The Full Belmonte, 11/27/2022
Protests of strict lockdown hit Shanghai, other China cities
By HUIZHONG WU
“TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Protests against China’s strict ‘zero-COVID’ policies resurfaced in Shanghai and Beijing on Sunday afternoon, continuing a round of demonstrations that have spread across the country since a deadly apartment fire in the northwestern city of Urumqi led to questions over such rigid anti-virus measures.
Crowds stood and filmed as police started shoving at people who had gathered in on the same street in Shanghai where police had cleared hundreds away with force just hours before.
They shouted, ‘We don’t want PCR tests, we want freedom!’ according to a witness who did not want to be named for fear of retribution.
Since Friday people have held protests across China, where street demonstrations are extremely rare. But anger and frustration have flared over the deaths from a fire in an apartment building in Urumqi that the public believes was caused by excessive lockdown measures that delayed rescue.” Read more at AP News
$9.12 billion spent in a day: New Black Friday online spending record set in 2022, report says
“Online shoppers didn't let concerns about higher prices or a recession keep them from a record-setting Black Friday.
Consumers spent a record $9.12 billion while online shopping Friday, according to Adobe Analytics, which tracks more than 85% of the top 100 U.S. online retailers. That's an increase of 2.3% over a year ago – surpassing the previous online Black Friday sales high mark of $9.03 billion in 2020.
Nearly half (48%) of online sales were made over smartphones, up from 44% last year, according to the company's 2022 Holiday Shopping Trends & Insights Report.” Read more at USA Today
Early voting begins in some parts of Georgia ahead of crucial Senate runoff
“Georgia voters are heading to the polls Saturday as the state’s runoff Senate election between Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker nears in the coming weeks.
Democrats will maintain control of the Senate through 2024 due to important wins in Nevada and Arizona, guaranteeing at least a 50-50 split. Democrats hold the majority in an even Senate thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris' ability to cast tie-breaking votes.
But winning Georgia would give Democrats more breathing room and outright control of the chamber, meaning the stakes for both parties remain high.
What happened?
Georgia’s Senate race remains undecided due to its unique election system. If neither candidate earns more than 50% of the vote in the general election, a runoff election is held with only the top two vote-getters.
Warnock beat Walker by more than 30,000 votes, but only earned 49.4% of the vote while Walker earned 48.5%. Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver, who has not endorsed either candidate, took the remaining votes at 2.1%, forcing a runoff election.
This year’s elections are testing controversial voting reforms enacted by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and the GOP controlled state legislature. Notably, in 2020, there was a nine-week gap in between the general election and runoff. This year, the new voting reforms shortened the time window to four weeks.” Read more at USA Today
Whole Foods decision to pull lobster divides enviros, pols
By PATRICK WHITTLE
FILE - A lobster rears its claws after being caught off Spruce Head, Maine, Aug. 31, 2021. Environmental groups are once again at odds with politicians and fishermen in New England in the wake of a decision by high-end retail giant Whole Foods to stop selling Maine lobster. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)
“PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Environmental groups are once again at odds with politicians and fishermen in New England in the wake of a decision by high-end retail giant Whole Foods to stop selling Maine lobster.
Whole Foods recently said that it will stop selling lobster from the Gulf of Maine at hundreds of its stores around the country. The company cited decisions by a pair of sustainability organizations to take away their endorsements of the U.S. lobster fishing industry.
The organizations, Marine Stewardship Council and Seafood Watch, both cited concerns about risks to rare North Atlantic right whales from fishing gear. Entanglement in gear is one of the biggest threats to the whales.
The decision by Whole Foods was an ‘important action to protect the highly endangered’ whale, said Virginia Carter, an associate with the Save America’s Wildlife Campaign at Environment America Research & Policy Center.
‘With fewer than 340 North Atlantic right whales in existence, the species is swimming toward extinction unless things turn around,’ Carter said.
Whole Foods said in a statement last week that it’s monitoring the situation and ‘committed to working with suppliers, fisheries, and environmental advocacy groups as it develops.’
The company’s decision to stop selling lobster drew immediate criticism in Maine, which is home to the U.S.’s largest lobster fishing industry. The state’s Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, and its four-member congressional delegation said in a statement that Marine Stewardship Council’s decision to suspend its certification of Gulf of Maine lobster came despite years of stewardship and protection of whales by Maine fishermen.
‘Despite this, the Marine Stewardship Council, with retailers following suit, wrongly and blindly decided to follow the recommendations of misguided environmental groups rather than science,’ Mills and the delegation said.
