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Afghanistan updates: Taliban name caretaker government

September 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(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 07, 6:16 pm
Taliban leaders release 1st official statement

In its first official statement since announcing a new caretaker government, the Taliban said their previous 20 years of “struggle and Jihad” had two major goals: to end foreign occupation and aggression and to establish “a complete, independent, stable, and central Islamic system in the country.”

“Based on this principle, in the future, all matters of governance and life in Afghanistan will be regulated by the laws of the Holy Sharia,” according to the statement.

The statement said the Taliban wants strong and healthy relations with all other countries and “We are committed to all international laws and treaties, resolutions and commitments that are not in conflict with Islamic law and the country’s national values. We also call on the countries of the world to value building strong and cordial political, diplomatic and good relations with us and to also cooperate with us.”

“The Islamic Emirate will take serious and effective steps towards protecting human rights, the rights of minorities as well as the rights of the underprivileged groups within the framework of the demands of the sacred relation of Islam,” the statement continued.

Despite suggestions the new regime would be more inclusive, the Taliban appointed no women to any of the interim positions, and even disbanded Afghanistan’s Ministry of Women’s Affairs.

The statement went on to say that media is an important element of the country and the Taliban said it “will work for the freedom, functioning and improvement of the media quality. We consider it our duty to take into account the sacred precepts of Islam, the national interests of the country and impartiality in our broadcasts.”

-ABC News’ Christine Theodorou

Sep 07, 12:19 pm

Biden admin pushes back on reports Taliban blocking US citizens from leaving

The Biden administration has pushed back on reports that the Taliban is stopping American citizens with proper documentation from flying out of Mazar-e-Sharif, a northern city where chartered planes have sat on the tarmac for a week.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking in Qatar, confirmed for the first time on Tuesday that there are “a small number of Americans” in Mazar-e-Sharif trying to depart, but he told reporters it was his “understanding that the Taliban has not denied access to anyone holding a valid document … but because all of these people are grouped together, that’s meant that flights had not been allowed to go.”

In other words, in his view, the Taliban is blocking the larger group, and the Americans were unfortunately stopped because they’re alongside others who don’t have valid documents.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki, was also asked about Americans stuck in Mazar-e-Sharif on Tuesday and whether the administration views it as a “hostage situation.”

“No, that is not what we would characterize it as,” she told reporters on Air Force One.

“Our secretary of state is in Qatar right now working on a range of options, including getting flights up and operational and going. And what we have seen is that individuals who have documentation are able to depart,” Psaki added.

Sep 07, 11:47 am

Taliban announce new caretaker government

The Taliban have announced a new caretaker government for Afghanistan on Tuesday, naming Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, who is on the United Nations sanctions list and described as “one of the most effective Taliban commanders,” as the interim prime minister, and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar as deputy prime minister.

The militant group appointed former Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp detainee Mullah Abdul Haq Waseeq as Afghan Intelligence Chief. The new government also includes two Haqqani leaders with $5 million in U.S. bounties on their heads as ministers.

Along with several other ministers, none of which was a woman, the Taliban announced the disbandment of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs from its new caretaker government.

Sep 07, 4:55 am
Around 100 Americans remain in Afghanistan, Blinken says

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters Tuesday that “somewhere around 100” Americans remain in Afghanistan.

“We believe the number of those who have American citizenship — many of them dual nationals — who remain in Afghanistan is somewhere around 100,” Blinken said during a press conference in Qatar’s capital. “We’re in direct contact with virtually all of them.”

“For weeks now, we’ve been working very closely with Qatar, with Turkey to see to it that the Kabul airport could get up and running again to civilian air travel as soon as possible,” he continued. “We’re also working to facilitate overland passage for those who wish to depart when it comes to charters.”

Blinken admitted it’s a challenge without personnel on the ground in Afghanistan but one that “we’re determined to work through.”

“Many thousands of U.S. citizens or permanent residents or at-risk Afghans, who successfully evacuated and relocated from Kabul, have left aboard charter flights. Now, others are working to arrange more such flights,” he said. “We are working around-the-clock with NGOs, with members of congress and advocacy groups, providing any and all information and doing all we can to clear any roadblocks that they’ve identified to make sure that charter flights carrying Americans or others to whom we have a special responsibility can depart Afghanistan safely.”

U.S. officials have been engaging with the Taliban on departing flights, according to Blinken.

“They said that they will let people with travel documents freely depart,” he noted. “We will hold them to that, so will dozens of countries. The international community is watching to see if the Taliban will live up to their commitments.”

