Axios

With Afghan cities falling to the Taliban day after day, the U.S. is sending in more troops — to help evacuate American diplomats.

Driving the news: The State Department announced today that it will shrink down to a "core diplomatic presence" in Kabul due to the deteriorating security situation. The Pentagon is sending 3,000 troops to Afghanistan's international airport to assist in that mission and help get Afghans who worked with U.S. troops out of the country.

Britney Spears’ father, Jamie Spears, said in a court document Thursday that he intends to eventually step down from his daughter's conservatorship, CNN reports.

Why it matters: This marks a significant victory for Britney Spears, who raised concerns about her father’s role as her conservator as early as 2014, but does not signal an immediate end to the conservatorship as the #FreeBritney movement has demanded.

Nearly 500 students in Palm Beach County, Florida, have been quarantined because of COVID-19 just two days into the school year, the district's superintendent said Thursday.

Why it matters: Superintendent Michael Burke's announcement comes as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has maintained his executive order banning school districts in the state from requiring the use of masks amid criticism and lawsuits.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett denied an emergency petition filed by lawyers representing eight Indiana University students that called on the Supreme Court to block the university's coronavirus vaccine mandate, according to NBC News.

Why it matters: Barrett's denial, which was made without any dissent from other justices, upholds lower court rulings that deemed that the school had a right to mandate vaccinations.

The number of migrants detained along the U.S.-Mexico border exceeded 200,000 for the first time in 21 years in July, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enforcement data released Thursday.

Why it matters: Biden officials had predicted that the summer heat would lead to a decline in the volume of migrants crossing the border. The CBP data tell a different story, reigniting concern about the administration's ability to accommodate migrants as Delta continues its spread.

The Census Bureau counted 1.1 million fewer people under the age of 18 in last year's census than it did in 2010's tally, according to new data released Thursday.

Why it matters: The decrease in the U.S.' under-age-18 population reflects a general decrease in fertility and the fact that the country, overall, is growing older.

The House of Representatives is raising its maximum annual salary for staff to $199,300, up from $173,900, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Thursday.

Why it matters: The move is intended to help "recruit and retain the outstanding and diverse talent," Pelosi wrote in a letter to colleagues. It's also aimed at ensuring pay parity between House staff and other federal government employees, she added.

Students, teachers and other staff members will be required to wear masks in Virginia schools, following a public health order issued by the state health commissioner Thursday.

Why it matters: The order comes as the United States is seeing a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases and as hospitals are sounding the alarm about an increasing number of kids landing in the hospital after contracting the virus.

Hispanic or Latino: For most, it makes no difference which term is used to refer to them, according to a Gallup poll.

By the numbers: If they had to choose, 57% of those polled say they prefer the term Hispanic, while only 5% prefer the term Latinx.

The Pentagon will send troops to Afghanistan's international airport to facilitate a partial evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, the State Department announced Thursday.

Why it matters: The Taliban has captured 12 provincial capitals in the last week, stunning Biden administration officials who did not believe the country's security would collapse so quickly during the U.S. withdrawal.

More than half of Americans say more attention to the history of slavery and racism in the U.S. is a good thing — but only 25% of GOP-leaning voters agree, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center published Thursday.

Why it matters: The survey reveals deep partisan and racial divides over how the U.S. should remember its past to shape its future and gives clues on how fights over critical race theory in present are really about defining the past.

The U.S. is more diverse, more urbanized and growing slower overall than in past decades, according to data from the 2020 census released on Thursday.

Why it matters: The decennial census provides a snapshot of the ever-changing demographics of the U.S. — and sets up the partisan fight over how states will redistribute electoral power for the next decade through redistricting.

Anita Dunn, one of President Biden's closest advisers during the campaign and as he built his administration, will depart the White House after today but remain a top confidant.

Why it matters: Dunn is one of the small handful of aides in the Oval Office who preps Biden before any major appearance. She helped place women in senior roles throughout the West Wing.

The largest teachers' union in the country said Thursday that they support vaccine and testing mandates, per a statement from the union's president.

Why it matters: National Education Association president Becky Pringle had previously said that mandates should be negotiated at the local level but that those who can get vaccinated, should do so. The union represents more than 3 million teachers and school faculty members.

