Welcome back to 10 Things in Politics. Sign up here to receive this newsletter. Send tips to [email protected] or tweet me at @BrentGriffiths.
Here's what we're talking about:
- Biden vows to hunt down those responsible for killing 13 US troops in Afghanistan
- Supreme Court throws out attempt to extend evictions ban
- Federal prison workers are burned out by the pandemic and heading for the exits
With Phil Rosen.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
1. A DEADLY END TO THE US'S LONGEST WAR: President Joe Biden vowed retaliation for attacks that led to the deadliest day for US troops in Afghanistan in a decade. Thirteen American service members are confirmed to have been killed in bombings outside the Afghan capital's airport. Dozens of Afghan civilians were also killed in the attacks, and 18 other Americans were wounded as well.
- Key quote: "We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay," Biden said of the attacks. ISIS-K, a regional affiliate of the Islamic State that is a rival to the Taliban, has claimed responsibility for the attacks. More on ISIS-K.
Here's how the world is reacting:
US troops are preparing for more attacks: Marine Gen. Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie, the head of US Central Command, told reporters he expected attacks to continue.
- Many saw Thursday's violence coming: White House officials and their foreign counterparts publicly warned that the airport was increasingly the subject of terrorist chatter. Biden's national security advisor spoke of the threat last weekend.
- Retaliation would most likely come via a small force: "We will find ways of our choosing without large military operations to get them," Biden said. More from his comments.
The US still plans to leave Tuesday: After addressing the nation, Biden told reporters the violent scene only furthered his resolve to get any remaining Americans out of the country and to quickly end the nation's longest war.
- Some Republicans pushed the president to extend the deadline: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy wants to pass legislation prohibiting complete withdrawal "until every American is out of Afghanistan," The Washington Post reports. While other lawmakers called for unity, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, called on Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to resign or face impeachment. Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn pushed Biden's Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment.
World leaders joined Biden in condemning the attacks: Leaders of NATO allies in France, the UK, the EU, and Germany all pledged to work together. Some nations, including Canada, are nearing or have already ended their evacuations. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK's efforts were in "the final stages."
2. Supreme Court throws out eviction moratorium: As Biden predicted may happen, justices rejected the president's latest bid to extend a pandemic policy that largely prohibits landlords from evicting renters during a public-health crisis. In the unsigned opinion, the court wrote that the CDC had no authority to issue such a moratorium, adding such a position "strains credulity to believe." All three liberal justices dissented from the decision. Millions of renters are now at risk once again.
3. Federal prison workers are burned out and headed for the exits: Severe staff shortages and fears of contracting COVID-19 are just some of the factors driving more prison workers to quit. One former employee said the coronavirus pandemic caused her to receive no training on how to be a correctional officer. She felt unprepared on how to do her job and later quit after constantly feeling burned out.
- Federal prisons have struggled with staffing for years: Current departure numbers are striking because the overall number of Federal Bureau of Prisons employees isn't going up - it's going down. In 2015, there were 37,258 bureau employees. By 2017, that number dropped to 35,5698. In 2019, it stood at 34,857. The bureau declined to provide more-recent information.
Samantha Lee/Insider
4. A battle is brewing over salaries for remote workers: Some companies have rejected a hardline stance, telling employees who relocate that they can keep their coastal salaries. Others, including Reddit and Spotify, are going even further: eliminating all geographic differences in salaries. This could signal a major shift in compensation, a change that could reshape our economy.
5. Unemployed workers could get one final relief check: The Labor Department said states could give one-off relief payments, according to internal documents my colleagues obtained. States could opt to issue periodic or one-time relief payments to workers on unemployment by repurposing unused pandemic stimulus funds. Millions of workers could be affected, but it doesn't appear that many states will go through with such payments.
6. Florida sets grim COVID-19 mark: The state recorded 901 COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, the highest single-day increase in deaths in the state of the pandemic, according to a Miami Herald calculation. Hospitals are also close to a breaking point in the state. About 95% of intensive-care-unit beds are in use across 262 hospitals, with 55.3% taken up by COVID-19 patients. Gov. Ron DeSantis has defended his approach.
7. Capitol Police officers file suit against Trump and the Proud Boys: Seven officers who were attacked during the Capitol riot accuse former President Donald Trump as well as several far-right figures and extremist groups of coordinating attacks before the insurrection. More on the suit.
- Trump claims executive privilege in attempt to block riot inquiry: Trump argued documents and communications relating to the January 6 attack on the Capitol were protected by executive privilege, though it's up to the Biden administration to make that assertion. He made the claim after House lawmakers issued a sweeping request for documents from Trump's White House staff.
8. Apple makes major concessions amid antitrust fight: The tech giant said it would allow developers to alert customers of ways to make payments outside Apple's App Store, a shift that follows years of regulatory scrutiny and legal fights, The Post reports. This is the biggest concession Apple has offered under antitrust scrutiny.
Inside how an Apple-Google partnership to track COVID-19 failed: More than a year since the first apps using Apple and Google's technology were released, and with a new variant on the rise, smartphone contact tracing in the US has struggled to live up to its promises and prove its worth. And an Insider investigation also found critical shortcomings in apps that do use the technology.
9. Texas moves forward on sweeping voting restrictions: The Texas House approved a bill that would ban drive-thru voting and 24-hour voting options and add ID requirements for absentee voters. Democrats have tried to block the legislation for months, including when lawmakers fled to Washington. The bill moves toward likely passage in the Senate.
10. America's supply-chain woes go beyond port problems: Even if each of the dozens of ships floating within sight of the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach suddenly found the space to dock, their cargo wouldn't flow freely. That's because ports aren't just having trouble getting ships to shore. They're having trouble getting containers onto the road.
Today's trivia question: College football is back this weekend. Which future president cut his teeth calling Iowa Hawkeyes games on the radio? Email your guess and a suggested question to me at [email protected].
- Yesterday's answer: The first televised MLB game, on August 26, 1939, featured the Cincinnati Reds against the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. The 1939 World's Fair was the impetus for the historic broadcast.
That's all for now. Have a great weekend!