One in 500 Americans has died of COVID-19. Intensive Care Units in many states, especially in the South, are critically full, causing those without the disease to wait to see a physician or receive treatment.House Democrats prepped a plan to bump the corporate tax rate to pay for President Joe Biden's $3.5 trillion infrastructure package. Despite political analysts predicting a tighter race, California Gov. Gavin Newsom convincingly defeated a recall election.Meanwhile, following the U.S. troop withdrawal in Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover of the country, millions of Afghans now face starvation per a United Nations report. Overseas, thousands of Afghans are stuck on military bases in the U.S. waiting for resettlement.The European Union announced a new biomedical authority to fight future pandemics. We cover all these stories and more during the News Roundup. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.