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Chaos in Kabul

Laura L. Davis   | Paste BN

After the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan is in chaos as thousands try to flee Kabul. Earthquake-devastated Haiti is scrambling to help victims as Tropical Depression Grace bears down. And Tropical Storm Fred made landfall in Florida while Henri grew stronger.

👋 Hey there! It's Laura, and I've got a bunch of news for your Monday, so let's get to it.

But first, hey cows, stop stompin'! 🐁 Cows are stomping on the endangered New Mexico jumping mouse, and the U.S. Forest Service is getting blamed for it after spending millions to try and protect the tiny creature.

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Biden stands by decision to leave Afghanistan

Thousands of Afghans desperate to flee their besieged country poured onto the runways at Kabul’s international airport on Monday and swarmed a departing U.S. military jet in a horrific tableau that President Joe Biden described as "gut-wrenching" even as he defended his decision to withdraw American forces. At least seven people died in the mayhem one day after the Afghan government collapsed and the country plunged deeper into chaos. In Washington, Biden said in an address to the nation that the events "sadly proved" that no amount of military force would stabilize Afghanistan. Biden has faced harsh criticism over his strategy for winding down the nearly 20-year-old war in Afghanistan. Biden, however, said that the U.S. had given the Afghans every chance to determine their own future. "I stand squarely behind my decision," he added.

  • Afghanistan falls: Nearly two decades after the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, the nation's capital fell back under Taliban control. Defying expectations, the Taliban seized nearly all of Afghanistan in a short time, despite the billions of dollars spent to build up Afghan security forces. 
  • How did the Taliban retake Afghanistan so quickly? Though many experts expected Kabul to fall, the speed of the capital's collapse clearly caught the Biden administration off guard.
  • Pleas for help to escape Kabul: Over the last 24 hours, Afghan women, journalists, human rights advocates and former translators for the U.S. military have flooded U.S.-based refugee groups with messages seeking a way out of Kabul amid the chaos.
  • Many fear Taliban will again support terrorism: As the Taliban retakes control, many fear the militant Islamic group will reinstitute extremist policies, including support for terrorism. 
  • Why was the U.S. in Afghanistan? The U.S. had troops there since October 2001 under President George W. Bush after the 9/11 terror attacks on the World Trade Centers and the Pentagon. 

Haitians scramble for shelter

Thousands of Haitians were scrambling to find shelter Monday as a tropical depression bore down on the tiny nation devastated by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. The death toll from Saturday's temblor stood at almost 1,300; thousands more people were injured. Over 7,000 homes were destroyed, and another 5,000 were damaged. Hospitals, schools, offices and churches were also left shattered by the quake. Social media buzzed with urgent requests for help. "We need to get the people affected by the earthquake tents ASAP," tweeted political activist Kinsley Jean. "A tropical storm is coming, and most of them are sleeping outside." Tropical Depression Grace brought high winds and heavy rains to Haiti, which could see up to 15 inches of rain in some areas before the storm passes.

What everyone's talking about

Where did these kids go?

They rarely signed into online courses. Never turned in an assignment. Never appeared in Zoom videos. Their schools have no idea where they are – or even, in some cases, whether they still live in the U.S. Over the next few weeks, most of the nation's school districts will open for fully in-person instruction. But how many will return is still a mystery. While some students logged in from home and tried their best with the pandemic's online schooling, thousands disappeared altogether. But coming back to school poses formidable hurdles, like negative coronavirus tests and daily health screenings. In communities across the country, educators and leaders have embarked on an unprecedented quest to find missing students, in hopes of reengaging them in formal education – before it's too late.

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Food stamps benefits got a boost

After the U.S. Department of Agriculture finished a review that determined existing benefits are too low to pay for a healthy diet, needy families will get a permanent increase in their food stamps benefits under an expansion of the program announced Monday. This means benefits for about 42 million program participants will increase by more than 25% when it kicks in on Oct. 1. Beneficiaries in what is known as the SNAP program will receive an average bump of about $36.24 per month. In the months leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, the average monthly benefit was hovering around $121 per person, according to the Agriculture Department. That soared in 2020 and 2021, as Congress passed temporary benefit expansions, but the increase announced Monday is a permanent adjustment.

Real quick

Tropical Storm Fred made landfall as Henri grows stronger

With maximum sustained winds of 65 mph, Tropical Storm Fred made landfall Monday near Cape San Blas, Florida, in the eastern part of the Panhandle after roaring across the Gulf of Mexico, triggering tropical storm and storm surge warnings. Meanwhile, swirling around in the Atlantic Basin, lining up behind Fred were Tropical Depression Grace and the newly formed Tropical Storm Henri. At least two of these could hit the U.S. coast this week.

👉Catch up on the latest updates from the tropics here.

Bob Dylan accused of sexually abusing 12-year-old

According to a lawsuit filed Friday, Bob Dylan is being accused of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in 1965. The 80-year-old singer allegedly groomed, sexually abused and threatened physical violence against the plaintiff, identified only as "J.C." in the court documents, which also claim that Dylan "exploited his status as a musician" to illegally provide drugs and alcohol to the underage girl. A spokesperson for Dylan said that "the 56-year-old claim is untrue and will be vigorously defended."

A break from the news

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