Buttigieg, Harris sort out their roles for Biden . . .  Pete Buttigieg isn’t just any secretary of Transportation. He’s a former presidential candidate who rocketed to success in the 2020 primary. He’s the most successful openly-gay presidential candidate in U.S. history, and his military background and centrist credentials have been him a valuable surrogate for Biden in building bipartisan support for the bipartisan infrastructure deal.

Buttigieg’s place in the administration also sets up a natural competition of sorts with Vice President Harris, the other 2020 Democratic presidential candidate in Biden’s Cabinet.

Stefanik Says Middle East Unrest Under Biden In Stark Contrast With Trump . . . Republican New York Rep. Elise Stefanik said Sunday that the Middle East under President Joe Biden has “Islamic terrorists on the march.” The congresswoman tweeted that under former President Donald Trump, the U.S. “crushed the Islamic Terrorists like Soleimani, protected American citizens & embassies around the world, and delivered historic peace to the Middle East.” Under Biden, Stefanik wrote, “Islamic Terrorists [are] on the march, capturing an entire country & releasing their prisoners.” “American lives are at risk. A world in crisis because of Joe Biden,” she continued. Daily Caller

Afghanistan 'intelligence failure' debate begins as Taliban takes Kabul . . . The Taliban's rapid takeover of Afghanistan is prompting a debate about whether a U.S. intelligence failure was to blame. With Afghan government forces largely laying down their arms and the Taliban sweeping into Kabul on Sunday after 20 years of war, many were left with questions, and some began pointing fingers, as frantic evacuations of U.S. officials and citizens as well as Afghan allies got underway. A U.S. intelligence assessment reported in late June said the Afghan government could fall within six months of President Joe Biden proceeding with a U.S. military withdrawal that was set in motion by the Trump administration, and last week news outlets reported a U.S. intelligence assessment that said the Taliban could isolate Kabul in 30 days and potentially take it over in 90 days. Washington Examiner

Afghanistan fell while Biden vacationed, exposing intelligence failures and inept policy . . . As overnight reports depicted harrowing scenes from a besieged Kabul, analysts and officials continue their months-long struggle to unpack what went so wrong so fast to enable the Taliban's rush to complete power in Afghanistan. Prominent among those attempting to deconstruct the unfolding humanitarian and military disaster was Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who reportedly blamed the Afghan National Army on Sunday. "You can’t buy willpower, and you can’t buy leadership," Austin said during a virtual meeting with U.S. national leaders, according to Fox News. Others who joined Austin on two calls included Secretary of State Antony Blinken; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley; and members of the House and Senate. Just the News

Trudeau calls snap election for Canada on September 20 . . . Justin Trudeau on Sunday announced the federal election, calling it an opportunity to ‘finish the fight’ © Reuters
Canadians will go to the polls on September 20 to vote in a snap election two years ahead of schedule, after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked the country’s governor-general to dissolve the legislature. In a speech outside Rideau Hall, Ottawa’s formal seat of government, Trudeau framed the election as a referendum on the government’s coronavirus pandemic response and an opportunity to “finish the fight” with a mandate for sweeping change on climate, housing, social welfare and public healthcare. Financial Times

 

Chinese Regime Seeks Advantage in US Departure From Afghanistan . . . Beijing is taking full advantage of the U.S. and NATO forces’ departure from Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the Taliban is rapidly increasing its advances in Afghanistan as the American drawdown nears. Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said the U.S. government is deeply concerned about the growing security crisis from the Taliban’s bold onslaught, noting the deteriorating security situation in the country. Anticipating a power shift in the region, the Chinese regime recently hosted a delegation of the Taliban in Tianjin City. Epoch Times

 

Facebook and Google plan new subsea link to boost Asian connectivity . . . Facebook and Google are planning a new undersea cable to connect Japan with south-east Asia as the Silicon Valley groups boost investment in internet infrastructure in regions with high growth potential. The Apricot cable, which is expected to launch in 2024, will span 12,000km and connect Japan, Taiwan, Guam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore.
The investment, the size of which was not disclosed, is part of US technology companies’ drive to meet growing demand for broadband access and 5G wireless connectivity in Asia. Apricot will complement Facebook’s other two subsea cables it announced in March, Echo and Bifrost, which will connect the US with Indonesia via Singapore. The US social media group said on Monday the link would deliver “much-needed internet capacity, redundancy and reliability to expand connections in the Asia-Pacific region”. Financial Times

 

