The Full Belmonte, 11/1/2022
Proponents for affirmative action in higher education rally today in front of the Supreme Court. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
“For nearly five hours on Monday, the Supreme Court justices listened. They prodded lawyers for answers to multipart questions and posed a slew of hypothetical scenarios. At times they expressed apparent exasperation, even frustration, with the answers they heard. At the end of the exhausting affair, the court’s deep divide on issues of race was evident. And the future of race-conscious admissions programs in America appeared as tenuous as it has ever been.
The long-awaited oral arguments in two cases that challenge colleges’ use of race in admissions decisions — one against Harvard College, the other against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — could soon undo decades of legal precedent. Since the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, in 1978, colleges have been able to consider race as one of many factors to further a compelling interest in student diversity. But Students for Fair Admissions, the organization that is challenging Harvard and UNC’s policies, has asked the court to end the controversial practice. And legal observers believe that the now-conservative court will seize the opportunity to do just that.
In several tense exchanges with lawyers representing Harvard and UNC on Monday, conservative justices expressed what seemed like impatience with a question that has long loomed over the debate: When, if ever, will colleges see fit to stop considering race?
Here are seven moments that stood out.
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s 25-year time horizon haunted the arguments.
‘When does it end? When is your sunset?’ Justice Amy Coney Barrett asked Ryan Y. Park, the solicitor general for the State of North Carolina, who argued on behalf of UNC.
Barrett was referring to the end of consideration of race in admissions and echoing an earlier line of questioning by Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. Those justices, like their conservative colleagues, seemed frustrated that the lawyers defending the colleges did not want to name an exact date when they could stop giving some applicants a ‘tip’ or ‘plus’ because of their race in the admissions process.
The conservative justices repeatedly quoted from O’Connor’s 2003 decision in Grutter v. Bollinger. Even though O’Connor affirmed the University of Michigan Law School’s consideration of race, she wrote that ‘race-conscious admissions policies must be limited in time.’ Specifically, O’Connor wrote 20 years ago that the court expects ‘that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary to further the interest approved today.’
SFFA and its opponents offered very different interpretations of what she meant by that 25-year comment. Cameron T. Norris, a lawyer representing SFFA, told the justices that ‘what Justice O’Connor was saying is that in 25 years, if we still need race, it’s not that you get another 25 years, it’s that we then declare racial preferences to be a failure.’
But speaking for the Justice Department, which intervened on behalf of the colleges, U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar said that that’s not what O’Connor meant.
‘I just don’t think it’s a tenable way to read Grutter to say that the court was suggesting that 25 years from now, poof, the interest in diversity in higher education is no longer compelling,’ she told the justices.
Seth Waxman, Harvard’s lawyer, said that the college’s policy of considering race is working.
‘We are proud of the progress we’ve made,’ Waxman said. ‘We still have work to do, including with respect to the way in which we treat students.’
The newest justice offered a hypothetical.
Patrick Strawbridge, a lawyer for SFFA, uttered the first words of the oral arguments in the UNC case: ‘Racial classifications are wrong.’ Those four words lie at the heart of SFFA’s arguments, underpinning its claims that Harvard and UNC’s race-conscious admissions policies violate the equal-protection clause of the 14th Amendment. The organization’s mantra has been that the principle of color-blindness should outweigh everything else.
But Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who joined the Supreme Court this year, asked whether barring race-conscious admissions programs could pose a different kind of legal problem. ‘What I’m worried about is that the rule that you’re advocating — that in the context of a holistic review process, a university can take into account and value all of the other background and personal characteristics of other applicants but they can’t value race. … That seems to me to have the potential of causing more of an equal-protection problem than it’s actually solving.’
She proposed a hypothetical. Suppose there are two applicants to UNC, the first of whom conveys their hope of becoming a fifth-generation graduate of UNC; the second explains that they’re descended from enslaved people who didn’t have a chance to attend the university. Both wish to honor their families’ legacies by enrolling at UNC.
‘Now, as I understand your ‘no race-conscious admissions rule, these two applicants would have a dramatically different opportunity to tell their family stories and to have them count,’ Jackson said. ‘The first applicant would be able to have his family background considered and valued by the institution as part of its consideration of whether or not to admit him, while the second one wouldn’t be able to because his story is in many ways bound up with his race and with the race of his ancestors.’
Strawbridge pushed back on that interpretation. ‘Obviously, nothing stops UNC from honoring those who have overcome slavery or recognizing its past contribution to racial segregation. But the question is: Is that a basis to make decisions about admission of students who were born in 2003? And I don’t think that it necessarily is. I don’t think that the equal-protection clause suggests that it is.’
