The Full Belmonte, 9/12/2022
Charles pledges to follow queen’s example of selfless duty
By MIKE CORDER
“LONDON (AP) — King Charles III pledged Monday to follow his late mother’s example of ‘selfless duty’ as he addressed lawmakers from both houses of parliament in London before he boarded a plane to Edinburgh to be with the late queen’s coffin as it lies at rest in the Scottish capital.
Earlier, Queen Elizabeth II’s grandson Prince Harry hailed her as a ‘guiding compass’ and praised her ‘unwavering grace and dignity.’
The government, meanwhile, announced that the nation will observe a minute of silence on Sunday, the evening before the queen’s funeral. The ‘moment of reflection’ will take place at 8 p.m. (1900 GMT). People were encouraged to mark the silence at home or at community events.
Hundreds of lawmakers crowded into the 1,000-year-old Westminster Hall at the Houses of Parliament for the service, rich in pageantry, in which Parliament offered its condolences to the king, and he replied.
A trumpet fanfare greeted the king and his wife Camilla, the queen consort, as they entered the hall, which was packed with hundreds of legislators.
Charles told members of the House of Commons and House of Lords that he would follow his late mother Queen Elizabeth II in upholding ‘the precious principles of constitutional governance’ that underpin the U.K.’s political system.” Read more at AP News
“WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday that her government will not be pursuing any moves toward changing New Zealand to a republic following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Ardern said she thought New Zealand would eventually become a republic, and it would probably happen within her lifetime, but that there were more pressing issues for her government to pursue.” Read more at Time
“Antigua and Barbuda announced that it would hold a referendum on becoming a republic, one of several countries considering a split with the British monarchy.” Read more at New York Times
“The queen’s beloved corgis will stay in the family.” Read more at New York Times
“Sweltering under rising temperatures, drought-ravaged states in the western US are dealing with an outburst of wildfires that have forced thousands of evacuations and worsened air quality. Nationwide, 92 large active wildfires have torched more than 728,000 acres -- the majority of them burning in northwestern states, the National Interagency Fire Center said. In Oregon, where 10 wildfires were actively burning Sunday, some communities are contending with power shutoffs that were implemented to reduce wildfire risk as winds picked up. In Washington, 14 fires were active Sunday and red flag warnings were in place. And in California, residents saw both record rainfall and record heat this past week, as what used to be Tropical Storm Kay made a rare close pass to the state amid a record-breaking heat wave.” Read more at CNN
‘A wakeup call’: more Republicans are softening staunch anti-abortion stance
Moves comes amid a ferocious backlash to the fall of Roe that has seen Democrat hopes in the midterm elections revived
“A growing number of Republicans are changing their positions on abortions since the fall of Roe v Wade as midterm elections approach in the US, signaling a softened shift from their previously staunch anti-abortion stances.
Since the supreme court overturned the federal right to abortion in June, many Republicans are adopting more compromised positions in attempts to win votes in key states through a slew of changes in messaging on websites, advertisements and public statements.
The moves comes amid a ferocious backlash to the decision that has seen Democrat hopes in the midterm elections revived and even see a solidly red state like Kansas vote in a referendum to keep some abortion rights.” Read more at The Guardian
New supply-chain threats
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
“Two huge labor disputes — with railroads and ports — threaten to re-tangle U.S. supply chains. The White House is pushing to avert disaster, engaged at a level not seen in decades, Axios' Emily Peck reports.
Why it matters: The economic stakes are sky high. A shutdown of the nation's rail system could cost $2 billion a day, according to an industry estimate. And we've already seen what backed-up ports do.
Politically, a work stoppage would spell disaster for a pro-labor White House determined to keep inflation in check and avert bottlenecks.
Negotiations continued over the weekend between the country's largest freight railroad companies — including Berkshire Hathaway's BNSF, Union Pacific and CSX — and unions representing 115,000 workers.
They're racing to meet a Friday deadline.
If the rails grind to a halt, it would be left to the nation's trucking system to pick up the slack. That would be costly, and there isn't enough capacity to handle all the extra stuff.
Port workers on the West Coast have been in negotiations for a new contract. The last one expired in June.
What we're watching: In the modern era, White Houses typically stay out of labor negotiations — maybe just swooping in at the last moment.
But the Biden administration has plunged in.
The White House in May appointed a port czar.” Read more at Axios
Gas prices keep plunging
Data: U.S. Energy Information Administration. Chart: Axios Visuals
“Gas prices continue to tumble throughout the U.S., cheering up consumers and taking the starch out of the stiff rise in inflation, Matt Phillips writes for Axios Markets.
A gallon of regular averages $3.72 nationwide, per AAA — more than 25% lower than the $5.02 peak in June.
