The Full Belmonte, 10/3/2022
Destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach, Florida.
“Hurricane Ian has killed at least 76 people in Florida since it made landfall last week as a Category 4 storm, decimating coastal towns and flooding homes. Four others died in storm-related incidents as Ian churned into North Carolina and two died earlier in the week in Cuba. More than 1,600 people have been rescued from the storm's path in parts of southwest and central Florida since last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis' office said Sunday. Now, as blue skies return, people in Florida are facing the daunting task of rebuilding as they begin to return to unrecognizable communities -- many of them still without power or clean drinking water. President Joe Biden is set to travel to Florida this week where he will survey the damage.” Read more at CNN
“The Supreme Court's new term begins today with a slate of historic cases to be decided over the next several months. On Tuesday, the court will hear a challenge to the historic Voting Rights Act that bars voting rules that discriminate on the basis of race. Race will also be a central theme when the court considers affirmative action in college admissions, or whether institutions of higher education can take race into consideration as a factor when admitting applicants. Also notable is the court's newest member -- Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson -- who will take her seat on the bench for oral arguments today. Although Jackson was administered her official oaths last spring, her investiture ceremony sealed her position as the first Black woman on the bench last week.” Read more at CNN
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Is Awarded to Svante Pääbo
It is the first Nobel Prize awarded this year, with more announcements being made over the coming week.
By Cora Engelbrecht and Isabella Kwai
Oct. 3, 2022Updated 5:56 a.m. ET
“The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Svante Pääbo on Monday for his discoveries concerning the genomes of extinct hominids and human evolution.
It was the first of several prizes to be given over the next week. The Nobel Prizes, among the highest honors in science, recognize groundbreaking contributions in a variety of fields.
‘Through his pioneering research, Svante Pääbo — this year’s Nobel Prize laureate in physiology or medicine — accomplished something seemingly impossible: sequencing the genome of the Neanderthal, an extinct relative of present-day humans,’ the Nobel committee said in a statement.
‘Pääbo’s discoveries have generated new understanding of our evolutionary history,’ the statement said, adding that this research had helped establish the burgeoning science of “paleogenomics,” or the study of genetic material from ancient pathogens.
Nil-Göran Larsson, a professor in medical biochemistry for the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, said that Mr. Pääbo had used existing technology and his own methods to extract and analyze the ancient DNA. “It was certainly considered to be impossible to recover DNA from 40,000-year-old bones,” Mr. Larsson said.
When reached by telephone in Leipzig, Germany, Mr. Pääbo ‘was overwhelmed, he was speechless,’ Thomas Perlmann, the secretary of the Nobel Assembly and the Nobel Committee, said in announcing the award.” Read more at New York Times
In Hurricane Ian’s wake, dangers persist, worsen in parts
By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN and MIKE SCHNEIDER
“FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — People kayaking down streets that were passable just a day or two earlier. Hundreds of thousands without power. National Guard helicopters flying rescue missions to residents still stranded on Florida’s barrier islands.
Days after Hurricane Ian carved a path of destruction from Florida to the Carolinas, the dangers persisted, and even worsened in some places. It was clear the road to recovery from this monster storm will be long and painful.
And Ian was still not done. The storm doused Virginia with rain Sunday, and officials warned of the potential for severe flooding along its coast, beginning overnight Monday.
Ian’s remnants moved offshore and formed a nor’easter that is expected to pile even more water into an already inundated Chesapeake Bay and threatened to cause the most significant tidal flooding event in Virginia’s Hampton Roads region in the last 10 to 15 years, said Cody Poche, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
The island town of Chincoteague declared a state of emergency Sunday and strongly recommended that residents in certain areas evacuate. The Eastern Shore and northern portion of North Carolina’s Outer Banks were also likely to be impacted.
At least 68 people have been confirmed dead: 61 in Florida, four in North Carolina and three in Cuba.
