The Full Belmonte, 1/30/2023
People gather in New York City on January 28 to protest the death of Tyre Nichols.
Police reform
“Protestors took to the streets across the US over the weekend following the publication of video footage showing the beating by Memphis police that led to the death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man. Demonstrators marched through New York City, Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland, among other cities, raising signs bearing his name and calling for police reform. As the investigation continues, questions are being raised over whether there could be additional charges for the five former officers involved. The officers -- who are also Black -- have since been charged with murder and kidnapping in Nichols' death. The police unit they were part of has also been disbanded. Officials ‘need to clean the department of bad apples,’ Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen told CNN. ‘They need to get intensive training and make sure de-escalation comes first.’” [CNN]
Inflation
“The Federal Reserve is set to raise interest rates again on Wednesday. While it remains unclear whether it will be another half-point hike or just a quarter-point increase, analysts say the Fed may need to keep raising rates until there is further evidence the labor market is cooling off enough to push the rate of inflation even lower. Still, several job market indicators are showing the US economy is in no serious danger of a recession just yet. The number of people filing for weekly jobless claims dipped last week to 186,000, a nine-month low. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are also set to meet Wednesday as the Treasury Department continues to take measures to keep the government paying its bills after the US hit the debt ceiling set by Congress.” [CNN]
Winter storm
“More than 25 million people in the US are under winter weather alerts this morning stretching from Texas to Illinois, bringing the risk of heavy precipitation and significant icing to the region. ‘The interaction of an arctic air mass and moisture will set the stage for an expansive area of dangerous travel conditions early in the week,’ the National Weather Service warned. The winter storm is also bringing dangerously cold air to some cities in the Central US, with possible wind chills as low as 45 degrees below zero. (The coldest wind chills can cause frostbite in as little as 10 minutes.) Showers are also forecast for parts of the Lower Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio valleys, as well as parts of the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast today.” [CNN]
Immigration
“More than 7,500 migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua and Haiti have been approved to come to the US under a program set up by the Biden administration earlier this month. Administration officials are touting the program as contributing to a drop in crossings at the US-Mexico border.Democratic allies and immigrant advocates, however, are sharing mixed reviews. Many welcome a pathway for migrants, but have criticized the expansion of Title 42. Twenty states have also argued in a lawsuit that the administration didn't go through the notice and comment rule-making process before instituting the rule. As a result, the states are asking the courts to block the program.” [CNN]
© Associated Press / Patrick Semansky | The U.S. Capitol on Jan. 10.
Biden, McCarthy to meet amid 2024 backdrop
“Both political parties this week will put actions behind narratives they believe could mold the future of American politics.
President Biden starts the week by reminding Americans specifically how the Democratic Party, working with some Republicans, sought to untangle East Coast infrastructure bottlenecks. And by Friday in Philadelphia, the president and Vice President Harris, along with the Democratic National Committee a day later, are expected to lean into the 2024 presidential race.
Biden will be in Baltimore today and in New York City on Tuesday to tout federal road and tunnel projects made possible through last year’s enactment of a $1.2 trillion infrastructure law. By Friday, Biden and Harris will be in Philadelphia in battleground Pennsylvania for appearances that lean into an anticipated reelection campaign and ahead of a national party vote scheduled on Saturday to decide the Democrats’ 2024 lineup of state primaries (New Jersey Monitor).
At the same time, Republicans in Congress will hold the first in a series of investigations they championed as priorities this year. Early polling suggests most Americans believe the new House majority may be inflexible and determined to investigate Biden rather than concentrate on other issues (NBC News).
Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will meet with Biden on Wednesday at the White House (The Hill). He wants to begin negotiating federal spending and debt, since his far-right colleagues say they won’t increase federal borrowing without achieving deep spending reductions in a proposed swap. Biden says the borrowing-or-spending cuts power play is a no-go. Democrats have urged Republicans to specify programs they would slash. McCarthy, wary of getting on the wrong side of senior voters, now says Social Security and Medicare, roughly a third of the total federal budget, are off the table for cuts (The Hill). Under pressure, the Speaker has softened threats from some colleagues, promising the U.S. will not default on its obligations (ABC News).
