Pool Reports of August 23, 2021

Pool report #1/evacuation stats

From a White House official:

From August 22 at 3:00 AM EDT to August 23 at 3:00 AM EDT, 28 U.S. military flights (25 C-17s and 3 C-130s) evacuated approximately 10,400 people from Kabul. In addition, 61 coalition aircraft evacuated approximately 5,900 people.

Since August 14, the U.S. has evacuated and facilitated the evacuation of approximately 37,000 people. Since the end of July, we have relocated approximately 42,000 people.

pool report #2/FDA briefing

onpassing from the White House press office.

FDA MEDIA ADVISORY

For Immediate Release: Aug. 23, 2021
Contact: FDA Office of Media Affairs, fdaoma@fda.hhs.gov

FOR CREDENTIALED MEDIA ONLY

WHAT:

A media briefing to discuss the FDA's approval of the first COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, and will now be marketed as Comirnaty, for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older.

This media briefing will be live streamed over the FDA's YouTube page.

WHO:

· Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D.

· Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

WHEN:

Mon., Aug. 23 at 11 a.m.

HOW:

Callers in the United States or Canada may call 888-769-8791. International callers will need to dial 1-312-470-7166. The passcode for all participants is 9158924.

Following the media briefing, a replay will be available on the FDA's YouTube page.

For other questions about the media briefing, please contact the FDA's Office of Media Affairs at: fdaoma@fda.hhs.gov.

pool report #3/2-minute warning for POTUS

South Court auditorium remarks on vaccinations.

Briefing will begin after POTUS is done.

pool report #4/POTUS remarks on vaccines begin

President Biden walked on stage in the South Court auditorium alone at 1:57 p.m., took off his mask and began speaking.

"Today we've hit another milestone, a key milestone, in the nation's fight against Covid.... After a strict process, the FDA has reaffirmed its finding that the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine is safe and effective, and the FDA has given its full and final approval."

So, he said, "if you're one of the millions of Americans who said that they will not get the shot" until it was fully approved, "it's time for you to go get your vaccination. Get it today."

He's reading from a script that's scrolling on the large screen under the head-on camera. Backdrop says vaccines.gov and "Text your ZIP CODE to 438829 to find a vaccination site near you"

more tk

pool report #4/Biden vaccine remarks

More Biden from South Court auditorium

"As I've said before, this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. It's a tragedy that's preventable. People are dying and will die that don't have to. So please, please, if you haven't gotten your vaccination, do it now."

Notes that the death rate is still 70% lower than it was last winter, even as the "delta variant has ravaged" the unvaccinated "because we did such a good job" vaccinating seniors.

Touts that 6 million shots have been given in the last seven days, the highest 7-day total in a month and a half.

Cites growing vaccination rates in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi over the past month.

"The experts from the Yale School of Public Health (say the) pace of our vaccination efforts has saved over 100,000 lives and prevented over 450,000 hospitalizations. This is critical progress. We need to move faster."

"All around the world people want these vaccines. Here in America they're free, convenient and waiting. So please go today, for your self, for your loved ones, for your neighbors, for your country."

"We're in the midst of a wartime effort to resist the pandemic, one of the biggest most complicated challenges in our history."

Biden ends speaking at 2:08 and walks off stage, ignoring shouted questions about Afghanistan and other topics.

So, that was just over 10 minutes. Pool and others heading back to the briefing room now.

pool report #5/statement on security meeting

Press briefing now scheduled to begin at 2:25pm

onpassing from press office:

From a White House official:

This morning, the President met with his national security team for an operational update on Afghanistan. They discussed the evolving security challenges in Afghanistan and counterterrorism efforts, including against ISIS-K. They discussed the efforts on the ground to facilitate American citizens and those who helped us in our two decades in Afghanistan entering the airport and evacuating. The national security team discussed the ongoing and intensive diplomatic and military efforts to facilitate transit at third-country transit hubs, affirming the importance of the contributions that more than two dozen partner nations are making to this global effort. The President was joined by Secretary Blinken, Secretary Austin, Chairman Milley, Director Haines, Director Burns, National Security Advisor Sullivan, Ambassador Wilson, General McKenzie, Admiral Vasely, Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Finer, Homeland Security Advisor Sherwood-Randall, and other senior officials.

pool report #5a/2-minute warning for briefing

About to begin:

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan

pool report #6/briefing ends

The briefing with Jen Psaki and Jake Sullivan began at 2:25p and ended at 3:26p.

Pool is gathering ASAP for POTUS event in the East Room:

3:30 PM THE PRESIDENT welcomes the Seattle Storm to the White House to honor the team for their 2020 WNBA Championship

Also, flagging that I erroneously labeled two pool reports as report #4, both from remarks in the South Court Auditorium. Apologies for any confusion.

#4/POTUS remarks on vaccines begin
#4/Biden vaccine remarks (should have been labeled #4a)

pool report #7/WNBA champions Seattle Storm

Pool is now in the East Room for a ceremony honoring the Seattle Storm, which last October defeated the Las Vegas Aces in three games in the best-of-five WNBA Finals. That capped a season shortened by Covid, with all games played in the league's "Wubble" in Bradenton, Fla.

A shiny trophy with a basketball atop three pillars is on a table next to the presidential lectern, along with a neatly folded basketball jersey that says "Biden."

