Photo: Science Photo Library RF
1 Military Mission In Afghanistan Will Conclude On August 31st
President Biden delivered a speech on yesterday. The major speech was from the White House and was about the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. The president defended his decision to withdraw troops, giving a finite deadline that the "military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on August 31st." He also urged the Afghan government and the Taliban to come to a preach agreement, saying “We did not go to Afghanistan to nation build. Afghan leaders have to come together and drive toward a future.” In response to those wanting the U.S. to extend the military operation, President Biden retorted, “How many more, how many more thousands of American daughters and sons are you willing to risk? I will not send another generation of Americans to war in Afghanistan, with no reasonable expectation of achieving a different outcome.” After he finished with his prepared remarks, President Biden answered questions from the press. One question was if this drawdown of troops in Afghanistan would make a takeover of the Taliban "inevitable." The President's answer? "No." He explained that it is not inevitable due to both the size of the Afghan forces and how well trained they are.
2 Elsa Marches Into New England
The tropical storm warnings continue for the East Coast as Elsa continues to move north. The storm is expected to move quickly through the Northeast through today, with warnings reaching New England now too. With her, she'll bring flooding, heavy rain, gusty winds, and a threat of isolated tornadoes. The majority of the East Coast, all the way up to Massachusetts, has a tropical storm warning through Friday. Wind gusts were already measured at 45 to 60 mph yesterday along the coast spanning from near Myrtle Beach, SC to just south of Wilmington, North Carolina. Elsa is expected to remain steady strength as it continues to move north.
3 More Victims Recovered From Condo Collapse
Workers are still digging into Surfside condo collapse two weeks later and have discovered 10 more victims in the rubble, raising the death total to 64. Unfortunately, 76 people still remain unaccounted for. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is urging anyone who has videos or photos of the collapse to share them with authorities as evidence. Governor Ron DeSantis is working with lawmakers to provide tax waivers and other forms of aid to the survivors of the collapse. "We want to do all we can for the survivors and family members and get them on their feet as soon as we can. Pretty soon there won't be cameras here, but we know the needs will continue."