Monthly Archives: August 2021

Aftermath of the Afghan Exodus and What’s Left

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Effective August 31, 2021, the U.S. and NATO forces have officially left Afghanistan, leaving the country back in the Taliban’s hands. Taliban celebrated their victory and return to power.
That being said, the U.S. still has some homework left over. There are still Americans in Afghanistan. Out of the 250,000 Afghan folks that assisted the U.S. forces, more than 100,000 are still in Afghanistan.
During the White House briefing today, a question arose as to the rescue plan for those remaining in Afghanistan after the August 31 deadline. The Chief of Press gave somewhat of an ambiguous answer but promised that anyone who has helped the U.S. that wants to come to the States would be given chances to do so, along with any American still stuck in Afghanistan.
Last Thursday, 13 U.S. service members and hundreds of Afghans were killed when a suicide bomber detonated the bomb at the gate of Kabul International Airport. Pres. Biden has promised that the U.S. would retaliate against ISIS-K for the attack and did so briefly after the attack.
Since the withdrawal began, Pres. Biden has seen a significant drop in approval rating, both in the execution of the withdrawal and in the quick overtaking of Afghanistan by the Taliban despite billions of dollars that had gone into training the Afghan military.
Many Americans are questioning the purpose of the Afghanistan campaign; some are even comparing it to the Vietnam war. The hardest struck are the Veterans of the Afghanistan-Iran conflict, who are now wondering why they went to a 20-year war where the result was the Taliban’s quick return and takeover of Afghanistan.
There are stories of U.S. citizens and green card holders being turned away at Taliban checkpoints and being beaten; it is unclear as to whether all U.S. citizens and green card holders have made it out safely.
With ISIS-K’s attack last Thursday, it is truly questionable as to whether the U.S. even succeeded at wiping out the terrorist threat to the safety of U.S. democracy.

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Hurricane Ida leaves Louisiana in Ruins; moves up to Mississippi as a Tropical Storm

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When Hurricane Ida made landfall in New Orleans on Sunday, September 29, it was officially a Category 4 hurricane, with wind speeds up to 150 mph. With it came reported downed power lines, levee failures and flooding, along with collapsed buildings and residents being trapped on rooftops. Currently, more than 1 million households are without power. The hurricane was downgraded to a tropical storm by Monday evening, and Ida is now in Mississippi; however, flooding from storm surges will continue to through Monday in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi; furthermore, flooding might be possible in portions of Tennessee and Ohio valleys and mid-Atlantic through Wednesday.

In the meantime, New Orleans is reeling from the damage of Ida, which arrived on the anniversary date of Katrina, which devastated the city in 2005. The governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards stated that death toll resulting from Ida is expected to rise as search-and-rescue efforts begin. The Louisiana State Police also warned that it was not yet sure of the full extent of the damage quite yet.

In fact, the governor has reached out and told the Louisiana residents to take precautions in their return; in fact, the governor has suggested against returning, saying, “stay where you are.”

Many folks living near New Orleans have also seen devastation. Houma, LA experienced the devastation of being in the hurricane’s eye, with many household impacted by the devastation of the storm.

Ida continues its move up north towards the mid-Atlantic. Its current path is towards Washington D.C.

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Death Sentence of Arsonist that Killed 9 SC Church Parishioners Affirmed

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Dylann Roof, the individual behind the 2015 massacre at a historic African American church in Charleston, South Carolina, was convicted and sentenced to death. He appealed the sentence. On Wednesday, a federal appeals court upheld the conviction and the death sentence. It was a unanimous decision from a three-judge panel, which affirmed the trial judge’s finding that Roof was competent to stand trial. Roof had argued that he could not stand trial due to a mental illness.

Roof’s defense team will likely appeal the decision to the Supreme Court; meanwhile, there are currently no executions scheduled while the Justice Department reviews the death penalty policies put in place during ex-Pres. Trump’s presidency, where record number of executions were performed.

While Pres. Biden is personally opposed to capital punishment, his administration continues to support the execution of Roof, who was convicted of killing 9 black parishioners as they were praying during bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church; he is the first to be sentenced to death for a federal hate crime.

In a statement, US attorney’s office in South Carolina has praised the court’s decision.

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Covid and Different Fortunes: Prison or Millionaire

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A Pennsylvanian woman was sentenced to jail due to her coughing and spitting on foods at a local supermarket while claiming to have the coronavirus. Margaret Ann Cirko (37) had pleaded guilty in June to a felony count of making bomb threats.

She regretted and apologized for her actions in court on Tuesday but has been sentenced to one to two years in jail with eight years of probation. She also has to pay $30,000 in restitution. A Luzerne County judge called Cirko’s conduct “totally outrageous” after sentencing. According to NPR, she entered a Gerrity’s supermarket located in Hanover Township on March 25, 2020, then began to cough on fresh produce and spit on other merchandise. She claimed she had the virus and told everyone they would get sick.

The co-owner of the supermarket, Joe Fasula said that had thrown out of merchandise due to her hearsay that called it a “twisted prank.” Cirko tested negative for COVID-19, according to her attorney, and she was intoxicated at the time of the incident.