This exchange reveals the complexity of the debate over whether race-conscious admissions programs violate the equal-protection clause.
Justices probed which race-neutral alternatives would be acceptable in a post-race-conscious admissions world.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh was ready to start thinking about what colleges will have to do if SFFA wins this case.
‘Your position will put a lot of pressure going forward, if it’s accepted, on what qualifies as race-neutral in the first place,’ Kavanaugh said. He wanted to know what Strawbridge, the SFFA lawyer, thought of a hypothetical plan to give a plus to the descendants of enslaved people. Strawbridge thought that such a program sounded like a ‘proxy for race’ and would likely not be OK. (But at other times, he allowed that a student may write something in an application ‘in which race provides the context for their experience.’) Kavanaugh also asked what SFFA thought about a program that gave a plus to the children of immigrants, which Strawbridge said might be OK if it was applied to all immigrants.
The justices asked, at different points, what would happen if an applicant wrote about experiencing racial discrimination or if an applicant described how their racial identity or cultural heritage had been a source of pride. Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked about a hypothetical Black applicant who is from an affluent family, but is the first African American president of the student body of a white school. Would it be a different form of discrimination to not consider that applicant’s race in that context? Later, Norris, the other lawyer representing SFFA, said that ‘culture, tradition and heritage are all not off limits for students to talk about and for universities to consider.’ But not race.
These are the kinds of often odd questions college-admissions officers will likely have to ask themselves if SFFA wins its case.
Lawyers discussed what can happen to the Black population of a college when race cannot be considered.
One college that was not on trial was nonetheless invoked by both sides several times: the University of California at Berkeley. For SFFA, it was an example of a campus that had achieved exemplary racial diversity even though California banned race-conscious admissions years ago — only 19 percent of the undergraduates are white, while 15 percent are Mexican American and 16 percent are of Chinese ethnicity, one of the SFFA lawyers said. For the Department of Justice, Berkeley is a cautionary tale because only a very small percentage of the student body is Black.
‘Berkeley has experienced a substantial decline in the African American student population,’ Prelogar, the solicitor general, said. ‘They further have explained the toll that’s taken on their ability to offer the educational benefits of diversity as well as the glaring sense of racial isolation that those students have on the Berkeley campus.’
The justices also heard about a hypothetical scenario predicting what would happen at Harvard if race was ignored: Black enrollment would drop to 10 percent from 14 percent, Harvard’s lawyer said. The university found that scenario unacceptable.
The U.S. solicitor general weighed in on Brown.
Prelogar framed the debate about admissions policies at selective colleges in broad terms. Dismantling race-conscious programs, she said, would weaken ‘the nation that we are and the nation that we aspire to be.’ Ensuring that colleges are enrolling and educating diverse students benefits the military and corporations, as well as law, medicine, and scientific fields.
Prelogar also referred to the Supreme Court’s 1954 ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which held that ‘separate but equal’ educational facilities for racial minorities is inherently unequal, violating the equal-protection clause. SFFA has argued previously that the Brown decision compels the Supreme Court to overrule Grutter v. Bollinger, a 2003 decision that upheld the limited use of race in admissions.
Yet Prelogar described ‘a world of difference’ between Brown’s race-conscious admissions policies, which, she said, ‘are not intended to exclude anyone on the basis of race, or even to benefit particular racial groups on the basis of race, but rather are designed to bring individuals of all races together so that they can all learn together and benefit from that diverse educational environment. It is profoundly ahistorical to say, as the petitioners do, that those situations are precisely equivalent, and it also trivializes the grievous moral and legal wrongs of state-sponsored segregation and the enormous harms that millions of Americans suffered under it.’
Justice Alito drilled down on Harvard’s ratings of Asian-American applicants — and decried a ‘zero sum game.’
SFFA has alleged that Harvard discriminates against Asian-American applicants. That claim hinges on the fact that, in general, such students received lower ratings for their personal qualities than students from other racial groups did.
Justice Alito repeatedly pressed Waxman, the Harvard lawyer, for an explanation.
Waxman noted — correctly — that both a federal judge and appellate court found no evidence of discrimination within Harvard’s admissions process. And he downplayed the significance of personal ratings of applicants, stating that admissions officers pay them relatively little attention when evaluating students’ applications in their totality.
‘It doesn’t make a statistical difference,’ Waxman said.
