The Full Belmonte, 9/22/2023
House Republicans headed home for the weekend without a deal to avert a shutdown.
“What happened? Plans to secure a funding deal fell apart yesterday, with new, unexpected Republican holdouts contributing to the chaos at the Capitol.
What’s next? House Speaker Kevin McCarthy may need to rely on Democrats to pass legislation. If so, far-right Republicans have said they’ll move to oust him from leadership.
What it means: An Oct. 1 federal government shutdown looks even more likely. (Here’s what that could mean for you.)”
Read this story at Washington Post
President Biden announced new military aid for Ukraine yesterday.
“What to know: Ukraine will receive $325 million in air defense systems and munitions, anti-drone machine guns and other weaponry from Pentagon stockpiles.
Today: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Canada, following yesterday’s visit to Congress, the Pentagon and the White House to secure further aid.
In other news: Poland threatened to halt weapons shipments to Kyiv amid tensions over a ban on Ukrainian grain imports.”
Read this story at Washington Post
Rupert Murdoch steps down
Victoria Jones/PA Images via Getty Images
“This morning, Fox Corporation and News Corp announced their founder, 92-year-old billionaire and media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, will be stepping down as chairman of the board come November. He will hold the title of chairman emeritus at both companies.
“‘Our companies are in robust health, as am I,’” Murdoch wrote in his note to employees.” [Vox] [CNBC]
“Despite this claim, Murdoch’s decision comes on the heels of a tumultuous time for Fox. Under Murdoch’s leadership, Fox News echoed costly falsehoods about election fraud, which ultimately culminated in Fox Corporation paying $787 million in a defamation settlement with Dominion Voting Systems. And more lawsuits are on the horizon.” [Vox] [CNN]
“Rupert’s son, Lachlan Murdoch, will become sole chairman of News Corp and will continue as Fox Corporation’s executive chair and CEO following his father’s departure. Lachlan rejoined his father’s business in 2014 after abruptly resigning from News Corp in 2005.” [Vox] [BBC]
“It’s not clear how much or how little will change following Murdoch's stepping down. In the same memo where Murdoch announced his departure, he also indicated he’d still be keeping a critical eye on the company’s output, Vox senior correspondent Peter Kafka writes.” [Vox]
Rupert ends reign
Rupert Murdoch in his office in New York in 2007. Photo: James Estrin/The New York Times
“Rupert Murdoch announced today that he's stepping down as chairman of Fox and News Corp. But his family's populist legacy isn't going anywhere, Axios Media Trends author Sara Fischer writes.
Why it matters: Murdoch said he'll stay involved ‘daily’ after handing over both firms to his son Lachlan, who he called ‘absolutely committed to the cause.’
Zoom in: Murdoch, 92, parlayed his father's small Australian newspaper business into a global print, TV and digital empire.
He never considered himself a Hollywood insider, despite owning one of the largest movie studios in America. The news industry is his true passion.
His message to employees suggests the ethos isn't changing.
‘Elites have open contempt for those who are not members of their rarefied class. Most of the media is in cahoots with those elites, peddling political narratives rather than pursuing the truth,’ he wrote.
The big picture: Murdoch's close Republican ties have shaped American politics for decades.
Fox News' support for former President Trump was critical ahead of the 2016 election.
The network's decision to call the 2020 election in favor of President Biden triggered a historic rift between the two power brokers.” [Axios]
Senate confirms Army and Marine chiefs, bucking Tuberville logjam
“The Senate overwhelmingly approved two four-star generals to lead the Army and Marine Corps Thursday, as members made a small dent in Sen. Tommy Tuberville's blockade of senior Pentagon nominees.
Gen. Eric Smith’s successful 96-0 confirmation vote to be the next Marine commandant followed Gen. Randy George’s approval as Army chief of staff. A day earlier, the Senate cleared Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown to be the next Joint Chiefs chair.
But the trio of confirmations does not mean Democrats are declaring victory. With 300 generals and admirals at the upper rungs of the armed forces still stranded, senators still have to find a way to maneuver around the Alabama Republican’s promotions hold, which is still in effect, in protest of the Pentagon’s abortion travel policy. Lawmakers have pledged to keep up public pressure on Tuberville to change course.
The showdown has also ensnared the nominees for Air Force chief of staff, Gen. David Allvin; the chief of naval operations, Adm. Lisa Franchetti; the head of the Missile Defense Agency, Maj. Gen. Heath Collins; and the nominee for the Pentagon’s top policy post, Derek Chollet.
