COVID-19 is once again in retreat.

The reasons remain somewhat unclear, and there is no guarantee that the decline in caseloads will continue. But the turnaround is now large enough,&nbsp;and been going on long enough to deserve attention.

The number of new daily cases in the United States has fallen 35% since Sept. 1. Worldwide, cases have also dropped more than 30% since late August. “This is as good as the world has looked in many months,” Dr&nbsp;Eric Topol of Scripps Research wrote last week.

The most encouraging news is that the most serious forms of COVID are also declining. The number of Americans hospitalised with COVID has fallen about 25% since Sept. 1. Daily deaths&nbsp;which typically change direction a few weeks after cases and hospitalisations&nbsp;have fallen 10% since Sept. 20. It is the first sustained decline in deaths since early summer.

These declines are consistent with a pattern that readers will recognise: COVID’s mysterious two-month cycle. Since the COVID virus began spreading in late 2019, cases have often surged for about two months, sometimes because of a variant, such as delta, and then declined for about two months.

Public health researchers do not understand why. Many popular explanations&nbsp;such as seasonality or the ebbs and flows of mask wearing and social distancing are clearly insufficient, if not wrong. The two-month cycle has occurred during different seasons of the year and occurred even when human behavior was not changing in obvious ways.

The most-plausible explanations involve some combination of virus biology and social networks. Perhaps each virus variant is especially likely to infect some people but not others&nbsp;and once many of the most vulnerable have been exposed, the virus recedes. And perhaps a variant needs about two months to circulate through an average-sized community.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/too-soon-to-tell-fauci-talks-about-christmas-gatherings-as-he-warns-americans-to-not-be-complacent-418125">Also read |&nbsp;'Too soon to tell': Fauci talks about Christmas gatherings as he warns Americans to not be complacent</a>

Human behaviour does play a role, with people often becoming more careful once caseloads begin to rise. But social distancing is not as important as public discussion of the virus often imagines. “We’ve ascribed far too much human authority over the virus,” as Michael Osterholm, an infectious-disease expert at the University of Minnesota, has told me.

The recent declines, for example, have occurred even as millions of American children have again crowded into school buildings.

Whatever the reasons, the two-month cycle keeps happening. It is visible in the global numbers: Cases worldwide rose from late February to late April, then fell until late June, rose again until late August and have been falling since.

The pattern has also been evident within countries, including India, Indonesia, Thailand, Britain, France and Spain. In each of them, the delta variant led to a surge in cases lasting somewhere from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 months.

In the US, the delta surge started in several Southern states in June and began receding in those states in August. In much of the rest of the US,&nbsp;it began in July, and cases have begun falling the past few weeks. Even pediatric cases are falling, despite the lack of vaccine authorisation for children younger than 12, as Jennifer Nuzzo of Johns Hopkins University told The Washington Post.

I want to emphasise that these declines may not persist. COVID’s two-month cycle is not some kind of iron law of science. There have been plenty of exceptions.

In Britain, for example, caseloads have seesawed over the past two months, rather than consistently fallen. In the US, the onset of cold weather and the increase in indoor activities or some other unknown factor could potentially spark a rise in cases this fall. The course of the pandemic remains highly uncertain.

But this uncertainty also means that the near future could also prove to be&nbsp;more&nbsp;encouraging than we expect. And there are some legitimate reasons for COVID optimism.

The share of Americans ages 12 and older who have received at least one vaccine shot has reached 76%, and the growing number of vaccine mandates&nbsp;along with the likely approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 will increase the number of vaccinations this fall. Almost as important, something like one-half of Americans have probably had the COVID virus already, giving them some natural immunity.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-drops-its-covid-19-elimination-plan-as-delta-persists-418063">Also read |&nbsp;New Zealand drops its COVID-19 elimination plan as Delta persists</a>

Eventually, immunity will become widespread enough that another wave as large and damaging as the delta wave will not be possible. “Barring something unexpected,” said Dr. Scott Gottleib, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner and author of “Uncontrolled Spread,” a new book on COVID, “I’m of the opinion that this is the last major wave of infection.”

COVID has not only been one of the worst pandemics in modern times. It has been an unnecessarily terrible pandemic. Of the more than 700,000 Americans who have died from it, nearly 200,000 probably could have been saved if they had chosen to take a vaccine. That is a national tragedy.

COVID also isn’t going to disappear anytime soon. It will continue to circulate for years, many scientists believe. But the vaccines can transform COVID into a manageable disease, not so different from a flu or common cold. In the past few weeks, the country appears to have moved closer to that less-grim future.

Whatever the next few months bring, the worst of the pandemic is almost certainly behind us.

COVID-19 is once again in retreat. The reasons remain somewhat unclear, and there is no guarantee that the decline in caseloads will continue. But the turnaround is now large enough, and been going on long enough to deserve attention.

COVID-19 is once again in retreat. The reasons remain somewhat unclear, and there is no guarantee that the decline in caseloads will continue. But the turnaround is now large enough, and been going on long enough to deserve attention. The number of new daily cases in the United States has fallen 35% since Sept. 1. Worldwide, cases have also dropped more than 30% since late August. “This is as good as the world has looked in many months,” Dr Eric Topol of Scripps Research wrote last week. The most encouraging news is that the most serious forms of COVID are also declining. The number of Americans hospitalised with COVID has fallen about 25% since Sept. 1. Daily deaths which typically change direction a few weeks after cases and hospitalisations have fallen 10% since Sept. 20. It is the first sustained decline in deaths since early summer. These declines are consistent with a pattern that readers will recognise: COVID’s mysterious two-month cycle. Since the COVID virus began spreading in late 2019, cases have often surged for about two months, sometimes because of a variant, such as delta, and then declined for about two months. Public health researchers do not understand why. Many popular explanations such as seasonality or the ebbs and flows of mask wearing and social distancing are clearly insufficient, if not wrong. The two-month cycle has occurred during different seasons of the year and occurred even when human behavior was not changing in obvious ways. The most-plausible explanations involve some combination of virus biology and social networks. Perhaps each virus variant is especially likely to infect some people but not others and once many of the most vulnerable have been exposed, the virus recedes. And perhaps a variant needs about two months to circulate through an average-sized community. Also read | 'Too soon to tell': Fauci talks about Christmas gatherings as he warns Americans to not be complacent Human behaviour does play a role, with people often becoming more careful once caseloads begin to rise. But social distancing is not as important as public discussion of the virus often imagines. “We’ve ascribed far too much human authority over the virus,” as Michael Osterholm, an infectious-disease expert at the University of Minnesota, has told me. The recent declines, for example, have occurred even as millions of American children have again crowded into school buildings. Whatever the reasons, the two-month cycle keeps happening. It is visible in the global numbers: Cases worldwide rose from late February to late April, then fell until late June, rose again until late August and have been falling since. The pattern has also been evident within countries, including India, Indonesia, Thailand, Britain, France and Spain. In each of them, the delta variant led to a surge in cases lasting somewhere from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 months. In the US, the delta surge started in several Southern states in June and began receding in those states in August. In much of the rest of the US, it began in July, and cases have begun falling the past few weeks. Even pediatric cases are falling, despite the lack of vaccine authorisation for children younger than 12, as Jennifer Nuzzo of Johns Hopkins University told The Washington Post. I want to emphasise that these declines may not persist. COVID’s two-month cycle is not some kind of iron law of science. There have been plenty of exceptions. In Britain, for example, caseloads have seesawed over the past two months, rather than consistently fallen. In the US, the onset of cold weather and the increase in indoor activities or some other unknown factor could potentially spark a rise in cases this fall. The course of the pandemic remains highly uncertain. But this uncertainty also means that the near future could also prove to be more encouraging than we expect. And there are some legitimate reasons for COVID optimism. The share of Americans ages 12 and older who have received at least one vaccine shot has reached 76%, and the growing number of vaccine mandates along with the likely approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 will increase the number of vaccinations this fall. Almost as important, something like one-half of Americans have probably had the COVID virus already, giving them some natural immunity. Also read | New Zealand drops its COVID-19 elimination plan as Delta persists Eventually, immunity will become widespread enough that another wave as large and damaging as the delta wave will not be possible. “Barring something unexpected,” said Dr. Scott Gottleib, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner and author of “Uncontrolled Spread,” a new book on COVID, “I’m of the opinion that this is the last major wave of infection.” COVID has not only been one of the worst pandemics in modern times. It has been an unnecessarily terrible pandemic. Of the more than 700,000 Americans who have died from it, nearly 200,000 probably could have been saved if they had chosen to take a vaccine. That is a national tragedy. COVID also isn’t going to disappear anytime soon. It will continue to circulate for years, many scientists believe. But the vaccines can transform COVID into a manageable disease, not so different from a flu or common cold. In the past few weeks, the country appears to have moved closer to that less-grim future. Whatever the next few months bring, the worst of the pandemic is almost certainly behind us.

Trying to Make Sense of COVID’s Mysterious 2-Month Cycle

Chief medical adviser to US President Biden, Dr Anthony Fauci has said that it is too early to say whether Americans should avoid larger family gatherings for Christmas.&nbsp;

This comes in when the nation experiences a surge in new COVID-19 infections among children alongside lagging vaccination rates.&nbsp;

In an interview with "Face the Nation," Fauci said that it is too soon to tell whether holiday gatherings should be limited due to the ongoing pandemic. He further added that Americans need to focus on lowering the number of new infections and hospitalisations.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fauci-says-americans-should-get-vaccinated-even-if-mercks-covid-pill-cuts-deaths-418016">Also read |&nbsp;Fauci says Americans should get vaccinated even if Merck’s Covid pill cuts deaths&nbsp;</a>

"We've just got to concentrate on continuing to get those numbers down and not try to jump ahead by weeks or months and say what we're going to do at a particular time," Fauci said.

"Let's focus like a laser on continuing to get those cases down. And we can do it by people getting vaccinated and also in the situation where boosters are appropriate to get people boosted," he added.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-drops-its-covid-19-elimination-plan-as-delta-persists-418063">Also read |&nbsp;New Zealand drops its COVID-19 elimination plan as Delta persists</a>

The US recently surpassed 700,000 deaths from COVID-19.&nbsp;However, the surge of new cases, hospitalisations and deaths by the &nbsp;Delta variant now appears to be slowing.

Fauci warned that the Americans should not be complacent. "If you look at the history ... of the different surges we've had, it's come up, start to come down and then all of a sudden boom, come back up again," he said.

Chief medical adviser to US President Biden, Dr Anthony Fauci has said that it is too early to say whether Americans should avoid larger family gatherings for Christmas.

