The 11th Hour with Ali Velshi

The president ordered flags to half-staff following two deadly explosions near the airport in Kabul. 13 American service members were among the 60 fatalities. One blast struck a busy entrance to the airfield, where U.S. troops have been processing Americans and Afghans for evacuation ahead of the August 31 withdrawal deadline. ISIS-K, an offshoot of the Islamic State, has claimed responsibility for the attack. Yamiche Alcindor, Jonathan Lemire, James LaPorta, Clint Watts, Donna Edwards and Mark McKinnon all join.

American diplomats in Afghanistan are warning U.S. citizens of a possible ISIS attack on the airport in Kabul complicated the U.S. withdrawal with just six days until the August 31 withdrawal deadline set by Pres. Biden. Plus, the Covid surge remains very severe among unvaccinated Americans. Joining the program is Claire McCaskill, Peter Baker, John Heilemann, James Carville, Mike Murphy, and Dr. Nahid Bhadelia.

Pres. Biden is holding firm to his play to conclude evacuations in Afghanistan by August 31 as the U.S. withdrawal continues to face bipartisan criticism. Plus, how can kids stay safe going back to school during the Delta variant surge of Covid-19? We discuss that and much more with Ben Rhodes, Andrea Mitchell, Sam Stein, Dr. Irwin Redlener, Don Calloway, Susan Del Percio, and Clint Watts.

The FDA has now given the Pfizer Covid vaccine a full approval. Now the president is calling for more business to enforce mandates and pleading with the unvaccinated to go get their shots. We discuss that and much more with Philip Rucker, Rick Stengel, Dr. Céline Gounder, Eugene Robinson, A.B. Stoddard, and Joan Donovan.

With plenty of criticism and chaos in Kabul along with a worsening Covid pandemic, Pres. Biden just experienced his most difficult week in office so far. Plus, a late Friday update on Tropical Storm Henri now forecasts the storm will make landfall on Sunday morning, likely as a Category 1 hurricane, near Islip, NY, just over 50 miles outside New York City. Joining the program are Bill Karins, Jonathan Lemire, Gen. Barry McCaffrey, Dr. Kavita Patel, Don Calloway, Bill Kristol, and Michael Beschloss.

The Biden administration is facing growing pressure to speed up evacuations out of Afghanistan as reports say the situation on the ground is becoming more and more uncertain. Plus, new question arise over the Delta variant as Covid cases increase in Israel where vaccinations rates are high. That and much more with Shannon Pettypiece, Adm. James Stavridis, Frank Figliuizzi, Dr. Vin Gupta, Donna Edwards, and Mark McKinnon.

In a new interview, Pres. Biden pushed back against the criticism he has received from both sides of the aisle for how the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan has played out. Plus, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis lies that masks "aren't proven to be effective" adding other politicians are just trying to "cover their asses." We discuss that and more with Lisa Lerer, Gen. Barry McCaffrey, Dr. Irwin Redlener, Eugene Robinson, Mike Murphy, and Jeremy Bash.

As the Taliban's control over Afghanistan becomes more of a reality, the Biden administration is working to get thousands of Americans and the Afghans who helped them out of Afghanistan and to safety. Plus, new reports indicate that on Wednesday the Biden administration will tell Americans to expect to need a booster shot eight months after being vaccinated. We discuss that and more with Philip Rucker, Ben Rhodes, Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, Richard Haass, Victoria DeFrancesco Soto, and A.B. Stoddard.

NBC News has confirmed that public health officials and medical experts in the Biden administration are 'coalescing around boosters for all Americans' eight months after being vaccinated. Plus, Pres. Biden is standing by his decision to pull U.S. forces out of Afghanistan despite the criticism from both sides of the aisle and the chaos that befell the airport in Kabul as the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan's capital city. Peter Baker, Andrea Mitchell, Gen. Barry McCaffrey, Rick Stengel, Dr. Kavita Patel, Cornell Belcher, and Matthew Dowd.

As American troops head to Afghanistan to assist in evacuating the U.S. embassy in Kabul, the Taliban continues to seize cities further plunging the nation into crisis. Plus, the Covid pandemic continues to worsen in southern states among unvaccinated individuals. We discuss that and more with Eugene Daniels, Gen. Barry McCaffrey, Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, Juanita Tolliver, Tim Miller, and Jon Meacham.