State Dept.: 6,000 will soon board planes to leave Kabul; Pentagon: U.S. evacuated 7,000 from Kabul in past 5 days; Third senator tests positive for covid; One-on-one with Dr. Anthony Fauci

The Lead with Jake Tapper

CNN: Only a small number of Afghans are making it into Kabul airport due to Taliban checkpoints; Biden suggests U.S. troops could stay in Afghanistan past withdrawal deadline to evacuate all Americans; State Dept.: 20 flights expected to depart Kabul tonight; Taliban using violence to stop Afghans from reaching airport; Biden defends chaotic U.S. troops withdrawal from Afghanistan; Sources: State Dept. urged U.S. embassy staff to head to airport, some Afghans arrived bloody & distraught; Suspect surrenders after bomb threat, standoff near U.S. Capital; Five FL counties now in defiance of DeSantis mask mandate ban; Covid hospitalizations among children hit record high; Culver City schools: Staff & eligible students must be vaccinated; Surgeon Gen. worried about safety of children in states blocking masks; Dr. Fauci weighs in on boosters and the mask debate; Washington state & Oregon require all school staff to be vaccinated; Rioters sentencing delayed after online sleuths find new evidence; At least 2,100 dead, desperate need for aid in towns isolated after 7.2 earthquake and tropical storm

To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices