The Full Belmonte, 12/10/22
Kyrsten Sinema said she would become an independent, complicating the Democrats’ narrow control over the Senate.
Anna Moneymaker/ Getty Images
“Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema announced she’s leaving the Democratic Party to become a political independent.” (Vox) Read more at CNN / Jeremy Herb
“Sinema said she’s changing affiliations because, like roughly a third of Arizonans, she doesn’t fit in either political party.” (Vox) Read more at Politico / Burgess Everett
“It’s also the case, however, that while Sinema hasn’t announced plans to run for reelection in 2024, being an independent could help her avoid a tough primary contest.” [Vox / Christian Paz]
“Democrats will maintain Senate control despite Sinema’s departure. Sinema says she won’t caucus with the GOP.” (Vox) Read more at Associated Press / Jonathan J. Cooper and Lisa Mascaro
“The Arizona senator’s party change may have been a long time coming. Her unwillingness to support weakening the filibuster to protect voting rights and increasing corporate taxes have frustrated Democrats.” (Vox) Read more at New York Times / Carl Hulse
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) leaves her office to walk to the Senate chambers in August 2022. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
“SWAPPING JERSEYS — The detailed choreography surrounding Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s party switch today obscures the fact that it’s a familiar Washington story. Since the 1990s, close to two dozen D.C. lawmakers have looked to the horizon and decided their long-term political interests were better served by changing sides.
Yet their collective experience suggests party switching rarely ends well — and that their carefully laid plans don’t always work out in ways they imagined.
For some, particularly the Southern pols who saw the region’s political realignment coming, ditching their party turned out to be a smart play — there’s no better example than Republican Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, who left the Democratic Party in 1994, the day after the GOP won control of the Senate. In the years since then, Alabama has become one of the reddest states in the nation. And Shelby, who is retiring at the end of this term, has never been threatened at the ballot box.
In 2001, Vermont GOP Sen. Jim Jeffords also made the most of his flip — in becoming an Independent who caucused with Democrats, he gave Democrats a Senate majority for 18 months and received a key committee chairship in return. When his seat was up in 2006, he declined to run for reelection — paving the way for Bernie Sanders’ election to the Senate.
Other party-switching senators met harsher fates. New Hampshire GOP Sen. Robert Smith — who flipped from Republican to Independent and back to Republican again within the span of a few months in 1999 — lost in a primary after the GOP largely abandoned him. Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, a one-time Democratic vice presidential nominee, remains loathed in some quarters of the party long after changing his party designation to Independent Democrat for his final Senate term.
The most recent Senate party switcher, Pennsylvania’s Arlen Specter in 2009 (from Republican to Democrat), revealed the degree to which the dynamics of party-switching have changed over the years. Like Sinema, Specter was a centrist thorn in his party’s side who faced a serious primary election threat. Unlike the Arizona senator, however, Specter sought refuge within the Democratic Party after getting assurances of support from top party leaders including President Barack Obama and then-Vice President Joe Biden. But by then, the two major parties had become so ideologically hardened that there was limited interest in accepting converts. Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak, who was already in the race to challenge Specter, declined to drop out of the 2010 primary to accommodate him. Specter ultimately fell short against Sestak, losing all but three counties.
Specter, who passed away two years later, wrote in his book “Life Among the Cannibals” that he felt betrayed by the Obama administration and other top Democrats, who he believed failed to follow through on pledges of support.
Sinema’s gambit is different — and more suited to the current climate. As an independent, if she chooses to run for reelection in 2024, she no longer has to face a tough primary challenge from the left, most likely from Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego. The onus is now on the Democratic Party — they will have to decide whether to risk splintering the vote by supporting a Democratic candidate against her in a potential three-way race.
The calculus behind her party switch suggests the lessons of Specter’s experience — and former Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith’s defeat in 2010 — remain relevant.
Griffith, who was elected to the House as a Democrat in 2008 but flipped parties and ran for reelection as a Republican two years later, was crushed in the GOP primary by Rep. Mo Brooks.
‘I am a man without a country ,’ Griffith would later say.