Smith was the Marine Corps’ No. 2 officer and has commanded at every level, including in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a general, he led Marine Corps’ forces in U.S. Southern Command, as well as Marine Corps Combat Development Command.
George was the Army’s vice chief of staff and before that was Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s senior military aide. He is an infantry officer who served in the 101st Airborne Division and deployed in support of the Gulf War.
George was confirmed 96-1, with Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) casting the sole “no” vote.
President Joe Biden nominated both generals in the spring and they each stepped into their service’s top role on an acting basis during the summer, when their predecessors retired.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for months has refused to hold standalone votes on military nominees to get around Tuberville’s hold, but reversed course Wednesday and agreed to hold votes on the three top picks after Tuberville forced Democrats’ hand by planning to force a vote on Smith.
Questions are swirling about Democrats’ strategy for getting the rest confirmed, but Schumer was tight-lipped, telling reporters only ‘You’ll see.’ Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.) said the onus is on Republicans to get Tuberville to relent.
While Tuberville has insisted for months he’s felt no pressure from Democrats or his own party, Democrats cast his move to advance a vote for Smith as him bowing to Republican critics, and said they seized the chance to advance all three officers.
‘But there are still 300 military officers in limbo, and that’s detrimental to the United States,’ Reed said. ‘There are so many other people like Gen. George who are suffering and their families are too … It’s solely forced by [Tuberville’s] desire to make [military] officers tokens in political battles — and it’s wrong, and we’re going to push and push and push.’
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) called the remaining vacancies ‘untenable’ and noted that advancing the officers will leave three new senior vacancies.
‘We’re taking three steps forward and three steps backward,’ said Duckworth, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. ‘These are three very important jobs but there are 300 other jobs that are also important to our national security.’
More than 300 senior promotions are still frozen as Tuberville refuses to allow their speedy confirmation. Tuberville has insisted Democrats can just simply hold votes on individual picks, but Democrats and the administration have noted that to do so would take hundreds of hours and totally dominate the Senate’s calendar.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), a Biden ally, said more votes in groups of two or three would not be appropriate. He credited the progress on Wednesday and Thursday to Republican pressure on Tuberville and said it should continue until there’s a broader breakthrough.
‘There was some modest movement — we will have confirmed just three of 300, the most significant and senior but just three,’ Coons said. ‘And we also just had a demonstration of what would happen if we actually proceed with confirming every one of them. It would shut down the Senate for a year and we would get nothing else done.’
Tuberville, claiming victory, said will continue to demand that each nominee be considered individually until the Pentagon policy is reversed.
‘So, to be clear, my hold is still in place,’ Tuberville said Wednesday. ‘The hold will remain in place as long as the Pentagon’s illegal abortion policy remains in place. If the Pentagon lifts the policy, then I will lift my hold. It’s as easy as that.’”
Read the latest at POLITICO
Joe Biden campaigns during a drive-in campaign rally on Oct. 27, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images
“Democrats got a dose of promising campaign news this week: The party vastly surpassed expectations in two state legislative special elections, the latest data points in an almost unblemished streak of overperformance in special elections since January. The most recent victories — a landslide win in the Pittsburgh suburbs and a flipped seat in New Hampshire — are fueling a round of speculation that Democrats might have a better shot up and down the ballot in 2024 than polls currently suggest.
There’s no doubt that this run of special elections, held in roughly a dozen states, is cause for hope for Democrats. Yet it’s also important not to read too deeply into the outcomes. For the most part, these contests were relatively low-turnout affairs held in a non-election year, so there are caveats attached to the results. Among them: Many of these specials took place in districts with a high percentage of white voters with a college degree, a voting bloc that’s trended increasingly Democratic.
The special elections don’t, for example, illuminate what should be a deeply concerning trend for the party — polling showing erosion among people of color, long a reliable voting bloc for the party. Although Biden won the 2020 election with more than 70 percentsupport from non-white voters, the New York Times reports that, on average, he now leads Trump by just 53 percent to 28 percent among those voters, according to a compilation of Times/Siena polls from 2022 and 2023.
Support for Biden among non-white voters without a college degree is dropping — a change significant enough to impact results in competitive states with larger minority populations, such as Georgia, North Carolina and Arizona.
