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Monday, September 12, 2022

Wake-Up Call: Russian Troops Flee Ukrainian Offensive


Russian troops retreated in northeastern Ukraine Sunday as Ukrainian forces continued their counteroffensive, reclaiming what had been Russian-occupied areas in the Kharkiv region. Ukraine's military chief, General Valerii Zaluzhnyy, said they'd recaptured about 1,160 square miles since the counteroffensive began early this month, and that Ukrainian troops are only 30 miles from the Russian border. The Russian retreat is the biggest success on the battlefield for Ukraine since fighting off a Russian attempt to take the capital city, Kyiv, near the start of the war. Russia struck back at Ukraine's infrastructure, with Ukrainian officials saying the country's second-biggest heat and power plant was hit. There were widespread power outages last night, with complete blackouts in the Khakiv and Donetsk regions, but some power had been restored by later in the evening.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been the focus of fears of a radioactive disaster as it has been in the middle of shelling, was completely shut down. Ukraine’s nuclear energy operator said the plant was reconnected to Ukraine’s electricity grid, allowing engineers to shut down its last operational reactor as protection against a disaster. But the head of U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi, said he is, quote, "gravely concerned about the situation at the plant, which remains in danger as long as any shelling continues." The plant has been occupied by Russian forces since soon after the invasion, but is being operated by Ukrainian staff.
 


✞QUEEN ELIZABETH'S BODY TAKEN IN PROCESSION FROM BALMORAL CASTLE TO SCOTTISH CAPITAL: The body of Queen Elizabeth the Second was taken from Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where she died last Thursday at age 96, to the Scottish capital of Edinburgh in a somber procession on Sunday. Mourners packed the route to watch as the late monarch's flag-draped coffin was driven slowly by during the six-hour journey. The coffin was topped with a wreath made of flowers from the Balmoral estate. The procession ended at Holyrood house palace in Edinburgh, the official residence in Scotland of the British monarch, where her youngest three children, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, were on hand as her coffin was taken into the throne room, where it will remain until this afternoon so staff can pay their last respects. King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla will go to Edinburgh today to join another procession taking the queen’s coffin to St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, where it will remain for 24 hours so people in Scotland can pay their respects before it is flown to London Tuesday. and brought to Buckingham Palace. The coffin will be moved from Buckingham Palace Wednesday to the Houses of Parliament to lie in state until a state funeral at Westminster Abbey next Monday. After the service, the late queen's coffin will be taken to Windsor Castle for interment in St. George's Chapel.

➤QUEEN ELIZABETH'S IMAGE TO REMAIN ON BRITISH CURRENCY FOR NOW: One way Queen Elizabeth the Second was part of the daily lives of the British people is that her image has been on their paper currency and coins for decades. Now that she has died, her portrait is expected to be replaced on the currency with an image of the new King Charles the Third, however, it will take a little time for that to happen. The Bank of England and Royal Mint said that banknotes and coins with the late queen's image remain legal tender, and that more information would be coming later after the official 10-day mourning period ends. Other nations that have the late queen on their currency, including Canada and Australia, will also have to update it with Charles' image, but the process could take longer.

🦮QUEEN ELIZABETH'S CORGIS TO LIVE WITH DUKE AND DUCHESS OF YORK: Queen Elizabeth the Second's beloved Welsh corgi dogs will now live with the Duke and Duchess of York, her son Price Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, CNN reported yesterday, citing a source close to the duke. Even though the couple divorced in 1996, they both live at the Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate. The source said Sarah bonded with the queen over their shared love of dog-walking and horse-riding, and even after the divorce, she continued her friendship with the queen by walking dogs through the Windsor estate. The queen is reported to have had two corgis and two other dogs, a mixed breed "dorgi" -- which is a cross with a dachshund -- and a cocker spaniel. CNN said it's unclear who'll be looking after the other two dogs. The late queen has long had corgis as pets, loving the breed since she was a child. 


➤CALIFORNIA FUGITIVE ACCUSED OF KILLING EIGHT-YEAR-OLD GIRL SIX MONTHS AGO IS CAUGHT: Authorities have finally captured a fugitive who is accused of killing an eight-year-old girl whose body was found at his Merced, California, home nearly six months ago, Lieutenant Joe Perez said in a news conference Sunday. The body of Sophia Mason was found at the home of her mother's boyfriend, Dhante Jackson (right), during a search for the missing girl in March. Perez said investigators found that Mason was malnourished, suffered continuous physical abuse, and was forced to live in a backyard shed at Jackson's home. Mason's mother, Samantha Johnson, was arrested in March, and the manhunt for Jackson began soon after. Perez said Jackson was found in Newark, California, on Saturday and was arrested. He also said several female acquaintances of Jackson have been charged who gave him money, shelter and transportation to help him hide.