Masking school children is abuse . . .  The CDC’s new guidance isn’t based on any scientific study proving that wearing masks reduces Covid transmission in children, as Drs. Marty Makary and H. Cody Meissner pointed out in a recent op-ed, there has been no scientific study with data to prove the point. Not only is there not any proof that forcing children to wear masks will help them; there actually is proof that forcing children to wear masks will hurt them: “[Children] who have myopia can have difficulty seeing because the mask fogs their glasses … Masks can cause severe acne and other skin problems. The discomfort of a mask distracts some children from learning. By increasing airway resistance during exhalation, masks can lead to increased levels of carbon dioxide in the blood. Masks ‘may exacerbate anxiety or breathing difficulties for some students.’ Some children compensate for such difficulties by breathing through their mouths. Chronic and prolonged mouth breathing can alter facial development. Washington Times

 

 

Ransomware criminals' demands rise as aggressive tactics pay off . . . The ransomware crisis just keeps getting worse as criminal enterprises pour money into highly profitable ransomware operations, according to a report from Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 security consulting group. The average ransomware payment climbed 82% to a record $570,000 in the first half of 2021 from $312,000 in 2020. And criminal gangs are upping demands. The average ransom demand so far this year is $5.3 million, surging 518% from 2020 when the average demand was $847,000. That’s because too often it works. Fox Business

 

Biden administration approves sizable increase in levels of food stamp assistance . . . The Biden administration has approved a significant and permanent increase in the levels of food stamp assistance available to needy families–the largest single increase in the program’s history.  Starting in October, average benefits for food stamps (officially known as the SNAP program) will rise more than 25 percent above pre-pandemic levels. The increased assistance will be available indefinitely to all 42 million SNAP beneficiaries.  The aid boost was first reported by The New York Times and the details were confirmed by a spokeswoman for the Department of Agriculture. They will be formally announced Monday by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Washington Times

 

Disabled Workers Concerned That Proposed Wage Hike May Leave Them Unemployed . . . Matt Thibodeau is a professional packager whose work includes shrink-wrapping, glueing, labeling, bagging, and package assembling. He eats lunch with his coworkers, and he typically gets home before 5:00 p.m. When he gets his check every two weeks his colleagues cheer for him, even though the average take-home pay at his Pennsylvania plant is $3.40 per hour, less than half the federal minimum of $7.25. Matt, like many of his coworkers at Associated Production Services, has intellectual and and physical disabilities. Matt's disabilities have not stopped him from enjoying a 14-year career in shipping, but a bipartisan legislative push to eliminate a 1938 provision—known as Section 14(c)—that allows people with severe disabilities to collect sub-minimum wages could. Gail Thibodeau, Matt's mother, sees the law as a safety net for people with severe mental disabilities that helps them find meaningful work and companionship outside the home. Thibodeau is concerned that people with disabilities like her son will not be able to find work if employers are forced to pay them as much as their coworkers. Washington Free Beacon

 

Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine suggests ‘chestfeeding,’ ‘father’s milk’ in new guidelines . . . The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine has issued guidelines that suggest employing such terms as “chestfeeding,” “human milk feeding,” and “parent’s milk” to promote what it calls “gender-inclusive language.” The ABM position statement on “infant feeding and lactation-related language and gender,” co-authored by eight doctors and the academy, said that “the use of de-sexed or gender-inclusive language is appropriate in many settings.”

“ABM recognizes that not all people who give birth and lactate identify as female, and that some of these individuals identify as neither female nor male,” said the four-page document posted July 29. Washington Times

Rest Better With Light Exercises . . . Exercise can reduce the amount of time it takes to fall asleep and the amount of time spent awake at night, numerous studies have shown. It also increases sleep time and quality. While experts suggest avoiding vigorous exercise within an hour of bedtime, stretching and meditative movement like yoga has been found to improve sleep quality. These types of exercises elicit the relaxation response, in which the body experiences a flood of calming hormones and physiological reactions that quiets the nervous system.  Here are 11 stretches and exercises. Box Breath: This powerful relaxation technique can help clear the mind and unwind the body — Navy SEALs have reportedly been known to use it when their bodies are in fight-or-flight mode. Climb into bed, lie on your back and rest your hands on your belly. Close your eyes and inhale through your nose for a count of four. Hold the inhale for four. Exhale fully to the count of four, making sure all of the air is out of your lungs. Stay empty of breath for a count of four. Repeat the process for three to five minutes. See the 11 exercises in NYT