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Afghanistan updates: Top Pentagon officials speak to war veterans: ‘It was not in vain’

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Haroon Sabawoon/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

(KABUL, Afghanistan) — With the U.S. military and diplomatic withdrawal now complete after 20 years in Afghanistan, the Taliban has taken over the country, including the Kabul airport, the site of an often-desperate evacuation effort the past two weeks.

But even as the last American troops were flown out to meet President Joe Biden’s Aug. 31 deadline, other Americans who wanted to flee the country were left behind and the Biden administration is now focused on a “diplomatic mission” to help them leave.

When President Joe Biden sat down with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos for an exclusive one-on-one interview at the White House on Aug. 18, he said he was committed to keeping the U.S. military in Afghanistan as long as needed. “If there are American citizens left, we’re going to stay until we get them all out,” he said.

Here are the latest developments. All times Eastern:

Sep 01, 3:43 pm
Officials ‘haunted by choices’ at airport, ‘majority’ of SIVs left behind: State Department official

As the State Department shifts to help Americans and Afghans left behind evacuate, a senior official conceded the evacuation efforts weren’t “pretty, it was very challenging. … It involved some really painful tradeoffs and choices for everybody involved.”

“Everybody who lived it is haunted by the choices we had to make and by the people we were not able to help depart in this first phase of the operation,” a senior State Department official who was on the ground at the airport in Kabul told reporters late Wednesday morning.

But the official praised the “heroic” consular officers who processed those who entered the airport and at times walked the line looking through the massive crowds for U.S. passports and Green cards — and offered some explanations for what went wrong and arguing those crowds outside the gates bordered on “mob violence.”

The official said, based on anecdotal evidence, that “the majority” of Special Immigrant Visa holders were left behind — those Afghan interpreters, guides and others who helped U.S. forces and applied for a visa — along with their families.

“We feel an enormous commitment to keep faith with all of the people to whom we owe this debt, and we’re going to continue to do everything we can in the coming weeks and months to fulfill that commitment and to help those who wish to leave Afghanistan to do so.”

The official declined to provide more details on what that looks like just yet.

Sep 01, 2:25 pm
’Possible’ US will partner with Taliban against ISIS-K

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, asked about the relationship between the U.S. and Taliban going forward, given their recent and uneasy cooperation during the evacuation mission, offered a pragmatic view, without sugar-coating the militant group.

“We don’t know what the future of the Taliban is. But I can tell you from personal experience that this is a ruthless group from the past, and whether or not they change remains to be seen,” Milley said. “And as far as our dealings with them at that airfield or in the past year or so, in war, you do what you must in order to reduce risk to mission and force, not what you necessarily want to do.”

Asked whether the U.S. might coordinate with the Taliban against ISIS-K, the terror group responsible for a suicide bomber attack last week which that killed 13 U.S. service members and 170 Afghans, Milley said, “It’s possible.”

Defense Secretary Austin then chimed in, “I would not want to make any predictions.”

Sep 01, 1:48 pm
Top US general to forces: ‘Your service mattered’

Chariman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley vowed that the Pentagon will continue it counterterrorism efforts despite not having troops on the ground in Afghanistan, echoing President Biden’s remarks from Tuesday in saying the U.S. mission has changed over time.

“For the past 20 years, there’s not been a major attack on our homeland. And it is now our mission to ensure that we continue our intelligence efforts, continue our counterterrorism efforts, continue our military efforts to protect the American people for the next 20 years,” he said.

Milley said that as of Wednesday morning, approximately 20,000 Afghans have arrived at eight different military bases in the continental U.S. and more refugees are on the way. Since the evacuation mission began, he said 124,334 people were airlifted out of Afghanistan by the U.S. and partners.

“Those 124,000, they never knew the 13 who died, and they will never know the 22 who were wounded or the thousands of dead and thousands of wounded who came before them. But they will now live in freedom because of American blood shed on their behalf,” Milley said.

The top U.S. general closed his remarks with a message for service members.

“We’re all conflicted. Feelings of pain and anger, sorrow and sadness, combined with pride and resilience,” he said. “One thing I am certain of: For any soldier, sailor, Marine and their family, your service mattered, and it was not in vain.”

Sep 01, 1:26 pm
Top Pentagon officials speak on Afghanistan withdrawal

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke on the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years from the Pentagon on Wednesday, offering his thanks to U.S. forces and their families.

“We have concluded our historic evacuation operation and ended the last mission of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. America’s longest war has come to a close,” he said.

Austin hailed the historic evacuation effort in an “immensely dangerous” environment over the past few weeks. He reminded that 2,461 troops were killed in Afghanistan, as well as the more than 20,000 injured — “some still carrying the scars that you can’t see on the outside.”

“Our forces risk their own lives to save the lives of others. And 13 of our very best paid the ultimate price. Many of them were too young to personally remember the 9/11 attacks,” he said. “The United States military will always honor their heroism.”

Speaking directly to Afghan war veterans and their families, Austin said he understands it’s been a difficult time but said he hopes they can look back at the long conflict with “thoughtfulness and respect.”

“I’ve heard strong views from many sides in recent days, and that’s vital. That’s democracy. That’s America,” he said. “As we always do, this department will look back clearly and professionally, and learn every lesson that we can.”

“Right now, it’s time to thank all those who served in this war,” he added.

Sep 01, 12:30 pm
Putin says US achieved ‘nil’ in Afghanistan war 

Russian President Vladimir Putin again poured scorn on the U.S. military’s 20-year presence in Afghanistan, saying on Wednesday the nation achieved “nil” in an attempt to “civilize the local people.”

