Afghanistan updates: ‘It was time to end this war,’ Biden says

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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.

Aug 31, 4:18 pm
President claims US prepared to handle collapse of Afghan military, government

Biden said the decision to depart Afghanistan by Aug. 31 was predicated on the “assumption” that the Afghan government “would be able to hold on for a period of time beyond military drawdown.”

“The assumption was that more than 300,000 Afghan national security forces that we had trained over the past two decades and equipped would be a strong adversary in their civil wars with the Taliban,” Biden said. “That assumption, that the Afghan government would be able to hold on for a period of time beyond military drawdown, turned out not to be accurate.”

Aug 31, 3:51 pm
‘It was time to end this war’: Biden

In his address to the nation, the president said it was time to end the war.

“We succeeded in what we set out to do in Afghanistan over a decade ago. Then we stayed for another decade. It was time to end this war,” he said. “This is a new world: Al-Qaida affiliates in Syria and ISIS attempting to create a caliphate in Syria and Iraq and establishing affiliates across Africa nation. The fundamental obligation of a president, in my opinion, is to defend and protect America. Not against threats of 2001 but against the threats of 2021 and tomorrow.”

“That is the guiding principle behind my decisions about Afghanistan,” he added. “I simply do not believe that the safety and security of America is enhanced by continuing to deploy thousands of American troops and sending billions of dollars.”

Aug 31, 3:51 pm
Biden says 90% of Americans who wanted to leave were able to leave

Biden touted efforts to get out Afghans who helped the U.S. mission in Afghanistan and said, “Now we believe that about 100 to 200 Americans remain in Afghanistan, with some intention to leave.”

“Most of those who remain are dual citizens, long-time residents who had earlier decided to stay because of their family roots in Afghanistan,” Biden said. “The bottom line, 90% of Americans in Afghanistan who wanted to leave were able to leave. And for those remaining Americans, there is no deadline. We remain committed to get them out if they want to come out.”

Aug 31, 3:35 pm
Biden addresses nation following US withdrawal

In his first formal remarks since the U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan, the president said, “The extraordinary success of this mission was due to the incredible skill, bravery and selfless courage of the United States military and our diplomats and intelligence professionals.”

“For weeks they risked their lives to get American citizens Afghans who helped us, citizens of our allies and partners and others onboard planes and out of the country,” he continued. “And they did it facing a crush of enormous crowds seeking to leave the country. And they did it knowing ISIS-K terrorists, sworn enemies of the Taliban were lurking in the midst of those crowds.”

Aug 31, 2:53 pm
McConnell blasts Biden for breaking promise, leaving Americans behind

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell criticized President Biden, claiming he broke his “promise” to get every American who wanted to leave Afghanistan out of the country before the U.S. military left, saying Biden’s “reckless withdrawal has created a humanitarian disaster and emboldened the terrorists.”

“Two weeks ago, President Biden specifically promised he wouldn’t pull out before every American who wanted out had gotten out. By their own admission, the Biden Administration has now broken that promise,” McConnell said Tuesday at an event in Ashland, Kentucky.

In an exclusive interview on Aug. 18 with ABC’s George Stephanopolous, Biden said that “If there’s American citizens left, we’re gonna stay to get them all out.”

At the event, McConnell also warned of the continued threat from the Taliban, adding, “This fight will not end just because our politicians want it to go away.”

Aug 31, 2:19 pm
Scenes from Kabul the day after the US military withdrawal

Scenes around Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Tuesday showed Taliban fighters appearing to wear Afghan National Army uniforms after the militant group took control of the airport following the U.S. military’s full withdrawal from the country — a far different picture from the days preceding.

Resources left behind in the wake of mass evacuations, including equipment stamped with American and Afghan national flags, littered the area where U.S. troops recently stood guard. Taliban fighters have apparently since seized some equipment distributed to the Afghan army by the U.S. before it collapsed.

As the 20-year war came to a close on Monday, the Pentagon said that the cost, in human lives, was 2,461 troops killed and more than 20,000 injured.

Since the evacuation mission began, 6,000 citizens and more than 123,000 people — Afghan “friends and allies” — were flown out of Afghanistan by the U.S. and partners, but 100 to 200 American citizens still wanting to leave remain, officials said, as well as thousands of Afghans who worked with the U.S. and fear reprisal from the Taliban.

