The Full Belmonte, 1/2/2023
There was historic rainfall in San Francisco over the weekend.
“The numbers: Saturday was the city’s second-wettest day in over 170 years, causing widespread flooding and evacuation warnings. More storms are expected this week.
Why is this happening? Atmospheric rivers — conveyor-belt-like corridors of tropical moisture — that are covering Northern and Central California.” Read more at Washington Post
Politics
“Kathy Hochul became the first woman sworn in for a full term as New York’s governor.” Read more at New York Times
“George Santos, a Republican from New York, is set to take his House seat tomorrow even as it has emerged that he told more lies about his background.” Read more at New York Times
Lula, standing in the car on the passenger side, was Brazil’s president from 2003 to 2010.Dado Galdieri for The New York Times
“Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office as president of Brazil in an elaborate inauguration, but a key guest was missing: the outgoing president, Jair Bolsonaro. (He’s in Orlando.)” Read more at New York Times
“China’s state media tries to assuage COVID-19 concerns. Authorities and state media are attempting to communicate calm to the Chinese people, saying the current COVID strategy is a ‘planned, science-based approach.’ State news agency Xinhua also said manufacturing of medicine picked up last month. China recently reversed course and eased some of its strict policies toward COVID, effectively abandoning its ‘zero COVID’ approach.
But amid widespread questions about the reliability of the government’s data on both case numbers and mortality, some suspect all is not as well as state news would have the Chinese people and wider world believe.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“France urges screening for Chinese travelers. Beginning Jan. 5, France will start screening Chinese travelers for COVID-19, becoming the third EU country to do so, joining Italy and Spain. The United Kingdom, United States, and Japan are also putting such requirements in place. France is also urging all other EU countries to start testing passengers arriving from China. At present, a traveler could enter an EU country that does not require a test and then travel unimpeded and unchecked to France.
French Health Minister François Braun said controls on arrivals for passengers ‘will allow us to follow the different variants extremely precisely.’” Read more at Foreign Policy
Australia helicopter collision: Four dead in mid-air incident over Gold Coast
“Four people have died after a mid-air collision between two helicopters near Seaworld on Australia's Gold Coast.
Queensland Police say initial investigations suggest the crash happened as one aircraft was taking off and the other was landing.
Those who died were travelling in the same helicopter. Three other passengers are in a critical condition.
Five of the six people on the other aircraft, which made an emergency landing, suffered minor injuries….” Read more at BBC
“Termites in Australia on the up and up. Termites love extreme heat, which allows them to increase their ‘wood discovery and consumption.’ The Australian species of termite is the most primitive termite there is, and any member can transform itself into the colony’s queen should the actual queen be killed. All of this means that climate change is good news for Australian termites—less so for those who have to live with them.” Read more at Foreign Policy
Viking Orion: Cruise passengers stranded after marine growth halts ship
Image caption, The Viking Orion in 2021
By Elsa Maishman and Matt Murphy
BBC News
“Hundreds of passengers have been stranded on a cruise ship off the Australian coast after a potentially harmful growth was found on its hull.
The Viking Orion was denied permission to dock in Adelaide after authorities discovered ‘biofoul’ - an accumulation of microorganisms, plants, algae or small animals.
This can allow invasive species to be imported into non-native habitats.
Officials said the ship's hull must be cleaned before entering Australia.
The Australian fisheries department said the management of biofoul was a ‘common practice for all arriving international vessels’ and that the ship had to be cleaned to avoid ‘harmful marine organisms’.
‘Professional divers were engaged directly by the vessel line/agent to clean the hull while at anchor outside Australian waters,’ it added.
The ship was also reportedly denied permission to dock at Christchurch and Dunedin in New Zealand and Hobart, Tasmania.
Kenn Heydrick, a passenger, said they had not been able to leave the ship since 26 December. Four scheduled port stops had been missed, he said.
‘The intensity of frustration and anger is growing among passengers,’ he said.
‘The majority of passengers are trying to make the best of things and enjoy extended time at sea. But it is the excursions at four ports that we were looking forward to, and now are greatly missed.’