The Taliban captured the cities of Ghazni and Herat on Thursday, the 10th and 11th provincial capitals to fall to the militant group in recent days, AP reports.

Why it matters: Herat is the third-largest city in Afghanistan. Ghazni is the closest provincial capital to Kabul to fall to the Taliban — putting their frontlines within 100 miles of the heart of Afgahn government. Capturing Ghazni also cuts off a key highway linking it with Afghanistan's southern provinces.

The campaign arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is promising to spend six figures on redistricting fights in Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico — three states key to future partisan control of the U.S. House.

Why it matters: The move by CHC BOLD PAC, led by U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), signals the aggressive role the political action committee intends to play ahead of the 2022 midterms.

The Texas Senate approved a Republican-backed bill that contains new voting restrictions on Thursday after a Democratic senator filibustered for 15 hours in an effort to stop the measure, AP reports.

Why it matters: While the vote brings Texas a step closer to enacting the bill, the measure continues to face trouble in the state House, where Democrats have prevented quorum by staying away in a weeks-long standoff.

President Biden on Thursday called on Congress to reduce the prices of prescription drugs, the White House said.

State of play: Biden asked Congress to create reforms that will prevent drug companies from raising their prices "faster than inflation." He also urged Congress to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices, which it is currently prohibited from doing so by law.

Congress is still working through its infrastructure bill, with the ball now in the House's court after the Senate passed its own on Tuesday.

The big picture: Depending on how individual programs are ultimately set up, it could open opportunities for startups.

The Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday announced that it will require more than 25,000 members of its health care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Why it matters: It's the latest federal agency to implement a vaccine mandate, joining the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Pentagon.

New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said Thursday that she will run for governor in 2022 after completing outgoing Gov. Andrew Cuomo's term.

Why it matters: Hochul, who will become governor in 12 days, is the first Democrat to jump into the 2022 race since Cuomo announced he would resign over the findings of a sexual harassment investigation.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told Politico that the progressive and moderate wings of the Democratic Party "need each other" in order to have any hopes of passing their spending priorities with the narrowest possible majority.

Why it matters: Democrats have cleared the first hurdle in Schumer's risky "two-track" legislative strategy to enact President Biden's agenda, but just a single objection could derail the entire gambit.

Tech giants are scrambling to update their privacy rules for young users in order to comply with new regulations from the United Kingdom focused on teens' online privacy and wellbeing.

Why it matters: Historically, when Europe passes new data laws, the U.S. and other Western countries have eventually followed suit. So it's likely that the U.K.'s pending Age Appropriate Design Code will set a new global standard for the treatment of children's data.

Black Lives Matter demonstrations popping up from Brazil to Mexico show how influential Black American social movements have been in Latin America — and how movements there also have shaped activism in the U.S.

The big picture: Social justice advocacy in the Americas has always motivated people across borders and languages, though the extent of that influence has often been ignored or overlooked.

Significant numbers of police officers across the country are refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, ignoring mandates and leaning on their unions to back them up.

Why it matters: The Fraternal Order of Police, a national police union that represents 356,000 officers, estimates that more than 500 officers have died from COVID since the pandemic began.

Belarus' government announced Wednesday retaliatory measures against the United States, including blocking the U.S. ambassador from entering its country.

Driving the news: The Biden administration, along with the governments of Canada and the United Kingdom, imposed fresh sanctions against Belarus on Monday, the first anniversary of a fraudulent election that sparked huge protests and a crackdown by the security forces of authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

Former President Trump issued a statement Wednesday criticizing law enforcement who responded to the Capitol insurrection and praising Ashli Babbitt, who was fatally shot while participating in the riot.

Why it matters: Babbitt was one of five people to die as a result of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack that caused some $500 million in damage to the building and resulted in the arrests of hundreds of people.

Two high school basketball coaches in Georgia have been charged with murder following the death of 16-year-old Imani Bell, who collapsed after running drills in nearly 100-degree heat.

Why it matters: The murder charges are the first ever levied against coaches accused of negligence, according to a lawyer representing the family in a related lawsuit.

A federal judge on Wednesday denied Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani and Mike Lindell's motion to dismiss multibillion-dollar lawsuits involving their claims about the 2020 presidential election.

Why it matters: The lawsuits argue that the Trump allies' false claims of election fraud defamed the Dominion voting equipment company.