The Full Belmonte, 7/13/2023
Seen through a peephole, a sheet covers the window of a jail cell in Izium, Ukraine. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Thousands of Ukrainian civilians are being held in Russian prisons
“Thousands of Ukrainian civilians are being detained across Russia and the Ukrainian territories it occupies, in centers ranging from brand-new wings in Russian prisons to clammy basements. A Russian government document obtained by The Associated Press outlined plans to create 25 new prison colonies and six other detention centers in occupied Ukraine by 2026. Russia does not acknowledge holding civilians at all. Read more.
Why this matters:
The AP spoke with dozens of people, whose accounts, along with satellite imagery, social media, government documents and copies of letters delivered by the Red Cross, confirm a widescale Russian system of detention and abuse of civilians that stands in direct violation of the Geneva Conventions.
Civilians face arbitrary detention for minor offenses such as speaking Ukrainian and are often held without charge. Hundreds are used for slave labor by Russia’s military, and torture is routine. Many former prisoners told the AP they witnessed deaths.
The prisoners serve as future bargaining chips in exchanges for Russian soldiers, and the U.N. has said there is evidence of civilians being used as human shields near the front lines.” [AP News]
The world is hotter than it’s been in thousands of years.
“In the U.S.: Nearly 110 million people are under heat alerts. Temperatures could hit 130 degrees in the Southwest this week. (These maps show the forecast near you.)
Across the globe: Heat waves have hit Canada, Europe and China. Ocean temperatures have also surged to extreme levels, posing a deadly threat to marine life.
Why is this happening? It’s partly caused by our summer and the El Niño weather pattern. But climate change is making these disasters worse than ever.”
Read this story at Washington Post
NATO leaders pledged to protect Ukraine from a future invasion.
“The details: Yesterday’s agreement includes promises of major military assistance from the alliance, to help repel invading Russian troops now and in the long term.
Zooming out: The pact capped an at-times tense NATO summit in Lithuania. Some leaders are worried about going too far in helping Ukraine and risking a war with Russia.”
Read this story at Washington Post
Actors strike
“A union representing about 160,000 Hollywood actors is poised to go on strike after talks about fair pay with major studios and streaming services have failed. It will be the first time the members of the SAG-AFTRA union have stopped work on movie and TV productions since 1980 after a final day of negotiations Wednesday did not produce an agreement. A news conference is scheduled for noon PDT today in Los Angeles, where union leaders could announce the formal start of the strike. SAG-AFTRA members will now join the more than 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America, who have been on strike against the same studios since the start of May.” [CNN]
“Hard-right House Republicans have delayed a vote on an $866 billion defense spending bill because they want to make amendments that would shape military policy on things like abortion access, gender-affirming care and diversity in recruiting.
Getty Images for Get Free
The defense bill is one of the few pieces of bipartisan, must-pass legislation, according to Washington Post reporter Marianna Sotomayor. On Up First today, she says the divisive amendments put a lot of vulnerable Republicans in swing districts in "pretty perilous positions." They also don't want to vote on controversial issues that would complicate their upcoming reelection campaigns.” [NPR]
Heat waves
“Blistering heat waves in the US and Europe are on track to break temperature records in the coming days. In the Southwestern US, temperatures in Phoenix have reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit every day this month. Meteorologists expect record-breaking heat this weekend, reaching a staggering 119 degrees in some areas. Elsewhere, nearly 70% of all Americans will see a high temperature at or above 90 degrees over the next week, while more than 55 million people will see temperatures at or above 100 degrees. And in Europe, a heat wave has claimed at least one life and left several tourists incapacitated due to heat stroke. High temperatures are expected particularly in Italy by Friday when Rome could hit up to 113 degrees Fahrenheit.” [CNN]
Fox News
“Three former Fox executives say they regret helping Rupert Murdoch build Fox News into a national TV force. In a joint statement published Wednesday, the executives — Preston Padden, Ken Solomon, and Bill Reyner — slammed Fox as a ‘disinformation machine’ that they ‘profoundly regret’ help to shape in its early years. Padden was Fox's chief Washington lobbyist, while Solomon was the vice president of network distribution and Reyner was the lead outside counsel. The joint statement came on the same day that the right-wing network was sued — yet again — for defamation. It is the latest lawsuit Fox News has faced for advancing false election conspiracy theories. In April, the network agreed to a historic $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems after its high-profile anchors spread lies on the air about the election technology company.” [CNN]
Chinese hackers got into the email accounts of top U.S. officials.
