The Full Belmonte, 7/21/2023
Russian missile strikes destroyed grain warehouses in the port city of Odesa, Ukraine.
Ukraine
“A barrage of Russian missile strikes hit grain warehouses across southern Ukraine today, destroying tons of crops. The Ukrainian military said the sustained attacks on the port city of Odesa are part of Moscow's effort to destroy Ukraine's ability to export food. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attacks this week were the largest since the war began and accused Russia of trying to destabilize the global food market. Moscow has said it is retaliating for a strike Monday on the bridge linking occupied Crimea to Russia. The attacks come after Russia pulled out of a critical grain deal that allowed Ukrainian grain exports safe passage out of the country's Black Sea ports. The UN secretary-general has warned that attacks on port cities will have an impact ‘well beyond Ukraine’ when it comes to food prices.” [CNN]
Extreme heat
“More than 100 million people are under heat alerts across the southern US today as state and federal aid programs attempt to help people cool down. Abnormally high temperatures from coast-to-coast are also expected this weekend — and meteorologists say the heat isn't letting up soon. There have been more than 1,900 record-high temperatures in the US so far this month, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NASA scientists also warned Thursday that we haven't even seen the worst of El Niño and next year will likely be even warmer for the planet. The increased temperatures will generate about $1 billion in health care costs every summer as more people get rushed to the emergency room or admitted to the hospital to treat temperature-related conditions, a recent study found.” [CNN]
Senate panel approves Supreme Court ethics measure
“A Senate panel has advanced a bill that would require the Supreme Court to adopt a code of ethics after a fiery partisan debate over recent scandals involving justices that underscored the measure’s low chances of success.
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the bill on party lines, underscoring that ethics changes at the high court have become a deeply partisan issue unlikely to gain widespread support in Congress.
•The legislation would also set up a procedure for reviewing complaints against justices, creating a ‘judicial investigation panel’ made up of five lower court judges.
•Republicans on the committee − who voted in unison against the bill − framed the legislation as an effort to ‘bully’ the Republican-majority Supreme Court. The panel rejected GOP amendments, including one that would make it easier for federal judges to carry weapons.
•The legislation comes in the wake of a series of questionable ethical decisions by justices, especially reports of Clarence Thomas accepting luxury gifts.” [USA Today]
Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Sen. Lindsey Graham (L) speaks against proposed Supreme Court ethics reform on July 20, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images
Strikes
“A Broadway strike was averted Thursday after a deal was reached by the union representing 1,500 stagehands and other theater workers. A strike would have shut down shows in New York City and touring shows across the US today. The walkout threat came as 160,000 actors who are represented by SAG-AFTRA, as well as 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America, are already on strike against major film studios and streaming services. And beyond the world of entertainment, there are many other unionized workers threatening to go on strike. More than 340,000 union members at UPS will go on strike against the package delivery giant on August 1 if there's no deal on a new contract. Looming strikes in the auto and hospitality industries are also threatening new rounds of walkouts.” [CNN]
Ronald Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va.Tom Brenner for The New York Times
“The House passed legislation to improve air travel by hiring more air traffic controllers and modernizing airports, among other measures. The bill goes to the Senate.” [New York Times]
Amsterdam's council has banned cruise ships from the city centre as the Dutch capital tries to limit visitor numbers and curb pollution.
Politicians said the vessels were not in line with the city's sustainable ambitions.
It means the central cruise terminal on the River IJ near Amsterdam's main train station will close.
It is the latest measure to clamp down on mass tourism in the city.
Cruise ships have become a symbol of the problem, with more than 100 mooring in the capital every year.
The council has been trying to scrub up the city, banning cannabis smoking on the streets of the red-light district.
In March the city launched an online campaign urging young British menconsidering holding their bachelor parties in Amsterdam to stay away.
Amsterdam has become a victim of its own popularity, attracting 20 million annual visitors - some drawn by its party city reputation….” Read more at BBC
Bulk grain cargo ship TQ Samsun is anchored in the Black Sea near the entrance of the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, July 17, 2023. (Sercan Ozkurnazli/Dia Images via AP, File)
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Russia risks alienating its few remaining partners by halting the Ukrainian grain deal
“By pulling out of a landmark deal that allowed Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea, Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking a gamble that could badly damage Moscow’s relations with many of its partners that have stayed neutral or even been supportive of the Kremlin’s invasion of its neighbor. Read more.