Between the lines: In California, it's still $5.41. The Golden State has some of the country's most expensive gas because it requires refiners to produce a blend that meets more stringent anti-pollution requirements.” Read more at Axios
Two Americas Index: Democracy deniers
Data: Axios/Ipsos. Chart: Tory Lysik/Axios
“One-third of Americans think presidents should be able to remove judges over their decisions, David Nather and Margaret Talev write from a new installment of our Axios-Ipsos Two Americas Index.
Democrats were more likely than Republicans to say presidents should be able to remove judges when their decisions go against the national interest.
Many Americans also believe the government should follow the will of the majority even at the expense of ethnic and religious minority groups' civil rights.
And roughly a third said the federal government should be able to prosecute members of the news media who make offensive or unpatriotic statements.
Between the lines: ‘There's a lot of anti-democratic sentiment — a lot more than we might have expected,’ said Justin Gest, an associate professor at George Mason University who studies the politics of demographic change, and advises the project.” Read more at Axios
Ukraine war: Russians 'outnumbered 8-1' in counter-attack
By Merlyn Thomas
Image caption, Ukraine says it regained 20 villages in Kharkiv on Sunday
“Ukrainian forces outnumbered Russians by eight to one in last week's counter-attack in the Kharkiv region, Russia's top occupation official there says.
Vitaly Ganchev told Russian TV that Ukraine's army had taken villages in the north and broken through to the Russian border.
Ukraine says it has regained control over 3,000 sq km (1,158 sq miles) of territory in a potential breakthrough in the six-month war.
The BBC cannot verify these figures.
The Ukrainian army says it took back 20 villages in the past 24 hours alone, in its continued counter-offensive in the north-east of the country.
It also said its forces have taken control of around 500 sq km in the southern Kherson region of the country.
UK defence officials say the Ukrainian army's successes will have ‘significant implications’ for Russia's overall operational design.
A Kremlin spokesperson was however undeterred, saying operations in Ukraine would continue ‘until all the tasks that were initially set’ had been fulfilled.
Russia said its forces were carrying out strikes in those areas that Ukraine had retaken recently.” Read more at BBC
Russia’s Retreat in Ukraine Pokes Holes in Putin’s Projection of Force
Russia’s military setbacks may be weakening President Vladimir V. Putin’s reputation at home as a savvy geopolitical strategist.
“Ukraine’s rout of Russian forces this weekend is creating a new kind of political challenge for President Vladimir V. Putin: It undercuts the image of competence and might that he has worked for two decades to build.
On Sunday, the Russian military continued to retreat from positions in northeastern Ukraine that it had occupied for months. State television news reports referred to the retreat as a carefully planned ‘regrouping operation,’ praising the heroism and professionalism of Russian troops.
But the upbeat message did little to dampen the anger among supporters of the war over the retreat and the Kremlin’s handling of it. And it hardly obscured the bind that Mr. Putin now finds himself in, presiding over a six-month war against an increasingly energized enemy and a Russian populace that does not appear to be prepared for the sacrifices that could come with an escalating conflict.” Read more at New York Times
“New era | Sweden’s right-wing alliance looks to have secured a narrow win in yesterday’s general election that promises to rewrite the political map in the Nordic region’s biggest country. The expected victory is thanks to the rise of the anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats, which saw the biggest gains of any party and now makes them the country’s second-largest political force.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Moderate appeal | Brazil’s presidential front-runner Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva may tap his centrist running mate for a top cabinet post to emphasize a commitment to a moderate agenda if elected in October, sources say. The alliance with Geraldo Alckmin is seen as the biggest sign yet that the leftist ex-president is moving away from radical members of his Workers’ Party.” Read more at Bloomberg
Carlos Alcaraz wins US Open for 1st Slam title, top ranking
By HOWARD FENDRICH
“NEW YORK (AP) — Walking out for his first Grand Slam final at age 19, Carlos Alcaraz bumped fists with fans leaning over a railing along the path leading to the Arthur Ashe Stadium court. Moments later, after the coin toss, Alcaraz turned to sprint to the baseline for the warmup, until being beckoned back to the net by the chair umpire for the customary pre-match photos.
Alcaraz is imbued with boundless enthusiasm and energy, not to mention skill, speed, stamina and sangfroid. And now he’s a U.S. Open champion and the No. 1 player in men’s tennis.
Using his uncommon combination of moxie and maturity, Alcaraz beat Casper Ruud 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3 on Sunday to both earn the trophy at Flushing Meadows and become the youngest man to lead the ATP rankings.
‘Everything came so fast. For me it’s unbelievable. It’s something I dreamed since I was a kid, since I started playing tennis,’ said Alcaraz, whom folks of a certain age might still consider a kid.” Read more at AP News
Nebraska Fires Coach Scott Frost After a Day of Epic Upsets by Sun Belt Conference Teams
Frost’s ouster came after Nebraska lost to Georgia Southern. Two other Sun Belt teams—Marshall and Appalachian State—also upset giants Notre Dame and Texas A&M.
