Graveyard of Empires: With the 82^nd Airborne now in control of the Kabul airport and the American evacuation removing thousands of people a day, the Taliban says Afghan government workers and women may go back to their jobs and there will be no reprisals so long as everyone follows strict Sharia law.

  They are presenting themselves as a somewhat kinder and modern Taliban than what occupied the country before the Americans kicked them out. Those were the days of stoning and public executions in soccer stadiums. Few if any people believe they’ve changed.

  Gun carrying Taliban fighters are all over Kabul capital, riding motorbikes, driving police vehicles as well as abandoned pickup trucks and Humvees taken from government security forces. They’ve called for the surrender of all weapons and government property.

  Despite what the Taliban says, Afghan women are likely to face a reversal of everything that’s changed for them in the 20 years of American presence. They have been members of the army and police, held political office, become doctors, and competed in the Olympics. Now, stories coming in from the countryside have it that women are being told to cover up and stay inside if they are not escorted by a male relative.

  In Takhar province the Taliban shot and killed a woman in the street for appearing in public without a head covering. 

  United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, said, “I am particularly concerned by accounts of mounting human rights violations against the women and girls of Afghanistan.” 

  One of Afghanistan’s first female mayors told a British newspaper that she is just waiting for the Taliban to come and kill her. Zarifa Ghafari, the 27-year-old mayor of Maidan Sha said, “I’m just sitting with (her children) and my husband. And they will come for people like me and kill me.” She said, “I can’t leave my family. And anyway, where would I go?”

  A small group of brave women in Kabul were seen holding up protest signs in the presence of Taliban fighters.

  The American evacuation is removing 5,000 to 9,000 people a day and Pentagon spokesman John Kirby says they hope to wrap it up by the end of the month.

  Earlier in the week, video showed a heart breaking scene of Afghans clinging to the fuselage and wheel struts of a departing C-17 cargo plane. One man fell to his death after the jet took off. The Air Force now says it found human body parts inside the wheel well of that plane.

Econ 101: The Dow Jones lost 282 points yesterday, dragged down by a 4.3% in Home Depot stock. Economists also point to a 1.1 percent drop in retail sales in June, driven largely by a dip in car sales. Cars have become difficult to get.

  A footnote to the economy story: As internet shopping overtakes actual stores you can walk into, The NY Times notes that Amazon now sells more stuff than Wal-Mart.

Haiti Disaster: The US is rushing aid to Haiti, devastated by a powerful earthquake followed by a tropical storm. At least 1,900 Haitians have died.

  Survivors in the disaster zone are largely without food, water, and shelter from the sun. Hospitals are overwhelmed and several churches that have served as a center for stability were destroyed.

Covid Nation: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who banned mask mandates in his state and has threatened to punish school districts that defy him, has come down with a case of Covid-19 despite having been vaccinated. Abbott typically appears in groups and in public without wearing a protective surgical mask.

  Abbott’s office says he is receiving antibody treatment even though he has no symptoms. They say he’s been tested every day.

  The governor has what’s called a “breakthrough” infection, an infection that breaks through the vaccine. The NY Times reports that breakthroughs account for one in five new infections in six states. 

The Fires This Time: As the West continues to burn, fire has destroyed most of the  California mountain town of Grizzly Flats, population of about 1,200. Most of the homes burned as well as the elementary school, post office and church. 

  It’s the second town that’s been devastated. The goldrush town of Greenville with many historic buildings was levelled on August 4^th.

The Spin Rack: Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says she has her staff drafting articles of impeachment for President Biden. She’s not happy with him after the Afghanistan debacle. — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced that he and his husband Chasten have adopted a child. — YouTube banned Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul for a week for violating their policy against medical misinformation. Paul, who is a doctor, said in his video, “Most of the masks you get over the counter don’t work.” Later he said, “Trying to shape human behavior isn’t the same as following the actual science, which tells us that cloth masks don’t work.”

Last Bites: The Girl Scouts say they are introducing a new cookie for the doorbell ringing season to be called “Adventurefuls.” Their press release says “every bite of Adventurefuls is full of indulgent brownie-inspired flavor with a combination of chocolatey and caramel flavors, and smooth and crispy textures, for an incredible taste of adventure in every bite.” 

  Evidently they hired a copywriter to describe the cookie.

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