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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="daily-dose">Daily-Dose</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-vox">From Vox</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Why Did the Police Shoot Matthew Zadok Williams?</strong> - Outside Atlanta, a mother and five sisters look for answers. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/us-journal/why-did-the-police-shoot-matthew-zadok-williams">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>What’s Next for the Campaign to Break Up Big Tech?</strong> - A judge recently dismissed two antitrust cases against Facebook. But what appeared to be a setback for the effort may actually provide a road map for how it can succeed. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/whats-next-for-the-campaign-to-break-up-big-tech">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>What We Need to Learn from the Tragedy in Surfside</strong> - It is possible that South Florida, where climate change is a particularly acute problem, is nearing a point at which even the best-constructed buildings are under threat. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/07/12/what-we-need-to-learn-from-the-tragedy-in-surfside">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Biden’s Invisible Ideology</strong> - The President has deployed an exasperating but effective strategy to counter Trumpism. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/bidens-invisible-ideology">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Richard Branson’s Plan to Beat Jeff Bezos to Outer Space</strong> - The two billionaires have been duelling for years to make commercial space flights a reality. Now, on Sunday, Branson is going himself. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/richard-bransons-plan-to-beat-jeff-bezos-to-outer-space">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The spiritual bankruptcy of bottled water</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="Bottles of water" src="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/4CQkUiaCdrpR7YZTqla31G0VJOU=/112x0:689x433/1310x983/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69569933/social_image_water.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
Christine Mi
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Selling out a national resource, at 75 billion bottles every year.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ILTGbl">
</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Text: “If you grew up in the US, you might recognize these bottles. The
labels conjure the sublime beauty and abundance of America’s outdoors.” Drawing of bottled water with a bubble on one
that reads: “Ice Mountain, the brand extracted from springs in Michigan, was ‘inspired by the glaciers that once covered
the northern US’”" src="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/By4bjbrQ8bMQOohfJWNyYX0fyF8=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696074/1_Water1.jpg"/>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Text: “Bottled water consumption, in the US and globally, has grown dramatically in the last decade. Americans
drank the equivalent of 342 standard individual bottles per person in 2020, up from approximately 210 bottles in 2010.”
with a drawing of charts that illustrate this, using water droplets to represent 10 bottles.&amp;nbsp;" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/iEE59BtXWrAGjaRLpsb9Xr-kPyA=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696080/2_water_graphic.jpg"/>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="“A lot of bottled water, like Coke’s Dasani, comes from the tap. But some, like Arrowhead, is pumped directly from
natural springs. Called spring water, this allows companies to sell the idea of nature and purity. And drinkable water
is far from available to everyone. In 2016, the year that Michigan declared a state of emergency over Flint’s lead-
contaminated water, bottled water outsold soda.&amp;nbsp; The more we distrust the water from our faucets, the more
bottled water we consume.”" src="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/65qof5XItrxjhJvIOaMa7-36J6M=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696084/3_Water_spring.jpg"/>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><img alt="“Bottled water wasn’t inevitable. It became a viable business opportunity after the invention of the PET
(polyethylene terephthalate) bottle in 1973.&amp;nbsp; Lightweight, unbreakable bottles revolutionized the beverage
industry, making it possible to easily ship billions of individually packaged drinks.&amp;nbsp;The health-conscious
consumer was on the rise, too. Marketers warned people that they were at risk of dehydration, so they’d better always
have bottled water on hand.”" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rTHM9hw1eP-
jifN-602QKpn2EBo=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696091/4_water_pet.jpg"/></p>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="“Americans now buy an unfathomable 75 billion plastic water
bottles per year, according to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, and that number grows by billions more each year. The
vast majority of them end up in landfills. Bottled water companies make pledges to use more recycled plastic, but it’s
nowhere near enough to offset the growth of plastic waste.” Drawing of a garbage dump." src="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/0ioTa0vYGEiIK41qkxGlLYVzk6o=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696108/5_water_landfill2.jpg"/>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="“About 8 million metric tons of plastic enters the ocean per year, most of it trapped along coastlines, buried in
sediment, and elsewhere in the ocean that is not well known.” Image: the earth’s oceans from space." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DtilAKOkr4RoBwroZouGpj7y1RU=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696111/6_water_coastlines.jpg"/>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="“The problem goes even deeper than plastic; it’s about who owns our water. During the Flint water crisis, the
city’s majority-Black residents were paying some of the highest bills in the country for poisoned water.&amp;nbsp;A few
hours away, Nestlé, the Swiss multinational that until recently owned America’s most iconic spring water brands, was
pumping water for its Ice Mountain label virtually for free.” Drawing of a faucet pouring black water over Detroit." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1eNHoRz2thk1OKWvq-biKE-bln4=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696113/7_water_faucet.jpg"/>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="“Indigenous communities have often led the fight to protect ecosystems from corporate control.” Drawing of a person
reading a newspaper with the headline: “1836 treaty puts Michigan tribes at center of Nestle water bid”" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0IWAEeUhybLTphNStoenUR-mKpc=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696117/8_water_treaty.jpg"/>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A man saying “What is important is not the value of the resource solely, whether that be water, whether that be
