The Full Belmonte, 9/30/2023
Extreme rain, floods and state of emergency in the Northeast
“More than 8 inches of rain fell in parts of New York City, leading to widespread flash flooding. States of emergency were declared in New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley north of New York.
Flood watches were in effect for 23 million people from New Jersey through southern New York, including Long Island and parts of Connecticut.
The intense rain and flooding disrupted service on subways, submerged cars and trapped buses in New York. Numerous roads were closed.
The rain is expected to continue through tomorrow morning. Totals were expected to range from 6 to 8 inches in New York City; some areas could see 8 to 10 inches.
One terminal at LaGuardia Airport was shut down until further notice because of flooding. And flooding forced the Metro North commuter railroad to temporarily suspend service between New York and suburbs to the north.” [NBC News]
Sen. Dianne Feinstein dies at age 90
“The Democratic senator from California, who served in the Senate for three decades, died at her home in Washington, according to her office. She was 90 years old and had been in increasingly frail health.
Senator Dianne Feinstein was the oldest member of the Senate and the longest-serving female senator. She had said she planned to retire from the Senate at the end of her term.
President Joe Biden called Feinstein ‘a historic figure’ and a ‘trailblazer for women,’ saying she had made her mark on everything from national security to the environment, gun safety, and protecting civil liberties.
In a statement, her office said: ‘Senator Feinstein never backed away from a fight for what was just and right. At the same time, she was always willing to work with anyone, even those she disagreed with, if it meant bettering the lives of Californians or the betterment of our nation.’
Feinstein was known as a strong gun control advocate and had championed the 1994 assault weapons ban. When the ban expired a decade later she pushed for more restrictive gun laws.
Her political career began in California, where she was president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming acting mayor after the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. She went on to become the first woman to be elected San Francisco’s mayor.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who will appoint a replacement, said Feinstein ‘was many things — a powerful, trailblazing U.S. senator, an early voice for gun control, a leader in times of tragedy and chaos. … She was a political giant, whose tenacity was matched by her grace. She broke down barriers and glass ceilings, but never lost her belief in the spirit of political cooperation.’” [NBC News]
What Dianne Feinstein’s death means for California’s Senate elections
Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
“California Sen. Dianne Feinstein died Thursday night at 90. Feinstein was the longest-serving woman in the US Senate and a vocal advocate for gun control measures.
The lowdown: Feinstein died as she was preparing to pass the torch to a new generation of leadership.
Her death brings to an end a messy, sometimes ugly chapter of national politics centered on her age and health. She faced numerous calls to step down as stories spread over the last year about her perceived mental decline.
The senator announced her retirement in February, planning to leave Congress at the end of her term. California Reps. Katie Porter, Adam Schiff, and Barbara Lee are all running to replace her.
For now, there’s an opening in the Senate that California Gov. Gavin Newsom will need to fill — and he will face intense pressure over his decision. Newsom has said he won’t choose anyone currently campaigning to fill the seat and that he would nominate a Black woman should Feinstein vacate her seat early.
The stakes: Porter, Schiff, and Lee still have five months before California’s primary day, when voters will decide which two candidates move on to a likely Democrat-versus-Democrat general election contest.
Politics reporter Christian Paz explained what Feinstein’s death means for California and why filling Feinstein’s seat will be a challenge.
‘A lot of it has to do with just how strong inertia is in politics, especially in Congress,’ Christian told me. ‘She had seniority, had a ton of influence in getting many California politicians to where they are, had money and name recognition to fend off rivals in earlier contests, and had a pretty iconic political career in the Bay Area, in California, and in the Senate.’
Because of California rules, Newsom’s appointed senator will still have to appear on the ballot if they want to stay in their seat between November 2024 (when the state will hold a general Senate election) and January 2025 (when whoever wins in November 2024 will be sworn in). His appointee could also attempt to jump in the primary against the three candidates currently in the race. All this means a big change for California’s Senate delegation, and perhaps an even bigger change for the Senate Democratic caucus.
‘Now California has to elect a new senator who will be starting off at the bottom of the Senate pack,’ Christian said. ‘Feinstein was a centrist and moderate, though was much more progressive for the era that she got her start in politics. But this is where political inertia comes in again. Her party, including in the senate, moved to the left much faster than she could.’” [Vox]
Government shutdown looms this weekend
“Congress remained in a stalemate on funding the government beyond tomorrow night’s shutdown deadline.
