The Full Belmonte, 1/25/2023
Atlanta D.A. Wants Grand Jury Findings Kept Private in Trump Inquiry
The prosecutor asked that a report on efforts to overturn former President Donald J. Trump’s election loss not be released, saying that she was ‘mindful of protecting future defendants’ rights.’
By Richard Fausset and Danny Hakim
“Fani T. Willis, the local prosecutor overseeing the investigation into efforts by former President Donald J. Trump and his allies to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia, asked a judge in Atlanta on Tuesday not to make public the findings of a special grand jury that heard months of testimony in the case, saying that she was ‘mindful of protecting future defendants’ rights.’
In a two-hour hearing before Judge Robert C.I. McBurney of Fulton County Superior Court, Ms. Willis argued that disclosing the jury’s recently completed investigative report could complicate potential efforts to seek indictments.
‘We want to make sure that everyone is treated fairly,’ Ms. Willis said, ‘and we think for future defendants to be treated fairly it is not appropriate at this time to have this report released.’
Judge McBurney said he would rule on the matter at a later date. The Trump team did not send a lawyer to the hearing, but a lawyer representing a coalition of news organizations asked Judge McBurney to make the report public….” Read more at New York Times
Another classified doc discovery
Photo: John Lamparski/Getty Images
“A small number of documents with classified markings were found in former Vice President Mike Pence's Indiana home last week and were turned over to the FBI, according to two letters from Pence's attorney.
President Biden and former President Trump are already under investigation for their handling of classified documents.
Back in August, Pence told AP, ‘No, not to my knowledge’ when asked if he'd retained any classified materials when leaving office.
Driving the news: ‘There’s a systemic problem with former occupants of the presidency and vice presidency having classified information at their homes when it shouldn't be there,’ Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said.
‘There needs to be a review of what happens when people leave that office, the presidency and vice presidency.’ [Axios]
McCarthy Ejects Schiff and Swalwell From Intelligence Committee
In an act of official retribution for how Democrats treated Republicans when they were in the majority, the speaker barred the Californians from the panel, arguing that they were not fit to serve.
By Catie Edmondson and Karoun Demirjian
“WASHINGTON — Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday unilaterally exiled Representatives Adam B. Schiff and Eric Swalwell from the House Intelligence Committee, making good on a longstanding threat to expel the California Democrats in his first major act of partisan retribution since taking the majority.
The move was a much-anticipated tit-for-tat after Democrats, then in the majority, voted in 2021 to eject two Republicans, Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona, from congressional committees for internet posts that advocated violence against their political enemies. It was also payback for the decision by Nancy Pelosi, then the House speaker, to bar Republicans who had helped former President Donald J. Trump spread the election lies that fueled the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol from sitting on the special committee investigating the riot.
Now that he is in control, Mr. McCarthy sought to punish Mr. Schiff and Mr. Swalwell, two favorite foils of Republicans who had played key roles in the two impeachments of Mr. Trump, though he denied that his decision was retaliatory. Instead, he argued that both men had displayed behavior unbecoming of the committee tasked with overseeing the nation’s intelligence services….” Read more at New York Times
Hundreds gather in California to remember mass shooting victims
“Roughly a thousand people gathered Tuesday evening for a vigil honoring the 11 people killed on the eve of Lunar New Year, a time traditionally of family gathering and festivity. Many wept as they talked about the victims in Monterey Park. Many also expressed bewilderment at the nation's mass shooting problem, after two separate California attacks killed 18 people and left communities in shock. Vice President Kamala Harris is set to visit her home state Wednesday in the wake of the shootings as the Biden administration advances its plans for legislation to ban assault weapons. Read more at USA Today
Three women grieve during a candlelight vigil January 24, 2023 in Monterey Park, California. Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY
Tax refunds shrink
Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
“Many Americans will be getting a smaller tax refund this year, without the padding of a few crucial pandemic-era tax breaks, Emily Peck writes in Axios Markets.