“It’s my understanding that the Taliban has not denied access to anyone holding a valid document, but they have said that those without valid documents at this point can’t leave,” he added. “Because all of these people are grouped together, that’s meant that flights had not been allowed to go. We’ve been able to identify a small number of Americans who we believe are seeking to depart from Mazar-e-Sharif with their families.”

Sep 06, 3:07 pm

4 US citizens evacuated over land border

The State Department has facilitated the evacuation of four U.S. citizens across one of Afghanistan’s land borders — the first Americans to leave the country with U.S. government help since President Joe Biden ended the massive, chaotic evacuation efforts that closed the country’s longest war.

Four Americans made their way across land with Taliban knowledge, according to a senior State Department official, who told ABC News they evacuated without Taliban interference.

The official declined to say which country they arrived in but added they were in “good condition” and met by U.S. embassy staff from the local embassy.

While the State Department helped these four evacuate, White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said Sunday there were approximately 100 U.S. citizens still trying to escape the country, nearly a week after the last U.S. forces departed.

Among those left behind, there are several Americans in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif ready to board charter flights out that are being blocked by the Taliban, according to several sources. The Taliban has not give permission to the airlines, leaving the potential passengers stuck in the city now for days.

A State Department spokesperson told ABC News Sunday that they could not confirm the manifests of these flights because there were no U.S. personnel or assets in Afghanistan anymore, but added, “We will hold the Taliban to its pledge to let people freely depart Afghanistan.”

Sep 06, 4:53 am
Taliban claims victory over Panjshir, last pocket of resistance

The Taliban claimed victory Monday over Afghan opposition forces in Panjshir province, the last pocket of resistance in Afghanistan and the only province that the Taliban had not seized last month.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued a statement saying Panjshir was under full control of Taliban fighters.

“We tried our best to solve the problem through negotiations, and they rejected talks and then we had to send our forces to fight,” Mujahid later told a press conference in Kabul on Monday.

The Taliban posted photos and videos on social media apparently showing fighters standing at the gate of the Panjshir provincial governor’s office and raising the group’s flag in the provincial capital.

A spokesperson for the resistance group, the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), took to Twitter to deny that Panjshir had fallen.

“Taliban’s claim of occupying Panjshir is false,” the spokesperson tweeted. “The NRF forces are present in all strategic positions across the valley to continue the fight. We assure the ppl of Afghanistan that the struggle against the Taliban & their partners will continue until justice & freedom prevails.”

Sep 05, 6:31 pm
Some US citizens unable to fly out of Afghanistan due to Taliban interference

The Taliban is blocking efforts to get U.S. citizens out of Afghanistan on flights, according to a non-governmental organization arranging travel for some passengers.

Marina LeGree, the CEO of Ascend, told ABC News that the Taliban has prevented 600 people from leaving Mazar-e-Sharif by charter plane for six days.

The NGO is helping 100 of those passengers, none of whom are American, to try to fly out. LeGree said she is aware of 19 U.S. citizens who are trying to leave but Ascend is not overseeing their departure.

“Ascend, an organization dedicated to empowering young women through athletics, has members trying to leave Afghanistan,” LeGree told ABC News in a statement Sunday. “We call on the Taliban to honor their commitments and allow these charters to depart immediately.”

The affected passengers are either staying at the airport or at nearby hotels, according to LeGree.

The U.S. Department of State did not confirm whether there are Americans on those flights, but said it “will hold the Taliban to its pledge to let people freely depart Afghanistan.”

Netflix and chills — Streamer announces creepy shows and movies for the spooky time of the year

September 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Netflix has announced a host of creepy new shows and movies that will keep you leaving your lights on during the spooky season. Here’s a just-released list of creepy content coming to the streaming giant from this month into Halloween-time:

September

9/8 — Into the Night
9/10 – Lucifer: Season 6
9/10 — Prey
9/15 — Nightbooks
9/17 — Squid Game
9/22 — Intrusion
9/24 — Midnight Mass
9/29 — The Chestnut Man
9/29 — No One Gets Out Alive

October

10/1 — Scaredy Cats
10/5 — Escape The Undertaker
10/6 — There’s Someone Inside Your House
10/8 — A Tale Dark & Grimm
10/13 — Fever Dream
10/15 — Sharkdog’s Fintastic Halloween
10/15 — You: Season 3
10/20 — Night Teeth
10/27 — Hypnotic

Additionally, Locke & Key: Season 2 and Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight Part 2 will also both be released in October, but a date has yet to be announced.

A glimpse inside the jury selection for Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes’ trial

September 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Jury selection for the trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes began last week and was completed over a three-day process, with the prosecution and the defense agreeing on seven men and five women.