➤COLORADO POLICE OFFICER KILLED WHILE RESPONDING TO DISTURBANCE: A 27-year-old Arvada, Colorado, police officer was killed early Sunday while responding to a disturbance. Police Chief Link Strate said that Dillon Michael Vakoff and another officer responded to what he called a "large family disturbance." He said, "The initial two officers tried to separate several belligerent and uncooperative individuals when the suspect began to fire and shot a female victim." There was then an exchange of gunfire between a suspect and police, and both Vakoff and the suspect were shot. Vakoff later died at the hospital, while the suspect is expected to survive, as is the female victim. Vakoff was an Air Force veteran who'd been with the Arvada police since 2019.


➤ THE ECONOMY: U.S. consumer-price inflation showed signs of moderating in August for the second straight month, though the decrease was uneven across sectors and it remains unclear whether the slowdown will continue. Gasoline prices fell sharply in August, airfares dropped and used cars and hotels ebbed, while rent increases also gave hints of slowing, according to private firms that track such data. Still, food prices continued to soar this past month and prices for a range of goods and services remained much higher than a year earlier, the figures show. The path of inflation could influence looming decisions by the Federal Reserve about how high to lift interest rates. Inflation could also shape midterm elections as voters assess their pocketbooks. Looking ahead to a government inflation report to be released on Tuesday, many Wall Street analysts estimate the Labor Department’s overall consumer-price index was unchanged or dropped in August from July. If so, it would mark the second straight month of slower inflation since annual inflation surged to a four-decade high in June. (WSJ)

Oil Prices Slump:  Another turbulent week in oil markets carried crude prices to their lowest point since January, with thin trading and a blurry outlook for supply and demand driving a fitful 30% decline from this year’s highs.  A 5.9% gain since Wednesday notwithstanding, the main U.S. oil benchmark has shed about $35 a barrel since peaking above $122 three months ago. West Texas Intermediate closed Friday at $86.79. Brent crude futures, the primary international price gauge, ended at $92.84. (WSJ)

Heat Wave Hits Supermarkets:  High temperatures in the Western U.S. are hitting the produce industry, damaging crops, shrinking shipments and leaving fewer leafy greens and fruits on supermarket shelves.  A California grower said some of his lettuce leaves are turning brown and melting in the fields because of crop diseases intensified by the high temperatures. In Pennsylvania, a retailer said its stores went a week without having strawberries to sell. A New York distributor has substituted honeydew melons for watermelons, which have become scarce.  Supermarkets say they are giving less shelf space to products with weather-induced discolorations, bruises or burns. Stores are cutting prices on poor-quality items to avoid getting stuck with them, and increasingly receiving products from Canada, Florida, New Jersey and Ohio instead of California, long the go-to source for U.S. grocers. (WSJ)

💸STUDY: AMERICANS' FINANCIAL LITERACY IS GETTING WORSE: A new study has found that Americans' financial literacy has gotten worse over the last 12 years. The FINRA Foundation National Financial Capability Study surveyed nearly 30,000 U.S. adults in 2021, and the average respondent correctly answered 2.6 out of 5 financial literacy questions, down from 3.0 out of 5 questions in 2009. FINRA Research Director Gary Mottola told Yahoo Money, "The 14 percent drop in financial literacy from 2009 to 2021 is certainly notable, but much more surprising is the 21 percent increase in the number of 'don’t know' responses to the . . . questions over the same time." He added of the increase in "don't know" responses: "One hypothesis is that the growing complexity of our financial world could indicate that people are increasingly aware of their own knowledge limitations."

🎾ALVAREZ, SWITAEK WIN U.S. OPEN: Third-seeded Carlos Alcaraz of Spain won the U.S. Open Sunday, defeating Number 5 Casper Rudd of Norway 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3 to earn his first Grand Slam title. With the win, the 19-year-old also become the youngest man to be Number 1 in the ATP rankings since they were introduced in 1973. Alcaraz is the youngest man to win a major title since Rafael Nadal won the 2005 French Open at the same age.

Top-seeded Iga Swiatek of Poland won the women's championship on Saturday for her first U.S. Open title and third Grand Slam, beating fifth-seeded Ons Jabeur of Tunisia 6-2, 7-6 (5). The 21-year-old Swiatek won the French Open June, and is the first woman since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to take two major titles in a single season.


