Here are things to know for Monday, August 23:
1. President Biden says US-led evacuation from Kabul is accelerating
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President Joe Biden said Sunday the U.S.-led evacuation of Americans, at-risk Afghans and others from the Kabul airport accelerated this weekend, although it remains vulnerable to threats posed by the Islamic State extremist group.
One week after the Taliban completed its takeover of Afghanistan by capturing Kabul, Biden said discussions are underway among military officials about potentially extending the airlift beyond Biden’s Aug. 31 deadline. “Our hope is we will not have to extend, but there are discussions,” he said, suggesting the possibility that the Taliban will be consulted.
Since Aug. 14, one day before the Taliban entered Kabul, the airlift has evacuated 28,000 people, Biden said. He said that included 11,000 who had departed from Kabul in a 36-hour period this weekend, but he did not provide details. The number appeared to include flights by charter and non-U.S. military aircraft as well as the U.S. Air Force C-17 and C-130 transport planes that have been flying daily from the capital. The U.S. military is controlling air traffic on both the civilian and military sides of the airport.
2. ‘I’ve never seen anything like this’: ER doctor says hundreds of patients are waiting to be admitted into hospitals, but there are no beds
Emergency room doctors in Southeast Texas say they are running out of hospital beds, and some patients are waiting hours, sometimes days to be admitted into a hospital.
“Are there patients dying because of this that might not have died? Absolutely, yes,” said Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council CEO, Darrell Pile. “I am very concerned about the fatalities that are about to happen.”
As of Friday afternoon, Pile says 482 patients were waiting for hospital beds in his 25-county region. He said 211 of those patients are COVID-19 positive.
An additional 120 patients are waiting for an ICU bed. Of those patients, 65 are COVID-19 positive.
“The poor nurses and doctors and respiratory therapists can’t see all the patients that are mounting in the lobby, and now we have patients waiting in parking lots and we have patients waiting in the back of ambulances in parking lots. It’s a gridlock at the emergency department level,” Pile told KPRC 2.
3. $10K reward offered after off-duty New Orleans police officer fatally shot at Galleria restaurant
An off-duty New Orleans police officer was killed Saturday in a double shooting at a restaurant in the Galleria area, according to the Houston Police Department.
Officials said another victim was also shot and transported to the hospital in critical condition.
The off-duty officer was later identified as NOPD Detective Everett Briscoe, a 13-year law enforcement veteran.
“Chief Randy Fandal and the entire Slidell Police Department extends their sympathy and condolences to the family and friends of NOPD Detective Everett Briscoe,” the Slidell Police Department said in a statement on social media.
Police said the two suspects are still on the run. A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to their arrest.
4. City announces $10K reward after father shot, killed while driving with his kids on East Freeway
A man was fatally shot late Friday while driving along the East Freeway. His two sons were in the car when the shooting occurred, police said.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced Sunday a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of those involved in the deadly shooting.
At approximately 10:40 p.m. officers with the Houston Police Department and the Jacinto City Police Department were dispatched to a location near the intersection of the East Freeway Service Rd and Holland Avenue in reference to reports of a shooting.
5. Houston ranks 6th worst city for dating, survey says
Single and ready to mingle, Houston?
Houston was ranked 6th worst for dating in a survey by real estate research company Clever.
Why did the Bayou City ranked so low in the survey? Clever said it’s due to fewer date-night options in the area and the average date-night bill costs between $15-$21 more than the top 10 best cities.
According to the rankings, Houston currently has an average star rating of 4.3 in 64 restaurants in the area with 47% of its population are unmarried.