Aug 31, 2:02 pm
House GOP promising investigation into Biden’s withdrawal decision

GOP Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said Republicans had sent letters to the Department of Defense, the Department of State and the intelligence community asking agencies to preserve documents relating to the Afghanistan withdrawal for what they said would be a future investigation.

“We want the Democrats to join us but we are going to do it with or without, exercising our constitutional authority of oversight to get to the bottom of how this got so wrong,” McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee said at a news conference on Capitol Hill Tuesday.

The announcement comes after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Friday there would be “a day of reckoning” for Biden, promising an investigation into the withdrawal. Other GOP House members criticized Biden’s withdrawal, with Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., saying “this disaster is solely the responsibility” of Biden, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan.

Aug 31, 11:57 am
Harris presides over Senate passage of bill assisting Americans fleeing Afghanistan

Vice President Kamala Harris gaveled in a pro forma session of the Senate on Tuesday morning, to enable the passage of a bill that will help with the repatriation of Americans coming from Afghanistan, according to a White House aide.

The bill provides emergency, temporary assistance for Americans returning from Afghanistan. It was passed without any objection at roughly 10:30 a.m. and will now head to the president’s desk since it originated in and already passed the House.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday there is still a “small number of Americans — under 200, and likely closer to 100 — who remain in Afghanistan and want to leave.”

Aug 31, 10:18 am
Taliban spokesperson congratulates nation on ‘freedom,’ American defeat

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told Taliban soldiers at a press conference hours after the last U.S. soldiers left the airport in Kabul that they had secured victory for the whole of the Afghan nation.

“Due to the sincerity, perseverance, and patience of our elders, we gained our freedom. I congratulate all of you and our nation on this freedom, and I hope that Afghanistan will never be occupied and that it will be free, prosperous, and the home of Afghans, and that there will be an Islamic government,” he said, according to a translation of his remarks from Reuters.

Mujahid said the Taliban wanted to sustain good relations with the rest of the world, that Afghanistan was not a country for occupying forces, and that Americans were defeated and could not achieve their goals.

“The nation has suffered a lot, and they have been repressed because of the occupation, have seen problems for 20 years, and can no longer tolerate misbehavior. Therefore, I call on all our militaries to treat the people well because the people have the right to peace, to unite, and we are the servants of the nation, not to dominate the people,” he said.

Aug 31, 10:04 am
Biden to defend Afghanistan withdrawal in speech to nation

President Biden is expected to defend his decision on Afghanistan when he speaks at 2:45 p.m. from the White House — a day after the last U.S. troops left in accordance with his self-imposed deadline but also while other Americans who wanted to leave were left behind to deal with an uncertain fate.

In an exclusive interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan offered more defense for the administration’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, perhaps foreshadowing Biden’s remarks this afternoon.

Though Stephanopoulos pressed him for details on the plan to evacuate the remaining Americans, which Secretary of State Antony Blinken said is “under 200,” Sullivan repeated they will use “every available diplomatic means with the economic leverage that we have,” but he did attempt to take credit for the successful evacuations — and even pinned some of the blame on the remaining Americans who weren’t able to make it out.

“We do believe that there is an important dimension of humanitarian assistance that should go directly to the people of Afghanistan.”

National Security Adviser @JakeSullivan46 speaks on working with the Taliban after Afghanistan withdrawal. https://t.co/rHYsSbwZj2 pic.twitter.com/ekVqb0Qs8c

— Good Morning America (@GMA) August 31, 2021

“We got out between 5,500 and 6,000 people — Americans from Afghanistan — we got out 97 or 98% of those on the ground and the small number who remain, we contacted repeatedly over the course of two weeks to come to the airport to come to a rally point. 5,500 or more did that,” Sullivan said.

In response to criticism from many Republicans lawmakers like Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, Sullivan contended that only the president, as commander in chief, knows what it is to make these hard decisions.

“Those criticizing are not the ones who have to sit in the Situation Room and make the hard calls about the threats that we face and the objectives we’re trying to obtain and President Biden made that hard call and it is a call he believes will ultimately serve the interests of our people, all of our citizens and our country,” he said.

He also insisted aid will not be given to the Taliban unless they adhere to international obligations.