Chief medical adviser to US President Biden, Dr Anthony Fauci has said that it is too early to say whether Americans should avoid larger family gatherings for Christmas. This comes in when the nation experiences a surge in new COVID-19 infections among children alongside lagging vaccination rates. In an interview with "Face the Nation," Fauci said that it is too soon to tell whether holiday gatherings should be limited due to the ongoing pandemic. He further added that Americans need to focus on lowering the number of new infections and hospitalisations. Also read | Fauci says Americans should get vaccinated even if Merck’s Covid pill cuts deaths "We've just got to concentrate on continuing to get those numbers down and not try to jump ahead by weeks or months and say what we're going to do at a particular time," Fauci said. "Let's focus like a laser on continuing to get those cases down. And we can do it by people getting vaccinated and also in the situation where boosters are appropriate to get people boosted," he added. Also read | New Zealand drops its COVID-19 elimination plan as Delta persists The US recently surpassed 700,000 deaths from COVID-19. However, the surge of new cases, hospitalisations and deaths by the Delta variant now appears to be slowing. Fauci warned that the Americans should not be complacent. "If you look at the history ... of the different surges we've had, it's come up, start to come down and then all of a sudden boom, come back up again," he said.

'Too soon to tell': Fauci talks about Christmas gatherings as he warns Americans to not be complacent

The situation in Western Sahara has "significantly deteriorated" over the past year, the UN Secretary-General has said, citing the resumption of hostilities between Morocco and the Polisario independence movement in the disputed territory.

Morocco views Western Sahara as an integral part of its territory, but the Polisario -&nbsp;recognized internationally as the representative of the Sahrawi people - has long sought independence.

The "resumption of hostilities between Morocco and Frente POLISARIO is a major setback toward the achievement of a political solution," Antonio Guterres said in a report submitted to the Security Council.

"There remains a clear risk of escalation while hostilities persist," he added in the report, not yet published and obtained by AFP on Saturday.

"I therefore call on the parties to de-escalate the situation and immediately cease hostilities."

Guterres said the two sides must agree on the appointment of a UN envoy to restart political dialogue on Western Sahara.

The Polisario fought a war of independence with Morocco from 1975 until a UN-brokered ceasefire in 1991.

The conflict has continued to simmer, and has been without an emissary since May 2019, with all candidates proposed by Guterres rejected by one side or the other.

In his report, Guterres noted that in November 2020, the Polisario had announced -- after incidents with Morocco -- that it no longer felt committed to the ceasefire.

In December 2020, then-president Donald Trump broke with previous US positions and recognized Morocco's sovereignty over the whole of Western Sahara.

President Joe Biden has yet to comment on that move.

At the end of August, Algeria -- Morocco's neighbor and rival, and a key backer of the Polisario -- broke off diplomatic relations with Rabat, particularly over Western Sahara.

Polisario wants a UN referendum on self-determination, while Morocco -- which controls more than two-thirds of the former Spanish colony -- has proposed a plan for Polisario autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty.

The situation in Western Sahara has "significantly deteriorated" over the past year, the UN Secretary-General has said, citing the resumption of hostilities between Morocco and the Polisario independence movement in the disputed territory.

The situation in Western Sahara has "significantly deteriorated" over the past year, the UN Secretary-General has said, citing the resumption of hostilities between Morocco and the Polisario independence movement in the disputed territory. Morocco views Western Sahara as an integral part of its territory, but the Polisario - recognized internationally as the representative of the Sahrawi people - has long sought independence. The "resumption of hostilities between Morocco and Frente POLISARIO is a major setback toward the achievement of a political solution," Antonio Guterres said in a report submitted to the Security Council. "There remains a clear risk of escalation while hostilities persist," he added in the report, not yet published and obtained by AFP on Saturday. "I therefore call on the parties to de-escalate the situation and immediately cease hostilities." Guterres said the two sides must agree on the appointment of a UN envoy to restart political dialogue on Western Sahara. The Polisario fought a war of independence with Morocco from 1975 until a UN-brokered ceasefire in 1991. The conflict has continued to simmer, and has been without an emissary since May 2019, with all candidates proposed by Guterres rejected by one side or the other. In his report, Guterres noted that in November 2020, the Polisario had announced -- after incidents with Morocco -- that it no longer felt committed to the ceasefire. In December 2020, then-president Donald Trump broke with previous US positions and recognized Morocco's sovereignty over the whole of Western Sahara. President Joe Biden has yet to comment on that move. At the end of August, Algeria -- Morocco's neighbor and rival, and a key backer of the Polisario -- broke off diplomatic relations with Rabat, particularly over Western Sahara. Polisario wants a UN referendum on self-determination, while Morocco -- which controls more than two-thirds of the former Spanish colony -- has proposed a plan for Polisario autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty.

Western Sahara situation 'significantly deteriorated', UN chief says

Something unexpected is happening at U.S. military bases hosting Afghan evacuees: Many hundreds of them are simply leaving before receiving U.S. resettlement services, two sources familiar with the data told Reuters.

The number of "independent departures," which top 700 and could be higher, has not been previously reported. But the phenomenon is raising alarms among immigration advocates concerned about the risks to Afghans who give up on what is now an open-ended, complex and completely voluntary resettlement process.

In the speed and chaos of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August following 20 years of war, many evacuees were brought into the United States under a temporary status of "humanitarian parole." Once transferred to U.S. military bases, refugee resettlement groups and U.S. officials have been trying to connect people with services for a smooth transition to the United States.

In a statement, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson declined to comment on the figures provided to Reuters by sources but said people who had left the bases "generally" had ties to the United States, like family members of friends, and resources to support themselves.

The spokesperson said that in addition, at the outset of the operation many of those evacuated were U.S. citizens, permanent residents or had approved Special Immigrant Visas so were able to depart quickly.

But leaving early could cost other Afghan evacuees critical benefits - like expedited work permits - and create a slew of legal problems down the road, given the complexities of the U.S. immigration system.

"It`s a giant can of worms," said one U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"This could lead to years and years of terrible immigration status problems."

The benefits the evacuees have received have been more limited, so far, than what`s offered to refugees. But that appears set to change following legislation passed on Thursday by Congress - despite opposition from Republicans - that would give Afghan evacuees the more extensive assistance usually provided to refugees.

"We should do everything in our power to help our Afghan allies get off to a strong start in their new homes," Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley said in a statement.

The new legislation says Afghan asylum applications should be expedited. But those who leave U.S. bases early might not get all the legal orientation they need start their applications.

One-way trip off base

Immigration experts say Afghans who leave the bases are not breaking U.S. laws and military officials have no legal authority to hold law-abiding Afghans against their will at any of the eight locations hosting 53,000 Afghans who fled the Taliban on U.S. evacuation flights.

The scale of the independent departures vary from base to base, according to the sources - more than 300 alone at Fort Bliss in Texas - a figure that is likely to alarm both advocates and critics of the massive U.S. resettlement operation.

However, U.S. officials stress that all of the Afghans leaving U.S. bases had already undergone security screening before arriving in the United States. The risk of the independent departures is to the Afghans themselves.

Reuters viewed a document, entitled "Departee Information," that is meant to warn Afghans considering leaving before completing their resettlement. It reminds them that, on base, they can get their immigration paperwork processed and even cash to help pay for travel to their destination in the United States.

"Once you leave this base, you forfeit these advantages and may not return," it reads. 
Margaret Stock, an immigration lawyer with expertise in cases related to the military, said the warning was not ill-intentioned.

"I think they`re trying to look out for people," she said.

"The people managing the bases are rightfully concerned that somebody might not be fully aware of the consequences of wandering off."

Afghans leaving U.S. bases can be a touchy issue in some parts of the country, particularly given media coverage of security incidents at Fort McCoy, in Wisconsin, and Fort Bliss.

But General Glen VanHerck, head of Northern Command, pushed back on the idea that criminality was a problem on the U.S. bases. He told Pentagon reporters on Thursday that the numbers of incidents involving robbery and theft were substantially lower than in the general U.S. population, with only eight cases in six weeks.

Asked what was the limiting factor in getting Afghans processed for resettlement, VanHerck said it was not vaccinations against measles or the coronavirus or security checks.

Instead, it was efforts by U.S. officials to ensure "each of the Afghan guests have a great place to land and have assurances for where they`re going to relocate to."

"So I understand that, right now, is the limiting factor on output," he said.

Something unexpected is happening at U.S. military bases hosting Afghan evacuees: Many hundreds of them are simply leaving before receiving U.S. resettlement services, two sources familiar with the data told Reuters.

Something unexpected is happening at U.S. military bases hosting Afghan evacuees: Many hundreds of them are simply leaving before receiving U.S. resettlement services, two sources familiar with the data told Reuters. The number of "independent departures," which top 700 and could be higher, has not been previously reported. But the phenomenon is raising alarms among immigration advocates concerned about the risks to Afghans who give up on what is now an open-ended, complex and completely voluntary resettlement process. In the speed and chaos of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August following 20 years of war, many evacuees were brought into the United States under a temporary status of "humanitarian parole." Once transferred to U.S. military bases, refugee resettlement groups and U.S. officials have been trying to connect people with services for a smooth transition to the United States. In a statement, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson declined to comment on the figures provided to Reuters by sources but said people who had left the bases "generally" had ties to the United States, like family members of friends, and resources to support themselves. The spokesperson said that in addition, at the outset of the operation many of those evacuated were U.S. citizens, permanent residents or had approved Special Immigrant Visas so were able to depart quickly. But leaving early could cost other Afghan evacuees critical benefits - like expedited work permits - and create a slew of legal problems down the road, given the complexities of the U.S. immigration system. "It`s a giant can of worms," said one U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "This could lead to years and years of terrible immigration status problems." The benefits the evacuees have received have been more limited, so far, than what`s offered to refugees. But that appears set to change following legislation passed on Thursday by Congress - despite opposition from Republicans - that would give Afghan evacuees the more extensive assistance usually provided to refugees. "We should do everything in our power to help our Afghan allies get off to a strong start in their new homes," Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley said in a statement. The new legislation says Afghan asylum applications should be expedited. But those who leave U.S. bases early might not get all the legal orientation they need start their applications. One-way trip off base Immigration experts say Afghans who leave the bases are not breaking U.S. laws and military officials have no legal authority to hold law-abiding Afghans against their will at any of the eight locations hosting 53,000 Afghans who fled the Taliban on U.S. evacuation flights. The scale of the independent departures vary from base to base, according to the sources - more than 300 alone at Fort Bliss in Texas - a figure that is likely to alarm both advocates and critics of the massive U.S. resettlement operation. However, U.S. officials stress that all of the Afghans leaving U.S. bases had already undergone security screening before arriving in the United States. The risk of the independent departures is to the Afghans themselves. Reuters viewed a document, entitled "Departee Information," that is meant to warn Afghans considering leaving before completing their resettlement. It reminds them that, on base, they can get their immigration paperwork processed and even cash to help pay for travel to their destination in the United States. "Once you leave this base, you forfeit these advantages and may not return," it reads. Margaret Stock, an immigration lawyer with expertise in cases related to the military, said the warning was not ill-intentioned. "I think they`re trying to look out for people," she said. "The people managing the bases are rightfully concerned that somebody might not be fully aware of the consequences of wandering off." Afghans leaving U.S. bases can be a touchy issue in some parts of the country, particularly given media coverage of security incidents at Fort McCoy, in Wisconsin, and Fort Bliss. But General Glen VanHerck, head of Northern Command, pushed back on the idea that criminality was a problem on the U.S. bases. He told Pentagon reporters on Thursday that the numbers of incidents involving robbery and theft were substantially lower than in the general U.S. population, with only eight cases in six weeks. Asked what was the limiting factor in getting Afghans processed for resettlement, VanHerck said it was not vaccinations against measles or the coronavirus or security checks. Instead, it was efforts by U.S. officials to ensure "each of the Afghan guests have a great place to land and have assurances for where they`re going to relocate to." "So I understand that, right now, is the limiting factor on output," he said.