plants, whether that be fish. It’s also the relationship that we as tribal people have with those resources.” label:
Frank Beaver, the natural resources department director for the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, and a member of the
Grand Traverse Band." src="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/_4EFEgQixqZrT-K533uds4IWdBE=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696133/9_water_beaver1.jpg"/>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="“Commodifying water can be seen as a kind of desecration. Nestlé’s North American water brands were recently sold
to private equity firms and given a new name: BlueTriton Brands, named for an ancient Greek god of the
sea.&amp;nbsp;BlueTriton’s water operation is extraordinarily unpopular with the people of Michigan. More than 80,000
people submitted public comments against the corporation’s plan to pump more water, compared to only 75 in favor. In
2018, the state gave them a permit anyway.”" src="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/oRo_GakrZ1MQVEKRjgySuwVS7dk=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696632/10_water_triton.jpg"/>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="“When capitalism and democracy disagree,” Beaver says, “it seems like democracy loses a lot and capitalism
wins.”&amp;nbsp;" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/d1nHbNjErAcNfLyPI6YX6gNhX78=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696633/11_water_beaver2.jpg"/>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="“Flint had no democratic representation because they’d been placed under emergency financial management by the
state. That was when the city started sourcing water from the corrosive Flint River, which led to the water
crisis.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;“I had water coming out my tap looking like straight Hennessy,” remembers Flint resident and
organizer Nayyirah Shariff. “I had rashes. A lot of folks didn’t know that city council was powerless.”&amp;nbsp;" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JGL5_7vgmT890mEBchqgT96io_o=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696637/12_water_flint1.jpg"/>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="“Bottled water has a way of making itself seem like the natural solution in times of crisis, and Flint became
dependent on it. Companies including Nestlé, Coke, and Pepsi donated millions of bottles to the city, and the state paid
to provide residents free bottled water.”" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EGF75ImKK-
mBcGVysHt0je2w8yw=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696641/13_water_bottledcrisis.jpg"/>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<pre><code> &lt;img alt="“We were advocating for cisterns and water buffaloes. The governor decided that this was what our </code></pre>
recovery was going to look like. And it was extremely insulting,” Shariff says.&amp;nbsp;" src=“https://cdn.vox- cdn.com/thumbor/UHXN3Yqa1xFY0NC_yMIhy-DY80g=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox- cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696642/14_water_flint2.jpg” /&gt;
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="““Failure to invest in our public water system has contributed to the loss of trust in that system,” says water
expert Peter Gleick from The Pacific Institute. “And in the meantime, the bottled water industry capitalizes on that
lack of trust.”&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;" src="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/v8puRYhNCyMcEIwvVFmXgtvnnfE=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696644/15_water_peter.jpg"/>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Bottled water alone isn’t responsible for our plastic crisis or the breakdown in local water systems. But it has
fundamentally redefined our relationship with this essential, finite resource. 23. “Nobody owns water,” says Michigan-
based environmental lawyer Jim Olson. “If you own land, you do not own the water.” Yet by taking water and selling it
back to us, bottled water makers have staked a claim on what belongs to us all." src="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/JNzOQTNymWWoV0qMCDEP_qUMbPE=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22696646/16_water_final.jpg"/>
</figure>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="qpsJGh"/>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2fbtxk">
Sources:
</p>
<ul>
<li id="nQx6T2">
<a href="https://www.icemountainwater.com/faq">Frequently Asked Questions</a>, Ice Mountain Water
</li>
<li id="qiBxOU">
“<a href="https://www.beveragemarketing.com/news-
detail.asp?id=654">Bottled Water, Unbowed by the Covid-19 Crisis, Grows Again in 2020,</a>” Beverage Marketing Corporation, May 2021
</li>
<li id="GEnlIH">
“<a href="https://bottledwater.org/wp-
content/uploads/2021/03/2019BWstats_BMCarticle_BWR_JulyAug2020_lowres.pdf">Bottled Water 2019: Slower but Notable Growth</a>,” by John G. Rodwan, Jr. 
</li>
<li id="DqRq6g">
<a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/plastic-
water"><em>Plastic Water: The Social and Material Life of Bottled Water</em></a>, by Gay Hawkins, Emily Potter, and Kane Race, MIT Press
</li>
<li id="MvfUpE">
“<a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/bottled-water-
everywhere-keeping-it-safe">Bottled Water Everywhere: Keeping it Safe</a>,” US Food and Drug Administration
</li>
<li id="vJXnnW">
“<a href="https://www.beveragemarketing.com/news-detail.asp?id=438">Bottled Water Becomes Number-One Beverage in the U.S.</a>,” Beverage Marketing Corporation, March 2017
</li>
<li id="91Cr5Y">
“<a href="https://napcor.com/news/4970-2/">NAPCOR Releases 2019 PET Recycling Report</a>,” National Association for PET Container Resources
</li>
<li id="1Lb7Mc">
<a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516588&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.penguinrandomhouse.com%2Fbooks%2F550935%2Fwhat-
the-eyes-dont-see-by-mona-hanna-attisha%2F&amp;referrer=vox.com&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2Fthe-
goods%2F2021%2F7%2F12%2F22554546%2Fbottled-water-michigan-waste-flint-plastic" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City</em></a>, by Mona Hanna-Attisha, One World
</li>
<li id="QKydk3">
“<a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/flint-
water-crisis/2016/02/16/study-flint-paid-highest-rate-us-water/80461288/">Flint residents paid America’s highest water rates</a>,” <em>Detroit Free Press</em>, by John Wisely, February 2016
</li>
<li id="hVqz4W">
“<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/03/599207550/michigan-oks-nestl-water-extraction-despite-
over-80k-public-comments-against-it">Michigan OKs Nestlé Water Extraction, Despite 80K+ Public Comments Against It</a>,” NPR, by Bill Chappell, April 2018
</li>
<li id="XfowBw">
<a href="https://islandpress.org/books/bottled-and-
sold"><em>Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water</em></a><em>, </em>by Peter Gleick, Island Press
</li>
<li id="r9Xn0q">
“<a href="https://www.mlive.com/news/2017/06/nestle_waters_michigan_tribes.html">1836 treaty puts Michigan tribes at center of Nestle water bid</a>,” MLive, by Garret Ellison, June 2017.
