Monday, September 11, 2023

9/11 WAKE-UP CALL: 22-Years Since 9/11


Americans are looking back on the horror and legacy of 9/11, gathering Monday at memorials, firehouses, city halls and elsewhere to observe the 22nd anniversary of the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil. Commemorations stretch from the attack sites — at New York’s World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The hijacked plane attacks claimed nearly 3,000 lives and reshaped American foreign policy and domestic fears.
➤HELP ARRIVES SLOWLY: Communities near the epicenter of Morocco’s powerful earthquake were a picture of devastation and anger Sunday, as residents described using their bare hands to pull loved ones from the rubble. In most places, there was no sign of government-promised rescue teams, and there was no word yet from many villages higher up in the mountains. A magnitude 3.9 aftershock rocked Morocco on Sunday, rattling rescue workers and residents whose homes withstood Friday's magnitude 6.8 temblor that killed more than 2,000 people and turned ancient towns to rubble. 

The United Nations estimated that 300,000 people were affected by the quake. Digging out survivors from crumbled buildings remained the emphasis on Sunday. “There are a lot of blocked roads, a lot of people can't find their parents and a lot of people are still under the rubble," Adeeni Mustafa, who lives 30 miles south of Marrakech in the town of Asni, told the BBC. "People are still searching for their relatives. Everything came down on them, the mountains, their homes."

➤RUSSIAN CONDEMNATION EFFORT FAILS: President Joe Biden failed at a weekend summit in India to unite world leaders around a condemnation of Russia's war in Ukraine, drawing a rebuke from Kyiv and putting him on the defensive as he wrapped up a trip abroad. Neither Russian President Vladimir Putin nor Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the New Delhi gathering for leaders of the world's most powerful economies, but even in their absence, Russia and China notched a win against the U.S. when it came to rallying the international community against the war that began more than a year and a half ago. Group of 20 nations declined to explicitly chide Russia for the invasion, saying instead that countries "must refrain from the threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition" and lamented "the human suffering and negative added impacts of the war."

PRESIDENT'S HANDLER SHUTSDOWN PRESSER: Joe Biden was mid-sentence and answering questions from journalists when the booming voice of his press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, could be heard butting in to cut the press conference short. Biden continued to speak, not realizing his mic had long since been muted. In another bizarre moment, sleepy jazz music then began to play over the loudspeaker, with the 80-year-old still seemingly trying to answer questions as he continued to speak into the microphone. Biden tried to answer a few more questions, but the music grew louder prompting the president to put away his leather-backed folder and shuffle offstage, disappearing behind a black curtain. 


Earlier in the press conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, following the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, Biden risked upsetting his Vietnamese hosts with quotes from the Robin Williams movie Good Morning, Vietnam - which he seemed to think was a song. President Biden clamored for a nap during a rambling 26-minute international press conference in Vietnam on Sunday that capped off his whirlwind trip to Asia. “I tell you what, I don’t know about you, but I’m going to go to bed,” Biden, 80, joking during a rambling riff in response to a question about why he hasn’t spoken to Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The president was in Hanoi following the multi-day Group of 20 summit in New Delhi, India, where he basked in the absence of Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I’ll just follow my orders here. Staff, is there anybody that hasn’t spoken yet? I ain’t calling on you,” Biden said at another point during the presser Sunday. Biden dusted off some of his favorite one-liners and at times appeared to invent new ones as he fielded a barrage of questions from reporters. “The Indian looks at John Wayne and points to the Union soldier and says, ‘He’s a lying, dog-faced pony soldier!'” Biden said in response to a question about climate change.

Danelo Cavalcante
➤KILLER STILL SOUGHT: A convicted murderer who escaped from a Pennsylvania prison over a week ago eluded a police perimeter and stole a van to run from law enforcement, authorities said on Sunday. Danelo Cavalcante, 34, escaped on Aug. 31 from Chester County Prison in the vicinity of Philadelphia where he was awaiting transfer to a state prison to serve a life sentence for killing his ex-girlfriend. Police said that Cavalcante on Saturday stole a white Ford van just outside the area law enforcement was monitoring around the prison and used it to travel approximately 25 miles to the township of East Pikeland. The van's keys had been left inside the vehicle, police said. The fugitive then attempted to contact a former work associate at his residence and was captured on video by the doorbell camera. Screenshots of the video circulated by police earlier on Sunday show Cavalcante changed his appearance to elude capture including shaving his beard and mustache. 