With the death toll rising, Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said the federal government was ready to help in a huge way, focusing first on victims in Florida, which took the brunt of one of the strongest storms to make landfall in the United States. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden plan to visit the state on Wednesday.
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. Officials warned that the situation in many areas isn’t expected to improve for several days because the rain that fell has nowhere to go because waterways are overflowing.
Fewer than 700,000 homes and businesses in Florida were still without electricity by late Sunday, down from a peak of 2.6 million.” Read more at AP News
UK scraps tax cut for wealthy that sparked market turmoil
By JILL LAWLESS
“BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — The British government on Monday dropped plans to cut income tax for top earners, part of a package of unfunded cuts unveiled only days ago that sparked turmoil on financial markets and sent the pound to record lows.
In a dramatic about-face, Treasury chief Kwasi Kwarteng abandoned plans to scrap the top 45% rate of income tax paid on earnings above 150,000 pounds ($167,000) a year.
He and Prime Minister Liz Truss have spent the last 10 days defending the cut in the face of market mayhem and increasing alarm among the governing Conservative Party.
‘We get it, and we have listened,’ Kwarteng said in a statement. He said ‘it is clear that the abolition of the 45p tax rate has become a distraction from our overriding mission to tackle the challenges facing our country.’
The pound rose after Kwarteng’s announcement to around $1.12 — about the value it held before the Sept. 23 budget announcements.” Read more at AP News
Brazil’s Bolsonaro and the right outperform, defying polls
By DIANE JEANTET and CARLA BRIDI
“RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Jair Bolsonaro considerably outperformed expectations in Brazil’s presidential election, proving that the far-right wave he rode to the presidency remains a force and providing the world with yet another example of polls missing the mark.
The most-trusted opinion polls had indicated leftist former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was far out front, and potentially even clinching a first-round victory. One prominent pre-election poll gave da Silva a 14 percentage point lead. In the end, Bolsonaro surprised to the upside and came within just 5 points. He will face da Silva in a high-stakes Oct. 30 presidential runoff.
On Sunday, da Silva, known universally as Lula, obtained 48.4% of valid votes, which excludes blank and null ballots, while Bolsonaro got 43.2%, according to Brazil’s electoral authority. The first round’s nine other candidates received a fraction of the frontrunners’ support.” Read more at AP News
Iran protests: Students clash with security forces at Tehran university
By Alys Davies & David Gritten
BBC News
Image caption, Videos posted online appeared to show students running from security forces on motorbikes
“Iranian security forces clashed with students at a prestigious university in Tehran overnight, as anti-government protests continue to sweep the country.
Reports said a large number of students at Sharif University of Technology were trapped in a car park that had been surrounded by security personnel.
One video appeared to show students running away as gunshots ring out.
The anti-government protests erupted three weeks ago, after the death of a woman detained by the morality police.
In his first public comments, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described Mahsa Amini's death as a ‘bitter incident’ that ‘deeply broke my heart’.
But he denounced the nationwide protests as ‘riots’ that he claimed had been ‘planned’ by the United States and Israel, ‘as well as their paid agents, with the help of some traitorous Iranians abroad’.
Ms Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, fell into a coma hours after officers in the capital accused her of breaking the strict law requiring women to cover their hair with a hijab, or headscarf. She died in hospital three days later.” Read more at BBC
Indonesia Will Work to Identify Suspects in Stampede Within Days
An investigation will focus on police officers suspected of using tear gas to disperse fans in the overcrowded stadium. At least 125 people died, many trampled, after Saturday’s game.
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia announced a new commission to investigate the deaths of 125 people at a soccer stadium and said the authorities would work to identify the police officers suspected of having a role in the tragedy within days.
Mahfud MD, the chief security minister, said on Monday that the police would announce disciplinary measures for officers, while those who committed acts of violence while on duty in the Kanjuruhan Stadium were expected to face criminal charges.
