The Full Belmonte, 1/28/2022
Parts of New England could see between 12 to 24 inches of snow this weekend.
“A ‘bomb cyclone’ is expected to batter the Northeast this weekend with heavy snow, wind and coastal flooding. More than 55 million Americans are currently under winter storm watches and travel advisories. Some forecasts remain uncertain, but most are showing that Eastern Massachusetts, including Boston, and Rhode Island could be hit hard with 12 to 24 inches of snow combined with wind gusts up topping 60 mph. The storm is expected to form off the coast of the Carolinas today, and once it reaches the East Coast, it may dump as many as 14 inches of snow in portions of Connecticut and New York, where wind gusts may reach as high as 55 mph. Portions of northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia could also see up to 3 inches of snow and high winds.” Read more at CNN
“President Joe Biden yesterday committed to nominating the nation's first Black female Supreme Court justice following the formal announcement of Justice Stephen Breyer's retirement. ‘The person I will nominate will be someone with extraordinary qualifications, character, experience and integrity. And that person will be the first Black woman ever nominated to the United States Supreme Court,’ Biden said, adding ‘it’s long overdue.’ GOP senators and Senate candidates are already saying they are not supportive of Biden’s plan after concluding that the unnamed nominee is certain to be far left. Republicans are calling for a slow confirmation process, but Democrats are aiming for the exact opposite -- a swift confirmation process that could be complete within a month after Biden makes his pick.” Read more at CNN
This satellite image provided by Planet Labs PBC shows vehicles and tanks stationed at the Pogonovo training area just south of the city of Voronezh, Russia, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022. Russia warned Wednesday it would quickly take ‘retaliatory measures’ if the U.S. and its allies reject its security demands over NATO and Ukraine, raising pressure on the West amid concerns that Moscow is planning to invade its neighbor. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
“WASHINGTON (AP) — In a break from the past, the U.S. and its allies are increasingly revealing their intelligence findings as they confront Russian preparations for invading Ukraine, looking to undercut Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plans by exposing them and deflecting his efforts to shape world opinion.
The White House in recent weeks publicized what it said was a developing Russian ‘false-flag’ operation to create pretext for an invasion. Britain named specific Ukrainians it accused of having ties to Russian intelligence officers plotting to overthrow President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The U.S. also released a map of Russian military positions and detailed how officials believe Russia will try to attack Ukraine with as many as 175,000 troops.
Experts credit the White House for declassifying intelligence and moving to rebut false claims before they’re made — a so-called ‘prebuttal’ that undercuts their effectiveness better than an after-the-fact explanation.
But the release of information isn’t without risks. Intelligence assessments carry varying degrees of certainty, and beyond offering photos of troop movements, the U.S. and its allies have provided little other proof. Moscow has dismissed Washington’s claims as hysteria and invoked past American intelligence failures, including false information put forward about Iraq’s weapons programs.
There are no clear signs of change so far from Russia, which continues to move forces toward Ukraine and into Belarus, an ally to Ukraine’s north. There is growing pessimism in Washington and London about ongoing diplomatic efforts and a belief that Putin will likely mount some sort of invasion in the next several weeks.
Russia is known for using disinformation as a tactic to sow confusion and discord as part of its overall conflict strategy. When Russia invaded Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014, it mounted a campaign to sway ethnic Russian residents of the territory. State media and social media accounts linked to Russia promoted allegations that the West was manipulating protests in Kyiv and false or unconfirmed tales of lurid crimes committed by Ukrainian forces.
This time, the U.S. says, Russia is trying to portray Ukrainian leaders as aggressors and to persuade its own citizens to support military action. At the same time, the U.S. and its allies allege, Russia has positioned operatives in eastern Ukraine who could use explosives to carry out acts of sabotage against Russia’s own proxy forces and then blame Kyiv.
The White House has repeatedly highlighted what it sees as disinformation and is privately sharing additional intelligence with allies including Ukraine. The State Department recently published a fact sheet listing and rejecting several Russian claims. And the Treasury Department sanctioned four men accused of ties to influence operations intended to set the pretext in Ukraine for a new invasion.” Read more at AP News
A bridge collapsed in Pittsburgh early Friday. No injuries were immediately reported, but several cars remain on the bridge. (Screenshot via YouTube/WPXI)
“A Pittsburgh bridge collapsed early Friday, according to authorities, just hours before President Biden was scheduled to visit the city to talk about infrastructure.