“The only result is tragedies and losses for those who were doing that, the United States, and especially for the people who live in the territory of Afghanistan. This is a nil result, not to say a negative one,” Putin said to teenagers at an educational facility in Russia.

Putin, who has previously said Russia has no plans to deploy troops to the country the Soviet Union once occupied but then was forced to retreat from in 1988 and 1989, claimed the U.S. approach to Afghanistan was flawed in that it tried to instill Western norms on Afghan people.

It is “impossible to impose anything from outside,” he said.

Russia, as well as China, have not yet formally recognized the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate governing power but have generally shown more of a willingness to work with the militant group than have other nations.

-ABC News’ Tanya Stukalova

Sep 01, 11:44 am
Sole province uncontrolled by Taliban fights for independence

The Panjshir Valley, around 60 miles of mountain terrain in ​​north-central Afghanistan, is the only one of 34 provinces in the country not controlled by the Taliban, and the people of Panjshir have vowed to continue the fight.

Anti-Taliban forces were seen in Panjshir on Wednesday conducting military exercises and patrolling hilltops as attempts to bring the Taliban and people of Panjishir to talks have reportedly failed.

It’s unclear how many, but a number of Afghans have traveled to the region in hopes of sanctuary in what’s become a holdout for rebel fighters and known as a “historical heartland of resistance.”

Taliban General Mobin Khan said earlier this month that the Taliban are “trying to resolve the issue through talks, and Panjshir may surrender peacefully — otherwise, the responsibility for the war lies with the short-sighted.”

-ABC News’ Sohel Uddin and Guy Davies

Sep 01, 11:37 am
Taliban hold parade in Kandahar, urge civilians to stay

Taliban forces have rallied around the country to celebrate the withdrawal of U.S. ground forces, holding a parade of vehicles in the Kandahar province on Wednesday.

Haji Mohammad Yousaf, the Taliban’s governor in Kandahar, and Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid spoke to Afghans gathered at the event.

Meanwhile, in Kabul, scenes around an abandoned airport area, where crowds of Afghans civilians once gathered around U.S. troops, showed empty vehicles covered in barbed wire as Taliban fighters have taken control of the airport and its perimeter.

In an interview with “Good Morning Britain” on Wednesday, Taliban spokesperson Dr. Suhail Shaheen said those with the right documents will be allowed to leave Afghanistan, but “urged” them to stay.

-ABC News’ Guy Davies

Sep 01, 10:26 am
Taliban celebrates US departure

With all U.S. ground troops out of Afghanistan, scenes around Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Wednesday showed Taliban fighters in Afghan National Army uniforms after the militant group seized the airport, with some firing celebratory gunshots into the air — a far different picture from the days preceding.

Hours before Biden addressed the nation on Tuesday and firmly defended the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban held a mock funeral in Kabul with show caskets draped with U.S., U.K. and French flags to symbolize what it has called the defeat of NATO allies after 20 years.

The Taliban also released a video overnight they say shows their troops flying over the Kandahar province in an Afghan military helicopter as the militant group works to maintain a hold on the country.

A defiant Biden on Tuesday said that he refused to extend a “forever war” and would not be “extending a forever exit.” The president on Wednesday is meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and does not have any Afghanistan-related briefings on his public schedule.

Aug 31, 6:53 pm
1st plane to bring aid since Taliban took control landed Monday

As the U.S. prepared to evacuate from Kabul airport Monday, the World Health Organization flew a plane into the country with desperately needed aid.

On Monday, 12.5 metric tons of urgent medical supplies were flown from WHO’s warehouse in Dubai to Mazar-i-Sharif airport — not to Kabul, because of the “ongoing disruptions” there, according to WHO.

This is the first medical aid plane to land in Afghanistan since the Taliban took control, according to WHO — and it comes amid a growing need and deteriorating conditions.

“WHO is exploring more options to get further shipments into the country until a reliable humanitarian airbridge to scale-up collective humanitarian effort is established,” the UN agency said in a statement.

Aug 31, 6:17 pm
Top enlisted service member tells troops their service mattered

The military’s top enlisted service member sent a message to U.S. troops reassuring them that their service in Afghanistan mattered.

“You can hold your head high that we prevented an attack on the United States homeland,” writes Ramon Colon-Lopez, the senior enlisted adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“To each of you, your service mattered,” he added. “This is personal to us, and we know it is personal to every one of you.”

He also praised those involved in the massive airlift from Afghanistan.

“Your actions honor the sacrifice of our brothers and sisters in arms who lost their lives or were wounded in Afghanistan,” he wrote. “Over the last two decades and the last 2 weeks. you embodied our American values of equality, liberty, and human dignity for all.”

Aug 31, 5:53 pm
US-funded journalists left behind, no updates on airport talks, overland routes

Some 500 Afghan journalists and their families who were employed by the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) were left behind in Afghanistan — reporters, producers and more who worked for Voice of America and other U.S.-funded outlets, according to the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“We did not forget about USAGM employees and their families, nor will we. These individuals … have not only worked for us, they have worked with us,” said State Department spokesperson Ned Price. “We remain keenly focused on getting them out safely just as soon as we can.”

Price wouldn’t confirm how many there are or what the plans to evacuate them may be, saying it was “not prudent for us to speak to tactics.”

He cited the same reason for declining to say more about how the U.S. may help some Americans travel on overland routes to escape Afghanistan, saying only that it “reinforces the point that we’re looking at all available options to bring Americans to safety.”