Separately, the national police chief said on Monday that the authorities had interviewed 18 officers who had fired tear gas. Military personnel who were seen hitting fans would also face punishment, Mr. Mahfud said.
Mr. Mahfud said the panel’s investigation would take two to four weeks. He named 10 members to the body, including two academics, two retired military officers, a former police official, a former soccer league official, a former soccer player and a sports journalist.
He said in addition the authorities would provide compensation of about $4,230 for victims.” Read more at New York Times
Record avian flu outbreak sees 48m birds culled in UK and EU
By Malcolm Prior
BBC News Rural Affairs Producer
Image caption, Around 48m birds have been culled in the UK and EU
“Around 48m birds have been culled across the UK and the EU in the last year as a result of the largest outbreak of avian flu on record.
In the UK, 161 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) were detected in poultry and captive birds, leading to the culling of 3.2m birds.
That compared to the previous record of 26 cases in 2020/21.
The UK government said the culled birds were a ‘small proportion’ of total production - about 20m birds a week.
There have also been 1,727 cases of avian flu in the UK's wild bird population, in 406 locations involving 59 bird species.
Last week, all of Norfolk and Suffolk, and parts of Essex, became the latest areas to be placed in an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ).
In previous years, the virus has mostly died out during the summer months but this outbreak has persisted year-round, with it proving more easily spread among bird populations.” Read more at BBC
“U.S.-Venezuela prisoner swap. Venezuela has released sevendetained Americans in return for the freedom of two of President Nicolás Maduro’s relatives, who had been sentenced to 18 years in jail in the United States. U.S. President Joe Biden said the freed Americans, who included oil executives, had been wrongfully detained.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Burkina Faso’s coup. Military officials have ousted Burkina Faso’s president, Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, just eight months after he took power in another coup. Officials said they were acting over Damiba’s failure to combat the country’s Islamist insurgency and deteriorating security situation. Capt. Ibrahim Traoré, who led the coup, is Burkina Faso’s new ruler.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“United Airlines is suspending service at New York's JFK Airport, saying its schedule there is too small to remain competitive. In a note shared with CNN Business, the airline said the start of the winter season, when more airlines resume flying to and from JFK, contributed to its "difficult decision." United has been negotiating with the FAA to acquire additional slots, or takeoff and landing authorizations, at JFK and has been advocating for the agency to update its assessment of the airport's capacity. But United said these improvements will take time. As for the airline's employees, United says that the 100 employees who work at JFK won't lose their jobs and instead be transferred to nearby locations.” Read more at CNN
“Old Europe Cheese, Inc. is issuing a voluntary recall of its Brie and Camembert cheeses because of a possible outbreak of listeria, according to FDA. Affected cheeses were sold at about a dozen major retailers in the US and Mexico between August 1 and September 28, 2022. Retailers who likely sold the recalled cheeses include Albertsons, Safeway, Meijer, Harding's, Shaw's, Price Chopper, Market Basket, Raley's, Save Mart, Giant Foods, Stop & Shop, Fresh Thyme, Lidl, Sprouts, Athenian Foods and Whole Foods, the company said. The FDA is advising consumers who may have purchased any of the products to discard them, as well as use extra vigilance in sanitizing any surfaces that may have come into contact with the products.” Read more at CNN
“Foot-dragging philanthropy | US billionaires are exploiting a loophole in which they can avoid paying taxes by donating funds to charity while waiting years to actually release them to those in need. A growing number of wealthy Americans — including Tesla co-founder Elon Musk — are using so-called donor-advised funds that are so opaque that no one needs to know how or when the cash is spent.” Read more at Bloomberg
AP Top 25 Reality Check: Reset welcome 7 new ranked teams
By RALPH D. RUSSO
“This was reset week for Associated Press college football poll voters.
A season-high 10 teams that entered the weekend ranked in the AP Top 25 presented by Regions bank lost. That included five ranked teams losing to unranked opponents.
