Three things for August 23

1. Phil Valentine dies of COVID-19

We are saddened to report that our host and friend Phil Valentine has passed away. Please keep the Valentine family in your thoughts and prayers. pic.twitter.com/vhXpE7x0oX

— SuperTalk 99.7 WTN (@997wtn) August 21, 2021

On Aug. 21, Nashville-based talk show radio host Phil Valentine, 61, died of complications caused by COVID-19. 

Valentine, who previously questioned whether it was necessary for all people to get COVID-19 vaccines, died after being diagnosed with COVID-19 over a month ago.

Valentine was a radio host, author and actor. He was best known for his books “Barbican: A Sterling McQueen Spy Story” and “The First Face of Janus: The Secret Society of Nostradamus.” 

In 2012 he wrote, produced and featured in “An Inconsistent Truth,” a feature documentary about global warming. 

2. Trump encourages vaccines at Alabama rally 

On Saturday, former President Donald Trump held a rally in Cullman, Alabama, where the crowd booed him after he recommended the COVID-19 vaccine. 

“I believe totally in your freedoms, I do, you’re free, you’ve got to do what you have to do,” Trump said. “I recommend taking the vaccines. I did it. It’s good. Take the vaccines.”

Alabama sits at just over 36% of its state fully vaccinated, giving it one of the lowest vaccination rates in the United States. 

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey voiced concerns about her state’s vaccination numbers. 

“Almost 100% of the new hospitalizations are with unvaccinated folks, and the deaths are certainly occurring with the unvaccinated folks. These folks are choosing a horrible lifestyle of self-inflicted pain,” said Ivey. “Folks are supposed to have common sense, but it’s time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks, not the regular folks. It’s the unvaccinated folks that are letting us down.”

3. Biden considers extending Afghanistan withdrawal deadline 

We are going to do everything that we can to provide safe evacuation for our Afghan allies, partners, and Afghans who may be targeted for their association with the United States.

And let me be clear: any American that wants to come home, we will get you home.

— President Biden (@POTUS) August 20, 2021

On Sunday, President Joe Biden announced that his administration is considering extending the Afghanistan withdrawal deadline to Aug. 31 in light of evacuation chaos in Kabul. 

Over the weekend, the U.S. evacuated nearly 11,000 people from Afghanistan. Since the Taliban seized Kabul on Aug. 15, 28,000 people have been evacuated.

The U.S. and its allies will continue to evacuate U.S. citizens and allies out of Afghanistan in the coming days and weeks. 

For live updates concerning the situation in Afghanistan, click here.