Price also had no status update on the negotiations to reopen Kabul’s airport, no update on how many American citizens remain in Afghanistan and no update on a protecting power — a country that oversees U.S. interests where there is no embassy, like Switzerland in Iran or the Czech Republic in Syria.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Study finds ‘sweet spot’ of sleep needed to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease

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nicolesy/iStock

(NEW YORK) — Sleeping too much or too little each night can harm adults’ brain performance, increase symptoms of depression and weight and raise the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study.

The study, published in the journal JAMA Neurology, found that sleeping six hours or less per night or nine hours or more per night negatively impacted adults’ health.

“There appears to be a real sweet spot,” said Dr. Jennifer Ashton, ABC News chief medical correspondent and a board-certified OBGYN. “People who got less than six hours of sleep on PET scan brain imaging had a higher rate of these brain plaques that we’ve found in association with Alzheimer’s disease.”

“However, too much, just as bad. Nine or more hours associated with poor cognitive performance,” added Ashton, who was not involved in the study.

The ideal amount of sleep per night is seven to eight hours, the study found.

“This really speaks to the fact that more is not better,” said Ashton. “Your brain needs a certain amount of sleep, but too much actually kind of puts your brain to sleep in some ways.”

The findings of the study — which looked at data from more than 4,000 adults in United States, Canada, Australia and Japan — reemphasize the important role sleep plays in achieving optimal health, according to Ashton.

She noted that not getting enough sleep each night affects your immune system and has been associated with everything from increased risk of heart attacks and stroke to depression and obesity.

“I always say sleep has a [public relations] problem. We look at it like a luxury. In fact, it is a medical necessity,” she said. “We need to prioritize this on par with our nutrition and our fitness for optimum health.”

Ashton added, “I always tell people, ‘If you are not feeling right, look at your sleep first.’”

Here are Ashton’s four tips for achieving a good night’s sleep, in her own words:

1. Follow a consistent sleep schedule: That means, if possible, every day go to sleep and wake up around the same time. You can’t make up for this on the weekend.

2. Avoid heavy meals, alcohol and caffeine in the couple of hours before bedtime.

3. The environment is really important. You want to keep your bedroom cold, dark and quiet, without something with a screen.

4. Meditation and exercise during the day have been shown to increase sleep at night.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

As Texas abortion law takes effect, advocates await word from Supreme Court

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Joel Carillet/iStock

(NEW YORK) — The most restrictive abortion law in the nation took effect in Texas early Wednesday, effectively barring the procedure across the state, as the U.S. Supreme Court remained silent on an emergency request from women’s health groups to block the measure while legal challenges continue.

Texas becomes the first and only state in the country to outlaw abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. Twelve other states have passed similar laws that have not yet taken effect due to legal challenges.

Abortion providers across Texas had said the measure would “immediately and catastrophically” prevent care for “at least 85%” of Texas abortion patients. Several clinics reported full waiting rooms up until the midnight deadline.

“Our clinic staff saw patients until 11:56 last night, just 3 minutes before the 6 week abortion ban went into effect in Texas,” Whole Women’s Health, a top abortion provider in Texas, posted to Twitter.

Most of the abortions performed nationwide are after 6 weeks of pregnancy; staff at several Texas clinics have said they plan to start turning away patients Wednesday.

“Our clinics are providing abortions in accordance with the law,” the group added Wednesday. “Our work is not over.”

The law, Senate Bill 8, says “a physician may not knowingly perform or induce an abortion … if the physician detects a fetal hearbeat,” including embryonic cardiac activity, that can be observed as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.

In an unusual twist, the law expressly prohibits the state from enforcing the ban, instead authorizing private citizens to bring civil suits against anyone who “aids or abets” an abortion — but not the patient herself.

“It actively encourages private individuals to act as bounty hunters by awarding them at least $10,000 if they are successful,” the American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement.

The enforcement mechanism has complicated the legal dispute before the Supreme Court, because it is not clear who might bring a lawsuit and how widespread private legal action might be.

The abortion providers “have not shown they’ll be harmed by a bill that may never be enforced against them by anyone, much less the government,” a group of Texas state officials defending the law wrote in a filing with the Supreme Court late Tuesday.

The court has only been asked at this stage to decide whether or not to issue a temporary injunction on S.B. 8 while lower-level court proceedings continue. Whatever the decision, legal experts cautioned that it will not have direct bearing on the precedent in Roe v Wade or abortion rights more broadly across the country.

The justices are likely to weigh in on the matter but do not operate on a fixed timeline.

“The abortion industry is using their last, desperate option in an attempt to block the life-saving Texas Heartbeat Act,” said John Seago, legislative director of Texas Right to Life, an anti-abortion rights group.

“This anti-Life lawsuit is invalid. We are hopeful that Justice Alito will examine the compelling arguments raised explaining why the case should be ultimately dismissed,” he said.

Women’s rights groups planned protests against S.B. 8 across Texas on Wednesday afternoon. Meanwhile, advocates said women seeking abortion services now faced expensive and time-consuming options to obtain care.

“Patients will have to travel out of state – in the middle of a pandemic – to receive constitutionally guaranteed healthcare,” said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is leading the challenges to Texas’ law. “And many will not have the means to do so. It’s cruel, unconscionable, and unlawful.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 live updates: San Diego County declares medical misinformation a ‘public health crisis’

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RyanKing999/iStock

(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.

More than 639,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.5 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Just 61.3% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here’s how the news is developing Wednesday. All times Eastern:

Sep 01, 10:42 am
Pfizer studying new pill in hopes it’ll help with mild COVID symptoms

Pfizer is launching a large clinical study for a new pill that it hopes could prevent worse symptoms for patients with mild COVID-19.

