The Full Belmonte, 8/19/2023
President Biden greets South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (center) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at Camp David in Maryland today. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
“In a historic summit today at Camp David, President Biden and his counterparts from South Korea and Japan announced they will strengthen military cooperation — while meeting against China's objections, Axios' Barak Ravid writes.
Why it matters: It was Biden's first foreign leader summit at Camp David.
The leaders also announced they'll turn this first-ever trilateral summit into an annual tradition.
The meeting marks a significant step in the rapprochement between Tokyo and Seoul — two U.S. allies whose historically fraught relations have thawed in recent months amid China's increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific and ongoing nuclear threats from North Korea.
Driving the news: During the summit, Biden, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida formalized a series of new commitments on diplomatic, economic and military cooperation.
The military agreements include a multiyear military exercise plan, deeper coordination on ballistic missile defense, and a new crisis-communication hotline.
The big picture: During the summit, the U.S., South Korean and Japanese leaders also agreed to establish a trilateral hotline for times of regional crisis.” [Axios]
A funeral for a Ukrainian soldier.Mauricio Lima for The New York Times
“The total number of Ukrainian and Russian troops killed or wounded in the war is nearing a half-million, a staggering toll.” [New York Times]
Hurricane Hilary prompts first-ever tropical storm watch for Southern California
“A tropical storm watch has been issued in Southern California for the first time on record, as Hurricane Hilary barrels toward the Pacific coastline.
Hilary has rapidly strengthened into a powerful Category 4 storm, and was moving about 575 miles south-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph, as of the latest update.
On the current forecast track, the center of Hilary will move close to the west coast of the Baja California peninsula over the weekend, then it’s expected to weaken to a tropical storm before reaching California on Sunday night, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Hilary may become the first tropical storm to directly hit California in 84 years. The only known hurricane to make landfall in California was a Category 1 that struck near San Diego in 1858.
The storm is expected to drop 3 to 6 inches of rain, with isolated amounts of 10 inches, across portions of Southern California and Nevada. The Palm Springs area could get two to three year’s worth of rain in just two to three days.” [NBC News]
“Though the dead from the devastating wildfire in Maui have yet to be fully accounted for or identified, the legal fallout has begun. A lawsuit blames equipment from the Hawaiian Electric Industries, the island’s power utility, for starting the blazes that killed more than 100 people. The company, facing massive liability costs, has lost half of its market value. On Monday, President Joe Biden will travel to Maui to see the devastation firsthand after having stayed away (and been assailed by Republicans for it, despite saying he didn’t want to get in the way of recovery operations.) While there, he is to meet with local leaders to discuss steps for further aid.” [Bloomberg]
The remans of Lahaina, on western Maui in Hawaii Photographer: Moses Slovatizki/AFP
Tornado picks up car on highway in Rhode Island
“A radar-confirmed tornado was reported in two Rhode Island towns outside Providence today, as a line of severe storms brought heavy rain, flash floods, and strong winds to southern New England.
A viewer sent our affiliate WJAR heart-pounding video of the possible tornado as it appeared to cross Interstate-295.
Fire officials said the tornado lifted a car off the highway and raised it about 10 feet in the air before dropping it back down. The driver was not injured, according to the officials.
The mayor of Johnston said the tornado caused ‘extensive damage’ to parts of the town. ‘Thirty seconds of hell,’ was how one resident described it.
The National Weather Service has confirmed another tornado touched down in Massachusetts today, in both North Attleborough and Mansfield.” [NBC News]
Idaho college murder suspect appears in court
“Bryan Kohberger, the man charged in the murders of four University of Idaho students, was back in court this afternoon.
The judge is considering motions from Kohberger’s defense team that could delay the start of his trial, scheduled for October 2.
Kohberger’s attorneys have raised concerns about the grand jury selection process, and are also requesting more information about DNA evidence in the case.
Kohberger was arrested in Pennsylvania in December, nearly two months after the four students were slain. He says he was out driving alone on the night of the murders, according to his attorneys.” [NBC News]
“North Carolina is the latest state passing anti-trans laws. The state legislature overrode a veto from the governor and passed several laws that target trans youth on issues including gender-affirming care, sports, and education. It fits into a larger pattern: Republicans are making anti-trans laws a bigger part of their 2024 platform, reports Li Zhou.” [Vox]
GOP's secret Plan B
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signs autographs at Washington Commanders training camp in Ashburn, Va., on July 27. Photo: Geoff Burke/USA Today Sports via Reuters
“Several top GOP donors, panicked about their current choices, are holding back 2024 money with the long-shot dream of luring an alternative to former President Trump into the presidential race at the last minute.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp are getting secret overtures from establishment Republicans — and haven't ruled out running, top sources tell Axios' Barak Ravid and Alex Thompson.