Holmes was charged by the Department of Justice with 12 counts of fraud more than three years ago, accused of defrauding investors, patients and doctors. She potentially faces decades in prison if convicted. She has pleaded not guilty.

Three weeks ago, a panel of 240 potential jurors were summoned to complete a 28-page questionnaire that focused heavily on their media consumption and knowledge of those involved with the case, as well as their own medical history. The defense had originally submitted a more extensive questionnaire with 112 pages and 45 questions that presiding United States District Judge Edward Davila then trimmed.

Of the 240 potential jurors, Davila and attorneys from both the prosecution and defense called in 132 to the Robert F. Peckham Federal Courthouse for questioning. Holmes was present in the courtroom alongside her team of lawyers, who watched and took notes as potential jurors entered for voir dire.

One of Davila’s first questions to the potential jurors was related to whether any of them had seen the media coverage surrounding Holmes. About half raised their hands, including now-dismissed potential juror Michael Roccaforte.

Roccaforte spoke exclusively to ABC News’ Rebecca Jarvis on “The Dropout: Elizabeth Holmes on Trial” podcast, where he described his experience throughout the process. He recalled seeing Holmes standing in front of the courthouse while he and other potential jurors were walking in.

“She was kind of staring at all the jurors as they walked in … almost looking as if she was about to greet us or something,” Roccaforte told ABC News.

Once in the courtroom, he described Holmes as “confident, poised” and “a little bit intense.”

Roccaforte, who is a radio producer in San Francisco, told Davila it would be difficult for him to do his job and avoid seeing the breaking news around the trial.

“I’m looking at my computer and it’s just Theranos, Theranos, Theranos,” he told ABC News, recalling his conversation in court.

Ultimately, Roccaforte was dismissed, and the banter between him and Davila caused some in the crowd to laugh, including Holmes.

“Elizabeth Holmes looked back at me and chuckled herself and we made eye contact for a second,” Roccaforte said.

Other potential jurors were released for a range of reasons, from their own health issues to financial hardships to biases they couldn’t put aside.

“The ideal juror for Elizabeth Holmes would be someone who would … find her to be a likable kind of person … or has either personally or knows someone close to them who believes they have been wrongfully prosecuted in a case, so they just have a general mistrust of government or authority figures,” James McGarity, a partner at the jury consulting firm R&D Strategic Solutions, told Jarvis on “The Dropout: Elizabeth Holmes on Trial.”

Defense attorney Jose Baez said the defense would benefit if the jury included a small business owner or entrepreneur.

“You want people who have the audacity to take a chance, to risk their livelihood on something that’s unproven and, at the same time, they could relate to having bad people working for you or sometimes things that are outside of your control,” Baez said.

As for the prosecution’s ideal juror, defense attorney Dick DeGuerin, who is currently representing accused murderer Robert Durst, said they would like somebody “that wants to enforce the law no matter what.”

McGarity agreed, saying the prosecution would likely seek “people who are what we call ‘law and order’ types, who invest a lot of faith in the law and law enforcement, people who believe that charges against someone like Ms. Holmes would not be brought unless there is solid evidence.”

The jury now ranges in age from 19 to about 60 years old. Of the 12 jurors, six are white, four are Hispanic, and two are Asian. There are also two jurors who said that English was not their first language, with one saying that she had to use a translation device on her phone to understand some of the words in the questionnaire.

Tony winner Idina Menzel celebrating the return of Broadway

September 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Despite lingering concerns over the Delta variant, Broadway productions have ramped back up, and that’s good news to fans — and to veterans of the Great White Way like Idina Menzel.

The Wicked Tony winner tells ABC Audio that she’s happy there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel for the pandemic, which shut theaters down on March 12, 2020.

“I’ve felt a lot of sadness about it,” she said of the locked-down period. “I am excited that people are going to be going back to work, and that my friends in the community will be doing what they love to do — and what is so good for our for the world when they are doing the thing that they’re most passionate about.”

Idina continues, “Having not been able to do that, people being out of work, to be a creative person, not be able to get up there and just do what you have to do…there’s a hunger and sadness in that that goes beyond what you would expect.”

Menzel, who can currently be seen opposite Camila Cabello in Cinderella on Amazon Prime, adds, “I just hope everyone’s safe and we can start seeing the marquees light up again.”

She enthuses, “And there’s some great shows that are coming back. I mean, Wicked is my family, you know. …So I’m glad that more generations are going to be able to go back and see Wicked. And all the real classic shows are coming back. And then there’s some new ones, like Music Man with Sutton [Foster] and Hugh Jackman and a bunch of other shows.”

