Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered an unwavering defense of the Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan on Monday, insisting it was "time to end America's longest war" and praising the evacuation from Kabul as "extraordinary."
Why it matters: Blinken, who is appearing Monday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Tuesday before Senate Foreign Relations, is the first senior Biden official to testify on Afghanistan in the wake of the chaotic withdrawal. Tempers flared in the first session, with House Republicans accusing Blinken of lying and demanding his resignation.
NIAID director Anthony Fauci said in an interview with the Skimm out Monday that he would support mandating the coronavirus vaccine for people traveling by air.
What they're saying: “I would support that if you want to get on a plane and travel with other people, that you should be vaccinated,” Fauci says in a video the site tweeted, along with the caption: “Would you support vaccine mandates for airline travel?”
A Texas state judge issued an injunction on Monday blocking anti-abortion group Texas Right for Life from enforcing the state's new law against Planned Parenthood in Texas.
Why it matters: Texas' restrictive new law, which bars abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, incentivizes people to sue anyone suspected of helping a pregnant person obtain an abortion — and awards at least $10,000 to plaintiffs who succeed.
Elite gymnasts Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols will testify on the FBI's handling of the Larry Nassar investigation before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday.
Why it matters: Nassar, the former Olympic Team USA gymnastics doctor, was sentenced to 40–175 years in prison in 2018 after over 160 women accused him of sexual abuse under the premise of medical treatment. The hearing follows a recent report documenting the FBI's failures to properly investigate allegations, which "enabled the continued abuse of dozens of additional victims," per a release from the committee.
Karen Olick, the chief of staff to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, announced Monday she is leaving her post to pursue new opportunities, Politico reports.
Why it matters: The announcement comes as DHS faces several challenges, including welcoming tens of thousands of Afghan refugees to the U.S., as well as the crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border.
U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said Monday that the protective fence that was put in place around the Capitol following the Jan. 6 riot will be reinstalled ahead of a rally scheduled for Sept. 18.
Driving the news: Law enforcement has been "closely monitoring" the rally, which is planned in support of individuals arrested for storming the Capitol in January.
President Biden is creating a new initiative on Hispanic education as the percentage of Latino students in U.S. public schools continues to grow.
The big picture: Latinos make up around 27% of all public school students and about 20% of college students. They are expected to be the majority of U.S. residents by midcentury but now lag behind in graduation rates and student achievement.
The U.S. Capitol Police said Monday it arrested a California man armed with multiple knives outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington.
The big picture: The arrest occurred just days before a Sept. 18 rally planned in support of individuals arrested for storming the Capitol on Jan. 6. The USCP said it is "closely monitoring" the event, which is known as "Justice for J6."
President Biden will nominate Georgetown University law professor Alvaro Bedoya to be a Democratic commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission, people familiar with the matter told Axios.
Why it matters: Bedoya, founding director of the Center on Privacy & Technology at Georgetown, will bring a bevy of experience on privacy issues to the FTC's work on tech.
Environmentalists and industry groups are launching fresh media buys as congressional Democrats craft plans to expand green energy incentives and spending while imposing new or higher fees on oil companies.
Driving the news: The League of Conservation and Climate Power has begun $6 million in new TV and digital ad spending that try to bolster four Senate Democrats and around 20 House members.
A group of Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign veterans is launching a strategy firm to help CEOs avoid getting “canceled” and to advise companies how to respond to changing cultural norms before they're faced with a crisis.
Driving the news: C Street Advisory Group, led by CEO Jon Henes, a former national campaign finance chair for Harris’ presidential campaign, will draw on the group's broad political network to help corporate America diversify its workforce.
House Democrats will consider as much as $2.9 trillion in tax hikes for the next 10 years — mostly on the extremely wealthy and corporate America — as they scramble for ways to pay for President Biden's $3.5 trillion infrastructure and social spending plan.
Why it matters: A draft proposal from the Ways and Means Committee, which ricocheted across Washington on Sunday night, previews epic fall fights between Democrats and some of the best-armed lobbies in America.
The global COVID-19 vaccination campaign began nine months ago, and 58% of the world's population has yet to receive at least one dose.
The big picture: Raw material shortages, complex and costly manufacturing, and vaccine makers' choices have made it clear the U.S. and its drug companies likely won't get the poor, unvaccinated parts of the world out of the pandemic — but China might.
Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett pushed back Sunday on perceptions that biases have crept into the highest court in the U.S., per the Louisville Courier Journal.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Sunday she's "deeply concerned" over allegations that an aid worker in Saudi Arabia has been tortured while in detention.
Driving the news: Pelosi's call comes ahead of an appeal hearing in Red Crescent Society worker Abdulrahman al-Sadhan's criminal case, due to be held Monday.
Female students in Afghanistan can continue with their university studies, but classes must now be segregated and head coverings are mandatory, the Taliban announced Sunday.
Why it matters: Afghan women and girls have expressed fears they could lose hard-won rights to education, employment and other freedoms, and see a return to the oppressive rule they experienced from 1996-2001, when the Taliban last ruled.
North Korean officials claim to have successfully test-fired new long-range cruise missiles over the weekend.
Why it matters: The new claims made via the state-run KCNA news agency are that it now has "a strategic weapon of great significance" that traveled some 930 miles to hit targets and then land in the sea on Saturday and Sunday.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) told CBS News on Sunday "a lot of people bear blame" for the chaotic U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, "and the secretary of State is one of these."
Why it matters: Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to testify before Congress this week, including the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on which Kinzinger serves.
