带走里克·克莱因
最后五天截止日期前美国军队在2008年撤军阿富汗正在变得一团糟，混乱，危险可能会很丢脸。
那不会结束的即使乔·拜登总统信守承诺，坚持8月31日的最后期限。
被拜登政府自己承认几乎可以肯定的是，不是所有帮助美国长期努力的美国公民和阿富汗人都会在本月底安全撤离。国务卿安东尼·布林肯说，让他们回家的努力不会在什么时候结束美国军队离开阿富汗。
这使得政府只能依靠塔利班——在接下来的五天里，以及之后未知的几周和几个月里。布林肯援引塔利班领导人的“公开和私下承诺”称，他们不会阻拦疏散工作。
布林肯引用了塔利班会同意的“国际期望”允许人们离开阿富汗，警告该国将成为“贱民”如果它窝藏恐怖分子不允许那些想离开的人安全通过。
他说:“对于未来的阿富汗政府，我们当然有激励点和杠杆点。
值得注意的是，布林肯早在4月份就使用了类似的“贱民”警告，呼吁阿富汗政府维护妇女权利。不到一个月前，也就是塔利班夺取政权前不久，他重申了这一观点。
期待塔利班允许人们来来去去尊重妇女权利宗教少数派更不关心国际社会的认可代表着一场豪赌在阿富汗反抗美军的二十年后。
布林肯誓言美国将利用“我们所掌握的一切外交、经济援助工具”来让人们安全离开阿富汗的。他没有提到美国部队的其他潜在渠道。
与...的关系阿维·哈珀
当delta变量将住院数据发送到他们的最高点七个月后，一些被认为是2024年总统竞选人的共和党州长区分自己彼此之间的联系新冠肺炎(新型冠状病毒肺炎)政策。
得克萨斯州州长格雷格·阿博特扩大了一项行政命令，禁止在疫苗紧急使用授权包括现在-完全授权辉瑞疫苗。“任何政府实体都不能强迫任何个人接受COVID 19疫苗，”命令中写道。
在南达科他州，州长克里斯蒂·诺姆与该州呼吁禁止疫苗授权的保守派议员分裂。她禁止接种疫苗成为州和地方政府的就业条件，但是已经停止了禁止私人雇主也这样做。
诺姆上个月在推特上写道:“雇主强制要求继续雇佣疫苗的工人有权说不。“我们强劲的经济和就业市场让他们可以选择寻找一个重视个人选择和责任的新雇主，并且不会强迫员工接受任务。”
佛罗里达州州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯的强硬禁令是强制性的学校中的掩蔽在法庭上被质疑为全州的学区违抗他的命令，旨在保护大部分没有资格接种疫苗的在校儿童。
如果这些高管决定在2024年追求共和党总统提名，他们在新冠肺炎的记录无疑将非常重要。不可知的是那些记录将会被一个基地所感知，希望是远离大流行的几年。
小费奎因·斯坎兰
在...之后数月的公众催促由前总统唐纳德·特朗普、足球传奇赫歇尔·沃克正式进入共和党参议院初选周三，发布了一个录像这让他回想起在佐治亚州莱特斯维尔的成长经历，并继续实现美国梦。
连任四届的国会议员巴迪·卡特本可以成为最高候选人，他也曾在桃州担任州议员和市长赞同沃克，明确表示他不会参加比赛，他说如果沃克不参加，他会参加。
另外三名共和党候选人没有退缩，为这位长期居住在德克萨斯州的人腾出位置。三届农业专员加里·布莱克在回应沃克参选的视频中调侃道:“欢迎回到佐治亚州。...自从你搬走之前我们一起上大学，我就一直是你的超级粉丝。”
目前由参议员拉斐尔·沃诺克(Raphael Warnock)持有的新蓝色席位，可能是共和党在2022年周期内最好的接盘机会，但沃克是否是他们罢免他的最佳机会仍有疑问。
“我不知道佐治亚州或华盛顿的共和党顾问是谁...谁相信赫歇尔·沃克能在初选中被击败，”总部设在该州的保守派电台主持人埃里克森(Erick Erickson)在他的播客中说。但是，需要注意的是他不同意-他补充说，“我不知道有哪个共和党顾问认为他能击败拉斐尔·沃诺克。”
Biden banks on Taliban through Aug. 31 and beyond: The Note
The TAKE withRick Klein
The final five daysbefore the deadlinefor U.S. troop withdrawal inAfghanistanare shaping up to be messy,chaotic, dangerousand potentially humiliating.