The first participant has now been dosed in this “pivotal Phase 2/3 clinical trial,” Pfizer said.

Drugs like Remdesivir and Dexamethasone can help people recover faster, but those are only reserved for people who are extremely ill and in the hospital.

If proven effective, Pfizer will ask the FDA for authorization.

Sep 01, 9:52 am
Virginia Tech disenrolls 134 students who didn’t meet vaccination policy

Virginia Tech says 134 students have been disenrolled after they didn’t comply with COVID-19 vaccine requirements.

The university’s roughly 37,000 students were required to submit vaccination documentation or receive a medical or religious exemption, Virginia Tech said.

“The university does not know whether any of these [134] students were not planning to return for reasons unrelated to the COVID-19 vaccine requirement,” Virginia Tech said.

Sep 01, 9:19 am
TSA screens lowest number of travelers since May

Just 1,345,064 travelers were screened at U.S. airports on Tuesday, the lowest since May 18 when 1,408,017 were screened, the TSA said.

United CEO Scott Kirby said Monday he thinks holiday travel will return to normal.

Sep 01, 8:52 am
San Diego County declares medical misinformation a public health crisis

San Diego has become the first county in the U.S. to declare that health misinformation is causing a public health crisis in its community. This follows the County Board of Supervisors’ 3-2 vote Tuesday night.

Changes to county strategy to combat the pandemic will include: labeling health misinformation and providing timely health information to counter it; modernizing public health communications; investigating in digital resources and training for health practitioners and health workers; and developing a website to be a central resource for fighting health misinformation.

The new policy was introduced when 96.7% of hospitalizations in San Diego County were residents who were not fully vaccinated.

Aug 31, 8:01 pm
Gene Simmons tests positive for COVID, KISS postpones shows

KISS co-lead singer Gene Simmons tested positive for COVID-19, the band shared on its Twitter page Tuesday evening.

In a statement, the band said the 72-year-old was experiencing “mild symptoms.”

His diagnoses comes less than a week after co-lead singer Paul Stanley, 69, tested positive for COVID-19 as well.

In a statement released on Aug. 26, the band said that, “everyone on the entire tour, both band and crew, are fully vaccinated.”

KISS has postponed four of its “End of the Road” tour shows from Sept. 1 to Sept. 5.

“The band and crew will remain at home and isolate for the next 10 days,” the band said in a statement.

Aug 31, 6:56 pm
2 officials working on COVID-19 vaccine review to leave FDA

Peter Marks, the director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), announced the upcoming departure of two top vaccine regulators to his staff in an internal memo, which was obtained by ABC News.

Dr. Marion Gruber, director of the FDA’s Office of Vaccines Research and Review (OVRR) and her deputy, Dr. Phil Krause, are set to leave the agency in October and November respectively, according to the memo.

Krause, who’s been with the agency for over a decade, and Gruber, who has been with the FDA for over 30 years, were instrumental in the review and authorization of the three COVID-19 vaccines, the memo said.

The memo said that Gruber will be “retiring” and gave no other details about Krause’s departure.

ABC News has reached out to both Gruber and Krause for comment.

When reached for comment about their departure, an FDA spokesperson told ABC News the agency is “confident in the expertise and ability of our staff to continue our critical public health work, including evaluating COVID-19 vaccines.”

Their departures come at a critical time for the vaccine review team. After facing pressure to move as fast as possible to get vaccines’ full licensure done, the agency is now weighing booster shots for a wider pool of Americans.

The timing of the booster shot approval has been a bone of contention amongst federal agencies after the Biden administration announced the availability of booster shots would begin ahead of any ruling from the FDA or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory groups.

Aug 31, 4:57 pm
Rev. Jesse Jackson’s wife out of ICU

Jacqueline Jackson, the wife of civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, is out of the ICU as both Jacksons continue to fight COVID-19, their family said.

“Our father remains at The Shirley Ryan AbilityLab where he is continuing to receive intensive occupational and physical therapy,” their son, Jonathan Jackson, said in a statement Tuesday.

Jesse Jackson, who is 79 and has Parkinson’s disease, was vaccinated, reported ABC Chicago station WLS.

“Our mother remains in the Northwestern Memorial Hospital and has been moved out of the ICU and back into her regular hospital room where she continues to receive oxygen,” the statement said. “Both of our parents are continuing to receive excellent medical care and we thank God for the progress that both seem to be making.”

Aug 31, 4:24 pm
Vaccination rate nearly double than it was in mid-July

The U.S. vaccination rate per day is now nearly double than it was in mid-July, according to the White House.

“Back in mid-July we were averaging 500,000 vaccinations per day. Today, we’re averaging 900,000,” White House COVID response coordinator Jeff Zients told reporters Tuesday. “Last week we got over 6 million shots, the biggest weekly total since July 5.”

The increase in vaccinations comes amid fear about the rapidly spreading delta variant.

The delta variant, which is more transmissible, has also been part of the conversation around booster shots of the mRNA and J&J vaccines. The Biden administration said Americans would need a third shot eight months after their second because of waning immunity.

The Biden administration is standing by its decision to call for vaccine boosters beginning Sept. 20 despite questions about whether there’s enough data and the unusual process of announcing a plan before the FDA has evaluated the data and made a recommendation.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Evidence for vaccine booster shots isn’t clear, but Biden moves ahead anyway

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Wavebreakmedia/iStock

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. is poised to begin rolling out booster shots in a matter of weeks, with still one major sticking point to resolve: It’s not entirely clear yet that third shots are needed.

