1 Governor Abbott Tests Positive For Coronavirus
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is isolating after testing positive for coronavirus. The Governor's Office announced the test result saying he's fully vaccinated and not experiencing symptoms. They also noted Abbott gets tested for COVID every day and this is the first positive result. The governor held an event last night in North Texas tweeting out it was "standing room only." So far, Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott has tested negative. "The Governor has been testing daily, and today was the first positive test result," an Abbott spokesperson says in a statement. "Governor Abbott is in constant communication with his staff, agency heads, and government officials to ensure that state government continues to operate smoothly and efficiently."
2 Taliban 2.0: U.S. Will Not Be Harmed On Afghan Soil
The Taliban is looking to ease concerns that their return to power will provide a safe harbor for terrorists and move women's rights back into the Dark Ages. At a press conference – their first since the fall of the established government – Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said no one will be hurt in Afghanistan. Mujahid also said the group “doesn't hold any grudges,” adding all interpreters and contractors have been "pardoned." He maintains that women’s rights will be respected...though they will be expected to live under Sharia law. Perhaps ironically, that statement was said and later, a woman was reportedly found in a pool of blood on a Kabul street yesterday...allegedly killed for not wearing a head covering. Mujahid also insisted the Taliban welcomes independent media to critique their work.
3 NoCal’s Caldor Fire Explodes As Dixie Fire Burns Toward Mountain Communities
California's Office of Emergency Services says nearly 17-thousand people have been forced to evacuated from active fire zones. Nearly 12-thousand of those evacuated are in Lassen and Plumas counties, in the northern part of the state, where the Dixie Fire continues to rage. More than 24-hundred residents in El Dorado County are facing fresh evacuation orders near the Caldor Fire. This, as residents of Grizzly Flats, Somerset, Sly Park and Pollock Pines area residents have already been ordered to leave. The Caldor Fire ignited Saturday in the Omo Ranch area and has now burned more than 65-hundred acres with no containment. More evacuations are anticipated as the Fire burns north. Meanwhile, the massive Dixie Fire in Northern California is growing in the Plumas and Lassen national forests. The 604-thousand acre fire remains 31-percent contained.