Biden’s Approval Rating Falls Below 50% for First Time amid Chaos in Kabul

The Meals and Drug Administration has granted full approval to the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, after “an extremely thorough and considerate analysis” confirmed the therapy’s security and effectiveness.

“The FDA’s approval of this vaccine is a milestone as we proceed to battle the COVID-19 pandemic,” the performing FDA commissioner, Dr Janet Woodcock, mentioned in an announcement.

Woodcock added, “Whereas this and different vaccines have met the FDA’s rigorous, scientific requirements for emergency use authorization, as the primary FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, the general public will be very assured that this vaccine meets the excessive requirements for security, effectiveness, and manufacturing high quality the FDA requires of an accepted product.”

The FDA’s announcement notes that the vaccine has been absolutely accepted for these 16 and older, whereas it stays out there to these between the ages of 12 and 15 beneath the corporate’s unique emergency use authorization.

Following its FDA approval, the Pfizer vaccine will now be marketed beneath the title Comirnaty.

The weblog could have extra particulars arising, so keep tuned.

The Guardian’s Lucy Campbell stories:

The Taliban has mentioned it won’t comply with an extension of the 31 August deadline for the present evacuation mission.

The 31st was “a crimson line”, Suhail Shaheen, a member of the delegation in Doha, advised Sky Information.

He mentioned the US president Joe Biden had mentioned troops can be out by that date, and lengthening it meant “extending occupation”. He warned of “penalties” if that have been to vary.

He mentioned:

 

It’s a crimson line. President Biden introduced that on 31 August they’d withdraw all their army forces. So in the event that they lengthen it which means they’re extending occupation whereas there isn’t any want for that.

If the US or UK have been to hunt further time to proceed evacuations – the reply is not any. Or there can be penalties.

It should create distrust between us. If they’re intent on persevering with the occupation it is going to provoke a response.

Observe extra of Lucy’s updates on the Guardian’s Afghanistan reside weblog:

The US has helped evacuate about 37,000 folks from Afghanistan over the previous week and a half, in response to the most recent numbers from the White Home.

“From August 22 at 3:00 AM EDT to August 23 at 3:00 AM EDT, 28 U.S. army flights (25 C-17s and three C-130s) evacuated roughly 10,400 folks from Kabul. As well as, 61 coalition plane evacuated roughly 5,900 folks,” a White Home official advised the press pool.

“Since August 14, the U.S. has evacuated and facilitated the evacuation of roughly 37,000 folks. For the reason that finish of July, now we have relocated roughly 42,000 folks.”

The Guardian’s Peter Beaumont and Kate Connolly report:

A firefight between unidentified gunmen and US, German and Afghan guards at Kabul airport has left one Afghan guard useless and three wounded, underscoring the delicate safety state of affairs across the web site.

The battle, which occurred at simply after 7am Kabul time on the north gate of the airfield, began when former Afghan safety forces who’re performing as guards exchanged fireplace with the gunmen. Then German and US forces turned concerned.

Scant particulars of the incident have been disclosed in tweets from the official account of the German Joint Forces Operations Command, Bundeswehr im Einsatz (German forces in motion).

“This morning at 04:13 [central European summer time], a firefight broke out between Afghan safety forces and unknown assailants on the North Gate of #Kabul airport. One Afghan safety drive member was killed and three others wounded.”

It added: “The Afghan safety forces are members of the Afghan military. They’re concerned in securing the airport in Kabul as a part of the multinational operation.”

Greetings from Washington, reside weblog readers.

Joe Biden is going through some of the troublesome factors of his presidency up to now — as he faces criticism over every little thing from Afghanistan to the coronavirus pandemic to infrastructure laws.

An NBC Information ballot launched yesterday confirmed Biden’s approval ranking had fallen beneath 50% for the primary time since he took workplace in January. Solely 25% of Individuals approve of his dealing with of the state of affairs in Afghanistan.

In the meantime, the Home returns to session at present, and the speaker Nancy Pelosi is reckoning with clashing calls for from the reasonable and progressive wings of her caucus.

Whereas progressives wish to prioritize Democrats’ $3.5tn spending package deal because the Home resumes its work, a number of moderates are demanding a direct vote on the bipartisan infrastructure invoice, which handed the Senate earlier this month.

A bunch of Home moderates wrote a Washington Put up op-ed over the difficulty, saying, “We will stroll and chew gum, simply because the Senate did. We will move the infrastructure measure now, after which rapidly take into account reconciliation and the insurance policies from local weather to well being care to common pre-Ok that we imagine are important.”

So Biden has to concurrently get extra Individuals out of Afghanistan and preserve his personal get together collectively in Washington. He has fairly the week forward of him. Keep tuned.