🏈NFL SCORES -- WEEK 1: Here are the results of this weekend's National Football League games:
  • New Orleans Saints 27, Atlanta Falcons 26
  • Chicago Bears 19, San Francisco 49ers 10
  • Pittsburgh Steelers 23, Cincinnati Bengals 20 (OT)
  • Philadelphia Eagles 38, Detroit Lions 35
  • Miami Dolphins 20, New England Patriots 7
  • Baltimore Ravens 24, New York Jets 9
  • Washington Commanders 28, Jacksonville Jaguars 22
  • Cleveland Browns 26, Carolina Panthers 24
  • Indianapolis Colts 20, Houston Texans 20 (OT)
  • New York Giants 21, Tennessee Titans 20
  • Minnesota Vikings 23, Green Bay Packers 7
  • Kansas City Chiefs 44, Arizona Cardinals 21
  • Los Angeles Chargers 24, Las Vegas Raiders 19
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19, Dallas Cowboys 3
Monday Night Football: ABC and ESPN...Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks (8:15 p.m. ET)

🏈DALLAS QB PRESCOTT TO HAVE SURGERY ON THUMB: Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will need surgery on his right thumb and is out indefinitely, owner Jerry Jones said after Sunday's 19-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Prescott left late in the fourth quarter to get his hand examined after he hit the hand of Tampa Bay linebacker Shaq Barrett.

🏈PATRIOTS QB JONES INJURES BACK IN DOLPHINS LOSS: New England quarterback Mac Jones suffered a back injury in the Patriot's season-opening 20-7 loss to the Miami Dolphins Sunday (September 11th). Jones had X-rays after the game and his scheduled news conference was canceled. The quarterback played the entire game, going 21-of-30 for 213 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, and he was sacked twice.

🏈ESPN: STEELERS BELIEVE WATT HAS TORN PECTORAL: The Pittsburgh Steelers believe that linebacker T.J. Watt, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, suffered a torn pectoral during yesterday's 23-20 overtime win against the Cincinnati Bengals. Watt, who left in the fourth quarter with the injury, is set to have scans today to confirm the diagnosis.

⚾PUJOLS HITS 697TH HOMER, CLAIMING FOURTH PLACE ON ALL-TIME LIST: Albert Pujols hit his 697th home run yesterday, moving past Alex Rodriguez to claim fourth place on the career list, and he did it as part of a Cardinals' ninth-inning rally that led to a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. St. Louis went into the ninth down 2-0, but then scored four runs, including Pujols' two-run homer after they'd gotten on the board 2-1, putting them up 3-2. The 42-year-old Pujols, who's in his 22nd and final MLB season, now trails just Barry Bonds, who's first with 762 homers, Hank Aaron, who has 755, and Babe Ruth, who has 714. Pujols has 21 games left in the season.

 
⚾WHITE SOX MANAGER LA RUSSA HAS PACEMAKER, UNSURE WHEN HE'LL RETURN: Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa said Sunday that he's recovering from getting a pacemaker, and is unsure when he'll be able to return. The 77-year-old Hall of Famer told AP, "it’s just a question of regaining strength." La Russa has been out for nearly two weeks, and bench coach Miguel Cairo has been leading the team in his absence. La Russa shared the information while with the White Sox in Oakland, California, on Sunday, only there for a ceremony to celebrate Dave Stewart having his Number 34 retired by the Athletics.


➤LA NINA JUST WON'T GO AWAY:  Meteorologists say that for the third straight year, La Niña will persist throughout the winter in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the first "triple-dip" La Niña of the century, according to a recent update from the United Nations' World Meteorological Organization. This La Niña began in September 2020.  The La Niña climate pattern is a natural cycle marked by cooler-than-average ocean water in the central Pacific Ocean. It is one of the main drivers of weather in the United States and around the world, especially during late fall, winter and early spring. It's the opposite to the more well-known El Niño, which occurs when Pacific ocean water is warmer than average. While this would be the first "triple-dip" La Niña this century, it's not unprecedented for the pattern to last more than nine months to a year, which is typical for a La Niña, according to ABC News.


What does La Niña mean for winter in the US?  A typical La Niña winter in the U.S. brings cold and snow to the Northwest and unusually dry conditions to most of the southern tier of the U.S., according to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. The Southeast and Mid-Atlantic also tend to see warmer-than-average temperatures during a La Niña winter.   Meanwhile, New England and the Upper Midwest into New York tend to see colder-than-average temperatures, the Weather Channel said.



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