The Full Belmonte, 9/21/2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin announces partial mobilization for reservists
“Putin's announcement Wednesday appeared to be an admission that Moscow’s war against Ukraine isn't going according to plan after nearly seven months of fighting. It's the first mobilization in Russia since World War II and comes amid humiliating battlefield losses for the Kremlin’s forces in recent weeks. The address comes a day after Russian-controlled regions in eastern and southern Ukraine announced plans to hold votes on becoming integral parts of Russia. The Kremlin-backed efforts to swallow up four regions could set the stage for Moscow to escalate the war following Ukrainian successes.” Read more at USA Today
In this file photo taken on September 20, 2022 a billboard promoting contract army service with an image of a serviceman and the slogan reading "Serving Russia is a real job" sits in Saint Petersburg.OLGA MALTSEVA, AFP via Getty Images
“President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly assured Russians his invasion of Ukraine is going just as he planned, even as his forces have failed to deliver on the ground. That narrative cracked today as he announced he would draft reservists into his war machine with immediate effect.
Russia is fighting not only Ukraine but the entire “collective West” that wants to destroy it, Putin said in a speech explaining the decision on national television. He again threatened to use all available means including nuclear weapons to defend territory. “This is not a bluff,” he said.
Key reading:
Putin Mobilizes More Troops, Renews Nuclear Threat Over Ukraine
How the UN Became a Bystander to the World’s Biggest Flashpoint
Follow our rolling coverage of the UN General Assembly here.
Follow our rolling coverage of the war in Ukraine here.
Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said 300,000 reservists are being called up. That compares to the approximately 180,000 troops the US estimated Russia gathered for its invasion in February, a tacit admission the war is going badly after Ukrainian forces unleashed a counteroffensive in recent weeks that quickly regained areas in the east.
The mobilization moves the war closer to home for Russians, something Putin has carefully limited to avoid any potential backlash. While Shoigu stressed that students and others without military experience would be exempted, the rising toll of Russian casualties will be harder to conceal.
Putin’s nuclear saber-rattling comes after occupation authorities in four areas of Ukraine announced ‘referendums’ starting as soon as Friday on absorbing the territories into Russia. It’s a repeat of Putin’s annexation playbook in Crimea in 2014.
Then, Ukraine’s army was in no shape to resist and the US and Europe restricted their responses to sanctions. Now, Ukraine has around 700,000 troops in action and the West continues to supply it with weapons from tanks and artillery to long-range missiles.
Putin still refuses to call his ‘special military operation’ a war. But as Russia’s battlefield losses mount, it’s harder to portray his offensive as a winning one.” Read more at Bloomberg
Ukrainian soldiers ride on infantry fighting vehicles in Novoselivka, on Saturday. Photographer: Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images
Donald Trump, 3 of his children sued for business fraud by New York AG
Lawsuit alleges $250 million fraud, seeks to bar the Trumps from serving as executives of any company operating in New York
“NEW YORK — New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit Wednesday accusing former president Donald Trump, three of his grown children and executives at his company of flagrantly manipulating property valuations to deceive lenders, insurance brokers and tax authorities into giving them better rates on bank loans and insurance policies and to reduce their tax liability.
The suit asks the New York Supreme Court to bar Trump, as well as Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump, from serving as executives at any company in New York, and to bar the Trump Organization from acquiring any commercial real estate or receiving loans from any New York-registered financial institution for five years.
It seeks to recover more than $250 million in what James’s office says are ill-gotten gains received through the alleged deceptive practices. While the lawsuit itself is not a criminal prosecution, James (D) said she has referred possible violations of federal law to the Justice Department and the IRS.” Read more at Washington Post
Minnesota schemers allegedly swindle $250m in largest pandemic fraud yet
Forty-seven people have been charged in the ‘astonishing display of deceit’ over providing food for low-income children
“Forty-seven people have been charged in what US authorities say is the largest case yet of pandemic fraud, accusing the defendants of a ‘brazen’ scheme to swindle millions from a program intended for low-income children and using it to ‘enrich themselves’.