Why it matters: Many people depend on their refunds to make ends meet, pay down debt or fund extras like vacations. Checks are shrinking at a time when rising prices are already making it harder to pay the bills.
What's happening: The enhanced child tax credit is gone. Parents who received $3,600 per child during the flush times will now get $2,000.
The Child and Dependent Care Credit, a break that helps working parents pay for childcare, returns to a maximum of $2,100 instead of $8,000.
During COVID, taxpayers could take a $600 deduction for charitable donations even if they just took a standard deduction. Now, only those who itemize can deduct charitable payments.
The Earned Income Tax Credit is lower than last year for taxpayers with no children.” [Axios]
Kevin McCarthy's math problem
Data: Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Chart: Axios Visuals
“Negotiations to raise the debt ceiling are putting Republicans in a vise:
They're torn among competing conservative pressures, the inevitable need to work with Democrats and the realities of basic budgetary math, Axios' Caitlin Owens writes.
Why it matters: House Republicans have said they’ll refuse to raise the debt ceiling unless it’s accompanied by reductions in federal spending. But the party is deeply divided on what to cut.
Reality check: If you take off the table cuts to Medicare, Social Security, veterans and defense spending, and if you’re also not going to raise taxes to bring in more revenue, you’d need to cut about 85% of the rest of the budget in order to make it balance, according to a recent analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.” [Axios]
Winter storm could bring more than a foot of snow in Northeast
“The winter storm that brought snow and ice to a large swath of the country as it barreled across the U.S. this week is forecast to reach the Northeast on Wednesday. The heaviest snowfall is expected to land in northern New York through Maine, where some residents can expect a foot of snow or more. Parts of the central Appalachians are also expecting snow by early morning on Wednesday, Accuweather said. Conditions will extend South, where a winter weather advisory also remains in effect from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday in the northern Virginia Blue Ridge and central Virginia Blue Ridge. Read more at USA Today
A bicyclist peddles down Noyes Street in the South End of Concord, New Hampshire, during a heavy burst of snow on Monday morning, Jan. 23, 2023.
Geoff Forester, AP
Immigration
“Daily migrant encounters along the US-Mexico border have dropped by more than half in January compared to last month, a Homeland Security official tells CNN. Border authorities were averaging about 7,000 daily encounters last month ahead of the anticipated end of Title 42, a public health authority that's been in place since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Supreme Court put a temporary hold on the termination of Title 42, leaving it in place for now. While daily arrests have dropped, it's unclear how long the trend will hold as people continue to face poor conditions in their home countries. Officials say the drop in daily encounters this month is attributed to the expansion of a program that allows up to 30,000 migrants to enter the US per month from Haiti, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba.” [CNN]
Germany's Scholz confirms Ukraine tank plan
“Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday that Germany was ‘acting in close coordination’ with its allies in supplying battle tanks to Ukraine. In a statement, the German government confirmed it will initially provide Ukraine with one company of Leopard 2 A6 tanks, which comprises 14 vehicles, from its own stocks. The long-awaited decision by Germany comes after U.S. officials said Tuesday that a preliminary agreement had been struck for the United States to send M1 Abrams tanks to help Kyiv push back Russian forces entrenched in the east almost a year since the start of the war.” Read more at USA Today
Ukrainian activists rally outside the German embassy to demand Germany to send Ukraine Leopard battle tanks in Tbilisi on January 25, 2023.
VANO SHLAMOV, AFP via Getty Images
Patrick Semansky/AP
“The world is closer to catastrophe than ever before, according to the Doomsday Clock, which was reset to 90 seconds before midnight on Tuesday. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists said this was due ‘largely, though not exclusively,’ to the war in Ukraine.” [NPR]
Pope: Homosexuality not a crime
Pope Francis speaks during an interview with AP at the Vatican yesterday. Photo: Domenico Stinellis/AP
“Pope Francis called laws that criminalize homosexuality "unjust," saying God loves all his children just as they are. He called on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the church.
