The Full Belmonte, 10/2/2022
125 die as tear gas triggers crush at Indonesia soccer match
By AGOES BASOEKI and NINIEK KARMIN
“MALANG, Indonesia (AP) — Panic and a chaotic run for exits after police fired tear gas at an Indonesian soccer match to drive away fans upset with their team’s loss left at least 125 dead, most of whom were trampled upon or suffocated, making it one of the deadliest sports events in the world.
Attention immediately focused on the police use of tear gas, and witnesses described police beat them with sticks and shields before shooting canisters directly into the crowds.
The president of FIFA called the deaths at the stadium ‘a dark day for all involved in football and a tragedy beyond comprehension,’ while President Joko Widodo ordered an investigation of security procedures. While FIFA has no control over domestic games, it has advised against the use of tear gas at soccer stadiums.
Violence broke out after the game ended Saturday evening with host Arema FC of East Java’s Malang city losing to Persebaya of Surabaya 3-2.” Read more at AP News
Florida deaths rise to 47 amid struggle to recover from Ian
By REBECCA SANTANA and MEG KINNARD
“FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Rescuers evacuated stunned survivors on a large barrier island cut off by Hurricane Ian and Florida’s death toll climbed sharply, as hundreds of thousands of people were still sweltering without power days after the monster storm rampaged from the state’s southwestern coast up to the Carolinas.
Florida, with nearly four dozen reported dead, was hit hardest by the Category 4 hurricane, one of the strongest to make landfall in the United States. Flooded roadways and washed-out bridges to barrier islands left many people isolated, amid limited cellphone service and a lack of basic amenities such as water, electricity and the internet.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday that multibillionaire businessman Elon Musk was providing some 120 Starlink satellites to ‘help bridge some of the communication issues.’ Starlink, a satellite-based internet system created by Musk’s SpaceX, will provide high-speed connectivity.
Florida utilities were working to restore power. As of Saturday night, nearly 1 million homes and businesses were still without electricity, down from a peak of 2.67 million.
At least 54 people were confirmed dead: 47 in Florida, four in North Carolina and three in Cuba. The weakened storm was expected to dump rain Sunday on Virginia and West Virginia as it dissipates, according to the National Weather Service.” Read more at AP News
Ukraine presses on with counteroffensive; Russia uses drones
By JON GAMBRELL
“KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia attacked the Ukrainian president’s hometown and other targets Sunday with suicide drones, and Ukraine took back full control of a strategic eastern city in a counteroffensive that has reshaped the war.
Russia’s loss of the eastern city of Lyman, which it had been using as a transport and logistics hub, is a new blow to the Kremlin as it seeks to escalate the war by illegally annexing four regions of Ukraine and heightening threats to use nuclear force.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s land grab has threatened to push the conflict to a dangerous new level. It also prompted Ukraine to formally apply for NATO membership, a bid that won backing Sunday from nine central and eastern European NATO members fearful that Russia’s aggression could eventually target them, too.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Sunday that his forces now control Lyman: ‘As of 12:30 p.m. (0930 GMT) Lyman is cleared fully. Thank you to our militaries, our warriors,’ he said in a video address.” Read more at AP News
Records From Trump White House Still Missing, National Archives Says
The archives said in a letter to the House Oversight Committee that it was seeking electronic messages from unnamed White House officials sent through personal accounts.
Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, the chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee, had requested an assessment of what presidential records remained unaccounted for.Credit...Drew Angerer/Getty Images
“WASHINGTON — The National Archives informed Congress on Friday that members of the Trump White House still had not turned over all presidential records and signaled there could be legal consequences for those who do not comply.
In a letter sent to the House Oversight Committee, Debra Steidel Wall, the acting U.S. archivist, said the archives was working to retrieve electronic messages from certain unnamed White House officials who had used personal email and messaging accounts to conduct official business.
Ms. Wall wrote that the archives would consult the Justice Department about whether to ‘initiate an action for the recovery of records unlawfully removed.’