President Joe Biden recently vowed to begin deploying boosters the week of Sept. 20, pending a green light from federal regulators.

But health experts advising the government on that decision say the August announcement by Biden’s political appointees came as somewhat of a surprise. It also was unclear, they said, why that date was chosen at all.

Evidence for boosters is still mixed, and announcing a timetable — while likely popular with much of the public — put independent government regulators in a corner by suggesting they would sign off no matter what.

“That doesn’t mean you can’t get out (of the decision), but I think the public expectation is that boosters are needed now,” said Dr. Henry Bernstein, a pediatrician at Northwell Health Cohen’s Children Medical Center in New York who has advised the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines.

“There’s a lot more data to be reviewed and work to be done in evaluating whether boosters are needed in various populations,” Bernstein added.

The question of whether America’s immunity is waning has become an urgent question in recent months with the rise of the delta variant and large pockets of the country still unvaccinated.

The latest analysis, released Monday by the CDC, found troubling signals on the ability of vaccines to prevent infections and to keep older people out of the hospital.

Whereas the vaccines were 90% effective in June at preventing hospitalization in people ages 75-plus, that number fell to around 80% in July.

But even with such a drop, the data still suggests extraordinary protection against becoming seriously ill with COVID-19. It also raises more questions than it answers: Is immunity waning with time? Is the delta variant making people sicker? Is this a problem mostly for older Americans, whose immune systems are less robust to begin with?

Young adults under age 49 are still 24 times more likely to end up hospitalized if unvaccinated. And the vast majority of people in the hospital are unvaccinated, suggesting the vaccines are holding up in real world scenarios.

“We don’t have a lot of evidence of reduced vaccine effectiveness against important outcomes in most of the population based on our current data,” said Dr. Beth Bell, a professor at the University of Washington and independent adviser to the CDC who will help decide whether to recommend boosters to Americans.

Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, who works with the CDC advisory panel on behalf of the American Academy of Pediatrics, was among those who said the Sept. 20 date was a surprise and that it’s unclear why it was chosen.

During a meeting of CDC advisers, Maldonado said she was fielding text messages from colleagues asking: “Why are we rolling out detailed plans for this when it sounds like we still don’t know?”

Typically, the Food and Drug Administration reviews data before announcing any decision on whether a vaccine can be administered. Then a CDC advisory group of experts weighs in, and the CDC director signs off on whether to recommend the vaccine to the public.

In this case, Biden’s political appointees involved in the pandemic response — including acting FDA chief, Dr. Janet Woodcock — agreed on the Sept. 20 date before that process played out. And with the crisis in Afghanistan still unfolding, the president switched gears to the pandemic, publicly unveiling his commitment to every American getting a booster shot eight months after their immunization.

Pfizer and BioNTech, which partnered to develop the nation’s first vaccine, have said they have early data suggesting that a booster dose anywhere from six to 12 months after the initial vaccination will help maintain a high level of protection. That data has not yet been shared publicly.

“The frustration too comes in part due to the sense of urgency here as well, because of the public pressure to get the booster. Everyone would like data that are still evolving,” Maldonado said.

On Tuesday, the FDA confirmed two longtime vaccine officials were planning to depart the agency. Their exit, addressed in a memo to staff, followed news reports citing the officials’ frustration with the process. Woodcock told colleagues she was confident in the leadership of the FDA’s vaccine chief Peter Marks, who planned to remain in his position.

“We have put together a plan that will allow us to continue prioritizing science, while meeting timelines that are important to ensuring the end of this devastating pandemic,” she wrote in the staff email.

Other top political appointees also defended the Sept. 20 date on Tuesday. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters during a White House press briefing that there was international data that will be presented and likely play a role in the regulatory decision on boosters.

Jeff Zients, Biden’s COVID coordinator, noted that the FDA and CDC had signed on to the plan for a Sept. 20 rollout.

“The bottom line, this virus has proven to be unpredictable, and we want to stay ahead of it, and plan for every scenario, and that’s been our approach from day one and will continue to be our approach,” he said.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Afghanistan updates: Taliban celebrates US exit with mock funeral

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Major General Chris Donahue, commander of the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, boards a C-17 cargo plane at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Maj. Gen. Donahue is the final American service member to depart Afghanistan, Aug. 30, 2021. – U.S. Central Command

(KABUL, Afghanistan) — With the U.S. military and diplomatic withdrawal now complete after 20 years in Afghanistan, the Taliban has taken over the country, including the Kabul airport, the site of an often-desperate evacuation effort the past two weeks.

But even as the last American troops were flown out to meet President Joe Biden’s Aug. 31 deadline, other Americans who wanted to flee the country were left behind and the Biden administration is now focused on a “diplomatic mission” to help them leave.

When President Joe Biden sat down with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos for an exclusive one-on-one interview at the White House on Aug. 18, he said he was committed to keeping the U.S. military in Afghanistan as long as needed. “If there are American citizens left, we’re going to stay until we get them all out,” he said.

Here are the latest developments. All times Eastern:

Sep 01, 10:26 am
Taliban celebrates US departure

With all U.S. ground troops out of Afghanistan, scenes around Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Wednesday showed Taliban fighters in Afghan National Army uniforms after the militant group seized the airport, with some firing celebratory gunshots into the air — a far different picture from the days preceding.

Hours before Biden addressed the nation on Tuesday and firmly defended the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban held a mock funeral in Kabul with show caskets draped with U.S., U.K. and French flags to symbolize what it has called the defeat of NATO allies after 20 years.