"Being homosexual is not a crime," he said during an interview with AP's Nicole Winfield at the Vatican hotel where he lives.
"It's not a crime. Yes, but it’s a sin. Fine, but first let’s distinguish between a sin and a crime ... It’s also a sin to lack charity with one another."
Why it matters: 67 countries or jurisdictions worldwide criminalize consensual same-sex sexual activity, 11 of which can or do impose the death penalty, according to The Human Dignity Trust.
In the U.S., more than a dozen states still have anti-sodomy laws on the books, despite a 2003 Supreme Court ruling declaring them unconstitutional.
The pope said the Catholic Church should work to put an end to such laws: "It must do this. It must do this."
‘We are all children of God, and God loves us as we are and for the strength that each of us fights for our dignity,’ he added.
Francis said bishops need to ‘have a process of conversion’ and should apply ‘tenderness, please, as God has for each one of us.’“ [Axios]
Corruption Investigations Have Consequences in Ukraine
“Fifteen Ukrainian officials have left their positions since Saturday. Journalists and anti-corruption authorities had brought allegations against six of them. Those who have left their posts include front-line governors and even Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office (Tymoshenko asked to be relieved of his responsibilities).
Anti-corruption investigators detained Ukraine’s deputy minister of infrastructure, Vasyl Lozinskyi, on Saturday; he was dismissed from his position. Zelensky then vowed a zero-tolerance approach to corruption, after which four other senior officials were dismissed or left, including deputy defense minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov. Ukraine’s cabinet of ministers announced Tuesday that five regional heads had been dismissed.
Corruption has long been an issue in Ukrainian politics. Frustration with corruption was a key part of the Maidan protests almost a decade ago, and Zelensky, in 2019, ran for president on an anti-establishment, anti-corruption platform. That so many were ousted so quickly is likely meant to signify that his administration is serious about tackling corruption at a time of war.
That is a message that anti-corruption activists and their allies believe needs to be backed by reality, not only for the war effort and morale, but for the country more generally.
Bridget Brink, U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, said Monday, ‘There can be no place in the future Ukraine for those who use state resources for their own enrichment. State resources should serve the people.’
‘It’s very hard to save the country,’ Andrii Borovyk, the executive director of Transparency International Ukraine, told the Associated Press, ‘when there’s a lot of corruption.’” [Foreign Policy]
“Myanmar coup survivors go to court. Survivors from ethnic groups in different parts of Myanmar have launched a legal complaint against individuals tied to the military of Myanmar. NGO Fortify Rights, together with 16 survivors and witnesses of abuses filed the criminal complaint with the federal public prosecutor general of Germany. A ‘structural investigation,’ potentially bringing documentation of other allegations, has also been requested.” [Foreign Policy]
“Finland calls for NATO talks timeout. Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto has said a timeout is needed in Turkey’s talks with Finland and its Nordic neighbor, Sweden, over joining NATO. Haavisto said that demonstrations in Sweden, including one that involved burning a Quran, upsetting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, put a ‘brake on the progress’ of talks. Other hiccups have included the Turkish demand to return those it deems terrorists from Sweden and Finland to Turkey. Talks appear likely to stall until after Turkish elections in May. Haavisto said he saw no need to rush. This is an apparent reversal from earlier comments that suggested Finland might join the military alliance without Sweden, since Erdogan threatened to block Stockholm’s membership.” [Foreign Policy]
“Freezing weather turns deadly in Afghanistan. Taliban officials have said at least 124 people have died from freezing temperatures over the past two weeks. Many aid organizations suspended their work after the Taliban banned women from working for NGOs. The Taliban has said that they will not reverse that decision. ‘Men are already working with us in the rescue effort and there is no need for women to work with us. The men from every family are already participating in relief efforts, so there’s no need for women,’ Mullah Mohammad Abbas Akhund, acting minister of disaster management, told the BBC.” [Foreign Policy]