The working-class decline is particularly notable — and exceptionally worrisome — to the campaign because they’ve been such a reliable bloc for Democratic candidates. In 2012, Barack Obama won the nonwhite working class by a 67-point margin. In 2020, Biden won the group over by a 48-point margin against Trump. His lead has now dropped to just 16 points.
Higher costs of living have pushed these nonwhite working class voters — many of whom identify as moderate Democrats — to lose faith in Biden. That is particularly true among those who make less than $50,000, even though Democrats have long been more popular with lower-income non-white voters than their higher-income counterparts.
The economic fallout of the pandemic has also disproportionately affected communities of color, many without reliable social safety nets.
Biden touts his record of creating more than 13 million jobs as proof that he has the economy under control. It is the Republicans, he says, who are putting the working class at risk by prioritizing tax cuts for the wealthy and jeopardizing budget negotiations that could lead to a government shutdown on Oct. 1.
But many people aren’t buying it.
Forty-nine percent of Black voters thought the economy was ‘only fair’ while 47 percent of Hispanic voters viewed it as poor. There’s a clear disconnect between the work the Biden administration is putting into improving Americans’ lives and how the economy is actually perceived, and that’s driving the wedge between working-class voters of color and the party.
Biden’s campaign is hard at work highlighting economic accomplishments including the fastest rate of creation of Black-owned small businesses in 25 years, and the increasingly low unemployment in Black communities.
He’s also hired more Black and Brown staff — including Julie Chávez Rodríguez as his reelection campaign manager — to spread the message about his accomplishments with the economy in a way that is better tailored to individual communities. A diverse staff will be key to highlighting the scope of Biden’s achievements, according to Chuck Rocha, a Democratic strategist and former Bernie Sanders senior campaign adviser. Better and more targeted messaging from the party will also make a difference. ‘They use this one-size-fits-all messaging that’s been tailored for white suburban voters that don’t work in our communities,’ Rocha said.
In 2020 and 2022, big gains among suburban, college educated voters helped Democrats largely offset losses among nonwhite working class voters. The open question is whether they can stop the bleeding with voters of color to deliver another victory.” [POLITICO]
Book bans continue to rise in US public schools and libraries
“Book bans across the country hit a record high in the last academic school year as public schools and libraries have been targeted by continued efforts to censor books, according to new reports released this week. A majority of the targeted books were written by or about a person of color, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, or a woman, according to reports released from the American Library Association and PEN America, a free speech advocacy group. And the challenges continue to spread through ‘coordinated campaigns by a vocal minority of groups,’ the reports said. Read more at USA Today
Medical bills
“The Biden administration has unveiled new proposals to remove medical bills from credit reports. White House officials on Thursday said they are pursuing the effort to lessen Americans' medical debt burden as millions of people contend with the higher cost of living and historic inflation. Medical debt has lowered people's credit scores, which affects their ability to buy a home, get a mortgage or own a small business, Vice President Kamala Harris said in a call with reporters announcing the initiative. If the rule is finalized, consumer credit companies would be barred from including medical debt and collection information on reports that creditors use to make underwriting decisions.” [CNN]
We cut child poverty to historic lows, then let it rebound faster than ever before
Alex Wong/Getty Images
“A pandemic-era policy expansion kept millions of children out of poverty until Congress let it expire. In 2021, expansions to the child tax credit (CTC) allowed parents, regardless of whether they had an income or not, to receive monthly payments intended to help them support their household. In 2022, Congress did not extend the program.
The lowdown: In 2021 (when the policy was in effect), the child poverty rate dropped to its lowest point on record: 5.2 percent, meaning 3.8 million American children lived below the federal poverty line. Then, in 2022 (when the policy expired), the rate experienced the steepest rise in its history: 139 percent. This means 9 million American children were living in poverty.
The 2021 policy expansion contained a key innovation. In the 2021 update, Congress did away with the income requirements that kept full benefits from reaching 19 million of the poorest American children whose parents had little or no earnings.
Congressional critics of the expansion said parents were spending the money on the wrong things and that it made people lazy. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) cast the swing vote that ended the policy; he claimed (incorrectly) that poor people spend extra cash on drugs. Other critics in Congress said giving poor people money without making them also work leads to people quitting their jobs (despite evidence saying otherwise).
In the absence of federal action, states are stepping up. Since the expanded CTC expired two years ago, 11 states have passed versions of the program that do not carry income requirements.