‘It’s hard to be a Democrat or a Republican, because they are both so dysfunctional,’ he said. ‘So you choose the cleanest dirty shirt.’ “ Read more at POLITICO
Brittney Griner arrives in US after prisoner exchange with Russia
Basketball star lands at Texas airbase after being swapped for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout
Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images
“The American basketball star Brittney Griner returned to the US early on Friday after being freed in a high-profile prisoner exchange from nearly 10 months in detention in Russia.
The deal, in which she was swapped for the Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, secured the release of the most prominent American detained abroad and achieved a top goal for Joe Biden. But Washington failed to win freedom for another US citizen, Paul Whelan, who has been jailed for nearly four years.
Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medallist, Baylor University All-American and Phoenix Mercury pro basketball star. Her status as an openly gay Black woman, locked up in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ+ community, injected racial, gender and social dynamics into her legal saga and brought unprecedented attention to the population of wrongful detainees.” Read more at The Guardian
Brittney Griner is welcomed home on the Jumbotron of last night's NBA Heat-Clippers game in Miami. Credit: Jasen Vinlove/USA Today Sports via Reuters
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried sat down with The Wall Street Journal last week to discuss what happened to the billions of dollars deposited by the exchange’s customers.
PHOTO: KENNY WASSUS/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Sam Bankman-Fried said that he would testify before Congress on Tuesday.
“The FTX founder will most likely appear remotely before the House Committee on Financial Services, which is investigating the crypto exchange’s implosion. FTX lent billions of dollars worth of customer assets to fund risky bets by its affiliated trading firm, Alameda Research, The Wall Street Journal has reported, setting the stage for its quick collapse. Before that, Bankman-Fried frequently was in Washington to influence regulations on the crypto industry, which largely falls outside rules that govern other aspects of the financial system.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
Justice Department Urges Judge to Hold Trump Team in Contempt Over Classified Documents
Request comes amid battle over whether former president’s lawyers have turned over all records
Former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida was searched by the FBI in August. PHOTO: GAELEN MORSE/REUTERS
“WASHINGTON—Federal prosecutors urged a judge in a closed-door hearing Friday to hold Donald Trump‘s legal team in contempt of court for failing to fully turn over all classified documents in the former president’s possession, a person familiar with the matter said.
Justice Department lawyers made the request of U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell in recent days, and left after the hearing without commenting on whether the judge had taken any action. The court made no contempt order public on Friday.
‘This afternoon, the Court held a hearing regarding an ongoing and sealed grand jury matter,’ said Lisa Klem, a spokeswoman for the court. ‘This matter remains under seal.’
The request for a contempt order came amid the Justice Department’s escalating battle with Mr. Trump’s lawyers over whether he has surrendered all the documents he took with him when he left the White House. Investigators issued a subpoena for the records in May, and in August, executed a search warrant at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida believing he had not fully complied with the spring demand.
In recent weeks, Mr. Trump’s lawyers turned over two additional documents with classified markings after hiring a private firm to conduct a search of a storage facility not far from Mar-a-Lago as well as his other properties in New York and New Jersey.
The November search didn’t find any classified documents at the former president’s other properties, The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week. But the discovery of the two items contradicted a certification Mr. Trump’s lawyers made in June saying all of the remaining classified government documents in Mr. Trump’s possession had been turned over and contributed to mounting frustration of prosecutors.
The Justice Department’s request to Judge Howell signals that its investigation into the handling of documents at Mar-a-Lago is entering a more aggressive phase in the face of Mr. Trump’s fitful and often delayed cooperation with its probe, which is now being overseen by a special counsel, Jack Smith. The former international war-crimes and public-corruption prosecutor, appointed late last month, promised to move the investigation forward quickly.
The hearing Friday took place in secret over more than an hour. Three attorneys for Mr. Trump left the courthouse without commenting.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
Bumpless Biden
Data: AP-NORC poll. Chart: Axios Visuals
“President Biden's winning streak didn't move his numbers in an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research taken Dec. 1-5 (1,124 U.S. adults; margin of error: ±3.8 points):
43% say they approve of the way Biden is handling his job; 55% disapprove. That’s similar to October.
Between the lines: Only 25% think the nation is headed in the right direction, AP notes.