In contrast, another woman won $2 million from Michigan state’s coronavirus vaccination sweepstakes. Christine Duval had worked to boost the coronavirus vaccination rate and had participated in the financial incentive sweepstakes for more people to get vaccinated.

She has the “I got vaccinated” sticker but also $2 million to show for it.

Twisted fate of two different women now leading completely different lives due to the coronavirus; their actions show how their own responses have led to such disparity in results; one is now serving a jail sentence and $30,000 in debt, while another is a millionaire.

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Al-Qaeda Congratulates the Taliban Day after Taliban’s Denouncement

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The Taliban recently submitted an official statement denouncing their links with all Al-Qaeda groups and promised that Al-Qaeda would not be present in Afghanistan or pose a threat to the U.S.; however, a day after this announcement, Al-Qaeda’s South Asian branch congratulated the Taliban on the military victory on a statement on Monday. The announcement was written in Urdu and praised the Taliban for winning against the United States, going as far to claim it as a “highly sacred moment” for Muslims around the world.

Al-Qaeda also called for more to come out to join the jihad in defending themselves against the “invaders.” Al-Qaeda’s letter also explained that while it cannot win against West-backed democratic process, it would win out on the field. Two other groups associated with Al-Qaeda also released messages of support for the Taliban: The Global Islamic Media Front (propaganda organization) and Jama’at Nasr Al-Islam wal Muslimin, Al-Qaeda’s branch in Sahel region of Africa. The Global Islamic Media Front called it vindication of the power of religious conviction, whereas Jama’at Nasr Al-Islam wal Muslimin simply congratulated the Afghan people.

Taliban maintains that there are no Al-Qaeda presence in Afghanistan and that it would not be protecting Al-Qaeda within its territories; however, the United Nations estimates Al-Qaeda has presence in at least 15 provinces, while Al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent has operated under Taliban protection for quite some time.

In the meantime, the Biden administration is being pressured to stay in Afghanistan past the deadline of August 31, 2021 to guarantee that all American soldiers and any vulnerable refugees can come over to the United States.

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Tropical Storm Henri to Strengthen to Hurricane Category 1

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Tropical Storm Henri is currently making its way up the east coast and plans to be upgraded to Hurricane Category 1 by Friday night. Those on the northeastern U.S. and Atlantic Canada is watching the storm intently, as by the time Henri arrives, it’ll be a hurricane.

There are risks of storm surge, wind, and rain that will have some impact on portions of southern New England and eastern Long Island. Although Henri is currently far from the U.S. Coast, the storm will likely reach New England on Sunday at the latest, although it is expected in Massachusetts on Thursday.

As it is, New England and New York are recovering from dealing with Tropical Storm Fred, which brought flood and tornado warnings. Fred did cause several flooding, especially in western North Carolina.

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T-Mobile’s Massive Data Breach: The Extent and Scope

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Library of t mobile clip art royalty free download logo ...On Wednesday, T-Mobile announced that it had been exposed to a massive data breach, which while less than the 100 million records, remains staggeringly large in number nonetheless.

Investigation is still ongoing, but the company confirmed that records of over 40 million former or prospective customers that had applied for credit and 7.8 million postpaid customers (who currently have a contract with T-Mobile) stolen. The problem is the type of data that has been stolen.

Data stolen included first and last names, dates of birth, social security numbers, and driver’s license/ID numbers, which are information that can be used for identity theft and to set up an account in another person’s name or to hijack an existing one. The information not stolen included “phone numbers, account numbers, PINs, or passwords,” but that hardly matters when personal data including social security numbers have been breached and stolen at this point.

T-Mobile found out about the breach on a forum post by the hacker on dark web.

The real victims of this breach includes the 850,000 prepaid T-Mobile customers whose information does include names, phone numbers, and account PINs. Affected customers have already received an updated PIN reset and will also receive a notification right away. The inactive prepaid customers’ data, have not been breached, T-Mobile has confirmed.

T-Mobile continues to promise that it takes its customers’ protection seriously, but T-Mobile has experienced some sort of data breach in 2018, 2019, 2020, and now, in 2021, including one earlier in January.

T-Mobile will offer two years of free identity protection services from McAfee and has recommended even the postpaid customers to change their PIN.

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US leaving Afghanistan, China staying

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As the Taliban closed in on Kabul, China has contacted the Taliban to seek the guarantee of safety for its citizens still in Afghanistan; for example, the Chinese embassy in Kabul has reported that it intends to remain in Kabul and had contacted the Taliban, stating that it was trusting Taliban’s declaration that it would transition the country under an “open, inclusive Islamic nation,” and ensure the safety of Afghan citizens and foreign missions be carried out.

This is in stark contrast to the behaviors of the western powers’ sudden and immediate departure from the country as the Taliban closed in on Kabul. However, one cannot help but wonder how China’s relationship with the Taliban might actually play out, given China’s own behavior towards its Islamic minority in Xinjiang region. According to a 2002 paper by Wang Yaning, lecturer at the Chinese Armed Police Force Academy, more than 400 “separatists” were known to be trained in light and heavy weapons and explosive devices in Taliban training camps.

