Apple News Today

Kabul’s airport is in chaos as Afghans who helped U.S. forces try to get out. An Al Jazeera journalist describes what life is like in the city now. An NBC News investigation looks at how international scammers used stolen identities to dupe state unemployment agencies in the U.S. into giving them billions of dollars in COVID benefits. Black women are nearly four times more likely than white women to die during childbirth. The L.A. Times brings us the story of a Black-owned birthing center in Los Angeles that aims to provide specialized care. Researchers studying the daddy longlegs sequenced the arachnid’s genome to learn more about its unique body. NPR reports on how they were able to create a “daddy shortlegs.”

Twenty years of photos in the Atlantic show some of the gains women in Afghanistan made after the Taliban was deposed, and what they stand to lose now it’s back in power. As America evacuates Afghans who helped U.S. forces, the Sacramento Bee looks into how resettlement agencies are having trouble keeping up with the pace of new arrivals. The L.A. Times describes an effort to save plants and animals whose habitats are in peril from climate change and human activity. It has been called a modern-day Noah’s Ark. Some of those who work from home have a secret: They are working two jobs at the same time. The Wall Street Journal uncovers the shadowy world of people who pull in six figures by working multiple office jobs simultaneously.

Foreign correspondents for the Washington Post look at what the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan means for nearby Pakistan, China, and India. As COVID cases surge, a ProPublica reporter explains her decision to remove her kids from a school that dropped its mask mandate. The Chronicle of Higher Education and APM Reports break down how American colleges are seeing a drop in foreign students that is hurting schools’ finances. The L.A. Times looks into why Manny Pacquiao, legendary boxer and a senator in the Philippines, is getting back in the ring at 42 years old.

CNN reports that the Biden administration is expected to recommend COVID-vaccine booster shots for most Americans. The Washington Post looks at the challenge of resettling Afghans who helped U.S. troops, which has parallels with the end of the Vietnam War. Climate forecasters now incorporate politics into their models of the warming planet. Quartz explains why this matters. Sleek new financial apps are targeting a young generation already drowning in debt. The L.A. Times reports on concerns that these services may promote excess borrowing among consumers struggling with poor credit. A Kenyan orphanage found it hard to get formula for rescued baby elephants during the pandemic. National Geographic explains how goat milk saved them.

New Yorker writer Robin Wright looks at the long-term impact of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Apple News has a collection of the best reporting on the situation. As Haiti searches for survivors of a powerful earthquake, National Geographic explains why quakes there can be so deadly. Climate change is turbocharging temperatures, which means more American workers will face stifling conditions with deadly consequences. An investigation by Politico and E&E News reveals how difficult setting a national standard to protect them could be. Legalization of online sports betting turned a New Jersey pizza joint into an unlikely gambling hot spot. Sports Illustrated reports.

Anthony Veasna So was a burgeoning literary star when he died of a drug overdose at 28 last year. For New York Magazine, Jung spoke with So’s friends, family, and partner about who he was. They all have different ideas.

A former Army officer argues in the Atlantic that the U.S. military made major mistakes in Afghanistan, and says the collapse of government security forces there keeps him up at night. The Washington Post looks at what new census data says about America’s increasingly diverse population. Politico explains how the data will affect a congressional redistricting process that contains a lot of wild cards. The Sacramento Bee reports on how California is undertaking a prison overhaul based on the system used in Norway. There are questions over whether this approach will work in America. Smithsonian Magazine looks at a new discovery dinosaur researchers are calling “the closest thing we have to a real-life dragon.”

Many unused COVID-vaccine doses in the U.S. are being thrown away, even as many countries can’t get enough shots. NPR explains why transferring unused doses abroad is so complicated. As newly remote workers move to small places, turning them into “Zoom towns,” rising housing prices are driving out longtime residents. The Washington Post looks at the impact in one community. The Quinault Indian Nation has lived on the coast of Washington state for thousands of years. The Seattle Times reports on how climate change is forcing the tribe to move, and says it’s a problem affecting more and more Indigenous communities. CNN looks at the effort to preserve natural silence in places that haven’t been polluted by human-made noise.

Andrew Cuomo is stepping down as governor of New York, following an extensive report detailing accusations of sexual harassment. New York Magazine looks at what’s next for him and profiles his successor, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. The Wall Street Journal explains why Birmingham, Alabama, has one of the tightest labor markets in the country. The Brazilian butt lift, one of the world’s most dangerous plastic-surgery procedures, has gone mainstream. Vox reports on growing concern over patients’ safety. U.S. pet owners spend tens of billions of dollars keeping animals healthy. Marketplace looks at why why veterinary costs have been steadily rising.

As parents and children prepare for school to start, the Delta variant is causing a surge in coronavirus cases. Bloomberg Businessweek looks at efforts to speed up vaccination of kids. The latest U.N. report on climate change paints a grim picture of the future. A piece in the Washington Post argues that we shouldn’t give in to despair, and instead should focus on taking action while we still can. Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney over pay after the studio released Black Widow on its streaming service. The Hollywood Reporter explains why the fight is a sign that how studios pay top talent may change significantly in coming years. USA Today reports on how NASA is looking for people to test life on Mars by living in a simulated environment on Earth for one year.