Exclusive-Some Afghan evacuees leaving military bases in U.S. before resettlement

For well over a year now, President Joe Biden’s vaunted negotiating style largely boiled down to this: I’m with you.

After he vanquished Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in the Democratic primary, he brought the liberal icon’s ardent supporters into the fold by embracing much of the senator’s platform even as he ran on unifying the country. When moderate Democrats came to call, he used the tones of centrism to assure them of his conciliatory bona fides.

But when Biden ventured to the Capitol on Friday to help House Democrats out of their thicket, he had to choose sides. He effectively chose the left.

“The way he is governing doesn’t reflect the skills I know he must have from his years as a legislator,” said Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., who had been one of the moderates demanding an immediate vote on a trillion-dollar infrastructure bill, convinced that was what the president wanted — or at least needed. She called Biden’s refusal to push harder for legislation he had embraced “disappointing and frustrating.”

“I’m not clear why he came up to the Hill,” she grumbled.

Since the president claimed his party’s nomination last year, he has nurtured the fragile peace between his party’s fractious center and left by convincing both sides he is their ally. Unified first by their shared disdain for former President Donald Trump, and then by Biden’s adoption of an expansive platform, the two factions remained in harmony into this year. They responded to the pandemic by passing a sweeping stimulus package in the spring.

Now the two factions are at loggerheads — one flexing its power but as yet empty-handed, the other feeling betrayed, both claiming they have the president on their side — and the outcome of their battle over Biden’s proposals could determine Democrats’ fate in the midterms and the success of his presidency.

That agenda consists of two sweeping domestic proposals resembling a modern Great Society: the “American Jobs Plan,” spending $1 trillion over 10 years on traditional infrastructure like roads, bridges and tunnels; and a bigger and more controversial “American Family Plan,” which the Democrats labeled “soft infrastructure,” including universal prekindergarten and community college, paid family and medical leave, child care and elder care support, and an expansion of Medicare.

But liberals feared that moderate Democrats would vote for the infrastructure bill, claim victory and peel away from the social policy measure, so they refused to support the smaller infrastructure bill until the larger social policy package had been passed.

Heading into last week, both the moderates and the progressives felt as if they had ironclad promises: the moderates, that a vote on infrastructure would happen before October; the liberals, that the bill, a crucial part of the president’s domestic agenda, was inextricably twinned with their higher priority, the more expansive measure addressing climate change and the frayed social safety net.

The liberals, however, used their larger numbers to blockade the infrastructure bill — and they said they did it for Biden. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., one of the left-wing leaders of the blockade, stood before reporters last week and said the blockaders were the ones “trying to make sure that the president has a success.”

“If we pass the infrastructure bill alone, we are not even accomplishing 10% of his agenda,” said Omar, the vote-counter in the Congressional Progressive Caucus, a bloc of Democrats nearly 100 strong, who showed their cohesion in last week’s showdown.

This enraged both the nine centrist lawmakers who had forced Speaker Nancy Pelosi to promise an infrastructure vote by the end of September, and a larger, quieter group of backbench House Democrats, many from swing districts, who were eager for the president to sign the public works bill and start trumpeting the funding for roads, bridges and broadband in their districts, at a time when Biden’s approval ratings were sagging.

“I don’t think it’s good for the Joe Biden administration, and I don’t think it’s good for Democrats,” said Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, suggesting that Biden was effectively siding with the left by not lobbying for passage of the infrastructure package.

In part, that anger stemmed from Biden’s go-along-to-get-along style.

“You got the feeling that Uncle Joe is for everybody, he likes everybody,” said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo.

Members of the moderate wing were explicit Friday, blaming the liberals but also insisting that they themselves were Biden’s true torch bearers. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., denounced a “small faction on the far left” that he said had employed “Freedom Caucus tactics” to “destroy the president’s agenda” — a reference to the hard-right faction of the House that bedeviled Republican leaders when they were in charge.

“We were elected to achieve reasonable, common-sense solutions for the American people — not to obstruct from the far wings,” Gottheimer fumed in a statement released late Friday night. “This far-left faction is willing to put the president’s entire agenda, including this historic bipartisan infrastructure package, at risk. They’ve put civility and bipartisan governing at risk.”

Given the range of the party’s suburbanites-to-socialists coalition, it may have been inevitable that Biden would eventually anger one wing of his party. What was striking, and perhaps equally surprising to both blocs, was that he alienated the moderates who had propelled him to the nomination while delighting the progressives who vociferously opposed him in the primary.

The president is not backing off the public works measure so treasured by the moderates.

But as he told House Democrats on Friday, he believes it’s “just reality” that the infrastructure legislation will not pass without assurances from two centrist senators, Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., that they will support the more wide-ranging bill.

Although, as Biden conceded in the Capitol, that will not happen until the more expansive bill is pared back to meet the two senators’ approval.

The decision to keep the fate of each bill tied to the other’s measure amounts to a gamble. Infrastructure was the bird in hand; it passed the Senate with bipartisan bonhomie in August with 69 votes.

Together, they are in trouble, which deepens with every new demand by Manchin and Sinema that pulls the social policy bill further from the liberals’ vision. If the two factions cannot agree on that measure, Biden might end up with nothing — a catastrophic blow for his party and its leader.

Delaying the infrastructure bill is not, as Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., put it, “the linear and expeditious path to which most of us would aspire.”

Phillips, a well-liked moderate who captured a Republican district in 2018, expressed hope earlier in the week that Biden could serve as a bridge between the party’s factions. But he acknowledged Friday that those chances had “been sadly diminished” in light of what he called the president’s “nothing-burger” of a visit to the Capitol.

Phillips said he thought both bills would still get done. But privately, other lawmakers from competitive seats were disconsolate that they would not be able to spend the remainder of this fall holding up evidence of bipartisan achievement in Washington.

Biden is eager to sign both bills. One of his aides Friday likened them to children he loves equally.

That has not, though, stopped both factions of the party from claiming that they are the ones seeking to assure passage of his agenda.

The result is quite a turnabout.

“We are fighting for the Build Back Better agenda,” said Omar, employing Biden’s preferred slogan — which would have been shocking at this time two years ago, when she rallied early to Sanders’ candidacy.

Throughout 2019 and in the first months of 2020, Biden was an object of scorn from the left. He was too old, too moderate and an obviously bad fit for an increasingly young, diverse and progressive party, they said, often mocking him in harsh terms.

Biden believed liberals were the ones out of step with the Democratic center of gravity. And he effectively proved it by assembling a multiracial coalition that was animated by defeating Trump more than by any bold policy agenda.

Yet because his primary had largely centered on ousting Trump and unifying the country, he had little in the way of firm policy plans. And in making peace with progressives after he secured the nomination, he adopted a number of their ideas.

That has allowed left-wing Democrats to say, with wide smiles, that they are only trying to fulfill Biden’s vision. The question now is whether his attempt to pass both bills will pay off — or if his decision to not push for quick passage of the infrastructure bill will leave him with a protracted standoff or nothing at all.

What is certain, however, is that after Biden’s all-things-to-all-people campaign, he has committed himself to many of the policies that his liberal critics were skeptical he would embrace.

“For all of the progressives who kept telling me there was no difference between Joe Biden and Mike Bloomberg,” said Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., an early Biden supporter, “where Biden has come down in this internal debate shows how absurd that claim always was.”

For well over a year now, President Joe Biden’s vaunted negotiating style largely boiled down to this: I’m with you. After he vanquished Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