The Taliban also released a video overnight they say shows their troops flying over the Kandahar province in an Afghan military helicopter as the militant group works to maintain a hold on the country.

A defiant Biden on Tuesday said that he refused to extend a “forever war” and would not be “extending a forever exit.” The president on Wednesday is meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and does not have any Afghanistan-related briefings on his public schedule.

Aug 31, 6:53 pm
1st plane to bring aid since Taliban took control landed Monday

As the U.S. prepared to evacuate from Kabul airport Monday, the World Health Organization flew a plane into the country with desperately needed aid.

On Monday, 12.5 metric tons of urgent medical supplies were flown from WHO’s warehouse in Dubai to Mazar-i-Sharif airport — not to Kabul, because of the “ongoing disruptions” there, according to WHO.

This is the first medical aid plane to land in Afghanistan since the Taliban took control, according to WHO — and it comes amid a growing need and deteriorating conditions.

“WHO is exploring more options to get further shipments into the country until a reliable humanitarian airbridge to scale-up collective humanitarian effort is established,” the UN agency said in a statement.

Aug 31, 6:17 pm
Top enlisted service member tells troops their service mattered

The military’s top enlisted service member sent a message to U.S. troops reassuring them that their service in Afghanistan mattered.

“You can hold your head high that we prevented an attack on the United States homeland,” writes Ramon Colon-Lopez, the senior enlisted adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“To each of you, your service mattered,” he added. “This is personal to us, and we know it is personal to every one of you.”

He also praised those involved in the massive airlift from Afghanistan.

“Your actions honor the sacrifice of our brothers and sisters in arms who lost their lives or were wounded in Afghanistan,” he wrote. “Over the last two decades and the last 2 weeks. you embodied our American values of equality, liberty, and human dignity for all.”

Aug 31, 5:53 pm
US-funded journalists left behind, no updates on airport talks, overland routes

Some 500 Afghan journalists and their families who were employed by the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) were left behind in Afghanistan — reporters, producers and more who worked for Voice of America and other U.S.-funded outlets, according to the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“We did not forget about USAGM employees and their families, nor will we. These individuals … have not only worked for us, they have worked with us,” said State Department spokesperson Ned Price. “We remain keenly focused on getting them out safely just as soon as we can.”

Price wouldn’t confirm how many there are or what the plans to evacuate them may be, saying it was “not prudent for us to speak to tactics.”

He cited the same reason for declining to say more about how the U.S. may help some Americans travel on overland routes to escape Afghanistan, saying only that it “reinforces the point that we’re looking at all available options to bring Americans to safety.”

Price also had no status update on the negotiations to reopen Kabul’s airport, no update on how many American citizens remain in Afghanistan and no update on a protecting power — a country that oversees U.S. interests where there is no embassy, like Switzerland in Iran or the Czech Republic in Syria.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

New Orleans institutes curfew as power outages remain after Hurricane Ida

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Jaimie Tuchman/iStock

(NEW ORLEANS) — Ida, which downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical depression Tuesday, battered Louisiana as a fierce Category 4 storm Sunday, leaving whole towns flooded along the coast and New Orleans still entirely in the dark.

Over 884,000 customers remain without power in Louisiana and over 14,000 remain without power in Mississippi as of Wednesday morning, according to a report from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) obtained by ABC News. Entergy wrote on Twitter that it took the first step to restore power back to New Orleans East, and the first light shined. “Crews will have to methodically bring back additional transmission lines over time to provide additional pathways for progress,” they said.

FEMA reported four Louisiana hospitals were damaged due to the storm, 39 medical facilities had to start operating on generator power and many patients were evacuated. Also, several buildings in Port Fourchon — which is is responsible for 18% of the U.S. oil supply — sustained severe damage.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said during a news conference Tuesday evening that the city will see “some level of transmission” of power as early as Wednesday evening.

“The expectation should not be … that the entire city will be lit on tomorrow evening, but in stages,” she said.

As of Wednesday, the city’s Louis Armstrong International Airport is operating using generator power, and airlines have reported 197 cancellations for Wednesday, according to CISA’s report.

Cantrell said a curfew will go into effect at 8 p.m. local time and last until 6 a.m. Wednesday. Local and state police and the National Guard will patrol the streets, according to New Orleans Police Chief Shaun Ferguson.

The mayor called the curfew a “proactive” measure since there already have been arrests for looting.

Ferguson declined to give more details about those arrests to prevent “a false narrative about this city.”

Ida made landfall in Louisiana twice, first near Port Fourchon before noon local time and again two hours later in Lafourche Parish, obliterating neighborhoods and turning clear roads into rivers.

As of Wednesday morning, Washington, D.C., is under tornado watch and a flash flood warning has been issued for parts of Virginia.

Ida appears to be less lethal than Katrina, which hit as a Category 3, claimed more than 1,800 lives and caused more than $100 billion in damage.

So far, three deaths have been attributed to Ida: a 60-year-old man in Ascension Parish died Sunday when a tree fell on a home, a motorist drowned in New Orleans and a third person died in Jefferson Parish.

In Mississippi, two people died and at least 10 others were injured when a part of a highway near Lucedale gave out and sent vehicles plunging into a hole. Mississippi Highway Patrol Cp. Cal Robertson said the inundating rain may have caused the collapse.

The storm dumped up to 15 inches of rain in some places, like Rigolets-Slidell, Louisiana, and 13 inches in New Orleans. Ida also brought powerful winds gusts of over 100 mph in some regions.

