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I know Caitlin Clark is the better player and bigger star in the WNBA, but her rivalry with Angel Reese is one of the biggest in women’s basketball, and it’s great for the sport.

It dates back to college when Reese’s LSU Tigers beat Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2023 NCAA Championship, and Clark got revenge in the Elite Eight a year later.

Unfortunately, there’s a chance she doesn’t play when her Indiana Fever (22-12) visit Reese’s Atlanta Dream (21-12) at State Farm Arena Sunday at 5 p.m. Clark limped off the court in the first half of the Fever’s 98-87 home win over the Dallas Wings Friday.

CAITLIN CLARK OVERCOMES INJURY SCARE, DROPS 29 POINTS ON DALLAS WINGS AS FEVER TAKE TOP SPOT IN EAST

She was sensational Friday, shooting 11-for-18 from the field and dishing 10 assists to one turnover. Maybe adrenaline helped her finish the game, but Clark has been on the injury report with back issues the past few games, and I could see her getting a day off Sunday.

Best Bet: Atlanta Dream -1.5 (-131) at Kalshi

Even though Clark has an -8.2 on/off net rating this season, she has been hoopin' post-All-Star break, averaging 24.9 points on 49.5% shooting with 9.4 assists per game.

So, obviously, Indiana is not better without CC. She is averaging 23.0 points on an above-average 48.1% shooting in three games vs. Atlanta.

However, Reese is averaging 16.7 points on 51.4% shooting and 9.7 rebounds in her three meetings with Clark this season.

And, just like in college, Reese’s team is beating Clark’s. The Dream are 2-1 straight up and against the spread vs. the Fever this year and have won their last two meetings.

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Now, Indiana is the best shooting team in the WNBA.

But Atlanta has an edge in the other three factors of the game, such as rebounding, turnovers and free-throw discrepancy, which are more predictive of winning basketball.

The Dream are beating the Fever in those three factors in their meetings this year. This game is in Atlanta, and most teams shoot better at home.

Indiana scores nearly eight fewer points per game on the road and shoots worse from everywhere on the floor. Of course, the Dream scores nearly eight more points per game at home and shoots much better from behind the arc.

Meanwhile, the Dream have a rest edge. Their last game was a 104-69 win over the Connecticut Sun Thursday, and Indy played Dallas Friday.

Atlanta had a rest edge in its 108-101 home win over Indiana earlier this year, and Clark played in that game, scoring 26 points and throwing a game-high seven assists.

If CC can’t play Sunday, that sucks for the fans, and I hope she returns next game, but that’s good for my Atlanta bet. If Clark does play, I still like the Dream’s chances of covering the spread, and I feel like gambling, so to speak.

They are a physical team, and tough to play with a rest deficit. Atlanta dominates the glass on both ends of the floor and scores the most paint points per game by taking the highest rate of field goals within three feet of the hoop.

Basically, the Dream are a good bet up to -4 because they should win the "battle of possessions," could get a home whistle from the refs, and the Fever shoot worse on the road.

_____________________________

Follow me on X @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my "OutKick Bets Podcast" for more betting content and random rants.

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As the debate over transgender athletes in women’s sports intensifies, Americans who spoke with Fox News Digital offered sharply divided views on whether transgender women should be allowed to compete against female athletes.

"It's all right if you wanna be what you wanna be, but you shouldn't be competing against a woman and you’re a man," a Washington, D.C. local resident said. "Biologically, it's an advantage."

Another person disagreed.

SOFTBALL HALL OF FAMER SENDS BLUNT WARNING TO THOSE DEFENDING INCLUSION OF BIOLOGICAL MALES IN FEMALE SPORTS

"I feel like a transgender woman should be able to play in women's sports," another person told Fox News Digital. "They might have been a man before, but they're trans. They're changing into a woman, so why not play a woman's sport? Like they're not gonna let her play men's sports."

The participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports has long been debated, particularly discussing claims there is an unfair advantage posed when biological men are able to compete at the same level as women — with critics pointing to the physiological differences among males and females.

"It's a little bit of an unfair advantage," Theresa from Virginia said.

"I don't think it really makes sense because a man is more physically fit than a woman," the D.C. resident said. "Automatically stronger than a woman."

But those in favor of allowing transgender athletes to compete in the league of the gender they currently identify with argue the movement to ban biological men from competing in women's sports is part of a targeted attack against transgender people.

SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM DOUBLES DOWN AHEAD OF SUN GAME AFTER ESPN PROFILE STIRS CONTROVERSY: 'I SAID WHAT I SAID'

It is also argued that biological advantages are differentiated by the specific genetics of every individual rather than an entire gender.

"I see why they're saying that because they could be stronger than a woman," one said about the potential safety risks at play.

She continued, "But at the same time, like, girls are strong."

The debate has also spilled into professional basketball after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham indicated that she is against biological men competing in women's sports, according to a recent ESPN article.

"I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans," Cunningham said to ESPN. "And I'm like, 'I never once said that.’ I think that I am here to extend love."

She continued, "But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn't have to go against biological men."

Cunningham brushed aside the backlash and doubled down on her comments calling it "common sense."

WNBPA ISSUES STATEMENT EMBRACING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AMID TRANS ATHLETE DEBATE IN WOMEN'S SPORTS

The Women’s National Basketball Player’s Association (WNBPA) put out a statement praising the different backgrounds of all its players, stating that while difficult conversations will be continued in the league, "we will not be political pawns."

The statement also came after Cunningham’s comments and as former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom announced that he was declaring for the WNBA draft, arguing he meets all the eligibility requirements and simply just needs to identify as a woman.

"I think that it's crazy," the D.C. resident said about a biological man being able to compete in the WNBA. "I think that a lot of people just say that they’re women just to go compete against women to make themselves look good."

"They’re just getting outrageous with this rainbow stuff," he said.

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California authorities seized more than $800,000 worth of suspected cocaine during a traffic stop this week, officials said.

The California Highway Patrol said a Central Division canine officer stopped a 2025 Honda CR-V in Merced County on Aug. 12 for an alleged traffic violation.

During the stop, the officer identified "several indicators of possible criminal activity," according to CHP.

A subsequent search of the vehicle allegedly uncovered a bag containing approximately 30 pounds of suspected cocaine with an estimated street value of $817,200, CHP said.

TWO SUSPECTS ARRESTED AFTER CRASHING THROUGH CAMP PENDLETON GATE WITH 112 POUNDS OF COCAINE AND FENTANYL

The driver was arrested and booked into the Merced County Main Jail on charges of possession of cocaine for sale and transportation of cocaine across non-contiguous counties, according to authorities.

The Merced Area Gang Narcotics Enforcement Team (MAGNET) is handling the investigation.

The seizure comes after federal authorities last month uncovered more than 1,000 pounds of cocaine hidden beneath the floorboards of a commercial truck entering the U.S. from Mexico, marking one of the largest drug busts in Southern California this year.

FEDS SEIZE $6.4M WORTH OF COCAINE ABOARD OIL TANKER AT PORT OF LOS ANGELES, ARREST SUSPECTED CARTEL SMUGGLER

According to the Justice Department, more than a half-ton of cocaine was discovered concealed in the floorboards of a truck and flatbed trailer at the Calexico Port of Entry along the California-Mexico border. Authorities estimated the cocaine had a street value exceeding $20 million.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) also announced last month that officers discovered more than $3.7 million worth of cocaine concealed in a shipment of cucumbers.

CBP officers at the Pharr International Bridge in Texas discovered 112 packages inside a tractor-trailer after a canine inspection and nonintrusive imaging scan detected anomalies in the vehicle.

The packages contained a total of 278.88 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $3,723,654, according to CBP.

Fox News Digital's Leo Briceno contributed to this report.

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Florida socialist congressional candidate Oliver Larkin repeatedly declined to say how much he would raise taxes on high earners while defending his call to tax billionaires "out of existence" during a contentious interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity.

Larkin, who volunteered for then-Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., in 2008 and led a New Hampshire presidential campaign field office for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in 2016, sparred with Hannity over his Democratic Socialists of America-aligned platform as Florida voters prepare to vote Tuesday.

When asked about the idea of an economy based on the promise of "to each American based on their needs from each American based on their ability," Larkin replied, "I think that’s a fine concept."

EXPERT WHO FLED CUBA WARNS OF ‘VICIOUS CYCLE’ THAT WILL LEAD TO ‘COMMUNISTS IN DOUBLE DIGITS’ IN CONGRESS

The axiom was popularized in 1875 by German political theorist Karl Marx in his "Critique of the Gotha Programme."

Larkin, who is challenging moderate Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., in a district considered a prime Republican target in November’s general election, said he was less concerned with ideological labels than with meeting his potential new constituents every day.