“What we know: The targeted cyberspying campaign was discovered last month. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo’s account was one of several that were compromised.
The damage: The hackers, looking for information useful to the Chinese government, had access for about a month. No classified information was taken, an FBI official said.”
Read this story at Washington Post
Millions of homes and schools might have to remove lead dust.
“Why? The EPA proposed strict new rules yesterday that would almost completely prohibit lead dust in older buildings regularly visited by children younger than 6.
Why it’s needed: Lead can harm children even at the most microscopic levels and cause low IQs. A 2020 study found 1.23 million children in the U.S. have high blood lead levels.”
Read this story at Washington Post
“Texas A&M appointed Kathleen McElroy, a former Times editor, to run its journalism program. But political anger over her past diversity workled the job to unravel.” [New York Times]
“A tornado touched down in Chicago, near O’Hare, and hundreds of travelers sheltered in one of the airport’s neon hallways. See the video.” [New York Times]
War in Ukraine
President Biden and President Volodymyr Zelensky.Doug Mills/The New York Times
“At the NATO summit, leaders from all 31 member nations pledged that Ukraine would someday be admitted, though they did not say when.
President Biden said NATO would support Ukraine through the war, no matter how long it took.
A group of House Republicans is seeking to cut American military funding for Ukraine.” [Washington Post]
Tourists are packing European hotspots, boosted by Americans
“After three years of pandemic limitations, tourism is expected to exceed 2019 records in some of Europe’s most popular destinations this summer. Read more.
Why this matters:
While European tourists edged the industry toward recovery last year, the upswing this summer is led largely by Americans, boosted by a strong dollar and in some cases pandemic savings.
The return of mass tourism is a boon to hotels and restaurants, which suffered under COVID-19 restrictions. But there is a downside, too, as pledges to rethink tourism to make it more sustainable have largely gone unheeded. [AP NEWS]
Kosovo takes a step toward improving relations with Serbia
“Kosovo on Wednesday took steps to tamp down tensions with Serbia. The neighbors have feuded on and off for decades, and tensions again turned violent this spring as they clashed over elections and Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian police presence in the Serb-dominated north, raising fears of another bloody conflict like the one that killed 10,000 in the late 1990s. Read more.
Why this matters:
Both Serbia and Kosovo aim to join the European Union, which could help quell regional instability and economic decline. But normalization of relations is the key condition for Kosovo and Serbia to move forward with EU membership.
Kosovo declared independence in 2008, but Serbia has refused to recognize its statehood. The United States and most European Union nations have recognized Kosovo’s independence, while Russia and China have sided with Serbia.
Earlier this week, former allies Serbia and Montenegro agreed to patch up strained relations.” [Axios]
Moon mission
“China is attempting to become only the second nation to put people on the moon. On Wednesday, Chinese officials unveiled new details about plans for a manned lunar mission expected to take place before 2030. The astronauts intend to land on the moon's surface, collect samples and carry out scientific exploration. To prepare for the mission, Chinese researchers are busy developing all the necessary equipment, including moon suits, lunar rovers, manned spaceships and moon landers, according to state-run media. This marks the latest development in China's push to advance its space program, which has seen several breakthrough moments in recent years.” [CNN]
Fever breaks
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
“Inflation has plunged from its peak, according to Consumer Price Index data out today.
Why it matters: The worst of the inflation crisis looks to be firmly behind us, Axios' Courtenay Brown writes.
What's happening: Consumer prices rose 3% in the 12 months through June, the smallest increase since March 2021.
That reflects milder price gains for a slew of goods, including meat, fish and dairy.
Other items saw outright deflation. Airline fares fell 8%. Used cars ticked down 0.5%; new cars were flat.
The bottom line: ‘After a punishing stretch of high inflation that eroded consumer's purchasing power, the fever is breaking,’ Bill Adams, chief economist at Comerica Bank, wrote in a note.