</li>
<li id="YxUfmf">
“<a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/347/6223/768">Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean</a>,” Science, February 2015.
</li>
</ul>
<div>
<div id="1yAbOc">
<div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>How online fundraising led voters to donate more money than they realized</strong> -
<figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xBl4mdmJxbqC-B-
ekM4xmnjtoQs=/0x0:2667x2000/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69568227/818990318.jpg.0.jpg"/></p>
<figcaption>
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison joined three other states’ attorneys general in questioning tactics used by major campaign fundraising organizations. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
</figcaption></figure></li>
</ul>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Dark patterns are increasingly used to trick even savvy web users.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8DaTrs">
Navigating ethics and privacy online is difficult, and it only gets worse when money is involved. With so much of our identities already online, many are now realizing that their wallets are the privacy boundary they aren’t willing to cross.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iGQcn8">
During the presidential race last fall, some Americans unknowingly crossed this boundary while donating money using online fundraising services, and four state attorneys general are currently trying to uncover more information. In late April, the attorneys general for New York, Minnesota, Maryland, and Connecticut <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/09/politics/political-fundraising-winred-actblue/index.html">sent letters</a> to two online fundraising services requesting information on their use of prechecked boxes that opted contributors into a recurring donation schedule. Two organizations received these letters: WinRed, which accepts donations for Republican candidates, and ActBlue, its Democratic equivalent.
</p>
<h2 id="oElHlN">
One campaign donation turned into thousands of dollars
</h2>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DHBVuY">
A <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/03/us/politics/trump-donations.html">New York Times</a> investigation in April showed how WinRed had used prechecked boxes in their online donation forms which automatically opted donors into monthly or even weekly donations after they voluntarily donated an initial sum, similar to a subscription service. In situations like this, the onus is on the user to deselect the service rather than actively select participation. However, enough users missed the boxes for the scheme to be a fundraising success.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="clkIbM">
The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/03/us/politics/trump-donations.html">New York Times article</a> found that “a clear pattern emerged. Donors typically said they intended to give once or twice and only later discovered on their bank statements and credit card bills that they were donating over and over again.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RhXzQw">
Both ActBlue and WinRed used prechecked boxes without explicitly informing their users throughout the 2020 election, but not to the same degree, a fact illustrated by<strong> </strong>comparing the scale of donation refunds. WinRed, a for-profit donation service, was repeatedly<strong> </strong>flagged for fraud, and the Trump campaign ended up <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2021/04/03/trump-campaign-reportedly-forced-to-refund-more-
than-122-million-to-donors/?sh=4d0b840158a3">refunding $122 million</a>, more than 10 percent of what it raised on WinRed in 2020. The Biden campaign, via<strong> </strong>ActBlue, which is <a href="https://support.actblue.com/donors/about-actblue/why-is-actblue-a-nonprofit/">a nonprofit organization</a>, refunded 2.2 percent of online donations.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZkuadQ">
Throughout the election, other<strong> </strong>groups also<strong> </strong>used the precheck tool, including <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/07/us/politics/republicans-donations-trump-
defector.html?searchResultPosition=3">the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee</a>. However, the DCCC stated that the user receives a notification directly after the donation is processed alerting them to their decision.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LFBhM2">
After receiving the letter requesting information from the attorneys general, ActBlue <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/06/us/politics/fec-trump-donations.html">said in May</a> that it was phasing the use of this tool out, and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/08/us/politics/prechecked-boxes-donations-winred-act-
blue.html?action=click&amp;module=Spotlight&amp;pgtype=Homepage">beginning on July 1</a>, ActBlue now requires any fundraiser that still uses prechecked boxes to explicitly ask users to donate on a recurring basis. WinRed, on the other hand, has been pushing back. In fact, the company has <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/09/politics/political-
fundraising-winred-actblue/index.html">sued Minnesota</a> to stop the scrutiny, saying that federal law oversees its activities and state consumer protection laws should not concern them. In a <a href="https://winred.com/blog/winred-
takes-legal-action-against-democrat-attorneys-general/">statement on its website</a>, WinRed accuses the attorneys general of “exploiting their positions of power for partisan gain” and calls the inquiry itself “unlawful, partisan, and hypocritical.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sDKohG">
Worth noting is that many Americans using online platforms to donate are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/03/us/politics/trump-donations.html">working-class men and women</a>, retirees, and veterans who were not financially able to give recurring sums of money. The New York Times investigation found that some contributors who had donated and subsequently been caught in the donation trap only realized the extent of the damage once their rent payments bounced or their credit cards were rejected. And most of the people getting caught in deceptive donation tactics are older, a trend that is consistent<strong> </strong>across both parties. Data analyzed by the Times shows that the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/26/us/politics/recurring-donations-
seniors.html?partner=slack&amp;smid=sl-share">average age of donors</a> who received refunds is about<strong> </strong>65 for ActBlue and almost 66 from WinRed. In addition, according to federal records, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/26/us/politics/recurring-donations-seniors.html?partner=slack&amp;smid=sl-
share">56 percent</a> of WinRed’s online contributions come from retired Americans, which means that older Americans are donating more, and getting refunded more due to dissatisfaction.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Tw3Y6L">
Since May, legislation has been introduced in the House and the Senate to ban the use of prechecked boxes at the federal level. But <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22351108/dark-patterns-ui-web-design-privacy">Vox’s Sara Morrison</a> writes that, as online capabilities grow, legislation surrounding online privacy laws will not be easy to formulate: “The line between deliberate deception and legally urging a user to make a choice that materially benefits a company can be blurry.”
