The Full Belmonte, 10/27/2023
Massive manhunt after 18 killed in Maine shooting rampage
Law enforcement officials gather in the road leading to the home of the suspect being sought in connection with two mass shootings on October 26, 2023 in Bowdoin, Maine.
Joe Raedle, Getty Images
“Multiple communities in Maine are on lockdown as authorities urgently search for the man suspected of killing 18 people and wounding 13 others in a mass shooting at a bowling alley and bar Wednesday night in the city of Lewiston, officials said.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Robert Card, 40, on murder charges, and he is considered “armed and dangerous,” state police said at a news conference today.
Read more about Card’s reported background as a firearms instructor, his military history, and purported struggles with mental health here.
Authorities have released multiple photos of the gunman appearing to be holding a military-style assault rifle.
According to the timeline given by police, the gunman entered the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley just before 7 p.m. and opened fire, killing seven people.
Minutes later and about four miles away at Schemengees Bar and Grill, he killed another eight people, police said. Three other victims were later pronounced dead at area hospitals.
A vehicle that may have been driven by Card was found at a boat launch area in the nearby town of Lisbon, police said.
Lewiston, Lisbon, and the nearby community of Bowdoin, remain under orders to shelter in place, and a number of schools in the area are shut down today.” [NBC News]
Israel launches ‘targeted’ ground raid into Gaza
“The Israel Defense Forces said it launched a ‘targeted raid’ into northern Gaza using tanks overnight to prepare for ‘the next stages of combat,’ ahead of an expected large-scale ground invasion.
The IDF shared video on social media appearing to show a bulldozer breaking through a barrier, then a column of tanks entering Gaza, followed by footage of explosions.
‘IDF tanks & infantry struck numerous terrorist cells, infrastructure and anti-tank missile launch posts,’ the military said. ‘The soldiers have since exited the area and returned to Israeli territory.’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military is preparing for a ground invasion, but did not give any details on timing, in a televised address Wednesday.
President Joe Biden on Wednesday reaffirmed Israel’s ‘responsibility to respond’ after the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks, but as the military continues to pound Gaza with airstrikes, he called on Israel to do “everything in its power” to protect Palestinian civilians.
US strikes
The U.S. ordered airstrikes following recent attacks on American forces.
“The US carried out airstrikes Thursday targeting two facilities linked to Iranian-backed militias in Syria following a series of attacks against US forces in the region. The strikes, which were ordered by President Joe Biden, were described as ‘narrowly tailored in self-defense’ and separate from the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The Biden administration has carried out strikes against militias before, but at a time of enormous tension in the Middle East, the US is looking to send a strong message to Iran and the militias not to escalate their attacks and spark a wider conflict. This comes as roughly 900 US troops have deployed or are deploying to the Middle East to bolster US force protection in the region. That's in addition to US troops already in Iraq and Syria — roughly 2,500 and 900, respectively.” [CNN]
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
The Latest
A funeral in Israel for a mother and two daughters killed in the Hamas attacks. Avishag Shaar-Yashuv for The New York Times
“Military and government leaders in Israel are divided over whether to invade Gaza. Troops are waiting at the border.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza released the names and ID numbers of 6,747 people it said had been killed in Israeli strikes.
Many water faucets have run dry and food is increasingly scarce in Gaza. See photos from inside the enclave.
American Response
The U.S. hit targets linked to Iran in eastern Syria. The airstrikes were intended to deter both attacks on American forces in the region and a wider war.
An empty Shabbat table in Times Square had a space for each of the around 200 hostages held by Hamas.
In an essay that went to press before the war began, President Biden’s national security adviser called the Middle East ‘quieter than it has been for decades.’ Critics have pounced.
