The Full Belmonte, 11/26/2023
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Hostage-Prisoner Exchange
Freed Israeli hostages. Fatima Shbair/Associated Press
“Hamas released another 13 Israeli hostages overnight, all women and children, as well as four Thai citizens.” [New York Times]
“Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners in exchange. The group included Israa Jaabees, a woman whose face was disfigured when her car exploded at a checkpoint, and who was featured in an Oscar-nominated documentary.” [New York Times]
“The releases came after an hourslong delay that raised fears the cease-fire might collapse.” [New York Times]
“Freed Israeli hostages have begun to reunite with their families. An emotional video from a children’s hospital showed Ohad Munder Zichri, a 9-year-old hostage, running into his father’s arms.” [New York Times]
“Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv to pressure the Israeli government to prioritize the return of hostages over resuming fighting in Gaza.” [New York Times]
“The terms of the truce allow for the cease-fire to be extended in exchange for more hostage releases. A longer pause could jeopardize Israel’s goal of dismantling Hamas, write Patrick Kingsley and Aaron Boxerman.” [New York Times]
Politics
“Donald Trump is already talking with friends and advisers about who his 2024 running mate should be. Here are the top contenders.” [New York Times]
“More than three dozen members of Congress plan to leave their seats at the next election, setting the stage for major turnover. Read a list of the departing lawmakers.” [New York Times]
“Trump’s pardon of a convicted drug smuggler hampered an ambitious Justice Department investigation into the predatory lending industry.” [New York Times]
International
“The E.U. considers forced sterilization a violation of human rights. But in some European countries, people with intellectual disabilities are still being sterilized.” [New York Times]
“Outbreaks of diseases that kill children are on the rise, after pandemic disruption left more than 60 million without a single dose of standard childhood vaccines.” [New York Times]
“Cockroaches and mountains of trash: A public health crisis is unfolding in a coastal Mexican city, weeks after it was ravaged by a hurricane.” [New York Times]
“Officials in 33 states said Meta had received more than 1 million reports of users under age 13 on Instagram, but disabled only a fraction of the accounts.” [New York Times]
Playoff Paths
Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
Who controls their own destiny?
“This college football season continues to reveal there’s more to life than surprises. Yesterday was loaded with games that meant a whole lot to a whole lot of people, but few major upsets. And it rocked all the same. Let's hit the key developments:
No. 3 Michigan beat No. 2 Ohio State in one of the biggest and most exciting editions of the sport’s greatest rivalry, 30-24 … which meant the Wolverines simply covered as the favorite. New No. 1? (Main lingering drama: Ryan Day has a gigantic Michigan problem. Lou Holtz being arguably correct? Uncomfortable.)
The Iron Bowl produced maybe the second-wildest moment in series history, after the 2013 Kick Six … but this time, the typically stoic No. 8 Alabama, not the chaos-prone Auburn, was the benefactor, 27-24.
No. 4 Washington and No. 5 Florida State survived against respective rivals Washington State and Florida, and No. 1 Georgia got much more of a fight from Georgia Tech than anticipated, 31-23.
Entering conference championship week, we have such a crowded top tier, the Playoff committee might end up with its toughest call ever. A reset on what comes now:
Win-and-in
Georgia against Alabama, Michigan against Iowa, and either Washington or Oregon. Also: Some will argue Florida State should be discredited for being a less imposing contender minus injured QB Jordan Travis, but c’mon. If FSU beats 10-2 Louisville to reach 13-0(!), FSU deserves to be in.
Could use help
11-1 Texas. Not betting on a normal win over 9-3 Oklahoma State next week moving the Horns ahead of anybody currently in the way (barring upsets, of course).
Needs chaos
11-1 Bama, though the Tide could supply a ton of it by beating Georgia. Would that be enough to jump Texas, who won in Tuscaloosa? (And, as usual, we can’t entirely forget those Buckeyes, who are idle next week, but now we’re deep into contingencies. For instance, would you take 11-1 Ohio State, which outgained Michigan in Ann Arbor, or a hypothetically 12-1 Washington with so many close calls?)
Once again, there’s too much more going on: Iowa-Nebraska hit the lowest under ever, 24.5! Michigan State is hiring Oregon State’s coach! So make sure Until Saturday will reach your inbox shortly.
NFL Watch Guide
A weekend of massive implications
We have a lighter schedule today thanks to Thanksgiving shenanigans. Some unexpectedly good games in here, with major stakes in division races:
1 p.m. ET
Steelers (6-4) at Bengals (5-5): Big, big game in the NFL’s most interesting division. Logic would dictate the healthier Steelers take this one and send Cincinnati on what feels like a certain demise with Joe Burrow done for the season. But Kenny Pickett has been meh, and there might be more to Bengals backup Jake Browning than we saw last week. TV: CBS
4:25 p.m. ET
Bills (6-5) at Eagles (9-1): Congrats to Buffalo for getting itself right last weekend after firing offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey! Your reward is the best team in the NFL, on the road. The Eagles can afford a loss; the Bills have slimmer margins. TV: CBS
8:20 p.m. ET
Ravens (8-3) at Chargers (4-6): The NFL’s other best team outside of Philadelphia and Kansas City (see ya, Detroit) gets a showcase against one of the league’s most disappointing outfits. I expect a Baltimore statement. TV: NBC [The Athletic]
Angel Reese remains absent
“Angel Reese missed two more games for No. 7 LSU women’s basketball.
Reese, the Most Outstanding Player at last year’s Final Four, last played Nov. 14. That night, she finished with 11 points and five rebounds in 14 minutes of action — all season lows. She was benched in the second half, though neither Reese nor coach Kim Mulkey has provided a specific public explanation as to why — but Mulkey has indicated ‘locker room issues’ are in play here. Ben Pickman has everything we know.” [The Athletic]
Melanie Peeples/NPR
“U.S. airlines lose 2 million suitcases a year. Where do they all go? When a bag and its owner can't be reunited, airlines sell it to a store in Alabama, where its contents are sold to the public. The result is a grab bag of normal and odd things people take on the road.” [NPR]
“Lives Lived: Catherine Christer Hennix fused her mathematical knowledge with a passion for minimalist music to create drone compositions that seemed infinite. She died at 75.” [New York Times]
THE WEEK AHEAD
What to Watch For
“Tomorrow is Cyber Monday, when online retailers offer discounts, followed by Giving Tuesday, a day for charity.
The Times’s DealBook Summit begins Wednesday. Guests include Vice President Kamala Harris and Elon Musk.
The 91st annual Rockefeller Center tree-lighting ceremony is Wednesday night.
The United Nations’ annual conference on climate change, known as COP, begins on Thursday in Dubai.” [New York Times]