For well over a year now, President Joe Biden’s vaunted negotiating style largely boiled down to this: I’m with you. After he vanquished Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in the Democratic primary, he brought the liberal icon’s ardent supporters into the fold by embracing much of the senator’s platform even as he ran on unifying the country. When moderate Democrats came to call, he used the tones of centrism to assure them of his conciliatory bona fides. But when Biden ventured to the Capitol on Friday to help House Democrats out of their thicket, he had to choose sides. He effectively chose the left. “The way he is governing doesn’t reflect the skills I know he must have from his years as a legislator,” said Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., who had been one of the moderates demanding an immediate vote on a trillion-dollar infrastructure bill, convinced that was what the president wanted — or at least needed. She called Biden’s refusal to push harder for legislation he had embraced “disappointing and frustrating.” “I’m not clear why he came up to the Hill,” she grumbled. Since the president claimed his party’s nomination last year, he has nurtured the fragile peace between his party’s fractious center and left by convincing both sides he is their ally. Unified first by their shared disdain for former President Donald Trump, and then by Biden’s adoption of an expansive platform, the two factions remained in harmony into this year. They responded to the pandemic by passing a sweeping stimulus package in the spring. Now the two factions are at loggerheads — one flexing its power but as yet empty-handed, the other feeling betrayed, both claiming they have the president on their side — and the outcome of their battle over Biden’s proposals could determine Democrats’ fate in the midterms and the success of his presidency. That agenda consists of two sweeping domestic proposals resembling a modern Great Society: the “American Jobs Plan,” spending $1 trillion over 10 years on traditional infrastructure like roads, bridges and tunnels; and a bigger and more controversial “American Family Plan,” which the Democrats labeled “soft infrastructure,” including universal prekindergarten and community college, paid family and medical leave, child care and elder care support, and an expansion of Medicare. But liberals feared that moderate Democrats would vote for the infrastructure bill, claim victory and peel away from the social policy measure, so they refused to support the smaller infrastructure bill until the larger social policy package had been passed. Heading into last week, both the moderates and the progressives felt as if they had ironclad promises: the moderates, that a vote on infrastructure would happen before October; the liberals, that the bill, a crucial part of the president’s domestic agenda, was inextricably twinned with their higher priority, the more expansive measure addressing climate change and the frayed social safety net. The liberals, however, used their larger numbers to blockade the infrastructure bill — and they said they did it for Biden. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., one of the left-wing leaders of the blockade, stood before reporters last week and said the blockaders were the ones “trying to make sure that the president has a success.” “If we pass the infrastructure bill alone, we are not even accomplishing 10% of his agenda,” said Omar, the vote-counter in the Congressional Progressive Caucus, a bloc of Democrats nearly 100 strong, who showed their cohesion in last week’s showdown. This enraged both the nine centrist lawmakers who had forced Speaker Nancy Pelosi to promise an infrastructure vote by the end of September, and a larger, quieter group of backbench House Democrats, many from swing districts, who were eager for the president to sign the public works bill and start trumpeting the funding for roads, bridges and broadband in their districts, at a time when Biden’s approval ratings were sagging. “I don’t think it’s good for the Joe Biden administration, and I don’t think it’s good for Democrats,” said Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, suggesting that Biden was effectively siding with the left by not lobbying for passage of the infrastructure package. In part, that anger stemmed from Biden’s go-along-to-get-along style. “You got the feeling that Uncle Joe is for everybody, he likes everybody,” said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo. Members of the moderate wing were explicit Friday, blaming the liberals but also insisting that they themselves were Biden’s true torch bearers. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., denounced a “small faction on the far left” that he said had employed “Freedom Caucus tactics” to “destroy the president’s agenda” — a reference to the hard-right faction of the House that bedeviled Republican leaders when they were in charge. “We were elected to achieve reasonable, common-sense solutions for the American people — not to obstruct from the far wings,” Gottheimer fumed in a statement released late Friday night. “This far-left faction is willing to put the president’s entire agenda, including this historic bipartisan infrastructure package, at risk. They’ve put civility and bipartisan governing at risk.” Given the range of the party’s suburbanites-to-socialists coalition, it may have been inevitable that Biden would eventually anger one wing of his party. What was striking, and perhaps equally surprising to both blocs, was that he alienated the moderates who had propelled him to the nomination while delighting the progressives who vociferously opposed him in the primary. The president is not backing off the public works measure so treasured by the moderates. But as he told House Democrats on Friday, he believes it’s “just reality” that the infrastructure legislation will not pass without assurances from two centrist senators, Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., that they will support the more wide-ranging bill. Although, as Biden conceded in the Capitol, that will not happen until the more expansive bill is pared back to meet the two senators’ approval. The decision to keep the fate of each bill tied to the other’s measure amounts to a gamble. Infrastructure was the bird in hand; it passed the Senate with bipartisan bonhomie in August with 69 votes. Together, they are in trouble, which deepens with every new demand by Manchin and Sinema that pulls the social policy bill further from the liberals’ vision. If the two factions cannot agree on that measure, Biden might end up with nothing — a catastrophic blow for his party and its leader. Delaying the infrastructure bill is not, as Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., put it, “the linear and expeditious path to which most of us would aspire.” Phillips, a well-liked moderate who captured a Republican district in 2018, expressed hope earlier in the week that Biden could serve as a bridge between the party’s factions. But he acknowledged Friday that those chances had “been sadly diminished” in light of what he called the president’s “nothing-burger” of a visit to the Capitol. Phillips said he thought both bills would still get done. But privately, other lawmakers from competitive seats were disconsolate that they would not be able to spend the remainder of this fall holding up evidence of bipartisan achievement in Washington. Biden is eager to sign both bills. One of his aides Friday likened them to children he loves equally. That has not, though, stopped both factions of the party from claiming that they are the ones seeking to assure passage of his agenda. The result is quite a turnabout. “We are fighting for the Build Back Better agenda,” said Omar, employing Biden’s preferred slogan — which would have been shocking at this time two years ago, when she rallied early to Sanders’ candidacy. Throughout 2019 and in the first months of 2020, Biden was an object of scorn from the left. He was too old, too moderate and an obviously bad fit for an increasingly young, diverse and progressive party, they said, often mocking him in harsh terms. Biden believed liberals were the ones out of step with the Democratic center of gravity. And he effectively proved it by assembling a multiracial coalition that was animated by defeating Trump more than by any bold policy agenda. Yet because his primary had largely centered on ousting Trump and unifying the country, he had little in the way of firm policy plans. And in making peace with progressives after he secured the nomination, he adopted a number of their ideas. That has allowed left-wing Democrats to say, with wide smiles, that they are only trying to fulfill Biden’s vision. The question now is whether his attempt to pass both bills will pay off — or if his decision to not push for quick passage of the infrastructure bill will leave him with a protracted standoff or nothing at all. What is certain, however, is that after Biden’s all-things-to-all-people campaign, he has committed himself to many of the policies that his liberal critics were skeptical he would embrace. “For all of the progressives who kept telling me there was no difference between Joe Biden and Mike Bloomberg,” said Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., an early Biden supporter, “where Biden has come down in this internal debate shows how absurd that claim always was.”

Biden throws in with Left, leaving his agenda in doubt

There was one bed coming available in the intensive care unit in Alaska’s largest hospital.

It was the middle of the night, and the hospital, Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, had been hit with a deluge of coronavirus patients. Doctors now had a choice to make: Several more patients at the hospital, most of them with COVID-19, were in line to take that last ICU spot. But there was also someone from one of the state’s isolated rural communities who needed to be flown in for emergency surgery.

Who should get the final bed?

Dr&nbsp;​​Steven Floerchinger gathered with his colleagues for an agonising discussion. They had a better chance of saving one of the patients in the emergency room, they determined. The other person would have to wait.

That patient died.

“This is gut-wrenching, and I never thought I’d see it,” said Floerchinger, who has been in practice for 30 years. “We are taxed to a point of making decisions of who will and who will not live.”

Since that night, more grim choices have had to be made as Alaska confronts what is currently the nation’s worst coronavirus outbreak. Nearly two years after the virus began circulating in the United States, some of the scenes here on the country’s northern frontier echo the darkest early days of the pandemic: testing supplies are depleted, patients are being treated in hallways and doctors are rationing oxygen. With emergency rooms overwhelmed, the governor has asked hundreds of medical workers to fly in from around the country to help.

Through much of the pandemic, Alaska’s natural isolation had shielded the state, with the early months defined by strict testing protocols for people arriving from the outside. Many villages locked down. When vaccines arrived, there was a legion of planes, ferries and sleds to bring doses to far-flung communities. The state has maintained some of the lowest death numbers in the country.

But with some pockets of the state wary of taking vaccines — only about half the state’s residents are fully vaccinated — and Gov. Mike Dunleavy resisting restrictions to curtail the virus, the state’s isolation has become a growing liability as the delta variant sweeps through. The state’s surge has continued even as the virus has receded nationwide, with new daily cases down by about one-third and hospitalisations by about one-quarter since Sept. 1.

Much of the nation’s hospital system has been stressed, but overloaded facilities in the lower 48 states have had more flexibility to transfer patients to neighboring cities or other states. In Anchorage, most of the help is 1,500 miles away in Seattle, and hospitals in the Pacific Northwest have been challenged by their own disastrous virus outbreak.

“When your hospitals are full, you can’t just put them into an ambulance and take them to another town,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski said of Alaskan patients in a floor speech to Congress on Friday. She described her own trip to an emergency room in Fairbanks, where a loved one needed help for a non-COVID problem. They were told that critical care beds were full and that they might have to fly to Seattle.

Doctors and nurses have started speaking out in meetings, urging the public to take the virus more seriously, but they have repeatedly encountered hostility.

When the Anchorage Assembly considered a mask mandate last week, some of the doctors who came to speak were jeered at. “Do you use ivermectin?” someone in the crowd shouted, referring to a deworming medicine that has been touted as a COVID-19 treatment on social media even as the Food and Drug Administration has warned people against taking it.

As a group of doctors left the meeting, one person followed them outside, heckling. “You guys have sold out and are liars,” he shouted. Others outside holding signs — “Liberty or Tyranny,” one of them said — also mocked the physicians.

Dr. Leslie Gonsette, an internal medicine hospitalist who often works at Providence Alaska Medical Center, said some of her colleagues had debated whether to even go to the meeting.

“There was an element of caution and worry for our safety,” she said. But in the end, she added, they concluded they had an obligation to tell people about the calamitous scenes playing out at hospitals.

At another meeting of the Assembly the following night, one person was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct and found to be carrying a concealed weapon. Many people in the audience wore a yellow Star of David, likening the proposed mask mandate to the Holocaust, which led other speakers to express outrage. Mayor Dave Bronson, who has vigorously opposed a mask mandate, argued that it was appropriate to “borrow” the symbol and then later apologised for his remarks.

The debate was scheduled to resume for a fourth day Monday.

Doctors at Providence, which has now put into place “crisis standards of care” that provide legal clearance for the challenging process of rationing health care, said the process had been traumatic. They have been consulting an ethicist and a triage team. Few have experience navigating such difficult ethical terrain.

The patient who died after being denied emergency surgery was not the only one to undergo a triage choice. In one case, two patients needed continuous dialysis but only one machine was available. Doctors placed one patient on the machine and then switched it to the other. The first patient then died.

Patients with COVID-19, which often results in serious damage to kidneys, have often monopolised dialysis resources, doctors said. When there were not enough machines available at Providence, everyone on dialysis was a COVID-19 patient.

In another case, described by the hospital’s chief medical officer, Dr. Michael Bernstein, a patient with both COVID-19 and extensive cancer was on the verge of needing a ventilator. But with so many patients needing such intense care, that patient was not given life support, and died.

The “crisis standards of care” generally are intended to prioritise the patients most likely to survive. Many states have discussed and approved crisis care guidelines during the pandemic, but few have formally carried them out statewide. Alaska has done so.

Bernstein said that the triage team had to make rationing decisions in about 10 cases, and that the hospital had also been forced to postpone care in other ways. Twenty-nine cardiac patients have had operations postponed, and the hospital has refused to accept transfer requests for 21 patients.

“This morning, the ICU was completely full, and we had four patients in the emergency room that needed intensive care,” he saids

The struggle is spreading beyond Anchorage. On Wednesday, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation in Bethel announced that it, too, had turned to crisis standards of care. “We are now in a position of making these difficult decisions on a daily basis,” the hospital’s chief of staff, Dr. Ellen Hodges, said.

On Saturday, the state said it had activated crisis standards for 20 health care facilities, covering larger cities such as Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau, along with smaller ones such as Cordova, Dillingham and Kotzebue.

At the Providence hospital in Valdez, high-need patients who would otherwise transfer to Anchorage are staying put, and there is so much demand for oxygen that the hospital has had to limit the amount each person receives. While patients would normally be kept at oxygen saturation levels of 93%, that has now dropped to 90%.

Dr. Anne Zink is Alaska’s chief medical officer, helping lead the state’s pandemic response, but she also works as a physician in the emergency room at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, northeast of Anchorage, a region with some of the state’s lowest vaccination rates and highest hospitalization rates.

Zink said she had been examining patients in the waiting room and caring for them in hallways. One day, with not even stretchers available, she found herself sitting on the floor to stitch a foot laceration.

“Our goal has always been to avoid having systems overwhelmed,” Zink said. “And right now we have systems overwhelmed.”

Dunleavy has avoided ordering a statewide mask mandate or other restrictions during the latest surge, saying such requirements should be decided locally in a vast state where some communities have had few or no cases. A draft statewide mask mandate had been drawn up early in the pandemic, Zink said, but it was never put into place.

With each COVID-19 patient, Zink said, she wonders if there was more she could have done, something she could have said, to convince more people to get vaccinated or take precautions.

She became a household name at the start of the pandemic, when she gave video briefings to the public from a heated yurt behind her family’s home. In many corners of the state, she has been widely praised. On a recent day, while talking with a reporter at an Anchorage park, a couple walking their dog recognised Zink and waved. “We are fans,” the man called out.

