The fall of Afghanistan is the most humiliating debacle for the U.S. since the fall of Saigon. The Taliban have swept across Afghanistan and taken Kabul. Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani has fled, and his government has collapsed. But what does this mean for the U.S. moving forward?

Claudia Rosett, a leading foreign policy expert, spoke with Afghanistan veteran and former U.S. Army Helo pilot Amber Smith about what’s at stake for the 21st-century world order. 

CHAMPION MESSAGE

"It's moments like this that require presidential leadership, and we're not seeing it."

- IW Fellow Alyssa Farah on President Biden’s response to the Afghanistan crisis 

HURTING NOT HELPING

COVID Precautions Are Back—Everywhere but on the Southern Border

Americans are being told, once again, that they must make sacrifices—wear masks, avoid crowds and limit their plans—because of a new virus variant, COVID’s delta strain. Since the beginning, the Biden administration’s policies have invited a public health crisis. They encouraged a surge of migrants from all over the world during a global pandemic to try to enter through our southern border regardless of all the health precautions taken with any other immigrant. When we are asking so much of our own citizens, why are we now allowing people from around the world to enter our country and potentially bring and spread new strains of COVID? Share this story.

DID YOU KNOW

Inflation Spiked 5.4% in July. $3.5 Trillion in New Spending Would Push It Higher

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Join #IWFReads September Book Club

Have you ever asked yourself these questions?

• What’s the right kind of school for my child?
• When should my child start school?
• How do I encourage a healthy diet?
• Should my kids play a sport? How seriously?

Find out some of the answers during our next #IWFReads Book Club with professor and best-selling author Emily Oster. RSVP today!

• American Express Now Has CRT Training Watch now.
• Should ‘Pregnant People’ Get the COVID Vaccine? Read more.

TWO TRUTHS & A LIE

Georgia’s Election Integrity Law

• New Episode: Last Friday, Julie Gunlock, content director of Independent Women's Network, joined She Thinks to discuss the amazing launch of IWN and how it's creating a community exclusively for like-minded women. Listen to it here.

Catch the episode on your favorite podcast app:          

• Next Episode: This Friday (8/20), Jude Eden, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, joins She Thinks to discuss the politics and culture of women in combat and in the military. Hear it here.

CAPSULE REVIEW

Student Loan Class Warfare

Few weeks ago, the Department of Education announced another extension of COVID-19 emergency student loan forbearance, which allows the 92% of student debtors whose loans are backed by the federal government an additional six months without making any payments. Deferments like this continue the conversation about student loan forgiveness, but we are here to unpack why that option isn’t as lucrative as it may seem.

Keep the “Care” in Health Care

Currently, the Delta variant is on the rise at the same time there are increases in vaccination rates. What have we learned from the last 18 months? In what ways can we infuse “care” in health care as we continue to face this pandemic? We must protect the most vulnerable, including our elderly.