University of Pennsylvania alumni are pulling their donations, angry over the school’s perceived leftward shift and response to Hamas’s attacks.” [New York Times]
Presidential race
“Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips announced Thursday that he is kicking off a long-shot Democratic primary challenge to President Biden. ‘I will not sit still, I will not be quiet in the face of numbers that are so clearly saying that we're going to be facing an emergency next November,’ Phillips said. The three-term congressman from Minnesota has argued that the president would be a weak general election candidate due to his age and low approval ratings compared to Republican front-runner Donald Trump. Phillips is set to formally launch his campaign later today, even as Democrats are seeking to unify around Biden, fend off any spoiler independent candidates, and lay out the administration's accomplishments to voters.” [CNN]
Suspect in fatal shooting of Maryland judge found dead
“After a weeklong manhunt, the man wanted for the fatal shooting of a judge in the driveway of his Maryland home was found dead today, officials said.
Police had been searching for the fugitive, Pedro Argote, since the ‘targeted’ shooting of Judge Andrew Wilkinson occurred on Oct. 19.
Just hours before the deadly encounter, the judge had given Argote’s estranged wife custody of their children during a divorce hearing.
Argote’s body was found in the woods in Williamsport, Maryland, about a mile away from where his vehicle was found Saturday, authorities said.” [NBC News]
Hurricane Otis leaves at least 27 dead after slamming Mexico
“At least 27 people are dead and four others missing after Hurricane Otis made landfall near Acapulco Wednesday, as one of the most powerful storms ever to hit Mexico, officials said.
‘What Acapulco suffered was really disastrous,’ President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said at a news conference today.
In what the National Hurricane Center called a ‘nightmare scenario,’ Otis explosively intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in just 24 hours, taking many in the resort city by surprise.
The hurricane unleashed heavy rain and powerful winds, triggering landslides and flooding streets. About 80 percent of Acapulco’s hotels were damaged, and officials are working on evacuating those who want to get out, the mayor said.” [NBC News]
UAW reaches tentative agreement with Ford after six-week strike
UAW member Marcel Edwards removes signs from a picket line at a Ford plant in Wayne, Mich., last night. Photo: Paul Sancya/AP
“The United Auto Workers union and Ford reached a tentative contract agreement last night that would end almost six weeks of strike action against the automaker, Axios' Joann Muller and Rebecca Falconer report.
The tentative agreement, announced by the union and Ford, still needs to be ratified by Ford's 57,000 UAW members.
Why it matters: The agreement could set a pattern for swift agreements at Stellantis and GM, where UAW members have also been on strike at select plants.
Details: ‘The agreement grants 25% in base wage increases through April 2028, and will cumulatively raise the top wage by over 30% to more than $40 an hour, and raise the starting wage by 68%, to over $28 an hour,’ a UAW statement says.
‘The lowest-paid workers at Ford will see a raise of more than 150% over the life of the agreement.’
Reality check: There's no guarantee the UAW members at Ford will ratify the deal. Despite the huge raises, UAW president Shawn Fain has raised expectations about restoring benefits such as full pensions and implementing a 32-hour workweek.” [Axios]
Bipartisan child labor crackdown
Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
“Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) are proposing a new law today that would crack down on child labor in a rare display of bipartisanship, Axios' Nathan Bomey writes.
Why it matters: The Labor Department identified nearly 5,800 illegally employed children in fiscal year 2023 — up 88% since 2019.
The big picture: Lawmakers in several states have taken steps to weakenlong-standing child labor laws.
In some states, kids as young as 14 are legally joining the workforce.” [Axios]
Child labor violations are up 69%. What is Congress going to do?
“Congress is facing a harrowing issue impacting America's youngest: A 69% increase in child labor law violations since 2018. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., is looking to enhance a piece of 85-year-old legislation that prohibits children under age 18 from being employed in dangerous jobs and mandates child labor provisions. Casey's new bill introduced Thursday focuses on setting harsher penalties for child labor law violations and increasing accountability for violators, including contractors and subcontractors that employ children.” Read more at USA Today
Federal judge rules Georgia’s political district maps are racially discriminatory and must be redrawn before 2024 elections
“U.S. District Judge Steve Jones said the current maps violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. He ordered lawmakers to redraw the maps to include another majority-Black congressional district by Dec. 8. Legislators must also draw two more majority-Black state legislative districts, per the order.”
