Cross-Examination

• Year two of Taliban control in Afghanistan: Today marks the second anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, and all thanks to Joe Biden’s disastrous retreat and surrender. Predictably, the Taliban took the occasion to celebrate their “conquest of Kabul.” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated, “We would like to congratulate the mujahid [holy warrior] nation of Afghanistan and ask them to thank Almighty Allah for this great victory.” He added, “Now that overall security is ensured in the country, the entire territory of the country is managed under a single leadership, an Islamic system is in place and everything is explained from the angle of Sharia.” While the Taliban has regained control of Afghanistan, they have not received official recognition of their rule from the United Nations. We’re sure that’s crushing.

• Tuberville-Pentagon standoff: Since Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville took his stand against Joe Biden’s unconstitutional effort to ensure abortion access to U.S. military members on the taxpayers’ dime, three branches of the U.S. military now lack Senate-confirmed leaders. Tuberville’s refusal to consent to a unanimous Senate green-lighting of all general and flag officer nominations has resulted in a backlog of officer appointments. Democrats claim that Tuberville’s stubbornness is posing a threat to military readiness, though Tuberville rejects the charge. “Contrary to false reporting, no jobs are going unfilled while the hold is in place,” his spokesman observed. “Instead, highly experienced acting officials are serving in these roles.” Indeed, the Democrat-controlled Senate could vote on individual officer nominees, but Dems refuse to because they reason it would take too long. Well, the Biden administration could reverse course on its illegal abortion policy and revert back to following the law. That would solve this impasse immediately.

• Biden wins on student loans: On Monday, U.S. District Judge Thomas Ludington dismissed a lawsuit raised by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy and the Cato Institute against Joe Biden’s most recent student loan cancellation gambit. Ludington’s basis for dismissing the lawsuit had nothing to do with the merits of the case. Instead, he found that the plaintiffs did not have legal standing. Following the decision, the Biden administration will move forward with its wealth redistribution scheme, transferring some $39 billion in student loan debt from roughly 800,000 borrowers onto the backs of American taxpayers — taxpayers who either already paid their student loan debt or never took such loans in the first place.

• Harvard tells students to apply for food stamps: Even with an endowment worth roughly $53 billion making Harvard University the wealthiest university in the world, the school’s solution to graduate students complaining that their $40,000 salary isn’t enough to live off of is to go apply for food stamps. The Harvard Graduate Student Union (HGSU) proposed increasing the starting salary of graduate students at the Ivy League school by $20,000, arguing that $60,000 annually should be the bare minimum. The HGSU’s proposal came in response to fliers that Harvard had sent to graduate students stating: “Fuel your body & stock your pantry. Did you know that grad students may qualify for assistance paying for food & groceries?” The HGSU observed that roughly 30% of the school’s graduate students were from foreign countries and therefore did not qualify for SNAP. Maybe this is why Harvard is loathe to end its practice of race-based admissions — the school is worried it will have fewer minority graduate students it can take advantage of.

• Gov’t tells SF employees to work from home: How does the Biden administration address concerns for the safety of federal workers living and working in increasingly crime-riddled San Francisco? It tells federal employees to avoid going outside and to work from home. According to a recent memo addressed to federal workers located in downtown San Francisco from Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Cheryl Campell, “In light of the [unsafe] conditions at the [Speaker Nancy Pelosi Federal Building] we recommend employees … maximize the use of telework for the foreseeable future.” According to the San Francisco Chronicle: “Dozens of dealers routinely plant themselves on, next to, or across the street from the property, operating in shifts as users smoke, snort, or shoot up their recent purchases. The property’s concrete benches are an especially popular site for users to get high, socialize, or pass out.” So, after offering a weak claim that the federal government is working with state and local authorities to address the crime issue (that only appears to be getting worse), the Biden administration is effectively telling federal employees, We can’t protect you, so hunker down in your homes.

Headlines

• Georgia grand jury indicts Trump over state’s 2020 election results (Roll Call)

• Sam Bankman-Fried siphoned $100 million stolen from customers into U.S. politics to influence crypto legislation (Fox Business)

• Organized crime or gangs could be behind a $300,000 LA “flash rob,” police say (NBC News)

• From “defund the police” to “send in the troops”: Anti-cop Democrats beg National Guard to stop crime in their cities (Free Beacon)

• “The Blind Side” subject Michael Oher says adoption by Tuohy family was a lie and he was cut out of money from movie (NBC News)

• “Snow White” remake actress Rachel Zegler slams Disney’s 1937 classic in ongoing marketing nightmare (OutKick)

• Satire: Biden’s “no comment” praised as most rational, coherent statement he’s made as president (Babylon Bee)

For more editors’ choice headlines, click here.