3 Things To Know Today

1 Drawdown Of U.S. Afghanistan Embassy Underway, As Troops Return

As Afghanistan teeters on the brink of collapse, the drawdown at the U.S. embassy continues. It’s not closing, however. All this as the Taliban moves closer. State Department spokesperson Ned Price announced the drawdown as the security situation in Afghanistan is rapidly deteriorating. Reports say thousands of Marines are moving into position for a possible evacuation of the American Embassy. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby says additional American forces are being moved to Afghanistan to assist with evacuation efforts and airport security in Kabul. He called it a "temporary mission with a narrow focus," involving about three-thousand U.S. troops. That’s in addition to the roughly 650 American forces left in Afghanistan. The security situation is rapidly deteriorating as the Taliban continues to overrun Afghan provinces. As we noted, however. The U.S. embassy isn't closing - they're reducing staff.

2 FDA Authorizes Third COVID Vax Dose For Some Immunocompromised People

The FDA is giving authorization for some immunocompromised people to get a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The people who can get a third shot include organ transplant recipients and those diagnosed with conditions considered to have "an equivalent level of immunocompromise." In a press release, the FDA says these people could benefit from a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines. The authorization comes as the Delta variant continues to spread rapidly nationwide, sending COVID cases skyrocketing. But what about the Delta variant? It doesn’t really factor into the equation. Researchers say that the delta variant is two to three times more infectious; on average, one infected person may infect between six and nine people if none of them are vaccinated or had a prior infection. But the boosters are about people who are already dealing with reduced immune response in general.

3 Census: White Population Declining Sharply, Minorities Growing

America's white population shrank to a key mark for the first time in U.S. history. The latest U.S. Census Bureau numbers shows American growth is being driven by minorities and the white population now stands at 58-percent, the first time that they have fallen under the 60-percent mark since the Census was first conducted. The 2010 Census showed whites made up about 63-percent of the population. Since 2010, the Asian population grew by 35-percent, the Hispanic population rose by 23-percent, and the Black population grew five-point-six percent. As for the “why,” there are a few factors at in play. Among other things, Caucasian woman are waiting to have children until later in life – and when they are having them...they’re having fewer children.


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