“W.H.O. investigating cough syrup. Reuters reports that the World Health Organization is looking into ‘whether there is any connection between manufacturers whose contaminated cough syrups it has linked to the deaths of more than 300 children in three countries.’ The W.H.O. reportedly wants more information on the raw materials used by the manufacturers in India and Indonesia that made the cough syrup connected to the deaths, and whether those manufacturers have common suppliers. Children in Gambia, Indonesia, and Uzbekistan died of acute kidney injury after taking the medicine for common illnesses. Six manufacturers have been identified so far.” [Foreign Policy]
“Foreign film Oscar nominees. The nominees for the 95th Academy Awards were announced Tuesday. One category is of potential particular interest to readers of this newsletter: Best International Feature Film. The nominees are Argentina’s “Argentina, 1985,” Belgium’s “Close,” Poland’s “EO,” Ireland’s “The Quiet Girl,” and Germany’s “All Quiet on the Western Front,” a dramatic exploration of the horrors of World War I, which got an impressive nine nominations overall, including Best Picture.” [Foreign Policy]
Ticketmaster Cast as a Powerful ‘Monopoly’ at Senate Hearing
The Judiciary Committee, responding to the bungled sale of Taylor Swift concert tickets, heard the company apologize and its critics trace the problem to the industry’s lack of competition.
By Ben Sisario and Matt Stevens
Jan. 24, 2023
“Live Nation Entertainment, the concert industry giant that owns Ticketmaster, came under withering attack during a Senate Judiciary hearing on Tuesday, with committee members from both parties criticizing it for the botched sale of tickets to Taylor Swift’s latest tour and calling the company a monopoly that hinders competition and harms consumers.
Over nearly three hours, senators pilloried a top Live Nation executive, Joe Berchtold, over the handling of Ms. Swift’s tickets last November and over longstanding allegations that the company badgers its competitors to win new business. Such bullying would be a violation of a Justice Department agreement that set conditions on the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster in 2010.
‘This is all the definition of monopoly,’ said Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota. ‘Live Nation is so powerful that it doesn’t even need to exert pressure. It doesn’t need to threaten. Because people just fall in line.’
Some at the hearing went so far as to question whether the two companies, whose agreement with the Justice Department expires in 2025, should be broken up….” Read more at New York Times
“The US Justice Department and eight states sued Google, calling for the breakup of the search giant’s ad-technology business over alleged monopolization of the digital ads. Google is the dominant player in the $278.6 billion US digital-ad market, controlling most of the technology used to buy, sell and serve online advertising. The lawsuit is the Biden administration’s first major case challenging one of America’s tech behemoths in this fashion, and marks one of the few times the federal government has called for the breakup of a major company since it dismantled Bell telecom in the 1980s. Google contends the lawsuit is based on a “flawed argument.” Its stock fell 2%.” —Margaret Sutherlin [Bloomberg]
“America has a work problem. A new Gallup poll finds that large numbers of workers, especially Gen Zers and young millennials, are not engaged with their jobs. Young people in particular reported feeling less cared about at work and having fewer opportunities to learn and grow.” [NPR]
Tesla plans $3.6 billion Nevada plant
Tesla Semi is unveiled in Hawthorne, Calif., in 2017. Photo: Alexandria Sage/Reuters
“Tesla says it's investing $3.6 billion to build the new electric Tesla Semitruck by adding two plants to its existing Nevada Gigafactory complex outside Reno, Axios' Ben Geman and Nathan Bomey report.
Why it matters: The faster the U.S. can build manufacturing capacity, the faster EVs will become viable options for consumers, businesses and government buyers.
One plant is to build the semi. The other is a battery cell factory.