Adds Idina, “But yeah, it feels good to see, for all of us to start going back to work and doing what we love to do.”

Howard University names fine arts building after the late Chadwick Boseman

September 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Howard University has honored one of its most famous alumni, Chadwick Boseman, by naming its fine arts building after the Black Panther star.

“The letters were installed over the now official Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts. An icon in his own right who has left an immeasurable legacy for the next generation. Thank you, Mr. Boseman,” the university tweeted.

Boseman, whose credits also include Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Da 5 Bloods, Marshall, Get On Up and 42, graduated from Howard in 2000 with a bachelor of fine arts in directing.

“It is my honor to ensure his legacy lives on through the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts with the support of his wife and the Chadwick Boseman Foundation,” said Howard University president Wayne A. I. Frederick, according to USA Today.

Walt Disney Company’s chairman Bob Iger has also pledged to build a “new, state-of-the-art facility” for the college, as well as establish an endowment in honor of Boseman.

August 28 marked the one-year anniversary of the actor’s death from colon cancer at age 43. Black Panther stars Michael B. Jordan and Lupita Nyong’o were among the many celebrities honoring Boseman’s memory.

Jordan shared a photo of the two at a formal event and captioned it, “Not a day goes by bro… Love and miss you but I know you still with us.”

“I did not know that I could miss both his laughter and his silence in equal measure. I do. I do… One year after his passing, the memory of @chadwickboseman remains this alive in me,” wrote Nyong’o on Twitter, alongside a photo of the two sharing a hearty laugh.

Janet Jackson debuts teaser for Lifetime/A&E documentary, ‘JANET’: “This is the truth”

September 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Mariah Carey, Missy Elliott and Paula Abdul are among the stars featured in a teaser for the upcoming Janet Jackson documentary, simply titled JANET.

The “Control” singer debuted the clip Monday on Instagram, declaring, “This is the truth. Take it or leave it. Love it or hate it. This is me.”

The teaser reveals never before seen images from her iconic, five-decade career, which began at the age of ten on The Jacksons TV variety series in 1976. Tito Jackson also speaks in the teaser, which features a photo of Janet with her late brother, Michael.

“This is what a superstar looks like,” Missy says.

Mariah adds, “She’s an empowered women.”

Paula Abdul, who choreographed Janet”s 1986 “Nasty” video, comments, “She is a force to be reckoned with.”

The two-night, four-hour documentary celebrates the 40th anniversary of Jackson’s 1982 self-titled debut album. The five-time Grammy winner served as an executive producer on the project, along with brother Randy Jackson.

JANET will premiere in January 2022 on Lifetime and A&E.

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Jason Mraz honors legacy of debut live album with ‘Live & Acoustic (20th Anniversary Edition)’

September 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Jason Mraz is going back to his roots with a reissue of his debut live album.

In honor of the 20th anniversary of Live at Java Joe’s, Jason is re-releasing the album as Live & Acoustic (20th Anniversary Edition) with two unheard bonus tracks and pressed on vinyl for the first time.

Originally released in 2001, the album captures Jason’s early days performing in the San Diego coffee shop scene where he got his start. It features “You and I Both,” which went on to become the chart-topping second single off Jason’s 2002 debut studio album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come.

The singer-songwriter is also celebrating the album’s legacy with a tour that begins in his native Virginia on November 26 and concludes on December 22 in Riverside, California. Joining him on the road his Toca Rivera, whom Jason met at Java Joe’s and was part of the singer’s touring band.

Live & Acoustic (20th Anniversary Edition) will be available on November 5.

Biden to lay out new strategy against the delta variant of COVID-19

September 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — As COVID-19 case rates remain at a level not seen since before vaccines were widely available in the United States, President Joe Biden is set to deliver remarks Thursday on a new strategy to stop the spread of the contagious delta variant, White House officials confirmed Tuesday.

“On Thursday the president will speak to the American people about his robust plan to stop the spread of the delta variant and boost vaccinations,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

In the remarks, “the president will lay out a six-pronged strategy,” involving both the public and private sectors, she added.

Biden has already made significant moves in requiring vaccines among public sector workers. He instituted a vaccine requirement for the nation’s 2.1 million federal employees, and the Department of Defense will require vaccination for 1.3 million active duty service members.

But realistically, Biden has limited legal authority to institute a broad vaccine mandate for most Americans.

“Yes, that’s — that’s true,” Psaki said Tuesday, confirming Biden’s hands are tied when it comes to a widespread mandate.

Psaki did seem to suggest that Biden will call on the private sector to institute more mandates. Major corporations such as Facebook, Google and Citigroup have already announced vaccination requirements.