“I want to find a reasonable and a responsible way that we can lift the debt ceiling but take control of this runaway spending,” McCarthy told CBS’s “Face the Nation,” later adding, “I don't think there's anyone in America who doesn't agree that there's some wasteful Washington spending that we can eliminate.”
While McCarthy ponders the debt ceiling Rubik’s Cube, his GOP colleagues on Wednesday will officially launch promised investigations, with the aim of weakening the Biden administration as well as Democratic candidates.
House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) says his panel on Wednesday will probe ‘rampant waste of taxpayer dollars’ in federal pandemic relief programs (CNN). The Trump administration was in charge as pandemic stimulus checks and loan programs rolled out in 2020 and 2021. The Biden administration overhauled the distribution of available vaccines and American Rescue Plan Act funding with assistance from states, Congress and the private sector.
The week will also reveal new economic clues: The Federal Reserve on Wednesday is expected to hike interest rates for the eighth time since 2022 to continue battling inflation (The Hill). The U.S. employment picture in January, which included prominent layoff announcements in the tech sector and beyond, could come into clearer focus with a Labor Department jobs report on Friday (CNN).
By the weekend, Biden and his team, along with lawmakers and the news media, will be mobilizing for the annual State of the Union address on Feb. 7, which starts an unofficial countdown clock headed toward the 2024 elections.” [The Hill]
Hero who wrestled gun from Monterey Park killer honored at Lunar New Year Festival
“Brandon Tsay, who disarmed 72-year-old Huu Can Tran at the Lai Lai Ballroom in Alhambra, California, received a medal of courage and other recognitions from the Alhambra police, as well as city, county and state officials at the city's Lunar New Year Festival Sunday. Less than three miles away, the Jan. 21 Monterey Park rampage left 11 people dead and nine injured after that city's Lunar New Year festival. Tsay received several rounds of applause as people shouted ‘Thank you, Brandon’ and called him a hero. ‘The situation still feels so surreal to me,’ Tsay said. ‘Most of the victims I knew personally.’” Read more at USA Today
Brandon Tsay waves to the crowd during a ceremony to honor him at the Alhambra Lunar New Year celebration. Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY
Suicide bomber kills 27, wounds 147 at mosque in Pakistan
“PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A suicide bomber struck Monday inside a mosque in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, killing at least 27 people and wounding as many as 147 worshippers, officials said.
Most of the casualties were policemen and police officers as the targeted mosque is located within a sprawling compound, which also serves as the city's police headquarters.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, said Saddique Khan, a senior police official in Peshawar, but the Pakistani Taliban have been blamed in similar suicide attacks in the past. As the number of casualties rose, Peshawar police chief Ijaz Khan gave the latest tolls.
The bomber detonated his suicide vest as some 200 worshipers were praying inside or heading to the mosque for prayers. The police compound is located in a high-security zone in Peshawar, along with several government buildings, and it was unclear how the bomber managed to penetrate so deep inside the zone unnoticed.
The impact of the explosion collapsed the roof of the mosque, which caved in and injured many, according to Zafar Khan, a local police officer.
A survivor, 38-year-old police officer Meena Gul, said he was inside the mosque when the bomb went off. He said he doesn't know how he survived unhurt. He could hear cries and screams after the bomb exploded, Gul said.
Rescuers scrambled trying to remove mounds of debris from the mosque grounds and get to worshippers still trapped under the rubble, police said. At a nearby hospital, many of the wounded were listed in critical condition as the casualty toll rose.
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in a statement condemned the bombing, and ordered authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment to the victims. He also vowed “stern action" against those who were behind the attack…” Read more at USA Today
Ukraine: Boris Johnson says Putin threatened him with missile strike
“Boris Johnson has said Vladimir Putin threatened him with a missile strike in an "extraordinary" phone call in the run-up to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The then-prime minister said Mr Putin told him it ‘would only take a minute’.
Mr Johnson said the comment was made after he warned the war would be an ‘utter catastrophe’.
The claim is made in a BBC documentary on Mr Putin's interactions with world leaders over the years. The Kremlin spokesman said it was a ‘lie’.
Mr Johnson warned Mr Putin that invading Ukraine would lead to Western sanctions and more Nato troops on Russia's borders.
