a nice big f*cking bow. - Jeff Tiedrich

Republican Shenanigans

• House Republican Compares Pelosi to the Gestapo for House Mask Mandate: ‘I Call Her a Gestapelosi’
• DeSantis Responds to AP Letter, Says They Got ‘Deserved Blowback’ for ‘Partisan Smear Piece’
• Trump Tells Alabama Rally Crowd He Recommends the Covid Vaccine, But Then Pivots Back to Talk About ‘Freedom’ After Some Booing
• Stephen A. Smith Hilariously Roasts Anti-Vaxxers Taking Livestock Medicine: 'You Are Not a Horse…You're a Jacka**'
• Candace Owens Facing $20M Defamation Lawsuit for Claiming GOP House Candidate Kim Klacik Was a Strip Club Madame, Money Launderer
• Tucker Carlson Says He Agrees With Guest Arguing 'A Lot of What the Left Supports Is Satanic'
• Meade County experiencing 36% weekly test-positivity rate eight days after the Sturgis Rally ended

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally did not interrupt even one Mensa gathering. - Kona Lowell

 

FDA Approval of Pfizer Vaccine Convinces 19 Year Old

It was the Food and Drug Administration's Monday announcement that it has granted full approval to Pfizer and BioNTech for their COVID-19 vaccine that convinced 19-year-old Cailin Magee to line up at a vaccine clinic at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and get the shot.

"I was being ignorant. There's really no running away from it anymore," Magee told CBS News' David Begnaud.

The way Kristi Noem is running South Dakota we’re going to end up with just one Dakota. - Mayo tweet

Florida's Kindergarteners Offer To Explain Mask Issue to DeSantis. - Andy Borowitz 

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Rock The Voter News

• Andrew Cuomo Officially Resigns as New York Governor
• On eve of VP Harris trip, Vietnam tells China it does not pick sides
• Jill Biden Staffer Demands Apology from Fox News Host over ‘Disgusting’ Comments

Hillary Clinton is currently chartering flights to evacuate vulnerable families and women from Afghanistan. 

But you didn’t know that cause the media is too busy letting Mike Pompeo blame Biden for the deal he negotiated. - Santiago Mayer

I Hope VP Harris Won't Get Zapped By The Havana Syndrome

Vice President Kamala Harris pushed ahead with a trip to Vietnam on Tuesday after delaying the visit over concerns due to an unexplained health incident potentially related to the mysterious Havana Syndrome.

If Stacey Abrams was in charge of getting people vaccinated we’d have full herd immunity within weeks. - John Fugelsang

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Business/Tech News

• Nursing shortage: Hospital offers $40K sign-on bonus
• Passenger dies of COVID-19 amid outbreak on Carnival cruise ship
• U.S. agency created to counter China’s New Silk Road: We don't do 'debt-trap financing'
• Unvaccinated Americans hospitalized with COVID-19 cost the U.S. health care system $2.3 billion in June and July: report

Defense Contractors Fear Afghan Collapse Could Have Chilling Effect On Stupid Wars. - Andy Borowitz

Just Pass The Infrastructure Bill, Already!
House Democrats advanced an agreement Tuesday to move forward with infrastructure and budget bills on separate tracks, solving an impasse with centrists including Rep. Jared Golden of Maine who rebelled against a plan to link votes on the two measures.

We’re all sick of Donald Trump. But ignoring him won’t make him go away. Ignoring him will make our democracy go away. - Glenn Kirschner

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Me, yesterday.

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Odd News

• Blue whales returning to Spain’s Atlantic coast after 40-year absence
• Large jellyfish in Crimea drive tourists away
• Half a dozen students at a German university had their limbs turn blue and police think someone may have poisoned a campus kitchen
• Man skates across Canada to save the bees, break Guinness record
• Hot air balloon festival earns world record with 524 simultaneous launches

Time To Deflate Photo

Ostriches are umbrellas, too.

Peace.