Monday, June 26, 2023

6/26 WAKE-UP CALL: Putin Blinked


Russia sought to restore calm on Monday after an aborted mutiny by Wagner Group mercenaries over the weekend, while Western allies assessed how President Vladimir Putin might reassert authority and what it could mean for the war in Ukraine. Ending their short-lived mutiny, Wagner fighters halted their rapid advance on Moscow, withdrew from the southern Russian city of Rostov and headed back to their bases late on Saturday under a deal that guaranteed their safety. Their commander, Yevgeny Prigozhin, would move to Belarus under the deal mediated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Monday has been declared a non-working day in Moscow to allow time for things to settle, and there was little evidence of increased security in the Russian capital on Sunday evening. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, one of the main targets of Prigozhin's anger, visited Russian troops involved in the military operation in Ukraine, state-run RIA news agency reported on Monday. But Putin, who has held power for more than two decades, had still to comment publicly since the de-escalation of one of the biggest challenges to his rule. The stunning rebellion in Russia — which raised the threat of a civil war in a nuclear-armed state — ended in under 24 hours. But Russian President Vladimir Putin is weaker, potentially changing the course of his war in Ukraine. After a deal with the Kremlin as his mercenaries advanced on Moscow, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the Wagner Group owner who led the aborted mutiny, will go into exile in neighboring Belarus, and won't face charges.

Why it matters: Russians woke up to a changed country: Invading Ukraine has backfired on Putin. And Prigozhin punctured the 70-year-old leader's strongman swagger.  Prigozhin, 62, owns the once-Kremlin-allied Wagner Group, a private army of inmate recruits and other mercenaries that has fought some of the deadliest battles in Ukraine.

Sen. Ben Cardin on Sunday said that the attempted mutiny by Russia's Wagner Group of mercenaries on Russian President Vladimir Putin wasn't a surprise, describing the scenario as "thugs dealing with thugs." During an interview on "Fox News Sunday," the Maryland Democrat and former ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said Putin should have foreseen such an issue, pointing to the motivations of Wagner Group owner Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Prigozhin had long been allied with Putin, and the group has been aiding the Russian military during the country's invasion of Ukraine. But tensions between the groups have flared as Russia became bogged down in Ukraine without the sort of progress envisioned by the Kremlin. The full story behind why Prigozhin launched—then stunningly halted—his revolt isn’t yet known. But the elements include the culmination of military infighting, financial pressures and Prigozhin’s personal political ambitions, according to Russian defectors, military analysts and Western intelligence officials.

 

➤AUTO INSURANCE SOARS: A 40% increase by Allstate in Georgia, a 32% rise sought by Nationwide Mutual Insurance in California, an 11% bump by State Farm in New York. Insurers are imposing steep increases on auto insurance rates, with state regulators doing little to stop them. Even states with consumer-friendly laws, and the power to veto increases, are allowing rates to rise. California this year agreed to more than a billion dollars of car-insurance premium increases, according to consumer advocates. Insurers are getting big bumps because they have suffered big losses. Car insurance premiums could keep increasing through the end of 2024. “Rates need to rise probably 5 to 10 percent in each of the next couple of years, because the loss trends have gone up so much,” said Dale Porfilio, chief insurance officer at industry group Insurance Information Institute.

➤COAST GUARD PROBES TITAN DISASTER: The U.S. Coast Guard opened its highest-level investigation into the implosion that killed five people aboard a submersible on a sightseeing trip to the Titanic wreckage, a probe that could result in recommendations for civil or criminal penalties, officials said Sunday. The process will leverage the Coast Guard’s investigative resources along with international cooperation to produce a conclusive report on the underwater disaster that sparked an extensive search off the coast of Canada, said Jason Neubauer, chief investigator for the U.S. Coast Guard.  Given the complexities of the case, it is unclear how long it will take to piece together what happened to the lost Titan, which was privately owned and operated by OceanGate Expeditions, he said.


➤WORKER DEAD AFTER BEING 'INGESTED' INTO PLANE ENGINE AT SAN ANTONIO AIRPORT: An airport worker died Friday after he was "ingested" into the engine of a Delta plane at San Antonio International Airport, the National Transportation Safety Board said. Delta Flight 1111 had arrived at the airport and was taxiing to the gate on one engine around 10:25 p.m. when the deadly incident happened, officials said. The plane, an Airbus A319, had just arrived from Los Angeles International Airport. The worker was employed by Unifi, a company that Delta contracts with to support ground-handling operations. The Federal Aviation Administration said Friday that the victim was an airport ramp worker.

➤8 PEOPLE SHOT, 3 FATALLY, IN KANSAS CITY PARKING LOT: SHERIFF: A shooting that erupted Sunday morning in a Kansas City, Missouri, parking lot killed at least three people and left five others injured, Jackson County Sheriff Darryl Forte tweeted Sunday morning. Forte said officers were called to investigate a report of gunfire and found three victims, two men and a woman, dead in the parking lot and on a street just south of the intersection of 57th Street and Prospect Avenue. No arrests were immediately announced, and a motive was under investigation.