‘While there is no easy way to establish absolute accountability, we do know that we do not have custody of everything we should,’ Ms. Wall wrote to Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, Democrat of New York and the chairwoman of the Oversight Committee.” Read more at New York Times
“Venezuela released seven Americans after Biden agreed to grant clemency to two nephews of the country’s first lady.” Read more at New York Times
“Polls opened in Brazil earlier today in a presidential election marred by an unprecedented climate of tension and violence. Two household names -- former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and current leader Jair Bolsonaro -- are battling to become the country’s next president.” Read more at CNN
Good morning. Brazil votes for president today. Jack Nicas, the bureau chief there, explains what’s at stake.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, left, and President Jair Bolsonaro.From left: Lalo de Almeida for The New York Times; Victor Moriyama for The New York Times
Two very prominent names
“Brazilians are voting for president today in an election between two political heavyweights: Jair Bolsonaro, the far-right incumbent, and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a leftist former president. To help you understand the election, I spoke to Jack Nicas, The Times’s Brazil bureau chief, who lives in Rio de Janeiro.
Claire Moses: Hi Jack. This is quite an election.
Jack Nicas: It is. We reporters often say any given election is a big deal — but everyone here seems to agree that this one really is Brazil’s biggest vote in decades. Bolsonaro and Lula are perhaps the most prominent names in the modern history of Brazilian politics, and they come with a lot of baggage. They’re either loved or hated. People aren’t usually in-between on either.
Bolsonaro is a right-wing populist who has divided the country. He has fervent supporters on the right, and the left just abhors him and wants him out. Lula led Brazil during a time of tremendous growth, but then he served time in prison on corruption charges, which were later thrown out. He’s been leading in the polls.
Is it mostly political junkies who are obsessed with the election — or ordinary people, too?
It’s everyone. People are wearing their political colors visibly. If you see people wearing yellow and green, the colors of the Brazilian flag, you can probably bet that they’re Bolsonaro supporters. On the other side, people are wearing red, the color of the left-wing Workers’ Party, which is Lula’s party. People are eager to show off their political leanings and happy to debate them. The campaign is kind of in-your-face that way.
Beach towels are another example. You see vendors selling these towels with enormous prints of Lula’s or Bolsonaro’s face. Some of the vendors keep track of sales and post them on a sign — a sort of informal presidential poll.
There have been huge rallies across the country. Just down the street from me here in the Copacabana neighborhood, thousands of people gathered last month to celebrate Brazil’s 200 years of independence. In name it was a national celebration, but in practice it was a political rally for Bolsonaro. To avoid confrontations, Lula asked his supporters to attend a different rally on another day.
Towels for sale with the candidates’ faces.Ernesto Benavides/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
The fact that people wear the national colors to support Bolsonaro makes me wonder about soccer jerseys. Will people still wear the iconic jerseys of Brazil’s national team even if they don’t support Bolsonaro?
The national team has been the pride of Brazil for so long. But now its jersey is also a symbol of Bolsonaro supporters. How will Brazil cope with that during the upcoming World Cup in November, weeks after such a contentious election?
You’ve also reported on Bolsonaro’s antidemocratic moves, such as casting doubt on the country’s voting system, despite no evidence of fraud. American readers might see similarities with Donald Trump, with whom Bolsonaro has forged close ties. Is the state of democracy as big a topic in Brazil as it is in the U.S.?
It’s one of the biggest questions overhanging this election (along with a sputtering economy, rising hunger and the destruction of the Amazon). People saw what happened in the U.S. in 2020, and they know about the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. On the left, people are worried about a similar situation here because of Bolsonaro’s rhetoric. He was one of the last world leaders to recognize Joe Biden as the winner of the election.
Bolsonaro has said repeatedly that he sees three possible outcomes in this election for him: He wins, he’s put in jail or he’s dead. Those are aggressive words that worry a lot of people. From our reporting, it appears that institutions like the courts and Congress are prepared to stand up to an election challenge by Bolsonaro. And the armed forces, which had also been questioning the voting systems, now also don’t seem to have any interest in backing a coup.
The bigger threat may be that Bolsonaro’s supporters take to the streets if he doesn’t accept a loss. Many Bolsonaro supporters believe that Lula’s team and election officials are set on rigging the election. That belief doesn’t have any basis in the truth, but years of false claims by Bolsonaro have persuaded a large portion of the population.
What about Lula’s campaign strategy?
