HOT AIR BALLOON FLIGHT

Monday 08.16.21

Some students don't want to go back to in-person school, and it doesn't have anything to do with coronavirus. For them, in a virtual classroom, there's less room for bullying, harassment and toxic social situations. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day.
 

By AJ Willingham

Taliban fighters ride yesterday on a Humvee in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Afghanistan

The Taliban have taken over Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul, which means the entire country and its government are now effectively under the group's control. The presidential palace is also in Taliban hands after Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, ending any attempts to form a transitional government. All commercial flights out of Kabul's main airport have stopped, and as of this morning, there have been reports of violence in that area. Other countries are scrambling to get citizens and personnel out of Afghanistan, and the US has completely evacuated its embassy there. The US defense secretary has approved 1,000 more troops to move into Afghanistan due to the deteriorating security situation, bringing the number of arriving troops to 6,000. This whole situation follows the long US troop drawdown in Afghanistan, which experts predicted would lead to a Taliban resurgence. President Biden is expected to brief the nation on the crisis in the coming days. 

Coronavirus

Coronavirus cases are surging in 40 states, data from Johns Hopkins University shows. With numbers still rising, the director of the NIH worries the US could soon be reporting more than 200,000 new cases a day -- a rate not seen since before vaccines became widely available. In addition to vaccine refusal and a lack of health precautions, experts say a new challenge could come in the form of complacency from people who have "followed the rules," so to speak, and are tired of it. Meanwhile, mask mandates are still stoking political battles. For instance, Texas' Supreme Court sided with Gov. Greg Abbott over a ruling that temporarily blocks local mask mandates recently issued in San Antonio and Dallas. City officials say they will enforce at least parts of the mandates regardless. 

Haiti

More than 1,200 people have died and thousands more are injured after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Saturday. Hospitals have been overwhelmed with patients, and blocked roads have at times made it difficult to move medical supplies and personnel to where they're needed most. The quake has also destroyed or damaged tens of thousands of homes, complicating an already difficult path to recovery. Haiti was already in crisis before the quake as it dealt with the assassination of President Jovenel Moise last month and ongoing struggles with food insecurity, political instability and pandemic issues. While this quake wasn't as damaging as the earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010, the island nation still bears scars from that disaster, as well. 

Weather

Many schools in Florida's Panhandle are closed today as the area braces for the effects of Tropical Storm Fred. As of early this morning, Fred had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph while moving toward the state at 6 mph, with an expected landfall in the western Panhandle this afternoon or early evening. The storm is expected to bring dangerous storm surges, river flooding and possible tornadoes when it reaches the US coast. Fred is one of three Atlantic storms now being monitored by the National Hurricane Center. Tropical Depression Eight formed last night northeast of Bermuda, and Tropical Depression Grace is headed toward Haiti, setting up what could be a devastating complication after this weekend's earthquake. 

China & Russia

The Chinese and Russian militaries have recently teamed up for a series of joint exercises that have allowed them to observe or test out each other's methods and weaponry. Both countries say the exercises mark a high point in bilateral military relations, but outside experts question whether the countries have a shared motive. One expert called the exercises "mostly theater," without a lot of opportunity for either side to engage in activities that actually hone military skills. While China and Russia tout their close ties, another expert says a formal military alliance would actually limit each side's autonomy, which both highly value.

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