The Full Belmonte, 2/14/2022
Aaron Donald celebrates.Ben Solomon for The New York Times
Los Angeles’s super night
“The Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals in last night’s Super Bowl, 23 to 20. The Rams, playing in their home stadium, took the lead in the final two minutes when Matthew Stafford threw a touchdown to the game’s M.V.P., Cooper Kupp.” Read more at New York Times
“Urgent warnings of an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine intensified again this weekend, with some US officials estimating the conflict could boil over as soon as this week. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said an invasion could happen ‘any day now.’ President Joe Biden spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in separate calls this weekend, telling both the US would respond ‘decisively’ to any Russian escalation. The threat of a Russian invasion has been looming for weeks now, and the consequences could stretch across the world. In addition to the frightening prospect of mass violence in Eastern Europe, an invasion could create significant economic problems in the US and complicate an already fraught political landscape.” Read more at CNN
“The Ambassador Bridge, North America’s busiest land border crossing, has reopened after a nearly weeklong blockade by ‘Freedom Convoy’ truckers protesting Canada’s new Covid-19 vaccination mandates. The bridge, which connects Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, is essential to the robust movement of goods between the US and Canada. Police started arresting protesters involved in the blockade on Friday after a judge ordered them to leave. However, groups of demonstrators are still creating gridlock and choking businesses in other areas of the capital city of Ottawa. Similar protests against pandemic measures have broken out in other parts of the world. ‘Freedom Convoy’ protesters blocked traffic in Paris this weekend, and in New Zealand, police attempted to flush out protesters by playing grating Barry Manilow hits and the ‘Macarena.’” Read more at CNN
“Jury resumes deliberations in Sarah Palin’s defamation lawsuit against the New York Times. In closing arguments, lawyers for Palin sought to portray the Times as a newspaper that used its power to disfavor conservatives, while the Times said the former Alaska governor was attempting to seize on a mistake it made in order to undermine important legal protections for a free press.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“The US is ‘actively working’ for the release of an American citizen who was detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan in early December, national security adviser Jake Sullivan says. At least eight Westerners, including the one American, have been arrested by the Taliban in Afghanistan during different incidents in the last two months. This marks a sharp escalation of Taliban actions against Westerners living in the country, and reveals yet another ripple of the the US’ completed military withdrawal from the country last August. The US National Security Council called the detentions ‘unacceptable’ and said the US has been in contact with the Taliban as it urges the group to release the detainees.” Read more at CNN
“Rudy Giuliani has been engaging with the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection, and the committee still expects him to ‘fully cooperate’ with its subpoena. Former President Donald Trump’s one-time lawyer was one of four witnesses scheduled to appear before the committee last week who had their depositions rescheduled. That decision, combined with previous protests by Giuliani against the subpoena, created some concern that he may take the path of some other Trump loyalists who have defied subpoenas from the committee at risk of legal action. However, Giuliani’s lawyer has reportedly signaled to the committee he is willing to cooperate.” Read more at CNN
“Russian teen figure skater Kamila Valieva has been cleared to continue competing at the Beijing Winter Olympics despite testing positive for a banned substance in December. The decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport has been decried by others in the global sports community, including the World Anti-Doping Agency and the US and Canadian Olympic Committees. A Russian anti-doping agency allowed the 15-year-old to continue working toward the Olympics after December’s failed drug test despite concerns from international sports bodies, including the International Olympic Committee. The controversy has drawn comparisons to other doping scandals that have trickled out of the country in recent years. The head of the United States Anti-Doping Agency said, with this scandal, Russia has ‘hijacked’ this year’s Games.” Read more at CNN
“Lives Lived: Ivan Reitman injected marshmallow boogeymen and toga parties into pop culture with movies like ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘National Lampoon’s Animal House.’ He died at 75.” Read more at New York Times
Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
50 Cent made a surprise upside-down entrance as the Super Bowl halftime show embraced hip-hop for the first time, with a fiery medley by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar.
“It was a rare Super Bowl halftime show performed in daylight, at SoFi Stadium outside L.A.
But it still had the feeling of a nightclub, with a set made up to look like the houses of nearby Compton and South L.A., AP reports.
Photo: Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images
As his rendition of ‘Lose Yourself’ ended, Eminem — next to Dr. Dre on the piano — took a knee, inspired by Colin Kaepernick.
An NFL spokesman said officials were aware Eminem would kneel, since they ‘watched it during rehearsals this week,’ The New York Times reported.
N.Y. Times pop music credit Jon Caramanica writes in his review (subscription) that the NFL waited ‘until hip-hop had become oldies music — apart from Lamar, every artist onstage Sunday had their commercial and creative peak more than a decade ago.’” Read more at Axios