But Zink is spending time trying to reach people who are not fans. She has been appearing on conservative talk radio, answering questions and trying to ease fears about the vaccines.

While some people have made up their minds, Zink said, she still regularly finds others making the decision to get vaccinated. A state survey, she said, found that 60% of unvaccinated people are open to it. In trying to encourage people to consider vaccines, she often uses references to moose hunting and berry foraging and all the ways that Alaskans are used to taking care of themselves.

“Just like when we go out in a storm, we layer up,” she said.

“We do multiple things together: We change our snow tires and we wear a jacket and we wear a hat,” she said. “So make sure you’re vaccinated and wear a mask and keep your distance. We know how to do this.”

There was one bed coming available in the intensive care unit in Alaska’s largest hospital. It was the middle of the night, and the hospital, Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, had been hit with a deluge of coronavirus patients.

There was one bed coming available in the intensive care unit in Alaska’s largest hospital. It was the middle of the night, and the hospital, Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage, had been hit with a deluge of coronavirus patients. Doctors now had a choice to make: Several more patients at the hospital, most of them with COVID-19, were in line to take that last ICU spot. But there was also someone from one of the state’s isolated rural communities who needed to be flown in for emergency surgery. Who should get the final bed? Dr Steven Floerchinger gathered with his colleagues for an agonising discussion. They had a better chance of saving one of the patients in the emergency room, they determined. The other person would have to wait. That patient died. “This is gut-wrenching, and I never thought I’d see it,” said Floerchinger, who has been in practice for 30 years. “We are taxed to a point of making decisions of who will and who will not live.” Since that night, more grim choices have had to be made as Alaska confronts what is currently the nation’s worst coronavirus outbreak. Nearly two years after the virus began circulating in the United States, some of the scenes here on the country’s northern frontier echo the darkest early days of the pandemic: testing supplies are depleted, patients are being treated in hallways and doctors are rationing oxygen. With emergency rooms overwhelmed, the governor has asked hundreds of medical workers to fly in from around the country to help. Through much of the pandemic, Alaska’s natural isolation had shielded the state, with the early months defined by strict testing protocols for people arriving from the outside. Many villages locked down. When vaccines arrived, there was a legion of planes, ferries and sleds to bring doses to far-flung communities. The state has maintained some of the lowest death numbers in the country. But with some pockets of the state wary of taking vaccines — only about half the state’s residents are fully vaccinated — and Gov. Mike Dunleavy resisting restrictions to curtail the virus, the state’s isolation has become a growing liability as the delta variant sweeps through. The state’s surge has continued even as the virus has receded nationwide, with new daily cases down by about one-third and hospitalisations by about one-quarter since Sept. 1. Much of the nation’s hospital system has been stressed, but overloaded facilities in the lower 48 states have had more flexibility to transfer patients to neighboring cities or other states. In Anchorage, most of the help is 1,500 miles away in Seattle, and hospitals in the Pacific Northwest have been challenged by their own disastrous virus outbreak. “When your hospitals are full, you can’t just put them into an ambulance and take them to another town,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski said of Alaskan patients in a floor speech to Congress on Friday. She described her own trip to an emergency room in Fairbanks, where a loved one needed help for a non-COVID problem. They were told that critical care beds were full and that they might have to fly to Seattle. Doctors and nurses have started speaking out in meetings, urging the public to take the virus more seriously, but they have repeatedly encountered hostility. When the Anchorage Assembly considered a mask mandate last week, some of the doctors who came to speak were jeered at. “Do you use ivermectin?” someone in the crowd shouted, referring to a deworming medicine that has been touted as a COVID-19 treatment on social media even as the Food and Drug Administration has warned people against taking it. As a group of doctors left the meeting, one person followed them outside, heckling. “You guys have sold out and are liars,” he shouted. Others outside holding signs — “Liberty or Tyranny,” one of them said — also mocked the physicians. Dr. Leslie Gonsette, an internal medicine hospitalist who often works at Providence Alaska Medical Center, said some of her colleagues had debated whether to even go to the meeting. “There was an element of caution and worry for our safety,” she said. But in the end, she added, they concluded they had an obligation to tell people about the calamitous scenes playing out at hospitals. At another meeting of the Assembly the following night, one person was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct and found to be carrying a concealed weapon. Many people in the audience wore a yellow Star of David, likening the proposed mask mandate to the Holocaust, which led other speakers to express outrage. Mayor Dave Bronson, who has vigorously opposed a mask mandate, argued that it was appropriate to “borrow” the symbol and then later apologised for his remarks. The debate was scheduled to resume for a fourth day Monday. Doctors at Providence, which has now put into place “crisis standards of care” that provide legal clearance for the challenging process of rationing health care, said the process had been traumatic. They have been consulting an ethicist and a triage team. Few have experience navigating such difficult ethical terrain. The patient who died after being denied emergency surgery was not the only one to undergo a triage choice. In one case, two patients needed continuous dialysis but only one machine was available. Doctors placed one patient on the machine and then switched it to the other. The first patient then died. Patients with COVID-19, which often results in serious damage to kidneys, have often monopolised dialysis resources, doctors said. When there were not enough machines available at Providence, everyone on dialysis was a COVID-19 patient. In another case, described by the hospital’s chief medical officer, Dr. Michael Bernstein, a patient with both COVID-19 and extensive cancer was on the verge of needing a ventilator. But with so many patients needing such intense care, that patient was not given life support, and died. The “crisis standards of care” generally are intended to prioritise the patients most likely to survive. Many states have discussed and approved crisis care guidelines during the pandemic, but few have formally carried them out statewide. Alaska has done so. Bernstein said that the triage team had to make rationing decisions in about 10 cases, and that the hospital had also been forced to postpone care in other ways. Twenty-nine cardiac patients have had operations postponed, and the hospital has refused to accept transfer requests for 21 patients. “This morning, the ICU was completely full, and we had four patients in the emergency room that needed intensive care,” he saids The struggle is spreading beyond Anchorage. On Wednesday, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation in Bethel announced that it, too, had turned to crisis standards of care. “We are now in a position of making these difficult decisions on a daily basis,” the hospital’s chief of staff, Dr. Ellen Hodges, said. On Saturday, the state said it had activated crisis standards for 20 health care facilities, covering larger cities such as Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau, along with smaller ones such as Cordova, Dillingham and Kotzebue. At the Providence hospital in Valdez, high-need patients who would otherwise transfer to Anchorage are staying put, and there is so much demand for oxygen that the hospital has had to limit the amount each person receives. While patients would normally be kept at oxygen saturation levels of 93%, that has now dropped to 90%. Dr. Anne Zink is Alaska’s chief medical officer, helping lead the state’s pandemic response, but she also works as a physician in the emergency room at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, northeast of Anchorage, a region with some of the state’s lowest vaccination rates and highest hospitalization rates. Zink said she had been examining patients in the waiting room and caring for them in hallways. One day, with not even stretchers available, she found herself sitting on the floor to stitch a foot laceration. “Our goal has always been to avoid having systems overwhelmed,” Zink said. “And right now we have systems overwhelmed.” Dunleavy has avoided ordering a statewide mask mandate or other restrictions during the latest surge, saying such requirements should be decided locally in a vast state where some communities have had few or no cases. A draft statewide mask mandate had been drawn up early in the pandemic, Zink said, but it was never put into place. With each COVID-19 patient, Zink said, she wonders if there was more she could have done, something she could have said, to convince more people to get vaccinated or take precautions. She became a household name at the start of the pandemic, when she gave video briefings to the public from a heated yurt behind her family’s home. In many corners of the state, she has been widely praised. On a recent day, while talking with a reporter at an Anchorage park, a couple walking their dog recognised Zink and waved. “We are fans,” the man called out. But Zink is spending time trying to reach people who are not fans. She has been appearing on conservative talk radio, answering questions and trying to ease fears about the vaccines. While some people have made up their minds, Zink said, she still regularly finds others making the decision to get vaccinated. A state survey, she said, found that 60% of unvaccinated people are open to it. In trying to encourage people to consider vaccines, she often uses references to moose hunting and berry foraging and all the ways that Alaskans are used to taking care of themselves. “Just like when we go out in a storm, we layer up,” she said. “We do multiple things together: We change our snow tires and we wear a jacket and we wear a hat,” she said. “So make sure you’re vaccinated and wear a mask and keep your distance. We know how to do this.”

In Alaska’s COVID Crisis, Doctors Must Decide Who Lives and Who Dies

After his small Manhattan food stand lost its customers during the coronavirus pandemic, Abdul Rahman -- an Afghan vendor who arrived in New York in 1992 -- has resumed service, albeit at a fraction of former business since offices are still far from full.

Rahman and the thousands of street vendors like him, emblematic of New York's sidewalks, were hoping things would finally go back to normal in September.

But that's far from the case: "The business is like, 20, 30 per cent (less) than before the pandemic," Rahman, 44, told AFP, standing in front of a display case of doughnuts and other pastries. On the counter is a jug of coffee, which he says he has trouble emptying.

With a wave of his arm, he points to where customers used to form long lines in front of his mobile stand.

Like yellow taxis, the metal food carts -- stocked with coffee, muffins, bananas and hard boiled eggs -- are part of New York's cityscape.

An estimated 20,000 vendors are on the streets of the Big Apple, and many of them are immigrants who have no other way of earning money.

A city hall permit is clearly visible on Rahman's cart, as is a photo of his three children, all born in the United States.

It has been 20 years since Rahman arrived in New York to escape the war back home in Afghanistan.&nbsp;

He set up shop on the sidewalk of Whitehall Street, in the south of Manhattan. It is a good location, at the foot of office buildings, near a subway exit and not far from the docks where ferries full of tourists leave and return for the Statue of Liberty, as well as boats transporting workers from Staten Island.

- 'Better than nothing' -

Some customers are loyal, such as Mike Reyes, a maintenance worker, who says he comes every morning.

"We need affordable (things) like donuts, coffee, because I do know in the city it's very expensive," he explained. "To me, they are really essential."

But tourists are still few and far between as a result of the Delta variant, so "people work mostly from home," said Rahman.

According to a survey conducted by the Partnership for New York City organization, only 23 per cent of the one million office workers in Manhattan had returned to their offices by August, and employers were anticipating a rate of 41 per cent by the end of September -&nbsp;well below the two-thirds expected in May.

With a baseball cap on his head and black mask over his nose and mouth, Rahman hopes things will go back to normal in October&nbsp;or maybe January.

"I don't know what's going on in the future," he said worriedly, noting that he relies on his wife's salary as a teacher to support the family.

For the time being, after 15 months of inactivity due to the pandemic, during which he was able to receive public aid, he prefers to go to work.&nbsp;

In order to get into the city from his home in Nassau County in eastern Long Island he has to get up at 2:30 am, Monday through Friday.&nbsp;

"It's better than nothing," he said, although the times of earning $800-900 in a good week are a distant memory.

"If I stay home, (there's) more pressure on me, and what should you do at home?" he said.

After 20 years on the job, Rahman is thinking of switching to another line of work. His wife tried to find him a job as a school bus driver, but it was only part-time.