</p>
<h2 id="rXsNGz">
Making choices online isn’t as straightforward as you think
</h2>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dkT1wt">
Whether or not WinRed cooperates with the states’ request for information, the fact remains that they were able to take over $100 million from Americans all over the country with a few clicks. This not only indicates a misplaced trust in digital spaces, it also shows that websites are willing to exploit this trust for their gain — and many people are only starting to realize how much the digital spaces they frequent can get away with. A large part of this is the use of dark patterns.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3vorGx">
Sara Morrison <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/22351108/dark-patterns-ui-web-design-privacy">defines dark patterns</a> as “design that manipulates or heavily influences users to make certain choices,” while Harry Brignull, who <a href="https://www.darkpatterns.org/">coined the term</a>, wrote that a dark pattern is “a user interface carefully crafted to trick users into doing things they might not otherwise do.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BaziVb">
The problem is that we don’t know when<strong> </strong>we’re being tricked. When trust is breached, as in the case of the prechecked boxes, the resulting loss is monetary and there are ways to quantify it, like referencing a bank account. When the loss is personal information, it’s harder to notice, and in many cases, harder to understand why we should<strong> </strong>care.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="U2Rdhq">
As Morrison reports, one example is careful word choice: like Instagram preferring “activity” and “personalized” rather than “tracking” or “targeted.” This obscures<strong> </strong>the real meaning of what a user is agreeing to and leads to more people allowing the app permissions. Because users don’t often<strong> </strong>know what they’re agreeing to, and the results of clicking an “allow” button are not usually intrusive, it’s easier to do this than to constantly be barraged by follow-up requests.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="y6wPeV">
In addition to hiding information in fine print, as WinRed did with its prechecked boxes, some <a href="https://www.inputmag.com/features/pop-
up-ads-ads-are-trying-to-shame-you">websites use emotional manipulation</a> to get the information they want. The signup button to receive a fashion newsletter might say “I love wearing nice clothes,” while the opt-out button might say, “I don’t have a washing<strong> </strong>machine.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rLKP1k">
WinRed <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/03/us/politics/trump-donations.html">used this tactic on its donation page</a> in messages like: “If you UNCHECK this box, we will have to tell Trump you’re a DEFECTOR &amp; sided with the Dems.” Whether this type of user shaming is in conjunction with saying no to a newsletter or no to your presidential candidate, dark patterns are designed to get more people to say yes online.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gPFBC6">
As of now, the attorneys general are waiting for more information from both WinRed and ActBlue on their transparency practices. WinRed has argued that state players should not be involved in this issue, but the attorneys general take another perspective, stating that online donation policies affect individuals at a state level and thus the issue lands under their jurisdiction.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5SDpmP">
“Every Minnesotan is protected under the law from fraud and deception,” John Stiles, deputy chief of staff to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/09/politics/political-fundraising-
winred-actblue/index.html">told CNN</a>. “It’s the attorney general’s job to protect Minnesotans and enforce those laws, no matter who may break them.”
</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>The US is leaving Afghanistan. The Taliban is gaining. What happens now?</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="Two soldiers sit on an armored vehicle." src="https://cdn.vox-
cdn.com/thumbor/ZHeryEnR__le0VrrUlm_3IR1O6M=/116x0:3264x2361/1310x983/cdn.vox-
cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69567146/1233821469.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
The Afghan National Army keeps watch after the US forces left Bagram airfield in the north of Kabul, Afghanistan, on July 5, 2021. | Haroon Sabawoon/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
An expert on an unpredictable, uncertain future.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IXDFWq">
“Is the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan inevitable?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AR7xLG">
That’s the question a reporter <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1413202372860469254?s=20">put to</a> President Joe Biden this week at a press conference on the US’s drawdown in Afghanistan.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6EQ74E">
“No, it is not,” Biden <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1413202372860469254?s=20">said</a>, noting that Afghan government troops greatly outnumber the Taliban and are “as well-equipped as any army in the world.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="TbNiTs">
That may be true, but numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. The Taliban has rapidly <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/9/taliban-afghanistan-border-crossing-iran">expanded its territorial control</a> over the last week and is closing <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/even-taliban-
are-surprised-how-fast-they-re-advancing-afghanistan-n1272236">in on the capital, Kabul</a>. On Monday, more than <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/05/afghan-soldiers-flee-tajikistan-taliban/">1,000 Afghan soldiers reportedly fled into neighboring Tajikistan</a> to escape a Taliban advance. A US intelligence assessment has said the Afghan government <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/afghan-government-could-collapse-six-months-after-u-s-
withdrawal-new-intelligence-assessment-says-11624466743">could fall in six months</a> once US and other international troops leave.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="R7oY6z">
It makes it hard to see a Taliban takeover as anything other than extremely likely, if not truly inevitable. For that reason, it’s worth thinking about what it would actually mean if that were to happen. What does that look like? And how should the Biden administration respond?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="A7rGQB">
I spoke with Madiha Afzal, a fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank and an expert on the region, to talk through some of these questions.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Jm0irX">
Afzal’s not necessarily convinced that a full Taliban takeover is imminent. “It could happen down the road, but not without some significant fighting,” she told me. But, she said, “The fundamental question facing the Biden administration is, whatever government setup emerges in Afghanistan, will it pose a threat to the US?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NJtB0A">
Our conversation, edited for length and clarity, is below.
</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="0s17eT"/>
<h4 id="UJcsUZ">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5pczF7">
I know it’s a very complicated situation on the ground in Afghanistan, but can you give a basic overview of the landscape right now as the US withdraws?