No injuries were immediately reported, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety, which reported a ‘confirmed bridge collapse’ at around 6:50 a.m. A photo from KDKA shows at least four vehicles, including a Port Authority bus, on the bridge near Forbes and Braddock avenues, which splits the Point Breeze, Regent Square and Squirrel Hill neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. Another vehicle is shown dangling near the edge of the collapsed bridge.
Police, fire and EMS personnel are responding to the collapse.
Public Safety said there was ‘a strong smell of natural gas in the area.’ Nearby homes are being evacuated due to the gas smell, according to KDKA.” Read more at Washington Post
“The Pentagon is defending its preparations in response to the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, with a top spokesman on Thursday highlighting that the United States has provided millions of dollars in weapons to Kyiv and providing new details about U.S. military forces that could deploy to Eastern Europe to bolster security there.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the United States has been monitoring Russian President Vladimir Putin’s military buildup along the Ukrainian border for months. More than 100,000 Russian troops are amassed, including some in neighboring Belarus.
‘I take issue with the idea that this is sort of 11th-hour, Hail Mary-pass-throwing stuff,’ Kirby said. ‘We’ve been talking about this now for a couple of months, what we’ve been seeing on the ground.’
The comments came as the U.S. military prepared to potentially send thousands of troops from the United States to Europe. Kirby identified for the first time that elements of the 82nd Airborne Division and XVIII Airborne Corps from Fort Bragg, N.C., the 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell, Ky., and the 4th Infantry Division from Fort Carson, Colo., were among an initial force of 8,500 troops that were put on high alert this week and could be among the first to go.” Read more at Washington Post
“A federal judge on Thursday invalidated the largest offshore oil and gas lease sale in the nation’s history, ruling that the Biden administration violated federal law by relying on a seriously flawed analysis of the climate change impact of drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
The decision, by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, threw out 1.7 million acres of oil and gas leases that the Biden administration did not want to sell. Shortly after taking office, President Biden suspended new oil and gas drilling on lands and waters owned by the federal government. But after a Louisiana judge struck down the moratorium last summer, administration officials said they were forced to go through with the sale in November.
The auction took place just four days after Biden pledged ambitious climate action to world leaders at a United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland. Though the administration offered up to 80 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico for drilling leases, the Interior Department ultimately sold only a fraction of that amount. The sale netted nearly $192 million and ranked as the most profitable offshore auction since March 2019.
Then environmental advocacy organizations filed a lawsuit claiming that the sale rested on incorrect assumptions.
In his ruling, Judge Rudolph Contreras concluded that the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management had based its decision to hold the sale on a flawed environmental analysis that miscalculated the greenhouse gas emissions associated with future oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Completed under the Trump administration, the analysis found that the climate impacts would be worse if the acreage went unsold because oil companies with lower environmental standards would increase their production overseas, leading to more greenhouse gas emissions.” Read more at Washington Post
“The US economy grew 1.7 percent adjusted for inflation during the fourth quarter of 2021, the Commerce Department announced Thursday. The full year showed a 5.7 percent expansion, the largest since 1984, coming on the heels of the economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.” [Vox] Read more at NYT / Talmon Joseph Smith
“The nation’s gross domestic product, or GDP — the measure of goods and services produced by a country within a particular timeframe, like a year or a quarter — rose 6.9 percent over the previous time last year. But the increase was significantly driven by rising inventories and by personal consumption, which could trend downward as inflation continues to rise.” [Vox] Read more at FT / Mamta Baker and Colby Smith
“Consumption and overall demand have been driving inflation, which over the past year has reached levels not seen in decades as Americans with a bit of extra cash, thanks to aggressive government stimulus during the pandemic, and few opportunities to spend it on experiences like travel and entertainment, changed their consumption habits. But serious disruptions to the global supply chain, also pandemic-related, significantly decreased the supply of available goods, contributing to inflation.” [Vox] Read more at NBC / Ben Popken