Those charged in the scheme are accused of creating companies that claimed to be offering food to tens of thousands of children across Minnesota, then sought reimbursement for those meals through the US Department of Agriculture’s food nutrition programs. Prosecutors say few meals were actually served, and the defendants used the money to buy luxury cars, property and jewelry. Authorities say $250m was ultimately stolen from the federal program.” Read more at The Guardian
“The first hearing with the Mar-a-Lago search special master took place on Tuesday as former President Donald Trump's team continues to signal resistance to making certain disclosures about any moves to declassify the seized documents in question. Judge Raymond Dearie, a senior judge who has the job of reviewing the approximately 11,000 documents taken from Trump's Florida home, showed skepticism of Trump's arguments about how the review should proceed and stressed a desire to move quickly in order to finish his review by the end of November. While Dearie gets going on sifting through the documents, the Justice Department is asking an appeals court to revive its criminal investigation into the materials marked as classified.” Read more at CNN
“Adults under the age of 65 should be screened for anxiety disorders, and all adults should be checked for depression.
The government-backed United States Preventive Services Task Force has made the first-ever recommendation on screening adults for anxiety disorders. (In April, the panel issued similar draft guidance for children and adolescents.) The group didn’t recommend for or against screening for suicide risk, but called for more research.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
Gas prices tick up after 99 days
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
“Gas prices ticked up for the first time in 99 days, ending a rapid decrease that provided consumers some relief from sky-high inflation.
Why it matters: Waning gas prices cheered up the public and gave a boost to President Biden and congressional Democrats ahead of the midterms.
AAA's national average gas price — a metric closely watched by the White House — rose to $3.681 a gallon today from $3.674.
That number soared to $5.016 in June, driven in part by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
‘All streaks have to end at some point,’ AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross said this week. ‘There are big factors tugging on global oil prices—war, COVID, economic recession, and hurricane season.’
‘All this uncertainty could push oil prices higher.’” Read more at Axios
“There's no end in sight for the Federal Reserve's historic interest rate hikes. The Fed is expected to raise rates by another 0.75 percentage points today. Over the past few months, it has been boosting borrowing costs at the fastest pace in decades, but has so far had little effect on inflation.” Read more at NPR
Most of Puerto Rico out of power after Hurricane Fiona
“Hurricane Fiona grew more powerful Tuesday as it rolled past Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic after pounding the islands with up to 30 inches of rain, triggering overwhelming flooding, mudslides, and destruction. Early Wednesday, the storm threatened to strengthen from a Category 3 into a Category 4 storm as it lashed the Turks and Caicos Islands. About 80% of Puerto Rico remained without power early Tuesday, though officials said they were making progress restoring parts of it. Water service was cut to more than 837,000 customers – two-thirds of the total on the island, officials said.” Read more at USA Today
A man collects donated water bottles for drinking after Hurricane Fiona damaged water supplies in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022.Stephanie Rojas, AP
Flooded homes on Salinas Beach after the passing of Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico. Photo: Alejandro Granadillo/AP
“Puerto Rico got nearly 3 feet of rain from Hurricane Fiona, which made landfall last night on the Dominican Republic, Axios' Andrew Freedman reports.
The storm, with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph as of 3:15 p.m. ET, is churning near the Turks and Caicos Islands, and it may come perilously close to Bermuda later this week as a Category 4 storm.
Below are photos of the aftermath, compiled by Axios visuals editor Aïda Amer.
Photo: Erika Santelices/AFP via Getty Images
Civil defense personnel remove fallen trees from the highway in the Dominican Republic.
Photo: Carla Bernhardt/AFP via Getty Images
Cars are piled on top of each other on the island of Guadeloupe.
Photo: AFP via Getty Images
A person cooks in the dark in San Juan, Puerto Rico.” Read more at Axios
Writer E Jean Carroll to file new lawsuit after accusing Trump of rape
Carroll to file claim of battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress under new New York law
“E Jean Carroll, the writer who accused Donald Trump of raping her more than two decades ago, plans to file a new lawsuit against the former US president.
In a letter made public on Tuesday, a lawyer for former Elle magazine columnist said she planned to sue Trump for battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress under New York state’s Adult Survivors Act.
That law, recently signed by the governor, Kathy Hochul, gives adult accusers a one-year window to bring civil claims over alleged sexual misconduct regardless of how long ago it occurred.
Trump has denied raping Carroll and accused her of concocting the rape claim to sell her book.” Read more at The Guardian
Thomas Lane, former Minneapolis police officer, sentenced to 3 years in killing of George Floyd
“Former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane was sentenced to three years in prison Wednesday for aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in the killing of George Floyd.