If no agreement is reached, nearly 2 million civilian federal workers would be furloughed or would work without pay.
While Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and veterans benefits would continue, other benefits would be affected, including the WIC and SNAP food programs. Head Start would also lose funding.
The National Park Service plans to close its parks and furlough park rangers.
Air traffic controllers and TSA agents would remain on the job but would not be paid. Customs and Border Protection agents would continue to work.
Mail delivery would not be affected.” [NBC News]
UAW expands strike against Ford and GM
US President Joe Biden joined a picket line with members of the United Auto Workers at a GM plant in Belleville, Michigan, on Sept. 26, becoming the first sitting president to join a picket line. Photographer: Jim Watson/AFP
“Shawn Fain, the president of the United Auto Workers, said the union will expand its strikes today against General Motors and Ford to include two assembly plants.
Fain said no additional strikes would take place at Stellantis, the parent of Chrysler, because there had been progress in negotiations with the company.
After the UAW expanded the walkout, Ford’s chief executive, Jim Farley, said he didn’t think the two sides had reached an impasse over one issue – wages and benefits at electric vehicle battery plants – ‘but that day could come.’
About 6,900 UAW workers will join the strike, in addition to more than 18,000 who walked out earlier.” [NBC News]
The conservatorship of Michael Oher, the retired NFL player who was the subject of “The Blind Side” book and movie, is over.
“A Tennessee probate court terminated the 2004 arrangement that gave Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy control over Oher’s finances. He alleged the couple, who took him in as a teenager, duped him by saying they needed his signature for the adoption process. The former pro footballer said he had discovered the lie earlier this year and wants some of the millions they earned off his name and likeness. A Tuohy lawyer didn’t respond to a request for comment, but one previously said that the allegations were hurtful and untrue and that the Tuohys were upfront with him about the conservatorship.” [Wall Street Journal]
“Police in Las Vegas have arrested a suspect in the 1996 shooting death of rapper Tupac Shakur. Officials said Duane “Keffe D” Davis was arrested this morning and charged with murder. Clark County Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo called Davis the ‘on-ground, on-site commander’ who ordered Shakur’s death. A judge ordered Davis held without bail. He has not yet entered a plea.” [NBC News]
“The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, retired today after four years on the job under two presidents. His term was marked by the war in Ukraine, the end of the war in Afghanistan, the Covid pandemic and the January 6th insurrection. He will be replaced by Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., who will be the second Black officer to serve as Joint Chiefs chairman after Colin Powell.” [NBC News]
“A co-defendant in the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump pleaded guilty to five charges, the first of the 19 defendants to enter a plea.” [New York Times]
“Student loan repayments will resume this Sunday.” [NBC News]
The End of an Era
Refugees drive their vehicles before crossing the border at Lachin District in Nagorno-Karabakh on Sept. 28.Siranush Sargsyan/AFP via Getty Images
“Following more than three decades of cross-border violence, the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region has ceased to exist. On Thursday, the government of the “Republic of Artsakh,” a breakaway government established during the post-Soviet struggle for control of the region, signed a decree dissolving its rule by Jan. 1. The decision marks a major win for Azerbaijan and furthers the mass exodus of ethnic Armenians from the area.
Around 78,300 Armenians (or more than half of Nagorno-Karabakh’s population) have fled the region in the last week, after Azerbaijan launched what it called an “anti-terrorist” offensive on Sept. 19 targeting the Armenian enclave. Within 24 hours, regional leaders had surrendered to Baku’s forces, and by Wednesday, top Artsakh officials such as Ruben Vardanyan had been arrested and brought to face court in Azerbaijan’s capital.
‘Analysis of the situation shows that in the coming days there will be no Armenians left in Nagorno-Karabakh,’ Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said. ‘This is an act of ethnic cleansing.’
Azerbaijan has denied these accusations, saying ethnic Armenians are not required to leave Nagorno-Karabakh, “separatists” who hand over their weapons will be granted amnesty, and residents’ rights will be protected under Baku’s constitution. But with tens of thousands of Armenians fleeing Azerbaijani control, the U.S. Agency for International Development has documented ‘very troubling reports of violence against civilians.’
