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 | TUE, AUG 24, 2021 | | | Hello, The United States has a week to get out of Afghanistan. Congress took a step toward making President Biden's ambitious and sprawling economic agenda a reality. And the government has released new evidence that shows getting a Covid vaccine will help keep you out of the hospital. Here are some key developments we're tracking at CNBC.com: - Big money at stake: After a brief but agonizing internecine squabble between a group of moderate Democrats and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrats are once again on track to enact the rest of Biden's economic agenda this fall. The House on Tuesday voted to clear the way for the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the $3.5 trillion budget plan heralded by progressives such as Sen. Bernie Sanders. That price tag might come down a bit. But Democratic leadership needs progressive lawmakers to play ball on the infrastructure plan, so there's still going to be a lot of money in the final budget bill. Will it all pass? See you in September.
- Taliban crack down: It looks like the U.S. will stick to its deadline of Aug. 31 to fully withdraw from Afghanistan. Sure, Biden and the Pentagon are preparing to give themselves wiggle room. But the Taliban don't appear willing to budge. That could risk a deadly battle breaking out around the airport in Kabul, exposing thousands of people to even more violence. The Taliban are also cracking down on Afghans trying to get out of the country to avoid the militant group's brand of religious authoritarianism.
- Airborne: In case you need a reminder that there are actual people whose lives are at stake in the Afghanistan crisis, note well: At least three babies have been born aboard evacuation flights out of Afghanistan, according to the U.S. military.
- What a difference a vaccine makes: People are 29 times more likely to be hospitalized for Covid if they're unvaccinated, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The finding is yet another reminder of how crucial Covid vaccines are to the health of Americans and to the country itself. Kids across the country are back in school, and millions more will be heading back in September. If they're under 12, they can't get a vaccine yet. So it's up to unvaccinated adults to act like, you know, adults.
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