The team entered at 3:33 to applause from the slightly distanced, entirely masked audience. Players, coaches and others filed onto the risers behind the lectern. The president entered to a string version of ruffles and flourishes and began speaking at 3:35.

"The last time I was with this many great athletes I was in a room with my granddaughters," President Biden said. "... I may need work after this. I'd be a good ballboy."

He congratulated the team: "Thank you for being you. Thank you for believing in one another."

More tk.

It's the fourth title for the Storm, tying the WNBA record. The team also won titles in 2004, 2010 and 2018. Then-President Barack Obama welcomed the team to the White House in June 2011 – the last time the team was here – to celebrate their 2010 championship. In June 2016, Obama welcomed the 2015 Minnesota Lynx, the last time WNBA champs were at the White House.

The Storm is the first women's team welcomed to the White House during the Biden administration.

pool report #8/more WNBA Seattle Storm and Biden takes a knee

At the end of the ceremony, President Biden took a knee as he posed for a photo with the Seattle Storm.

He held up his souvenir basketball jersey, with "46" and "Biden" on it, with his right knee on the platform. The Seattle Storm players, coaches etc stood behind him on the risers.

In the background, an orchestral, string-heavy version of "We are the Champions." Still playing as guests filed out.

In his remarks, Biden gave shout outs to, among others, Susan Rice -- she's standing in the back corner near the north door, and POTUS notes that she played high school basketball. Also Reps. Rick Larson and Kim Schrier of Washington state, seated front and just off-center.

"This team met the moment," Biden said, noting they swept through the semis and finals with six wins and no losses.
He congratulates one player for recently becoming a mom of a new baby, Ruby, with her wife.

Biden credited advances for women in sports for opening the eyes of girls and women to their options in life, and even leading to the country elected its first female vice president.

"What makes this team remarkable is they don't just win games, they change lives, encouraging people to get vaccine" and speak up and stand up for racial justice to end "an epidemic of violence and discrimination....These women are amazing athletes, the best in the world. We honor them by showing up for them," Biden said.

The president stood off to the side as team co-owner Ginny Gilder spoke next, followed by WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

Gilder noted that although the athletes spent the season sequestered in a bubble, they were anything but oblivious to the "movement for social change" taking hold across the country, "stirred up by the ongoing crisis of police killings of black people." She lauded the players "who waded into the center of this movement," generating engagement and putting a spotlight on racial justice and voter registration and "altering the power balance to the US Senate by helping to elect two senators from the state of Georgia."

Ceremony ended about 3:57 p.m.

pool report #9/attendees and WNBA champion Seattle Storm event

In attendance at the Seattle Storm 2020 WNBA Championship visit in the East Room, per the press office:

The First Lady
Representative Kim Schrier (WA-08)
Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02)
Cathy Engelbert, WNBA Commissioner
Lisa Brummel, Seattle Storm Owner
Dawn Trudeau, Seattle Storm Owner
Ginny Gilder, Seattle Storm Owner
Alisha Valavanis, Seattle Storm President and CEO
Bethany Donaphin, WNBA Head of League Operations
Sue Bird, Seattle Storm Player
Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm Player
Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm Player
Crystal Langhorne, Former Seattle Storm Player and Director of Community Engagement, Force4Change
Bruce Reed, Deputy Chief of Staff
Julissa Reynoso, Chief of Staff to the First Lady and Co-Chair of the Gender Policy Council
Jen Klein, Co-Chair and Executive Director of the Gender Policy Council
Susan Rice, Domestic Policy Advisor
Cedric Richmond, Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the Office of Public Engagement
Trey Baker, Senior Advisor for Public Engagement

pool report #10/lid

A travel/photo lid was declared at 4:21 pm on this hot and humid afternoon.

pool report #8a/correction on Seattle Storm event speaker

The speaker after President Biden and Seattle Storm co-owner Ginny Gilder was Crystal Langhorne, a former Storm player who is now the team's Director of Community Engagement, Force4Change -- an initiative focused on social justice. (It was not WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert.)

There were no quotes attributed to either in pool report #8, so hopefully that didn't screw anyone up too badly. Apologies.

In her remarks, Langhorne said: "Being the first women's team to visit this administration, an administration that aligns with so many of our values, is such an honor. So thank you."

More Langhorne: "We are truly honored to be here for our achievements, but ... we are extremely proud of who we are off the court," too. "Force4Change focuses on creating a more equitable society, on amplifying black women. BIPOC youth, and the LGBTQ+ community....Social justice cannot fade into the background. We have to continue to amplify, invest, and do whatever we can to be a force for change."

Three players who were part of the gold medal winning Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics -- Sue Bird, Jewell Lloyd and Breanna Stewart -- presented the jersey to Biden.

Pool report #9a/correction FLOTUS and WNBA

The list of attendees for the WNBA champion Seattle Storm ceremony in the East Room included the first lady. She was not in fact there.

Pool report #11/updated Afghanistan evacuation tallies

Onpassing from the press office:

From August 23 at 3:00 AM EDT to August 23 at 3:00 PM EDT, a total of approximately 10,900 people were evacuated from Kabul. This is the result of 15 U.S. military flights (all C-17s), which carried approximately 6,660 evacuees, and 34 coalition flights, which carried 4,300 people.

Since August 14, the U.S. has evacuated and facilitated the evacuation of approximately 48,000 people. Since the end of July, we have re-located approximately 53,000 people.

Reminder we have a travel/photo lid.