‘If it doesn’t matter, why do you do it?’ Alito replied.
The justice didn’t appear satisfied with subsequent explanations. Nor did he and other conservative justices seem to accept the notion that Harvard and UNC only ever consider an applicant’s race and ethnicity a tip, or ‘plus factor.’ When that happens, Alito said, ‘Those who don’t get the plus factor have what is essentially a negative factor.’
It was one of several moments when justices skeptical of Harvard’s and UNC’s policies revealed their apparent understanding of admissions outcomes as a zero-sum game.
Justice Neil M. Gorsuch asked about legacies and squash teams.
Gorsuch was among the justices who pushed lawyers for Harvard and UNC to explain admissions practices that disproportionately benefit white, affluent applicants. Specifically, preferences for legacies, children of donors, and athletes.
‘Harvard argues that we have a compelling interest in diversity writ large …’ Gorsuch said, ‘and among the diverse things that we need to have in our class are children of large donors … children of legacies, and a squash team. To what extent should this court be deferring to those interests?’
That prompted a follow-up from Justice Kavanaugh. When it comes to assessing adequate race-neutral alternatives, he told Waxman, ‘It seems that Harvard would have to sacrifice potentially something else to achieve what you think would be meaningful, sufficient racial diversity. … I think that’s a legal question we’re going to have to ultimately figure out: Does the university have to sacrifice those other things or not?’
It was just one of many skeptical questions that the court’s conservative majority rained down on the status quo in college admissions.” Read more at Chronicle of Higher Education
“House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said her husband Paul Pelosi is recovering from surgery following an attack at their house in San Francisco on Friday. The intruder who allegedly beat her husband with a hammer was looking for Pelosi, authorities said. In addition to the state prosecution, David DePape was charged by federal prosecutors on Monday with assault and attempted kidnapping.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Yesterday, the Supreme Court heard arguments for two cases that seek to end affirmative action based on race in university admissions. It's not the first time the court has discussed the issue, and there are a lot of precedents to dig through.
In the 1978 Regents of the University of California v. Bakke case, the court ruled that the University of California's ‘quota system’ along with the use of affirmative action policies to remedy the effects of racial discrimination was unconstitutional.
Gratz v. Bollinger and Grutter v. Bollinger in 2003 set the modern precedent. The court ruled admissions officers could consider the race of applicants so long as they did so in a ‘narrowly tailored’ and individualized way.
In 2013 and 2016, Fisher v. University of Texas tried to overturn the Bakke and Grutter precedent, but failed.
The decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina will likely come down in 2023, as the court looks at whether any consideration of race in the college admissions process constitutes a violation of the Equal Protection Clause.” Read more at NPR
Misinformation spreads about the Paul Pelosi attack
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
“Members of the far right, including some Republicans, are spreading misinformation about Friday’s attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi.” (Vox) Read more at Rolling Stone / Nikki McCann Ramirez
“The assailant, who attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer, reportedly shared conspiracy theories online about the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.” (Vox) Read more at CNN / Devan Cole
“Sunday, Elon Musk shared and later deleted a response to a link from a far-right website, falsely claiming there ‘might be more to this story.’” (Vox) Read more at Axios / Sara Fischer
“Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) and Donald Trump, Jr. sent tweets amplifying a false anti-LGTBQ conspiracy theory about the attack. Higgins deleted his tweet; since then, other top conservatives have shared conspiratorial content.” (Vox) Read more at Politico / Adam Wren
“Some on far-right platforms like former President Donald Trump’s Truth Social have been celebrating the attack.” [Vox / Nicole Narea]
“Paul Pelosi remains hospitalized. The assailant now faces assault and attempted kidnapping charges.” (Vox) Read more at NBC News / Rebecca Shabad, Ken Dilanian, and Andrew Blankstein
Twitter said the nine members of its former board are no longer directors as of the consummation of the merger.
PHOTO: CONSTANZA HEVIA/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
Elon Musk dissolved Twitter’s board and installed himself as the sole director.
“The Tesla CEO had intended to take over the role under the terms of the $44 billion merger agreement, according to an SEC filing that reported the nine members were axed. The company also plans broad layoffs. Musk already fired four top executives, including CEO Parag Agrawal, last week after the deal closed.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Misinformation worries | Twitter froze some employee access to internal tools used for content moderation and other policy enforcement, curbing their ability to clamp down on misinformation ahead of the US midterms. People who work in Twitter’s Trust and Safety organization are unable to alter or penalize accounts that break rules around misleading information, offensive posts and hate speech, except for the most high-impact violations that would involve real-world harm, sources say.