“It will be about whether they follow through on their commitments, their commitments to safe passage for Americans and Afghan allies. Their commitment to not allow Afghanistan to be a base from which terrorists can attack the United States or any other country,” Sullivan said.

Aug 30, 9:19 pm
Taliban wield American-supplied equipment, uniforms after withdrawal

Moments after the last U.S. troops withdrew from Afghanistan, Taliban fighters entered the Kabul airport, wielding American-supplied weapons, equipment and even uniforms.

Aug 30, 8:59 pm
Military releases image of last soldier out of Afghanistan

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue, of the 82nd Airborne Division, was the last American service member to depart Afghanistan, according to Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command.

“On the last plane out was General Chris Donahue, the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division and my ground commander, and he was accompanied by our — our charge d’affaires, Ambassador Ross Wilson, so they came out together,” McKenzie said at the Pentagon briefing. “So the state and defense team came out on the last aircraft and were in fact the last people to step on the ground.”

Aug 30, 8:04 pm
US engaging Taliban, but not recognizing it

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. will continue to engage the Taliban going forward — engagement that will be “driven by one thing only — our vital national interest.”

“The Taliban seeks international legitimacy and support. Our message is any legitimacy and any support will have to be earned,” he said. “The Taliban can do that by meeting commitments and obligations on freedom of travel; respecting the basic rights of the Afghan people, including women and minorities; upholding its commitments on counter-terrorism; not carrying out reprisal violence against those who choose to stay in Afghanistan; and forming an inclusive government that can meet the needs and reflect the aspirations of the Afghan people.”

But the Taliban have already violated many of those — denying freedom of travel to some, violating their commitments on counter-terrorism, carrying out reprisal violence and more.

Aug 30, 7:37 pm
Commitment to Afghans who worked with US ‘has no deadline’: Blinken

For Afghans who worked alongside the U.S. who wanted to leave but weren’t able to get out, the U.S. would continue to try to help them, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in remarks Monday evening.

“Our commitment to them has no deadline,” he said.

To that end, he thanked Qatar and Turkey for trying to make the Kabul airport operational soon, allowing safe passage to these people.

“This would enable a small number of daily charter flights, which is a key for anyone who wants to depart from Afghanistan moving forward,” Blinken said. “We’re also working to identify ways to support Americans, legal permanent residents and Afghans who have worked with us to depart via land routes.”

But he tempered expectations.

“We have no illusion that any of this will be easy,” Blinken said. “Or rapid. This will be an entirely different phase from the evacuation that just concluded. It will take time to work through a new set of challenges.”

Aug 30, 5:01 pm
Number of Americans left in Afghanistan in the ‘low 100s’

There are still Americans left in Afghanistan that the United States is trying to get out of the country, Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, said.

“I believe our Department of State is going to work very hard to allow any American citizens that are left, and we think the citizens that were not brought outnumber in the low — very low 100s,” McKenzie said. “I believe that we’re going to be able to get those people out.”

There were no evacuees left at the airport when the last U.S. flight left, he said.

McKenzie also said the U.S. would also “negotiate very hard, and very aggressively, to get our other Afghan partners out.”

Aug 30, 4:35 pm
All US troops have departed Afghanistan: Pentagon

All U.S. troops have departed Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense, concluding America’s military ground presence there and its longest war.

Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of U.S. Central Command, made the announcement from the headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base, in Tampa, Florida, after being introduced in the Pentagon Briefing Room by press secretary John Kirby.

Acknowledging that the withdrawal has been completed, McKenzie said the last U.S. military plane has cleared Afghan airspace.

He said that the U.S. military’s 20-year mission in Afghanistan is over.

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“The wait is over” — Two new final trailers drop for the James Bond thriller ‘No Time to Die’

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Nicola Dove – © 2020 DANJAQ, LLC AND MGM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Sony and MGM know fans have been champing at the bit for the repeatedly pandemic-delayed James Bond thriller No Time to Die, and to that end, two new final trailers dropped today. 

Both the domestic and international trailers are similar, but they play out in very different ways.

The domestic trailer leans into this being Daniel Craig‘s final turn in the tux, opening with the legend, “In the beginning he became 007,” complete with scenes from his previous films including Casino Royale and Skyfall.

“…Every mission, every sacrifice has led him to this,” the domestic titles tease.