Why it matters: This (probably futile) quest for anyone-but-Trump is an indictment of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — who was seen as Trump's top challenger but is struggling for traction ahead of Wednesday's first GOP debate.
What we're hearing: Youngkin, if he announces, wants to wait until after what he hopes will be big GOP wins in November's legislative races in Virginia.
The former private-equity executive, elected governor in 2021, initially ruled out a run for the White House. But Axios reported in May that he was reconsidering.
Billionaire Ronald Lauder is among the GOP donors who are considering backing Youngkin if the governor gets into the race, a source who has spoken with Lauder told Axios. A spokesperson for Lauder declined to comment.
Another billionaire, Thomas Peterffy, was in DeSantis' camp in the spring but since has given $2 million to Youngkin's Spirit of Virginia PAC, NBC News reported.
Rupert Murdoch — the media mogul atop Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post, privately said he wants Youngkin to enter the race, The New York Times reported in June.
Murdoch hasn't publicly embraced Youngkin, but the governor has become a frequent guest on Fox News this summer. The Post this week published a glowing profile of him by conservative columnist Miranda Devine.
Reality check: There is zero evidence in public polls that Republican primary voters are hungry for someone other than Trump, despite his mess.
If Youngkin waited until November to announce a presidential campaign, he wouldn't be able to compete in the Nevada primary — one of the first contests. The filing deadline is Oct. 16.
Zoom in: Kemp is less likely to jump in, and is eyeing a U.S. Senate seat.
But John Bolton — Trump's former national security adviser, now a fierce critic of his former boss — met privately with Kemp earlier this month and encouraged him to enter the race, a GOP source said.” [Axios]
“Chinese authorities stepped up efforts to bolster financial markets as President Xi Jinping’s government grows increasingly uncomfortable with the pace of declines in stocks and the yuan.
Maverick congressman Javier Milei pulled off a shock primary win that upended Argentina’s presidential race and roiled markets with his calls to abolish the central bank and replace the peso with the US dollar.
Russia’s central bank held an extraordinary meeting after the ruble crashed as the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine drags on and international sanctions hit trade.
Donald Trump was indicted for the fourth time in as many months over efforts to overturn the results of his 2020 presidential election defeat in the US state of Georgia.
Dig into these and more of our best stories in this edition of Weekend Reads.” — Karl Maier [Bloomberg]
Milei elebrates the primary results with his sister Karina. Photographer: Alejandro Pagni/AFP/Getty Images
“China’s Hidden Financial Dangers Erupt With Shadow Bank Crisis
The secretive Chinese shadow banking giant Zhongzhi Enterprise Group has become the latest symbol of financial fragility in an $18 trillion economy where confidence among investors, businesses and consumers is rapidly dwindling.” [Bloomberg]
“Milei Promises Argentina Can Be Saved With Libertarian Economics
Showing his zeal for unleashing the power of the free market on the ailing Argentine economy, Milei vowed in a two-hour interview on Wednesday to take various measures to restore credibility from slashing government spending to closing the central bank, Juan Pablo Spinetto reports.” [Bloomberg]
“Russia’s Powerful Split Into Squabbling Factions Over the Ruble
The dramatic weakening of the ruble revealed a widening policy divide within Russian officialdom about how to rescue it. The vulnerability has emerged as Moscow is trying to sustain the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II.
