On Tuesday, the Pentagon asserted that some 10,000 Americans are still stranded in Afghanistan. The White House claimed it was 11,000. The State Department told Senate staffers the figure could be as high as 15,000, while a former Assistant Secretary of State told Fox News his embassy sources believe the number could reach 40,000.

So what’s the real body count? That’s the pressing question of the day, considering that President Joe Biden has under a fortnight before his evacuation deadline, unless the president believes he can beg the Taliban to extend it.