The Biden administration's "over-the-horizon" strategy in Afghanistan is drawing serious questions from lawmakers and counterterrorism experts, as the U.S. withdrawal shifts calculations about threats and capabilities.
Driving the news: Tensions ramped up in an Aug. 27 conference call between President Biden's top national security officials and senators from both parties, sources familiar with the discussions tell Axios. One said members of the intelligence community label it, derisively, the "over-the-rainbow" strategy.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken can expect the most aggressive questioning of his career when he testifies Monday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and on Tuesday before Senate Foreign Relations.
Why it matters: Republicans see the hearings as their first chance to directly confront a top-ranking Biden official about the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Democrats see it as a moment in which they must reject GOP efforts to blame President Biden for 20 years of bipartisan mistakes.
The Senate has confirmed just two of President Biden's ambassadorial nominations, far behind the 56 confirmed envoys President Obama had at this stage, according to data compiled by the Partnership for Public Service.
The big picture: Just one in four other national security positions at the Pentagon and Departments of Justice and State are filled.
The next few weeks will be crucial to enacting President Biden's agenda — and determining how Democrats perform in next year's midterms.
Driving the news: The Senate's back from recess starting Monday, and deadlines over everything from infrastructure to a government shutdown to the U.S. debt ceiling are staring lawmakers in the face. These are creating tests for the president and his bare congressional majority as Democrats try to hang on.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) is warning that he could vote against the $3.5 trillion budget package if more money isn’t added for housing assistance to close the racial wealth gap in the current House version of the bill, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Warner’s threat is another indication that the proposal will face a variety of obstacles before the House and Senate can agree to a top-line number, how that money is spent on specific programs — and how to pay for it all.
Dana Bash's back-to-back interviews with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) this morning on CNN tell you everything you need to know about how far apart these key Democrats remain on the $3.5 trillion reconciliation package and infrastructure spending.
Remember: In a 50-50 Senate, Democrats must be unanimous for their plan to pass. But Manchin wants to spend no more than $1.5 trillion.
New York Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) said Sunday that he has tested positive for coronavirus, and that his vaccination against the virus prevented a more severe infection.
What they're saying: "After experiencing mild symptoms, I have tested positive for COVID-19," Morelle wrote on Twitter. "I have followed all guidance from the Center for Disease Control & my physician and will remain isolated until it is safe to resume official duties. Thankfully, I'm fully vaccinated so my symptoms remain mild."
"I urge everyone to get the COVID-19 vaccine to protect themselves — and our community — from the severe impacts this disease can have."
A hospital in upstate New York says it will "pause" its maternity services this month after several employees chose to resign rather than get a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine.
Driving the news: At least six unvaccinated maternity staffers at Lewis County General Hospital have quit. In all, 165 staffers, or about 27% of the hospital's workforce, is unvaccinated, CEO Gerald Cayer said at a news briefing.
Loopholes regarding the use of antipsychotics in patients with schizophrenia and two other conditions have allowed these powerful drugs to proliferate in understaffed nursing homes, a New York Times investigation revealed.
Why it matters: Antipsychotics are so powerful that they have been referred to as "chemical straitjackets," and can pose increased risk of death for elderly patients with dementia.
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer on Sunday said that "many factors" will play into the timing of his retirement, suggesting that the chances of a Republican president appointing his successor is among them.
What he's saying: "I see the point, and probably in the background, there could be something there. There are many considerations," Breyer said when asked if it was a factor in an interview with "Fox News Sunday."
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said Sunday that he will not support the cost of President Biden's $3.5 trillion spending package.
Why it matters: The plan includes many "soft" infrastructure priorities, such as an expanded child tax credit and paid medical leave. In a 50-50 Senate, Manchin's vote is critical to passing the legislation.
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy defended the Biden administration's latest coronavirus-related measures Sunday, saying they are "part of a long tradition that we have in this country" of taking action to keep people safe.
Why it matters: Murthy's comments on NBC's "Meet the Press," follow President Biden's announcement of a six-pronged plan to combat the virus, which includes aggressive vaccination and testing measures.
Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahri appeared in a new video released on Saturday, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, according to the Associated Press.
Why it matters: Last November, rumors spread that Osama bin Laden's former No. 2 had died from an illness though senior leadership never commented. In the new video, al-Zawahri makes references that extend to at least January, according to the monitoring group SITE Intelligence.
Pope Francis on Sunday warned of the threat of anti-Semitism "still lurking," in an address to Christian and Jewish leaders during his trip to Hungary, Reuters reports.
Why it matters: The pope's comments followed a meeting with Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a strongman leader who has faced accusations of anti-Semitism from the Jewish community in the country.
The press is being pulverized in places where democracy is deteriorating, leaving the world with little visibility into how those regions are transforming under authoritarian rule.
Why it matters: The COVID-19 pandemic was already taking a huge toll on press freedoms around the world. A new wave of geopolitical tension is exacerbating the issue.
The FBI released late Saturday a newly declassified document related to its investigation into the planning of the 9/11 attacks and the alleged role of Saudi Arabia's government.
Why it matters: The FBI's publishing of the document on the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks is expected to be the first of several such records to be released, following President Biden's executive order last week directing details to be declassified after calls from victims' families.
Workers in Richmond, Virginia, on Saturday installed a time capsule on current events in a pedestal that held a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee until its removal last week, AP first reported.
Why it matters: Civil rights advocates say such symbols pay deference to the U.S. history of slavery and racism. The capsule contains items related to anti-racism demonstrations that erupted after George Floyd's death in 2020, officials told AP.
The big picture: State Gov. Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Kim Janey and U.S. Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) were among those paying respects when Rosario's casket arrived at Boston's Logan International Airport on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
France's former health minister Agnès Buzyn has been indicted and accused of "endangering the lives of others" during her response to the pandemic, per AFP. She will appeal the charge.
Why it matters: Buzyn was health minister when the pandemic exploded in France last year. Buzyn, who was accused Friday of "failing to fight a disaster," is the first French official charged over the coronavirus crisis, Le Monde notes. It comes as President Emmanuel Macron faces scrutiny over his response to the health crisis.
