Here are five new stories of the month that students should be aware of.

1. Vaccine Mandate For Los Angeles Unified (Sept. 9)

Los Angeles (L.A.) Unified School Board passed a mandate for the COVID-19 vaccine. By January 2022, all students 12 years old and older in L.A. Unified must be fully vaccinated to protect themselves against the COVID-19 virus.

“It seems to me that the safest way to protect children under 12 is for as many people as possible to be vaccinated,” said board member Jackie Goldberg, who expressed fear for her family members being too young to get vaccinated. 

“I see this as a community necessity to protect the children under 12 who cannot be vaccinated.”

Passed on Sept. 9, all eligible students must receive their first dose by Nov. 21, and their second by Dec.19. For students involved in extracurriculars, eligible students must receive the vaccine by Oct. 3, and the second by Oct. 31. Students who have just turned 12 are required to have the first doses administered no later than 30 days after their birthday and no later than 8 weeks for the second dose. Teachers and staff must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 15. Vaccines have already been dispatched to middle and high schools, giving the students in L.A. Unified accessible opportunities to follow this mandate.

2. Kabul Airport Attack (Aug. 26)

A tragic suicide bombing was unleashed on Kabul Airport in Afghanistan, killing 13 United States (U.S.)  troops and 60 Afghans. Struck by this attack on Aug. 26, officials believe that the terrorist organization, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan (ISIS-K), was targeting U.S troops.

 The central ISIS mainly operates in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or the Khorasan Province, has taken responsibility. Formed in January 2015, Khorasan fought not only the American troops but also the Taliban.

“They (IS loyalists) came in on many white pickup trucks mounted with big machine guns and fought the Taliban. The Taliban could not resist and fled,” said Haji Abdul, a tribal elder from the Achin District. 

U.S. troops have been stationed in Afghanistan for years, but, in light of recent events, have started to withdraw. During this process, Afghanistan, which has been taken over by the Taliban, is being left in absolute chaos. ISIS took advantage of the discord in Afghanistan, aiming to cause even more instability. The less radical Taliban has denied any connection or knowledge of this attack. The bombing has slowed down the U.S.’ transition out of Afghanistan, but it will not stop them. President Biden has immediately taken action, sending drone-carried bombs into ISIS-K headquarters in Afghanistan. 

3. The Taliban Takeover (Aug. 16)

Recently, the Taliban, a militant group, has taken over Afghanistan. Storming across the country, they have taken over one major city after another, including Jalalabad in the east and Mazar-e-Sharif in the Balkh Province. On Aug. 16, the capital, Kabul, was seized by the Taliban. A timeline of the Taliban’s uprising is shown over the course of 5 dates. 

Suppressed by the U.S. troops, the Taliban has been significantly less of a danger to civilians in the past few years. As the U.S. focus was redirected to Iraq and U.S. troops were withdrawn from Afghanistan, the Taliban regrouped and seized the opportunity to take control once again. Fearing for their futures, many Afghans have fled to the airports as a last resort to escape. Many were desperate enough to cling to a military jet as it took off, plunging to their deaths. At least seven people died in the impact. The people of Afghanistan are scared of what the Taliban might do, including revenge acts on American troops to enforce strict Islamic law. The restrictive nature of the Taliban’s rule is similar to their rule over Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. Still, the rules are especially strict for women, as they are not allowed to go to school nor work outside of the home. Women are required to wear the burqa and aren’t allowed to step outside without a male relative. 

Additionally, the Afghan security forces barely stood a chance against the Taliban. Despite the U.S. and North Atlantic Treaty Organization spending billions of dollars on training, their forces were still in too much internal conflict. The president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, has fled his country in panic. 

What’s to come is still unclear. However, the Taliban has promised to respect women’s rights and forgive those who opposed them. Furthermore, strict Islamic law will still be enforced, along with a secure living environment. Many Afghans are still wary and fearful of the Taliban distrusting their ruling methods. 

4. Texas’s Heartbeat Act (Sept. 8)

A new law has been passed in Texas, one that effectively bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. No exceptions are made, even if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest. The Texas Heartbeat Act, passed on Sept. 8 by Governor Greg Abbott, has caused immense controversy and discussion. The Six-Week Abortion Ban states that as soon as the cardiac activity is detected, around six weeks, abortions are no longer legal. Most women, however, aren’t aware of their pregnancy in that time span. 

Along with that, this law also allows private citizens to sue any companies affiliated with illegal abortions and any accomplices. To enforce restrictions, the government awards $10,000 to successful lawsuits. Typically, abortion providers sue a restrictive law to prevent it from taking effect, but since there is no state official enforcing Senate Bill 8, suing is essentially useless. 

“More than 56,600 abortions were performed on Texas residents in 2019, according to state statistics, most of them in the first trimester,” says the Texas Tribune. 

Following the ban of abortions over six weeks, much speculation of abortion rights will follow.

5. Florida’s Status With COVID-19 Restrictions (July 30)

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis passed a ban on mask mandates in schools on July 30. In the past, he declared any districts mandating masks would have their funds withheld. With this ban on mask mandates comes controversy. As of September, Governor DeSantis’s policy is no longer legally effective. However, the Florida Department of Education (F.D.O.E.) is still threatening to withhold funding from any school districts that do not comply with them. 

Judge John Cooper, from Leon County Circuit, ruled that restricting mask mandates is unlawful and has issued a permanent order to block the F.D.O.E. from enforcing his policy. This protects school districts from any consequences of going against the mask mandate ban. DeSantis has tried to appeal the ruling but to no avail.

“A governor’s executive order and an agency’s actions must be based on authority granted to them by the Constitution or the Legislature,” Cooper wrote in his ruling striking down the mask mandate ban. “Executive power exercised without authority is illegal, null and void, and unenforceable.”

Florida is one of the ten states to have imposed bans on mask mandates, as a result of a massive surge in cases. The outbreaks have already affected many schools and thousands of students. Since the ban, Florida’s COVID-19 cases have been skyrocketing, including the deaths of 13 staff members in the education system. A report of Florida’s COVID-19 data emphasizes the concerningly high number of cases. 

Graphic by Kate De Prima