“The wait is over,” opens the foreign release, hinting at the movie’s bumpy road to theaters.

Both trailers showcase more of Bohemian Rhapsody Oscar winner Rami Malek‘s villain Safin, who is masterminding a global catastrophe. “We both eradicate people to make the world a better place,” he tells Bond. “I just want to be a little tidier.”

Safin’s plot remains mysterious, but he’s apparently such a baddie that an incarcerated Blofeld, played by Oscar winner Christoph Waltz, is worried. He smiles as he tells Bond in the foreign snippet, “Now your enemy is my enemy. How did that happen?”

“Well, you live long enough…” Bond smiles.

At the center of the scheme is apparently Bond’s mysterious love interest from SPECTRE, Léa Seydoux‘s Madeline. “When her secret finds its way out, it’ll be the death of you,” Blofeld warns him. 

As expected, the trailer is action packed, though several of the car chases and high-flying sequences have been glimpsed in previous teasers.

“If we don’t do this, there will be nothing left to save,” Bond urges Lashana Lynch‘s Nomi, Bond’s successor to the 007 designation.

No Time to Die (finally) opens October 8.

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John Mayer explains why he’s no longer a “recovering ego addict”

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Carlos Serrao

In 2015, John Mayer described himself as a “recovered ego addict,” and said that’s why he used to do stupid things like talk about his famous girlfriends to the press.  But now that he’s older, John says he doesn’t have that desire to feed his ego any longer.

During a Q&A on his Instagram Stories on Tuesday, John was asked if he still felt like a “recovering ego addict.”  He responded, “No, and I’ll tell you why. Your 20s and 30s are like the hours between 8pm and 11 pm on a weekend night. You’re kind of frantically hoping for the most validating plans to come through.”

John, who’s 43, continued, “Your 40s are like 11:30 pm where you’re like ‘Hey, I would have been home anyway even if I had gone out.’ The pressure is off.”

During the Q&A, John also revealed that the one song he wished he’d written is “Gentle on My Mind,” his “favorite rock star haircut of the past” is David Lee Roth‘s flowing blonde locks during his heyday with Van Halen, and “the one piece of clothing he would kill to get his hands on” is the t-shirt that Guns ‘n Roses frontman Axl Rose was wearing when he got arrested at an airport in 1989.

John was also asked if he ever felt like quitting music.  He responded, “Yes. One time I handed in an album and was told it ‘had no hits on it.’ I cried. Told myself I was gonna quit and go to design school. That album was Continuum.”

Continuum, of course, included now-classics like “Gravity” and “Waiting on the World to Change.”  It won John two Grammys and sold more than five million copies.

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Martina McBride looks back at her career on 30th anniversary of her first recording contract

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Jason Davis/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Martina McBride on Monday celebrated the 30th anniversary of signing her first recording contract, with RCA Nashville.  To mark the milestone, the singer reflected on her illustrious career by breaking down her five biggest hits in an interview with Billboard.

Looking back on her 1994 hit single “Independence Day,” McBride said she “knew I wanted to record this song immediately.”

“Halfway through the first listen I claimed it as mine. Looking back, it was kind of a ballsy move, I guess…to record and release this song,” she grinned. “I recognized the brilliance of the songwriting immediately and also felt a connection with this mother and child. I haven’t heard anything else that sounds like it to this day.”

Martina then dished on her 1995 song “Wild Angels,” telling the outlet, “I have always loved the energy of this song and the melody” and added, “This was my first No. 1 song.”

When looking back at 1997’s “A Broken Wing,” McBride said the song “felt really special” when she heard it, adding she “felt like it would empower someone who needed to hear it. I still haven’t heard a song about emotional abuse that is quite this direct.”

That led her to discussing “Concrete Angel,” a song about child abuse, which she released in 2002. “I hesitated to record it because I thought it might be too heavy. But in the end I followed my gut, which was telling me I needed to do it,” she said. “I think, in the end, it’s a healing song for many.”

Martina ended with 2003’s “This One’s for the Girls,” of which she said, “It can be difficult to find an uptempo song with substance.  I love the way this song hits on different stages of life. It’s really timeless.”





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‘Fresh Prince’ reboot ‘Bel-Air’ taps newcomer Jabari Banks; Letoya Luckett & more added to second season of ‘Raising Kanan’

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Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Bel-Air has found its Fresh Prince.

