Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Monday, August 16, 2021:
FALL OF KABUL
LATEST: The Taliban are in control of the capital of Afghanistan for the first time since the 2001 U.S. invasion. Taliban forces swept through Kabul with ease over the weekend, sending the Afghan president fleeing in exile and American helicopters evacuating embassy staff in a chaotic scene reminiscent of the fall of Saigon. Video footage showed Taliban fighters inside the presidential palace after it was vacated by the U.S.-backed government. The American flag is no longer flying over the Kabul embassy as most personnel have now been moved to the airport, where thousands of Afghans have converged in the hopes of getting a flight out of the country. AP
U.S. RESPONSE: Sec. of State Antony Blinken was dispatched to the Sunday shows to defend the White House’s withdrawal from the country, saying the situation that played out over the weekend was “manifestly not Saigon.” Blinken acknowledged that the Afghan government collapsed “more quickly than we anticipated.” The Pentagon is sending another 1,000 troops to Kabul to secure the airport for the continuing evacuation of U.S. personnel. AXIOS
HAITI EARTHQUAKE
At least 1,300 people are dead after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Haiti on Saturday morning. More than 5,000 people were injured and thousands more displaced in a country that was already reeling from the pandemic and gang violence exacerbated by the recent assassination of its president. Local officials have had to negotiate with gangs to allow UN convoys to pass through some areas where humanitarian workers have been attacked. AP
TROPICS WATCH
To make matters worse, Haiti is now in the path of another tropical system. Grace is forecast to move over Hispaniola today, bringing heavy rains that could hamper the earthquake recovery operations. The storm could pose a threat to Texas later in the week. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Fred is forecast to make landfall near Panama City, Fla. later today. Storm surge warnings are in effect across the Florida panhandle. CNN
DELTA LATEST
The Biden administration is considering whether to offer vaccine booster shots to elderly Americans and healthcare workers this fall, as the director of the NIH is warning that the U.S. is on track to see more than 200,000 new cases a day in the next couple of weeks. That would approach the level of new cases the country was tallying at the height of last winter’s surge -- before there were vaccines. POLITICO
IPHONE SEASON
This is the time of year when iPhone users thinking about upgrading should consider holding off. Apple is widely expected to launch new iPhone models next month, a “midcycle” update that is likely to include a better camera, faster speeds and a smaller notch. The industry consensus is that Apple will call it the iPhone 13, despite speculation that the company would skip the “unlucky” number the way some buildings skip the 13th floor. BLOOMBERG
HBO MAX FIX
HBO hears you, and is working on fixing its glitch-prone app. WarnerMedia is reportedly in the process of replacing all its HBO Max smart TV apps in the next few months. The Roku and Playstation platforms are getting fixed first, followed by Apple TV and then the mobile and desktop sites. Unlike other media companies that built their streaming apps from scratch, HBO Max was slapped together on top of the existing HBO GO software, leading to complaints of buggy performance ever since it launched last May. VULTURE
NFL PRESEASON
The first full week of the NFL preseason is in the books. Fans got their first look at this year’s stacked rookie QB class, including Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Mac Jones, debuting to mixed results. The league is opening its second pandemic season with a strict and controversial vaccination incentive -- unvaxxed players risk their teams having to forfeit games -- that appears to be working. According to the NFL, 92% of players are now either vaccinated or in the process of becoming fully vaccinated, up from 74% a month ago. WSJ
RYAN REYNOLDS TO THE RESCUE
The dreary summer box office got a reprieve this weekend, for which theater-owners can thank Ryan Reynolds. The sci-fi comedy Free Guy, starring Reynolds as a bank teller who realizes he’s living inside a video game, opened well above expectations to $28.4 million domestically. The movie had a rare theatrical-only release and benefited from being an original story with no franchise ties, very good reviews and positive word of mouth. Reynolds has already confirmed a sequel is in the works. VARIETY
SPOTTED...
…Suni Lee, posing on the campus of Auburn, where she’s about to start her freshman year after winning the women’s gymnastics all-around in Tokyo: SEE PIC
...Travis Barker, boarding a flight for the first time since he survived a deadly plane crash 13 years ago: SEE PICS
...Amelia Hamlin, 20, meeting up with boyfriend Scott Disick, 38, and his son Mason, 11, for dinner: SEE PICS
LEFTOVERS: FIRST DAY AT WORK
How’s this for getting off on the right foot at your new job: Arizona Diamondbacks rookie pitcher Tyler Gilbert threw a no-hitter in his first major league start, tying the MLB record for most no-no’s thrown in a season in the process. Gilbert is the fourth pitcher ever to throw a no-hitter his first time starting a game, and the first to do it since 1953: WATCH THE LAST PITCH
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