🎥‘SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE’ RETURNS TO TOP SPOT AT THE DOMESTIC BOX OFFICE: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse vied for the number one spot at the domestic box office over the weekend, leaving Elemental in second place. The film pulled in $19.3 million, while its rival brought in $18.4 million. Meanwhile, The Flash took third place with $15.2 million. Following close behind this was No Hard Feelings, starring Jennifer Lawrence, which debuted in fourth place with $15.1 million. Box Office Numbers from Friday (June 23rd) through Sunday (June 25th):

  1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse $19.3M
  2. Elemental, $18.4 million
  3. The Flash, $15.2 million
  4. No Hard Feelings, $15.1 million
  5. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, $11.6M
  6. Asteroid City, $9 million
  7. The Little Mermaid, $8.6 million
  8. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, $3.5M
  9. The Blackening, $3 million
  10. The Boogeyman, $2.5 million


⚾MLB ASTROS 6 DODGERS 5: Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman got his 2,000th hit, reaching the milestone with a double in the eighth inning of a 6-5 loss to the Houston Astros in 11 innings Sunday night. Freeman's sharp line drive to right field was his second double of the game and drove in Mookie Betts, making him the 295th player in major league history to reach the mark. Freeman played in his 1,801st game, becoming the seventh player to reach 2,000 hits as a member of the Dodgers. Of those hits, 441 are doubles - including his league-leading 27 this season.

⚾MLB PHILLIES 7, METS 6: New York reliever Jeff Brigham (0-2) hit Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner with pitches with the bases loaded in the eighth inning to force in the tying and go-ahead runs after third baseman Brett Baty committed a key throwing error in Philadelphia’s comeback win. Trailing 6-3 in the eighth, the Phillies scored four times against the bullpen and rebounded to take two of three against their division rivals. Philadelphia walked three times, were hit twice, reached on an error and had just one hit in the four-run inning. The Mets seemed poised to win their first series since they completed a three-game sweep of the Phillies on June 1. Pete Alonso hit his 24th home run and had three RBIs, Francisco Lindor homered and the Phillies wasted chances to blow the game open

⚾MLB BRAVES 7, REDS 6: Matt Olson hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning and Atlanta held on for another wild victory over Cincinnati. The Braves, who snapped the Reds’ longest winning streak in 66 years with a 7-6 win on Saturday, have won 17 of their last 20. Charlie Morton (7-6) needed 103 pitches to get through five innings, but left with the score tied. The Reds had runners on first and third in the ninth when Raisel Iglesias got Kevin Newman to roll into a game-ending double play. It was Iglesias’ 11th save. Cincinnati lost despite a big day from Matt McLain, who went 4 for 5 with three doubles, a homer and five RBIs. McLain is the first Reds rookie to have four extra-base hits in a game since Chris Sabo in 1988.

⚾MLB RAYS 3, ROYALS 1: Jose Siri homered, Wander Franco had a sacrifice fly in a two-run seventh, and MLB-leading Tampa Bay beat Kansas City for a split of a four-game series against the lowly Royals. The Rays (54-27) are 6-7 over their last 13 games, including a four-game split with Oakland, which has the worst record in the majors. Kansas City dropped to 22-56. The game was delayed approximately 15 minutes in the fifth when plate umpire and crew chief Mark Wegner took a hard foul tip by Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena off the mask. After being checked out behind the plate, Wegner walked off with a Rays trainer. Siri opened the seventh inning by drawing a walk from Taylor Clarke (1-2). Yandy Díaz got his fourth hit of the game on an infield single that deflected off the Royals reliever to shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who was charged with an error for an errant throw to first that put runners on second and third. Siri scored on Clarke’s wild pitch before Franco’s sacrifice fly made it 3-1.

⚾MLB SCORES:

  • Yankees 5 Rangers 3
  • Cardinals7 Cubs 5
  • Twins 6 Tigers 3
  • Orioles 3 Mariners 2
  • Blue Jays 12 Athletics 1
  • Brewers 5 Guardians 4
  • Marlins 2 Pirates 0
  • White Sox 4 Red Sox 1
  • Rockies 4 Angels 3
  • D-Backs 5 Giants 2
  • Nationals 8 Padres 3

🏒LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY UPSET WITH NHL'S WARMUP JERSEY BAN: The NHL's ban on players wearing specialty jerseys during warmups has frustrated those who directly benefited from their participation, including charities and artists from marginalized communities. The NHL announced last week that teams will no longer wear specialty jerseys during warmups, after several players were scrutinized for refusing to wear Pride Night sweaters last season. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has stated that specialty nights will continue to be held and that teams can still create jerseys to be auctioned off.

🏈ASSAULT CHARGE AGAINST RAIDERS WR DAVANTE ADAMS DROPPED: An assault charge against Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams for shoving a credentialed media worker in Kansas City after an October game has been dropped. A spokesperson for the Kansas City municipal court told The Kansas City Star on Friday that a prosecutor had dismissed the misdemeanor charge June 5 and that the case was closed.

➤COLORADO'S DEION SANDERS HAD SURGERY TO FIX BLOOD CLOTS IN LEG: Colorado football coach Deion Sanders had successful surgery Friday to fix blood clots in his left leg, according to Instagram posts from both him and his fiancée, Tracey Edmonds. The procedure was for a blood clot in his left thigh and another in the same leg below his knee. Sanders said he also has a blood clot in the right leg that doctors were "going to get soon."

🌪POWERFUL TORNADO RIPS THRU INDIANA: In a shocking, terrifying display, a powerful tornado shreds homes and other buildings as it moved through Greenwood, Indiana. Thunderstorms produced multiple tornadoes and even half dollar-sized hail. A warning was in place at the time.



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