Nebraska coach Scott Frost was fired a day after the team lost to Georgia Southern.PHOTO: NOAH RIFFE/ASSOCIATED PRESS
“College football’s powerhouses have long puffed up their early season records by paying smaller, less accomplished teams to come to their stadium to be blown out. On Saturday, a trio of schools from the humble Sun Belt Conference took the money—and then staged a rebellion against the practice of playing the patsy for the big boys.
In the span of a few hours, Marshall slayed No. 8 Notre Dame, Appalachian State dropped No. 6 Texas A&M and Georgia Southern beat Nebraska. On Sunday, the last of those came with a multimillion-dollar consequence as Nebraska fired coach Scott Frost on Sunday.
Nebraska had already agreed to pay Georgia Southern $1.42 million to make the trip to Lincoln, Neb. Now Nebraska will pay nearly $16.2 million to buy out Frost’s contract, according to USA Today. In a sign of how dire the situation has become at Nebraska, the buyout cost would have decreased to $8.1 million if the Huskers had waited until October 1 to make the change.
Frost’s firing capped a day of upsets so unexpected that Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill opted to attend Texas State’s game against Florida International on Saturday rather than watch one of the conference’s teams play on the road at a historic program.
The chaos began in South Bend, Ind., when Notre Dame invited Marshall to town in what fans expected to be a bounce-back win from the Fighting Irish’s hardfought loss to then-No. 2 Ohio State on the road last week. The Thundering Herd apparently didn’t read the script, however.
Marshall jumped to a 9-7 lead in the first half. But it wasn’t until there were about five minutes remaining in the game—when the Herd ran back an interception for a touchdown to go up 26-15—that real panic set in for the Irish.
Marshall players and fans celebrate after defeating Notre Dame.PHOTO: SHOLTEN SINGER/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Marshall reportedly collected a $1.25 million payday for the pleasure, and first-year Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman left with a very unpleasant addition to his résumé: he is the first Notre Dame coach to start with three losses in a row (including the Irish’s Fiesta Bowl loss last season, which Freeman coached after the departure of Brian Kelly).
As Notre Dame went down, another upset was brewing in College Station, Texas, with a familiar suspect: Appalachian State, which famously knocked off Michigan in 2007 in a game hailed as one of the sport’s greatest upsets ever. After beginning their season with a wild 63-61 loss to North Carolina last week, the Mountaineers were at it again.
Appalachian State’s defense forced two turnovers and held the home team—fresh off signing the top-rated recruiting class in the nation last winter—to just 186 yards of offense. Unlike last week, the Mountaineers would need only two touchdowns and a field goal to come out on top, 17-14.
It was an ugly loss for the Aggies that likely slays their ambitions of making the College Football Playoff before the season could make it into October. It was made worse by the price tag: Texas A&M paid Appalachian State $1.5 million to play at Kyle Field.
Nebraska fans are already intimately familiar with that sinking feeling that comes with an embarrassing loss, and on Saturday, the Cornhuskers and coach Scott Frost suffered a defeat that may take them to a new low.
After dropping the season opener to Northwestern after a questionable onside kick gone wrong, the Cornhuskers entered Saturday as a three touchdown favorite for its home game against Georgia Southern, a team that went 3-9 in 2021. But special teams were a sore spot once again in a game when Nebraska would never have more than a seven-point lead.
Like so many Nebraska games last season, in which the team suffered nine single-digit losses, Saturday’s contest came down to the final drive. Quarterback Casey Thompson had 30 seconds to get his team up the field and managed to set up a 52-yard field goal attempt with one second remaining. The kick sailed wide left.
Nebraska dropped to 1-2 after the 45-42 loss. It was the first time in 215 tries that Nebraska lost after scoring at least 35 points in Memorial Stadium. Disgruntled fans chanted “Fire Scott Frost!” as jubilant Eagles rushed the field.
Nebraska fans got their wish by Sunday afternoon, as athletic director Trev Alberts appointed associate head coach Mickey Joseph as interim. Frost, a star quarterback for the Cornhuskers in the 1990s, departs with a 16-31 record since 2018.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards show will air tonight, highlighting and celebrating the best shows on TV and streaming platforms. HBO's "Succession" leads the way with 25 nominations and has received acting nods for nearly the entire cast. Netflix's "Stranger Things" and "Squid Game" are also contenders for awards, as they've received a hefty number of nominations. The night also has the potential for history-making moments: "Squid Game" would be the first non-English language show to win Best Drama if it takes home the prize. And in the comedy field, last year's big winner "Ted Lasso" is up for 20 awards, including Best Lead Actor for Jason Sudeikis. The Emmys will air at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. (HBO, like CNN, is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.)” Read more at CNN