He also tried to deter Russian military action by telling Mr Putin that Ukraine would not join Nato ‘for the foreseeable future’.
But Mr Johnson said: ‘He threatened me at one point, and he said, 'Boris, I don't want to hurt you but, with a missile, it would only take a minute' or something like that. Jolly.
"But I think from the very relaxed tone that he was taking, the sort of air of detachment that he seemed to have, he was just playing along with my attempts to get him to negotiate.’
President Putin had been ‘very familiar’ during the ‘most extraordinary call’, Mr Johnson said.
No reference to the exchange appeared in accounts released to the media of the call given by both Downing Street and the Kremlin.” [BBC]
Sunak Sacks Zahawi
“British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak fired Conservative Party chairman, Nadhim Zahawi, for a “serious breach” in ministerial code. Zahawi had come under criticism over investigations into his personal taxes, and specifically the revelation that he had settled a multi-million pound unpaid tax bill while in charge of the country’s treasury. An independent probe found that Zahawi had not been transparent enough about private dealings with HM Revenue and Customs—Britain’s tax agency—when accepting senior ministerial roles.
In his letter to Zahawi, Sunak wrote that he had to make this decision, as he had promised when he became prime minister that the government ‘would have integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level.’
The Conservative Party has been accused by critics of being the party of ‘sleaze’ after a series of scandals during Boris Johnson’s time as prime minister. Sunak himself had last year come under criticism over his wealthy wife’s ‘non-domiciled’ status, which allowed her to avoid paying U.K. taxes on foreign earnings. Sunak has also been fined twice by police: last year, for attending parties during lockdown; and just last week, for not wearing a seatbelt while riding in a car.
Sunak is now also under criticism for his handling of the Zahawi case; by some, for not firing him sooner, and by others, for appointing him in the first place. And, though Sunak is trying to communicate that he is bringing integrity back to the prime minister’s office and the party, another scandal is on the horizon: Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab is facing a bullying investigation that is reportedly more extensive than originally thought, with the Guardian reporting that at least 24 civil servants are involved with formal complaints.” [Foreign Policy]
“France’s plan to withdraw its military from Burkina Faso is the latest sign of the former colonial power’s collapsing influence in West Africa. Last year its forces were kicked out of Mali where they spent almost a decade leading a losing fight against a growing jihadist insurgency. The pullout is being eagerly exploited by Russia, which has used the Wagner Group to gain a foothold in the region.” [Bloomberg]
French soldiers in northern Burkina Faso in 2018. Photographer: Michele Cattani/AFP/Getty Images
“Israel to make it easier for Israelis to carry guns. Following an attack outside an East Jerusalem synagogue that killed seven people, Israel’s security cabinet approved measures that would make it easier for Israelis to carry guns. ‘Whoever tries to harm us—we will harm them and everyone who assists them,’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on opening the meeting of the security cabinet. ‘When civilians have guns, they can defend themselves,’ said Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right national security minister.
The security cabinet also said Israel would revoke the rights to social security of ‘the families of terrorists that support terrorism.’ The Palestinian Authority condemned the new measures. The shooting at the synagogue was also followed by attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank.” [Foreign Policy]
“Pavel prevails. Former army chief Petr Pavel won a decisive victory in the second round of the Czech presidential elections, defeating his country’s former prime minister, Andrej Babis, with more than 58 percent of the vote. Babis had tried to imply that Pavel was a warmonger who would drag the country into war. Evidently, this was unconvincing to a majority of Czech voters. ‘Values such as truth, dignity, respect and humility won,’ Pavel said. ‘I am convinced that these values are shared by the vast majority of us, it is worth us trying to make them part of our lives and also return them to the Prague Castle and our politics.’
Pavel was joined in celebration by Zuzana Caputova, president of Slovakia, whose victory back in 2019 was likewise seen as something of a repudiation against illiberal populism. A staunch supporter of continued aid to Ukraine, Pavel was also congratulated on Twitter by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said he looked forward to close cooperation with the new president. The socially progressive, pro-European Pavel will mark a change from the current Czech president, the controversial Milos Zeman.” [Foreign Policy]
“A deadly attack on Israelis near a synagogue on the weekend has capped off one of the bloodiest months in Israel and the occupied West Bank in years.
