https://twitter.com/USMC/status/1428764261346684940

https://twitter.com/BBCWorld/status/1428469940978388992
https://twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/1428446252623179788?s=20

NEW YORK — Nearly half of Americans worry they’ll never have another pain-free day in their lives. A new study asked 2,000 Americans about their daily experience and the impact on their life of dealing with aches and pains. Along with finding that 48 percent believe they’ll never have a pain-free day again, the average American says they only have 13 truly pain-free days every year.

During a typical year, with the global pandemic aside, respondents’ pain can be so intense that it causes them to cancel plans, making a significant impact on the enjoyment of their daily lives. Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Axogen, the survey asked respondents about their experiences with chronic pain. Thirty-seven percent have received a diagnosis for chronic pain at some point, defined as ongoing pain that usually lasts longer than six months.

Among those who haven’t received an official diagnosis (approximately 1,200 respondents), 18 percent suspect they do in fact have chronic pain. Regardless of their diagnosis, 44 percent wish their doctor would provide more pain management solutions than prescription painkillers.

In fact, the average respondent feels six years older than they actually are due to aches and pains. Five or more times throughout the day, the average American can feel discomfort when they sit down or stand up. When it comes to pain tolerance, however, it may actually be true that women tolerate pain more than men. In fact, 65 percent of respondents agree that women have a higher pain tolerance than men.

https://www.studyfinds.org/pain-free-days-painkillers-nerve-injury/

LONDON, Aug 18 (Reuters) - British lawmakers vented their anger on Wednesday at Prime Minister Boris Johnson and U.S. President Joe Biden over the collapse of Afghanistan into Taliban hands, calling it a failure of intelligence, leadership and moral duty. Speaking at an emergency session of parliament, recalled from its summer break to discuss Afghanistan, Johnson said the Taliban would be judged on their actions, not their words, after they sought to convince the world they would not seek revenge. read more

But, barely a minute into his opening address, Johnson faced a critical interruption from a member of his own Conservative Party, setting the tone for what would be a sceptically-received speech about how Britain wanted to be at the heart of an international coalition holding the Taliban to account. "We will judge this regime based on the choices it makes, and by its actions rather than by its words, on its attitude to terrorism, to crime and narcotics, as well as humanitarian access, and the rights of girls to receive an education," Johnson said.

Johnson, who attempted to head for a holiday on Saturday only to return as the Taliban closed in on the Afghan capital, was accused of "careless leadership" by opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer. "There's been a major miscalculation of the resilience of the Afghan forces and staggering complacency from our government about the Taliban," Starmer said. Former Conservative prime minister Theresa May also asked how Britain could have so miscalculated the strength of the Taliban, which took Kabul on Sunday in a lightning offensive.

"Was our understanding of the Afghan government so weak? Was our knowledge of the position on the ground so inadequate?" she asked her successor. "Or did we just feel that we have to follow the United States and hope that, on a wing and a prayer, it would be all right on the night."

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/pm-johnson-says-britain-will-do-all-it-can-prevent-afghan-crisis-2021-08-18/

https://twitter.com/NOAASatellitePA/status/1427980523951910920

(CNN)Thousands of residents remain evacuated after a destructive Northern California wildfire nearly doubled in size overnight, fed by wind and dry conditions, officials said Wednesday.

The blaze burning in El Dorado County, has charred more than 53,000 acres and is 0% contained, Cal Fire said.
"The Caldor Fire continued to experience unprecedented fire behavior and growth due to extremely dry fuels pushed by the south west winds," Cal Fire said in an update. "A red flag warning is still in effect for the fire area through 8:00 PM tonight with winds switching to the northeast. These winds, combined with low humidity and extremely dry fuels, lead to critical fire weather conditions."

https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/18/weather/us-western-wildfires-wednesday/index.html

Shots are being fired, not much details yet but I noticed there's much more women coming out now.

https://twitter.com/mab985/status/1428115708920090632?s=20
https://twitter.com/KayaJones/status/1428175271316819968

https://twitter.com/oliverdarcy/status/1428113655149760515

NEW YORK (AP) — Clarissa Ward described on Wednesday how a member of her CNN crew was nearly pistol-whipped by a Taliban fighter as they were covering a tumultuous scene outside the airport in Kabul. “I’ve covered all sorts of crazy situations,” Ward said in a report that aired on CNN. “This was mayhem. This was nuts.” The network’s chief international correspondent has been probably the most visible reporter covering the rapid fall of Afghanistan to Taliban fighters. Perhaps inevitably, that has made her words and even her wardrobe a topic of social media conversation.

In one report Wednesday, Ward said it was extremely chaotic near the airport, where people were pleading for help to get out of the country. At one point, she said, a Taliban fighter shouted at her to cover her face or he wouldn’t talk to her. He was carrying a makeshift whip with a heavy chain and padlock. The CNN producer, Brent Swails, was taking video with a cellphone when two Taliban fighters approached him with their pistols and seemed about to strike him, Ward said, making a motion with her arms to simulate it.

Another Taliban fighter stopped them, saying not to hit him because they’re journalists, she said.

“It’s very dicey, it’s very dangerous,” Ward said. “It’s completely unpredictable. To me, it’s a miracle that more people haven’t been seriously hurt.”

https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-arts-and-entertainment-kabul-bb3dc3d5fc383ea893ca61d28e138898?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP&utm_campaign=SocialFlow

WASHINGTON, Aug 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's administration will require nursing home staff be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition for their facilities to receive funds from the public Medicare and Medicaid insurance programs, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-make-covid-19-nursing-home-staff-vaccinations-condition-receiving-medicare-2021-08-18/

https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1428089207394738184

At this point this is more than just getting americans and their interpreters now. So many Afghan people just want to leave and flee the Taliban.