</p>
<h4 id="HICTIr">
Madiha Afzal
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="W8kqbC">
I think many of us feared that with withdrawal, without a peace deal between the Taliban and Kabul, the most likely outcome would be some kind of a civil war. Not necessarily an imminent Taliban takeover, but a civil war that could be a protracted one.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eBGMmm">
Now, given <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57748695">the losses</a> that Afghan security forces have suffered in the last few days after US forces <a href="https://apnews.com/article/bagram-afghanistan-airfield-us-
troops-f3614828364f567593251aaaa167e623">departed the Bagram Air Base</a>, those rapid losses have led some to believe it’s only a matter of time before the Taliban takes over — and, in fact, that military takeover might be more likely, that the fight will soon move to provincial capitals and cities and the Afghan security forces will have the same kind of losses they’ve faced over the last few days.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DUSSQr">
But that may not necessarily be the case. It could be that the fight is stronger in Afghan cities, provincial capitals, certainly in Kabul. There’s also the question of what happens if the Taliban gets to Kabul and tries to take over Kabul. Does the US step in in some way? Do NATO forces step in some way? That’s a question that was raised, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/09/us/politics/afghanistan-airstrikes-us-troop-withdrawal.html">at least in some recent reporting</a>.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2a8Lbg">
So I think the most likely outcome is fighting that will soon move to Afghanistan’s provincial capitals. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that a full Taliban takeover is imminent. It could happen down the road, but not without some significant fighting.
</p>
<h4 id="H5703Q">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zevpji">
As you said, it’s hard to know what will happen. But, from the US perspective, is that the key goal? To keep the central government and Afghan security forces intact? Or do you think the US government is thinking about the strategy differently as it leaves?
</p>
<h4 id="tBPhgD">
Madiha Afzal
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DmXULz">
That thinking is probably still evolving as the US views what is happening. I think an eventual outcome, if one thinks about it — and this could be down the road — could be a part of Afghanistan ruled by the Taliban, and one part of it, perhaps, ruled by a government that is friendlier to the United States.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZySimf">
Would the US step in in some way to avoid Kabul being taken over by the Taliban? I think that’s a question. In all the discussions that the US has been having with Pakistan and other countries trying to establish over the horizon counterterrorism capabilities, we don’t really have a satisfactory answer there, I think because nothing has really been decided.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bAXMtP">
With all those discussions, to me, the fundamental question facing the Biden administration is, whatever government setup emerges in Afghanistan, will it pose a threat to the US?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="CDu4rI">
Even if it’s complete — let’s go to the extreme — even if it’s a complete Taliban takeover, does it pose a threat to the United States or not? The US doesn’t have to give it aid. The US doesn’t have to give it legitimacy. The US may even sanction it. It has certain tools. But if it exists, like it did in the 1990s, does it give haven to al-Qaeda? Does it allow its soil to be used to attack the United States?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dxvMwP">
That’s when this government becomes a problem for the United States. So if it’s a small part of Afghanistan, or a significant part of Afghanistan, that is being ruled by a Taliban government, again, the same question arises.
</p></li>
</ul>
<h4 id="C7nyYf">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ERKmPN">
So the question is not so much whether or not the Taliban will take over, but rather in what form, and if it acts like a rogue actor. But if the Taliban doesn’t, say, give safe harbor to terrorists, then the US may not be as concerned, even if that’s an uncomfortable position after 20 years of nation- building.
</p>
<h4 id="ir9VK3">
Madiha Afzal
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nbt4XV">
Exactly. President Biden has been talking about the terrorist threat from Afghanistan being a key concern. He <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-
remarks/2021/07/08/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-drawdown-of-u-s-forces-in-afghanistan/">alludes to that repeatedl</a>y, saying, basically, “Look, the terrorist threat has morphed, it has gone elsewhere.” So, at least for his administration, the central question around the Taliban’s ascendance would be: What kind of threat does it pose to the US?
</p>
<h4 id="FRG8wf">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="veeCA3">
This may be an impossible question to answer, but do we have a sense of what the Taliban might do, learning the lessons of 20 years? Perhaps they’re less eager to host terrorists? Or maybe not?
</p>
<h4 id="yhswIw">
Madiha Afzal
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="I17D6V">
The answer to that is probably a little bit mixed, and maybe not satisfactory because there is a lot we don’t know. The Taliban is good at rhetoric. It’s good at propaganda. What it says is not what actually happens.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8qtAsx">
We should be very wary when it comes to the Taliban. There’s also a divide between the Taliban political leadership — which seems to know how to use rhetoric and propaganda — versus rural Taliban or foot soldiers who a) believe in the same draconian, regressive forms of governance they did in the 1990s, and b) believe that they’ve won a jihadist victory. And this means you don’t compromise, going back to the way things were in the 1990s.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mWGa08">
The Taliban political leadership isn’t fully clear on what it wants in terms of girls’ education, women going to work, and so on. It has just said it’s going to be in line with Islam.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="G5rldP">
I think we ought to be wary of how much the Taliban has changed. That being said, they seem to enjoy international legitimacy. Now, whether that’s just because they want to use that to make the US get out of Afghanistan and then essentially go back to the ways of the 1990s, that could be.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="CWkGG0">
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/09/iran-and-russia-move-to-fill-diplomatic-vacuum-in-
afghanistan">They’re on a diplomatic tour of sorts</a>, having just gone to Iran. They sometimes visit Pakistan. They’re making relationships with other countries, it seems, and countries beyond those they were in touch with in the 1990s.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uEcyTg">
So will they want to be a pariah state, isolated as they were in the ’90s? I’m not quite sure about that. They certainly want to fully take over Afghanistan at whatever cost. What they want after that, in terms of their relationship with other countries and their international status, that’s something where people think, “Maybe we can get them to moderate based on their desire for international legitimacy.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="44zqUE">
That’s the open question. I am severely skeptical of that.