The new factory will "create more than 3,000 good-paying jobs in Nevada helping America lead in clean energy manufacturing," Mitch Landrieu, the White House Senior infrastructure coordinator, said.” [Axios]
Biden’s Green Subsidies Are Attracting Billions of Dollars to Red States
GOP-leaning states, many with ample sun, wind and available land, are luring clean-energy projects boosted by legislation their representatives opposed
Hanwha Qcells says it will invest $2.5 billion to expand this solar-panel factory in Georgia and build new facilities.PHOTO: ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/BLOOMBERG NEWS
“Republican-leaning states are attracting most of the clean-energy investments spurred by the Biden administration’s signature Inflation Reduction Act, a bill that passed the U.S. Congress without any Republican votes.
The act, which was signed into law in mid-August, offers beefy tax credits and other support for clean-energy projects ranging from wind farms to factories that make batteries, solar components or hydrogen. The incentives have improved the economics of those projects and helped spark a flood of investment announcements from companies including the solar manufacturing unit of South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group and Norwegian startup Freyr Battery FREY -4.81%decrease; red down pointing triangle.
Those announcements have so far clustered heavily in red states, where makers of components for electric vehicles, batteries, wind and solar equipment have proposed tens of billions of dollars of new investments in locations such as Georgia, Arizona and Texas, according to an analysis by The Wall Street Journal.
The Journal monitored large manufacturing investments in batteries, solar and wind components announced after the law was passed. Of nearly 30 such announcements where locations were given, all but three had chosen to set up facilities in Republican-leaning states, as defined by the Cook Political Report based on voting during the past two presidential elections. Together, they represent more than $35 billion in potential investments, the Journal found.
Red-leaning areas are also hosting the bulk of clean-power generation projects currently poised to benefit from the new law’s subsidies. Republican-held congressional districts harbor 82% by capacity of all utility-scale wind or solar farms and battery-storage projects that are currently in late-stage development, according to an analysis by business lobby American Clean Power.
Many politicians in those districts have opposed the Biden administration’s renewable-energy and climate push, and none of their Congressional representatives voted for the law. Still, local lawmakers and communities in those districts are welcoming an inflow of green projects, company executives and industry experts say.
An employee soldered damaged solar panel cells at the Hanwha Qcells manufacturing facility in Dalton, Ga.PHOTO: ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/BLOOMBERG NEWS
In many cases, red-leaning states and districts have attracted companies with conditions and policies seen as business friendly, industry experts say. Those include lower costs for everything from labor and electricity to taxes, as well as looser controls on permitting and the use of land, they say.
‘When it comes to these investments themselves, they tend to be nonpolitical. Everyone supports manufacturing in the United States,’ said Scott Moskowitz, head of market strategy for Hanwha’s Qcells U.S. unit, which earlier this month announced it would spend $2.5 billion to expand its Georgia-based solar-panel factory and build a new set of facilities to produce components as well.
Qcells’ factory is in a district held by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican who has been skeptical about the dangers of climate change and tweeted that the Inflation Reduction Act ‘forces Americans on the energy disaster Green New Deal.’….” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“US public health chief Rochelle Walensky continued reconfiguring her agency to fight crises after criticism of its Covid-19 response. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention created new offices on health equity and said it aims to shore up gaps in monitoring for potential threats.” [Bloomberg]
“Britain's National Health Service needs money, and there’s no spare cash to be found. It means officials are facing a brutal reality: either taxes are raised, free NHS services are cut, other government departments are effectively scrapped—or Britain’s health service breaks.” [Bloomberg]
Ambulance workers in the UK participated in a historic series of protests against pay levels in Britain’s National Health Service. Photographer: Anthony Devlin/Bloomberg
Ants can apparently sniff out cancer.
“What to know: The tiny insects have such a sharp sense of smell that researchers are training them to detect human cancer cells, according to a study published this week.
Why this matters: The way we diagnose cancer now is often expensive and invasive. This study opens the door for quicker, easier options in the future.”