Peacock revealed in an announcement video on Tuesday that they have tapped newcomer and West Philadelphia native Jabari Banks to play the role of Will in the forthcoming The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot, Bel-Air. Original Will and Fresh Prince star Will Smith surprised Banks in the video, sharing the news of his casting. As previously reported, the hourlong series is a reimagining of the ‘90s sitcom as a drama series. It is based on a viral YouTube trailer created by writer Morgan Cooper that explores Will’s “complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air.” Additional casting has yet to be announced.

In other news, Starz has announced additional casting for the second season of Power Book III: Raising Kanan. LeToya Luckett, Omar Dorsey, Krystal Joy Brown and Paulina Singer have all been tapped for recurring roles. Luckett will play Kenya, Jukebox’s mother who comes back into her life; Dorsey a charismatic businessman named Cartier “Duns” Fareed; Brown will play Marvin’s anger management therapist, Renée Timmons; and Singer will star as Zisa, an up-and-coming singer looking to make a name for herself. A season two premiere date for Raising Kanan has yet to be announced.

Finally, Paramount+ has unveiled a Thursday, November 11 premiere date for their The Game reboot. During the Television Critics Association virtual presentation on Tuesday, Paramount+ shared that Tim Daly and Toby Sandeman have also been added to the cast. Meanwhile, fan favorite Coby Bell will make a special appearance in his original role as former footballer Jason Pitts. As previously reported, the new series is set in Las Vegas and centers on a “modern-day examination of Black culture through the prism of pro football.”

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Florida Department of Education to withhold salaries for Broward, Alachua county boards; schools plan to keep mask mandates

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miljko/iStock

(FLA.) — Florida’s Department of Education announced on Monday that it would withhold school board members’ salaries in Alachua and Broward counties because of their school mask mandates.

Both counties’ school districts said on Tuesday they still plan on requiring masks because of the COVID-19 pandemic and are exploring legal action.

The department’s announcement came after a circuit court judge in Florida ruled on Friday that Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ recent executive order banning school mask mandates overstepped his authority. The Florida Department of Education did not mention the ruling in its announcement.

“We’re going to fight to protect parent’s (sic) rights to make health care decisions for their children. They know what is best for their children. What’s unacceptable is the politicians who have raised their right hands and pledged, under oath, to uphold the Constitution but are not doing so,” Florida Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran said in the department’s announcement.

DeSantis had also initially threatened to withhold superintendent’s salaries, before admitting that he did not have the ability to do so.

On Aug. 11, DeSantis’ press secretary, Christina Pushaw, said the state “could move to withhold the salary of the district superintendent or school board members” as punishment.

“I’m very troubled by the state’s action,” Alachua County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Carlee Simon said in a statement to ABC News on Tuesday. “Our School Board members made a courageous decision to protect the health and lives of students, staff and the people of this community, and a court has already ruled they had the legal right to do so. They deserve praise, not penalties.”

Simon said that the district has already begun exploring legal action in tandem with other districts.

Broward County Public Schools interim Superintendent Dr. Vickie Cartwright said in a video statement shared by the district on Tuesday that they have consulted with legal advisers and believe they are still complying with state rules even with the mandate.

“The health and the safety of our students, teachers, and staff continues to be our highest priority. As such, we will continue to mandate the mask, knowing that our data … is demonstrating that the use of the mask is helping to minimize the spread of COVID-19,” Cartwright said.

Rosalind Osgood, the chair of the Broward County school board, confirmed on Tuesday to ABC News that Broward County is one of the districts working with Alachua to file a lawsuit.

The state and the counties have fought over mask mandates for weeks. On Aug. 20, Florida’s Board of Education gave both counties 48 hours to reverse mask mandates, but both districts refused.

Nationwide debates around mask mandates have escalated recently as the school year begins.

On Monday, the federal Department of Education announced civil rights investigations into five states banning mask mandates. Florida is not one of those states, “because those states’ bans on universal indoor masking are not currently being enforced as a result of court orders or other state actions,” according to the Education Department.

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More Americans getting vaccinated following full FDA approval of Pfizer COVID vaccine

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Prostock studio/iStock

(NEW YORK) — Thousands of Americans were finally persuaded to get their first shot in the week following the Food and Drug Administration’s full approval of the Pfizer-BioNtech coronavirus vaccine, new data reveals.