Whole Foods was not the first retailer to take lobster off the menu over sustainability concerns. HelloFresh, the meal kit company, was among numerous retailers to pledge to stop selling lobster in September after California-based Seafood Watch placed American and Canadian lobster fisheries on its ‘red list’ of seafoods to avoid.” Read more at AP News
WORLD CUP
Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates after scoring a goal.Dan Mullan/Getty Images
“Staying alive: Argentina salvaged its chances with a 2-0 win against Mexico, giving its star, Lionel Messi, a path to finally win the tournament.
Today: Costa Rica beat Japan 1-0 this morning, and Canada and Germany are looking to redeem earlier losses. Here are the latest scores.” Read more at New York Times
AP Top 25 Takeaways: Ohio State’s Day will face doubters now
By RALPH D. RUSSO
“Welcome to Jim Harbaugh’s previous life, Ryan Day.
This is the way things go at the top of college football’s food chain. If you can’t win the most important game on your schedule, there will be questions about whether you are the right man for the job.
For the second straight season, Harbaugh’s Michigan team pummeled Day and Ohio State.
Day is 45-5 at Ohio State as Urban Meyer’s replacement, but 1-2 against Michigan.
‘We’ll figure out what’s next. I don’t know exactly what’s next right now, but that’s life at Ohio State,’ Day told reporters. ‘When you lose, it all comes back to me as head coach. And that’s probably what hurts the most.’
What hurts most for Ohio State fans is The Game played out in a way that was supposed to be to the second-ranked Buckeyes’ advantage, a back-and-forth affair where the quarterbacks needed to be difference-makers.
With star running back Blake Corum, the third-ranked Wolverines were able to transform from ground-and-pound into a big-play machine, ripping off five touchdowns that covered a total of 349 yards.
Meanwhile, Day was punting on fourth-and-3 from around midfield.
‘In games like that, you have to play the field position game.’ Day said. ‘I just feel like you’re not in those situations if you’re converting on third downs.’
Ohio State was 5 for 16 on third down.
Under Day, Ohio State has become a quarterback and wide receiver factory. C.J. Stroud will almost certainly become the third straight Buckeyes passer to be a first-round NFL draft pick next April.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is the best receiver in the country. He is part of a room full of blue-chippers that produced two first-round picks in the last draft.
The talent doesn’t stop there. According to 247 Sports composite rankings based on recruiting stars, Ohio State has the third-most talented roster in college football behind Georgia and Alabama.
Michigan? No. 14.
So, of course, it must be the coaching, right? And whether it truly is the coaching is not the point. Michigan (12-0) planted its flag right in the middle of Ohio State’s block ‘O’ at the 50-yard line after the game. Somebody is going to be held responsible for letting that happen.
Meyer never lost to the Wolverines. Before that it was Jim Tressel who flipped the rivalry the Buckeyes’ way, going 9-1 against Michigan.
Ohio State fans have grown accustomed to the dominance over That Team Up North.
When Harbaugh arrived in Ann Arbor, Michigan, from the NFL as a potential savior for his alma mater’s wayward football program, Wolverines fans hoped he could change their fortunes in The Game.
Instead, Harbaugh went 0-5. No matter that he rebuilt the program and pulled Michigan out of its greatest depths. At the top of his resume: Can’t beat Ohio State. And he was pilloried for it.
Not anymore. Michigan might not be the more talented team, but it certainly looks like the tougher team, the team that better handles adversity.
‘This is a spiritual team,’ Harbaugh said. ‘They’re happy. They’re celebrating, but they see bigger things.’
Next week, the Big Ten championship against Purdue awaits. Win that and Michigan makes its second straight College Football Playoff.
There is still a chance the Buckeyes can back into the CFP and maybe find redemption there. The selection committee seems to be running out of good options after Clemson also lost on Saturday.
This is not what Ohio State had in mind. Last season, after the defense melted down in big spots, Day took those Buckeyes bucks and lured coordinator Jim Knowles away from Oklahoma State to fix it.
Didn’t work. At least not when it counted most.
So now Day, a coach with a mountain of accomplishments and a more than $9 million annual salary, is the one being judged for his failures and getting compared to former Buckeyes coach John Cooper.
Cooper is a Hall of Famer, but for Ohio State fans he is mostly remembered for this: 2-10-1 against Michigan.
HAND HIM THE HEISMAN
After a second straight brilliant performance on a big stage, Caleb Williams has the Heisman Trophy within his grasp.
USC’s quarterback ran for three scores, made several amazing escapes, and even dropped a Heisman pose as the Trojans beat No. 13 Notre Dame.
‘My teammates told me to do it and I did it after one of the touchdowns,’ Williams said of flashing that familiar stiff arm.
The victory makes USC’s path to the playoff straightforward. If the Trojans win the Pac-12 championship game, they’re in. From 4-8 to 11-1 in coach Lincoln Riley’s first season.