The current itinerary has the vessel arriving in Melbourne on 2 January.
However, passenger Matt Roberts said they have now been told they will only be allowed off the boat momentarily, to be checked by immigration. The next chance for passengers to disembark will be on 4 January in Sydney.
He said the disruption was a shame - ‘because for many travellers, this might be their last opportunity to see this part of the world’.
Another passenger called the holiday a ‘trip from hell’ on Twitter.
‘I have cried repeatedly for both the significant financial hit after saving for two years and the loss of memories and experiences,’ she said.
Image caption, Workers prepare to clean the ship's hull
The 14-deck, 930-person ship - which was built in 2018 - has reportedly dropped anchor about 17 miles (27km) off the coast while the cleaning occurs….” Read more at BBC
Climate activists glued to the street in Munich.Michaela Rehle/Reuters
“Activists have been blocking traffic in Germany, placing attention on a global crisis while angering the public.” Read more at New York Times
Twitter in data-protection probe after '400 million' user details up for sale
Share
By Chris Vallance
Technology reporter
“A watchdog is to investigate Twitter after a hacker claimed to have private details linked to more than 400 million accounts.
The hacker, ‘Ryushi’, is demanding $200,000 (£166,000) to hand over the data - reported to include that of some celebrities - and delete it.
Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) says it ‘will examine Twitter's compliance with data-protection law in relation to that security issue’.
Twitter has not commented on the claim.
The data is said to include phone numbers and emails, including those belonging to celebrities and politicians, but the purported size of the haul is not confirmed. Only a small "sample" has so far been made public.
The Guardian reported that data of US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was included in the sample of data published by the hacker. The data of broadcaster Piers Morgan, who recently had his Twitter account hacked, is also reported to be included.
Twitter has so far not responded to press inquiries about the claimed breach.
Chief executive Elon Musk did not reply to a tweeted request for comment from leading cyber-security reporter Brian Krebs - though the breach, as Mr Krebs notes, probably occurred before the Tesla boss took over….” Read more at BBC
Pelé funeral: Fans line up to mourn Brazilian soccer great
By MAURICIO SAVARESE
“SANTOS, Brazil (AP) — Fans lined up early Monday outside the Vila Belmiro Stadium ahead of Pelé’s funeral in his hometown of Santos.
The Brazilian soccer great died Thursday after a battle with cancer. He was 82.
Pelé scored scored some of the best goals of his career at the 16,000-seat stadium outside Sao Paulo. His funeral is scheduled start at 10 a.m. local time, and the burial will take place in a vertical cemetery only 600 meters away on Tuesday.
Fans started arriving at the stadium in the early hours of Monday to pay their last respects to Edson Arantes do Nascimento, globally known as Pelé….” Read more at AP News
Jeremy Renner seriously injured while plowing snow in Nevada
FILE - Jeremy Renner poses for photographers upon arrival at the UK Fan Screening of the film "Hawkeye," in London, Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021. Renner is being treated for serious injuries that happened while he was plowing snow. The actor's representative said Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, that Renner is in critical condition although he is stable. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP, File)
“LOS ANGELES (AP) — ‘The Avengers’ star Jeremy Renner is being treated for serious injuries that happened while he was plowing snow, the actor’s representative said.
Renner, 51, is in critical condition although he is stable, the actor’s representative said Sunday. No further details on the extent of Renner’s injuries were available.
The actor has a home in Nevada. The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that Renner was injured in Reno and was flown to a hospital. He was the only person involved, and the sheriff’s office is investigating, according to the release.
Renner plays Hawkeye, a sharp-shooting member of the superhero Avengers squad in Marvel’s sprawling movie and television universe.
He is a two-time acting Oscar nominee, scoring back-to-back nods for ‘The Hurt Locker’ and ‘The Town.’ Renner’s portrayal of a bomb disposal specialist in Iraq in 2008′s ‘The Hurt Locker’ helped turn him into a household name….” Read more at AP News