Top Stories this AM: Biden vows to retaliate for Kabul attacks; Texas House votes in favor of voting restrictions; the rise of anti-vax job boards

August 27, 2021

Top Stories this AM: Biden vows to retaliate for Kabul attacks; Texas House votes in favor of voting restrictions; the rise of anti-vax job boards

Good morning and welcome to your weekday morning roundup of the top stories you need to know.

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What's going on today:

Biden vows retaliation. Biden says he's ordered a retaliatory strike on ISIS-K after the suicide bombings at Kabul airport. Biden on Thursday said he ordered military commanders "to develop operational plans to strike ISIS-K assets, leadership, and facilities" and added that the US will respond with "force and precision" at its own time.
Texas pushes forward voting restrictions. The Texas House approved a sweeping voting restrictions bill after multiple Democratic attempts to block it. It was voted through 79-37 on party lines in the Republican-led House, and will now move to the Senate, where it is likely to be passed. The bill bans drive-thru voting and 24-hour voting options, and puts in place additional ID requirements for absentee voters.
Veterans are experiencing mental health issues over Afghanistan. The crisis hotline for military veterans has seen a surge in calls since Kabul fell to the Taliban. The Department of Veterans Affairs crisis hotline said it received 1,681 calls on August 15, the day the Taliban swept to power in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Anti-vax job boards emerge. Job boards for workplaces that specifically don't require COVID-19 vaccinations are popping up as more employers have started requiring the shot. "This job board is for sharing job openings that do not require employees to inject themselves with an experimental substance," a Gab job board read.
The horse dewormer hustle. A group founded by a Capitol riot defendant is prescribing an unproven COVID-19 treatment, ivermectin, through a telemedicine site for $90 a pop. The group, America's Frontline Doctors, charges $90 for a consultation, during which it says it can prescribe ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine.
That's all for now. See you Monday.