</p>
<h4 id="QFa3R9">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NzC3cT">
That makes me think of <a href="https://www.vox.com/world/2020/2/29/21158939/us-taliban-sign-peace-deal-troops-afghanistan">the US peace deal with the Taliban</a>, brokered under the Trump administration,<strong> </strong>which seemed to give the Taliban the type of legitimacy it craved. Was that, in retrospect, a turning point for the Taliban? Did that have any influence?
</p>
<h4 id="YGaQwq">
Madiha Afzal
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="zkFpDq">
Absolutely. I think the US-Taliban deal <a href="https://www.state.gov/wp-
content/uploads/2020/02/02.29.20-US-Afghanistan-Joint-Declaration.pdf">signed in Doha</a> gave the Taliban more legitimacy than anything until then. The Taliban has been building on that legitimacy since then. The fact that the Afghan government in Kabul wasn’t even party to that deal, that the US agreed with the Taliban on things that it then got the Afghan government to do, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-taliban-factbox/afghan-
prisoner-release-what-it-is-what-it-means-for-peace-idUSKCN2550BS">such as the release of prisoners</a>. These are all things that really bolstered the Taliban, whether we like it or not.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0bnb7K">
And, in some sense, it’s become an actor that is much more confident in itself after that. People talk about Pakistan using its leverage over the Taliban. Well, a lot of other actors now have less leverage over the Taliban to get them to do what they want because the Taliban has been granted this international legitimacy, by the US more than anyone else.
</p>
<h4 id="xZCBuO">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="0E4Pye">
So from a US standpoint, do you try to leverage that? Now that you’ve had these negotiations with the Taliban, do you try to work the gears diplomatically and try to engage?
</p>
<h4 id="41VkqI">
Madiha Afzal
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gUvR00">
Sadly, I think an unconditional withdrawal basically makes the peace process redundant. The Taliban has shown that by its military strategy since.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="56nm9L">
Where our leverage existed was in this little time period that we had between the Doha deal being signed and our final withdrawal. So, to me, our troops — as cynical as that sounds — are where the leverage lay because that’s what the Taliban wanted. It wanted US troops to leave. But it didn’t have to grant the US anything. It didn’t have to do anything to get the troops to leave, so we lost that leverage by the unconditional withdrawal that the <a href="https://www.vox.com/2021/4/25/22402539/afghanistan-military-withdrawal-
final-biden-september-11th">president announced in April</a>.
</p>
<h4 id="4UUFx6">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IMW6ki">
So essentially the US said, “Do those things and we’ll leave.” And then they didn’t and we left anyway, but we still want them to do those things.
</p>
<h4 id="yiSaer">
Madiha Afzal
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KdzWdM">
Exactly. So you can see how the incentives fall away for the Taliban.
</p>
<h4 id="w07fep">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PGCnmV">
Does the US, do you think, still have to take the lead when it comes to the future of Afghanistan? Or do you think it will shift elsewhere, maybe to NATO or the United Nations?
</p>
<h4 id="b3pMzP">
Madiha Afzal
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Wyu8Uk">
I think the Biden administration has been trying to say, “Look, regional countries have a responsibility here, and they really need to step up.” Pakistan, Russia, China — obviously Turkey’s important, India. That’s where the Biden administration is pointing the finger. It depends on the outcomes. But I think there’s a serious credibility problem for the US if it just looks away.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="EGEcut">
President Biden has, <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/07/08/remarks-
by-president-biden-on-the-drawdown-of-u-s-forces-in-afghanistan/">in terms of promising assistance</a>, basically said, “This is a new chapter where the partnership is not a military one, but we will be there for you in other ways.” I think the US feels some burden of responsibility and, I think, will not look away entirely — though the Biden administration would probably like to focus on other things.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wumMy6">
I think this is an administration that does care about its perception in the world, and does not want to be thought of as abandoning Afghanistan. But whether that in practice has any major effect beyond — not necessarily lip service, but rhetorical support, we’ll have to see.
</p>
<h4 id="BygMet">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sepW4m">
I’m wondering if there is another way to protect some of the gains in Afghanistan, especially around human rights, but maybe not around the paradigm of a centrally functioning Afghan government. Is there such an approach for the US to take?
</p>
<h4 id="hzXmvL">
Madiha Afzal
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vu522A">
The US cannot be the one to sustain a centrally functioning government in Afghanistan. Again, Biden <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/25/us/politics/biden-afghanistan-withdrawal.html">talked about that quite candidly</a>, saying it’s very difficult. So how can those gains be protected? I think the US is banking on — kind of pun intended — assistance: security, financial, economic, humanitarian, all sorts of assistance. And that the Taliban will, militarily, face pushback.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ZHsBgT">
So perhaps it is looking at some outcome where there could be a decentralized framework, where the cities have a different set-up versus the rural areas, and large swaths of the country are ruled by the Taliban.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IDSnKK">
All of this will really depend on how things go militarily — whether the Afghan security forces are really able to put up a fight in those areas. Because remember that many of the gains we talk about — schools, employment — these were felt and seen in the urban areas and not in the rural areas. So in some sense, the rural areas being taken over by the Taliban may get some measure of stability in whatever form because the fighting stops.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="om2KHl">
And so what happens to the urban areas? Is there a way for the US to help the Afghans hold on to those gains a little bit longer? There’s a segment of Afghan society that doesn’t want to let those gains go. I also know that many of them are leaving. It’s a very dynamic situation.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4FSxDQ">
So that one is hard to talk about without knowing how things are going to go militarily. There is a bit of a wait-and-see approach because the assistance announced is what it is. Given that and given the fighting power of the Afghan security forces, can they put up a fight?
</p>
<h4 id="91z37s">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="imffDa">
Do you think there is any scenario where the US would recommit or intervene militarily in Afghanistan to do that?