While the opportunity exists for China to play a bigger role in Afghanistan, a land filled with precious metals that are becoming ever more important. Of course, some argue that continued U.S. presence would have been much easier on Beijing to deal with than the Taliban; nonetheless, China is attempting to build a relationship with Afghanistan while they shuffle in their minority Muslim population into “work camps” reminiscent of concentration camps in various regions in Xinjiang.

China also might have to deal with the influx of Afghani refugees, as some choose to leave their homes to avoid persecution from Taliban rule. There is also the issue of detention camps in Xinjiang and radicalization of Uyghur population with growing anti-Chinese sentiment. However, even that number’s validity is unclear as some argue that Chinese government inflated the numbers to justify its actions.

Depending on what position the Taliban takes as it takes over Afghanistan, China might actually deal have much to deal with on its plate, very far from the only positive outcome, which would be access to rare earth metals while maintaining its control over Xinjiang. It might be that China could be stuck between a rock and hard place, as it loses the safety on the borders over Central Asia, loses out on possible access to precious metals, with extremist radical population seeking independence as it deals with the dissonance’s breaking point in its political system and the economic policies. At the moment, only time will tell.

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Taliban’s Fast Take Over of Afghanistan leads to Conflicts and Confusions

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After 9/11 in 2001, under the presidency of G. W. Bush, the United States began the “War on Terror” with the goal of defeating Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. The US troops entered Afghanistan to retaliate against terrorists who used several US aircrafts to kill thousands of U.S. citizens and take down the Twin Towers in Manhattan, New York.

By 2011, during the Obama Presidency, the U.S. forces located Osama Bin Laden’s whereabouts as somewhere in Pakistan. Soon after, he was killed during the ambush and buried at sea. Many had hoped that this would end the war in Afghanistan and Iraq; however, the war continued.

The Trump administration promised that it would pull US troops out of the middle east but failed to do so. Now, with Pres. Biden in the White House, US troops are planned to be completely removed by September 2021. However, after two decades of staying in Afghanistan, fighting against the Taliban, and implementing certain US-based policies such as allowing girls to attend school, women to walk about freely, and receiving help from the local Afghanistani citizens, the US is now facing criticism on all front as the Taliban recently overtook Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.

On Monday, during the White House press conference, Pres. Biden accepted the responsibility of the withdrawal of the US military from Afghanistan, adding that he didn’t expect the Taliban to oust the Afghan government so quickly.

In remarks, he stated that “The truth is this did unfold more quickly than we anticipated,” and added, “I am deeply saddened by the facts we now face, but I do not regret my decision.” The Taliban is also using US military equipment in overtaking the Afghanistan territories.

The women have risen up in Afghanistan. Fearful of the return of Taliban’s extremist policies, their tendency to rape and kill women for the tiniest of “errors,” and to protect the safety of the children, women are rising up to fight against the Taliban. While the Taliban has promised that it would not punish any of the US sympathizers, it is not clear whether they would keep their promises and what they would now do, that the country is slowly falling back into their hands.

Although news stations are busily murking up the waters on winning and losing, many Americans, global citizens, and most importantly, the Veterans and US troops, are angry at this result, as it is clear to all but those in power that this was a significant loss in the US “policing power.”

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Britney Spears Gains Freedom From Her Father’s Grip

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Jamie Spears, Britney Spears’ father filed documents in Los Angeles Supreme Court agreeing to step down from his position as the conservator of his daughter, reported Britney Spears’ estate on Thursday.

The entire country has called for him to step down from his position as conservator of Britney Spears (39), as the superstar had yet to have her own financial freedom from her father for a long time. The public backlash was on him for few months, until he finally agreed to leave his conservatorship of Britney Spears. This move came after Britney filed a petition asking her father to be removed from his position. In court hearings over the last two months, Britney has accused her father of engaging in abusive “control” of her for a long time.

Jamie Spears’s lawyer, Vivian Thoreen stated on the file, “no actual grounds for suspending or removing” him from the conservatorship,” and that “It is highly debatable whether a change in conservator at this time would be in Ms. Spears’ best interests.” according to NPR, Thoreen continued, “Nevertheless”, and “even as Mr. Spears is the unremitting target of unjustified attacks, he does not believe that a public battle with his daughter over his continuing service as her conservator would be in her best interests.” Thoreen added, “Mr. Spears is willing to step down when the time is right, but the transition needs to be orderly and includes a resolution of matters pending before the court.”

Since 2008, Jamie Spears has abused his daughter’s estate and controlled her. According to Britney’s lawyer, Mathew Rosengart says that the elder Spears appears to have “profited handsomely” from being his daughter’s conservator. He added that “serious questions abound concerning Mr. Spears’s potential misconduct, including conflicts of interest, conservatorship abuse and the evident dissipation of Ms. Spear’s fortune.

The ACLU, 25 civil and disability rights activists filed an amicus brief with the Las Angeles court to support the singer’s quest to choose her own attorney and it was granted. The elder Spears spent more money than his daughter who has earned the money.

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