“Inflation is certainly on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s list of priorities. On Wednesday, Powell reaffirmed the central bank’s commitment to ending its bond purchases from the government in March, and indicated that an interest rate hike would take place that same month, ‘assuming that the conditions are appropriate for doing so,’ he said. While the Fed has been clear for months that there would be additional hikes throughout the year, how many raises there will be — and how large — hasn’t yet been decided.” [Vox] Read more at Reuters / Howard Schneider and Ann Saphir
“Powell did indicate that the first hike could come after the Fed’s two-day policy meeting on March 15-16. He also said that subsequent hikes could come faster than they have over the past decade.” [Vox] Read more at WSJ / Nick Timiraos
“One of the indicators that the Fed uses to time rate hikes, in addition to inflation measures.,is the labor market. Once the economy reaches maximum employment — essentially, low unemployment and a tight labor market — the central bank is inclined to raise interest rates.” [Vox] Read more at Bloomberg / Olivia Rockeman and Reade Pickert
“Donald Trump’s former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is facing possible criminal contempt charges for his refusal to comply with the House select committee investigating the Capitol riot—but it appears his former colleagues aren’t so reluctant to talk. CNN reported Thursday that Ben Williamson, a top aide to Meadows in the Trump White House, testified virtually to the select committee Tuesday and spoke to House investigators for between six and seven hours. CNN did not report on what he divulged during the long session. Williamson, who was in the West Wing as rioters ransacked the Capitol, was one of 10 Trump administration officials who was subpoenaed by the panel in November. A spokesman for the committee refused to comment on CNN’s report.” [Daily Beast] Read more at CNN
“Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the military to do more to prevent civilian casualties, after The Times revealed several botched airstrikes.” Read more at New York Times
“Four more bodies were found after a suspected human smuggling boat capsized off the Florida coast, leaving 34 people missing, authorities said. ‘I have made the very difficult decision ... that at sunset this evening we will suspend active searching,’ said Coast Guard Capt. Jo-Ann Burdian Thursday.” Read more at USA Today
“President Joe Biden will travel to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to discuss matters including ‘building a better America, including through the bipartisan infrastructure law,’ according to the White House. But several outlets note two of the three leading Democrats on Pennsylvania's statewide ballot this spring who were invited to appear with Biden will not attend. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a leading Senate candidate, and state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the likely Democratic nominee in the race for governor, have scheduling conflicts. Another top Senate candidate, Rep. Conor Lamb, a longtime Biden supporter based in Pittsburgh, will attend, his office confirmed. The absences come as Democrats in other states have begun taking modest steps to distance themselves from Biden, whose approval ratings have fallen sharply in recent months.” Read more at USA Today
“New York police officers will give a final salute Friday to Jason Rivera, a rookie colleague who was shot and killed with his partner a week ago . A morning funeral Mass is planned at St. Patrick's Cathedral for Rivera, 22, who was recently married and barely into his second year of service on the force. Roman Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan will preside over the service and many of the city's top leaders are expected to attend. Rivera and his partner, 27-year-old Officer Wilbert Mora , were fatally shot Jan. 21 by a gunman who ambushed them in a hallway as they responded to a family dispute. Mora's funeral is being held next week, also at St. Patrick's. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said flags at state buildings would fly at half-staff from sunrise of the day of Rivera's funeral until sunset the day of Mora's funeral, Feb. 2.” Read more at USA Today
“Millions of Americans are behind on flu, hepatitis, chickenpox and other routine vaccinations as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Adults and adolescents have missed more than 37 million routine vaccinations, according to an analysis of insurance claims by Avalere, a health care consulting firm. Experts are stressing the importance of getting up to date as soon as possible as such widespread lapses in routine vaccinations could put even more strain on the health care system. In a related development, a new spinoff of the Omicron variant called BA.2 is also being talked about, but experts say there's no reason to panic as there's no indication it causes more severe symptoms or spreads more easily than the original strain of Omicron. Some are warning though that BA.2 is a ‘stealth variant’ because it doesn’t cause a certain signature on lab tests and can look like other variants on a first screen.” Read more at CNN
“The Department of Health and Human Services repeatedly ignored recommendations to improve its pandemic response and is at ‘high risk’ of mismanaging a future crisis, a government watchdog warned on Thursday.