Why this matters:
The Black Sea Grain Initiative allowed three Ukrainian ports to export 32.9 million metric tons of grain and other food to the world, according to the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul. JCC data shows that 57% of the grain from Ukraine went to developing nations, with the top destination being China, which received nearly a quarter of the food.
Putin’s declared goal in halting the Black Sea Grain Initiative was to win relief from Western sanctions on agricultural exports. His longer-term goal could be to erode Western resolve over Ukraine. The Kremlin also doubled down on the deal termination by attacking Ukrainian ports and declaring wide areas of the Black Sea unsafe for shipping.
But with the West showing little willingness to yield any ground, Putin’s actions not only threaten global food security but also could potentially strain Moscow’s relations with China and Turkey.” [AP News]
Kenya police are told not to report deaths during protests. A watchdog says they killed 6 just this week
“Police in Kenya say they have been ordered not to report deaths during a crackdown on protests over tax increases amid the rising cost of living, but an independent watchdog said Thursday that police shot dead at least six people this week and 27 in previous weeks. Read more.
Why this matters:
While police in Kenya have long been accused by rights groups of using excessive force, there is growing concern about tactics used under the government of President William Ruto. He faces rising frustration from even some of the Kenyans who voted him into office after he vowed to reduce the cost of living in one of Africa’s largest economies. Now his government is having to defend itself to donors including the United States.” [AP News]
Religious Violence
Supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr gather for a protest outside the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad on July 20.Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP
“Iraq threatened to sever diplomatic ties with Sweden on Thursday over the desecration of a Quran in Stockholm. Swedish residents, with authorization from the nation’s police and protected by the country’s extensive freedom of speech laws, kicked and destroyed the holy Islamic text as well as stomped on an Iraqi flag outside the Iraqi Embassy. In response, supporters of Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed and set fire to the Swedish Embassy in Iraq and urged Baghdad to cut ties with Stockholm entirely. No staff members were injured. The Iraqi government has since condemned the facility’s partial burning, and police have arrested at least 15 protesters as well as three photojournalists covering the incident.
But Baghdad appears unwilling to completely ignore public anger at Sweden. Iraqi officials expelled the Swedish ambassador, recalled its chargé d’affaires in Sweden, and suspended Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson’s working permit ‘in response to the repeated permission of the Swedish government to burn the Holy Quran, insult Islamic sanctities, and burn the Iraqi flag,’ Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani tweeted. The Iraqi government then went further by saying any similar recurrence of burning the Quran on Swedish soil would ‘necessitate severing diplomatic relations.’
This is not the first time Sweden has been in hot water for its citizens’ defiling of the Quran. In January, Danish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan burned a Quran near the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, leading Ankara to suspend talks with Sweden on its NATO membership bid. Turkey has since expressed support for moving Sweden’s application forward, coinciding with this year’s NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. Then, last month, Iraqi Christian refugee and alleged militia leader Salwan Momika burned a Quran outside Sweden’s main mosque. The incident was deemed particularly offensive because it was held on the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.
The international community condemned Thursday’s attack on the Swedish Embassy as well as the Quran’s desecration and other similar incidents that prompted it. The United States in particular has walked a careful line on such anti-Islam demonstrations in Sweden in the past, decrying the actions of protesters as creating an ‘environment of fear’ for Muslims while also noting that Swedish courts’ decisions to allow the demonstrations to take place support ‘freedom of expression.’ Sweden, for its part, has said it is considering changing its laws to allow police to stop Quran burnings in public, citing the security threats these incidents are creating for the country.” [Foreign Policy]
“Shooting in Auckland. At least two people were killed and five others injured in New Zealand on Thursday after a gunman opened fire at a construction site in Auckland. According to Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, the shooting does not appear to have had a political or ideological motive despite occurring just hours before Auckland was set to open this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, which tens of thousands of people have traveled to the city to attend.
The shooting was a rare tragedy in a country with strong gun violence protections. New Zealand has one of the lowest rates of gun deaths in the world. This year alone, only around 48 people have died from gun-related incidents—or a death rate of 0.92 per 100,000 people. In comparison, the death rates of Brazil, the United States, and South Africa are 22.84, 10.89, and 5.98, respectively. The last mass shooting in New Zealand occurred in 2019, when 51 people were killed at two mosques in Christchurch.” [Foreign Policy]
“Accountability demands. Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets in Lima, Peru, on Wednesday to call for political reform and government accountability. Among their key demands are President Dina Boluarte’s resignation, the holding of early elections, and the dissolution of the right-wing Congress. At least 24,000 police officers were deployed to control the unrest, said Interior Minister Vicente Romero. Reports indicate at least six protesters have been arrested thus far, and tear gas as well as other anti-riot measures have been utilized.