The violence adds to the social unrest facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s month-old government. Tens of thousands of Israelis have been protesting over government plans to overhaul the judicial system and economists have warned Israel’s democracy and economy are at risk.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken starts a visit today against this volatile backdrop of inter-communal violence and deep shifts in the Israeli state.
A drone attack on a defense ministry depot in Iran has also stirred regional tensions. There’s been no official statement by Tehran assigning blame, although it’s often pointed the finger at Israel for similar incidents in the past.
Blinken will meet Netanyahu, members of his new right-wing government as well as Palestinian leaders who’ve severed security cooperation with Israel over a military raid last week on the West Bank city of Jenin in which nine Palestinians were killed.
President Joe Biden has stressed his “iron-clad commitment” to Israel’s security after a Palestinian from East Jerusalem shot dead seven Israelis close to a synagogue.
Netanyahu has said Israel isn’t looking for an escalation. But the policies his coalition is planning may make it hard to restore calm. Those include easing open-fire rules for some security forces and expanding the construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, a territory that’s part of the area the Palestinians seek for their independent state.
Much of this reflects the growing trends in Israeli politics: increasing support for far right, nationalist and ultra-Orthodox politicians who were vital to the premier’s political return.
They also support the push to change the legal system, which they say is biased toward a left-leaning elite. Netanyahu, facing his own legal battles over corruption charges, is sympathetic to that view.
The repercussions of Netanyahu’s formation of a far right-wing government are already reverberating across Israel and beyond”.— Sylvia Westall [Bloomberg]
Palestinians during confrontations with Israeli forces in Jenin, West Bank, on Jan. 26. Photographer: Zain Jaafarz/AFP/Getty Images
“Lithium race | Scholz is using a trip to Latin America to help Germany secure supplies of the lithium needed for electric vehicles from Chile, the world’s second-biggest source after Australia. Much of the South American nation’s output is usually taken by China, the dominant supplier or processor of many metals and rare earth elements that are key to the transition to cleaner and more technologically advanced economies.” [Bloomberg]
“Peru’s president calls for earlier elections. Peruvian President Dina Boluarte urged her country’s congress to move up elections currently scheduled for April of next year to December of this year. Despite protests across the country that have seen 57 killed, Boluarte has resisted calls to resign. Boluarte said she hoped that the act of holding elections earlier would ‘get us out of this quagmire’ and insisted she had ‘no interest in staying in the presidency.’” [Foreign Policy]
“Back to school | Beijing has told students pursuing degrees at foreign universities to get back to campus, another sign that life in the second-largest economy is returning to normal after three years of harsh Covid Zero controls. Officials also said they were ending temporary rules allowing for degrees earned online to gain accreditation in China, which is necessary for landing a job at a state-owned enterprise or completing residency paperwork.” [Bloomberg]
“China claims COVID-19 cases have fallen. China’s Center for Disease Control has said that its COVID-19 wave has peaked, and that the number of critically-ill individuals in hospitals is down more than 70 percent since the first week in January. However, some are concerned that the wave, which was concentrated at first in urban areas, has spread to more rural areas as people traveled for lunar new year festivities, and many remain skeptical of official Chinese data.” [Foreign Policy]
Super Bowl 57: Chiefs, Eagles meet for title in Arizona
By DAVID BRANDT
“Patrick Mahomes finally got the best of Joe Burrow.
All he needed was a little shove.
Harrison Butker made a 45-yard field goal with 3 seconds left — after Cincinnati’s Joseph Ossai was flagged for a 15-yard penalty for shoving Mahomes after he was out of bounds — and the Chiefs beat the Bengals 23-20 in the AFC championship game to make it back to the Super Bowl.
Kansas City will face the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl on Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona.
The Eagles opened as a 1 1/2-point favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
There are no shortage of storylines: Kansas City coach Andy Reid goes against his old team — which he led to Super Bowl 39 — in a game that’s also the first matchup of Black starting quarterbacks in the Super Bowl with Mahomes and Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts.
On top of that, there’s a brother-against-brother showdown between Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Philadelphia center Jason Kelce.
“Officially done being a Chiefs fan this season!! ” Jason Kelce tweeted immediately after the Chiefs won.