The Kremlin’s efforts to paralyze Ukrainian food shipments are succeeding, with a third of the country’s crop exports wiped out since its Black Sea ports were effectively blocked last month.” [Bloomberg]
Ukrainian soldiers in Donetsk on Tuesday. Photographer: Diego Herrera Carcedo/Getty Images
“Five Takeaways From the US, Japan and South Korea Summit
China’s growing power and the nuclear threat from North Korea were in focus when US President Joe Biden hosted a landmark summit with his South Korean counterpart, Yoon Suk Yeol, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday at Camp David. Jon Herskovitz writes that all three leaders were looking for political wins to boost their fortunes at home.” [Bloomberg]
“Ivy League Businessman Wants to Take On Ecuador Cocaine Cartels
Jan Topic’s rugged appearance, Ivy League education and pledge to crush cocaine cartels are making him a leading contender ahead of Ecuador’s Aug. 20 presidential vote, Marcelo Rochabrun and Stephan Kueffner report. A poll by Comunicaliza following the murder of another candidate, Fernando Villavicencio, showed Topic surging into second place, which would be enough to put him into the October runoff.” [Bloomberg]
Niger Coup Threatens Chaos as West Fears Russian Influence
”The global reaction to the coup in Niger shows how the West African nation has become one of the most strategically important countries on the continent. Among the last democracies in the Sahel region, Katarina Hoije explains, it was the linchpin of the fight against jihadists linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State and a key ally in Europe’s effort to stop migration.” [Bloomberg]
Odds Stacked Against Opposition in Zimbabwe as Election Nears
”A divided opposition, hobbled by a slew of court cases, has struggled to capitalize on public outrage about the near-collapse of government services, triple-digit inflation and rampant poverty in Zimbabwe. As Ray Ndlovu and Godfrey Marawanyika write, octogenarian President Emmerson Mnangagwa is in pole position to win the Aug. 23 vote.” [Bloomberg]
Street vendors outside the Miracle Mall in Harare on July 5. Photographer: Cynthia R Matonhodze/Bloomberg
“Paris will ban pony rides for kids in its public parks in 2025. The ban follows a years-long animal rights campaign arguing the animals worked in poor conditions. Keep reading.” [Axios]
AI supercharges discovery
Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios
“AI is speeding up scientific discoveries — and helping to spot new ideas, Axios managing editor Alison Snyder writes.
Why it matters: The world's problems — among them pandemics, chronic disease and climate change — are calling for scientific innovations, and fast.
At the same time, discoveries that push science in new directions aren't happening as often as they once did.
Zoom in: Algorithms are becoming ‘indispensable tools for researchers’ to automate collecting and processing data, and to explore ‘vast spaces of candidate hypotheses to form theories,’ researchers recently wrote.
They're pointing mathematicians toward promising solutions, generating drug candidates that can then be tested experimentally, predicting the structures of proteins, and could help to filter massive amounts of data generated from one of the world's largest experiments.” [Axios]
America's classroom crunch
Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
“The teaching profession faces an existential crisis. Turnover rates are high, and not enough young people want to become teachers, Axios' Erica Pandey reports.
By the numbers: There are tens of thousands of vacancies in the U.S. — and more than 160,000 jobs are filled by under-qualified teachers, according to research from Tuan Nguyen, a professor at Kansas State University's College of Education.
Shortages are worst in the South and Southwest.
What's happening: Districts are trying new approaches to bring in talent.
St. Paul Public Schools offered bonuses of up to $10,000 in a scramble to fill crucial positions ahead of this school year, Axios Twin Cities' Torey Van Oot reports.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools offered pay raises across the board, but was still about 280 teachers short when classes started on Thursday, Axios Miami's Deirdra Funcheon writes.
Midland, Texas is trying a ‘grow your own’ approach, Ashley Osborne, the district's associate superintendent for teaching and learning, tells Axios.
The district is working with the local university, UT-Permian Basin, to bring in college students for paid residencies and apprenticeships — a relatively unheard-of practice in the education world.” [Axios]
GAME OF THE WEEKEND
Lucy Bronze of England, right, and Caitlin Foord of Australia during their semifinal.Brendon Thorne/Getty Images
“England vs. Spain, Women’s World Cup final: One of Europe’s powerhouse teams will win its first World Cup this weekend. Spain is a slight favorite, thanks to stars like Alexia Putellas, the reigning winner of the Ballon d’Or, and Salma Paralluelo, a 19-year-old sensation who has emerged in the past few weeks. But the Lionesses, as England’s team is known, have been ascending for years. They reached the semifinals in the previous two World Cups and won the Euro championship last summer. “We’ve got resilience,” said Lucy Bronze, a defender. “We’ve got an inner belief that, I think, is bigger and better than we have ever had.” 6 a.m. Eastern tomorrow on Fox.” [New York Times]
Americans can’t afford their pets. It’s pushing animal shelters to the brink.
John Paraskevas/Newsday RM via Getty Images
“You probably remember the feel-good stories about Americans adopting more pets during lockdown in 2020. But starting in 2021, shelters began filling back up as there were more animals entering than leaving, and now many are packed to the brim.
The lowdown: Nationwide, shelters are reporting they’re at capacity, forcing an increase in the number of dogs killed due to space constraints.
Inflation and the housing crisis are two major factors driving the uptick.
The trend threatens the immense progress that animal shelters have made to reduce the number of animals put down since the 1970s.
There’s a silver lining: Cat adoption rates are higher than dogs, which makes sense given their relative affordability and lower maintenance.
The stakes: As the inflation and interest rates have risen, some Americans are being forced to tighten budgets and can no longer afford to have a pet. But the rebalance of demand and supply when it comes to pets can result in mass suffering for animals as shelters are forced to choose between overcrowding, euthanasia, or turning away pets.