Fighting for control of Nagorno-Karabakh began in 1988, with two wars breaking out following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Armenians in Azerbaijan and Azeris in Armenia were forcibly expelled, with dozens killed in ethnic pogroms. In 2020, the outbreak of a second war forced Russia to broker a fragile—and often ignored—cease-fire. Under the deal, Armenia controlled Nagorno-Karabakh’s largest city as well as surrounding area and Azerbaijan oversaw the rest of the territory.
Russian peacekeepers stated on Thursday that they will continue to monitor the situation. However, many Armenians do not trust the Kremlin’s promises. After Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Armenia warned the international community of a potential Azerbaijani offensive, arguing that Russia’s wartime focus on Ukraine had pulled its attention from the embroiled region.” [Foreign Policy]
“Wagner’s new chief. Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Andrei Troshev, a former leader of the paramilitary Wagner Group, on Thursday to discuss overseeing “volunteer units” in Ukraine. These forces would assist in special military operations and increase public support for Moscow’s war campaign. Wagner already maintains a Russian military presence throughout Africa, and Putin’s meeting signals that Troshev may be the new chief.
The meeting, announced on Friday, highlights the Kremlin’s efforts to show it maintains control over Wagner despite former leader Yevgeny Prigozhin leading a failed coup against the Kremlin in June. Prigozhin has since perished in a plane crash suspected to be ordered by the Russian defense ministry.” [Foreign Policy]
“Elections in Eswatini. Africa’s last absolute monarchy held elections on Friday to decide the makeup of its parliament—but the results are likely to be meaningless. King Mswati III has been in power since 1986, with his father serving as king for 82 years before that. In the southern African nation, political parties are banned, and elected officials simply advise the Crown.
These are Eswatini’s first elections since 2021, when the country was rocked by deadly pro-democracy protests. More than half a million residents are currently registered to vote for 59 members of the lower house, with the 55-year-old king set to select 10 more representatives. Critics have argued that the elections only act to further strengthen the monarchy’s power.” [Foreign Policy]
“Mosque bombings rock Pakistan. At least 52 people were killed in a blast, likely a suicide bombing, near a mosque in Mastung, Pakistan, on Friday. Hundreds of Muslims had gathered in the area to celebrate the birthday of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, a holiday known as Mawlid al-Nabi. At least one senior police officer has been confirmed among the dead.
This was not Pakistan’s only mosque bombing on Friday. Hours later, another blast killed at least four people and injured 11 others at a mosque near Peshawar. Pakistani authorities were ordered to remain on high alert in anticipation of the holy day. No group has claimed responsibility for either attack.” [Foreign Policy]
THE WEEK IN CULTURE
Michael Gambon as DumbledoreJaap Buitendjik/Warner Bros. Pictures
“Michael Gambon, best known for playing Dumbledore in several of the Harry Potter movies, died at 82. Read how he inhabited the role of the beloved Hogwarts headmaster.” [New York Times]
“A judge ended a legal arrangement between Michael Oher, the subject of the hit movie “The Blind Side,” and the people who took him in when he was a teenager. It had given them authority over his affairs.” [New York Times]
“A meme of “King of Queens” actor Kevin James has taken over some people’s social media feeds, Vulture reports.” [New York Times]
“Aerosmith postponed the rest of its farewell tour until next year because its lead singer, Steven Tyler, injured his vocal cords.” [New York Times]
“Performances of Stephen Sondheim’s final musical, “Here We Are,” commenced this week. The composer died in 2021.” [New York Times]
“Cher is accused of hiring four men to kidnap her adult son as an apparent form of intervention, The Los Angeles Times reported.” [New York Times]
“The French actor Gérard Depardieu’s art collection sold at auction in Paris for $4.2 million.” [New York Times]
“The home of the French singer Serge Gainsbourg is open to the public, with everything as it was on the day he died.” [New York Times]
“The eight remaining campuses of the Art Institutes, a system of for-profit colleges, will close by the end of the month.” [New York Times]
“The jackpot for tomorrow night’s Powerball drawing rose to $925 million, the world’s ninth largest lottery jackpot.” [NBC News]