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Thursday, June 29, 2023

6/29 WAKE-UP CALL: Human Remains Believed Aboard Recovered Titan


The U.S. Coast Guard says it has likely recovered human remains from the wreckage of the Titan submersible and is bringing the evidence back to the United States. The submersible imploded last week, killing all five people on board. The vessel was on a voyage see the wreck of the Titanic. The return of the Titan debris to port in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador on Wednesday is a key piece of the investigation into why the submersible imploded. Twisted chunks of the 22-foot submersible were unloaded at a Canadian Coast Guard pier. The U.S. Coast Guard said late Wednesday it had recovered debris and evidence from the sea floor and that included what it described as presumed human remains.

The US Coast Guard announced on Wednesday that 'presumed' human remains have been found in the wreckage of the Titan submersible. It comes after several identifiable parts of the doomed submersible were lifted ashore earlier in the afternoon, including the sub's nose and a large panel which appears to be from its tail end. The Titan was destroyed earlier this month when it suffered a 'catastrophic implosion' during a journey to the wreckage of the Titanic, killing all five people on board. A debris field was found on the seafloor, 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic, which sits more than two miles (nearly four kilometers) below the Atlantic Ocean's surface and 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. US medical officials will conduct formal analysis of the remains, and have not yet formally identified them. 

➤RUSSIAN GENERALS MIA? Russia's most senior generals have dropped out of public view following a failed mercenary mutiny aimed at toppling the top brass, amid a drive by President Vladimir Putin to reassert his authority and unconfirmed reports of at least one arrest. Valery Gerasimov, Russia's top general, has not appeared in public or on state TV since the aborted mutiny on Saturday when mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin demanded Gerasimov be handed over. He has not been mentioned in a defense ministry press release since June 9 either. Gerasimov, 67, is the commander of Russia's war in Ukraine, and the holder of one of Russia's three "nuclear briefcases," according to some Western military analysts.

Absent from view too is General Sergei Surovikin, nicknamed "General Armageddon" by the Russian press for his aggressive tactics in the Syrian conflict, who is deputy commander of Russian forces in Ukraine. A New York Times report, based on a U.S. intelligence briefing, said on Tuesday he had advance knowledge of the mutiny and that Russian authorities were checking if he was complicit.

➤WAGNER PLANNED TO CAPTURE BRASS: Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin planned to capture Russian military leaders as part of last weekend’s insurrection. He fast-tracked his plans after the domestic intelligence agency found out about it, Western officials said. The plot’s premature launch was among the factors that could explain its failure; Prigozhin called off an armed march on Moscow that had initially faced little resistance. He bet that part of Russia’s armed forces would join the rebellion and turn against their commanders, according to Western intelligence. Meanwhile, Russia, which for years denied any association with Wagner, appears to be trying to take over the mercenary network.



➤PRESIDENT PUSHES 'BIDENOMICS': President Biden is racing to reverse voters’ pessimism about the economy as the 2024 race for the White House hits its stride. History suggests he has a short window to boost perceptions of his economic leadership before election-year views harden. He started a messaging blitz about what he calls “Bidenomics,” highlighting the U.S.’s post-pandemic progress, including 13 million new jobs, an unemployment rate under 4% and multiple actions to accelerate private-sector investments. Republicans are working to associate Biden with steep inflation, high gasoline prices and increased government spending.

➤DeSANTIS PLEDGES TO ELIMINATE BUREAUCRACIES: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would seek to eliminate the Departments of Energy, Commerce and Education, as well as the Internal Revenue Service, if he were elected president, he suggested in a television interview on Wednesday. "We would do Education, we would do Commerce, we'd do Energy, and we would do IRS," he said, when asked by Fox News host Martha MacCallum whether he would cut any agencies while in office. "And so if Congress will work with me on doing that, we'll be able to reduce the size and scope of government." Some high-ranking Republicans have called for those departments to be eliminated in the past. The Department of Education in particular has been a target for conservatives, and former President Donald Trump has also called for its abolition.


DeSantis' embrace of eliminating major federal agencies early in the Republican presidential primary underlines the emphasis his campaign has put on radically downsizing the federal bureaucracy.