The Chiefs have been making deep postseason runs on a regular basis ever since Mahomes came to town as the franchise quarterback.
This was their fifth straight trip to the AFC title game and will be their third Super Bowl appearance in that span. They beat the 49ers for the NFL title in the 2019 season, but lost to the Bucs the following season.
The Eagles clobbered the Niners 31-7 in the NFC title game earlier Sunday. They’ve looked dominant in the playoffs so far, also beating the New York Giants 38-7 in the divisional round.
Philadelphia is back in the Super Bowl five years after beating the New England Patriots 41-33 on Feb. 4, 2018.
Now a mostly new generation of Eagles — led by coach Nick Sirianni and Hurts — will come to Arizona to try and win another title.
The Chiefs-Bengals game looked as if it was going to overtime before Ossai’s ill-advised play. Mahomes — who was playing on a badly sprained ankle — was running to get a first down in the final seconds as Ossai desperately tried to track him down.
Mahomes was out of bounds when Ossai gave him a shove, sending both players tumbling to the turf. The ensuing 15-yard penalty was enough to push Butker into field-goal range and the kick split the uprights.
A distraught Ossai sat on the bench with his head in his hands, well after the game was over.
The Bengals and Chiefs were playing for the fourth time in less than 400 days and Cincinnati had won the previous three meetings — all by three points. This one was decided by a field goal, too, and all Burrow could do was watch.
The Bengals lost to the Rams in last year’s Super Bowl and they just missed another chance at returning to the title game.
NO DRAMA IN NFC
Oddsmakers thought fans were in for some close conference championship games.
They’ll have to settle for a 50% success rate.
The NFC title game was a blowout. Niners rookie quarterback Brock Purdy was injured in the first quarter when Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick drilled his right arm on a play that was ruled a fumble. The Eagles recovered that fumble and the injury proved to be a game-changer.
With Purdy hurt, San Francisco turned to 36-year-old journeyman Josh Johnson, who couldn’t do much before eventually leaving with a concussion. Purdy came back into the game, but could barely throw, and the Eagles cruised to the win.
The 49ers dealt with quarterback injuries all season, losing Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo before turning to Purdy, a seventh-round draft pick out of Iowa State. Purdy stepped into a starter’s role in December and won his first seven games before Sunday’s injury.
Here’s a few things to know about the upcoming Super Bowl:
WHAT’S THE UPCOMING SCHEDULE?
FEB. 5
Pro Bowl flag-football game, 3 p.m. EST, ABC/ESPN
FEB. 12
Super Bowl LVII, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 6:30 p.m. EST, Fox
RIHANNA AT HALFTIME
Rihanna will take center stage as the headline act for this year’s Super Bowl halftime show.
With sales of more than 250 million records worldwide, Rihanna ranks as one of the best-selling female artists ever. Her most recent album was 2016′s “Anti.” Rihanna last performed publicly at the Grammy Awards in 2018.
The singer said she turned down a similar opportunity for the 2019 Super Bowl that was ultimately headlined by Maroon 5. At the time, many artists voiced support for Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who protested police brutality against Black people and minorities by kneeling during the national anthem in 2016.
Country music star Chris Stapleton will sing the national anthem, while R&B legend Babyface will perform “America the Beautiful.”
PRO BOWL MAKEOVER
The Pro Bowl is getting a major makeover this year after the NFL eliminated its full-contact all-star game and replaced it with weeklong skills competitions and a flag football game.
The flag football contest is Feb. 5 in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium, one week before the Super Bowl.
The Pro Bowl debuted in January 1951 in Los Angeles and stayed there for 21 seasons before the game moved to different cities from 1972-80. Hawaii hosted from 1980-2009, and the game has had several homes in the years since, including Miami, Phoenix, Orlando and Las Vegas.” [AP News]
AI outraces guardrails
Illustration: Lazaro Gamio/Axios
“The overnight success of ChatGPT is kicking off a global race between tech companies and governments:
The tech industry wants to bake AI into everyday products and decision-making with little oversight.
Governments are way behind. The U.S. has almost no effective AI regulation in place, Axios' Ashley Gold reports.
Why it matters: Lawmakers have been talking about AI's promise and perils for years. But as with previous waves of tech innovation, products' speed-to-market has far outstripped the government's readiness.