Nine in 10 Republicans, along with 6 in 10 Democrats, say the economy is in bad shape.” Read more at Axios
A temporary memorial at George Floyd Square last year. Photo: Christian Monterrosa/Bloomberg via Getty Images
“The city of Minneapolis will buy the gas station at the intersection where George Floyd was killed and turn it into a memorial.” (Axios) Read more at AP
“Maxwell Frost, who became the first Gen Z candidate to be elected to the U.S. House in November, was recently denied an apartment in D.C. due to his credit record. He's speaking out now on Congress' problem of accessibility for people who don't come from wealth.” Read more at NPR
“China’s abrupt reversal on ‘Covid zero’ may trigger a tidal wave of infections in which the country suddenly catches up to the rest of the world in a very bad way. Little time has been spent putting in place the mitigation measures needed to deal with the resulting explosion in cases, which could total 5.6 million a day. The deaths that may result could top 2 million. Currently, more than 6.6 million people worldwide are confirmed to have died from the coronavirus over the past three years, though the actual number is thought to be much higher.” Read more at Bloomberg
World leaders are trying to create a plan to save Earth’s animals.
“What’s going on? A U.N. conference on biodiversity, called COP15, which kicked off this week in Montreal.
The goal: To get countries to agree to preserve 30% of their land and water by 2030, which would set aside forests and other ecosystems where wildlife can thrive.
The stakes are high: Without some sort of intervention, scientists fear that a mass extinction is coming.” Read more at Washington Post
“Indonesia’s new criminal code outlawing sex outside marriage and potentially curbing free speech will apply to citizens and foreigners in the country, spurring uncertainty among tourists and expatriates. The law could also deter foreign travel, which may undermine economic recovery in tourism-reliant places like Bali that are just rebounding from the first years of the pandemic.” Read more at Bloomberg
An Indonesian man is caned publicly in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, in May 2017. Photographer: Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP
France makes condoms free for 18 to 25 year olds
By Antoinette Radford
BBC News
“Young people in France will have free access to condoms from January, in a bid to minimise the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
The French president announced the new health measure on Thursday at an event for young people's health.
Emmanuel Macron said young people would be able to collect them from pharmacies, and described the move as a ‘small revolution in prevention’.
In 2020 and 2021 France experienced a 30% national increase in STI rates.
Mr Macron said France had educational challenges around sexual education.
"We are not very good on this subject. The reality is very, very different from the theory," he said.
The new measure comes alongside other health initiatives targeting the spread of STIs and improving access to contraception.
In 2018 the French government started reimbursing the costs of condoms to individuals, if purchased in a pharmacy with a prescription from a doctor or midwife.
Earlier this year the government made contraception free for all women up to 26 years old - a move that affected three million women. Contraception had previously been free for women and girls 18 or younger.
Mr Macron added in a tweet that Thursday's announcement will exist alongside other health measures. They include free emergency contraception for all women in pharmacies, and free STI screenings without a prescription, except HIV, to those under the age of 26.” Read more at BBC
“It’s been a rough week for Latin America’s leftist leaders.
Pedro Castillo’s ouster as Peru’s president after a failed attempt to dissolve congress to stave off impeachment — for which he could face 20 years in jail — undermines the left-wing movement not only in his country but potentially in the rest of the region as well.
In Argentina, Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was sentenced to six years in prison and banned from political office for life after being found guilty of fraud, though she has immunity while she still holds her post.
And in Mexico, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is trying to ram through a bill that downsizes the nation’s electoral regulator that’s certain to be challenged in the courts.
Castillo was the first leftist leader to emerge in Latin America as a result of anger at inequalities highlighted by the pandemic, winning the presidency in June 2021.
That was followed by electoral victories by Gabriel Boric in Chile, Xiomara Castro in Honduras, Gustavo Petro in Colombia and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brazil in October.
Some commentators dubbed it a new ‘pink tide’ of progressive governments akin to Latin America’s swing to the left at the beginning of the century.
Yet Castillo’s blunder leaves the movement on the back foot, with leaders in the region unable to articulate a common position about his actions.
While Lula accepted that Peru’s events followed the constitutional order and wished incoming President Dina Boluarte well, AMLO refused to recognize the new government and offered Castillo asylum at the Mexican embassy in Lima.
The divergence on a relatively simple topic makes consensus on more complex issues, from trade to migration and economic development, even harder to reach despite the ideological affinities.