"I'm coming at the race from a pragmatic point of view of what the American people and the people of South Florida need, and that is Medicare-for-all, that is universal child care, that is the policy proposals that you just articulated on your show," Larkin told Hannity.

Before introducing Larkin, Hannity listed a series of policies he said the millennial left-winger supported, including abolishing the Electoral College, automatic same-day voter registration, shunning fossil fuels, abolishing ICE and prosecuting its agents, free public college, an end to sanctions on Iran and Cuba and a "passionate hatred of Israel," in the conservative host’s words.

THE MEDICARE FOR ALL TRADE-OFFS SOCIALISTS AREN'T TALKING ABOUT, ACCORDING TO EXPERTS

Hannity challenged Larkin to go beyond the proposals and explain how he would achieve each of his policy objectives, starting with higher federal taxes

"Out of every dollar these so-called ‘evil rich people’ make, how much should they be able to keep…?" he asked.

Instead of offering a figure, Larkin praised former Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower for presiding over extremely high top marginal tax rates.

"Give me a number," Hannity demanded.

PROGRESSIVES WANT TO TAX BILLIONAIRES FIRST, AND YOU'RE NEXT ON THE LIST

"What percentage of every dollar should every American be able to keep after they pay the government, local, state, federal [taxes]?"

Larkin replied that the figure depends on income, but did not specify any income ranges except to say that "billionaires should be taxed out of existence."

Hannity countered that most billionaires are among the "most brilliant" people and argued that it is wrong to take money from the most creative Americans through higher taxes.

Larkin replied that X CEO Elon Musk — the world’s richest person — has received billions in government subsidies that helped build his wealth, arguing that billionaires should therefore face higher taxes and calling the South African immigrant a "vulture" for buying Tesla and presiding over its largesse himself.

Hannity returned to pressing the candidate for specifics about his plans, including what tax rates Americans at different income levels should pay under a socialist system:

"How much are you willing to let the government take? How much? Give us a number," he said, asking for an example with an American making $100,000 per annum.

"I want to see a return on our taxpayer investment," Larkin replied without offering a specific figure.

"I'm not interested in changing the tax rate on middle-class Americans on people making a hundred grand," he later added, prompting Hannity to ask what tax rate should apply to people making $500,000.

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"Give me a number," he insisted. "The DSA people talk a lot about fairness. What is fair for a guy that makes a half a million dollars a year out of every dollar -- how much should the government get? Answer the question."

"It’s not that simple," Larkin argued. After crosstalk, the candidate said the cap on income subject to Social Security taxes should be raised, but did not specify an amount.

Moskowitz’ and Larkin’s district — which has changed numbers several times — has been represented by Democrats for most of the modern era.

Over the past two decades, including when it was numbered the 22nd District, Col. Allen West has been the only Republican to represent the district. West served one term.

From its inception in 1993 through the early years of George W. Bush’s presidency, the district was represented by Republican Rep. Eugene Clay Shaw Jr.

After socialist candidates lost in Wisconsin but won in Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York and Minnesota, Florida Democrats will decide Tuesday whether to follow the same trend.

Fox News Digital reached out to Larkin for comment.

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The sweeping policy shift announced Tuesday to end Medicaid funding for youth sex-change treatments is being hailed by at least one veteran pediatrician, who argued that the procedures were never "compassionate" approaches for children facing gender dysphoria.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Quentin Van Meter, the immediate past president of the American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds), reflected on the new restrictions issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

"I'm really congratulating HHS and CMS for... taking the step to block the medical and surgical interventions or funding for those in those healthcare systems... primarily because it's not an appropriate kind of intervention," Van Meter said.

Despite claims that children will be left to suffer under the policy change, Van Meter, a pediatric endocrinologist, asserted that government intervention is not meant to strip them of the care they need, arguing instead for ongoing mental health treatment to address the underlying issues driving their distress.

MEDICAID ENDS FUNDING FOR CHILD SEX-CHANGE PROCEDURES AS TRUMP ADMIN SLAMS 'EXPERIMENTAL' TREATMENTS

"This is not denial of care. This is not lack of compassion. This is not denial that these patients exist, as we are told that we are doing this," he added. "This is actually very compassionate, very appropriate, and has been scientifically proven to be of benefit to these children."

Van Meter, who has 42 years of experience in the field dating back to his fellowship at Johns Hopkins in the late 1970s, further argued that "puberty is not a disease" and that interventions intended to alter its course under sex-change procedures can instead exacerbate the mental health problems children are facing.

