Welcome to Wednesday, August 25th, Nintendos and Segas...

Bipartisan lawmakers and NATO allies are urging President Biden to extend the August 31st deadline he imposed for the completion of the evacuation from Afghanistan.

With a week remaining in the month, it’s unknown how many Americans, citizens of NATO member countries, or Afghan allies and their families remain in the country. 

It’s also unclear whether there will be enough time to evacuate all the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants who worked for the U.S. and face possible execution at the Taliban’s hands. SIV applicants have reportedly been subject to beatings and executions at Taliban checkpoints around Kabul in recent days.

A Taliban spokesman said the following to Sky News about the deadline:

“It’s a red line. President Biden announced that on 31 August they would withdraw all their military forces… If the U.S. or U.K. were to seek additional time to continue evacuations ― the answer is no. Or there would be consequences.”

Do you agree or disagree with extending the August 31st deadline?

FDA Grants Full Approval to Pfizer Vaccine

Government and health officials hope this development will encourage reluctant individuals to get vaccinated and lead to vaccination mandates in the workplace.

In the past, vaccination approval has usually taken up to six months. Completing the process for Pfizer within four months makes this the FDA’s fastest vaccine approval.

Will the FDA approval increase vaccination rates?

Taliban Won't Allow Afghans to Evacuate

On August 24th, the Taliban announced that it will not allow Afghans to enter the Kabul airport and be evacuated from the country.

There are reports that the Taliban is intimidating and beating people attempting to pass through those checkpoints. Some have been allowed through, while others have been obstructed and turned away. In some cases, Afghan parents have been passing their children to American servicemembers over the barbed wire to ensure their safety.

Elsewhere in Kabul and Afghanistan at large, the Taliban are reportedly rounding up Afghans who worked with the U.S. for reprisals and potential execution, abducting children for forced marriages, and informing women not to return to school or work.

How do you feel about the Kabul evacuation?

All the Memes Fit to Post

And, In The End...

On this day in 1916, the National Park Service was established as part of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

So, today, "conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and...provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."

—Josh Herman

Talk to us via email at editorial [at] causes.com. And don’t forget to keep in touch @Causes.