Lane pleaded guilty to the state charge in May. He also was convicted in February on federal charges of violating Floyd's civil rights, for which he's serving a 2 1/2 year sentence at a low-security federal prison camp in Littleton, Colorado.
Lane appeared at his sentencing hearing Wednesday via video from Federal Correctional Institution Englewood. As part of his plea deal, he will serve his state sentence in federal prison at the same time as his federal sentence.
Lane held down Floyd's legs as former officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck during an attempted arrest on May 25, 2020. Former officers J. Alexander Kueng knelt on Floyd's back and Tou Thao kept bystanders away during the restraint, which was captured on bystander video.” Read more at USA Today
“The FDA is warning about a rise in adolescents and young adults participating in dangerous social media challenges. One recent challenge posted on social media encouraged people to cook chicken in NyQuil and similar over-the-counter cough and cold medicines. ‘Boiling a medication can make it much more concentrated and change its properties in other ways,’ the FDA said. The agency also pointed to a TikTok challenge daring people to hallucinate by taking large doses of the over-the-counter drug Benadryl. The FDA cited reports of teens ending up in hospital emergency rooms or dying after participating. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents should talk to their children about social media dares and discuss them ‘calmly and without judgment’ while encouraging them to think through any potential negative outcomes.” Read more at CNN
Trump vs. DeSantis in 2024? USA TODAY/Suffolk poll shows Florida Republicans prefer their governor
In a hypothetical 2024 presidential primary in the Sunshine State, DeSantis leads Trump 48%-40%. That's a reversal from a poll of Florida in January, when Trump led DeSantis 47%-40%.
“Former President Donald Trump's support among Republican voters in Florida for another presidential bid has significantly eroded this year, a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll finds, as Gov. Ron DeSantis has scored gains in the home state they now share.
In a hypothetical 2024 presidential primary in the Sunshine State, DeSantis now leads Trump 48%-40%. That's a reversal from a USA TODAY/Suffolk Poll of Florida in January, when Trump led DeSantis 47%-40%.
‘This doesn't necessarily mean DeSantis would lead in any other GOP primary state,’ said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center. ‘But it is one data point suggesting a shift in preferences from GOP voters away from Trump and toward DeSantis from Republicans who know both potential combatants quite well.’
Both men have made it clear they are considering presidential campaigns in 2024, although neither has made any official announcements. DeSantis supporters argue he offers a muscular populism similar to Trump without having the legal and other baggage that the former president carries.
Last week, the governor sparked a firestorm when he used state funds to fly about 50 Venezuelan migrants from Texas to the exclusive Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard.
DeSantis' planes:How Fla Gov. DeSantis decision to send migrants to blue states could help a 2024 showdown with Trump
Close race between Rubio and Demings; DeSantis ahead of Crist
Other big takeaways from the Florida poll include:
For the Senate, Republican incumbent Marco Rubio narrowly leads Democratic challenger Val Demings 45%-41%. Rubio's support has dropped 4 percentage points since the January survey; Rep. Demings' standing hasn't changed. Three other candidates on the ballot – Libertarian Dennis Misigoy, independent Steven Grant and independent Tuan "TQ" Nguyen – each receive 1%.
For the governorship, DeSantis leads Democratic challenger Charlie Crist 48%-41%. That's a small shift from the beginning of the year, when DeSantis led 49%-43% over Crist, a Republican-turned-Democrat who has served as governor and in Congress. Independent Carmen Jackie Gimenez receives 3% and Libertarian Hector Roos 1%.
The poll of 500 likely midterm voters, taken Thursday through Sunday by landline and cellphone, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points. The error margin for the sample of 174 Republican voters is 7.4 points; for 163 Democratic voters it is 7.7 points.
President Joe Biden's approval rating has ticked up in Florida, with 42% saying they approve of how he's doing his job compared to 56% disapprove. That's a bit higher than the dismal 39%-53% standing he had in January.
Still, in a hypothetical matchup in the 2024 general election, Trump edges Biden in the state 47%-44%. DeSantis leads Biden by a wider margin, 52%-44%.
DeSantis' approval rating is 53%-45%, while Rubio's is 45%-46%.
