HOT AIR BALLOON FLIGHT

Thursday 08.19.21

The red-hot housing market that has created so much stress and competition for homebuyers could be cooling off soon, if some signs are to be believed. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day.
 

By AJ Willingham

People board a Spanish airforce A400 plane as part of an evacuation plan at Kabul airport in Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Countries are still racing to evacuate their citizens from Afghanistan and potentially accommodate an influx of Afghan refugees fleeing Taliban rule. Air carriers from the US, Pakistan and other countries have helped fly hundreds of people to safety. Desperate Afghans and their families are still crowding the airport in the capital city of Kabul, and 12 people have been killed there in the chaos following the city's fall to the Taliban. Driving the desperation is a fear of what life will be like under renewed Taliban rule. Though the Taliban has tried to present an image that's more progressive and restrained than before, the group repressed millions during its rule from 1996 to 2001, and violent punishments were common. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden's decisions regarding the chaotic US troop withdrawal in Afghanistan are under mounting scrutiny. 

Coronavirus

US Covid-19 hospitalization rates have now hit record highs for all age groups under 50. The most affected groups are people 30 to 39, and children under 18. Hospitalizations for both of these groups are 30% above their previous peak, according to the CDC data. Overall, hospitalization numbers are climbing, but are still below the US' worst pandemic moments this January. However, at this rate, experts predict we could surpass even those grim statistics within a month. The Biden administration has announced that Covid-19 vaccine booster shots will be offered to eligible Americans beginning September 20, subject to authorization from the FDA. While these shots apply to the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines, the US surgeon general has said those who got the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine will likely also need another dose. 

Extreme weather

Hurricane Grace is expected to hit Mexico's Yucatan peninsula this morning after sweeping through the Caribbean as a tropical storm. It will bring with it dangerous winds, rain and possible storm surges, and is expected to strengthen as it moves past the area on Friday. Then, it could threaten Mexico's mainland as a Category 1 storm. Fred is still battering the eastern US with rain after being downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone. In North Carolina, 35 people are unaccounted for after the system brought severe flooding. And there's another storm to look out for: Tropical Storm Henri could make landfall in the US northeast this weekend. Meanwhile, hospitals in Haiti are completely overwhelmed by patients after Saturday's 7.2-magnitude earthquake, and the recent bout of extreme weather in the region is making rebuilding efforts even harder. 

Facebook

Facebook announced it has taken action against the so-called "disinformation dozen," a group of people named by the White House as being responsible for a majority of coronavirus misinformation. Monika Bickert, vice president of content policy at Facebook, said the company has removed more than three dozen pages, groups and accounts from Facebook and Instagram related to these entities. The White House and Facebook still seem to be at odds over this issue, though. In Facebook's announcement, Bickert pushed back on the White House's contention that these 12 people were primarily responsible for the spread of vaccine misinformation. After the announcement, a White House spokesperson continued to strongly criticize the company, implying Facebook needed to be more honest and transparent to protect public health.

Russia

New satellite images show Russia may be preparing another test of its nuclear-powered cruise missile, known as "Skyfall." The controversial weapon is designed to defeat US defense systems. Experts say it's not just the danger of the missile itself that is cause for concern here. Using nuclear power to test these weapons could pose a danger to the surrounding environment, leading some to call this weapon a "flying Chernobyl." Researchers have been monitoring the test site, located in the Arctic Circle, in recent months. Russia has been modernizing its strategic nuclear weapons and delivery systems to counter US and NATO and raise its profile as a major military power, stoking fears of another nuclear arms race. 

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Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost welcome a baby
It's a boy for the power couple! 

Disney Parks' new 'Genie' app helps you skip lines. But you'll have to pay
A dream is a wish your heart makes ... and your wallet pays for. 

A woman found a big ol' python hanging out in the spice aisle at her local grocery store 
He looks so lost! (Unsurprisingly, this is in Australia.)

The Girl Scouts are bringing us a new cookie that tastes like a brownie
Say no more. We'll take 12 boxes. 

Nando's closes 45 restaurants in the UK after running short of chicken
Have you ever HAD Nando's? It's delicious and this is seriously a bummer. 

in memoriam

Sean Lock, iconic British comedian, has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 58. Mourning his death, fellow comic Ricky Gervais called Lock "one of the most influential comedians of a generation."

40 million

That's how many past or prospective customers are affected by the recent T-Mobile data breach. No customer financial information appears to have been exposed. The stolen personal information includes names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and driver's license numbers.

I realize we are still in the fight and I must do my part.

Garth Brooks, who has canceled several upcoming shows because of the resurgence of the pandemic. 

A little lute love
Enjoy Argentine lutist Evangelina Mascardi's incredible (and incredibly dextrous) performance of Bach's lute partita in C minor. I lost count of the strings, but baroque lutes typically had around 24! (Click here to view)