Tuesday’s policy shift also comes against the backdrop of what Van Meter described as a collapsing medical framework behind the youth transgender movement, citing mounting evidence and a series of disturbing findings.

This includes a federally funded study researchers allegedly tried to bury after multiple transitioning children reportedly died by suicide, federal allegations challenging a prominent transgender medical authority, the shocking rise in potentially thousands of detransitioners, and the irreversible damage caused by sex changes, including sterilization.

SEN HAWLEY WARNS IT WOULD BE 'UNCONSCIONABLE' IF BILLIONS OF TAXPAYER FUNDS FLOW TO TRANS KIDS’ SEX CHANGES

One of the examples Van Meter pointed to dates back to 2015, when the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded a five-year study to examine the outcomes of sex-change hormones in children. By the second year, three participants had died by suicide.

Not only did researchers fail to immediately halt the study after the first death, they also attempted to bury the results by refusing to publish the data, according to Van Meter. The study’s chief investigators reportedly had a significant conflict of interest, having been "very proactive in the transgender arena" and often asserting that "these treatments are very beneficial and should be continued."

The multimillion-dollar study, titled "The Impact of Early Medical Treatment in Transgender Youth," was later scrutinized by a GOP-led Senate committee in 2024. The committee accused the researchers involved of having "intentionally withheld scientific data from the American public showing that puberty blockers do not improve the mental health of children."

The Republican lawmakers involved added that the study also found 11 participants with suicidal thoughts.

DETRANSITIONER CHLOE COLE SHARES COMPLICATIONS AFTER GENDER PROCEDURES: ‘I AM GRIEVING’

Separately, a major transgender medical authority known for spearheading the pediatric sex-change guidelines that major medical groups relied on, has been accused of promoting ideological opinion instead of evidence-based medicine.

The criticism centers on the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), which is being challenged in a Texas court case involving the Federal Trade Commission.

"None of this is a standard of care, none of it is rigorous. It's just their specific opinion based on their ideology," Van Meter said.

Van Meter added that there has been a significant increase in the number of people seeking to detransition, citing online support resources that reportedly receive an estimated 600 to 700 hits per month from patients seeking help.

During a conference last March, Van Meter said he encountered roughly 85 individuals from around the world who wanted to detransition, indicating that "there clearly is a population for which this has been a detriment."

HHS OFFICIAL WARNS OF IRREVERSIBLE RISKS AS TRUMP ADMIN RESTRICTS FUNDING FOR YOUTH GENDER PROCEDURES

However, detransitioning is reportedly a highly complex process that involves reconstructive surgeries, gradual medication weaning and extensive mental health support.

Sex-change treatments can ultimately result in severe and irreversible physical harms, Van Meter said. 

Pediatric interventions can result in permanent sterilization, profound sexual dysfunction, permanently diminished bone density, impaired brain development, a heightened risk of early dementia and lifelong health conditions requiring continuous medical management.

The desire to undergo sex-change procedures can often emerge among vulnerable children "when their life is falling apart," as they seek an escape from underlying problems such as divorced parents, parental incarceration, alcoholism, drug abuse or the death of a family member, Van Meter said.

Impressionable children may then encounter online communities that frame undergoing a sex change as a cure-all or claim that their gender is the root of their problems.

FTC ALLEGES INFLUENTIAL TRANSGENDER HEALTH ORGANIZATION MISLED PARENTS ABOUT SAFETY OF YOUTH TREATMENTS

Beyond the need for better mental health access for children, Van Meter said more should be changed systemically across transgender policies.

Van Meter proposed cutting federal funding from medical schools that promote research into sex-change treatments or teach such procedures as the standard of care in their curricula.

He said doctors and pediatricians often uncritically promote transitions because they can easily be labeled a "bigot" or "hater" otherwise. 

Health care workers who disagree are also denied a voice in medical literature, academic departments and professional associations, he said.

Additionally, he added, the statute of limitations should be extended to give detransitioners ample time to sue healthcare providers for facilitating such treatments, while clinics should be audited for scientific transparency.

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A legal expert is calling for a leadership overhaul at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History (NMAH), arguing the museum has embraced a negative, "self-loathing" portrayal of the nation’s past.

"I think this is part of a broader effort by radicals on the left to redefine the history of the United States and reframe it in an oppressor-versus-oppressed narrative," Cully Stimson, a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation and former assistant U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital.