By far the dominant issue on voters' minds is inflation and the economy, cited by a third of those surveyed. That may account for their more downbeat mood, compared with the beginning of the year. The percentage who say they are "worse off" than they were four years ago has grown to 49% from 39%.
Those who say the country is "on the wrong track" rose to 67% now from 58% then.” Read more at USA Today
Iran unrest: Women burn headscarves at anti-hijab protests
Image caption, A woman set fire to her headscarf during a protest in Tehran on Monday
“Women have been at the forefront of escalating protests in Iran sparked by the death in custody of a woman detained for breaking hijab laws.
Crowds cheered when women burned their hijabs on a bonfire in Sari on Tuesday, as the unrest continued for a fifth night and spread to more cities.
Activists said two male protesters were shot dead by security forces in Urmia and Piranshahr, in the north-west.
A police assistant was also reportedly killed in Shiraz, in the south.
At least six people are now believed to have been killed since protests against the hijab laws and the morality police erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini.” Read more at BBC
“South Africa’s government is struggling to find ways to end the most severe blackouts in the country’s history, after a succession of action plans since 2008 failed to resolve its energy crisis.” Read more at Bloomberg
Nigeria’s deadly floods. Extreme flooding in Nigeria has killed more than 300 people and displaced more than 100,000 others in 2022, marking the country’s highest flood-related death toll in a decade. The floodwaters have submerged land and crops, intensifying concerns of food shortages.
“We are facing devastating floods beyond our control,” Yusuf Sani Babura, the head of the Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency, told the Associated Press. “We have tried our best and we couldn’t stop it.”
“Myanmar’s school attack. Army helicopters fired down on a temple school in Myanmar’s Sagaing region, killing at least 12 people—six of whom were children—and wounding nearly 20 more; 15 others disappeared. The junta has claimed that it was targeting rebels inside.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Rescued migrants. Cypriot officials said they helped retrieve around 300 migrants stranded in a wooden boat near Cyprus’s coast, after the vessel’s engine malfunctioned and its captain transmitted a call for help. The boat had come from Lebanon and was headed toward Italy, authorities told the Associated Press.” Read more at Foreign Policy
Whale stranding: 230 whales stranded on Tasmanian beach
Image caption, Tasmanian officials said half of the whales still appeared to be alive
“More than 200 whales have been found stranded on a remote beach on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia.
Half of the pod, thought to be pilot whales, are believed to be still alive. Rescuers are being sent to the area.
It's unclear what caused the whales to beach on a sandflat at the entrance to Macquarie Harbour, the same remote location where Australia's worst stranding occurred two years ago.
It comes a day after a separate mass stranding in northern Tasmania.
The incident on Tuesday saw 14 young sperm whales found dead on King Island, in the Bass Strait.
Experts were planning a rescue of the 230 whales discovered on Wednesday but the operation would be ‘complex’ due to the location, Tasmania's Department of Natural Resources and Environment said in a statement.
‘It appears about half of the animals are alive.’
Macquarie Harbour is a large, shallow inlet in a rural area. More of the whales are expected to die overnight.
Locals have been covering the stranded whales with blankets and pouring buckets of water over them to try to keep them alive.” Read more at BBC
An electric night in the Bronx
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
“The vibes were bad entering the bottom of the ninth Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. The Bronx Bombers, division leaders, were down four to the lowly Pirates, heading for another disappointing loss down the stretch.
Then Aaron Judge came up. Pop. Home run No. 60, another milestone for the future AL MVP. A cool note in a loss.
Then the Yanks loaded the bases. The other menacing bat in the lineup — Giancarlo Stanton, remember him? — arrived at the plate. Thwack. A line-drive, grand slam walk-off left the field of play in a hurry. Yankees 9, Pirates 8.
It was a great reminder that we have some great baseball ahead of us with just two weeks left in the season — and plenty to watch before we hit the playoffs.” Read more at The Athletic
“There is some Queens Gambit-level drama happening in the chess world right now. Magnus Carlsen, one of the greatest players of all time, abruptly quit his rematch game against young phenom Hans Niemann after making just one move. Now, the international Chess Federation is being called to investigate as cheating rumors swirl.” Read more at NPR
“Lives Lived: The Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Maury Wills stole 104 bases in 1962, eclipsing Ty Cobb’s 1915 record and transforming the game. Wills died at 89.” Read more at New York Times