Read the story at Washington Post
Charlottesville’s statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was melted down.
The metal face is placed on top of a furnace to preheat. (Hadley Green/The Washington Post)
“Why? It had been a rallying point for white nationalists in Charlottesville, where it once stood. In 2017, it prompted the deadly Unite the Right rally against its removal.
A fiery end: The statue was secretly cut into fragments and dropped into a furnace last week. Its remains will be turned into a new piece of public artwork in Charlottesville.”
Read this story at Washington Post
Speaker Johnson's oppo dossier
Speaker Mike Johnson poses for selfies with House Republicans outside the Capitol after being elected speaker yesterday. Photo: Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
“New House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is being vetted in real time:
The 51-year-old lawyer didn't have a national profile until this week. And his 20-year paper trail is an oppo researcher's dream, Axios' Justin Green writes.
Why it matters: Johnson is one of the most socially conservative speakers in modern memory — often far to the right of former President Trump. Democrats plan to make him a central figure in their 2024 campaigns.
Johnson has made it easy, with reams of op-eds and newspaper columns paired with legislation he recently introduced and supported:
Abortion: Johnson posted in January that ‘we will get the number of abortions to ZERO!!’ in Louisiana after the fall of Roe.
Sexual orientation and gender identity: ‘Your race, creed, and sex are what you are, while homosexuality and cross-dressing are things you do,’ Johnson wrote in a 2005 op-ed, CNN reports.
Criminalizing gay sex: ‘States have many legitimate grounds to proscribe same-sex deviate sexual intercourse,’ Johnson wrote in a July 2003 guest column cited by CNN.
Trump's election denialism: ‘Johnson led the way in shaping legal arguments that became gospel among GOP lawmakers who sought to derail Biden's path to the White House — even after all but the most extreme options had elapsed,’ Politico reports.” [Politico]
Biden's awkward dance with new speaker
Newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) speaker after his election yesterday. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
“President Biden is making overtures to newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), indicating that he's willing to look past the speaker's election-denialism to keep the government open and provide funding for Ukraine and Israel.
Why it matters: The fate of Biden's immediate domestic and foreign agenda rests in the hand of a man who actively opposed certification of his election, Axios' Hans Nichols writes.
Shortly after Johnson's election, Biden called to congratulate him.
The White House was quick with a statement to signal a willingness to work together. ‘There should be mutual effort to find common ground wherever we can,’ Biden said.
Without a deal, the government runs out of money in 22 days (Nov. 17).
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced on X that he and Johnson ‘will be meeting soon.’
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) tallies votes yesterday. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Between the lines: Biden has no relationship with Johnson.
Their only known interaction came in May, when Biden gave Johnson — and other Louisiana lawmakers — a shoutout at an LSU women's basketball championship ceremony in the East Room.” [Axios]
Putin presides over nuke test
Photo: Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool via AP
Above: Kremlin TV shows President Vladimir Putin — via a video link from Moscow — directing a test yesterday of Russia's ability to deliver a massive retaliatory strike by its nuclear triad of land, sea and air.
“Why it matters: Twenty months into the war in Ukraine, nuclear tensions have soared between Russia and the West.” [Axios]
U.S. and Qatar agree to revisit the Gulf country’s ties to Hamas after Gaza hostage crisis, diplomats say
“The agreement, which has not been reported previously, was forged during a recent meeting in Doha between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the emir of Qatar, according to four diplomats familiar with the discussions. Still undecided is whether the reevaluation will entail an exodus of Hamas leaders from Qatar, where they have long maintained a political office in the capital, or steps that come short of that. Qatar has been instrumental in helping the United States and Israel secure the release of hostages from Hamas.”