The stakes: Who loses when fewer parents have access to this federal support? American children. In 2021, parents receiving money through the expanded CTC were found to have primarily spent it on food, clothes, utilities, rent, and education costs. Households left without this money leave children without baths, school supplies, and food.
While the success of the expanded CTC may have been short-lived, it does show that federal welfare programs that include everyone (and not just the working poor) can make a difference in American poverty rates, writes Oshan.
And there’s some hope that the CTC could be expanded once more, at least at the state level. Oshan told me, “There are already plenty of Republicans at the state level on board with the idea, and with poverty numbers like those just released, the urgency is staring us in the face.”
Read Oshan’s full story here » ” [Vox]
Potentially destructive saltwater is climbing the Mississippi River.
“What it threatens: Agriculture, infrastructure and drinking water supplies, as far inland as New Orleans. An underwater levee is being expanded to try to slow it.
Why it’s happening: A second year of drought has weakened the river’s flow, allowing saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico to force its way dozens of miles inland.
In other climate news: California is reforming its insurance system as carriers pull back coverage in the disaster-prone state.”
Read this story at Washington Post
Politics
“Nearly 500,000 low-income people will keep their health coverage after state officials found they had wrongly removed them from federal programs.” [New York Times]
“Justice Clarence Thomas secretly attended donor events for the Koch network, a political organization, at least twice. Read more about his relationship with the libertarian billionaires Charles and David Koch in ProPublica.” [New York Times]
“A rule that allows retirement plans to consider environmental and social issues in investment decisions survived a legal challenge by 26 states.” [New York Times]
“President Biden is framing his re-election campaign around his likeliest opponent: Trump.” [New York Times]
“U.S. diplomats lost, then revived, a deal to free Americans imprisoned in Iran. Here’s the back story.” [New York Times]
“Seven months after entering hospice care, Jimmy Carter is eating peanut-butter ice cream and watching Atlanta Braves games. He will turn 99 on Oct. 1.” [New York Times]
Dems say "nay" to casual dress code
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) walks to the Senate chamber on Wednesday. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
“The Senate's new casual dress code is hanging by a thread, Axios' Hans Nichols writes.
Why it matters: Even some Democrats are now openly criticizing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's directive to discard the 100-member chamber's requirement for business attire. With 47 Republicans stiffly opposed, the new code could be in jeopardy.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) — who often has worn more casual clothes since returning to the Senate this spring after being treated for depression — presided over the Senate in a short-sleeved shirt on Wednesday.
That appearance offended some old-school Senate stalwarts in both parties — and fueled behind-the-scenes grumbling among Schumer and Fetterman's fellow Democrats.
Fetterman taunted GOP naysayers: ‘If those jagoffs [sic] in the House stop trying to shut our government down, and fully support Ukraine, then I will save democracy by wearing a suit on the Senate floor next week.’” [Axios]
Dave McCormick goes for Round 2 in Pa.
Dave McCormick is joined by his wife, Dina Powell, yesterday at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh. Photo: Gene J. Puskar/AP
“Republican Dave McCormick — a former hedge fund CEO and the runner-up in last year's Pennsylvania Senate primary — launched a second campaign, making it clear he plans to run against President Biden as much as Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Axios' Hans Nichols and Josh Kraushaar report.
Why it matters: Pennsylvania will be one of the biggest and most expensive swing states in the country, thanks to its role as both a presidential and Senate battleground.
McCormick hit Biden at his announcement last night in Pittsburgh, accusing Casey of being the president's ‘rubber stamp.’” [Axios]
”The US will once again offer free at-home Covid tests. The Biden administration announced that, starting Monday, Americans can go to COVIDtests.gov to request four free tests.” [CNBC]
Bus carrying high school students to band camp crashes, killing 1 person and hurting dozens
“A charter bus carrying high school students to a band camp hurtled off a New York highway and down an embankment Thursday, killing one person and hurting dozens of others, officials said.” Read More at AP News
Alex Murdaugh pleads guilty to financial crimes — the first time he’s admitted blame to a judge
“Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh did something Thursday he hasn’t done in the two years since his life of privilege and power started to unravel — plead guilty to a crime. Murdaugh admitted in federal court to 22 counts of financial fraud and money laundering.” Read More at AP News
A third party signed up 15,000 voters in Arizona. Democrats worry that’s enough for a Biden spoiler
“While it hasn’t committed to running candidates for president and vice president, No Labels has already secured ballot access in Arizona and 10 other states. Its organizers say they are on track to reach 20 states by the end of this year and all 50 states by Election Day.” Read More at AP News
'Euphoria' star Angus Cloud overdosed on meth, cocaine, fentanyl, coroner says
“Actor Angus Cloud died in July of an accidental overdose of cocaine and other substances, a coroner’s office said. The actor was declared dead at his parents’ home in Oakland. He was 25.” Read More at AP News
First private US passenger rail line in 100 years is about to link Miami and Orlando at high speed
“The first big test of whether privately owned high-speed passenger train service can prosper in the United States will launch Friday when Florida’s Brightline begins running trains between Miami and Orlando, reaching speeds of 125 mph.” Read More at AP News
Postal Service surprise
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
“After years of price hikes, the Postal Service is discontinuing holiday surcharges for the 2023 peak season, Axios' Kelly Tyko writes.
