The Full Belmonte, 9/10/2023
September 10, 2023
By Vivian Yee and Aida Alami
Destroyed houses southwest of Marrakesh, Morocco.Fadel Senna/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
A search for survivors
“Rescuers in Morocco are racing to dig survivors out of rubble after the country’s worst earthquake in a century flattened homes and buildings, killing at least 2,000 people.
The magnitude-6.8 quake struck in the mountains south of Marrakesh, an ancient city that is a popular tourist destination. Buildings crumbled and caked its cobblestone streets with mounds of red dust from the walled old city.
The quake particularly devastated communities in the Atlas Mountains, where the full extent of the damage is still unknown. Debris has blocked some of the region’s roads, making it difficult for rescue crews to reach remote communities. The quake also knocked out power and cell service in some areas. The death toll is expected to rise: Most homes there are made of mud bricks, a traditional construction method that is vulnerable to earthquakes and heavy rains.
Frantic rescue efforts
In some remote areas, people sifted through debris with their bare hands to search for survivors. Others climbed through the canyons between collapsed homes to retrieve bodies. The U.N. said that more than 300,000 people in Marrakesh and its outskirts had been affected by the earthquake.
Emergency teams from around the world are arriving to help. One of the first countries to offer aid was Turkey, which experienced its own earthquake in February that killed tens of thousands of people there and in neighboring Syria. Spain’s foreign affairs minister said the country would send search and rescue teams to try to ‘find the greatest number of people alive.’ The Moroccan Army said the air force was evacuating casualties from a hard-hit region to a military hospital in Marrakesh.
Still, some foreign crews complained that the government approvals process for rescue efforts had been slow. Some villages have not yet received any aid, according to reports on social media. One man who said he was volunteering as a rescuer in a province southwest of the epicenter begged for more assistance in an Instagram video. ‘We don’t have any food or water. There are still people underground. Some of them are still alive,’ he said, adding, ‘There are some villages that we couldn’t reach.’
Here are the latest updates:
Aftershock: A 3.9-magnitude earthquake, almost certainly an aftershock, struck Morocco this morning, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Afraid of aftershocks, many people spent the weekend sleeping outside on grassy medians and roundabouts near one road heading into Marrakesh.
Housing: The office of Morocco’s leader, King Mohammed VI, said he had ordered the government to rapidly provide shelter and rebuild houses for those in distress, ‘particularly orphans and the vulnerable.’” [New York Times]
”Facebook and Google built tools years ago that could recognize any face but declined to release them, deciding it was too dangerous to make widely available.” [New York Times]
U.S. Open
Coco GauffMichelle V. Agins/The New York Times
“The 19-year-old American Coco Gauff beat Aryna Sabalenka in three setsto win her first Grand Slam tennis title.
Just over a decade ago, Gauff was a young tennis fan dancing in the U.S. Open stands. See the video.
Novak Djokovic will play Daniil Medvedev in the men’s singles final today.” [New York Times]
College football Week 2 highlights: Alabama-Texas score, best action from Saturday
“Week 2 of the 2023 college football season is mostly in the books. And boy, was it a wild one.
No. 10 Texas upset No. 3 Alabama 34-24 in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night in the marquee matchup of the weekend, snapping the Crimson Tide’s 21-game home win streak at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Meanwhile, Deion Sanders and the No. 25 Colorado Buffaloes proved they're more than a one-week wonder with a 36-14 victory over rival Nebraska in their first home game of the season. Shedeur Sanders threw for 393 yards, two touchdowns and picked up another TD on the ground.
Colorado and Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns lead the Week 2 winners, while Alabama, Texas Tech and Nebraska are among the week's losers.
Here’s the rest of Saturday's action featuring other US LBM Coaches Poll top 10 teams. And if you are already looking ahead to Week 3 (we are talking to you Crimson Tide and Cornhusker fans), then here’s a complete college football TV schedule.
College football Week 2 Top 25 scores, schedule
No. 6 Southern California 56, Stanford 10 [USA Today]
Mel Tucker, MSU football coach, accused of sexually harassing rape survivor
READ FULL STORY→ at USA Today
”Lives Lived: Mangosuthu Buthelezi was a Zulu chief who was a strong voice for tribal rights as apartheid ended in South Africa. He died at 95.” [New York Times]
THE WEEK AHEAD
What to Watch For
“Russia is holding widely denounced local elections that end today in four provinces that it occupies in eastern Ukraine.
The House returns from its summer recess tomorrow.
Google’s trial on accusations that it illegally abused its power over online search begins on Tuesday.
The MTV Video Music Awards are on Tuesday.
The U.S. government will release data on consumer prices on Wednesday.
A C.D.C. independent panel of advisers is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to make a recommendation on who should receive the latest Covid booster shots.
London Fashion Week begins on Friday.” [New York Times]