USC gets a rematch against No. 14 Utah next week after an epic meltdown by No. 10 Oregon at No. 22 Oregon State kept the Ducks from clinching their spot in the title game.
No. 12 Washington beat Washington State in the highest scoring Apple Cup ever to send the Utes to Las Vegas.
No matter how things go there, it’s hard to see the Heisman going to anybody but Williams.
He would be the eighth USC player to win the award and first since Reggie Bush in 2005.
He would also be the third Riley quarterback to win the Heisman, joining Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray at Oklahoma.
Williams followed Riley to USC from Norman and together they have made Trojans football cool again.
‘I stood right by and told you what our expectations were from Day 1,’ Riley said. ‘A lot of people though I was crazy and that’s fine. ... It’s been a run fun.’
WHO’S IN?
Going into championship weekend, the stakes don’t look particularly high — at least when it comes to the College Football Playoff.
Undefeated No. 1 Georgia (12-0) is headed into the Southeastern Conference championship with its playoff position seemingly secured.
No. 6 LSU (No. 5 CFP) had hopes of pulling a big upset against the Bulldogs and becoming the first two-loss team to make the playoff. Then the Tigers got thumped by Texas A&M.
The SEC champ has never missed the playoff, but if LSU does pull off the improbable against Georgia, it will be the first.
At this point, the Big Ten and Big 12 title games don’t look particularly meaningful either.
Michigan and No. 4 TCU (12-0) have probably earned the Georgia treatment, regardless of what happens next week.
The Horned Frogs will face No. 15 Kansas State, which blew an 18-point lead to TCU in the regular season.
If USC were to lose, then who?
Ohio State (11-1) didn’t really look like a team deserving of a mulligan.
Clemson’s chances went away with a loss to South Carolina. The Gamecocks stepped into the playoff race and played spoiler for the second straight week.
South Carolina followed up its victory against Tennessee last week with another against Clemson (10-2), giving it back-to-back victories against top-10 teams.
‘I feel like we’re in our own College Football Playoff they way we’ve played the last two weeks,’ South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said.
Hey, maybe Alabama’s not out of it after all?
Just kidding. The Crimson Tide (10-2) is out. Probably. We think.
AROUND THE COUNTRY
No. 25 UCF needed a late touchdown drive that included two of the best catches of the season to escape USF and earn a spot in the American Athletic Conference title game against No. 19 Tulane. ... For the first time since 1994, Minnesota gets to keep Paul Bunyan’s Axe. The Gophers beat Wisconsin for the second straight year, but a 4-3 finish will likely be enough for Badgers brass to name interim coach Jim Leonhard to the permanent job early as Sunday. ... Soon after Oregon’s collapse, news broke that Ducks offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham was on the verge being named the youngest head coach in the Power Five by Arizona State. Dillingham, 32, is a Phoenix native and Arizona State graduate. ... The Iron Bowl didn’t get as much attention as usual, unless you count all the speculation about Auburn’s next coach. But let’s take a moment to appreciate Tide quarterback Bryce Young, who likely played his last home game. Maybe even his last college game altogether. Young threw for 343 yards and three touchdowns against Auburn. He won’t win another Heisman and he won’t win a national title as a starter, but he has undeniably been one of the greatest players of the Nick Saban dynasty. ... Texas Tech beat Oklahoma in overtime to earn victories against the Sooners and Texas in the same season for the first time in program history. At 6-6, Oklahoma had its worst regular season since 1998, the year before Bob Stoops took over as coach.” Read more at AP News
Irene Cara, ‘Fame’ and ‘Flashdance’ Singer, Dies at 63
Ms. Cara was a child star from the Bronx who gained international fame as the singer of major pop anthems from movies of the 1980s.
Nov. 26, 2022
“Irene Cara, the Academy Award-winning singer who performed the electric title tracks in two aspirational self-expression movies of the 1980s, “Flashdance” and “Fame,” has died. She was 63.
Her death at her Florida home was confirmed by her publicist, Judith A. Moose, on Twitter on Saturday. Ms. Moose, who did not specify when Ms. Cara died, said her cause of death was “currently unknown and will be released when information is available.”
Ms. Cara, a child actor, dancer and singer, was the voice behind two of the biggest movie theme songs of the 1980s. She performed the title track from the movie “Fame” (1980), which followed a group of artsy high school students as they move through their first auditions to graduation.
In 1984, she won the Oscar for best original song as one of the writers of “Flashdance … What a Feeling,” the title song from “Flashdance,” which she also sang. The buoyant song also earned Ms. Cara a Grammy Award in 1984 for best pop vocal performance, female, and a Golden Globe for best original song. The movie, like “Fame,” chronicled the aspirations of a young person seeking to express themselves through art, in this case, dance.” Read more at New York Times