➤VA GOVERNOR PARDONS PARENT: Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) announced Sunday he had pardoned a parent who was arrested during a school board meeting. Scott Smith was arrested in 2021 after he complained to the Loudoun County School Board about his daughter's rape. Her perpetrator was a boy wearing a skirt who was allowed to use the girls' restroom because of the district's transgender policy.

➤MASK DEBATE RETURNS: Covid-19 is back on the minds of America’s CEOs and school principals.  A rise in Covid-19 cases and the approach of fall, when other respiratory illnesses start to spread, has revived discussion of how best to protect students and workers. Few companies or schools are ready to reinstate anything approaching measures such as stringent masking rules that were common during the first years of the pandemic. But the rise in Covid-19 is a reminder that the virus retains power to disrupt learning and work. “We’ve taken a pretty clear line that just says, please, for the love of God, if you’re not feeling well, don’t come in,” said Aaron Levie, chief executive officer of the technology company Box

✞TEXAS SINGER DIES: Charlie Robison, the Texas singer-songwriter whose rootsy anthems made the country charts until he was forced to retire after complications from a medical procedure left him unable to sing, died Sunday. He was 59. Robison died at a hospital in San Antonio after suffering cardiac arrest and other complications, according to a family representative. Robison launched his music career in the late 1980s, playing in local Austin bands like Two Hoots and a Holler before forming his own Millionaire Playboys. In 1996, he released his solo debut, “Bandera,” named for the Texas Hill Country town where his family has had a ranch for generations.

➤NEW MEXICO GOVERNOR ISSUES ORDER SUSPENDING THE RIGHT TO CARRY FIREARMS IN PUBLIC ACROSS ALBUQUERQUE: New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday issued an emergency order suspending the right to carry firearms in public across Albuquerque and the surrounding county for at least 30 days in response to a spate of gun violence. The Democratic governor said she expects legal challenges but was compelled to act because of recent shootings, including the death of an 11-year-old boy outside a minor league baseball stadium.

➤KAISER TO PAY $49M AFTER CALIFORNIA AG SAYS INVESTIGATORS FOUND 'BODY PARTS' IN TRASH: Kaiser Permanente agreed to a $49 million settlement this month after state and local law enforcement found the health care giant disposed of confidential patient information, hazardous waste and medical waste including blood and body parts in regular trash streams. “We saw bodily fluids and body parts that should not have been in the public waste stream,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said at a news conference Friday. “The settlement requires Kaiser to take significant steps and spend money to invest in preventing unlawful disposals from happening again in the future.”

➤HAWAII LAWMAKER HAMMERS BIDEN'S 'SLAP IN THE FACE' TO MAUI: A Hawaii state lawmaker slammed President Joe Biden's recent trip to the devastated island of Maui, saying locals saw his comments as a "slap in the face," criticizing him for routinely "butchering" official's names and appearing to fall asleep during a memorial for fire victims. Hawaii House Minority Floor Leader Diamond Garcia, R-Oahu, said the community is still reeling from the fires that left more than 100 dead and the city of Lahaina leveled.

🎾DJOKOVIC WINS U-S OPEN: Novak Djokovic battled past Daniil Medvedev 6-3 7-6(5) 6-3 and into the tennis record books on Sunday, winning the U.S. Open to equal Margaret Court's record haul of 24 Grand Slams. The victory, his fourth in 10 Flushing Meadows finals, capped another remarkable Grand Slam campaign for Djokovic with wins at the Australian, French and U.S. Opens and a return to the top of the world rankings when they are updated on Monday.

🏈NFL COWBOYS 40 GIANTS 0:  Big Blue Debacle...The Cowboys managed their largest win over the rival Giants in 57 years on Sunday night, dismantling New York to the point that calling the matchup a rivalry doesn't seem fair to either side. New York went down the field with ease in the opening minutes, running the ball right past Cowboys defenders. Then, in the blink of an eye, it was 16-0, Cowboys. Then, 23-0. Then, 30-0. 33-0. And finally 40-0. The Giants were shut out for the first time since 2018, when they finished the season 5-11.