</p>
<h4 id="NjoCUk">
Madiha Afzal
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="e3dgaA">
That’s a big question — the million-dollar question. People have talked about, well, if an ISIS-like situation emerges, as with post-Iraq withdrawal and the rise of ISIS. That’s not what we are necessarily worried about in Afghanistan. I think the terrorism threat that emerges from Afghanistan will not be something we see in the short term. It’s not going to be quick.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7oji84">
The worry is that once the Taliban has taken over some parts of Afghanistan [and US troops have left], they start to let al-Qaeda or other terrorist groups do what they want, and then al-Qaeda regroups or other terrorist groups [get stronger], and then perhaps begin posing a threat to the United States. That’s the worry.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wn6RXW">
In that case, though, the US assumes counterterrorism capabilities are going to be enough. So, honestly, in this administration, I don’t really see that happening. I don’t see the US military becoming involved again in Afghanistan.
</p>
<h4 id="nEkpWZ">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="eE6hJd">
It does seem very bleak, if I’m being honest. If there is a best-case scenario for Afghanistan right now, even against long odds?
</p>
<h4 id="x8BSoO">
Madiha Afzal
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iYjCCu">
Up to the US-Taliban deal signed in Doha, I thought maybe we could actually get a decent deal signed. That was a pretty bad deal to begin with. Once it was signed, things have just been downhill from there. So I thought things looked bleak in February 2020.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sbmPqX">
They look far worse now. I am wary enough of the Taliban that I don’t see any evidence that they will either go for a peace deal or change their ways, not want a military takeover. I think perhaps the hope — and hope is not a strategy — the hope lies in perhaps the Afghan government and security forces being able to muster something up to hold them back. And I’m very sadly watching with worry.
</p>
<h4 id="r6lpBQ">
Jen Kirby
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="mO1ais">
Even in that scenario, it seems as if it will just generate more fighting, more violence, which will be felt by the people of Afghanistan.
</p>
<h4 id="JIR6wa">
Madiha Afzal
</h4>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="RVYRTL">
That’s absolutely right. In the medium term, that just means bloodshed.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3byqXv">
I can’t imagine what those in Afghanistan are thinking about the future. It requires a lot of bravery just to be there, just to continue to go on doing the jobs they’re doing. Women journalists in particular — <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/05/world/asia/afghanistan-women-journalists.html">so many attacked in the last few months</a>. Going to school may mean you don’t go home. It’s just horrible.
</p>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>National sports awards selection process to be delayed to include Olympic medallists</strong> - More than 120 Indian athletes would be vying for medals at the Games amid strict health safety protocols because of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Boris Johnson slams racial abuse against England’s Euro 2020 team</strong> - Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, the three players who missed England’s penalties on July 11, were the victims of a stream of abuse on Twitter and on their Instagram accounts.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Racist abuse targets English players who missed penalties</strong> - The FA said in a statement it was “appalled” by the abuse of the three players.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Ronaldo finishes as top scorer at Euro 2020</strong> - The Portugal forward finished as the top scorer with five goals.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Bangladesh crushes Zimbabwe by 220 runs</strong> - Spinner Mehidy Hasan returns a match-haul of nine wickets</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Kerala’s back-up Emergency Operations Centre to be established at the Secretariat in the capital</strong> - Additional support aimed at strengthening Kerala’s disaster response mechanism</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>‘Focus is on growth of IT sector in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities’</strong> - Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan says Hubballi region has been given prominence in Karnataka government’s Beyond Bengaluru policy</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Teenager booked for communal speech at Haryana event</strong> - Youth earlier involved in shooting at anti-CAA protest in Delhi.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar briefly loses ‘blue badge’ on Twitter after he changes username</strong> - The blue badge for Chandrasekhar, who assumed charge as MoS of the IT Ministry, was restored within a few hours.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Abhaya murder case: petition challenges grant of parole to Father Kottoor, Sister Sephy</strong> - High Court Bench directs State prosecutor to file a statement</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Euro 2020: Italy fans ecstatic after England defeated in Wembley final</strong> - The Italian team is given a hero’s welcome as it arrives home after defeating England on penalties.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Racist abuse of England players condemned</strong> - England manager Gareth Southgate says online racist abuse of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka is “unforgivable”, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the FA condemn the social media posts.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>UK PM urges caution over 19 July unlocking</strong> - Boris Johnson warns that Covid cases, currently at 30,000 a day, will rise as restrictions end.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Pope Francis leads prayers from hospital balcony after colon surgery</strong> - Francis thanks well-wishers from his hospital balcony following treatment for a colon problem.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Georgia: Cameraman dies after attack at anti-Pride march</strong> - Lekso Lashkarava, who was badly injured, was found dead in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on Sunday.</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Archaeologists “flabbergasted” to find Cerne Giant’s origins are medieval</strong> - “Everyone was wrong, and that makes these results even more exciting.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1779346">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>How much shipping can we get through a warming Arctic?</strong> - Research discusses the logistic, social, and ecological impacts of a warm Arctic. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1779267">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Creepypasta and the search for the ghost in the machine</strong> - Stories of haunted video games have circulated for decades. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1779035">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The weekend’s best tech deals: Nintendo Switch Lite, MacBook Air, and more</strong> - Dealmaster also has deals on Dell monitors, good board games, and portable SSDs. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1779054">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>When science breaks bad: A rogues’ gallery of history’s worst scientists</strong> - A new book catalogs some of the greatest ethical lapses done in the name of science. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1779135">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>One day, a wife came home early and found her husband in their bedroom making love to a very attractive young woman. Naturally, she was very upset.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“You are a disrespectful pig!” she cried. “How dare you do this to me! I’m a faithful wife, the mother of your children! I’m leaving you. I want a divorce right away!”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The husband replied, “Hang on just a minute love, so at least I can tell you what happened.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“Go ahead,” she sobbed, “but they’ll be the last words you’ll say to me!”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
So the husband began, “Well, I was getting into the car to drive home, and this young lady here asked me for a lift. She looked so down and out and defenseless that I took pity on her and let her into the car.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
I noticed that she was very thin, not well dressed and very dirty. She told me that she hadn’t eaten for three days. So, in my compassion, I brought her home and warmed up the enchiladas I made for you last night. The ones you wouldn’t eat because you’re afraid you’ll put on weight. The poor thing devoured them in moments!