Ida also knocked out power to more than 1 million homes and businesses in Louisiana and Mississippi — including all of New Orleans — and temporarily halted the city’s 911 emergency response system.

Officials in Jefferson Parish, home to 400,000 residents, warned it could be 21 days before power is restored.

Communities reeling from the destruction are now stranded without water. Some 18 water system outages have impacted over 312,000 customers and 14 boil water advisories are in place impacting over 329,000 people, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a press conference Monday evening.

Heat advisories are active in parts of Louisiana, threatening communities grappling with no electricity or access to air conditioning. The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for southern Louisiana and Mississippi from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Another element Katrina didn’t have is the COVID-19 crisis. Some Louisiana hospitals pushed to the brink with an influx of coronavirus cases were forced to evacuate due to physical damage, water and electrical issues.

The Louisiana Department of Health told ABC News at least 11 hospitals had evacuations on some level and Terrebone General Health System’s evacuation is still underway.

The state fire marshal office’s leading task force of about 900 individuals from 15 different states is conducting search and rescue missions with local responders. Some 5,000 National Guard members are also on the ground.

Edwards said at least 671 were rescued by Monday afternoon, with some desperate locals fleeing to their attics or roofs to wait for help.

Over 2,200 evacuees are staying in 41 shelters, Edwards said.

Jaclyn Hotard, the president of St. John the Baptist Parish, called Ida, “one of the worst natural disasters I’ve ever seen in St. John,” noting that “almost 800 people” have been rescued due to extreme flooding.

Entergy New Orleans, a major electricity company in the region, said a storm team of more than 20,000 and growing is assessing the vast damage and destruction across New Orleans and southeast Louisiana that toppled power poles and other equipment.

Over 3,600 FEMA employees have been deployed to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas to help with meals, water and generators for power, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday.

Ida, now a tropical depression, is centered on the border of Missouri and Tennessee and threatens to bring deadly flash flooding to the Gulf coast overnight as it continues to move north and east. Almost 80 million in 17 states are on flash flood alert from Mississippi to Massachusetts.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 live updates: US now approaching January’s hospitalization peak

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RyanKing999/iStock

(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.

More than 639,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 while over 4.5 million people have died from the disease worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Just 61.3% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here’s how the news is developing Wednesday. All times Eastern:

Aug 31, 8:01 pm
Gene Simmons tests positive for COVID, KISS postpones shows

KISS co-lead singer Gene Simmons tested positive for COVID-19, the band shared on its Twitter page Tuesday evening.

In a statement, the band said the 72-year-old was experiencing “mild symptoms.”

His diagnoses comes less than a week after co-lead singer Paul Stanley, 69, tested positive for COVID-19 as well.

In a statement released on Aug. 26, the band said that, “everyone on the entire tour, both band and crew, are fully vaccinated.”

KISS has postponed four of its “End of the Road” tour shows from Sept. 1 to Sept. 5.

“The band and crew will remain at home and isolate for the next 10 days,” the band said in a statement.

Aug 31, 6:56 pm
2 officials working on COVID-19 vaccine review to leave FDA

Peter Marks, the director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), announced the upcoming departure of two top vaccine regulators to his staff in an internal memo, which was obtained by ABC News.

Dr. Marion Gruber, director of the FDA’s Office of Vaccines Research and Review (OVRR) and her deputy, Dr. Phil Krause, are set to leave the agency in October and November respectively, according to the memo.

Krause, who’s been with the agency for over a decade, and Gruber, who has been with the FDA for over 30 years, were instrumental in the review and authorization of the three COVID-19 vaccines, the memo said.

The memo said that Gruber will be “retiring” and gave no other details about Krause’s departure.

ABC News has reached out to both Gruber and Krause for comment.

When reached for comment about their departure, an FDA spokesperson told ABC News the agency is “confident in the expertise and ability of our staff to continue our critical public health work, including evaluating COVID-19 vaccines.”

Their departures come at a critical time for the vaccine review team. After facing pressure to move as fast as possible to get vaccines’ full licensure done, the agency is now weighing booster shots for a wider pool of Americans.

The timing of the booster shot approval has been a bone of contention amongst federal agencies after the Biden administration announced the availability of booster shots would begin ahead of any ruling from the FDA or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory groups.

Aug 31, 4:57 pm
Rev. Jesse Jackson’s wife out of ICU

Jacqueline Jackson, the wife of civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, is out of the ICU as both Jacksons continue to fight COVID-19, their family said.

“Our father remains at The Shirley Ryan AbilityLab where he is continuing to receive intensive occupational and physical therapy,” their son, Jonathan Jackson, said in a statement Tuesday.

Jesse Jackson, who is 79 and has Parkinson’s disease, was vaccinated, reported ABC Chicago station WLS.

“Our mother remains in the Northwestern Memorial Hospital and has been moved out of the ICU and back into her regular hospital room where she continues to receive oxygen,” the statement said. “Both of our parents are continuing to receive excellent medical care and we thank God for the progress that both seem to be making.”

Aug 31, 4:24 pm
Vaccination rate nearly double than it was in mid-July

The U.S. vaccination rate per day is now nearly double than it was in mid-July, according to the White House.

“Back in mid-July we were averaging 500,000 vaccinations per day. Today, we’re averaging 900,000,” White House COVID response coordinator Jeff Zients told reporters Tuesday. “Last week we got over 6 million shots, the biggest weekly total since July 5.”

The increase in vaccinations comes amid fear about the rapidly spreading delta variant.

