Monday, August 16 top stories
It is Monday, August 16. Here are today’s top stories.
On Sunday, Afghanistan fell to the Taliban as a result of the rapid withdrawal of U.S. troops.
The Afghan President Ashfar Ghani and his government’s security forces were unable to stop the Taliban in Kabul.
The president fled the country and members of the Taliban were sitting in his former office.
The Biden administration had to deploy 6,000 troops back into the country to evacuate the U.S. Embassy and to try and control the airport, where there was chaos.
Videos showed Afghan civilians trying to cling on a large military plane as it was taking off. At least seven people were killed, some from falling off the side of the plane. News reports say U.S. troops are controlling the airport for the time being.
People compared the events of Sunday with the fall of Saigon during the end of the Vietnam war.
It is a major embarrassment to the Biden administration on an international scale. Biden was on vacation at Camp David this weekend and returned to the White House this afternoon to give an address.
Biden said in his speech that he stands by his decision to withdraw, saying there is never a good time to withdraw but decided to do it because he did not want to repeat the mistakes of past presidents.
Biden said Afghan political leaders gave up and fled the country and did not even try to fight the Taliban. Biden said it proves that he made the right decision because American troops shouldn’t fight and die for something that Afghan people are not willing to fight and die for by themselves.
Biden said he has authorized 6,000 U.S. troops to remain in the country to secure the airport in Kabul, help to maintain a consulate presence at the airport, and to evacuate U.S. citizens who live in Afghanistan.
Biden said he ran for president on a promise that he would end the war in Afghanistan and prefers to take criticism for the messy situation than to pass the war on to another president.
News reports say many people in Afghanistan are scared of life under Taliban control, as they adhere to a very strict religious interpretation of Islam and do not allow girls to go to school, among other rules.
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On Saturday, the southern part of Haiti was hit by a powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake that destroyed thousands of structures. The death toll is at over 1,400. About 6,000 people were injured.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry said he is focusing aid efforts to go to areas where towns were destroyed and that some hospitals are overwhelmed.
Haiti was hit hard in 2010 by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit closer to the country’s capital city.
The Daily Moth has reached out to some contacts in Haiti to ask about the impact on deaf people. We will share information later.
The Biden administration announced a permanent increase to food assistance benefits. Axios said it is the largest increase in the history of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) with average monthly benefits set to rise by around $36 per person.
There are three storm systems in the Atlantic Ocean.
The first is Tropical Storm Fred, which hit Panama City and Pensacola today, bringing heavy rainfall. The storm will continue moving north.
The second storm is tropical depression Grace, which is near Haiti right now. Many people in Haiti are concerned about the impact from the storm, because they are dealing with the earthquake.
The third storm is a new tropical depression near Bermuda, its name is Henri. It is likely to spin into the northern Atlantic Ocean and away from the U.S. Coast.
On Saturday in Los Angeles, there was an anti-vaccination rally in front of City Hall with over 300 people that turned violent when a man was stabbed and a journalist was kicked. There were confrontations between anti-vax protesters and counter-protesters. The man who was stabbed was hospitalized, but was released.
The LA City Council President Nury Martinez said we have to be able to have differences of opinions without resorting to violence.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2021/08/15/afghanistan-taliban-fighters-enter-kabul/8141644002/
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/taliban-afghanistan-kabul-american-evaucations-2021-08-15/
https://www.axios.com/biden-snap-increase-food-usda-57403469-142c-4a7b-b0d7-f3b6fa1b8b78.html
https://abcnews.go.com/US/tropical-storm-fred-hours-florida-landfall/story?id=79478406
https://apnews.com/article/haiti-earthquake-98f06a322e12f732f94485238d13558c