Investigators ‘found persistent deficiencies’ in how the agency has led the response to the coronavirus pandemic and past public health emergencies dating to 2007, the Government Accountability Office concluded, citing continued problems coordinating among public health agencies, collecting infectious-disease surveillance data and securing appropriate testing and medical supplies, among areas it said are unresolved.” Read more at Washington Post
“‘She is, of course, unvaccinated’: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin dined at a New York City restaurant Wednesday, days after it was confirmed she tested positive for the coronavirus multiple times.” Read more at USA Today
“Anti-vaccine writers have earned upward of $2.5 million with newsletters featuring misinformation on the publishing platform Substack, researchers say. The Center for Countering Digital Hate found that five newsletters alone raked in the huge sum. Joseph Mercola, who has long been seen by experts as one of the most influential spreaders of COVID-19 misinformation, pulled in $1 million in a single year by charging subscribers $50 for his newsletter. COVID contrarian journalist Alex Berenson also got in on the action, earning $1.2 million with a newsletters that costs subscribers $60. Controversial virologist Robert Malone, anonymous writer Eugyppius, and tech entrepreneur Steven Kirsch brought in the remaining $300,000 with newsletters on the platform. The chief executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate has called on Substack to do more to filter out the dangerous misinformation. ‘They could just say no. This isn’t about freedom; this is about profiting from lies,’ Imran Ahmed was quoted saying by The Guardian.” Read more at The Guardian
““Connecticut police have opened an investigation into the death of Lauren Smith-Fields, a 23-year-old Black woman who was found dead in her apartment in mid-December shortly after meeting a man from a dating app. Police have been criticized for their handling of the case, and Smith-Fields parents called them dismissive.” Read more at NPR
“Jury selection in the trial of former Louisville Metro Police detective Brett Hankison begins Friday. Hankison faces three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, a class D felony, for the shooting at Breonna Taylor's apartment early on March 13, 2020 . However, the charges aren't for endangering Taylor but rather three of her neighbors in an adjacent unit pierced by some of his 10 rounds. The ex-detective has pleaded not guilty. In a notable development Thursday, Hankison's effort to keep the public and news media from watching juror questioning in his criminal case was denied. Circuit Judge Ann Bailey Smith ordered that individual jury questioning will remain open, but no one watching proceedings can take photos or videos inside the courtroom. Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was fatally shot by Louisville officers as they attempted to execute a search warrant looking for drugs and cash at her apartment.” Read more at USA Today
“MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin judge was set to hear arguments Friday on whether prosecutors should return to Kyle Rittenhouse the assault-style rifle he used to shoot three people during a street protest.
Rittenhouse shot the men during the protest in Kenosha in 2020. He killed Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz in the arm. Rittenhouse argued he fired in self-defense after each of the men attacked him. A jury last year acquitted him of multiple charges, including homicide.
Rittenhouse’s attorney, Mark Richards, filed a motion Jan. 19 asking prosecutors to return Rittenhouse’s rifle, his ammunition, his face mask and other clothing he was wearing the night of the shooting to him. Richards and David Hancock, a spokesman for Rittenhouse, said last week that Rittenhouse wants to destroy the rifle and throw the rest of the items away so nothing can be used as a political symbol or trophy celebrating the shootings.” Read more at AP News
“US and Ukrainian officials are not on the same page regarding the ‘risk levels’ of a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, a senior Ukrainian official told CNN yesterday. A 20-minute phone call between President Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday ‘did not go well,’ the official said. Biden warned his Ukrainian counterpart that a Russian invasion may be imminent, saying that it is now virtually certain in the coming months. Zelensky, however, said the threat from Russia remains ‘dangerous but ambiguous,’ emphasizing it is not certain that an invasion will take place. The Biden administration yesterday also called for the first UN Security Council meeting on the situation along the Russia-Ukraine border to discuss Moscow's recent aggressions. NATO, the defense alliance set up to promote peace and stability, is also rapidly trying to reinforce its presence in the region to help ease tensions.” Read more at CNN
“Xiomara Castro was sworn in as Honduras' first female president yesterday. Castro, a democratic socialist, won a landslide victory in last year's presidential election after campaigning on a radical agenda to counter years of governance plagued by corruption and scandal. During her campaign, Castro promised to stamp out the systemic problems behind poverty, including economic insecurity, inequality, corruption and violence -- some of the root causes of migration to the north. That stance made her not only popular with the electorate, but has made her an attractive ally for the Biden administration. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is overseeing the White House's efforts to stem the flow of migrants to the US southern border, was among those in attendance for the inauguration.” Read more at CNN
“It’s not quite Freedom Fries, but there is more than a hint of divergence between Paris and Washington on foreign policy amid Russia’s military buildup near its border with Ukraine.