Read this story at Washington Post
“Countries desperate to meet emissions goals and avoid price swings in the face of fossil fuel shortages are turning to an unlikely source: nuclear. Many are now looking to keep old reactors running for as long as 80 years, double their 40-year lifespan. Indeed, by the end of the decade, two-thirds of the world’s currently operating nuclear reactors will be running on borrowed time.” [Bloomberg]
The Golfech EDF nuclear plant in southwestern France Photographer: Charly Triballeau/AFP
'Everything Everywhere' leads with 11 Oscar nominations
“We don't know how it plays elsewhere in the multiverse, but in this reality, the Oscars really love "Everything Everywhere All at Once." The genre-smashing sci-fi hit ruled Tuesday morning when nominations for the 95th Academy Awards were announced. The film scored 11 honors including best picture and screenplay, star Michelle Yeoh was nominated for best actress, Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu earned their first Oscar nominations and Cinderella story Ke Huy Quan garnered a nod for supporting actor. Read our recap of the nominations.” [USA Today]
•”From ''Everything Everywhere'' to ''Elvis,'' here's where to stream these 15 Oscar-nominated movies now.” [USA Today]
•Austin Butler, nominated for an Oscar in Baz Luhrmann's ''Elvis,'' calls nod ''bittersweet.'' [USA Today]
The 2023 Oscar nominations are here. Universal Pictures / Allyson Riggs / Warner Brothers
GOP savors Senate map
Illustration: Sarah Grillo, Shoshana Gordon/Axios
“After last year's midterm fail, Republicans are licking their chops at an enviable outlook for snatching the Senate majority in '24.
Why it matters: The four Senate tossup races are in red (West Virginia, Ohio, Montana) or swing (Arizona) states — part of a strongly GOP-favorable '24 Senate map.
"Democrats on Defense," The Cook Political Report headlined its opening Senate race ratings (subscription).
23 Ds are up for reelection — and just 11 Rs.
"Democrats are defending all 3 seats they hold in states that Donald Trump carried for president in 2020 — Montana, Ohio, and West Virginia," notes Sabato's Crystal Ball, from the UVA Center for Politics.
Here's a Senate cheat sheet from Axios' Josh Kraushaar:
1. West Virginia: This is the GOP's best pickup opportunity, since it's the second-most Trump-friendly state on the map.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is the only Democrat who can win in this red state — but he's no guarantee to run for a third term.
Popular Gov. Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), a former Democrat, is strongly considering a run. He'd be the toughest GOP opponent Manchin faced in his long political career.
2. Ohio: Ohio, a one-time battleground, is fast becoming Republican turf, with the GOP scoring a clean sweep in last year's midterms. But Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) has an enviable brand as a labor-friendly Democrat who has won over blue-collar voters that drifted to Trump.
He has already announced he's all-in for a tough campaign.
Republicans expect a crowded primary to challenge him.
3. Montana: The GOP's ability to pick up the seat held by Sen. Jon Tester (D) comes down to candidate recruitment — and whether the popular red-state senator runs for re-election.
Republicans are worried that two prospective challengers have serious political baggage: Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) lost to Tester in 2018, and hails from the hard-right wing of the House GOP caucus. Rep. Ryan Zinke resigned as Interior Secretary amid ethics investigations.
4. Arizona: Democrats fear that a potential three-way race, with Democratic voters split between Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), could hand the seat to Republicans.
Most of the rumored GOP candidates hail from the MAGA wing of the party — including losing 2022 gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.” [Axios]
“Walmart is raising its minimum pay for hourly workers to $14 an hour, from $12.” [New York Times]
Tipping fatigue
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
“Tipping culture is getting out of control, customers say.
By the numbers: Tips at full-service restaurants are up about 25% compared with a year ago, and tips at casual places are up 17%, CNN reports, citing Square data.
The big picture: People started to tip more during the height of the pandemic to support local businesses and essential workers.
