It's Friday, February 21st.

Welcome to Schemeless.

We're breaking down the most complex stories of the day and giving you the context on

why they matter.

The U.S. and the Taliban have agreed to reduce fighting in Afghanistan for a week.

It's kind of like a test run to see if they put down their weapons for good and possibly

end America's longest war.

But a lot could still get in the way.

Then, we'll explore a shake-up in the American intelligence community, yet another potentially

messy 2020 caucus, and we'll pay our respects to the man who gave us copy and paste.

We're here to make your evening smarter.

Let's skim this.

What better way to head into your weekend than with a little peace and quiet?

Well, for some, that's easier said than done.

Today, the U.S. announced that it's reached an agreement to a seven-day reduction in

violence with the Taliban.

But if all goes well, potentially signing a more permanent peace deal could be in the

works.

This reduction in violence has also been called an understanding, or a partial truce.

And it kicked off earlier this afternoon when the clock struck midnight in Afghanistan.

But this is far from a Cinderella situation.

The U.S. and the Taliban have been warring it out for nearly two decades.

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