As a result, Latin America’s ‘pink tide’ seems to be already fading. — Juan Pablo Spinetto Read more at Bloomberg
Protesters burn a t-shirt bearing Castillo’s image in Lima on Wednesday. Photographer: Ernesto Benavides/AFP/Getty Images
The UK faces mass strikes
“The United Kingdom is facing its worst strikes in years, with hundreds of thousands of workers set to walk out in December, demanding better wages and working conditions.” (Vox) Read more at Wall Street Journal / Max Colchester
“Nurses, ambulance crews, and postal workers are among several unions that want pay increases to address Britain’s cost-of-living crisis fueled by near-record inflation.” (Vox) Read more at Quartz / Amanda Shendruck
“Meanwhile, the UK’s interior minister is urging people to reconsider plans to travel abroad as airport staff walkouts could bring travel to a halt in the week leading up to Christmas.” (Vox) Read more at CNBC / Jenni Reid
“Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says he’s working on laws to lessen the impact of the strikes.” (Vox) Read more at BBC / Becky Morgan
December 9, 2022
By Peter Baker
Good morning. Dissent carries power even in repressive, authoritarian states.
Iranian demonstrators in Tehran in September.Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
‘Risking everything’
“Demonstrators are in the streets in Iran and China to protest repressive governments. Ukrainians are defending their democracy, flawed as it is, against Russian invaders. Elections in Africa and Asia resulted in changes in the ruling powers that were accepted without violence.
For years, democracy and freedom have been in retreat around the globe, and — in many minds — even here in the United States, where just last week a former president proposed the ‘termination’ of some rules in the Constitution. But events in far-flung corners of the globe have produced glimmers of hope that suggest that the direction of democracy is not simply one way.
Michael J. Abramowitz is the president of Freedom House, a nonprofit organization founded in 1941 under the leadership of Eleanor Roosevelt and Wendell Willkie to promote democracy and liberty around the world. After a long career at The Washington Post, where we worked together, Abramowitz has spent nearly six years trying to reverse the trend of recent years and, for the first time in a while, sees reasons for optimism.
We talked about China, Iran and the broader swings this week:
Baker: You wrote last week that recent developments ‘point to an eventual reversal of the dismal trends’ of democratic reverses of recent years. Is this a moment of optimism, or are we getting too excited?
Abramowitz: We are being reminded every day that people are willing to risk all for the right to live in freedom, peace and dignity. I wouldn’t underestimate the willingness of Russian, Iranian and Chinese regimes to respond brutally to the protests to hold onto power. But yes, I am optimistic. Time and history are not on the dictators’ side.
Freedom House has documented 16 years of shrinking freedom around the world. Last year, you found that freedom had declined in 60 countries and improved in only 25. What has driven this trend?
Things differ from country to country. But broadly speaking, dictators and illiberal leaders in democracies — think of Hungary’s Viktor Orban — have capitalized on people’s grievances about economic conditions, demographic shifts or social change to make the case that only strongmen rule, and only they can solve complex problems.
What about in the U.S.? Donald Trump called for ‘termination’ of parts of the Constitution to put himself immediately back in power. What would you rate a country where that happened?
We do not foresee a scenario in which our Constitution will be terminated. In places where that has happened, where authoritarian leaders have undermined democratic systems to secure their own power, those countries are generally considered ‘partly free’ or ‘not free’ by Freedom House.
How big a threat do you see to American democracy?
I have faith in the underlying resilience of our country’s democracy. The antibodies to antidemocratic thinking and practice are kicking in. I think people are seeing the risks in a way perhaps they didn’t before. But we should not take the survival of our democracy for granted. I was a reporter for many years and have seen a lot, but I never would have dreamed a political figure, and his supporters, would have tried to interrupt the peaceful transfer of power.
We’ve seen protests in Iran and China before, but the governments survived. Should we expect the outcome to be different this time?
The honest answer is, I don’t know. I think these regimes are more brittle than we see from the outside. Dictators are subject to the same pressures to deliver as democratically elected leaders are. As you know from the Soviet Union, regimes can seem impervious to change — until they are not. I don’t expect to see Xi Jinping in power in five years. China isn’t suddenly going to turn into a democracy, but we shouldn’t underestimate the power of dissent.
President Biden has been relatively quiet about the China protests. Should he be speaking out more?