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Since she needed a good clean-up, I suggested a shower, and while she was doing that, I noticed her clothes were dirty and full of holes so I threw them away. Then, as she needed clothes, I gave her the designer jeans that you have had for a few years, but don’t wear because you say they are too tight.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
I also gave her the underwear that was your anniversary present, which you don’t wear because I don’t have good taste. I found the sexy blouse my sister gave you for Christmas that you don’t wear just to annoy her and I also donated those boots you bought at the expensive boutique and don’t wear because someone at work has a pair the same.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The husband took a quick breath and continued, “She was so grateful for my understanding and help that as I walked her to the door, she turned to me with tears in her eyes and said…” “Do you have anything else that your wife doesn’t use?”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/littleboy_xxxx"> /u/littleboy_xxxx </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/oihbfp/one_day_a_wife_came_home_early_and_found_her/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/oihbfp/one_day_a_wife_came_home_early_and_found_her/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>My wife and I wanted the sex of our baby to be a secret. She and I were sure the baby would be a girl, with four names, and we picked Alyssa Cassidy Shea Smith to be her name.. but there was always that doubt in the back of our minds.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The delivery day came at last. My wife was going into labor, and cried out a final reminder: “Don’t forget, her name is Alyssa Cassidy Shea Smith!”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“I know honey! Just be strong, you got this!”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
“Oh! I almost forgot,” she said, just before the epidural took over. “We need a boy name, just in case he’s a boy.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
18 hours later, a boy was born. I’m nothing if not a good listener.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Our bouncing 8 pound, 6 oz child was named according to mom’s wishes.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Justin Casey Zaboi Smith
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Idk why she’s so mad.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/ChefJordan24"> /u/ChefJordan24 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/oi90hd/my_wife_and_i_wanted_the_sex_of_our_baby_to_be_a/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/oi90hd/my_wife_and_i_wanted_the_sex_of_our_baby_to_be_a/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>What did one bloody tampon say to the other bloody tampon?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Nothing, they’re both stuck up cunts.
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/DaddyPepeElPigelo"> /u/DaddyPepeElPigelo </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/oiere4/what_did_one_bloody_tampon_say_to_the_other/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/oiere4/what_did_one_bloody_tampon_say_to_the_other/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>Dylan was practicing his golf swing in his front yard when he swung a little too hard and sent the ball through his neighbors window. He rang the bell but nobody answered so he opened the door to see an old lamp lying near broken glass and a huge fat Arabian man wearing a turban sitting on the couch</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Dylan asked, “Who are you?” The fat man replied, “I am a genie you have freed from that lamp.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Dylan questioned, “Oh man, do I get three wishes?” The genie replied, “Since you freed me by accident you only get two and I get one.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Dylan thought about it and realized what he wanted, “I want to be the best golfer ever.” The surprised genie said, “You sure? Most people wish for money, but okay. Now your wife gets one wish.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Dylan brought over his wife who wished right away, “I want a million dollars every week of my life.” The genie said, “Granted. And now for my wish, I have been cramped up in that lamp for many years so its been a while since I’ve been with a woman. I want one day of wild, crazy sex with your wife, Dylan.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Dylan said, “No way!” The genie replied, “Not even for a million dollars a week?” Dylan turned to his wife, who said, “I guess for all that, I should. Well, not until Dylan leaves.” Dylan said, “Okay, have fun, I guess,” and left.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Dylan’s wife then proceeded to have wild sex for the rest of the day with the genie. When they were finished, the genie asked how old her husband was. She said, “Forty-five.” The Genie laughed and said, “Isn’t he a little old to be believing in genies?”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/littleboy_xxxx"> /u/littleboy_xxxx </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/oi4srt/dylan_was_practicing_his_golf_swing_in_his_front/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/oi4srt/dylan_was_practicing_his_golf_swing_in_his_front/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>The Pope had become very ill and was taken to many doctors, all of whom could not figure out how to cure him</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
<div class="md">
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Finally, he was brought to an old physician. After about an hour’s examination he came out and told the cardinalsthat he had some good news and some bad news.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The bad news was that the Pope had a rare disorder of the testicles. The good news was that all the Pope had to do to be cured was have sex.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Well, this was not good news to the cardinals, who argued about it at length.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Finally, they went to the Pope with the doctor and explained the situation. After some thought, the Pope stated, “I agree, but under four conditions.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The cardinals were amazed and there arose quite an uproar. Over the noise a
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
single voice asked, “And what are the four conditions?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The room stilled. There was a long pause.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The Pope replied, “First, the girl must be blind, so that she cannot see who she
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
is having sex with.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Second, she must be deaf, so that she cannot hear who she is having sex with.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
And third, she must be dumb so that if somehow she figures out who she is
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
having sex with, she can tell no one.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
After another long pause a voice arose and asked, “And the fourth condition?”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
The Pope replied, “Big tits.”
</p>
</div>
<!-- SC_ON -->
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/orgasmic2021"> /u/orgasmic2021 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/oinftb/the_pope_had_become_very_ill_and_was_taken_to/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/oinftb/the_pope_had_become_very_ill_and_was_taken_to/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
</ul>
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