Why it matters: It's a boost for consumers and a surprise move for the USPS, which has raised stamp prices three times in 12 months.
Other shippers such as UPS and FedEx have already announced holiday surcharges that will start in October.
This is the first year the Postal Service won't have a holiday surcharge since 2020.” [Axios]
Zelensky in Washington
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (center) speaks to reporters following a meeting with U.S. senators in the Old Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Sept. 21.Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to Washington on Thursday in a desperate bid to garner further U.S. support for his country’s war against Russia. While in the capital, Zelensky visited the Pentagon, met with U.S. President Joe Biden, and held talks with members of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus at the National Archives.
This was Zelensky’s second wartime trip to the United States; the Ukrainian leader has limited his international travel to remain near his country’s front lines. His last trip to Washington was but a 10-hour stint in December 2022.
At the top of Thursday’s agenda, Zelensky sought approval for an additional $24 billion in U.S. military and humanitarian aid. The package could potentially include Army Tactical Missile Systems (known as ATACMS), which have long been on Zelensky’s wish list. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has already announced that U.S.-made Abrams tanks will arrive in Ukraine shortly. Supplying Ukraine with armaments has become a key pillar of Biden’s foreign policy, and he has touted his efforts as akin to ‘trying to avoid World War III.’
However, both Zelensky and Biden face an uphill battle to secure more funding. Republicans on Capitol Hill have increasingly pressured U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to deny future aid packages to Ukraine. This follows similar far-right pushback against Ukraine across the Atlantic. Last Friday, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia imposed bans on Ukrainian grain imports, shutting off a key economic lifeline for Kyiv. And on Thursday, Poland announced it would send no new arms packages to Ukraine and would only fulfill previously agreed arms deliveries.
Meanwhile, Zelensky has accused the United Nations Security Council of failing to adequately help end the war. In a special session on Wednesday, Zelensky criticized Russia’s membership in the United Nations and called on the Security Council to strip Moscow of its veto power. Russia is one of only five nations to have permanent veto authority on the council.
Hours after Zelensky touched down in Washington, Russia launched missile strikes against five Ukrainian cities. Energy facilities in Rivne, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv were targeted, marking the first Russian attack on Ukraine’s national power grid in six months. The Kremlin’s last major assaults on Ukrainian power infrastructure left the country in darkness for much of its grueling winter, causing heating and food crises across the country.” [Foreign Policy]
Poland is done sending arms to Ukraine, Polish leader says as trade dispute escalates
Poland’s prime minister said his country is no longer sending arms to Ukraine as a trade dispute between the neighboring states escalates and his populist party faces pressure from the far right in the upcoming national election. Read more.
Why this matters:
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in a television interview late Wednesday that Poland is ending the transfers ‘because we are now arming ourselves with the most modern weapons’ as part of a military upgrade spurred by fears of Russian regional aggression. He did not elaborate on how the actions were mutually exclusive.
Poland has supplied Ukraine with a wide range of weaponry, including Leopard 2 tanks and Soviet-era MiG fighter jets. Poles largely support Ukraine, but there is growing weariness in a nation receiving large numbers of refugees. Emotions have run high since Poland, Hungary and Slovakia announced a new ban last week on Ukrainian grain imports to protect their own farmers.