Besides, "I know all the people here," he said. "It's almost 21 years, it looks like a life here."

After his small Manhattan food stand lost its customers during the coronavirus pandemic, Abdul Rahman -- an Afghan vendor who arrived in New York in 1992 -- has resumed service, albeit at a fraction of former business since offices are still far from full.

After his small Manhattan food stand lost its customers during the coronavirus pandemic, Abdul Rahman -- an Afghan vendor who arrived in New York in 1992 -- has resumed service, albeit at a fraction of former business since offices are still far from full. Rahman and the thousands of street vendors like him, emblematic of New York's sidewalks, were hoping things would finally go back to normal in September. But that's far from the case: "The business is like, 20, 30 per cent (less) than before the pandemic," Rahman, 44, told AFP, standing in front of a display case of doughnuts and other pastries. On the counter is a jug of coffee, which he says he has trouble emptying. With a wave of his arm, he points to where customers used to form long lines in front of his mobile stand. Like yellow taxis, the metal food carts -- stocked with coffee, muffins, bananas and hard boiled eggs -- are part of New York's cityscape. An estimated 20,000 vendors are on the streets of the Big Apple, and many of them are immigrants who have no other way of earning money. A city hall permit is clearly visible on Rahman's cart, as is a photo of his three children, all born in the United States. It has been 20 years since Rahman arrived in New York to escape the war back home in Afghanistan. He set up shop on the sidewalk of Whitehall Street, in the south of Manhattan. It is a good location, at the foot of office buildings, near a subway exit and not far from the docks where ferries full of tourists leave and return for the Statue of Liberty, as well as boats transporting workers from Staten Island. - 'Better than nothing' - Some customers are loyal, such as Mike Reyes, a maintenance worker, who says he comes every morning. "We need affordable (things) like donuts, coffee, because I do know in the city it's very expensive," he explained. "To me, they are really essential." But tourists are still few and far between as a result of the Delta variant, so "people work mostly from home," said Rahman. According to a survey conducted by the Partnership for New York City organization, only 23 per cent of the one million office workers in Manhattan had returned to their offices by August, and employers were anticipating a rate of 41 per cent by the end of September - well below the two-thirds expected in May. With a baseball cap on his head and black mask over his nose and mouth, Rahman hopes things will go back to normal in October or maybe January. "I don't know what's going on in the future," he said worriedly, noting that he relies on his wife's salary as a teacher to support the family. For the time being, after 15 months of inactivity due to the pandemic, during which he was able to receive public aid, he prefers to go to work. In order to get into the city from his home in Nassau County in eastern Long Island he has to get up at 2:30 am, Monday through Friday. "It's better than nothing," he said, although the times of earning $800-900 in a good week are a distant memory. "If I stay home, (there's) more pressure on me, and what should you do at home?" he said. After 20 years on the job, Rahman is thinking of switching to another line of work. His wife tried to find him a job as a school bus driver, but it was only part-time. Besides, "I know all the people here," he said. "It's almost 21 years, it looks like a life here."

New York's street vendors still waiting for pandemic recovery

As wealthy countries across the globe begin their vaccine booster campaigns there is glaring vaccine inequity that needs to be addressed. Only around 2 per cent of the people in low income countries have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Glaring vaccine inequity hits low income countries

Pak PM Imran Khan is advocating for global recognition for Taliban govt. Speaking to a Turkish news channel, he said that the US is in a state of 'shock and confusion' after the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan and said that sooner or later they will have to recognise the Taliban.

Pak PM Imran Khan advocates for global recognition for Taliban

A Canadian jihadist who fought for the Islamic State group and narrated violent propaganda videos has been taken into custody by the United States and charged, the Justice Department said Saturday.

Mohammed Khalifa, who was born in Saudi Arabia, was captured during a firefight in January 2019 by Kurdish-dominated Syrian forces allied with the United States.

The 38-year-old was handed over "recently" to US authorities and charged in Virginia with conspiring to provide material support to IS resulting in death, says a Justice Department statement.

Khalifa left Canada in 2013 to join the Islamic State group in Syria, and by the next year had become a key member of its propaganda team because of his fluent English and Arabic, according to the statement.

He allegedly served as a lead translator in Islamic State propaganda production and as the English-speaking narrator on two violent recruitment videos.

The cell was behind videos showing the beheadings of foreigners including the US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, who died in 2014.

He faces a possible life sentence in the United States. Canada additionally hopes to charge him, according to media there.

The Canadian government said it was in contact with local authorities on the matter and that its federal police were aware "that he will be facing charges" in the United States.

In an exchange of emails cited in the charge sheet, Khalifa defended the IS killings he was associated with.

"Mohammed Khalifa not only fought for ISIS on the battlefield in Syria, but he was also the voice behind the violence," said Acting US attorney Raj Parekh for the Eastern District of Virginia, using another acronym for the Islamic State group.

According to the indictment, Khalifa's "primary focus" was "enticing ISIS supporters to travel to ISIS-controlled areas to join ISIS or to conduct attacks in the West, including in the United States."

The jihadist group, classified as a terrorist organization by US authorities, is responsible for a wave of deadly attacks in Western countries.

Its emergence prompted intervention by a US-led international military coalition, which succeeded in defeating the self-proclaimed "caliphate" even though IS is still present in many additional countries, particularly in Africa and Asia, and continues to pose a threat according to US and European intelligence services.

- 'Glorified' murders, cruelty -

In a 2019 interview with Canada's CBC from his Syrian prison, Khalifa showed no regret for his actions. He said he wanted to return to Canada with his wife and their three children, but on the condition that he would not be tried there.

"Through his alleged leading role in translating, narrating, and advancing ISIS's online propaganda, Khalifa promoted the terrorist group, furthered its worldwide recruitment efforts, and expanded the reach of videos that glorified the horrific murders and indiscriminate cruelty of ISIS," Parekh said.

This is the first known indictment of a foreign IS fighter in America since President Joe Biden took power in January.

Two members of the notorious Islamic State kidnapping cell dubbed the "Beatles," Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, are currently in the hands of US authorities after being transferred to the United States from Iraq nearly a year ago.

The pair are accused of involvement in the murders of Foley and Sotloff, as well as those of relief workers Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller.

Kotey, a former British national who was stripped of his citizenship, pleaded guilty in early September to charges of conspiring to murder the four American hostages.

A Canadian jihadist who fought for the Islamic State group and narrated violent propaganda videos has been taken into custody by the United States and charged, the Justice Department said Saturday.

A Canadian jihadist who fought for the Islamic State group and narrated violent propaganda videos has been taken into custody by the United States and charged, the Justice Department said Saturday. Mohammed Khalifa, who was born in Saudi Arabia, was captured during a firefight in January 2019 by Kurdish-dominated Syrian forces allied with the United States. The 38-year-old was handed over "recently" to US authorities and charged in Virginia with conspiring to provide material support to IS resulting in death, says a Justice Department statement. Khalifa left Canada in 2013 to join the Islamic State group in Syria, and by the next year had become a key member of its propaganda team because of his fluent English and Arabic, according to the statement. He allegedly served as a lead translator in Islamic State propaganda production and as the English-speaking narrator on two violent recruitment videos. The cell was behind videos showing the beheadings of foreigners including the US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, who died in 2014. He faces a possible life sentence in the United States. Canada additionally hopes to charge him, according to media there. The Canadian government said it was in contact with local authorities on the matter and that its federal police were aware "that he will be facing charges" in the United States. In an exchange of emails cited in the charge sheet, Khalifa defended the IS killings he was associated with. "Mohammed Khalifa not only fought for ISIS on the battlefield in Syria, but he was also the voice behind the violence," said Acting US attorney Raj Parekh for the Eastern District of Virginia, using another acronym for the Islamic State group. According to the indictment, Khalifa's "primary focus" was "enticing ISIS supporters to travel to ISIS-controlled areas to join ISIS or to conduct attacks in the West, including in the United States." The jihadist group, classified as a terrorist organization by US authorities, is responsible for a wave of deadly attacks in Western countries. Its emergence prompted intervention by a US-led international military coalition, which succeeded in defeating the self-proclaimed "caliphate" even though IS is still present in many additional countries, particularly in Africa and Asia, and continues to pose a threat according to US and European intelligence services. - 'Glorified' murders, cruelty - In a 2019 interview with Canada's CBC from his Syrian prison, Khalifa showed no regret for his actions. He said he wanted to return to Canada with his wife and their three children, but on the condition that he would not be tried there. "Through his alleged leading role in translating, narrating, and advancing ISIS's online propaganda, Khalifa promoted the terrorist group, furthered its worldwide recruitment efforts, and expanded the reach of videos that glorified the horrific murders and indiscriminate cruelty of ISIS," Parekh said. This is the first known indictment of a foreign IS fighter in America since President Joe Biden took power in January. Two members of the notorious Islamic State kidnapping cell dubbed the "Beatles," Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, are currently in the hands of US authorities after being transferred to the United States from Iraq nearly a year ago. The pair are accused of involvement in the murders of Foley and Sotloff, as well as those of relief workers Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller. Kotey, a former British national who was stripped of his citizenship, pleaded guilty in early September to charges of conspiring to murder the four American hostages.

US charges Canadian who narrated Islamic State videos

After the publication of a report raising questions about involvement of UK in US attacks, campaigners have called on ministers to explain whether the secretive Menwith Hill intelligence base in Yorkshire is involved in recent drone strike assassinations. The research concludes it “was probable” that Iranian general Qassem Suleimani was killed in January last year using information obtained from the British site.

Report says Iranian general Qassem Suleimani killed using information obtained from British site

The US military on Friday named the senior al Qaeda commander killed in an airstrike in the Idlib region of northwest Syria on September 20 as Salim Abu-Ahmad.

The drone strike targeted a vehicle on the road from Idlib city to Binnish, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which said two jihadist commanders died.

US Central Command acknowledged killing an al Qaeda official at the time, but did not name him.

In a statement on Friday, Centcom spokesman John Rigsbee said Salim Abu-Ahmad "was responsible for planning, funding, and approving trans-regional Al-Qaeda attacks."

"There are no indications of civilian casualties as a result of the strike," the statement added.

The Idlib region is dominated by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, but rebels and other jihadists are also present.

Jihadist factions have been the target of Syrian, Russian, US and international coalition strikes in the past. 
&nbsp;

The US military on Friday named the senior al Qaeda commander killed in an airstrike in the Idlib region of northwest Syria on September 20 as Salim Abu-Ahmad. The drone strike targeted a vehicle on the road from Idlib city to Binnish, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which said two jihadist commanders died.

The US military on Friday named the senior al Qaeda commander killed in an airstrike in the Idlib region of northwest Syria on September 20 as Salim Abu-Ahmad. The drone strike targeted a vehicle on the road from Idlib city to Binnish, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which said two jihadist commanders died. US Central Command acknowledged killing an al Qaeda official at the time, but did not name him. In a statement on Friday, Centcom spokesman John Rigsbee said Salim Abu-Ahmad "was responsible for planning, funding, and approving trans-regional Al-Qaeda attacks." "There are no indications of civilian casualties as a result of the strike," the statement added. The Idlib region is dominated by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, but rebels and other jihadists are also present. Jihadist factions have been the target of Syrian, Russian, US and international coalition strikes in the past.