And with the rise of digital payments, more and more businesses are including an option to tip on screen — at places people say they wouldn't normally tip, AP reports.
“Suddenly, these screens are at every establishment we encounter. They’re popping up online as well for online orders. And I fear that there is no end,” etiquette expert Thomas Farley told AP.
Unlike tip jars, these on-screen requests can't be ignored. And everyone, including the customers behind you and the workers behind the counter, can see whether or not you tip — and how much.
Reality check: The federal minimum wage for tipped workers is $2.13. And service workers rely on tips to make a living.
Now, as tip requests have become more common, some businesses are advertising it in their job postings to lure in more workers even though the extra money isn’t always guaranteed, AP notes.” [Axios]
Wetsuit Shaming in San Francisco Divides Bay Area Swimmers
The rift, between those who suit up and those who don’t, is legendary. ‘We’re here, we wear gear. Get used to it!’
“SAN FRANCISCO—A year ago, Adele Gower used to cherish daily 90-minute swims in the frigid Bay here. Now she can only stand it for 30 minutes.
She abandoned her wetsuit after being shamed by fellow San Francisco Bay swimmers—a peculiar, zealous breed, who jump off boats near Alcatraz Island and swim with seals in the city’s Aquatic Park.
One day while struggling to take her wetsuit off, a swimmer friend—a burly former Marine—came in to help her. ‘He wades into the water and grabs my wetsuit and he just yanks it right off,’ she says.
Ms. Gower recalls the swimmer saying: ‘You can just let the ocean take that. Let it float away.’
Cold-water immersion is having a moment these days, with growing numbers of fans plunging into low-temperatures to try to feel better. But in San Francisco, the chatter about chilly water goes much deeper than in most places.
It is home to the great wetsuit divide.
The wetsuit has a long history in San Francisco, popularized by Jack O’Neill in 1952 to ward off hypothermia in surfers. With the water hovering just above 50 degrees this month—and air temperature in the 50s too—that is just one of many hazards Bay swimmers face: they could exhaust themselves fighting strong currents, be bitten by aggressive sea lions, or even cross paths with the occasional ocean tanker. And yet, some Bay swimmers refuse to wear these potentially lifesaving devices because they consider them a form of cheating. Or, even if they like them, as did Ms. Gower, they don’t want the hassle of wetsuit shaming.
The wetsuit split is legendary in Bay aquatics. Some local triathlete pages call wetsuits ‘wuss suits.’ Over the years, in actual cold cases, wetsuits have mysteriously vanished from the changing room at the South End Rowing Club, a 150-year-old home to many Bay swimmers….” Read more at Wall Street Journal
Jack O'Neill in Santa Cruz, Calif., in 1992.PHOTO: LIZ HAFALIA/THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE/GETTY IMAGES
Washington Post Lays Off 20 Journalists
A further 30 open positions will not be filled. The overall size of the newsroom is expected to return to its current level after The Post makes new hires in the affected departments.
By Benjamin Mullin and Katie Robertson
Jan. 24, 2023
“The Washington Post laid off 20 people from its newsroom on Tuesday, according to a note sent to its staff.
In the note, Sally Buzbee, the executive editor, said the company had also identified 30 open positions that would not be filled.
‘Newsroom leaders made these decisions after a thoughtful and deliberate review of our current roles and vacant positions,’ Ms. Buzbee wrote.
She said people who were laid off were eligible to apply for open positions.
‘While such changes are not easy, evolution is necessary for us to stay competitive, and the economic climate has guided our decision to act now,’ Ms. Buzbee said. ‘We believe these steps will ultimately help us to fulfill our mission to scrutinize power and empower readers. We are not planning further job eliminations at this time.’
The layoffs affected several departments, including The Post’s metro staff, according to three people with knowledge of the decision. The online gaming vertical Launcher was shut down, as well as KidsPost, a section of the newspaper for children, according to another person with knowledge of the changes. The newsroom has more than 1,000 employees.