"Instead of looking at American history chronologically with all the triumphs and tragedies, including slavery, and then the things that our country did to eradicate the vestiges of slavery, and then passing the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments and the Civil Rights Acts and getting rid of various other laws that were discriminatory in practice or in spirit. They take a very pro-reparations, ‘we’re a bad country,’ oppressor-versus-oppressed narrative."

The comments come after a July 2026 White House report accused the Smithsonian of advancing DEI and left-wing agendas, prompting a pair of heated congressional hearings that put National Museum of American History Director Anthea Hartig under the national spotlight.

DESCENDANT OF SLAVES SHAMES SMITHSONIAN’S WOKE ‘INDOCTRINATION’ AGAINST THE ‘GREATEST NATION ON EARTH’

Lawmakers accused museum leaders of allowing political activism to seep into exhibits and influence how history is presented, while Hartig maintained that the museum is nonpartisan and "does not take sides in America’s political debates."

Stimson said the hearings are exposing "bile that they’re trying to pass off as history," saying "sunlight’s a good disinfectant."

"If the head of the Smithsonian had any shame whatsoever, she would have resigned in disgrace already and she doesn’t have any shame because she’s perfectly happy with what she’s done," Stimson said. "She’s just the pointy end of the radical spear that’s out there trying to force this thing down the throats of Americans."

Stimson said Hartig should have been fired "the minute after the hearing" for what he called "smug and self-righteous" behavior during her testimony and for failing to take accountability.

"Her little writing the question down and her smugness was really evincing of what she really thinks of the American people and congressional oversight," he said.

REP GILL CHALLENGES 'GENUINELY INSANE AND OBJECTIVELY OFFENSIVE' DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS AFTER VIRAL HEARING

Looking back to America's 250th anniversary celebrations in July, when hundreds of thousands of people came to D.C. to celebrate the milestone, Stimson said families and children were instead greeted with "all sorts of disgusting things, bondage, and all sorts of other nasty things" at the museum.

Some of the controversial exhibits highlighted in the report and hearings featured sexually explicit material, focused on race, gender and sexuality, and portrayed the Founding Fathers through their ties to slavery rather than their roles in building America.

"There should be an entire section dedicated toward the Founding Fathers and the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the Reconstruction Amendments and all the things that happened, the Civil War, but no," he said.

Stimson said America has gone through many ups and downs "to get beyond the ugly parts of our history," giving Americans reason to celebrate the country today.

"We should not have a museum dedicated to flagellation and self-loathing," he said. "That is not how you celebrate your country."

Many Democrats have also accused Republicans of trying to "whitewash" history, a claim Stimson rejected, saying that celebrating America does not mean ignoring the darker parts of its past.

MIKE ROWE SAYS HISTORY SHOWS WHY AMERICANS KEEP REJECTING SOCIALISM

"Celebrating doesn’t mean whitewashing history," he said. "Every civilization throughout mankind has had slavery. That doesn’t make it right, it makes it reality."

But Stimson said this approach to teaching history goes further than the museums and that the concern is "something you need to be aware of."

"You see this in higher ed, you see this unfortunately in high school and even below in lower schools, and unfortunately at our premier national museums, including the American History Museum," he said.

Stimson said people should take away the same lessons that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, when parents isolated at home got a firsthand look at what their children were being taught.

"That’s why you saw more and more homeschoolers, more and more people in the school choice movement just explode across the country," he said.

He added "parents are the first educators of their children" and it’s up to them "to present American history" the right way.

A complete reset could be what the museum needs, according to Stimson.

"That’s all it is," he said. "It’s bile. It needs to be ripped out, root and branch, and redone."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Smithsonian for comment but did not receive a response before publication.

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In 2021, after nearly two decades, the United States abruptly withdrew military forces from Afghanistan, causing the nation to fall back under Taliban control. Almost five years later, it’s hard to forget the images of crowds of people clinging on to planes in a desperate attempt to escape what lay ahead for their country. In the aftermath, many conservative evangelicals and veterans’ advocates stood up for Afghans fleeing persecution and violence. But the job remains unfinished. Now is the time to renew our efforts and push for a lasting solution for our Afghan neighbors.

As the Taliban retook Kabul, those allies were suddenly in grave danger. Their ranks included many translators, drivers and others who became targets because they worked with the United States. Many turned to the U.S. for such a chance at safety, and in 2021, a multi-agency, public-private effort mobilized to rally around our allies.