What's happening: In Congress, lawmakers have proposed regulations on the use of facial recognition and other applications of AI.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), who recommends creating a government agency to oversee AI, wrote in a New York Times op-ed last week: ‘We can harness and regulate AI to create a more utopian society or risk having an unchecked, unregulated AI push us toward a more dystopian future.’
The White House has an AI research office and released a blueprint AI Bill of Rights.
The Federal Trade Commission, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and other federal agencies have begun to float new rules.
Some states have laws around transparency and preventing discrimination from AI.
Reality check: For every leader pushing for fast, strong AI rules, there's another warning that premature regulation could stifle progress and limit American efforts to compete with China and other rivals.
What to watch: Last week, the National Institutes for Science and Technology, part of the Commerce Department, put out a long-awaited AI framework, meant to give companies guidance on using, designing or deploying AI systems.
The framework should ‘accelerate AI innovation and growth while advancing ... civil rights, civil liberties and equity for all,’ Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves said.
But the framework is voluntary, and companies face no consequences for straying from it.
Zoom out: Across the Atlantic, European Union regulators approved the Artificial Intelligence Regulation Act last December, with the European Parliament set to vote on it this spring and adoption by the end of 2023.
‘The difference between Europe and the U.S. is that when Europe decides to regulate something, they can actually get it done,’ Chandler Morse of Workday, an enterprise cloud tech company, told Axios.
The U.S. and the European Union on Friday signed an agreement to collaborate on ‘responsible advancements’ in AI.
China passed rules targeting algorithmic recommendations last March. [Axios]
Drug companies brace for Chairman Bernie
Sen. Bernie Sanders after meeting with President Biden on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
“Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has long argued that drug companies and health insurers are ripping off Americans. Now he's chairman of the Senate health committee.
Why it matters: Sanders tells Axios' Peter Sullivan he plans a ‘very aggressive’ approach on drug prices. Manufacturers are bracing for subpoenas, contentious hearings and high-profile testimony.
Sanders told Axios in a brief hallway interview that he definitely plans drug-price hearings by his Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
Asked if that will include calling drug company executives to testify, Sanders said: ‘We're working on a strategy right now that will be very aggressive.’
Reality check: In a divided Congress, Sanders has basically no ability to get his most sweeping ideas signed into law at the moment. But he has a new bully pulpit.
Lori Reilly, chief operating officer at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), said the industry is ‘preparing for anything and everything’ with Sanders as chairman.
‘My assumption is he will be having hearings,’ she said. ‘Our companies have testified before and we've testified before, so I wouldn't be surprised if that happens.’
PhRMA spokesman Brian Newell said in a statement: ‘[W]e can't ignore the real drivers of health care spending or middlemen who are shifting costs onto people at the pharmacy.’ [Axios]
Data: BLS. Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios
“An Axios analysis finds the meteoric rise in food prices slowed slightly in December. But prices were still up more than 10% year-over-year, Kavya Beheraj and Alex Fitzpatrick report for Axios What's Next.
Why it matters: Grocery bills are one of the most powerful ways Americans experience inflation.
By the numbers: Nationwide, the cost of all foods was up 10.4% year-over-year in December, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The cost of food prepared at home was up 11.8%. Food consumed at restaurants was up 8.3%.
Those are all down just slightly from recent highs toward the end of '22.
Zoom in: Dallas, the Twin Cities and Baltimore are suffering some of the country's highest food price inflation rates — at 14.1%, 13.7% and 13.5%, respectively.
By comparison, food prices are up 7% in D.C., 7.7% in Chicago and 8.8% in Miami.
Wholesale egg prices are beginning to drop, Axios' Kelly Tyko reports. Retail prices usually follow.” [Axios]
‘Avatar 2’ tops box office for 7th weekend
By LINDSEY BAHR
“‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ claimed the No. 1 spot on the domestic box office charts for the seventh weekend in a row with an additional $15.7 million, according to studio estimates on Sunday.
It was a quiet weekend overall, notable mostly for the Hindi language blockbuster ‘Pathaan’ that broke into the top five and the post-Oscar nominations rereleases of films like ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ and ‘The Fabelmans.’