In his story, Kenny emphasized that while it’s easy to judge people who surrendered animals because of financial or logistical reasons, empathy is crucial. ‘Whenever times get tough for people, it often gets tough for their pets too,’ Kenny told me.
The takeaway: I spoke with Future Perfect reporter Kenny Torrella about what we can do to minimize the strain on shelters.
One key thing people can do to help — besides donating money or volunteering — is to consider adopting or fostering.
That means not having your heart set on a ‘designer pet’ of a specific trendy breed. ‘People are often looking for an animal with a particular look or size, which usually means buying one from a puppy or kitten mill, or breeder, rather than adopting from a shelter,’ Kenny said. ‘The shelter crisis could absolutely be solved if more people adopted animals rather than purchased them, as there are many more bought each year than euthanized in shelters.’” [Vox]
Read Kenny’s full story here »
THE WEEK IN CULTURE
Britney Spears and Sam Asghari in 2019.Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
“Britney Spears and her husband, Sam Asghari, filed for divorce. See a timeline of their relationship.” [New York Times]
“Bradley Cooper’s use of a prosthetic nose in portraying the composer Leonard Bernstein, who was Jewish, in an upcoming biopic was criticized for playing into an antisemitic trope.” [New York Times]
“Ashley Olsen, the fashion designer and former child actor, became a mother for the first time, The Cut writes.” [New York Times]
“The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced a retrospective of the work of female designers in the male-dominated fashion industry.” [New York Times]
“John Barrett, a celebrity hairdresser whose salon had regulars like Princess Diana and Hillary Clinton, died at 66.” [New York Times]
“A court revived lawsuits by two men who accused Michael Jackson of sexually abusing them as children. They say employees of his companies were complicit.” [New York Times]
“A man who sold a fatal dose of fentanyl-laced heroin to the actor Michael K. Williams was sentenced to 10 years in prison.” [New York Times]
“The British Museum fired a senior curator suspected of stealing precious jewels.” [New York Times]
“The International Chess Federation’s new regulations bar some transgender women from participating in women’s competitions.” [New York Times]
“Recent depictions of queer villains on shows like “White Lotus” mark a milestone in the history of gay representation onscreen, Mark Harris writes.” [New York Times]
“Paul Brodeur, a writer at The New Yorker who specialized in covering threats to people’s health, died at 92.” [New York Times]
Photo: AP
“Rosalynn Carter celebrated her 96th birthday today by eating peanut-butter ice cream with her husband of 77 years, former President Jimmy Carter, in Plains, Georgia. The photo above is from Sept. 15, 1966 — 57 years ago — showing then-Georgia State Sen. Carter and the future first lady at his campaign headquarters in Atlanta.” (AP)
Floating breakfast
Photo: Park Hyatt Dubai
“Picture-perfect breakfast trays that float in your (private) swimming pool are the latest vacation indulgence, Axios' Jennifer A. Kingson writes.
Why it matters: Americans are spending like crazy on post-pandemic international vacation travel. And pricey hotels are engaging in tantalizing one-upmanship to cater to lavish fantasies.
Resorts in Bali, Qatar and the Maldives are advertising these opulently laden breakfast trays.
#floatingbreakfast on Instagram is up to more than 109,000 posts.” [Axios]
Chasing World Cup glory
“The 2023 Women's World Cup is down to the wire, and England and Spain will be battling it out Sunday for the championship. This year's tournament has ignited national pride, launched stars and created plenty of inspiring moments for the soccer players (and fans) of tomorrow. England has never made a Women's World Cup final, and their fairytale rise got a royal seal of approval from Prince William, who called their semifinal win over Australia a ‘phenomenal performance.’ The success of Australia's team, fondly known as the Matildas, ignited footie fanaticism across the country despite falling short of the final. ‘On so many levels, the event and the experience has already been a success,’ said Ben Crowe, a professional mentor and mindset coach. ‘The Matildas have taught the country, or reminded the country, that the future belongs to those who believe in the power of their dreams, to steal a beautiful quote from Eleanor Roosevelt.’” [CNN]
Can't Knock the Hustle
”Library cards are always something of a status symbol, but they're even better when they're graced with one of the most recognizable faces in hip-hop. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, the Brooklyn Public Library and Roc Nation have released 13 limited-edition library cards with artwork from Jay-Z albums. The library cards are tied to a Brooklyn Central Library exhibit that explores Jay-Z’s career through rare photos, original recordings, videos and other artifacts. Here's the coolest part, though: The initiative, which ends later this month, has already resulted in 14,000 new library accounts.” [CNN]