Briefly with OZY

A U.S. intelligence estimate reportedly believes that the Taliban’s rapid advances across Afghanistan could put it on the outskirts of the capital Kabul within 30 days. A weather station in Sicily has recorded what may be Europe’s highest-ever temperature. And a hacker has stolen a record $600 million in cryptocurrency — and returned much of it.

Embattled New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has resigned amid sexual harassment allegations and an impeachment probe. Arrest warrants have been issued for 52 Texas House Democrats who broke quorum. And passions are high over the fate of beloved British alpaca Geronimo.

The Pentagon is set to bring in vaccine mandates for U.S. troops. The Taliban has taken control of a 6th provincial capital in Afghanistan. And horses are dying en masse in Kazakhstan due to drought.

In a single day the Taliban made extraordinary gains, managing to overwhelm government forces and capture three provincial capitals. Thousands of residents of Greek island Evia have been forced to evacuate amid raging wildfires. And global warming is now not only inevitable, it's also irreversible, the United Nations warned in a bleak study on climate change.

A grim new U.N. climate report is on the way while another Northern California town was lost this week to a wildfire as millions choked on spreading smoke. Thousands have fled similar fires a world away in Turkey and Greece, where a firefighter died near Athens yesterday. And in Tokyo, American basketball stars won a fourth consecutive Olympic gold but Team USA will be hard-pressed to beat China’s tally of firsts.

As more horrific stories of abuse of Indigenous children surface in North America, Australia contends with its own troubled history announcing reparations for some members of the "Stolen Generation." President Joe Biden says by 2030, 50% of U.S. vehicles must be electric, as he seeks to meet his emissions target. And the U.S. State Department is investigating what happened to an expensive bottle of whisky Japan gave Mike Pompeo.

Mexico yesterday sued 11 firearms makers, including Smith & Wesson, Colt and Glock, for “actively facilitating the unlawful trafficking of their guns” to Mexico’s drug cartels and other violent criminals. And Ibiza police are recruiting creatures of the night to infiltrate pandemic parties.

It looks like the end of the line for embattled New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, after President Joe Biden and other Democrats called for him to resign over sexual misconduct findings. Afghans have taken to their rooftops for a nightly call of "Allahu Akbar" in support of troops and in defiance of the Taliban. And, the Emperor Penguins' empire is melting, threatening the birds with extinction.

President Biden is facing the full wrath of progressives in his party who want him to extend the moratorium on housing evictions ushered in during the pandemic. A 100-year-old Nazi concentration camp guard is set to face trial in Germany. And after pulling out of most of her Olympic events, U.S. Gymnast Simone Biles won bronze on the balance beam today.

A female Belarusian sprinter is seeking asylum after requesting help at the Tokyo Olympics to avoid being put on a plane home. The U.S. and U.K. have slammed Iran for breaching international law in an alleged attack on a tanker. And zoo officials were bamboo-zled by a pair of randy pandas that just had twins.