COVID booster shots, exits from Afghanistan, 3 named storms: 5 things to know Wednesday

US announcement on COVID booster shots could come Wednesday

As early as Wednesday, U.S. authorities are expected to recommend an extra dose of the vaccine for all Americans eight months after they get their second shot, according to two Associated Press sources. President Joe Biden's official schedule Wednesday includes Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris receiving a briefing from members of the White House COVID-19 Response Team and Biden delivering remarks "on the COVID-19 response and the vaccination program." The move is being driven by both the highly contagious variant and preliminary evidence that the vaccine's protective effect starts dropping within months. The move would be an about-face from the federal government's earlier recommendation that only the severely immunocompromised need boosters. Some experts say it's a reasonable response to emerging data. Others worry there's not enough real-world research to launch another huge vaccination push. 

• Would you get the COVID-19 vaccine if the Pope asked you to? He calls it 'an act of love.'
• COVID-19 updates: Multiple politicians who opposed vaccine mandates have tested positive
• 'This will be a tough year': Thousands of kids are in COVID-19 quarantine across the US, and school has just begun

Prefer to listen? Check out the 5 Things podcast: 

Taliban says it will allow 'safe passage' from Afghanistan in US airlift

The Taliban have agreed to allow "safe passage" from Afghanistan for civilians struggling to join a U.S.-directed airlift from the capital, Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden's national security adviser said, although a timetable for completing the evacuation has yet to be worked out with the nation's new rulers. The White House said 13 flights Tuesday airlifted 1,100 U.S. citizens, permanent residents and their families from the Kabul airport, adding that the pace was expected to pick up Wednesday and through the week. On Tuesday, the Taliban declared "amnesty" for government officials and vowed to uphold women's rights under Islamic law – promises met with skepticism in Washington. The blame game in the nation's capital intensified Tuesday as critics – including leaders in Congress – pounced on claims by Biden administration officials that they had no clue the Taliban would take Afghanistan so quickly and without a fight.

• Items seized: White House says a 'fair amount' of US military equipment provided to Afghans is now in Taliban hands
• Probes underway: Human remains, other deaths investigated in C-17 swarmed at Kabul airport
• Politics: These 16 Republicans voted against speeding up visas for Afghans fleeing the Taliban
• 'I am begging you guys': Florida veteran fights to bring his Afghan interpreter to the U.S.

Fred drenches Southeast US; Grace expected to become a hurricane 

A weakening Tropical Depression Fred is forecast to dissipate by Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service said. By Thursday, central Appalachia and parts of the mid-Atlantic could see 2 to 4 inches of rain, with some areas reaching half a foot.  Fred left thousands of Florida Panhandle residents without power in the hours after its late Monday landfall. Fred also spawned several apparent tornadoes in Georgia and North Carolina. Meanwhile, the tail end of Tropical Storm Grace was forecast to bring up to 15 inches of rain to an already-damaged Haiti before departing and moving toward southeastern Cuba and Jamaica. Forecasters said it could be near hurricane strength as it approaches Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula late Wednesday or early Thursday. And a third storm swirling in the Atlantic, Henri, was, in the near term, expected to circle widely around the island of Bermuda, the National Hurricane Center said.

• Haiti slammed by tropical storm days after deadly quake: 'Countless Haitian families have lost everything'
• How to help: Haiti is reeling from a devastating earthquake, pandemic and instability
• Hurricanes and COVID: What you need to protect yourself

R. Kelly sex-trafficking trial opens in New York  

Opening statements are set to begin Wednesday in New York in the first trial of R&B star R. Kelly, accused of multiple federal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. Prosecutors accuse Kelly, 54, of leading "a criminal enterprise" of managers, bodyguards and other employees who allegedly helped him recruit women and underage girls for sex and pornography, and to cross state lines for that purpose. The trial is expected to last about a month. Kelly has been held since 2019 awaiting trials in four separate state and federal sex crimes cases.

• Jury selected: 7 men, 5 women will hear the R&B singer's sex trafficking case
• Pre-trial development: Jury to hear how R. Kelly illegally wed underage Aaliyah at his sex-trafficking trial

After emotional press conference, Naomi Osaka to face Coco Gauff 

Four-time Grand Slam singles champion Naomi Osaka is set to face rising American tennis star Coco Gauff in the Round of 32 Wednesday at the Western & Southern Open in Ohio. The event is airing on the Tennis Channel. The Western & Southern Open is Osaka's first tournament since the happiness of lighting the Olympic torch during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics in her native Japan and the disappointment of being upset in the third round of the women's tennis tournament. Her visit to Ohio got off to an emotional start when she broke down in tears and briefly stepped away from her first new conference since May. Osaka has been in the spotlight this season as she withdrew from the French Open and, later, Wimbledon to preserve her mental health. She wrote a piece titled, "It's O.K. to not be O.K." for Time magazine in July. Osaka has said that she will donate her winnings from the tournament to help victims of the Haiti earthquake that struck Saturday.

• Opinion: Naomi Osaka is honest, thoughtful and could help many other athletes
• Column: Osaka still doesn't owe any of us, including Megyn Kelly, anything
• Milestone: Osaka becomes first female Black athlete on a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover

Contributing: The Associated Press