“Avatar 2’s” first-place North American run has only been matched by the first “Avatar,” and, in the past 25 years, bested by “Titanic” (which stayed in first place for 15 weeks). All three were directed by James Cameron.
Globally, “The Way of Water” has now grossed an estimated $2.1 billion, passing “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” to become the fourth-highest grossing film of all time (of which Cameron has directed three).” [AP News]
Barrett Strong, Motown artist known for ‘Money,’ dies at 81
By HILLEL ITALIE
“NEW YORK (AP) — Barrett Strong, one of Motown’s founding artists and most gifted songwriters who sang lead on the company’s breakthrough single “Money (That’s What I Want)” and later collaborated with Norman Whitfield on such classics as “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “War” and “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone,” has died. He was 81.
His death was announced Sunday on social media by the Motown Museum, which did not immediately provide further details.
‘Barrett was not only a great singer and piano player, but he, along with his writing partner Norman Whitfield, created an incredible body of work,’ Motown founder Berry Gordy said in a statement.
Strong had yet to turn 20 when he agreed to let his friend Gordy, in the early days of building a recording empire in Detroit, manage him and release his music. Within a year, he was a part of history as the piano player and vocalist for ‘Money,’ a million-seller released early in 1960 and Motown’s first major hit. Strong never again approached the success of ‘Money’ on his own, and decades later fought for acknowledgement that he helped write it. But, with Whitfield, he formed a productive and eclectic songwriting team….” Read more at AP News
A New York shelter says Ralphie the dog is a jerk, but it still wants him adopted
“A New York animal shelter is telling potential adopters all they need to know about one dog in particular – the good and the bad, but mostly the bad.
The Niagara SPCA said they've become quite skilled at spinning an animal's ‘less than desirable’ qualities, but with Ralphie the dog, that was hard to do, it said last week.
‘This one stumps us, though. We don't actually have too many nice things to say so we're just going to come out with it.’
Ralphie the dog is adorable, but has a hard time being told no and is prone to ankle-biting, the organization said.
‘Our best guess is that Ralphie's cute face got him whatever he wanted and boundaries are something he heard people talk about, but they didn't apply to him,’ the post said.
Ralphie was adopted twice and given back. The first time, his owners took him to boarding and training classes, but the animal insisted on being the boss of everyone, according to the SPCA post. The second time, his new owners said he had a tendency to annoy their older dog and he was rehomed two weeks later.
‘What they actually meant was: Ralphie is a fire-breathing demon and will eat our dog, but hey, he's only 26 lbs,’ Niagara SPCA said.
‘Lots of people withheld Ralphie's less than desirable traits, but we're going to tell you all about it,’ it said. ‘He's a whole jerk–not even half. Everything belongs to him. If you dare test his ability to possess THE things, wrath will ensue. If you show a moment of weakness, prepare to be exploited. Sounds fun, huh?’
The shelter said the best home for Ralphie is ‘the Mother of Dragons,’ or one with an owner who is stern and does not have other animals.
To inquire about adopting Ralphie, call (716)731-4368 and the extension 301. Ralphie's previous trainer will be available as a resource, the shelter said.” [NPR]
A curious Colorado bear strikes a pose for 400 selfies on a wildlife camera
Humans aren't the only species that take selfies, apparently.
A motion-capture camera in Boulder, Colo., snapped hundreds of images of a curious black bear in November, local officials say.
The city's Open Space and Mountain Parks department set up nine of the cameras to track and learn about local wildlife species while minimizing the presence of humans in sensitive habitats. One of the cameras had captured about 580 images — and about 400 of them were of the same bear.
‘These pictures made us laugh, and we thought others would too,’ a spokesperson for Open Space and Mountain Parks said in a statement.
Most animals don't notice the cameras, officials say, which are activated by an animal stepping in front of them. They capture animals like deer, beavers and less curious black bears going about their business. But this bear was enthralled by it.
‘In this instance, a bear took a special interest in one of our wildlife cameras and took the opportunity to capture hundreds of 'selfies,’ the spokesperson said.
Photoshoots are an unintended — but amusing — use of the cameras. The city is using them to map wildlife areas and ‘learn more about how local species use the landscape around us’ and to recommend protections for natural areas.” [NPR]