🏈NFL SCORES:

  • Bucs 20 Vikings 17
  • Eagles 25 Patriots 20
  • Falcons 24 Panthers 10
  • Browns 24 Bengals 3
  • Jags 31 Colts 21
  • Saints 16 Titans 15
  • 49ers 30 Steelers 7
  • Commanders 20 Cardinals 16
  • Ravens 25 Texans 9
  • Packers 38 Bears 20
  • Dolphins 36 Chargers 34
  • Rams 30 Seahawks 13
  • Tonight: Bills at Jets


⚾MLB YANKEES 4 BREWERS 3:  Giancarlo Stanton hit a game-tying, two-run homer in the 12th inning and Kyle Higashioka hit a game-winning RBI double in the 13th as the host New York Yankees beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 on Sunday after being held without a hit into the 11th. Stanton homered off Andrew Chafin after the Brewers (79-63) went up 3-1 on an RBI double by Joey Wiemer and a sacrifice fly by Andruw Monasterio. Higashioka won it when he doubled against Hoby Milner (2-1), with the ball sailing over left fielder Tyrone Taylor's head.

First to Clinch Post Season Berth
⚾MLB SCORES:

  • Marlins 5 Phillies 4
  • Rays 6 Mariners 3
  • Tigers 3 White Sox 2
  • Red Sox 7 Orioles 3
  • Braves 5 Pirates 2
  • Dodgers 7 Nationals 3
  • Blue Jays 5 Royals 4
  • Reds 7 Cardinals 1
  • Mets 2 Twins 0
  • Astros 12 Padres 2
  • Cubs 5 D-Backs 2
  • Rangers 9 Athletics 4
  • Angels 2 Guardians 1
  • Giants 6   Rockies 3

⚾YANKEES DOMINGUEZ HAS TORN UCL: Martian Misery..Just over a week since his Major League debut on Sept. 1, the Yankees announced on Sunday that Jasson Domínguez has a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Manager Aaron Boone said that surgery has not yet been scheduled -- the average recovery time for position players is nine to 10 months after surgery to repair UCL tears. "The Martian" was scratched ahead of Sunday's eventual 4-3, extra-innings win against the Brewers with right elbow inflammation.  In eight games (31 at-bats) since joining the Yankees, the club's No. 2 ranked prospect (No. 74 overall) per MLB Pipeline was hitting .258/.303/.677 with four homers and seven RBIs.

🏈AP COLLEGE POLL: Behind quarterback Quinn Ewers, Texas became the first team to beat Alabama by double-digits on its home field under coach Nick Saban. The loss dropped Alabama seven spots to No. 10, its lowest ranking since early last November, when the Crimson Tide also were 10th, in the newest AP College Poll.. Southern California moved up a spot to No. 5, giving the top five representation from each Power Five conference for the first time since Sept. 24, 2017. That top five was Alabama (SEC), Clemson (Atlantic Coast Conference), Oklahoma (Big 12), Penn State (Big Ten) and USC.

🏈COACH SUSPENDED: Michigan State suspended football coach Mel Tucker without pay on Sunday, less than 24 hours after allegations became public in a USA Today report that he sexually harassed activist and rape survivor Brenda Tracy during a phone call last year. University President Teresa K. Woodruff and athletic director Alan Haller announced the suspension pending the results of an outside investigation into the allegations. The university hired a Title IX attorney to investigate Tracy’s complaint and the investigation concluded on July 25. A hearing is scheduled for the week of Oct. 5 determine if Tucker violated the school’s sexual harassment and exploitation policy.

➤LEE REGAINS STRENGTH: Hurricane Lee has restrengthened as it churns west-northwest in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and is expected to bring dangerous surf and rip currents to the U.S. East Coast from Sunday night for at least a few days, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.The storm, about 285 miles (455 km) northeast of the northern Leeward Islands, should pass north of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and other Caribbean islands. Dangerous surf and rip currents have begun to reach portions of the U.S. southeast coast and could worsen and spread northward during the next couple of days. Sunday appeared to be just another hot and humid late summer day in Puerto Rico's capital, San Juan, where people walked by the beach or exercised, and businesses were open.



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