With expected cooling in other areas — including housing, which makes up a big chunk of the index — there is reason to be hopeful this progress could be here to stay. Share this story. [Axios]
Regulators’ $250 million crackdown on Bank of America
Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
From VOX
Bank of America agreed to pay $250 million in fines and compensation for years of illegal practices that undermined the trust of its customers. [Reuters / Chris Prentice]
The nation’s second largest bank charged customers $35 overdraft fees multiple times for the same transaction, opened accounts under customers’ names without their approval, and failed to issue rewards for new credit card signups. [CNBC / Hugh Son]
The bank will pay customers $100 million in restitution and another $150 million in fines to federal regulators, as the Biden administration cracks down on so-called “junk fees” that exploit Americans. [Associated Press / Michelle Chapman and Ken Sweet]
Responding to the fines, the lender said it voluntarily stopped charging overdraft and insufficient fund fees in 2022, resulting in a 90 percent drop in revenue from such practices. [CNN / Matt Egan and Jeanne Sahadi]
Regulators have repeatedly fined Bank America for misleading customers in recent years, including an over $700 million fine for deceptive marketing in 2014. [NPR / Dustin Jones]
Craft beer's existential crisis
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
“Once ubiquitous, major beer festivals nationwide are vanishing from the calendar this year amid tightening economic conditions and fatigue among fans, Axios Denver co-author John Frank reports.
Why it matters: Festivals are showcases of craft beer's boom. But their decline is the latest sign of trouble for a struggling industry.
Case in point: Two premier festivals that draw the nation's best brewers, Breckenridge Big Beers and the WeldWerks Invitational, both in Colorado, decided against hosting the big price tag events this year.
The Oregon Brewers Festival — which started in 1988 — canceled this year's event.
What we're watching: This year, the Great American Beer Festival in Denver — the largest in the nation — is allowing breweries on the floor to pour one beverage that isn't beer, such as seltzer, kombucha, cider or mead.
‘We realize that there are changing palates,’ says Ann Obenchain of the Brewers Association. ‘Breweries are adapting in their brewhouse.’
Gluten-free and nonalcoholic beverage sections also are being added to appeal to a more health-conscious crowd.
Read on. [Axios]
SPORTS NEWS
“Professional surfer: Mikala Jones, known for the videos he took inside the giant waves he rode, died when the fin from his board cut an artery. He was 44.
ESPYs: Damar Hamlin broke down onstage as he presented an award to the Buffalo Bills training staff for saving his life on the field. Watch the video from ESPN.
More spotlight: The Jets will be the latest subject of “Hard Knocks,” HBO announced yesterday.
A mayor’s pitch: Oakland’s mayor said in an exclusive interview that she had presented the M.L.B. commissioner with a plan to keep the A’s in Oakland.” [New York Times]
ARTS AND IDEAS
On the set of “Succession.”Macall B. Polay/HBO
“TV’s best: The final season of “Succession” scored 27 Emmy nominations yesterday, the most of any series, including acting nods for nine of its cast members. And HBO pulled off a rare feat, with four of its shows — “Succession,” “The White Lotus,” “The Last of Us” and “House of the Dragon” — nominated for best drama. The most closely watched comedy award will probably be the competition for best actor, which includes Jason Sudeikis for “Ted Lasso” and Jeremy Allen White for “The Bear.” (See all the nominees.)
TV and movie actors said contract talks with the studios had collapsed, moving Hollywood closer to an industrywide shutdown.
A plastic surgeon in Ohio lost her medical license after streaming operations on TikTok.
Anchor Brewing Company, the oldest craft brewer in the U.S., will close after 127 years.” [New York Times]
Baby stars
Rho Ophiuchi, as seen by the Webb telescope. Photo: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI/Klaus Pontoppidan and Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
“A dramatic new photo from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope shows dozens of stars at their moment of birth, 390 light-years from Earth.
Why it matters: The young stars are similar in mass to our sun. That lets scientists peer into the early history of our nearest star, Axios Space author Miriam Kramer writes.
NASA says the photo — released to honor one year of cosmic photos from the Webb — shows Rho Ophiuchi, the closest star-forming region to Earth.
Read NASA's narrative ... Share this story.” [Axios]
Dropping in.Mark Woodward
Webbed shaka: An otter steals surfboards and rides them. She’s wanted by California officials.
”Lives Lived: Ellen Hovde was a director of the 1975 movie “Grey Gardens,” but saw her role as one of its editors as more pivotal. “The person who is doing the editing,” she said, is “making the decisions about what is really going to be there on the screen.” She died at 97.” [New York Times]