Everyone should be speaking out more, particularly democratic leaders. It’s not productive or realistic to cut all ties to authoritarian regimes, but we should use this engagement to press human rights concerns. If democracies don’t defend these values, who will?
You were a co-host of an event with the George W. Bush Institute highlighting human rights defenders. Of those you’ve met, who was one of the most impressive?
I think often of Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition figure and journalist who was living in the United States but went back to Russia around the time of the Ukraine invasion despite two assassination attempts and knowing he would be thrown in jail. There are many remarkable people out there who are risking everything to bring freedom to their countries. That gives me hope.” Read more at New York Times
“Some of the world’s biggest investors predict that stocks will see low double-digit gains next year, which would bring relief after global equities suffered their worst loss since 2008. Amid recent optimism that inflation has peaked—and that the US Federal Reserve could start to change its tone—71% of respondents in a Bloomberg News survey expect equities to rise. For those seeing gains, the average response was a 10% return.
‘Even though we might face a recession and falling profits, we have already discounted part of it in 2022,’ said Pia Haak, chief investment officer at Swedbank Robur. ‘We will have better visibility coming into 2023 and this will hopefully help markets.’ —David E. Rovella Read more at Bloomberg
Home-buyer breather
Data: Freddie Mac. Chart: Axios Visuals
“The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell for the fourth straight week, to 6.33%, according to Freddie Mac, Emily Peck writes in Axios Markets.
It's a big pullback since rates went over 7% during early November.
Why it matters: Like the retreating dollar and shipping rates, this is yet another sign that inflation worries are easing.
Mortgage rates could still head back up, of course. But some experts, like Mike Fratantoni, chief economist at the Mortgage Bankers Association, are calling the top. ‘We think we're now past the peak on mortgage rates,’ he told Market News International.
Zoom out: With rates double their year-ago levels, this recent decline won't snap the real estate market out of its doldrums. But it's not the worst news for anyone looking to buy a home.” Read more at Axios
“Lennar, one of the biggest US homebuilders, is offering to sell thousands of homes to rental landlords at a time when sales to everyday buyers have slumped. Many of the properties are said to be located in the Southwest and Southeast, with the builder giving landlords the chance to acquire entire subdivisions.” Read more at Bloomberg
Artificial intelligence selfies are taking the internet by storm.
Lensa interpretations of our reporter Tatum Hunter. (The Washington Post)
“What to know: Millions of people have downloaded the app Lensa since last week. It uses machine learning to generate images of you based on photos you upload.
But there are complications: The app says it’s not sharing your data, but its privacy policy gives it room to do just that. And its AI was trained with images scraped from the internet without people’s consent.” Read more at Washington Post
Musk's "Twitter Files, Part Deux"
Musk made this announcement at 3 a.m. ET today. Via Twitter
“Outside journalists working with Elon Musk posted a new batch of internal communications — claiming evidence that Twitter's employees ‘build blacklists, prevent disfavored tweets from trending, and actively limit the visibility of entire accounts,’ Axios' Ina Fried reports.
Why it matters: Musk frames the ‘Twitter Files’ as proof of censorship by the previous regime. Others, including experts in online platforms, say the documents depict Twitter executives imperfectly but conscientiously struggling to apply complex policies in difficult cases.
In a Twitter thread last evening, ‘Twitter's Secret Blacklists,’ media entrepreneur and former New York Times opinion staffer Bari Weiss highlighted cases where Twitter limited the distribution of tweets.
Weiss zeroed in on several specific accounts, including conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Stanford doctor Jay Bhattacharya, and Chaya Raichik, who operates the Libs of TikTok account.
Musk promoted the thread: ‘The Twitter Files, Part Deux!!’
Weiss says she and Matt Taibbi "have broad and expanding access to Twitter's files."
Between the lines: Twitter has long made it clear that it might reduce the visibility of tweets by users who violate its rules. But the company hasn't always been transparent about those decisions.
What's next: Weiss said Taibbi will be back with the next installment.” Read more at Axios
Messi, Argentina advance to semifinals at World Cup
“LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Lionel Messi started the match by delivering another soccer clinic. The Argentina superstar ended it sporting a bloodied top lip, shouting abuse to opponents and even blasting the referee.
And of course there were goals, too, for one of the greats of the game whose bid to win the World Cup for the first time is still on track.
