Friday, September 9, 2022

Wake-Up Call: Britain Mourns For Queen

Queen Elizabeth the Second, who served 70 years on the British throne as the nation's longest-reigning monarch, died yesterday (September 8th) at Balmoral Castle, her summer residence in Scotland. She was 96. Crowds began gathering at Buckingham Palace to pay their respects after news that she'd taken a turn for the worse, and the Independent reported that they fell silent when her death was announced.

Prince Charles automatically became King Charles III upon her death, and the 73-year-old said in a statement that his mother's death was a, quote, "moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family," calling her "a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother." He added, "I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world." Britain's new Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was ceremoniously appointed by the queen just two days earlier in her final public appearance, called Elizabeth "the rock on which modern Britain was built." President Biden was among the world leaders who reacted to the queen's death, calling her a "stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States."


Elizabeth's death came just months after Britain celebrated her Platinum Jubilee with events over several days in June, but at which she appeared just twice publicly due to her mobility issues. Over her seven decades on the throne, Elizabeth became an icon, the only monarch most Britons now alive have known, living up to the pledge she'd made at age 21, almost five years before she became queen, that, quote, "my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service." Elizabeth's husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, died in April 2021 at age 99, and she is survived by her four children, Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. 

NY Post 9/9/22




➤BLINKEN VISITS KYIV, ANNOUNCES $2.8 BILLION IN AID TO UKRAINE, EUROPEAN NATIONS: Secretary of State Anthony Blinken made an unannounced visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv yesterday, and said the U.S. would be giving more than $2.8 billion in additional military aid to Ukraine and 18 European nations, quote, "potentially at risk of future Russian aggression." That was in addition to $675 million in heavy weaponry, ammunition and armored vehicles for Ukraine announced earlier in the day by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

 
➤JUSTICE DEPT. APPEALING JUDGE'S SPECIAL MASTER DECISION IN TRUMP DOCUMENTS CASE: The Justice Department said Thursday that it is appealing a judge's decision Monday granting Donald Trump's request for an independent special master to review thousands of documents taken from the former president's Mar-a-Lago estate when the FBI executed a search warrant in early August. The Justice Department also asked U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to put her directive on hold that barred the department from using the documents in its investigation into the presence of classified documents at the Florida estate as well as what it says were efforts to obstruct the probe. Cannon said the special master would review the documents to separate those that are potentially protected by attorney-client privilege or executive privilege.

➤BANNON PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO MONEY LAUNDERING, FRAUD CHARGES IN BORDER WALL SCHEME: Former top Donald Trump strategist Steve Bannon pled not guilty Thursday in New York to charges including money laundering, conspiracy and fraud related to the We Build the Wall organization that allegedly defrauded donors. New York prosecutors say Bannon promised that all donations to the organzation would go to building a wall on the southern border, but instead he was involved in funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the donations to himself and two other people involved in the scheme. Then-President Trump pardoned Bannon in 2020 on federal charges related to the alleged scam, but the pardon doesn't apply to state charges.


🏠MORTGAGE RATE HITS HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE 2008: The average 30-year mortgage rate has hit 5.89 percent, according to data published by Freddie Mac yesterday, which is the highest level since 2008. After a period of red-hot home sales and soaring home prices during the pandemic, sales have slowed as mortgage rates rose. Housing group Redfin said that for the first time in nearly 18 months, the average U.S. home sold below its asking price. The median home sale price was $370,000, up six percent year-over-year, but six percent below the record high of $393,725 during the four-week period ending June 19th.

➤WHAT IS QUIET FIRING, AND IS IT HAPPENING TO YOU?: We heard of "quiet quitting", but now a new term is trending: Quiet Firing. The term can refer to employees being given more roles and stress without a promotion or raise, or when employers make a job so unbearable that employees quit on their own. "Eventually you’ll either feel so incompetent, isolated, and unappreciated that you’ll go find a new job, and they never have to deal with a development plan or offer severance," recruiting expert Bonnie Dilber wrote in a LinkedIn post. Hyper-critical feedback, years without raises or promotions, and canceled one-on-one meetings are some signs of quiet firing. Some tips on handling quiet firing include an honest discussion with management or leaving the company.

💃'DWTS REVEALS CELEBRITY CAST': ABC revealed the full lineup of celebrities for Season 31 of Dancing With The Stars Thursday on Good Morning America. Previously announced contestants, TikTok star Charli D’Amelio and her reality-star mom, Heidi will be joined by Selma Blair (Cruel Intentions), Shangela (RuPaul’s Drag Race), Wayne Brady (Whose Line Is It Anyway?), Teresa Giudice (RHONJ), Cheryl Ladd (Charlie’s Angels), Daniel Durant (CODA), Jordin Sparks (American Idol), Vinny Guadagino (Jersey Shore), Gabby Windey (Bachelorette), Jason Lewis (Sex and the City), Jessie James Decker (country singer), Trevor Donovan (90210), Sam Champion (GMA), and Joseph Baena (Fitness Model/Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son). Dancing With the Stars premieres Monday, Sept. 19th on Disney+.