The delta variant, which is more transmissible, has also been part of the conversation around booster shots of the mRNA and J&J vaccines. The Biden administration said Americans would need a third shot eight months after their second because of waning immunity.

The Biden administration is standing by its decision to call for vaccine boosters beginning Sept. 20 despite questions about whether there’s enough data and the unusual process of announcing a plan before the FDA has evaluated the data and made a recommendation.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Supreme Court allows Texas’ controversial abortion ban to take effect

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(WASHINGTON) — The Supreme Court will be moving forward with a controversial ban on most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy that’s set to take effect on Sept. 1.

The American Civil Liberties Union confirmed the news late Tuesday night.

“The Supreme Court has not responded to our emergency request to block Texas’ radical new 6-week abortion ban, SB8. The law now takes effect. Access to almost all abortion has just been cut off for millions of people. The impact will be immediate and devastating,” ACLU tweeted. “The law bans abortion as early as six weeks into pregnancy — before many people even know they’re pregnant. The result is that many Texans will be forced to carry pregnancies against their will.”

The law, Senate Bill 8, which would be among the strictest in the nation, also authorizes private citizens to sue anyone who helps a woman obtain abortion services and in turn receive at least $10,000 in damages per instance.

Abortion providers on Monday appealed to the court for an immediate emergency injunction blocking the law while legal challenges continue. They claim the Texas restrictions would “immediately and catastrophically” limit abortion access for 85% of patients and force many clinics to close across the state.

Justice Samuel Alito, who oversees matters coming out of federal courts for the 5th Circuit, which includes Texas, gave the state until 5 p.m. Tuesday to lay out its argument for rejecting the request. He could decide on his own or refer the matter to the full court for a vote.

“In less than two days, Texas politicians will have effectively overturned Roe v. Wade,” said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is leading the challenges to Texas’ law.

“Patients will have to travel out of state — in the middle of a pandemic — to receive constitutionally guaranteed healthcare. And many will not have the means to do so. It’s cruel, unconscionable, and unlawful,” she said.

ACLU said that by allowing anyone to sue a person they believe is providing abortion or assisting someone in accessing abortion after six weeks, the law “actively encourages private individuals to act as bounty hunters by awarding them at least $10,000 if they are successful.”

“This is a racial and economic justice catastrophe. Decades of racism and structural inequality within the health care system have left Black and Latinx people and anyone trying to make ends meet with few alternatives to the cruel reality that Texas politicians have created,” the organization added. “This is a full-scale assault on patients, our health care providers, and our support systems. This abortion ban is blatantly unconstitutional. We won’t stop fighting until it’s blocked.”

Attorneys for Texas have said the abortion providers lack legal standing to preemptively challenge the law since it has not yet taken effect or had any impact on their patients or services.

Texas is one of 13 states that have passed laws banning abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy; legal challenges have so far prevented all from taking effect.

S.B. 8 runs plainly counter to the Supreme Court’s precedent in 1973’s Roe v. Wade and affirmed in 1992’s Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which established that state restrictions on abortion before a fetus can be viable outside the womb are unconstitutional.

“SCOTUS really might be on the verge of functionally ending legal abortion in TX and hoping no one notices,” said ABC News legal analyst and Cardozo law professor Kate Shaw in a post on Twitter.

The court is set to reconsider its precedents later this fall in the biggest abortion rights case to come before the justices in years. The case, which is out of Mississippi, will determine whether all pre-viability abortion bans are unconstitutional or whether a new standard should be applied.

In a statement Tuesday night, Texas advocates and health care providers condemned the abortion ban.

“The hypocrisy of Texas SB8 passing is that it was passed on the premise of saving or valuing life by a majority white men led legislative body that places no value on life,” Marsha Jones, the executive director of The Afiya Center, said.

“In the last decade, the Texas legislature has passed many racist, classist, and dangerous abortion restrictions that have made it very difficult to access care,” Kamyon Conner, the executive director of the Texas Equal Access Fund, said. “SB 8 essentially bans abortions and codifies intimidation, which will have the most impact on communities that already struggle to access health care.”

“It’s a dark day in Texas. Politicians are supposed to put aside partisan differences for the common good, but Abbott has led Texas politicians into an extreme path for his personal gain,” Carisa Lopez, the political director of the Texas Freedom Network, said. “We know abortion is healthcare and education is power. It’s more important than ever for us to openly talk about abortion and the need to keep medical decisions between a person and their doctor.”

Addressing pregnant women in Texas and beyond, ACLU wrote on Twitter that they have a network of abortion funds and support networks that “will do everything in their power to help you get the information and care you need. Go to http://needabortion.org to find out more, including how to contact an abortion fund.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

One rescued, five unaccounted for after Navy helicopter crashes off San Diego coast

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(FILE photo) – U.S. Navy photo by Intelligence Specialist 2nd Class Jonathon Miller

(SAN DIEGO) — A U.S. Navy helicopter crashed Tuesday afternoon off the coast of San Diego.

“An MH-60S helicopter embarked aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) crashed into the sea while conducting routine flight operations approximately 60 nautical miles off the coast of San Diego at 4:30 p.m. PST, Aug. 31,” the Navy’s 3rd Fleet said in a statement.

A U.S. Coast Guard spokesman said that preliminary information indicates one person has been rescued and five people are unaccounted for. The Navy also confirmed one crew member has been rescued and search efforts continue for the other crew members.

The Coast Guard and Navy were conducting search and rescue operations by sea and air.

The accident comes just 12 days after Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt took over command of the Abraham Lincoln.

The Abraham Lincoln is homeported in San Diego, the Navy said in a statement Tuesday night.

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