Boluarte took power in December 2022 following then-President Pedro Castillo’s ousting for attempting to dissolve Congress. Since then, mass protests have rocked the Latin American country, leading to the deaths of 58 people as of late January. However, the state has so far faced no accountability for its involvement in those killings. Despite public pushback, Boluarte has maintained that she will remain in power until 2026.” [Foreign Policy]
“The far right has a real chance of gaining a position in Spain’s government for the first time since the end of General Francisco Franco’s dictatorship almost half a century ago.
Polls in the final week before Sunday’s election show Alberto Nunez Feijoo’s center-right People’s Party has a clear lead over the governing Socialists, but not enough support to clinch an outright majority.
That means he’ll be wrestling with the question of just how much he’ll have to concede to the anti-immigrant Vox party to become Spain’s next prime minister.
However their alliance comes together, it will mark a dramatic shift after five years of Socialist Pedro Sanchez, who delivered more rights for trans people, more climate measures and reconciliation with the Catalan separatists.
It has become a pattern in the European Union where conservative political forces have scored wins in Italy, Sweden, Greece and Finland since last year. That is changing the complexion of European politics, and the shift could well accelerate after next year’s European Parliamentary elections.
The question is just how big will the departure be. Feijoo has been reaching out across the political spectrum, promising an inclusive government. Vox leader Santiago Abascal, with whom he’ll have to negotiate, calls the Socialists and the separatists traitors.
There’s also a chance that the PP and Vox will fall short of the 176 seats they need for a majority. In that scenario, Spain could be headed for an extended period of gridlock.
Vox’s trenchant opposition to everything from gay marriage and regional devolution to climate measures and immigration means that the two parties will struggle to add any support from minor political groups.
And Sanchez has proven over the years that he won’t give an inch while he still has a chance to cling to power.
Yet signs are Spain’s voice will emerge decidedly more conservative, and that may complicate the EU’s efforts to tackle key issues such as global warming, economic strategy and the war in Ukraine.” — Ben Sills [Bloomberg]
A Vox supporter waves a Spanish flag at a rally in Badalona. Photographer: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg
“The two thumping electoral defeats UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives suffered yesterday highlighted the task ahead to turn around the party’s slump in the polls. While they held onto one of the three contested seats, surveys show voters blame the decline in public services and a cost-of-living crisis on the Tories, who have been in power since 2010.
Sunak is eyeing holding the next general election in November 2024 to allow the economy as much time as possible to recover before a vote, a source says.” [Foreign Policy]
“Government incompetence, corruption and policy paralysis in South Africa have left critical infrastructure in tatters, forcing companies to step into areas that are within the purview of the state in most countries. Prinesha Naidoo and Antony Sguazzin write that three decades after the African National Congress came to power, the government’s role as a provider of basic services is virtually non-existent in large swaths of the country.” [Foreign Policy]
“Cambodian strongman Hun Sen is preparing to hand over power to his son, Hun Manet, a four-star general, with a landslide victory expected in elections this weekend for the ruling party, which has won every vote since 1993 as opponents were jailed. Philip J. Heijmans writes that the election comes as the Southeast Asian nation draws closer to China to shore up an economy that’s on the mend following the pandemic.” [Foreign Policy]
Hun Manet during a campaign rally in Phnom Penh on July 21. Photographer: Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP/Getty Images
“Hong Kong’s bid to wipe a controversial protest song from the city’s internet is flashing fresh warning signs for businesses that the once-freewheeling international hub is tracking closer to mainland China rules. The case has raised fears Western tech firms such as Google may be forced to reconsider their presence in the city, with the determination to pursue the ban on Glory to Hong Kong signaling a campaign to eliminate dissent is still expanding.” [Foreign Policy]
Demonstrators sing during a flash mob in 2019. Photographer: Chan Long Hei/Bloomberg
“The world’s largest pizza chain has a new strategy to combat rising inflation: selling the cheapest pizza possible. For just $0.60, you can buy a seven-inch cheese pizza from Domino’s in India, the brand’s largest market outside the United States. The low-cost option even comes with a ‘sprinkle’ of basil and parsley. Talk about dining on a budget.” [Foreign Policy]
Artificial intelligence
