## Georgia County Shuts Down All Schools Amid Major Student COVID Outbreak

Authored by huffpost.com

A Georgia county has shut down all 11 of its public schools just over a week after classes began, amid a “sharp increase” in student coronavirus cases.

Schools in Ware County in southeastern Georgia are now closed until at least Aug. 27, and students won’t be allowed back until Sept. 7 at the earliest, according to officials.

Four other small school districts in Georgia suspended in-person instruction earlier in the week, as COVID-19 cases among students soared.

“Initially, we thought we were going to have a normal start,” Ware County schools Superintendent Bert Smith told WJXT-4 TV.

Georgia ranks among the bottom eight states in terms of vaccination rates, with just 39.4% of its population fully vaccinated.

Ware, like most Georgia counties, has a mask-optional policy in schools, though masks “were strongly recommended,” according to WSAV.

The battle over COVID precautions at schools erupted into violence Wednesday in a California school where masks are required. »

### Afghan president could abdicate after Taliban enter Kabul: Sources

Authored by english.alarabiya.net

Afghanistan’s president could abdicate in the next few hours after the Taliban entered capital Kabul on Sunday, according to Al Arabiya sources.

The country’s defense minister, however, said in a tweet that security forces are committed to defending Kabul from the Taliban.

Ali Ahmad Jalali, the US-based academic and former Afghan interior minister, has been tapped to head an interim Afghan administration, according to Reuters diplomatic sources. »

### EA warns Battlefield 2042 playtesters who break NDA they may be banned from final game

Authored by eurogamer.net

EA has issued a start warning to those playing the Battlefield 2042 technical playtest this weekend: break NDA and face a potential ban from the final game.

Predictably, gameplay footage leaked online, which EA yesterday scrambled to pull offline.

And finally: "Break the rules, expect to lose access to both the technical playtest, future EA tests, and potentially access to 2042 itself when it releases. »

### Afghan President Ghani relinquishes power, Taliban form interim gov't

Authored by dailysabah.com

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani relinquished power as Taliban fighters entered Kabul on Sunday and sought the unconditional surrender of the central government.

Ghani urged government forces Sunday to maintain security in Kabul, after the Taliban paused their sweeping advance on the outskirts of the capital, causing widespread panic.

On Saturday, Ghani vowed to prevent further bloodshed, as Taliban fighters closed in on Kabul after routing his armed forces over the past 10 days. »

### Billy Crystal got super stoned inside an MRI machine after eating too many weed gummies, then asked his doctor for Taco Bell

Authored by insider.com

Thirty minutes into the procedure, he was so stoned he asked the doctor if he could get Taco Bell.

Billy Crystal said he ate too many weed edibles and asked for fast food 30 minutes into an MRI.

Crystal said his doctor recommended he get an MRI after he experienced "strange pain" in his hip, possibly from a workout. »

## In pictures

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