U.S. retaliates against ISIS with drone strike in Afghanistan  —  U.S. military forces conducted a drone strike on Friday against the Islamic State terrorist group in Afghanistan in an apparent retaliatory attack against those who claimed responsibility for the attack outside Kabul's airport.

Unvaccinated, unmasked teacher infected more than half of students in class with Covid-19, CDC reports  —  (CNN)An unvaccinated elementary school teacher who took off their mask to read to students ended up infecting more than half of them last May — and they went on to infect other students …

UGA professor resigns mid-class after student refuses to wear mask  —  A University of Georgia retiree-rehire professor resigned on Tuesday after one of his students refused to properly wear a mask in an upper division psychology seminar class held at the psychology building.

NRB spokesman Dan Darling fired after pro-vaccine statements on ‘Morning Joe’  —  Daniel Darling, right, appears on MSNBC's “Morning Joe” on Aug. 2, 2021, with host Joe Scarborough.  Video screengrab  —  (RNS) — The spokesman for a major evangelical nonprofit was fired for promoting vaccines on the MSNBC …

At a Children's Hospital, a Wave of Young Patients Struggling to Breathe  —  A federal “surge team” is helping exhausted doctors and nurses through one of the most trying periods in the history of Children's Hospital New Orleans.  —  NEW ORLEANS — Helpless to improve her infant son's breathing …

Doctor advising DeSantis promoted ivermectin to treat COVID-19 despite FDA warnings  —  'Any physician that espouses this should be reported to the state medical association," one medical expert said.  —  Updated Just now  —  A California psychiatrist who has advised Gov. Ron DeSantis …

Marine commander relieved over his viral video calling out military leaders for Afghanistan withdrawal [UPDATED]  —  On Thursday, a Marine infantry officer and battalion commander took to social media to air his frustrations with senior military leadership over their handling …

Florida starts turning on DeSantis  —  TALLAHASSEE — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been untouchable for the past year as he commanded the Republican culture wars to become heir apparent to Donald Trump.  The latest coronavirus surge is starting to change that.

Georgia cop who pushed people to take horse dewormer instead of vaccine dies from COVID-19  —  A captain at the Wayne County Sheriff's Office who promoted anti-vaccination propaganda on his Facebook page has died from COVID-19.  —  Local news station WSAV reports that Capt. Joe Manning died …

Granholm Chartered Military Jet to Ukraine as US Struggled To Evacuate Americans From Afghanistan  —  Trump administration officials faced allegations of wasteful spending for use of expensive military charters … Granholm's military flight took place amid the United States' frantic effort …

California parole panel votes in favor of release from prison for Sirhan Sirhan  —  Parole for 77-year-old convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy still must be approved by full board, governor  —  A California parole board panel on Friday voted in favor of Sirhan B. Sirhan's request …

Wife hospitalized for covid gets home to find husband dead from the same virus: ‘It was like walking into a horror movie’  —  Lisa Steadman could not wait to go home to her husband.  —  The nail technician had spent more than a week in a Central Florida hospital recovering from a serious case …

A solution to the voter ID standoff  —  Today marks the 58th anniversary of the March on Washington, when Martin Luther King Jr. brought a huge crowd to call for voting rights for all Americans.  Sadly, voter suppression is back, in a big way.  It is taking a wide array of new forms …

A Digital Dunkirk: Veterans Online Scramble to Get People Out of Afghanistan  —  Using office software, satellite maps and messaging apps, volunteers are acting like digital guide services to helping American citizens and Afghan allies flee the country.  —  DENVER — Joe Saboe pressed …

Sen. Murphy: Biden had the courage to break with military-industrial establishment  —  The Afghanistan evacuation shows President Biden is breaking with the ‘military-industrial establishment,’ Sen. Chris Murphy tells Joy Reid.

Here's Why Trump's Hotel Just Banned Me For Life  —  I went to the Trump International Hotel in Washington Thursday evening to do some investigating.  The rates that night started at $2,400, well above the usual $400 to $700, and I wanted to find out why.  Upon entering, I saw a big sign that read “Arrow Exterminators.”

It's not just Afghanistan — Americans are losing faith in Biden on many issues  —  (CNN)President Joe Biden's approval rating is at its lowest point in his presidency.  In the average of polls, he stands at about 47%.  That's a steady decline from the beginning of this month (51%), last month (52%) and beginning of June (54%).

The California recall is another quirk of American democracy  —  Democratic support for California Gov. Newsom dwindling … (CNN)California's recall process ranks right up there with the Electoral College when it comes to quirks in US democracy that gives — or takes way — Americans' leaders.

As COVID surges again in Michigan, Whitmer's leadership shrinks  —  For weeks, terrified parents, anxious teachers and weary administrators have been waiting for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to step up and be the leader she was at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

California wises up and chooses natural gas  —  Eventually, reality catches up with you — even in California.  —  The Golden State has been trying for years to get rid of all of its fossil fuel generation capacity.  Spreading a mythological doom-and-gloom narrative about catastrophic …

Threatened by ISIS, the Afghan Taliban May Crack Up  —  Without ideological purity, the group won't be able to hold together.  With it, they won't be able to govern.  —  The Taliban's military victory in Afghanistan is only the start of the group's problems.

Veteran dies of treatable illness as COVID fills hospital beds, leaving doctors “playing musical chairs”  —  When U.S. Army veteran Daniel Wilkinson started feeling sick last week, he went to the hospital in Bellville, Texas, outside Houston.  His health problem wasn't related to COVID-19 …

The ‘Forever War’ Hasn't Ended  —  Thursday's attacks were a reminder that ‘the enemy always gets a vote.’ With the Afghanistan pullout, the long war against jihadists has become more daunting.  —  President Biden, like his two immediate predecessors, seems to think you can end “forever wars” simply by leaving them.

He was a baby on 9/11.  Now he's one of the last casualties of America's longest war.  —  After Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum, 20, landed in Afghanistan with his Marine unit, his father, Jim, began checking his phone for a little green dot.  Mr. McCollum had not been able to talk with his son …