Biden on terror attack in Afghanistan, eviction moratorium blocked: 5 things to know Friday

Editors
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US prepared to take action for deaths of service members, as evacuation continues

American officials say the United States is prepared to take action over the deaths of its service members in the bombing attack on Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. On Thursday evening, President Joe Biden delivered a stern warning for those who carried out the attack, saying: "We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay." During his address, the president also said he was made aware by the U.S. intelligence community that ISIS-K had been planning "a complex set of attacks" against U.S. personnel and others. Biden's warning was in line with Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr.'s statement earlier in the day. "If we can find who's associated with this, we will go after them," he said. Back in Afghanistan, evacuations will continue ahead of the Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline, McKenzie said. He added about 1,000 American citizens remain in Afghanistan at this point.

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Supreme Court blocks Biden's COVID-19 eviction moratorium

The Supreme Court blocked President Joe Biden’s eviction moratorium Thursday night, allowing property owners to begin the process of evicting millions of Americans who are behind on rent because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over a dissent from the court's three liberal justices, the court ruled that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not have authority to impose the freeze. "It would be one thing if Congress had specifically authorized the action that the CDC has taken," the court wrote. "But that has not happened. Instead, the CDC has imposed a nationwide moratorium on evictions in reliance on a decades-old statute that authorizes it to implement measures like fumigation and pest extermination."

Tropical Storm Ida could rapidly become 'strongest storm’ of hurricane season

Forecasters warn that a storm in the Caribbean could rapidly become the “strongest storm” of the Atlantic hurricane season. Tropical Storm Ida had maximum sustained winds of only about 40 mph Thursday evening as it formed near Jamaica, but it was set to travel Friday over warm water in the Gulf of Mexico that could lead to "rapid intensification," according to the National Hurricane Center. As Ida looms, hurricane watches were issued in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama late Thursday. When the system reaches the northern Gulf Coast on Sunday, the Hurricane Center predicts it will be "at or near major hurricane intensity," which is Category 3 or higher. Hurricane Grace made landfall on Mexico’s Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm this month, but this latest system has the potential to do more damage because of its potential inland effects in the U.S., forecasters said.

Biden to meet with Israeli Prime Minister after meeting delay due to Kabul attack

President Joe Biden's first face-to-face meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett at the White House was postponed until Friday following deadly explosions outside Kabul's airport. The president's meeting with Bennett, who took office in June, was originally scheduled for Thursday. Before arriving in Washington, Bennett made clear the top priority of the visit was to persuade Biden not to return to the Iran nuclear deal, arguing Tehran has already advanced in its uranium enrichment, and that sanctions relief would give Iran more resources to back Israel’s enemies in the region. The Israeli leader met separately Wednesday with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to discuss Iran and other issues. The visit is his first to the U.S. as prime minister.

Caldor fire grows, as evacuation warnings issued inside Lake Tahoe basin

The massive Caldor Fire continues to grow, inching closer to Lake Tahoe and prompting the first evacuation warnings to those inside the Lake Tahoe basin. The wildfire has grown to at least 213 square miles on a trek that has also destroyed the small town of Grizzly Flats. It was 12% contained Thursday morning and its growth toward Lake Tahoe made the blaze the No. 1 priority nationally for firefighting resources. The edge of the Caldor Fire was less than 15 miles southwest of the lake, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's GOES satellite published by Google. Ongoing damage assessments have counted 637 homes, businesses and other structures destroyed so far. Another 17,000 structures were still in danger.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Terror attack in Afghanistan, Tropical Storm Ida, Caldor Fire: 5 things to know Friday