A new ABC News analysis found that initial data, stemming from the last seven days, indicates that since the FDA’s announcement of the approval, the U.S. has indeed seen a slight uptick in the average number of Americans getting their first COVID-19 vaccine dose.

Just prior to the announcement, the U.S. rate of first doses had stagnated. Although the country experienced an increase in people initiating vaccination in July as new coronavirus cases surged across the country, the average number of Americans getting their first dose had then declined.

However, following Pfizer’s full approval, the U.S. saw a 17% increase in the number of Americans getting vaccinated with their first dose.

In the week prior to the full approval, an average of about 404,000 Americans were initiating vaccination each day. As of Monday, approximately 473,000 Americans were getting their first shot each day.

“As expected, full approval was enough to convince at least some to finally get immunized,” said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News contributor.

Although there does not appear to have been a mad rush of people getting vaccinated in the days immediately following approval, the uptick was significant enough to shift the country’s vaccination trend upward.

“While surveys initially had estimated a far greater segment of the population who pegged full approval as their reason for holding off, we have yet to see a large wave of newly convinced people to roll up their sleeves,” Brownstein added.

Experts caution that although the uptick is encouraging, there is still much work to do in convincing millions more hesitant Americans to get the shot.

However, according to a newly released Axios-Ipsos poll, vaccine hesitancy among Americans has hit a record low, with only 2 in 10 Americans saying they are unlikely to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and 14% saying they are not likely at all.

The poll, which was conducted prior to full FDA approval, found that about a third of unvaccinated Americans said they would be likely to get vaccinated if it was formally approved for use by the FDA. However, about 6 in 10 said they would still not get vaccinated even if it were approved by the FDA.

In another move that officials hope will encourage Americans to get the shot, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention independent advisory panel, took the approval a step further on Monday, unanimously endorsing Pfizer’s vaccine for use in people 16 years of age and older

“We now have a fully approved COVID-19 vaccine and ACIP has added its recommendation. If you have been waiting for this approval before getting the vaccine, now is the time to get vaccinated and join the more than 173 million Americans who are already fully vaccinated,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement Monday.

It is difficult to know for sure if this increasing trend will continue. On Tuesday, for example, the U.S. reported a single-day total of approximately 283,000 first shots administered, well below the current seven-day average.

Vaccination trends also remain unsteady, and highly susceptible to mandates imposed by jurisdiction.

“While FDA approval has many positive implications for the vaccine rollout, this is not a replacement for the constant need for basic education on the individual and community benefits of immunization,” Brownstein said.

Full approval has rendered it easier for employers to mandate vaccines, which could also be one of the drivers of rising vaccination rates, experts have suggested. In the last week alone, an increasing number of companies and government entities have moved to require proof of vaccination or risk termination.

Just hours after the full approval was announced, for example, the Pentagon announced that they would begin preparations to make the vaccine mandatory.

“I’m calling on more companies in the private sector to step up with vaccine requirements that will reach millions more people,” President Joe Biden said in remarks at the White House last week. “If you’re a business leader, a nonprofit leader, a state or local leader, who has been waiting for full FDA approval to require vaccinations, I call on you now to do that — require it. It only makes sense to require a vaccine to stop the spread of COVID-19.”

The push for more companies to require employees to get vaccinated comes as the U.S. continues to struggle through its latest surge in COVID-19 infections.

With more than 101,000 patients now hospitalized across the country with COVID-19, the U.S. is steadily approaching its hospitalization peak from early January, when more than 125,000 patients were hospitalized at one time. A little over two months ago, there were under 12,000 patients receiving care.

And nationally, nearly 94% of U.S. counties are now reporting high community transmission.

“With only 53% of the population fully vaccinated, we are going to need a much more significant increase in vaccinations if we are going to limit the impact of a fall surge and get to the other side of this pandemic,” Brownstein said.

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Mike Richards exits ‘Jeopardy!’ executive producer role

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Sony Pictures Television/Jeopardy! Productions

Mike Richards is officially out as executive producer of Jeopardy! after recently stepping down as the quiz show’s new permanent host.

The news was shared with Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune staff Tuesday via an internal note from Suzanne Prete, the executive vice president of business and strategy for both game shows.

