Morning Wire: Afghanistan Collapses, DC Wades Into State Mask Battles, How New Census Data Could Impact Elections
It’s Tuesday, August 17th, and this is your Morning Wire. Listen to the full podcast here.
1) Afghanistan Collapses
The Topline: After the Taliban swept across Afghanistan and captured the capital city of Kabul, the Biden administration faced swift backlash for their withdrawal strategy. Facing severe pressure, President Biden gave an address on Monday afternoon.
“The truth is, this did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated.”
— President Joe Biden
Updates On The Ground
With the Taliban toppling the Afghan government, Kabul’s international airport has become the center for U.S. operations after they were forced to abandon the embassy on Sunday.
Afghan civilians flooded the tarmac at the airport multiple times Monday in a desperate attempt to escape. Heart-wrenching videos showed some Afghanis falling to their death after attempting to hold onto the wheels of departing planes.
The U.S. military temporarily suspended air operations to try and clear the airfield as they continue to evacuate embassy personnel.
Haroon Sabawoon/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Backlash Across The Country
Throughout Monday, President Biden faced condemnation from both sides of the aisle, as many blamed the swift collapse of Kabul on the administration’s rapid withdrawal.
President Biden was silent throughout the weekend, returning from the presidential country retreat, Camp David, on Monday afternoon for a previously unscheduled address.
President Biden Addresses The Nation
The core of Biden’s address was directed toward explaining his decision, and why he believes it was the right call. The president said he “stands by” his decision to withdraw, while criticizing Afghani forces for the speed of their collapse in the face of Taliban forces.
“We were clear-eyed about the risk. We planned for every contingency,” Biden said.
Biden then placed blame on the previous administration, saying that he inherited an agreement with the Taliban which was brokered during the Trump administration. He argued that his hands were essentially tied, even though some critics argue that the Taliban failed to meet their end of the bargain they made with the Trump administration.
Biden said, “When I came into office, I inherited a deal that President Trump negotiated with the Taliban…U.S. forces had already drawn down during the Trump administration.”
He also blamed the Afghan government and Afghan forces, which he said refused to fight. “One more year, or five more years, of U.S. military presence would not have made a difference if the Afghan military cannot or will not hold its own country.”
In conclusion, he said that the Taliban will face “swift and forceful” consequences if they attack U.S. personnel or disrupt the evacuation process, all while the Taliban continue to advance.
2) DC Wades Into State Mask Battles
The Topline: Over the weekend, the Texas Supreme Court sided with Governor Greg Abbott’s executive order banning mask mandates, but the Biden administration is attempting to insert itself into state battles over mask mandates.
Quote Of The Day: “The fact of the matter is the parents are in the best position to know what’s best for their kids …. But the idea that the federal government would get involved in that I think obviously it would be very inappropriate.” – Governor Ron DeSantis, August 10, 2021
Texas
Over the weekend, the Texas Supreme Court delivered a win to Governor Greg Abbott (R), ruling in favor of his request to block rulings from judges last week in Dallas and Bexar County. For the time being, the local officials who’d challenged the governor are not allowed to put forward their mask mandates until the court makes its final decision.
Abbott pointed out that his order doesn’t prohibit anyone from wearing a mask. He tweeted that anyone who wants to wear a mask can — even in schools.
Florida
In Florida, there has been a similar debate raging between local officials and Governor Ron DeSantis (R), who signed an executive order last month giving parents the ability to decide whether they want to mask their kids in school. The governor’s administration said last week that the State Board of Education could impose financial penalties if school administrators go against his order.
The chairwoman of the Broward County School Board said Sunday they will defy DeSantis’s order and enforce a mask mandate.
The Biden Administration Gets Involved
On Friday, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona wrote letters to DeSantis and Abbott regarding their executive orders.
He told Desantis he was “deeply concerned” about his order and the statements made by his office. He also said that if the Florida Department of Education doesn’t work with his department, the federal government will bypass his administration and work directly with the school districts themselves.
Cardona made similar arguments in his letter to Abbott, suggesting that the governor’s actions may be unlawful, and could impact the state’s access to federal relief funds.
President Biden offered support to those who’d defied the governor’s orders, calling superintendents in Florida and Arizona to commend “their leadership and courage.”
Mask Mandates In Schools
At least seven states have banned school mask mandates, but in at least twelve states, masks are required at schools. Most other states have left it up to local officials to decide.
In Colorado, local law enforcement said they’ll have to be present at schools due to increasing “tensions in the community” over mask mandates.
SiberianArt via Getty Images
3) What Does New Census Data Tell Us About America?
The Topline: New data from the most recent Census offers a glimpse into the changing demographics of the United States.
Why Does The Census Matter?
Census data helps determine a state’s representation in Congress. The data also plays a role in allocating electoral votes and helps determine how much funding states can get from the federal government throughout the year.
State Breakdown
Texas will be adding two members of Congress due to its population growth over the last decade.
Florida, North Carolina, Oregon, Colorado and Montana will also gain one Congressional seat.
Seven states — most notably New York and California — will be losing a member of Congress due to lower rates of population growth.
Political Party Breakdown
It’s unclear if one party benefited more from the Census data. In the fall, states will finalize the process of redrawing congressional lines.
States controlled by Democrats will attempt to capitalize on urban growth by redrawing lines to create as many districts as possible close to cities with the desire to maximize the impact of their voter base, which typically resides in urban areas. Republicans will take similar action, but in different regions, as their strongholds are in more rural areas.
Snapshot Of American Life In 2020
Experts had predicted a stark increase in the number of people moving to cities, but the Census data exceeded expectations. While the overall population increased, half of all U.S. counties — almost all of them rural — experienced a decrease in size.
Almost all of the country’s population growth occurred in cities. As a result, for the first time ever, the U.S. has ten cities with populations over 1 million people.
Diversity In America
One of the key takeaways from the data is the increasing diversity of America.
White people are still the largest demographic, but their share of the population decreased by 8.6% over the last decade, which is the first time in census history that there was a decrease in the overall number of white Americans.
According to the data, a large part of the increased diversity is due to immigration, but the data shows that it’s also due to the fact that white families are having fewer children on average than black and Hispanic families.
Decrease In Population Growth
The U.S. population grew at a rate of 7.4% over the last decade, which is the slowest rate since the Great Depression.
According to the data, the average man is now over 30 years old when he first marries, and the average woman is 28 years old. In 2000, those numbers were 27 and 25. Experts also point to the student debt crisis and increased presence of women in the workplace as reasons for Americans waiting to have children.
The Big Picture: A decline in the population growth rate may not be initially concerning, but experts say there could be a massive labor shortage if population growth doesn’t start to increase as Baby Boomers and Gen X’ers retire.
Photographer: Jonathan Alpeyrie/Bloomberg/Contributor via Getty Images
Other Stories We’re Tracking
Tropical Storms
At least two tropical storms are set to hit the U.S. this week. Tropical Storm Fred made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on Monday. Southern Alabama, areas of Georgia and the Carolinas are also expected to be affected. Tropical Depression Grace is dropping heavy rain on the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Over the weekend, Haiti was devastated by a massive earthquake that killed nearly 1,300 people. Grace could head toward the U.S. next and may hit Texas.
Texas Makes Paying For Sex A Felony
Texas will become the first state to make paying for sex a felony, marking a major change in how prostitution is addressed by the legal system. The law attempts to curb human trafficking by shifting increased punitive blame onto sex industry customers. The law passed unanimously in the state legislature and will go into effect on September 1st.
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