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Biden Defends Pullout Despite Taliban Rout

Calls Withdrawal ‘Messy’ but Says ‘I Stand Squarely Behind My Decision’

President Biden blamed the chaotic fall of Kabul on the failure of the Afghans to fight back, in a defiant defense of his decision to withdraw troops.
He rejected criticism, saying that the administration had planned for a potentially rapid Taliban takeover and that he had no regrets about the withdrawal.

President Biden delivered remarks on Afghanistan in the East Room of the White House on Monday.

U.S. Veterans View Afghan Collapse With Anguish, Rage and Relief

Men and women who collectively spent decades in Afghanistan said they were angry that the U.S. could not manage to exit the country with more dignity.

President Biden faced angry criticism from lawmakers in both parties over the chaos in Kabul.

Scenes of desperate Afghans clinging to departing planes underscored America’s blunders after 20 years in the country.

Hundreds of videos captured the fall of Afghanistan. We analyzed key moments.

Critics said ex-President Ashraf Ghani betrayed his people with his hasty escape from Afghanistan.

Many Afghans who helped the U.S. have waited years for visas, and the withdrawal left most of them behind.

U.S. to Recommend Booster Shots for Most Americans

The Biden administration will advise most people to get a booster shot eight months after their initial vaccination, officials familiar with the plan said.

A vaccination site in the Bronx on Monday.

Coronavirus Updates

The prospect of booster shots is igniting a global health debate.

Delta Surge Drives Home Painful Truth: Covid Isn’t Going Away

The new flood of cases has forced Americans to recalibrate. Governors and mayors who imposed shutdowns last summer are pushing vaccines now.

Tracking the Coronavirus ›

United States ›

United States ›	United StatesAvg. on Aug. 16	14-day change
New cases	141,365	+64%
New deaths	704	+106%

U.S. hot spots ›

Vaccinations ›

Where states are reporting vaccines given

Global hot spots ›

Other trackers: Choose your own places to track

Other trackers:

Haiti Quake Destroyed Many Churches, Shredding a Mainstay of Support

The 7.2 magnitude earthquake left 1,400 people dead and several buildings in ruins. For many Haitians, the destruction of churches was particularly devastating.

Tropical Depression Grace made landfall in Haiti, bringing the potential for mudslides and flooding.

Food aid being distributed in Les Cayes, Haiti, on Monday.

In a First, U.S. Declares Shortage on Colorado River, Forcing Water Cuts

Arizona farmers will take the initial brunt, but wider reductions loom as climate change continues to affect flows into the river.

Lake Mead, top left, and Boulder City, Nev., in July. The last time the lake was anywhere near full was two decades ago.

U.S. Will Investigate Tesla’s Autopilot System Over Crashes

The investigation was prompted by at least 11 accidents involving Teslas using Autopilot, an assisted-driving system that can steer, accelerate and brake.

Opinion

Thomas L. Friedman

Biden Could Still Be Proved Right in Afghanistan

Timothy Kudo

I Was a Marine in Afghanistan. We Sacrificed Lives For a Lie.

Michelle Goldberg

Get Afghan Refugees Out. Then Let Them In.

Paul Krugman

The Bad Economics of Fossil Fuel Defenders

‘Sway’

Joseph Gordon-Levitt: ‘Silicon Valley Now Owns Hollywood’

Jay Caspian Kang

How a ’00s College Debate Team Predicted Today’s Culture Wars

Peter Coy

A Minimum Wage Can Create Jobs

William D. Cohan

My Years on Wall Street Showed Me Why You Can’t Make a Deal on Zoom

The U.S. in Afghanistan: A Mess With ‘No Good Outcomes’

Maureen Dowd

Behold Barack Antoinette

Charles M. Blow

It Was a Terrifying Census for White Nationalists

Bret Stephens

Disaster in Afghanistan Will Follow Us Home

Margaret Renkl

Defeating Environmental Racism, One Pipeline at a Time

Ross Douthat

A Guide to Finding Faith

Editors’ Picks