The Full Belmonte, 3/13/2023
The cast and crew of "Everything Everywhere All at Once" accept the award for best picture at the 2023 Oscars on Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Oscars
“The 95th Academy Awards were presented Sunday in Los Angeles, with historic wins for ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once.’ The film took home the Oscar for best picture, capping a sweep of the night's major prizes. Michelle Yeoh's performance in the film won her the award for best actress in a leading role, making her the first woman of Asian descent to win an Oscar in the category. Her co-stars Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis took home the best supporting actor and actress trophies respectively. Separately, ‘Naatu Naatu,’ from the movie ‘RRR,’ took home the Academy Award for best original song, the first win for an Indian film production in the category. Other notable triumphs included Brendan Fraser as best actor for ‘The Whale,’ Ruth E. Carter for best costume design on ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ and CNN's ‘Navalny’ as best documentary feature.” [CNN]
SVB collapse
“President Joe Biden plans to address Americans this morning about his administration's emergency response to the failure of two banks over the past few days. This comes after tech lender Silicon Valley Bank collapsed Friday in the second-largest failure of a financial institution in US history. (The Biden administration on Sunday guaranteed that those impacted by SVB's collapse will get their money back starting today.) In a related action, the government shut down Signature Bank, which was teetering on the brink of collapse in recent days. Wall Street investors were relieved by the intervention after markets tumbled late last week, but some analysts say smaller banks that are disproportionately tied to cash-strapped industries like tech and crypto may be in for a rough ride.” [CNN]
© Associated Press / Jeff Chiu | Santa Clara, Calif., police exit insolvent Silicon Valley Bank on Friday.
Floods
“Residents in storm-battered California are bracing for another atmospheric river event Monday, with many areas still flooded from heavy rains last week that caused extensive damage and at least two fatalities. It's the eleventh such river event to hit the US West this winter weather season. More than 17 million people are under flood watches across California and Nevada early this morning, with rainfall totals of up to 8 inches possible across parts of northern and central California today, forecasts show. Officials in the region are urging residents to monitor their forecasts and take proper sheltering measures to remain safe.” [CNN]
A man rides through floodwaters in Watsonville, California, on Saturday. Photographer: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images
Oil drilling
“President Biden is also expected to announce sweeping new protections today for federal lands and waters in Alaska. According to an administration official, Biden will declare the entire US Arctic Ocean off-limits to future oil and gas leasing and will announce new rules to protect over 13 million acres of land in the state from drilling. The move comes as Biden prepares to green-light a massive oil drilling venture known as the Willow Project. The expected approval is a victory for Alaska's bipartisan congressional delegation and a coalition of Alaska Native tribes and groups that have hailed the project as a much-needed new source of revenue and jobs. However, it is a major blow to climate groups and other Alaska Natives who argue it will undercut the president's ambitious climate goals and pose health and environmental risks.” [CNN]
A drilling camp at the proposed site of an oil project in Alaska.ConocoPhillips, via Associated Press
8 dead in 'one of the worst maritime smuggling tragedies' off San Diego beach
“At least eight people were dead after two migrant smuggling boats capsized off a San Diego beach in a suspected human-smuggling operation, authorities said. ‘This is one of the worst maritime smuggling tragedies that I can think of in California, certainly here in the city of San Diego,’ said James Gartland, chief of the lifeguard division in San Diego. Gartland said a woman called 911 at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday, saying she was on a boat that made it to the shore but a second small fishing boat had capsized, and eight people were in the water. Recovery efforts resumed on Sunday after heavy fog hampered the search. Authorities said some survivors may have escaped on land. Read more at USA Today
Boat salvager Robert Butler picks up a canister in one of one of two boats sitting on Blacks Beach on March 12, 2023, in San Diego.
Gregory Bull, AP
Immigration
“A large group of people approached a US border entry point in El Paso, Texas, Sunday in an apparent attempt at mass entry into the country, US Customs and Border Protection said, causing disruptions along the US-Mexico border and forcing authorities to erect barricades. CBP officers ‘implemented port hardening measures’ after the group made a formation and approached the international boundary, border officials said, and ‘no breach occurred.’ Large migrant groups also disrupted two other border crossings Sunday, CBP said, causing temporary traffic disruptions that subsided later that evening.” [CNN]
Heavy losses were reported in a battle for a Ukrainian city.
“The details: Over 1,100 Russian fighters were killed in Bakhmut this past week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday. Russia said it killed more than 220 Ukrainian troops in the past day.
Where things stand: Russian soldiers have pushed Ukrainian forces to Bakhmut’s western edge, cutting off all but one road out of the city.” [Washington Post]
“Nuclear subs | Biden will host the UK and Australian leaders in San Diego today to announce plans for a new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. The unveiling of designs for the subs intended for Australia is a milestone of the Aukus partnership established in 2021 to check China’s increasing assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific. But, as this piece explains, doubts about the project remain.” [Bloomberg]
“Muscle flexing | Putin’s war in Ukraine may be raging thousands of kilometers to the south, but in the remote Arctic there is a close watch on Russia’s military activities. Natalia Drozdiak and Danielle Bochove report from an increasingly important region for energy, trade and security, one where Russia, the US, China and others are vying for greater control.” [Bloomberg]
“The sight of Israeli hedge fund managers joining tens of thousands of protesters waving an Israeli flag, shouting ‘Shame!’ and ‘De-mo-cra-cy!’ highlight the waning investor confidence in the country sparked by the government’s plan to slash the power of the judiciary. Ethan Bronner and Marissa Newman report on the fight that is tearing Israel apart, pitting leaders from business to the military to the tech sector against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing administration.” [Bloomberg]
A protest against proposed judicial reforms in Tel Aviv on March 9. Photographer: Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg
“Record breaking year for Saudi’s Aramco oil company. Saudi Arabia’s Aramco oil company announced that it had a record breaking year for profits, bringing in $161.1 billion, a 46.5 percent increase for the company. Most of the profits will go to the Saudi government, which owns 95 percent of Aramco shares. Aramco said the profits were ‘underpinned by stronger crude oil prices, higher volumes sold and improved margins for refined products.’” [Foreign Policy]
The NCAA basketball tournament brackets are set.
“The men: Alabama, Houston, defending champion Kansas and Purdue earned the No. 1 seeds. Find the full men’s bracket here.
Alabama celebrates after beating Texas A&M to win the SEC conference tournament in Nashville yesterday. Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images
The women: Tournament favorites South Carolina, Indiana, Virginia Tech and Stanford were the top seeds. Check the women’s bracket here.
South Carolina’s Bree Hall.Eakin Howard/Getty Images
The schedule: The first round of March Madness begins Thursday, with some men’s play-in games tomorrow and Wednesday.” [Washington Post]
“Lives Lived: Kenzaburo Oe was a Nobel laureate who used his powerful novels and essays to criticize postwar Japan. He died at 88.” [New York Times]