US names al Qaeda commander killed in Syria

The United States continues with its war on terror, the country's military had conducted an airstrike near the Idlib province targeting a senior leader of al Qaeda.

Senior Al Qaeda leader Salim Abu-Ahmad killed in US strike in Syria

The United States will have to recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan "sooner or later", said Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan. &nbsp;

In an interview with TRT World, the Pakistan PM said, "They [US] are trying to find scapegoats and one of them is Pakistan." He emphasised that this was not a rational mindset for a way forward. &nbsp;

The prime minister has slammed US claims of Pakistan being responsible for the Afghan fallout. "Whenever this anger goes and some rationality appears in the US, they will realise how could Pakistan be responsible for this," he added. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/cyclone-shaheen-heavy-rains-to-lash-coastal-areas-in-pakistans-balochistan-417714" hreflang="en">Cyclone Shaheen: Heavy rains to lash coastal areas in Pakistan’s Balochistan</a>

If you analyse, the PM said, the conclusion will be anything except [blame for] Pakistan. &nbsp;

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings clearly implied that Americans were "completely surprised" by the Taliban coming back to power, the PM added. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Over the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, the leader says the US President Joe Biden is being "unfairly targeted". Khan questioned how it could be anyone's fault when the Afghan army collapsed itself. &nbsp;

“The American public had no idea what was going on in Afghanistan. Gen Kayani in 2010 told President Obama that there was no military solution in Afghanistan,” added Khan. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/shura-mujahideen-tehreek-e-taliban-pakistan-declare-20-day-truce-in-pakistans-north-south-waziristan-417642" hreflang="en">Shura Mujahideen, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan declare 20-day truce in Pakistan</a>

The Pakistani leader insisted that if the US kept Afghan reserves frozen and the government collapsed in its aftermath, “the biggest loser will be the people of the country.” &nbsp;

Seeking a reconciliation, the leader also said the Pakistani government is in talks with some groups of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). &nbsp;

"There are different groups, which form the TTP and some of them want to talk to our government for peace. So, we are in talks with them. It’s a reconciliation process," PM added. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The United States will have to recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan "sooner or later", said Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan. In an interview with TRT World, the Pakistan PM said, "They [US] are trying to find scapegoats and one of them is Pakistan.

The United States will have to recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan "sooner or later", said Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan. In an interview with TRT World, the Pakistan PM said, "They [US] are trying to find scapegoats and one of them is Pakistan." He emphasised that this was not a rational mindset for a way forward. The prime minister has slammed US claims of Pakistan being responsible for the Afghan fallout. "Whenever this anger goes and some rationality appears in the US, they will realise how could Pakistan be responsible for this," he added. Also Read: Cyclone Shaheen: Heavy rains to lash coastal areas in Pakistan’s Balochistan If you analyse, the PM said, the conclusion will be anything except [blame for] Pakistan. The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings clearly implied that Americans were "completely surprised" by the Taliban coming back to power, the PM added. Over the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, the leader says the US President Joe Biden is being "unfairly targeted". Khan questioned how it could be anyone's fault when the Afghan army collapsed itself. “The American public had no idea what was going on in Afghanistan. Gen Kayani in 2010 told President Obama that there was no military solution in Afghanistan,” added Khan. Also Read: Shura Mujahideen, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan declare 20-day truce in Pakistan The Pakistani leader insisted that if the US kept Afghan reserves frozen and the government collapsed in its aftermath, “the biggest loser will be the people of the country.” Seeking a reconciliation, the leader also said the Pakistani government is in talks with some groups of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). "There are different groups, which form the TTP and some of them want to talk to our government for peace. So, we are in talks with them. It’s a reconciliation process," PM added. (With inputs from agencies)

US will have to recognise Taliban regime sooner or later, says Pakistan PM Imran Khan

USA is reaching out to France as relations between the two takes a hit after AUKUS deal. US Secretary Antony Blinken will travel to Paris to meet top French officials.

US Secretary Antony Blinken to visit France amid AUKUS row

US President Joe Biden vowed to get his domestic agenda over the line as he visited the US Congress to energize Democrats negotiating over twin make-or-break spending bills.

Joe Biden visits US Congress, vows to reach an agreement on twin make-or-break spending bills

US President Joe Biden's administration urged a federal judge to swiftly block a new law that bans most abortions in Texas, raising concerns about women's curtailed access to care.

Deputy assistant attorney general Brian Netter, in one of the court arguments in Austin, said that the controversial statute represents "an open threat to the rule of law." The government further went on describing the ban as "a truly extraordinary law designed to outflank the federal government and to violate the constitution."

Netter said that adding a "judicial intervention" was necessary to make the law unenforceable until the case is decided.

Attorney William Thompson of the Texas Attorney General's office accused Netter of "inflammatory rhetoric" and insisted the law respects Supreme Court precedent.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/activists-say-texas-anti-abortion-law-shows-terrifying-fragility-of-womens-rights-414113">Also read |&nbsp;Activists say Texas anti-abortion law shows ‘terrifying’ fragility of women’s rights</a>

However, the judge Robert Pitman said, "If the state's so confident in the constitutionality of the limitations on a woman's access to abortion, then why did it go to such great lengths to create this very unusual private cause of action?"

Earlier, Biden had openly condemned the US supreme court for rejecting to ban the abortion law. Biden said the supreme court judges, all appointed by former President Donald Trump, delivered an assault on a woman’s rights.

"The Supreme Court's ruling overnight is an unprecedented assault on a woman's constitutional rights under Roe v. Wade, which has been the law of the land for almost fifty years," Biden said in a statement. "This (Texas) law is so extreme it does not even allow for exceptions in the case of rape or incest."

Texas abortion law is one of the toughest and most restrictive abortion bans in the US in the past couple of decades.

As per the law, any member of the public from Texas can file a legal complaint against the doctors, health care providers and family members who support a woman in aborting a child after six weeks of the start of her pregnancy.

US President Joe Biden's administration urged a federal judge to swiftly block a new law that bans most abortions in Texas, raising concerns about women's curtailed access to care.

US President Joe Biden's administration urged a federal judge to swiftly block a new law that bans most abortions in Texas, raising concerns about women's curtailed access to care. Deputy assistant attorney general Brian Netter, in one of the court arguments in Austin, said that the controversial statute represents "an open threat to the rule of law." The government further went on describing the ban as "a truly extraordinary law designed to outflank the federal government and to violate the constitution." Netter said that adding a "judicial intervention" was necessary to make the law unenforceable until the case is decided. Attorney William Thompson of the Texas Attorney General's office accused Netter of "inflammatory rhetoric" and insisted the law respects Supreme Court precedent. Also read | Activists say Texas anti-abortion law shows ‘terrifying’ fragility of women’s rights However, the judge Robert Pitman said, "If the state's so confident in the constitutionality of the limitations on a woman's access to abortion, then why did it go to such great lengths to create this very unusual private cause of action?" Earlier, Biden had openly condemned the US supreme court for rejecting to ban the abortion law. Biden said the supreme court judges, all appointed by former President Donald Trump, delivered an assault on a woman’s rights. "The Supreme Court's ruling overnight is an unprecedented assault on a woman's constitutional rights under Roe v. Wade, which has been the law of the land for almost fifty years," Biden said in a statement. "This (Texas) law is so extreme it does not even allow for exceptions in the case of rape or incest." Texas abortion law is one of the toughest and most restrictive abortion bans in the US in the past couple of decades. As per the law, any member of the public from Texas can file a legal complaint against the doctors, health care providers and family members who support a woman in aborting a child after six weeks of the start of her pregnancy.

Joe Biden's administration urges judge to block Texas anti-abortion law

For the first time in the 84-year vigil,&nbsp;an all-female guard change occurred with the 38th Sergeant of the Guard at&nbsp;the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the United States, a tweet from the Army's Old Guard said on Friday. &nbsp;

The historic moment came on the 30,770th day of continuous guarding of the tomb. It is located in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia. &nbsp;&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
On a recent Autumn morning at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in <a href="https://twitter.com/ArlingtonNatl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ArlingtonNatl</a>, history was made. For the first time in the 84-year vigil, on the 30770th day of continuous guarding, an all-female guard change occurred with the 38th Sergeant of the Guard.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tomb100?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tomb100</a> <a href="https://t.co/JndxF9VVuK">pic.twitter.com/JndxF9VVuK</a>
— The Old Guard (@USArmyOldGuard) <a href="https://twitter.com/USArmyOldGuard/status/1443944402607554584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Arlington National Cemetery website said, "The military guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is changed in an elaborate ceremony, which happens every hour on the hour from October 1 through March 31, and every half hour from April 1 through September 30.” &nbsp;

<img alt="Brief 2" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e6bf54b3-b83e-4cd4-9840-da876f52bb87" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/US%202.jpg" />

The 3rd US Infantry Regiment soldiers guard the Tomb of the Unknown round the clock in all weathers. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-to-tweet-again-donald-trump-requests-us-judge-to-force-twitter-into-restoring-account-417625" hreflang="en">Trump to tweet again? Donald Trump requests US judge to force Twitter into restoring account</a>

On Instagram, the Old Guard posted, "We commemorate the achievements of these trail-blazing Tomb Guards," adding this "historic event" was a first but not the last. &nbsp;

The post said, "With diversity in our ranks, race, gender, or any characteristics will never hinder, but only enhance the execution of our sacred mission." &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/officers-who-pledge-loyalty-to-oath-keepers-should-be-fired-mayor-says-417604" hreflang="en">Officers who pledge loyalty to oath keepers should be fired, Mayor says</a>

"As we recognise this monumental day, we reflect on the Unknowns and their ultimate sacrifice. The world will never know their names. Their life's poetry was silenced in the defense of this great nation. We will never forget their sacrifice, and we will never falter as our standard will remain perfection," it added. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

For the first time in the 84-year vigil, an all-female guard change occurred with the 38th Sergeant of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the United States, a tweet from the Army's Old Guard said on Friday.

For the first time in the 84-year vigil, an all-female guard change occurred with the 38th Sergeant of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the United States, a tweet from the Army's Old Guard said on Friday. The historic moment came on the 30,770th day of continuous guarding of the tomb. It is located in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia. On a recent Autumn morning at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in @ArlingtonNatl, history was made. For the first time in the 84-year vigil, on the 30770th day of continuous guarding, an all-female guard change occurred with the 38th Sergeant of the Guard.#Tomb100 pic.twitter.com/JndxF9VVuK — The Old Guard (@USArmyOldGuard) October 1, 2021 × Arlington National Cemetery website said, "The military guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is changed in an elaborate ceremony, which happens every hour on the hour from October 1 through March 31, and every half hour from April 1 through September 30.” The 3rd US Infantry Regiment soldiers guard the Tomb of the Unknown round the clock in all weathers. Also Read: Trump to tweet again? Donald Trump requests US judge to force Twitter into restoring account On Instagram, the Old Guard posted, "We commemorate the achievements of these trail-blazing Tomb Guards," adding this "historic event" was a first but not the last. The post said, "With diversity in our ranks, race, gender, or any characteristics will never hinder, but only enhance the execution of our sacred mission." Also Read: Officers who pledge loyalty to oath keepers should be fired, Mayor says "As we recognise this monumental day, we reflect on the Unknowns and their ultimate sacrifice. The world will never know their names. Their life's poetry was silenced in the defense of this great nation. We will never forget their sacrifice, and we will never falter as our standard will remain perfection," it added. (With inputs from agencies)

In a first, all-female guard change occurred at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in US

Former United States President Donald Trump asked a federal judge in Florida to force Twitter to reinstate his account. Watch this report for more details.