Read more at Washington Post
Twitter Anniversary
“When Elon Musk bought Twitter one year ago, he said the site ‘obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape.’ Experts on misinformation say it has become just that.
How do users feel about the new Twitter — or X, as Musk has rebranded it? Many have abandoned the site, saying its quality and safeguards have deteriorated.” [New York Times]
Future of pharmacies: Robots + AI
Illustration: Chloe Reynolds/Axios
“As pharmacists pivot from pill-dispensing and administrative tasks to patient care, robots and AI software are starting to shoulder more back-end work, Jennifer A. Kingson writes for Axios What's Next.
Why it matters: Pharmacist walkouts — which could go nationwide next week — point to the profession's high level of burnout and overwork, which automation could help offset.
What's happening: Walgreens is building a nationwide network of ‘micro-fulfillment centers,’ where robots fill prescriptions.
Walmart, Hy-Vee, Coborn's and other chains have been migrating to ‘central fill,’ which moves prescription prep and packaging offsite, leaning heavily on technology.
Where regulation permits, chains are using will-call lockers for prescription pickups.
On the software side, AI programs help pharmacists monitor patients' medication adherence, manage inventory, predict demand for specific pills and identify potential drug interactions.
What's next: Expect a lot more automation from pharmacies — whether they're in hospitals, supermarkets or stores — including AI-powered humanoid robots, which can answer patients' routine questions.” [Axios]
October 27, 2023
By Megan Twohey
Investigative Reporter
Good morning. In addition to West, we’re also covering the Israel-Hamas war, the manhunt in Maine and candy corn.
Kanye West in 2019.Nina Westervelt for The New York Times
Looking past misconduct
“When Adidas ended its wildly lucrative shoe deal with Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, a year ago, the breakup appeared to be the culmination of weeks of his inflammatory remarks about Jews and Black Lives Matter. But our examination found that behind the scenes, the partnership was fraught from the start.
Interviews with current and former employees of Adidas and of West, along with hundreds of previously undisclosed internal records, including contracts, text messages and financial documents, provide the fullest accounting yet of the relationship. Here are seven takeaways.
For almost 10 years, Adidas looked past West’s misconduct as profits soared. The partnership, which began in 2013, boosted company profits and made West a billionaire. But West subjected employees to antisemitic and other abusive comments. And though their contract for years had a clause allowing Adidas to end the agreement if West’s behavior harmed the company’s reputation, it’s not clear that executives ever considered invoking it before terminating the deal last year.
West showed a troubling fixation on Jews and Hitler. At a 2013 meeting with Adidas designers at the company’s headquarters in Germany, he drew a swastika on one of their sketches. He later told a Jewish Adidas manager to kiss a portrait of Hitler every day. And West told Adidas colleagues that he admired Hitler’s command of propaganda.
He brought pornography and crude comments into the workplace. Weeks before the swastika episode, West made Adidas executives watch pornography during a meeting at his Manhattan apartment. Last year, he ambushed Adidas executives in Los Angeles with a pornographic film. Staff members also complained to top executives that he had made angry, sexually offensive comments to them.
Trying on Yeezy shoes in 2020.Seth Wenig/Associated Press
Big demands and mood swings weighed on the relationship. West, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, at times rejected the assessment and resisted treatment. Tears were common; so was fury. In 2019, he abruptly moved the operation designing his shoes, called Yeezys, to remote Cody, Wyo., and ordered the Adidas team to relocate. In a meeting with company leaders that year to discuss his demands, he hurled shoes around the room.
Adidas adapted to West’s behavior. Managers and top executives started a group text chain, called the ‘Yzy hotline,’ to address matters involving West. The Adidas team working on Yeezys adopted a strategy they likened to firefighting, rotating members on and off the front lines of dealing with the artist.