“Microsoft, Google and other leading AI companies committed today to put new artificial intelligence systems through outside testing before they are publicly released, the White House announced. The companies also committed to clearly labeling AI-generated content which may lead to the widespread watermarking of AI-generated audio and visual content to combat fraud and misinformation. These voluntary commitments — agreed to by the White House and seven major AI developers — including Amazon, Meta, OpenAI, Anthropic and Inflection — aim to govern the rapidly growing industry for safety and security purposes. President Joe Biden is expected to meet with top executives from all seven companies at the White House today to discuss guardrails and potential legislation to regulate AI.” [CNN]
E-cigarettes
“Over 1 in 10 young adults in the US regularly use e-cigarettes, according to a new report from the CDC. While previous findings have shown that cigarette use has fallen to record lows, e-cigarettes have increased in popularity. From 2020 to 2022, e-cigarette sales jumped to 22.7 million products sold each month. More brands — particularly disposable e-cigarette products — entered the market, while fruit and candy flavors that appeal to younger audiences became more popular. The CDC report arrives just days after the American Heart Association released a statement warning again that e-cigarettes carry risks for heart and lung disease. ‘The only people who should be using e-cigarettes are people who are smoking cigarettes and trying to quit,’ said Dr. Joanna Cohen, director of the Institute for Global Tobacco Control at Johns Hopkins University.” [CNN]
USWNT will be at full strength for World Cup opener against Vietnam
“The U.S. women are ready to go. Coach Vlatko Andonovski said Friday that Megan Rapinoe, Julie Ertz and Rose Lavelle are all available for Saturday's World Cup opener against Vietnam. Rapinoe and Lavelle will be on restricted minutes initially, but Ertz will have no limitations. The status of all three U.S. stars has been a question for several weeks now, especially after none of the them played in the USWNT's send-off match two weeks ago. The game might seem like a mismatch − the USWNT is the two-time defending champion while Vietnam is ranked No. 32 in the world and is playing in its first-ever World Cup − and Vietnam's coach likened the U.S. women to ‘a mountain.’ But the Americans know better than to take anything for granted. Read more at USA Today
USA's Lindsey Horan and head coach Vlatko Andonovski attend a press conference at the Eden Park in Auckland on June 21, 2023, ahead of their first 2023 Women's World Cup football match against Vietnam.
SAEED KHAN, AFP via Getty Images
WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
“The older players once relied on MapQuest printouts. A younger one has never used a CD player. The U.S. team has a generation gap to overcome as it opens tournament play tonight against Vietnam.
The Vietnamese women are representing a soccer-obsessed country in its first World Cup.
The U.S. will take home more money than any team, no matter how it finishes, because of its labor agreement with the U.S. Soccer Federation.
After losing its star player, Sam Kerr, to an injury, Australia beat Ireland, 1-0. Canada, a top contender, battled Nigeria to a scoreless tie. And Spain beat Costa Rica, 3-0.” [New York Times]
OTHER SPORTS NEWS
“Changing hands: N.F.L. team owners approved the sale of the Washington Commanders and fined the outgoing owner, Daniel Snyder, $60 million after an inquiry found he had harassed a former cheerleader. It was the largest penalty ever levied against an N.F.L. team owner.” [New York Times]
“N.F.L. coach comes out: Kevin Maxen, an associate coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, is believed to be the first openly gay male coach in major American men’s professional sports.” [New York Times]
Tony Bennett, masterful stylist of American musical standards, dies at 96
“NEW YORK — Tony Bennett, the eminent and timeless stylist whose devotion to classic American songs and knack for creating new standards such as "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" graced a decadeslong career that brought him admirers from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga, died Friday. He was 96, just two weeks short of his birthday.
Publicist Sylvia Weiner confirmed Bennett's death to The Associated Press, saying he died in his hometown of New York. There was no specific cause, but Bennett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016.
The last of the great saloon singers of the mid-20th century, Bennett often said his lifelong ambition was to create ‘a hit catalog rather than hit records.’ He released more than 70 albums, bringing him 19 competitive Grammys — all but two after he reached his 60s — and enjoyed deep and lasting affection from fans and fellow artists….” Read more at Tulsa World
“Lives Lived: After she was ousted from the U.S. military in 1963 for being a lesbian, Lilli Vincenz became an early crusader for gay rights in an era before the Stonewall riots. She died at 85.” [New York Times]