“I’m writing to let you know that Mike will no longer be serving as EP of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! effective immediately,” Prete wrote in the note, which was obtained by ABC News.

“We had hoped that when Mike stepped down from the host position at Jeopardy! it would have minimized the disruption and internal difficulties we have all experienced these last few weeks. That clearly has not happened.”

Prete said an executive from production company Embassy Row will be assisting with production “on an interim basis until further notice” to “ensure that production remains on schedule” for the new season.

Prete ended the note by thanking the entire team for their “cooperation and professionalism” throughout the “challenging” past few weeks.

Richards’ exit as executive producer closes out what has been a tumultuous month for the Jeopardy! brand. After having been announced as the late Alex Trebek‘s successor on Aug. 11, he stepped down from hosting duties on Aug. 20.

Richards had come under fire for resurfaced controversial remarks he made on The Randumb Show, a podcast he hosted from 2013 to 2014. A report from The Ringer exposed various disparaging comments he made about women, the recordings of which have since been deleted. Richards has apologized for the comments.

The report also brought to light a 2010 lawsuit in which a former model on The Price Is Right, during Richards’ tenure on that program, alleged her contract was not renewed after she gave birth.

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KISS’ Gene Simmons tests positive for COVID-19; band postpones four more US shows

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Credit: Brian Lowe

KISS recently postponed a few tour dates after singer/guitarist Paul Stanley tested positive for COVID-19 last week, and now the band has announced that four additional shows have been postponed because Stanley’s co-founding band mate Gene Simmons also has contracted the virus.

A message on KISS’ official website reads, “While Paul Stanley recently tweeted that he has recovered from COVID, Gene Simmons has now tested positive and is experiencing mild symptoms. The band and crew will remain at home and isolate for the next 10 days.”

The note reports that “doctors have indicated the tour should be able to resume on September 9th at FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine, CA.”

The newly postponed concerts were scheduled for September 1 in Clarkston, Michigan; September 2 in Dayton, Ohio; September 4 in Tinley Park, Illinois; and September 5 in Milwaukee. The last show was to have been part of Milwaukee’s Summerfest.

Tickets that were purchased for the postponed concerts will be honored for the rescheduled dates when they are announced. Additional details will be emailed to ticketholders.

These four postponed shows follow three other dates that were delayed when Stanley revealed his diagnosis last week. The earlier concerts had been scheduled for August 26 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania; August 28 in Raleigh, North Carolina; and August 29 in Atlanta.

Yesterday, Stanley tweeted, “My COVID symptoms were MILD compared to many others and let me tell you…It kicked my a**. It’s over now.”

In other news, KISS also has postponed the 2021 Australian leg of its End of the Road Tour because of ongoing COVID restrictions. The trek, which had been scheduled for November and December of this year has been moved to March and April of 2022. Visit KISSOnline.com for full details.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Rob Thomas says the Hallmark Channel helped him get in the mood to cut his first Christmas album

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Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images for Live Nation

On social media, Rob Thomas has been teasing the fact that he’s recording his first Christmas album, but getting in that Yuletide spirit in the middle of summer is hard.  Thank goodness for the Hallmark Channel.

“They have this thing called ‘Christmas in July,’ so in the studio I have this big-screen TV with no sound on and Christmas lights everywhere,” Rob tells Rolling Stone, explaining how he set a holiday mood as he recorded the project. “My whole bubble of people would know what I was doing. Whenever I was talking to someone on the phone, before they got off they’d say, ‘Merry Christmas, Rob.'”

The album features original songs, as well as covers of songs by Bryan Adams and Ray Charles, plus guest appearances by Ingrid Michaelson, gospel star Bebe Winans and country star Brad Paisley.

“It’s something I’ve always kind of wanted to do,” the Matchbox Twenty frontman tells Rolling Stone. “But I didn’t think anybody needs to hear me sing ‘Jingle Bells.’ You know, nobody needs to hear anybody honestly sing ‘Jingle Bells’ again. But I think I managed to pick some really cool covers, so I think it’s got its own original sound.”

So far, the album doesn’t have a title or a release date.  Rob tells Rolling Stone he’s also working on a solo album, and of course, he just released a new single, “Move,” with his pal Carlos Santana.

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