As the brand grew more reliant on Yeezys, it sweetened the deal for West. Under the 2016 contract, he received a 15 percent royalty on net sales, with $15 million upfront along with millions of dollars in company stock each year. In 2019, Adidas agreed to another enticement: $100 million annually, officially for Yeezy marketing but, in practice, a fund that West could spend with little oversight.
The sales continue. After the relationship between West and Adidas ruptured a year ago and Yeezy sales stopped, the company projected its first annual loss in decades. West’s net worth plummeted. Still, they had at least one more chance to keep making money together. In May, the company began releasing the remaining $1.3 billion worth of Yeezys. A cut of the proceeds would go to charity. But most of the revenue would go to Adidas, and West was entitled to royalties.”
You can read the full investigation here. [New York Times]
High-flying pandas
FedEx's jumbo Giant Panda Express. Photo: FedEx
“It's all aboard the FedEx Giant Panda Express for the National Zoo's three bears in their return to China, Axios D.C. co-author Anna Spiegel writes.
Why it matters: The three pandas are precious cargo — a celebrated symbol of both D.C. and China — and every step of the journey is carefully coordinated to make their transition as seamless and stress-free as possible.
The special jumbo jet that's part of their elaborate return to China is taking off before mid-November, weeks earlier than expected.
National Zoo chief veterinarian Don Neiffer tells Axios that animal transports are often planned around mild weather — no hot summer or icy winter travel.
The in-flight panda menu: bamboo and snacks. Photo: Anna Spiegel/Axios
Zoom in: The affable bears aren't sedated on the plane, but ‘they tend to sleep most of the time,’ keeper Mariel Lally tells Axios.
They're loaded into individual shipping containers and are well-fed with heaps of fresh bamboo — around 80 lbs. per bear. Snacks include pears, sugar cane, butternut squash and nutrient-rich leaf eater biscuits.” [Axios]
Game 1 of an unlikely World Series matchup is tonight.
“What’s so weird about this one? Neither the Texas Rangers nor the Arizona Diamondbacks topped their division. They combined to win only 174 regular season games — a historic low.
Watch the rookies: Outfielder Corbin Carroll led Arizona to a Game 7 win in the NLCS, and Texas sluggers Josh Jung and Evan Carter have combined for four playoff homers.
The schedule: Game 1 and tomorrow’s Game 2 are in Arlington, Tex., and the series shifts to Phoenix on Monday. Each game in the best-of-seven series airs on Fox.”
Read this story at Washington Post
Taylor Swift's '1989 (Taylor's Version)' is here!
The album named for the year of Taylor Swift's birth, “1989,” immediately captivated radio and signified that her transformation was complete when it debuted in 2014. The cavalcade of hits like “Shake it Off" and “Blank Space" and equally synth-tastic album cuts including "Welcome to New York" established that the glossy pop stomp of predecessor “Red” was merely an appetizer. Only three months after her last revisited offering, “Speak Now,” Swift has dropped “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” in all of its bustling beauty as she continues her quest to reclaim her artistic ownership after the contentious sale of her original master recordings in 2020. Here's our favorite songs on the record. [USA Today]
The re-recorded version of Taylor Swift's album 1989, is seen on display for sale at Plaid Room Records, Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, in Loveland, Ohio.
Aaron Doster, AP
SPORTS
“N.F.L.: The Buffalo Bills beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-18, withstanding a last-second Hail Mary attempt.
Soccer stalemate: The U.S. women’s team was held to a 0-0 draw by Colombia in the first of two friendlies this week between the sides. They play again Sunday.
Dame time: Damian Lillard scored 39 points in his Milwaukee Bucks debut, leading his new team to a 118-117 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Boxing: These women are fighting by men’s rules.” [New York Times]
“Lives Lived: Rock Brynner built a varied career as road manager for the Band, bodyguard for Muhammad Ali, professor of constitutional history and more. He died at 76.” [New York Times]