The fallout was more than a quarter of the poll turning over Sunday.
The voters tossed out seven teams, five of which had been ranked all season, including Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Baylor.
Among the seven new arrivals, six made their season debut. Kansas was the headliner. The Jayhawks had not been ranked in 13 years, the longest drought among Power Five conference t rankings. Still, it’s early enough that some of the newcomers might not be built for the long run.
Oh, and did we mention there is a new (sort of) No. 1. For the 140th time, Alabama is top-ranked. No team has ever reached the top spot more.” Read more at AP News
Horror pic ‘Smile’ happy at No. 1; ‘Bros’ starts in 4th
By LINDSEY BAHR
“Moviegoing audiences chose the horror movie over the romantic comedy to kick off the month of October. Paramount’s ‘Smile’ topped the North American charts with $22 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday, leaving Billy Eichner’s rom-com ‘Bros’ in the dust.
Universal’s ‘Bros’ launched with an estimated $4.8 million to take fourth place behind ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ ($7.3 million) and ‘The Woman King’ ($7 million). But opening weekends likely aren’t the final word on either ‘Bros’ or ‘Smile.’ Horror movie audiences are generally front-loaded, dropping off steeply after the first weekend, while something like ‘Bros,’ which got great reviews and an A CinemaScore, suggesting strong word-of-mouth potential, is a movie that could continue finding audiences through the fall. It is not unusual for R-rated comedies to open modestly and catch on later.
‘Everyone who sees it absolutely loves it,’ said Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic distribution. ‘Billy Eichner, (director) Nick Stoller and Judd Apatow have created a movie that’s heartwarming and hysterically funny.’
‘Bros’ is significant for being the first gay rom-com given a wide theatrical release by a major studio, as well as the first studio movie starring and co-written by an openly gay man. Since premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival last month, the film has gotten stellar reviews from critics and also been the target of ‘review bombs’ on IMDB. The site last week removed removed hundreds of one-star reviews for ‘Bros’ that were logged before the film was released.
It’s also hard to compete with a new horror movie in October. ‘Smile,’ written and directed by Parker Finn in his directorial debut, stars Sosie Bacon as a therapist haunted by smiling faces after a traumatic event.
According to exit polls, 52% of the audience was male and 68% were ages 18-34 for the R-rated film. Playing in 3,645 locations, “Smile” started strong with $2 million from Thursday night previews, too, and had a 4% uptick Saturday, which is almost unheard of for genre films that usually decline after the first night.
“Smile” also cost only $17 million to produce.
‘It’s remarkable, particularly when you take the budget into account. It’s just a terrific result and validated our thoughts about the movie as a whole,’ said Chris Aronson, Paramount’s president of domestic distribution. ‘That Saturday uptick bodes well for the long-term playability.’” Read more at AP News
Sacheen Littlefeather, who declined Brando’s Oscar, dies at 75
She was the first Native American woman to stand onstage at the Oscars and made headlines for calling attention to the historical mistreatment of American Indians
“Sacheen Littlefeather, a Native American actress and activist who made Oscars history in 1973, declining the best actor prize on behalf of Marlon Brando and jolting the Academy — and an estimated 85 million television viewers — with her speech condemning the mistreatment of American Indians, died Oct. 2 at home in Marin County, Calif. She was 75.
The cause was breast cancer, said Calina Lawrence, her niece and caregiver. Ms. Littlefeather was diagnosed in 2018 with breast cancer that spread to her right lung, according to an article in A.frame, the digital magazine of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
For decades, the Oscars largely steered clear of politics and social issues, acquiring a reputation as Hollywood’s biggest night while serving as a glitzy showcase for the movies and the people who made them. Ms. Littlefeather’s speech helped change that, ushering in an era in which actors and filmmakers increasingly used their acceptance speeches to call out injustice, criticize politicians and urge the industry to diversify its ranks and better represent women and people of color.” Read more at Washington Post