Top Stories this PM: Justice Kavanaugh gets asymptomatic COVID; Afghanistan evacuees denied entry into US

Good afternoon. Here are the top stories so far today.

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What happened today:

• Justice Kavanaugh gets COVID. Justice Brett Kavanaugh got a positive COVID-19 diagnosis on Thursday after a "routine" test per the court's "regular testing protocols," the court said in a statement. The associate justice is fully vaccinated against the disease and has experienced no symptoms of the virus.
• COVID-19 pill effective, study finds. A pill developed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics halved the likelihood of death or hospitalization from the coronavirus in a study, interim results indicate. The companies said Friday morning that they would apply for emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration "as soon as possible."
• California announces school vaccine mandate. California is the first state in the country that will require schoolchildren to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday. The mandate will begin in the first school term that follows full FDA authorization of a COVID-19 vaccine for children.
• Kabul evacuees denied entry. More than 100 American evacuees from Afghanistan were left with little food and had to sleep on the floor when the US denied them entry for 33 hours. Officials cited a lengthy screening process and a measles outbreak as causes for concern, a civilian rescue group said.
• Women's soccer takes a stand. The National Women's Soccer League has postponed games scheduled for this weekend after news broke that a top coach had been accused of sexual coercion. The coach, Paul Riley, was fired. The games have been called off ahead of a meeting between the league and the NWSL Players Association.

That's all for now. See you tomorrow.

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