“We don’t have any preview quite yet. I will note that we’ve seen that there are a range of ways that we have increased vaccinations across the country, or vaccinations have increased, I should say. One of them is private sector companies mandating in different capacities that their employees get vaccinated. Or certain school districts mandate,” Psaki said Tuesday.

Biden alluded to his plan to lay out his COVID-19 strategy in economic remarks Friday, focused on the disappointing August jobs report.

“There’s no question the delta variant is why today’s jobs report isn’t stronger. I know people were looking, and I was hoping, for a higher number. But next week, I’ll lay out the next steps that are going to — we’re going to need to combat the delta variant, to address some of those fears and concerns,” Biden said Friday.

Part of the strategy Biden referenced Friday is to ask states and local governments to consider using federal funding to extend unemployment benefits in hard-hit areas.

“I want to talk about how we’ll further protect our schools, our businesses, our economy, and our families from the threat of delta. As we continue to fight the delta variant, the American Rescue Plan we passed continues to support families, businesses, and communities. Even as some of the benefits that were provided are set to expire next week, states have the option to extend those benefits and the federal resources from the Rescue Plan to do so. Not more federal taxes, state taxes, but they have the federal money to be able to do that. States continue to have access to a wide array of support, like help for schools that are reopening, help for childcare centers to make them available and affordable, and other resources to help our economy get back to normal,” Biden said Friday.

But no states have indicated a plan to take Biden up on his proposal.

The remarks are scheduled for just 11 days before the administration is set to begin widely rolling out booster shots of Pfizer, a process that has been mired by confusion as some public health experts say the data doesn’t yet support the need for boosters, and as Moderna failed to meet the data reporting deadline to begin offering boosters the same day as Pfizer.

As children return to school for the fall semester, many in-person for the first time since the start of the pandemic, fears are rising that classrooms could host even more virus spread.

“We need to continue to take more steps to make sure school districts are prepared and make sure communities across the country are prepared,” Psaki said Tuesday.

The administration did announce one positive milestone Tuesday: at least 75% of adults in the U.S. have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the White House COVID-19 data director.

Ronnie Milsap mourns the loss of his wife, Joyce

September 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Big Hassle

Ronnie Milsap is mourning the loss of his wife of 54 years, Joyce. The Country Music Hall of Fame member reveals that she’s passed away at age 81.

“There are no words, and not enough songs in the world to explain how much I love my Sapphire,” Ronnie said in an obituary, as reported by People. “She was the music and the feeling inside all of those songs, so if you loved my music, you understand some of how much I loved my my beautiful, beautiful wife.”

Ronnie praised Joyce for how inspirational she was to his own music.

“When people tell me they love my music, I always smile, because that music is pure Joyce,” Ronnie said. “We went through lean times laughing, good times beyond our imagination, tough times where we held on to each other for dear life.”

Ronnie, 78, also mentioned their late son, Todd, who passed away in 2019, declaring, “She was the love of my life, the mother of my son, the world’s happiest grandmother.”

No cause of death was given, though Joyce Milsap battled leukemia as recently as 2014. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

Patton Oswalt on the “sweet relationship” at the center of ‘AP Bio’, and the show’s insane shipping episode

September 7, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The NBC sitcom AP Bio has found a new home on the network’s streaming site Peacock for its fourth season, and that’s good news for fans — and star Patton Oswalt.

The comedian, The Goldbergs narrator and Ratatouille voice-over star plays the principal of an Ohio high school at which Glenn Howerton‘s Jack is a teacher — and because Jack doesn’t want to be there, he often makes Principal Durbin’s life difficult.

But the back-and-forth between the two isn’t your typical Summer School “teacher-vs.-authority figure” trope, Patton says.

“I love playing an authority figure with no actual authority, which I think is how a lot of people — a parent, a manager at a Subway — like that’s…the position a lot of people are in, where you just don’t have the authority that you think you have,” he explains.

Adds Oswalt, “I just love…where there’s moments where it’s almost like Jack treats Durbin like a kid that you’re playing a board game with. And it’s like, ‘I’m just going to let him win, so that it can give him a little bit of confidence here,’ where he has to let him feel like, ‘Yes, Durbin, you stepped in and you fixed things.’ It’s such a sweet relationship.”

Their relationship certainly spices up this season, particularly in one episode that shows the pair like they’ve never been seen before.

“There is a whole episode where the students are shipping the various teachers and administrators and hooking them up in different combinations,” Oswalt notes, “but we see it acted out.”

He adds, laughing, “Not only do we shoot a romance scene, I think we kind of shot a Sergio Leone scene that turns into a romance. They went so far with this stuff, it was insane.”

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