Both our organizations support Afghan evacuees in different ways. World Relief, in coordination with hundreds of local churches, has spent years resettling Afghan families in American communities, and AfghanEvac has fought to bring home the mission partners who served alongside our troops and enabled the U.S. mission. Since the beginning of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, promises have been made to provide a pathway to legal residency in America for Afghan allies who assisted the U.S. government.

SUPREME COURT'S LATEST IMMIGRATION RULING WILL CAUSE AMERICANS TO 'DIE AND SUFFER' ATTORNEY WARNSa

Many evangelical Christians in the U.S. recognized the moral crisis at stake and were eager to help welcome and support people fleeing persecution in Afghanistan. Evangelical leader Franklin Graham led  an initiative to organize support for Afghans. Here at World Relief, we were flooded by calls from churches wanting to help, and our offices were soon full of donations. At the time, polls found a majority of evangelicals supported taking in Afghan refugees. Due to unprecedented levels of support, many Afghan families were soon resettled in American communities. 

Ideally, Afghans who had worked for the U.S. government would have arrived with approved Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) or through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, either of which would have ensured new arrivals that they had a permanent place in the United States. But due to the urgent nature of the evacuation, most of the roughly 70,000 Afghans  brought to the U.S. by the federal government in the months immediately after the fall of Kabul were admitted on humanitarian parole, which allowed them to be lawfully present and authorized to work, but only temporarily. This was conducted through Operation Allies Welcome, an initiative made possible through grassroots veteran involvement. Some of these individuals were subsequently granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a distinct but still, obviously, temporary legal protection.  

When the conditions in Afghanistan did not improve over time, it was clear a more lasting resolution was needed. The Afghan Adjustment Act was originally introduced in 2022 and 2023 to create a pathway to a green card and citizenship for Afghans with little hope of returning home. As its name suggests, the bill would establish an adjustment process for tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees to gain permanent legal status. The act has bipartisan endorsements and the support of many evangelical Christian organizations . However, despite the diverse coalition behind urging Congress and President Biden to act, the bill failed to become law, leaving many stuck in limbo. 

Since the beginning of the second Trump presidency, their situation has not improved. Little has been done to help Afghans already present on temporary status, and pathways for those still stuck in Afghanistan or in refugee camps in neighboring countries have been shut down. No Afghan principal applicants have been issued SIVs in 2026, and for those SIV applicants still waiting to be processed, the average wait time is over 1,000 days, leaving them hanging in suspense. The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program has been effectively closed for all but a favored minority. In July of 2025, Temporary Protected Status was terminated for nearly 12,000 Afghans — despite pushback from evangelicals — forcing them into an impossible situation. By ending or suspending these programs, the administration has not just abandoned Afghans but has closed the door to anyone facing persecution abroad. 

Despite many attempts since the early waves of Afghan arrivals, a legislative fix still has not been passed. A new bill has recently been proposed  in both the House and the Senate — the Afghanistan TPS Act of 2026 — that would re-secure TPS for Afghans, protecting them from removal and buying more time to find a permanent fix. This act is needed to address the urgent crisis facing Afghan evacuees.

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The response in 2021 by churches, veterans’ groups and many other Americans, was overwhelmingly positive and extended welcome to Afghans. However, as we reflect on the five-year anniversary of the evacuation, the work of helping them integrate and make a home in the United States is incomplete. Now is the time for us to secure their welcome permanently. For the faith communities that have carried so much of this work, Scripture is direct about welcoming the stranger and loving your neighbor. For veterans, and for a country that gave its word, the obligation is just as plain. America told these men and women that if they stood with us, we would stand with them. Both roads lead to the same place.

Will we support and protect our Afghan neighbors through our hospitality or abandon them out and succumb to fear and apathy? Furthermore, to not fulfill our agreements with our Afghan allies would be to violate our promises as Americans. That is not abstract. By showing ourselves untrustworthy, we risk losing potential allies’ cooperation in future conflicts, putting the lives of our service members in danger.

Since Kabul’s fall, the need has been unambiguous, and through the beginning of 2025, the political will was strong. But as a nation, we have faltered. We must once again stand up for our allies and urge our officials to take action passing the Afghanistan TPS Act, the Enduring Welcome Act, and reopening the resettlement program to all eligible mission partners. Not just because it’s good for our service members in future conflicts, but because it’s the right thing to do.

Shawn VanDiver is the founder and president of #AfghanEvac. 

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