🦞LOBSTERS PUT ON 'RED LIST,' SOME RETAILERS REMOVE THEM: Some retailers said they will no longer sell lobster after the influential conservation group Seafood Watch put it on its "red list" of species to avoid because of the risk to rare North Atlantic right whales from how they are fished. Whales can be injured or die when they become entangled in the gear that connects to lobster traps on the ocean floor. Seafood Watch said American and Canadian lobster fisheries', quote, "current management measures do not go far enough to mitigate entanglement risks and promote recovery of the species." Patrice McCarron, executive director of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, pushed back, saying the lobster industry in Maine has not had a documented interaction with a right whale in almost two decades.

✞BERNARD SHOW, CNN'S FIRST AND LONGTIME CHIEF ANCHOR, DEAD AT 82: Bernard Shaw, who was CNN's first chief anchor and remained in the post for two decades, died Wednesday of pneumonia. He was 82. Shaw, who was a pioneering Black broadcast journalist, was a former U.S. Marine who worked as a reporter at CBS and ABC News before becoming CNN's chief anchor when the cable network began in 1980. Former CNN Washington bureau chief Frank Sesno said, "He put CNN on the map." Shaw retired from CNN on February 28, 2001.

🏈BILLS DOWN SUPER BOWL CHAMPION RAMS 31-10 IN NFL SEASON OPENER: The Buffalo Bills downed the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams 31-10 last night in the NFL season opener at L.A.'s Sofi Stadium. Bills quarterback Josh Allen was 26 of 31, throwing for 297 yards and three touchdowns and scrambling for a fourth TD. Rams QB Matthew Stafford passed for 240 yards and one touchdown, but was intercepted three times and sacked seven times, brought down twice by Von Miller. Earlier in the day, the Rams announced that head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead had both agreed to contract extensions through the 2026 season.


🏀SUNS DEFEAT SKY 72-63 TO REACH WNBA FINALS: The Connecticut Sun defeated the defending WNBA champion Chicago Sky 72-63 last night to win their semifinal series 3 games to 2 and advance to the WNBA Finals. The Sun had to overcome an 11-point deficit with just under five minutes remaining, scoring the final 18 points of the game. Connecticut will face the Las Vegas Aces in the Finals, with the first game on Sunday.
 

🎾SWIATEK, JABEUR TO FACE EACH OTHER IN U.S. OPEN WOMEN'S FINAL: Top-seeded Iga Swiatek and Number 5 Ons Jabeur will face each other in the U.S. Open women's final Saturday after they won their semifinal matches last night. Swiatek of Poland came back after dropping the first set to beat Number 6 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, Tunisia's Jabeur defeated Number 17 Caroline Garcia of France 6-1, 6-3, becoming the first African woman to play in a final at the U.S. Open in the professional era.

⚾MLB SET TO ADOPT RULES CHANGES TODAY TO SHORTEN GAMES: MLB's competition committee is set to adopt rules changes today that are intended to shorten games and increase offense and will go into effect next season: a pitch clock; limits on defensive shifts; and limits on how many times a pitcher can step off the rubber. A pitch clock will count down 15 seconds with no runners on base and 20 seconds with runners. The shift limit will require four players to be in front of the outfield grass when a pitch is thrown, including two of the four on either side of second base. There will be a limit during each plate appearance of two pickoff attempts or steps off the rubber by pitchers. Additionally, the size of bases will increase to 18-inch square from 15-inch to reduce injuries and to increase stolen bases.

⚾CARDINALS' WAINWRIGHT, MOLINA TIE MLB BATTERYMATE RECORD: St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright and catcher Yadier Molina made their 324th career start together yesterday, tying the MLB record for batterymates set by the Detroit Tigers' Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan from 1963 to 1975. The Cardinals went on to lose the game to the Washington Nationals 11-6. Wainwright and Molina made their first start together in April 2007, and they are set to break the record on September 14th against the Milwaukee Brewers.

🏈💸'FORBES': COWBOYS TOP LIST OF WORLD'S MOST VALUABLE SPORTS TEAMS: The Dallas Cowboys topped Forbes list of the world's most valuable sports teams released yesterday, with an $8 billion valuation. The NFL dominates the top 10, accounting for six of them, including the New England Patriots in second place with a $6.4 billion valuation and the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in third at $6.2 billion. MLB's New York Yankees are in fourth place, the most valuable team that's not in the NFL, at $6 billion, tied with football's New York Giants. The highest-valued NBA team is the New York Knicks, tied in sixth place at $5.8 billion with the NFL's Chicago Bears. Tied in eighth place at $5.6 billion are the NBA's Golden State Warriors and the NFL's Washington Commanders, and the NBA's L.A. Lakers are in 10th place at $5.5 billion. The most valuable franchise outside of North America is soccer's Real Madrid, which is at Number 13. No NHL teams made it into the top 50.



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