Thatwon't be the end of it-- even if President Joe Biden keeps to his commitment to keep the Aug. 31 deadline in place.
By the Bidenadministration's own admission, it's almost certain that not all American citizens and Afghans who helped the long U.S. effort will be safely evacuated by the end of the month. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said efforts to get them homewill not end whenAmerican troops leave Afghanistan.
That leaves the administration counting on the Taliban -- over the next five days and for an unknown number of weeks and months thereafter. Blinken cited "public and private commitments" from Taliban leaders to not stand in the wayof evacuation efforts.
Blinken cited the "international expectation" that the Taliban will agree topermit people to exitAfghanistan, warning that the nation will become a "pariah"if it harbors terroristsand doesn't allow safe passage of those who wish to leave.
"We certainly have points of incentive and points of leverage with a future Afghan government," he said.
It's worth noting that Blinken used a similar "pariah" warning back in April, in calling on the Afghan government touphold women's rights. He reiterated that comment less than a month ago, shortly before the Taliban seized power.
Expecting the Taliban toallow people to come and goand respect therights of womenand religious minorities -- much less to care about the approval of the international community --represents quite the gambleafter two decades of insurgent fighting against U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
Blinken vowed that the U.S. will use "every diplomatic, economic assistance tool at our disposal" toget people safely outof Afghanistan. He did not mention other potential avenues of U.S. force.
The RUNDOWN withAveri Harper
As the delta variant sends hospitalizations totheir highest pointin seven months, a few Republican governors -- considered 2024 presidential contenders -- aredifferentiating themselvesfrom one another as it relates toCOVID-19policy.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has expanded an executive order that banned mandates onvaccineswith emergency use authorization to include thenow-fully authorizedPfizer vaccine. "No governmental entity can compel any individual to receive a COVID 19 vaccine," reads the order.
In South Dakota, Gov. Kristi Noem has split from conservative lawmakers in the state who are calling for a ban on vaccine mandates. She banned vaccination from being a condition for employment in state and local government,but has stopped shortof banning private employers from doing the same.
"Workers whose employers are mandating a vaccine for continued employment have the power to say no," Noem tweeted last month. "Our robust economy and job market gives them the option to find a new employer that values personal choice and responsibility, and doesn't force mandates on their employees."
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' hardline ban on mandatorymasking in schoolsis being challenged in court as school districts across the statedefy his order,aiming to protect school children largely ineligible for vaccination.
If these executivesdecide to pursue the Republican presidential nomination come 2024, their records on COVID-19 will undoubtedlybe very important. What is unknowable ishow those recordswill be perceived by a base, that is -- hopefully -- years removed from the pandemic.
The TIP withQuinn Scanlan
Aftermonths of public urgingby former President Donald Trump, football legend Herschel Walkerofficially entered the GOP Senate primaryon Wednesday, releasing avideothat hearkened back to his upbringing in Wrightsville, Georgia, and going on to live the American dream.
Four-term Congressman Buddy Carter, who would have been a top candidate having also served as a state lawmaker and a mayor in the Peach State, quicklyendorsedWalker, making it clear he would not be getting in the race, which he said he would do if Walker did not.
Three other Republican candidates aren't backing out to make room for the longtime Texas resident. Three-term Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black quipped in a video responding to Walker's candidacy, "Welcome back to Georgia. ... I've been a big fan of yours since we were in college together before you moved away."
The newly blue seat, currently held by Sen. Raphael Warnock, is perhaps the best pick-up opportunity for Republicans in the 2022 cycle, but questions remain as to whether Walker is their best chance to oust him.
"I don't know a Republican consultant in Georgia or Washington who is any good ... who believes Herschel Walker can be beaten in the primary," Erick Erickson, a conservative radio host based in the state, said in his podcast. But -- and with the caveatthat he disagrees-- he added, "I don't know a single Republican consultant who thinks he could beat Raphael Warnock."