Those looking for signs of cracks between the NATO allies found ample evidence earlier this month, when Emmanuel Macron reiterated his longstanding call for greater European military integration, saying it was ‘vital that Europe has its own dialogue with Russia.’
Since then, there have been grumblings from the Elysée Palace about the aggressive stance taken by the U.S. and its Anglophone partner Britain. One divide is clear: Neither Paris nor Berlin see the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine with the same urgency as Washington and London. ‘We see the same number of lorries, tanks and people,’ one French official told Le Monde. ‘We observed the same maneuvers, but cannot conclude an offensive is imminent.’
France’s quieter diplomatic approach appears to be paying dividends, with four-way Normandy Format talks between France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine resulting in a renewed cease-fire in the war in eastern Ukraine.
Today’s call between French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the highest-level talks between Putin and a NATO member since he spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the beginning of January, can be seen as another attempt to take control of the issue. Macron ‘will propose a path towards de-escalation,’ one Elysée source told the Russian news agency TASS.
So, is France going it alone? Benjamin Haddad, the senior director of the Europe Center at the Atlantic Council, doesn’t think so, seeing the differences between NATO allies as a matter of tactics rather than a deeper rift: ‘The Americans and Brits consider that we already have to bolster our negotiating position with the Russians by matching some of their aggressions,’ Haddad said, citing recent sanctions and weapons transfers to Ukraine. ‘Macron’s approach is to say let’s really give a chance to diplomacy. Let’s hear the Russians out. Let’s not be the ones escalating on our side.’
For Macron ‘there’s a desire to be able to say, if this does end up in a conflict, we want to make clear that Russia has been the aggressor,’ Haddad said, ‘so let’s not do anything on our end that could lead to what they call a self-fulfilling escalation.’
The narrative of French exceptionalism is overblown, Haddad said, with French statements on Ukraine’s sovereignty and NATO’s open-door policy tracking closely with those of the United States. France has also not merely left the issue to diplomats, proposing to lead a NATO force in Romania as an assurance measure.
The idea of a recalcitrant Berlin has been punctured in recent days too, with Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock laying out a clearer German approach in a speech to the Bundestag on Wednesday and appearing to make a virtue of Germany’s obstructionist stance on arms transfers to Ukraine.
‘A team doesn’t need 11 center forwards who all do the same thing, but 11 players who get along well and have a common game plan in mind,’ Baerbock said, in remarks that also underlined that the Nord Steam 2 gas pipeline would be targeted in a “strong package of sanctions” under consideration.
Rather than being frozen out, Germany is being wooed, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz expected to join U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House on Feb. 7.