Elon Musk’s Twitter investors include a Saudi Arabian prince and a unit of the sovereign wealth fund of Qatar. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said the Saudi backing should be scrutinized by a government panel that reviews national security risks from foreign investments in the US.
Twitter cannot rely entirely on advertisers, Musk tweeted in response to author Stephen King’s criticism that the platform reportedly plans to charge users about $20 a month to keep their Blue Check verification.” Read more at Bloomberg
Mississippi
“More than two months after residents in Jackson, Mississippi, were plunged into a public water crisis, the EPA announced Monday that the water in the city is safe to drink again. Water issues in the region were compounded after flooding overwhelmed the city's already troubled water system and the main treatment plant failed, resulting in brown, cloudy water flowing from pipes. It also prompted a catastrophic water shortage and weeks of boil water notices. The city remains under a state of emergency, however, as Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves recently extended the order until late November.” Read more at CNN
Trump
“Former President Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to stop the IRS from turning over his tax returns to a Democratic-led House committee. Trump filed the emergency request Monday after a federal appeals court cleared the way last week for the returns to be disclosed to the House Ways and Means Committee in the coming days. The case is the most direct way for the House to obtain Trump's federal tax returns after pursuing them through different avenues for years. Also on Monday, the criminal tax fraud trial against the Trump Organization began with New York prosecutors laying out an alleged 15-year scheme within the organization to pay high-level executives in perks like luxury cars and apartments without paying taxes on them. Trump is not a defendant in this case and is not expected to be implicated in any wrongdoing, but the charges against the real estate business he built from the ground up are the closest any prosecutor has gotten to the former President.” Read more at CNN
Judge blocks publisher merger
Novelist Stephen King autographs books on Aug. 2 as he leaves U.S. District Court in Washington, where he testified in the antitrust case. Photo: Tom Brenner/Reuters
“A federal judge blocked Penguin Random House's effort to acquire Simon & Schuster, saying the proposed $2.2 billion merger could ‘substantially ... lessen competition in the market,’ Axios' Shawna Chen writes.
Why it matters: It's a win for the Biden administration, which has sought to push the envelope of antitrust enforcement, and views the case as a precedent-setter for mergers and acquisitions at large.
Penguin Random House is the largest book publisher in the U.S. Simon & Schuster is fourth-largest.
Both publishers plan to appeal.” Read more at Axios
“A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit from Trump’s Chief of Staff Mark Meadows challenging the validity of Jan. 6 Committee subpoenas, ruling that members of the committee can’t be sued for doing their work.” Read more at Bloomberg
“President Joe Biden will call on Congress to consider tax penalties and other consequences for oil and gas companies accruing record profits as gasoline prices remain high.” Read more at Bloomberg
Joe Biden Photographer: Chris Kleponis/CNP
New York City Pay Law Escalates Raise Frenzy
“Most New York City businesses on Tuesday will be required by law to add salary ranges to job ads, escalating a frenzy among employees and job seekers asking for pay increases in line with new postings. Almost one third of companies are considering or planning to increase the frequency of pay bumps.” Read more at Bloomberg
Photographer: Gabriela Bhaskar/Bloomberg
Plunged into darkness
Vehicles drive along a street today with the St. Sophia Cathedral silhouetted in the background. Photo: Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images
“Russian missile attacks have plunged Kyiv into darkness, Axios' Ivana Saric reports.
80% of consumers in the capital lacked water and 350,000 homes were without electricity, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote in a Telegram post earlier today.
Strikes also targeted the cities of Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, AP reported.
Russia claimed without evidence that Ukraine and the U.K. were behind drone attacks on Russian ships in Crimea.
A view of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv today, as the city is plunged into darkness. Photo: Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images
Zoom out: Ukraine's energy system has suffered more attacks since the Russian escalation began on Oct. 10 than in the previous eight months of the war.
The attacks threaten to leave many Ukrainians without electricity, water and heat as winter rapidly approaches.” Read more at Axios
Russian President Vladimir Putin inspects a training ground last month for recruits who were called into military service under a ‘partial mobilization’ order.