On Tuesday, while in the process of notifying those who had lost their jobs, The Post sent an email to staff members about the hiring of three new journalists.
The layoffs culminate weeks of uncertainty for The Post’s newsroom, which had been bracing for the cuts since Fred Ryan, the paper’s publisher, announced he was enacting a ‘single-digit’ percentage reorganization of the company’s staff during a contentious all-hands meeting in December.
Mr. Ryan has told editors that he wants to focus The Post’s resources on positions that drive online readership and engagement and away from some traditional print beats, the people said….” Read more at Washington Post
Seven-time all-star Scott Rolen made the Baseball Hall of Fame.
“Who is he? An elite third baseman who won a World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006. He was elected to the Hall of Fame on a writers’ ballot yesterday.
He’s joining Fred McGriff, a first baseman voted in last month. The Class of 2023 will be inducted on July 23 in Cooperstown, N.Y." Read this story at Washington Post
The band Panic! at the Disco is breaking up after 19 years.
“Why? Lead singer Brendon Urie posted on Instagram yesterday that he and his wife are expecting a baby and that he plans to focus on his family.
What to know: The pop rock band began in 2004 and became wildly popular with angsty teens. You may recognize the songs ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies’ and ‘Death of a Bachelor.’ Read this story at Washington Post
Victor S. Navasky, a Leading Liberal Voice in Journalism, Dies at 90
Witty and contrarian, he was the longtime editor and later publisher of The Nation and wrote an acclaimed book about the Hollywood blacklisting era.
“Victor S. Navasky, a witty and contrarian journalist who for 27 years as either editor or publisher commanded the long-running left-leaning magazine The Nation, and who also wrote the book ‘Naming Names,’ a breakthrough chronicle of the Hollywood blacklisting era, died on Monday in Manhattan. He was 90.
His death, in a hospital, was caused by pneumonia, his son, Bruno, said. Mr. Navasky had homes on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and in Hillsdale, N.Y….” Read more at New York Times
Julian Sands: California authorities say no trace of actor found
Image caption, Julian Sands has talked about his love of hiking in the past
By Laura Gozzi
BBC News
“Californian authorities have said they have found no evidence of Julian Sands' location, 12 days after he went missing.
The British actor, 65, disappeared on 13 January while hiking in the Baldy Bowl area of the San Gabriel Mountains, north of Los Angeles.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's department said ‘numerous’ ground and air search efforts had taken place.
California has recently been battered by deadly storms.
However, the sheriff's department said the search would continue, ‘weather and ground conditions permitting’.
A spokesperson for the department told the PA news agency that ground searches in areas of higher elevation, yet to be searched in, were still not possible due to the conditions.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's department said it had responded to more than a dozen calls on Mount San Antonio, known locally as Mount Baldy, and in the surrounding area over the last four weeks. It warned hikers to ‘stay away’ from that area, adding it was "extremely dangerous", even for experienced hikers.
Last week, Mr Sands' car was found next to where he was reported missing.
His family have thanked the authorities for their efforts.
Earlier this week, they also said they were ‘deeply touched’ by the ‘outpouring of love and support’ they had received.
In a statement, the family praised the ‘heroic search teams’ who are working through the difficult weather conditions ‘on the ground and in the air to bring Julian home’.
Born in Yorkshire, Mr Sands has appeared in dozens of films and TV shows, but it was a lead role in the 1985 British romance A Room With A View that brought him global fame.
He lives in the North Hollywood neighbourhood of Los Angeles with his wife, writer Evgenia Citkowitz. They have two children.
He was previously married to Sarah Sands, former editor of BBC Radio 4's Today programme, with whom he has a son.
Mr Sands has talked in the past about his love of hiking and mountain climbing.
When asked in 2020 what made him happy, he replied: ‘Close to a mountain summit on a glorious cold morning.’” [BBC]