News

Taliban fighters stand guard at a checkpoint in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021. The Taliban declared an "amnesty" across Afghanistan Tuesday seeking to convince a wary population that they have changed.

Taliban Mark Afghanistan's Independence Day As Challenges To Their Rule Rise

6:40am August 19, 2021

The Taliban celebrated Afghanistan's Independence Day by declaring they beat the U.S. but face running a country short on cash where the possibility of an armed opposition is beginning to emerge.

Farmers have been spraying chlorpyrifos on crops, including strawberries, apples, citrus, broccoli, and corn since 1965.

EPA Will Ban A Farming Pesticide Linked To Health Problems In Children

10:29pm August 18, 2021

by Vanessa Romo

Agency officials issued a final ruling on Wednesday saying chlorpyrifos can no longer be used on the food that makes its way onto American dinner plates. The move overturns a Trump-era decision.

President Biden discusses the COVID-19 response and vaccination program Wednesday at the White House. Biden also spoke about Afghanistan in an interview Wednesday with ABC News.

A Defensive Biden Argues There Was No Exit From Afghanistan 'Without Chaos Ensuing'

8:32pm August 18, 2021

by Alana Wise

The president told ABC News it was "a simple choice" to withdraw U.S. forces, and he faulted the Afghan government and its military for not more forcibly defending the capital.

A health care worker fills a syringe with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in July in New York. U.S. officials are recommending that Americans get COVID-19 booster shots to shore up their protection amid the surging delta variant and evidence the vaccines' eff

COVID-19 Booster Shots Will Roll Out In September In The U.S.

7:36pm August 18, 2021

by Scott Neuman

People will be eligible for a booster shot eight months after their second dose of their vaccines from Pfizer or Moderna, according to U.S. health officials.

Singer R. Kelly appears in a Chicago courtroom in March 2019. The charges that R. Kelly faces in New York include racketeering "to prey upon young women and teenagers," and sexually trafficking these girls and women between states.

R. Kelly's Trial Has Begun. The Singer Faces Decades Of Sex Abuse Charges

7:23pm August 18, 2021

The charges that R. Kelly faces in New York include racketeering "to prey upon young women and teenagers" and sexually trafficking these girls and women between states.

Students arrive for the first day of school on Aug. 10 at Sessums Elementary School in Hillsborough County, Fla. After thousands of students were put in isolation or quarantine, the district is revisiting its safety protocols, including its mask-optional

Education

In Florida, Texas And Arizona, Defiant School Leaders Are Sticking With Mask Mandates

6:12pm August 18, 2021

by Clare Lombardo

A legal tug of war is playing out in Texas, while Florida districts that enforce mask mandates could risk a state investigation and lost funding. Here's where the school masking battles stand.

Fawzia Koofi (from left), Zarifa Ghafari and Salima Mazari are among the female politicians working to protect the rights of women in girls in Afghanistan.

World News

These Female Afghan Politicians Are Risking Everything For Their Homeland

6:09pm August 18, 2021

by Dalia Faheid

As the Taliban take over Afghanistan, women bureaucrats are risking their lives and freedom to not only save their country and people — but to maintain the rights of women and girls.

People line up last week to receive COVID-19 vaccines in Kampala, Uganda, after weeks of no supply. In Uganda, only 2.2% of the population had received one dose of a vaccine as of Aug. 15.

Why A Push For Boosters Could Make The Pandemic Even Worse

5:54pm August 18, 2021

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Public health figures believe a focus on boosters for the already vaccinated will hasten the emergence of new variants among the billions of unvaccinated people — including a vaccine-resistant strain.

An information board shows people who are wanted by law enforcement on suspicion of assaulting federal officers at the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot.

National

The FBI Keeps Using Clues From Volunteer Sleuths To Find The Jan. 6 Capitol Rioters

4:59pm August 18, 2021

by Tim Mak

In the aftermath of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, a group of volunteer sleuths came forward to assist law enforcement in an unprecedented effort to identify possible suspects.

Workers help students move in to Selleck Hall, at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Education

College Move-In Was Supposed To Mark A Return To Normal. Then Came The Delta Variant

4:53pm August 18, 2021

by Elissa Nadworny

College students are heading back to campus this month — and with the delta variant spreading, many aren't sure what to expect from this school year.