Good morning.
Joe Biden is facing growing pressure, both home and abroad, as the evacuations in Afghanistan and the pandemic come together in a perfect storm.
Biden’s job approval rating fell below 50% for the first time, according to an NBC News poll, with only 25% approving of his handling of Afghanistan.
The poll showed 53% of Americans approve of Biden’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, a 16-point drop from April, likely spurred by a Delta-fueled surge in infections.
The UN warned that Afghanistan could start to run out of food as early as September, with first aid supplies, including surgical equipment and severe malnutrition kits, stuck due to restrictions at Kabul airport.
Biden’s fellow G7 leaders, too, appear to have split from him over the deadline to complete evacuations from the country by 31 August. Yesterday it emerged that Boris Johnson planned to lobby Biden at Tuesday’s G7 summit to extend the deadline. G7 leaders are under pressure to present a united front on Afghanistan amid these perceived divisions.
California wildfire blazes through more than 100,00 acres, small towns
A firefighter works as the Caldor Fire burns. Photograph: Fred Greaves/Reuters
The Caldor fire, burning south-west of Lake Tahoe, has consumed 106,500 acres and destroyed 500 buildings since surging in intensity over the weekend.
More than 13,500 firefighters are working to contain a dozen large fires across the state, with Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, requesting that the president issue a major disaster declaration for eight counties. Nearly 43,000 Californians were under under evacuation orders and more than 500 households have taken refuge in shelters.
Tennessee left reeling in aftermath of flooding that killed at least 22
At least 25 people are still missing from the weekend flash floods that swept away whole houses and killed at least 22. Tennesseeans are left with the difficult task of surveying the wreckage and salvaging what they can.
The level of devastation raises questions about the role the climate crisis played in the flash floods, especially with Tropical Storm Henri descending on the east coast while drought bakes the west.
Cuomo says he was a victim of a ‘political and media stampede’
In his farewell address yesterday, Andrew Cuomo defended his record from over a decade as governor of New York. Cuomo announced he would resign rather than face an impeachment battle over sexual harassment allegations, which he denies.
Kamala Harris rebukes China for ‘coercion’ and ‘intimidation’ in South China Sea
The vice-president, Kamala Harris, took a strong stance against China in a foreign policy speech on Tuesday in Singapore. “We know that Beijing continues to coerce, to intimidate and to make claims to the vast majority of the South China Sea,” she said.
In other news…
Donald Trump’s border wall is reportedly in severe disrepair in southern Arizona after getting torn apart by summer monsoon rains.
Texas Republicans revived their restrictive voting bill with no changes as some Democrats returned to the Capitol for the first time since ending their 38-day walkout to prevent the bill from passing.
Igor Fruman, an associate of Rudy Giuliani, is expected to plead guilty in a case alleging illegal campaign contributions to US politicians. Fruman had helped Giuliani try to unearth damaging information about Joe Biden in Ukraine.
Igor Vovkovinskiy, the tallest man in the US, has died at 38 from heart disease. Vovkovinskiy was 7ft 8.33in tall.
California’s justice department announced a court-enforced reform settlement with the Bakersfield police department. In 2015, a Guardian investigation found that police in this county were the deadliest in America.
Stat of the day: the climate crisis made the deadly floods in Germany and Belgium up to nine times more likely
In July, record-shattering rainfall in Germany and Belgium killed at least 222 people. Research shows that human-caused global heating has made downpours in the region up to 20% heavier, reinforcing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s report that greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are the main cause of worsening extreme weather.
Don’t miss this: the six ‘superdogs’ that save turtles
Box turtles are camouflaged and relatively secretive, making it difficult for scientists looking to study their population and health to find them. John Rucker has trained his dogs, Boykin spaniels, to sniff out turtles around the US and safely retrieve them for research, all while causing no harm to the turtles themselves.
Climate Check: going nuclear
At California’s San Onofre state beach just north of San Diego, 3.6m pounds of nuclear waste lies buried under the sands frequented by 2 million visitors a year. In a state known for corrosion, earthquakes and sea level rise, the waste is at constant risk, but political deadlock has left it stranded.
Last Thing: coaches for playing video games
People are paying up to $120 a session with pro gamers for video-game coaching, an industry that has exploded during the pandemic. Coaches say they’ve advised everyone from a grandfather to couples to parents learning games with their children.
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