Former US Prez Donald Trump asks Florida Judge to force Twitter to restart his account

American digital media platform Ozy will shut down after accusations its leaders had deceived investors and the public about the size of its audience, local news outlets reported Friday.

Launched in 2013 by former cable news anchor Carlos Watson,&nbsp;the brand secured millions of dollars in investor funding and a number of high-profile partnerships, including the production of an Emmy Award-winning talk show hosted by the Oprah Winfrey Network.

But a New York Times investigation on Sunday claimed that company executives had intentionally inflated traffic figures and views on other sites including YouTube.

The report also said cofounder Samir Rao had impersonated a YouTube executive to praise his own platform while in a phone meeting with representatives of Goldman Sachs, who were weighing a $40 million investment in Ozy.&nbsp;

Watson apologised to the bank after the ruse was quickly discovered and the video sharing platform launched a security probe, the report said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-surpasses-700000-covid-deaths-as-california-schools-make-vaccines-compulsory-417519">Also read |&nbsp;US surpasses 700,000 Covid deaths as California schools make vaccines compulsory</a>

The investigation also found that Watson had falsely claimed a partnership with Amazon Prime for his eponymous talk show, launched last year, and that he had secured a broadcasting deal for the program with American cable channel A&amp;E.

Amazon Prime complained to Ozy about use of its branding in billboards promoting the show last week, prompting another apology from Watson, the report said.&nbsp;

The discrepancy between the platform's claimed audience size and its real-world profile prompted ridicule from some publications reporting on the controversy.

"Ozy Media shuts down just one week after most of us found out it exists," read a headline on the platform's closure by tech news outlet The Verge.

Ozy and Watson did not immediately respond to AFP requests for comment.

American digital media platform Ozy will shut down after accusations its leaders had deceived investors and the public about the size of its audience, local news outlets reported Friday.

American digital media platform Ozy will shut down after accusations its leaders had deceived investors and the public about the size of its audience, local news outlets reported Friday. Launched in 2013 by former cable news anchor Carlos Watson, the brand secured millions of dollars in investor funding and a number of high-profile partnerships, including the production of an Emmy Award-winning talk show hosted by the Oprah Winfrey Network. But a New York Times investigation on Sunday claimed that company executives had intentionally inflated traffic figures and views on other sites including YouTube. The report also said cofounder Samir Rao had impersonated a YouTube executive to praise his own platform while in a phone meeting with representatives of Goldman Sachs, who were weighing a $40 million investment in Ozy. Watson apologised to the bank after the ruse was quickly discovered and the video sharing platform launched a security probe, the report said. Also read | US surpasses 700,000 Covid deaths as California schools make vaccines compulsory The investigation also found that Watson had falsely claimed a partnership with Amazon Prime for his eponymous talk show, launched last year, and that he had secured a broadcasting deal for the program with American cable channel A&E. Amazon Prime complained to Ozy about use of its branding in billboards promoting the show last week, prompting another apology from Watson, the report said. The discrepancy between the platform's claimed audience size and its real-world profile prompted ridicule from some publications reporting on the controversy. "Ozy Media shuts down just one week after most of us found out it exists," read a headline on the platform's closure by tech news outlet The Verge. Ozy and Watson did not immediately respond to AFP requests for comment.

US media platform Ozy to close after accusations of deceptive conduct

Supporting Taliban in Afghanistan has come at a very high price for Pakistan, as fears of US sanction are increasing which is affecting the fragility of Pakistan's economy.

Fears of US sanctions surging affects Pakistan's economic fragility

US President Joe Biden signed the government funding bill on Thursday, just hours after congressional lawmakers rushed to pass the measure before the shutdown deadline.

US President Joe Biden signed the government funding bill on Thursday, just hours after congressional lawmakers rushed to pass the measure before the shutdown deadline. Hours ahead of the midnight deadline, the House of Representatives voted to keep the lights on for another two months with a resolution that had already advanced comfortably from the Senate, with opposition Republicans supporting the ruling Democrats in both chambers. Biden signed the bill shortly after. "This is a good outcome, one I'm happy we are getting done," Chuck Schumer, the top Democratic senator, told colleagues on the chamber floor ahead of both votes, which were never in serious doubt. "With so many things to take care of here in Washington, the last thing the American people need is for the government to grind to a halt," he said. Also read | UK fuel industry denies government claims crisis is easing The House voted 254-175 to advance the measure. Just hours earlier, the Senate voted 65-35, in a display of bipartisanship in both chambers. The Senate-passed bipartisan infrastructure bill is due for a crucial vote in the House on Thursday that appears to have no chance of passing, with the Democrats' left-wing in open revolt. The progressives do not trust that centrists, who object to the size of the larger spending package, will honour an agreement to pass the legislation once the infrastructure is across the line. West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin inflamed tensions with a statement arguing that trillions of dollars in extra spending was "fiscal insanity," solidifying opposition to the smaller infrastructure bill. He told reporters Thursday that he was unwilling to go above $1.5 trillion. Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that she planned to forge ahead, while White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters, "We're working towards winning a vote tonight. We have several hours left in the day."

US government shutdown averted hours before deadline as Biden signs bill

A meeting between the US' and India's leaders was held recently. The US withdrawal from Afghanistan did little to reduce tensions between India and Pakistan. Anita Powell reports from the White House on how Biden is working on the relations between the two South Asian nations.

WION VOA: A new era for India-US relations

US and India push for combined training exercises. The Indian chief of defense staff General Bipin Rawat met with his US counterpart, General Mark Milley.

US and India push for combined training exercises

In a hearing Wednesday on the Afghanistan withdrawal, Gen. Frank McKenzie, the Commander of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), said the military knew civilians had been hit within four or five hours of the strike -- and they knew they had hit the wrong target within days.

US drone strike killed 10 Afghan civilians

US lawmakers grilled Facebook over the potential harm its services are causing and its impact on the mental health of children.&nbsp; 
However, Facebook has defended the impact of its products, saying Instagram has "affirmatively helped" young people. Its global head of safety, Antigone Davis, testified to the US Senate, about child protection.

This comes after a leak exposed how Instagram's research had found the platform could harm children’s well-being. Earlier, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri said the app's effects on teenagers' mental health were "quite small".

The committee started by reiterating Facebook's own research which said that Instagram could have a negative impact on body image and self-esteem.

Teenagers "blame Instagram for increases in the rate of anxiety and depression", it said. 
Davis was quoted by The BBC as saying, "We conduct this research, to make our platform better, to minimise the bad and maximise the good and to proactively identify where we can improve."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/smart-glasses-made-google-look-dumb-now-facebook-is-giving-them-a-try-413629">Also read |&nbsp;Smart glasses made google look dumb. Now Facebook is giving them a try.</a>

"We want our platforms to be a place for meaningful interactions with friends and family and we cannot achieve that goal if people do not feel safe."

Richard Blumenthal chairs the Senate commerce, science, and transportation subcommittee on consumer protection, product safety, and data security, highlighted how Facebook had earlier denied it was aware of any research that showed a negative correlation.

He said, "We know it chooses the growth of its products over the well-being of our children".&nbsp;

He further added, "And we now know that it is indefensibly delinquent in acting to protect them." 
"It is failing to hold itself accountable and the question that haunts me is how can we or parents or anyone trust Facebook."

Davis repeatedly failed to answer the committee's questions and said she would have to check with the relevant Facebook teams.

US lawmakers grilled Facebook over the potential harm its services are causing and its impact on the mental health of children. However, Facebook has defended the impact of its products, saying Instagram has "affirmatively helped" young people.

US lawmakers grilled Facebook over the potential harm its services are causing and its impact on the mental health of children. However, Facebook has defended the impact of its products, saying Instagram has "affirmatively helped" young people. Its global head of safety, Antigone Davis, testified to the US Senate, about child protection. This comes after a leak exposed how Instagram's research had found the platform could harm children’s well-being. Earlier, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri said the app's effects on teenagers' mental health were "quite small". The committee started by reiterating Facebook's own research which said that Instagram could have a negative impact on body image and self-esteem. Teenagers "blame Instagram for increases in the rate of anxiety and depression", it said. Davis was quoted by The BBC as saying, "We conduct this research, to make our platform better, to minimise the bad and maximise the good and to proactively identify where we can improve." Also read | Smart glasses made google look dumb. Now Facebook is giving them a try. "We want our platforms to be a place for meaningful interactions with friends and family and we cannot achieve that goal if people do not feel safe." Richard Blumenthal chairs the Senate commerce, science, and transportation subcommittee on consumer protection, product safety, and data security, highlighted how Facebook had earlier denied it was aware of any research that showed a negative correlation. He said, "We know it chooses the growth of its products over the well-being of our children". He further added, "And we now know that it is indefensibly delinquent in acting to protect them." "It is failing to hold itself accountable and the question that haunts me is how can we or parents or anyone trust Facebook." Davis repeatedly failed to answer the committee's questions and said she would have to check with the relevant Facebook teams.

US lawmakers grill Facebook over teen mental health

Within 10 months into his presidency, Joe Biden already seems to be taking a massive hit in the approval ratings. Watch this report for more details.

Most Americans find Biden's COVID response satisfactory

Of all the events surrounding the America's operations in Afghanistan, the military pullout process remains one of the most scrutinized. America's top leaders today faced tough questions over USA pullout from Afghanistan. Biden administration, military generals, intel failure or Donald Trump's Doha agreement- who and what is to be blamed?

America's top military generals face questions over Afghan pullout- who is to be blamed?

Top Pentagon officials have stated publicly for the first time that they personally believed it would be a mistake to withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan. Watch this report for more details.

America's top military generals face questions on pullout process

Tensions between United States and North Korea are simmering again. There are multiple reasons for it, majorly North Korea's aggressive military test in the recent weeks which has alarmed the world. Here are all the latest developments.

United States open to talks with North Korea, Kim Jong-Un slams dialogue offer

Flawed Doha Agreements, to release of Taliban prisoners, hasty troop withdrawal, disorganized evacuation & 'mistaken' drone strike. After the two-day senate hearing of military chiefs on Afghan pullout, 3 Presidents were held responsible. Molly Gambhir brings you more details.

Who's responsible for Afghanistan mess? | US military testifies before senate panel

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