“ECOWAS nations talk Burkina Faso. Leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) nations meet virtually today to discuss the recent coup in Burkina Faso and whether to impose sanctions on the military junta. In his first public address since taking power, Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba promised to restore order and bolster security while also calling for help from the international community ‘so that it can emerge from this crisis as quickly as possible and resume its march towards development.’” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Portugal’s election. Portugal holds a snap election on Sunday, after left-wing allies of the ruling Socialist Party refused to support its 2022 budget in November. Although the Socialists and Social Democrats are expected to win the bulk of seats, neither is likely to win an outright majority. The vote will also be a test of support for Chega, with the right-wing party polling between 6 and 10 percent. Chega currently holds just one seat in parliament.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Diplomats from the US, Italy, Norway, the EU, Germany, France, and the UK released a 10-point statement Thursday regarding relief for the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan following a meeting with Taliban leadership and civil society actors earlier this week. The statement doesn’t offer any specifics about funding but says that the nations involved are stepping up aid efforts.” [Vox] Read more at Reuters
“MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Even as he was being ejected from the Australian Open for wearing a white T-shirt with a ‘Where is Peng Shuai?’ slogan in black letters, Max Mok saw an opportunity to amplify the message of concern for the Grand Slam doubles champion and Olympian from China whose well-being has come into question.
Mok’s plan: He’ll help hand out 1,000 of the shirts Saturday to spectators attending the women’s final between No. 1-ranked Ash Barty of Australia and Danielle Collins of the U.S.
Yes, this is the biggest tennis match of 2022 so far, yet someone nowhere near Melbourne Park is in the hearts and minds of players, fans and the WTA, the organization that runs the women’s professional tour….
Peng, the former No. 1-ranked doubles player who won titles at Wimbledon and the French Open, dropped out of public view in November after accusing a former high-ranking Chinese government official, vice premier Zhang Gaoli, of sexual assault.
Concerns about censorship of Peng and her subsequent disappearance from public view led the WTA to suspend all of its tournaments in China, including the season-ending championships. The head of the tour repeatedly has called for China to investigate the 35-year-old Peng’s accusations and to allow the WTA to communicate directly with her.” Read more at AP News
“Paying back | Argentina and the International Monetary Fund reached an understanding on when the South American nation will achieve a balanced primary budget, sources say, a key step to renegotiating more than $40 billion of debt.” Read more at Bloomberg
Photo: Markus Schreiber/AP
Wreaths were placed in Berlin today at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.
Today marks the 77th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz on Jan. 27, 1945.
President Biden said: ‘Today, we attempt to fill a piercing silence from our past — to give voice to the six million Jews who were systematically and ruthlessly murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators.’” Read more at Axios
“China and Russia will sign an agreement to build a research station on the moon, aiming to complete basic infrastructure by 2035. It’s the latest sign of closer cooperation, with Russian President Vladimir Putin expected to visit Beijing next week. It also feeds into a new moon race among space powers. The U.S. has scheduled a major test of the Artemis program, an effort to return astronauts to the moon later this decade.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Lives Lived: Dr. Johan Hultin was an intrepid pathologist who helped unlock the genetic sequence of the 1918 pandemic flu by finding victims preserved in permafrost. He died at 97.” Read more at New York Times
“Less than a week after being hired to head a high-profile research department at Georgetown Law School, the former head of a conservative D.C. think tank predicted that Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee will be a ‘lesser black woman.’ Former Cato Institute director Ilya Shapiro, now executive director of Georgetown’s Center for the Constitution, wrote, ‘Objectively best pick for Biden is Sri Srinivasan, who is solid prog and v smart. Even has identity politics benefit of being first Asian (Indian) American. But alas doesn’t fit into last intersectionality hierarchy so we’ll get lesser black woman. Thank heaven for small favors?’ In a second tweet, Shapiro added, ‘Because Biden said he’s only consider [sic] black women for SCOTUS, his nominee will always have an asterisk attached. Fitting that the Court takes up affirmative action next term.’ He apologized the next day and deleted the tweets, calling them “inartful.” Georgetown Law School Dean William Treanor said in an email that tweets were ‘demeaning,’ ‘appalling’ and ‘at odds with everything we stand for at Georgetown Law.’ [Daily Beast] Read more at Law.com
