Today’s Headlines and Commentary

The Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine for people 16 and older, according to the New York Times. The approval makes the vaccine the first to move beyond emergency use status in the United States. The move will pave the way for vaccine mandates as hospitals, colleges, corporations and other organizations have said they will require vaccination after the approval. The Pentagon announced that it will require all active duty troops to be vaccinated, and Oregon has instated a similar mandate for all state employees. As infection rates have risen in recent weeks, vaccination rates have also increased, as providers are administering around 87,000 shots a day, substantially higher than earlier this summer.

The Biden administration is considering extending the Aug. 31 deadline for U.S. troops to withdraw from Afghanistan, reports the New York Times. Currently, 5,800 troops are at the Kabul airport. The Taliban warned of “consequences” if the U.S. extended the deadline. As the end date approaches, the Pentagon has ramped up evacuations by deploying American helicopters to rescue American citizens and Afghan allies stranded in Kabul. Pentagon Press Secretary Scott Kirby said forces have extracted around 350 Americans so far.

Firefights at the Kabul airport killed one person and injured others, according to the Washington Post. The clash involved U.S. and German troops, Afghan guards and unidentified gunmen. One Afghan guard died in the gunfire at an airport gate and three others were injured in skirmishes outside the airport’s north gate. A spokesperson for the German military could not confirm whether U.S. and German troops came under direct fire. The violence comes amid days of chaos at the airport. Britain’s Defense Ministry, which has troops at the airport, said seven Afghan citizens have died in the crowds.

China has suspended Chinese electric car manufacturer BYD’s plan to sell shares in its computer chip making unit, according to the BBC. The suspension comes as the Chinese government tightens regulations on the tech industry, including a new privacy law aimed at regulating personal data collection for private companies. BYD, the country’s largest producer of microcontroller chips for vehicles, had planned to raise at least $421 million from the sale of shares. A firm advising BYD said the company was being investigated by China's Security Regulatory Commission but gave no more details.

Belarusian lawyer Mikhail Kirilyuk said he received text messages in October 2020 from someone linked to the country’s security services urging him to leave the country, reports Reuters. Kirilyuk has been publicly critical of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko’s rule, and he and his family left that month for Poland, a country that has condemned Lukashenko. In February, the justice minister revoked Kirilyuk’s license, saying he had made “rude” and “tactless” comments about state representatives. Kirilyuk told Reuters that he will not return to Belarus until Lukashenko is out of office.

Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Estonia have called for European Union action against Belarus as they claim the country has used migrants to destabilize its neighbors, according to Deutsche Welle. Belarus has been allowing thousands of immigrants, mostly from the Middle East, to cross into the countries in a move the statement calls a “hybrid attack” on both the migrants and the countries’ governments. The prime ministers of the four nations said “the ongoing crisis has been planned and systemically organized” by Lukashenko. The statement says the countries will take in the migrants but calls for “possible new restrictive measures by the EU to prevent any further illegal immigration.

ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare

Daniel Byman examined the failure of American counterterrorism after the Civil War.

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