“Russia's ‘partial mobilization’ of citizens to fight in its war against Ukraine has been completed, President Vladimir Putin said today. Citing Russia's Ministry of Defense, Putin said 41,000 recruits were currently in combat formations of the Russian Armed Forces. However, Moscow's mobilization efforts have been beset by errors, caused angry protests and prompted a mass exodus since it was announced in September. More than 200,000 people traveled from Russia into Georgia, Kazakhstan and the EU in just the first week, collective data from those regions showed. Tensions are also rising over the future of the Black Sea grain deal, with Russia claiming the corridor -- which allows the safe passage of grain and oilseeds to reach global markets -- is suspended. Ukraine, however, is insisting it is committed to its continuation.” Read more at CNN
South Korea police admit responsibility for Halloween tragedy
“South Korea’s police chief has admitted a responsibility for failing to prevent a recent crowd surge that killed more than 150 people during Halloween festivities in Seoul. Police chief Yoon Hee Keun said Tuesday that officers didn’t effectively handle earlier emergency calls about the impending disaster. President Yoon Suk Yeol announced a weeklong national mourning period following the Saturday crowd surge that occurred as tens of thousands of mostly young Halloween revelers celebrated in the popular nightlife area of Itaewon. Police said they have launched a 475-member task force to investigate the tragedy.” Read more at USA Today
Shoes are seen among a huge collection items found in Itaewon following South Korea’s deadliest crowd surge, at a temporary lost and found center at a gym in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022. Police have assembled the crumpled tennis shoes, loafers and Chuck Taylors
Nine people arrested after bridge collapses into river in India
“Police in western India arrested nine people on Monday as they investigated the collapse of a newly repaired 143-year-old suspension bridge in one of the country's worst accidents in years, officials said. The collapse Sunday evening in Gujarat state plunged hundreds of people into a river, killing at least 134. As families mourned the dead, attention turned to why the pedestrian bridge, built during British colonialism in the late 1800s and touted by the state's tourism website as an ‘artistic and technological marvel,’ collapsed and who might be responsible. The bridge had reopened just four days earlier.” Read more at USA Today
Rescuers on boats search in the Machchu river next to a cable suspension bridge that collapsed in Morbi, India, Monday, Oct. 31, 2022.Ajit Solanki, AP
Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s president.Maria Magdalena Arrellaga for The New York Times
“In Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro is expected to speak publicly today for the first time since losing re-election on Sunday. It is unclear whether he will concede.” Read more in New York Times
Israelis vote again, as political crisis grinds on
By TIA GOLDENBERG
“JERUSALEM (AP) — For the fifth time since 2019, Israelis were voting in national elections on Tuesday, hoping to break the political deadlock that has paralyzed the country for the past three and a half years.
Although the cost of living is surging, Israeli-Palestinian tensions are boiling over and Iran remains a central threat, the foremost issue in the vote once again is former leader Benjamin Netanyahu and his fitness to serve amid corruption charges. His main rival is the man who helped oust him last year, the centrist caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid.
‘These elections are (a choice) between the future and the past. So go out and vote today for our children’s future, for our country’s future,’ Lapid said after voting in the upscale Tel Aviv neighborhood where he lives.
Polls have predicted a similar result: stalemate. But a powerful new player is threatening to shake things up. Itamar Ben-Gvir, a leading far-right politician, has surged in opinion polls recently and will be seeking a harder line against the Palestinians if he helps propel Netanyahu to victory.” Read more at AP News
Tehran Intensifies Crackdown on Protests
“Iran has vowed to hold public trials to penalize as many as 1,000 protesters, Iranian media said on Monday, in the regime’s latest effort to crush the defiant demonstrations that have erupted across the country.
For nearly seven weeks, authorities have scrambled—and failed—to quell the outpouring of anger that was triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the morality police’s custody. In the resulting clashes, an estimated 272 protesters have died, 39 of whom were children, while around 14,000 people have been detained.
On Saturday, Hossein Salami, the head of the Revolutionary Guards, made one of the regime’s starkest threats yet, warning that Saturday would be the ‘last day’ of the unrest and ordering protesters to stay home. Salami is ‘probably the one individual that protesters should fear almost as much as Khamenei himself,’ said Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran program at the Middle East Institute.
Still, the demand didn’t have the effect he likely expected. Rather than backing down, protests continued to sweep university campuses on Sunday despite a violent crackdown, in a sharp repudiation of the Revolutionary Guards’ authority.
Experts say Tehran’s decision to issue the warning—and protesters’ clear defiance in response—underscores the regime’s growing concerns about the unrest.
The fact that Iranian authorities ‘have to almost come out and issue an ultimatum like this tells me that they don’t see an end to this, and they’re starting to worry about how long this could continue,’ Vatanka said.