“Scientists have found alarming levels of mercury in the trees of an old-growth Amazon forest, a toxic byproduct of gold mining.” Read more at New York Times
“MSNBC morning anchor Stephanie Ruhle will claim the cable news network’s 11 p.m. slot that Brian Williams stepped away from in December as he wrapped up a 28-year run at NBC, Axios reported on Monday. Williams had hosted The 11th Hour With Brian Williams on MSNBC for six years, which gave him a landing spot at the network after he was suspended in 2015 from his plum job as NBC’s Nightly News anchor for telling phony war stories. The 9 a.m. hour Ruhle has hosted until now will be taken over by Morning Joe, adding a fourth hour to the program co-hosted by Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, according to Axios, which cited ‘two sources familiar’ with the moves in a report that MSNBC declined to comment for.” [Daily Beast] Read more at Axios
“‘Tiger King’ star Joe Exotic is set to be re-sentenced Friday in Oklahoma City federal court in his murder-for-hire case . A federal appeals court in July ruled that Joe Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, should get a shorter sentence. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in Denver determined the trial court wrongly treated two murder-for-hire convictions separately in calculating his prison term. The judge originally sentenced Joe Exotic to 22 years in federal prison for hiring hitmen to kill Carole Baskin. The ‘Tiger King’ star also was sentenced for killing five tigers, selling tiger cubs and falsifying wildlife records.” Read more at USA Today
The Tiger King Joseph "Joe Exotic" Maldonado-Passage with one of his tigers.Netflix US/AFP via Getty Images
“Nearly 50 years into her career, Janet Jackson is still exhibiting the ‘Control’ that turned her into a cultural icon. Viewers will get an insight into the famously private and enigmatic singer's life in the two-night, four-part documentary, ‘Janet Jackson,’ which premieres Friday and continues Saturday (8 p.m. EST/PST, Lifetime and A&E). The grabby headlines are tackled early, says USA TODAY music writer Melissa Ruggieri: the stern guidance of family patriarch Joseph; Jackson's elopement with R&B singer James DeBarge and their alleged secret child. The second part of the series will dip into child molestation allegations against brother Michael; the scandalous Super Bowl halftime show in 2004 with Justin Timberlake; her late-in-life motherhood; and Michael's death.” Read more at USA Today
Roger Clemens intentionally walking Barry Bonds in 2004.Richard Carson/Reuters
A baseball debate goes on
“Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens both failed to make the Baseball Hall of Fame this week, in their 10th and final year on the ballot. But the debate over their candidacies — both their undeniable statistical greatness and their presumed steroid use — is hardly over.
There are two paths to the Hall of Fame. In the first, sportswriters vote on candidates, and a player must receive at least 75 percent of the vote. Bonds received 66 percent this year, and Clemens 65 percent. The voters who kept them out of the Hall of Fame have, in effect, labeled them cheaters. In the second, a group called an era committee — composed mostly of Hall of Fame players and baseball executives — will evaluate players from 1988 onward. That group votes later this year.
Many writers, fans and players say Bonds and Clemens deserve to be inducted. For one thing, some current Hall members have their own history of cheating: Pitcher Gaylord Perry was inducted in 1991 despite doctoring baseballs, and for decades much of the league used amphetamine pills known as ‘greenies.’ For another, Bonds and Clemens weren’t simply great players; they were among the best ever, dominating the sport at a time when many others used performance-enhancing drugs.
Some players accused of doping have already gotten in, including David Ortiz, who was elected this week. Others, such as Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez, have not, though they remain on next year’s ballot.” Read more at New York Times
“A pair of 76ers fans were seemingly ejected from their seats at Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center after they were verbally confronted by the Los Angeles Lakers' Carmelo Anthony.” Read more at USA Today
Los Angeles Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony confronts a fan during the fourth quarter of the game against the Philadelphia 76ers.Bill Streicher, USA TODAY Sports
Minnie Mouse will don a blue tuxedo during Disneyland Paris' 30th anniversary celebration in March 2022.Disneyland Paris image; USA TODAY Life graphic
“Disney's Minnie Mouse is taking ‘new year, new me’ to a new level by switching out her red iconic polka dot dress to a modern pantsuit for Disneyland Paris' 30th anniversary celebration.
The new outfit, designed by Stella McCartney, will feature Minnie Mouse in a dark blue tuxedo with black polka dots, Disneyland Paris announced in a statement this week.” Read more at USA Today
The fresh ensemble is responsibly sourced and will be worn in honor of Women's History Month in March, which coincides with the start of Disneyland Paris' anniversary.