The Morning Dispatch: Taliban Holdings Grow

Happy Wednesday! Let’s get right to it.
Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories
U.S. Central Command reported yesterday that the U.S. military has completed more than 50 percent of its withdrawal from Afghanistan ahead of President Joe Biden’s deadline of September 11. “The U.S. has officially handed over six facilities to the Afghan Ministry of Defense,” the update reads.
The Senate voted 68-32 on Tuesday to pass the $200 billion U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, which aims to bolster U.S. competitiveness with China. The measure will need to be approved by the House and President Biden to become law.
The Senate also voted on Tuesday to confirm Julien Xavier Neals and Regina Rodriguez as district court judges, 66-33 and 72-28, respectively. The pair are the first of President Biden’s federal judicial nominees to be confirmed.