As Iran ramped up its repression, so too has global pressure against the regime. Canada unveiled a new slate of sanctions against senior Iranian officials on Monday, while the European Union is reportedly considering designating the Revolutionary Guards a terrorist group.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Lebanon’s political crisis. Lebanon is facing a power vacuum after President Michel Aoun’s political term concluded on Monday without a successor in place to take his position. Under Aoun, who was in power for six years, Lebanon slid into a dire economic crisis that plunged 80 percent of its people into poverty.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“The Philippines’ deadly storm. At least 98 people died and 69 more were wounded after a tropical storm swept the Philippines this past weekend, triggering landslides and causing millions of dollars in infrastructure losses; 63 people are still believed to be missing, authorities said.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Denmark is headed to the polls today after Social Democrat Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called an early general election as she faces a backlash over a disastrous pandemic-era mink cull decision.” Read more at Bloomberg
Powerball prize soars to $1.2B after no winners found Monday
By MARGERY A. BECK
“There were no big treats from the Halloween night Powerball drawing, as none of the tickets sold matched all six numbers.
The lack of a winner means the next drawing Wednesday night will be for a massive $1.2 billion jackpot.
The winning numbers drawn Monday were: white balls 13, 19, 36, 39, 59 and the red power ball 13.
The increased jackpot will be the 4th-largest in U.S. history. The biggest prize was a $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot won by three ticketholders in 2016.
Massive lottery jackpots have become more common in recent years as lottery officials have adjusted game rules and ticket prices to pump up the top prizes. The most recent tweak came in August, when Powerball officials added an additional drawing day — going from two a week to three — to build larger prizes and boost sales.
Although the advertised top prize Wednesday will be an estimated $1.2 billion, that is for winners who receive their winnings through an annuity paid over 29 years. Winners almost always opt for cash, which for Wednesday night’s drawing will be an estimated $596 million.” Read more at AP News
Philly plays Houston in football, baseball on Thu.
Fans take a selfie before the World Series Game 3 rainout at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia last evening. Photo: Drew Hallowell/MLB Photos via Getty Images
“Game 3 of the World Series was postponed last evening due to rain in Philadelphia, pushing each game in the series back a day, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes.
This Thursday, originally an off day, will now feature Game 5 in Philly and the NFL's Texans-Eagles in Houston for ‘Thursday Night Football.’
Between the lines: MLB intentionally avoided scheduling World Series games on Sunday, which belongs to the mighty NFL. Now, a potential Game 7 would go head-to-head with "Sunday Night Football."
That's not great news for TV ratings, which are fighting years of decline.
Neither is the Thursday conflict, which will see plenty of viewers choose America's obsession over its pastime.” Read more at Axios
“Taylor Swift cannot be stopped. She's become the first artist ever to take over all 10 of the top spots on Billboard's Hot 100 chart with songs from her latest album, Midnights.” Read more at NPR
SPORTS NEWS FROM THE ATHLETIC
“World Series: Rain postponed Game 3 last night, which could give the Phillies an advantage.
Leaving the Yankees? Aaron Judge will likely earn an extra $100 million when he becomes a free agent. Brian Cashman, the Yankees general manager, acknowledged that the decision was Judge’s ‘all-time best bet’ on himself.
Ohio rivalry: The 3-5 Cleveland Browns trounced the previously surging Cincinnati Bengals 32-13 last night, one of the more surprising results of this N.F.L. season.
A tumultuous reign ends: Auburn fired Bryan Harsin as football coach yesterday, ending his tenure after just 21 games. He’s owed a $15.3 million buyout. Next up for the Tigers? Maybe Lane Kiffin.” Read more at New York Times
Items in the estate sale of Joan Didion.Tony Cenicola/The New York Times
A piece of Didion’s life
“The writer Joan Didion, who died last year at 87, never hired a decorator. Instead, she and her husband filled their home with furniture and art that had ‘meaning only for us,’ they once wrote. Hundreds of those items will be auctioned at her estate sale on Nov. 16.
The collection is full of seemingly mundane objects: a paperweight, empty notebooks and lamps. It also contains some of her most iconic possessions, like her oversize sunglasses and art from famous friends. Workers at Stair Galleries in Hudson, N.Y., have been inundated with calls from fans trying to buy their own small piece of Didion’s life.” Read more at New York Times
“Lives Lived: Carmen Callil founded the feminist press Virago, upending British publishing and reintroducing works by forgotten female authors. She died at 84.” Read more at New York Times