The Polish-Ukrainian disengagement comes as Ukraine’s forces attempt to break through Russian battle lines in a counteroffensive that has not moved as quickly or as successfully as initially hoped. Poland’s moratorium on arms shipments could have a wider impact as another winter of fighting approaches.” [AP News]
“New Delhi vs. Ottawa. New Delhi announced Thursday that it would stop issuing visas to Canadian citizens, citing ‘security threats’ to its embassy in Toronto. The move follows Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s accusation that India was involved in the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar while he was residing in western Canada in June. Canadians in third countries will also be impacted by India’s suspension of visa services.
Hours earlier, Ottawa announced that it was reducing the number of government personnel stationed in India after saying diplomats had received threats on social media. Both sides also expelled senior diplomats on Tuesday. ‘Canada’s comprehensive response must reflect the gravity of India’s role in the premeditated murder of a Sikh dissident living in Canada,’ wrote two Sikh community groups in Canada.” [Foreign Policy]
“Migrant wins and woes. Around 472,000 Venezuelan migrants received the green light on Wednesday to legally live and work in the United States for 18 months. Those who arrived after July 31 are not eligible. According to the Biden administration, the deal protects immigrants who, upon returning to Venezuela, could face unsafe conditions. However, politicians on both sides of the aisle fear that expanding immigrant protections could cost them votes as the number of migrants in major cities rises.
On the same day that hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans celebrated this path forward, Mayor Rolando Salinas Jr. declared a state of emergency in Eagle Pass, Texas, following the arrival of 2,500 migrants who crossed the border from Mexico. The mayor seeks additional support to deter illegal crossings as the small town struggles to support its growing number of newcomers.” [Foreign Policy]
“Britain signaled its approval of Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which it initially tried to block.” [New York Times]
China is sweeping up human DNA data from across the world.
Why? To become a world leader in new medicines and therapeutics. The coronavirus pandemic created opportunities to collect genetic data from more than 20 countries.
The concern: Whether China is using forcibly collected biometric data to crack down on Tibetans and Uyghurs, and how it intends to use its growing arsenal of DNA.
Read this story at Washington Post
“Naming names. South Korea imposed new sanctions on Thursday, targeting 10 individuals and two corporations connected to North Korea’s nuclear program. Among those sanctioned include Pyongyang’s defense minister and chief of staff as well as a Slovakian company that has facilitated arms deals between North Korea and Russia.
According to South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, the sanctions aim to secure peace on the Korean Peninsula and prevent illegal nuclear development on the global stage. On Wednesday, Yoon expanded that threat to target Russia, saying Seoul would consider Moscow aiding North Korean nuclear advancement a ‘direct provocation’ against South Korea.” [Foreign Policy]
“Haiti’s most powerful gang leader called for the ousting of the country’s prime minister, Ariel Henry. In 2021, Haitian President Jovenel Moise was assassinated, and since then political and social tensions in the island nation have only risen. This week, gang leader Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Cherizier led armed protesters through the country’s capital to call for Henry’s removal from power.” [Vox] [Reuters]
Why was a lion cub found by a roadside in northern Serbia? Police are trying to find out
“A lion cub, only a few months old, was taken to a zoo in northern Serbia after she was found wandering on a local road malnourished and weak.” Read More at AP News
”Seventeen authors are suing OpenAI for ‘systematic theft on a mass scale,’ a.k.a. pulling from their copyrighted works without permission. Jodi Picoult, an author of fiction books such as My Sister’s Keeper, and George R.R. Martin, best known for his Game of Thronesseries, are among the authors who joined the lawsuit that was filed Tuesday in federal court in New York.” [Vox] [AP]
Taking care of your teeth and gums could help protect your brain.
What to know: Poor oral hygiene could increase the risk of dementia, recent research shows. Bacteria and inflammation from gum disease may lead to Alzheimer’s.
The caveat: Dental problems could be a symptom rather than the cause of cognitive decline. But oral hygiene remains one of the simplest ways to look after your health.
Read this story at Washington Post
A NASA spacecraft is about to fling an asteroid sample to Earth.
“How? A capsule containing fragments of the Bennu asteroid, which has a 1 in 2,700 chance of hitting Earth in 2182, will be flung onto a Utah bombing range Sunday morning.
Why? It’s NASA’s first attempt to scoop and retrieve pristine samples from an asteroid, which may contain clues about the origin of life.”
Read this story at Washington Post
“Lives Lived: Marvin Newman was a renowned photographer who brought a quirky, artistic eye when capturing moments on the street, and a unique perspective when shooting athletes like Muhammad Ali and Mickey Mantle. He died at 95.” [New York Times]