Messi is heading to the semifinals with Argentina after a chaotic penalty-shootout victory over Netherlands that had just about everything on Friday.
Argentina took a 2-0 lead, conceded an equalizer in the 11th minute of second-half stoppage time to send the match to extra time at 2-2, and then won the shootout 4-3 amid a deafening noise inside Lusail Stadium.
Messi, who scored a penalty in regulation time, converted his penalty in the shootout while goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez made two saves to help Argentina secure a semifinal match against Croatia, which beat Brazil earlier Friday.” Read more at AP News
American journalist Grant Wahl dies after collapsing at Qatar World Cup
“Prominent American journalist Grant Wahl has died in Qatar after collapsing while covering the World Cup, sparking an outpouring of shock and grief across the sports world.
He ‘collapsed’ while covering Friday’s Argentina-Netherlands match, a witness told CNN.
Qatar’s World Cup organizers said on Saturday that Wahl ‘fell ill’ in the press area, where he received ‘immediate medical treatment on site.’ He was then transferred to Hamad General Hospital, said a spokesperson for the Supreme Court Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the body responsible for planning the tournament.
The circumstances around his death are not clear.
Grant Wahl, pictured on October 10, 2014.
Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
‘The entire US Soccer family is heartbroken to learn that we have lost Grant Wahl,’ US Soccer said in a statement on its official Twitter account.
‘Grant made soccer his life’s work, and we are devastated that he and his brilliant writing will no longer be with us.’
US Soccer praised Wahl’s passion and ‘belief in the power of the game to advance human rights,’ and shared its condolences with Wahl’s wife, Celine Gounder, and his loved ones.
Gounder also posted the US Soccer statement on Twitter.
‘I am so thankful for the support of my husband Grant Wahl’s soccer family and of so many friends who’ve reached out tonight. I’m in complete shock,’ wrote Gounder, a former CNN contributor who served on the Biden-Harris transition Covid-19 advisory board.
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the department was in ‘close communication’ with Wahl’s family. The World Cup organizers also said they were in touch with the US embassy ‘to ensure the process of repatriating the body is in accordance with the family’s wishes.’
Wahl had covered soccer for more than two decades, including 11 World Cups, and authored several books on the sport, according to his website.
He had just celebrated his birthday earlier this week with ‘a great group of media friends at the World Cup,’ according to a post on his official Twitter account, which added: ‘Very thankful for everyone.’” Read more at CNN
SPORTS NEWS FROM THE ATHLETIC
“The Commanders: Congressional investigators found that owner Dan Snyder permitted and participated in creating a toxic workplace culture and interfered with investigations.
A miracle: The Rams quarterback Baker Mayfield led his new team to an improbable win over the Raiders last night, about 48 hours after he arrived in Los Angeles. Las Vegas saw its playoff hopes slip away as Mayfield orchestrated a stunning 98-yard touchdown drive to win, 17-16.
What went wrong for Texas A&M? The Aggies had title hopes, a $94.9 million coach and a top recruiting class. What ensued in the 2022 season was an unequivocal nightmare.” Read more at New York Times
“Lives Lived: Jule Campbell was the mastermind of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, which broke publishing records and helped usher in the era of the supermodel. She died at 96.” Read more at New York Times
Luxury porta-johns
Photo: Jupe
“Portable toilets with Bluetooth stereo systems, hot and cold running water, LED lighting, hand sanitizer, air conditioning and plush rolls of paper are starting to pop up across the country, Jennifer A. Kingson writes for Axios What's Next.
Why it matters: COVID raised our hygiene standards and expectations — while closing many reliable pit stops, and highlighting the shortage of public restrooms in U.S. cities.
The glamping company Jupe bills its high-tech outdoor toilet, the Portal, as both a ‘work of art’ and (eventually) a way to transform outdoor waste into fertilizer.
The Posh Privy, which rents out over-the-top bathroom trailers for events in California wine country, recently acquired Fancy Flush to satisfy growing demand.
D.C.-based startup Throne is aiming to join Portland Loo in serving the municipal and corporate markets.
Where it stands (or sits): Manufacturers of luxury portable toilets are backed up with orders into 2024.
Demand is coming from wedding and event planners seeking luxury trailers, and social service agencies hoping to serve the homeless.” Read more at Axios