Axios

President Biden isn't inclined to fire any senior national security officials over the chaos in Kabul unless the situation drastically deteriorates or there's significant loss of American life, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.

Why it matters: Dismissing national security advisor Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin or CIA Director William Burns would be tantamount to admitting a mistake, and the president stands by his decision.

The number of Afghan allies being brought to the United States on Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) had lagged until the collapse of Afghanistan forced the issue for the Biden administration, according to U.S. government data.

Why it matters: While the chaos around Kabul's airport is a general humanitarian disaster for regular Afghans, it's a special concern for those who helped the U.S. government and military during the past 20 years. When Kabul unexpectedly fell, efforts to speed up the 14-step SIV process were too little, too late.

Footage from Afghanistan is already starting to pop up in Republican political ads, and GOP consultants say it's going to provide TV-ready ammo for attacks heading into the midterms.

Why it matters: The haphazard U.S. withdrawal is the first major policy vulnerability presented by the Biden administration. The opposition expects it to play heavily in 2022 messaging — and even in the 2024 presidential contest.

Josephine Baker, the American singer and entertainer who fought with the French Resistance during World War II, will be reinterred in Paris' Pantheon monument in November, according to the Associated Press, citing Le Parisien.

Why it matters: Baker will be the first Black woman laid to rest in the Pantheon, France's highest honor, where she will be buried alongside the country's greatest national figures, including Victor Hugo, Voltaire and Marie Curie.

The death toll from last weekend's earthquake in Haiti has climbed to more than 2,200, with 344 people still missing, the country's Civil Protection Agency said Sunday.

The big picture: The updated toll comes as the government and relief groups struggle to distribute aid due to the security situation in the country, AP reports. Relief operations are underway but face difficulties due to local gangs, who control access to certain areas and have hijacked some aid trucks.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that President Biden hasn't ruled sending more troops to the airport in Kabul, but "at the moment, we believe we have sufficient forces on the ground.”

The big picture: The president's senior national security team made the rounds on the Sunday political talk shows to explain — and defend — the Biden administration's handling of the ongoing turbulence in Afghanistan.

Seven Afghan civilians died on Saturday as part of a crush of those desperate to enter the Kabul airport, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said on Sunday.

The big picture: News of the deaths comes as the U.S. Embassy warned Americans on Saturday not to venture to the airport "because of potential security threats."

Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Singapore on Sunday, as she began her trip to Southeast Asia.

Why it matters: As the crisis in Afghanistan continues to unfold, a Biden administration official said Harris "will make clear" during her visit "that we do have an enduring commitment" to Asia.

The Pentagon "issued a warning order" to U.S. commercial airlines that it may compel them to assist in evacuations from Afghanistan, the Defense Department confirmed in an emailed statement Saturday.

Why it matters: President Biden has vowed to use "every means" to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies amid reports of a deteriorating situation at Kabul's airport after the Taliban seized control of the country.

President Biden discussed counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan with his national security team on Saturday as the U.S. Embassy warned Americans not to go to the Kabul airport "because of potential security threats."

The big picture: The president and his national security advisers "discussed the security situation in Afghanistan and counter-terrorism operations, including ISIS-K," a White House official said.

India's drug regulator on Friday granted emergency approval to the world's first DNA-based coronavirus vaccine.

Driving the news: The three-dose, needle-free vaccine was developed by pharmaceutical company Zydus Cadila. The company added that it is also the first vaccine to be approved in the country for teens between the ages of 12 and 18.

China on Friday amended its Population and Family Planning Law, allowing married couples to have a third child in order to counter a falling birth rate that has raised concerns about the country's economic future, AP reports.

Driving the news: The Chinese Communist Party had announced the policy change in May, after its National Bureau of Statistics reported the country's slowest population growth for over half a century.

Australian police on Saturday arrested more than 250 protesters who were condemning coronavirus-related lockdown policies in the country, AP reports.

Driving the news: Sydney issued strict COVID protocol for more than two months, with Melbourne and Canberra entering lockdown in early August. Australia is currently facing its worst COVID-19 resurgence to date, and on Saturday reported its highest ever single-day rise in cases since the start of the pandemic.

Chile, Uruguay and the Dominican Republic have begun vaccinating their citizens with a third dose of coronavirus immunizations as COVID-19 continues to ravage Latin America and the Caribbean.

Driving the news: Their experience bears watching now that the U.S. has determined booster shots will be needed around eight months after the first immunization period.