In a way, Lula’s campaign has been very Biden-esque. Even though Lula is much more of a leftist than Biden, he has also tried to build a broad coalition and appeal to the center. And like Biden, given his time as vice president, Lula has already spent eight years in the presidential offices. He’s a well-known face, and he’s trying to play it safe against an unpopular incumbent.
We should know the result, and whether there will be a runoff, around 7 p.m. Eastern tonight. Just because Lula is leading in the polls doesn’t mean something unpredictable can’t happen here.
Jack Nicas leads The Times’s coverage of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. Brazilians were fascinated by his efforts to translate the Portuguese words “tchutchuca” and “imbrochável” in his election coverage — two slightly vulgar words that each had their campaign moments.
For more
Brazil’s Supreme Court has expanded its power to counter Bolsonaro’s antidemocratic stances. But some experts are worried the court itself has become repressive.
If Bolsonaro loses and his supporters react violently, how will police respond? The Times’s Amanda Taub looks at the possibilities.
Lula is trying to complete a stunning political comeback.” Read more at New York Times
AP source: Union fires consultant who evaluated Tagovailoa
By ROB MAADDI
“The NFL Players Association has fired the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant who evaluated Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after he stumbled off the field against Buffalo last weekend, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Saturday.
The person who confirmed the firing, which was first reported by Pro Football Talk, spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because a joint review by the NFL and its players’ union into Tagovailoa’s quick return to Sunday’s game is ongoing.
There are three unaffiliated neurotrauma consultants (UNC) at each game. They are jointly paid by the league and the players’ union to work with team physicians to diagnose concussions. The NFLPA is exercising its right to terminate the UNC directly involved in the decision to clear Tagovailoa, who sustained a concussion following a frightening hit just four days later at Cincinnati on Thursday night.” Read more at AP News
AP Top 25 Takeaways: Bleak outlooks for Oklahoma, Wisconsin
By RALPH D. RUSSO
“Can’t hide problems when conference play starts.
The second month of the college football season often reveals issues that nonconference play might have masked and which teams could be in for long seasons.
Things have quickly gotten bleak for No. 18 Oklahoma and Wisconsin.
The Sooners lost for the second straight week Saturday, this time in humbling fashion to a TCU team that put up more than 600 yards.
‘We’re not very good, obviously, right now,’ first-year Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said, stating in the obvious.
Wisconsin was hammered by Illinois, losing to the Illini at home for the first time in 20 years and falling to 2-3.
‘Something needs to change because that’s not us,’ Badgers safety John Torchio said. ‘That’s not the Wisconsin football we all know.’
After the departure of Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma fans were bitter but also emboldened by the arrival of Venables, the former Clemson defensive coordinator.
Despite all Riley’s success, 55-10 with two Heisman Trophy winners, he never did get the defense right.
Venables would toughen up the Sooners in a way that Lincoln never did, OU fans hoped.
After Adrian Martinez and No. 25 Kansas State took apart the Oklahoma defense last week, Max Duggan and TCU blew it up. The Horned Frogs and offensive coordinator Garrett Riley — Lincoln’s little brother — had scoring plays of 73, 67, 62 and 69 yards.
Oklahoma also heads into the Red River Rivalry against Texas next week with questions at quarterback. Dillon Gabriel left the TCU game after taking a hard hit to the head.
The Big 12 looks wide open, with unbeaten Kansas — of all teams — sitting at the top at 2-0 with rival Kansas State. No. 9 Oklahoma State would probably like a word in that discussion, too, after winning at No. 16 Baylor.
In 2020, Oklahoma lost its first two Big 12 games and went on to win the conference. So don’t count out the Sooners. But the last two weeks have been so bad it’s starting to feel like a reset season under a new regime.
The issues at Wisconsin seem more dire. It’s one thing to get blown out by Ohio State last week. It’s a very different thing to get run out of Camp Randall Stadium by former coach Bret Bielema’s Illini.
When Bielema took over at Illinois, he tried to downplay the idea he would build the program in Wisconsin’s image, but that’s pretty much what he’s done. Running back Chase Brown and the Illini mashed on offense and held the Badgers to 2 yards rushing. Wisconsin had outrushed Illinois 391-26 in last season’s matchup.” Read more at AP News