🛌BIDEN SLEEPING WOES: President Joe Biden has recently begun using a CPAP machine to treat sleep apnea, the White House says, after indentations from straps were seen on both sides of his face Wednesday morning. “Since 2008, the president has disclosed his history with sleep apnea in thorough medical reports. He used a CPAP machine last night, which is common for people with that history,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said. An official familiar with the matter said Biden began using the device in recent weeks to improve sleep quality. Marks could also be seen on the side of Biden’s face during a Monday event at the White House meant to promote an expansion of high-speed internet. Biden, who, at 80, is the nation’s oldest president, has had a history of sleep apnea in the past, reports CNN. Medical records released in 2008 indicated Biden had a recurring issue with sleep apnea. A health record released by Biden’s doctor in 2019 said sleep apnea “has been considered, but his symptoms have improved significantly after his sinus and nasal passage surgeries.” Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. About 30 million people in the United States have sleep apnea, according to the American Medical Association.

➤MADONNA AILING: Madonna’s hotly anticipated Celebration Tour is on pause after the Queen of Pop spent several days in the hospital following a “serious bacterial infection,” according to manager Guy Oseary on social media. The news came on Wednesday afternoon, with Oseary revealing on Instagram that Madge had spent several days in the ICU after developing an infection on Saturday, June 24. “Her health is improving, however she is still under medical care,” Oseary wrote. “A full recovery is expected.” A source close to the situation says that Madonna is already out of the ICU and currently recovering.

➤COURTS BLOCK TRANSGENDER CARE BANS: In separate cases, federal judges in Kentucky and Tennessee blocked new laws that would prevent doctors from providing gender-transition care for minors. The rulings are part of a wave of legal challenges to new laws that have been passed in a number of states. The latest decisions are temporary orders that prevent the laws from becoming effective until legal challenges are exhausted.

➤FIVE DEPUTIES FIRED IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI: Five sheriff’s deputies have been fired or resigned after an incident during which two Black men accused them of torturing and sexually assaulting them in a home in Jackson, Mississippi. One of the deputies fired a gun into the mouth of one of the men, seriously injuring him. An investigation by The Associated Press found that several of the deputies were linked to at least four other violent encounters with Black men since 2019. The U.S. Justice Department has opened an investigation into the latest incident.

⚾MLB YANKEES 11 ATHLETICS 0:  Domingo Germán of the New York Yankees pitched the 24th perfect game in major league history Wednesday night, retiring every Oakland batter in an 11-0 victory over the Athletics. It was the first perfect game since Seattle Mariners ace Félix Hernández threw one against the Tampa Bay Rays on Aug. 15, 2012. There were three that season - but none since until Germán finished the first no-hitter in the big leagues this year. He joined Don Larsen (1956), David Wells (1998) and David Cone (1999) as Yankees pitchers to throw perfect games. Larsen´s gem came in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

⚾MLB GUARDIANS 14 ROYALS 1: José Ramírez hit his fifth career grand slam and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Kansas City Royals 14-1 on Wednesday night, moving into first place in the AL Central despite a losing record. Ramírez lined a first-pitch cutter from Austin Cox into the left-field bullpen after Cox opened the third by allowing a single and two walks. 'He's been one of the best hitters in the game for a number of years,' Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. 'The grand slam didn´t even seem like that bad of a pitch.' Ramírez has 13 homers this season. Ramírez added an RBI double in the seventh and is hitting .411 (30 for 73) with 14 extra-base hits in his last 18 games. Cleveland has won seven of nine to surpass Minnesota (40-42) in the division standings.

German
⚾MLB SCORES:

  • Phillies 8 Cubs 5
  • Rays 3 D-Backs 2
  • Braves 3 Twins 0
  • Nationals 4 Mariners 1
  • Reds 11 Orioles 7
  • Pirates 7 Padres 1
  • Blues Jays 6 Giants 1
  • Marlins 6 Red Sox 2
  • Brewers 5 Mets 2
  • Astros 10 Cardinals 7
  • Rangers 10 Tigers 2
  • Rockies 9 Dodgers 8
  • White Sox 11 angels 5

🏈SUSPENSIONS LOOM OVER GAMBLING PLAYERS: Pro football players including Isaiah Rodgers of the Indianapolis Colts are expected to be suspended for the entire 2023 season after an investigation into sports betting. ESPN reported that “a handful” of players are expected to be suspended for violating the NFL’s anti-gambling policy. No others have been named yet. Five other players were suspended earlier this year for sports betting.

➤BILES PLANS RETURN: Simone Biles plans to return to elite gymnastics competition. Her name appeared on a list of entries for August’s U.S. Classic, a competition open to all current and former elite gymnasts who can use it to qualify for the national championships. The superstar gymnast hasn’t competed since the Tokyo Olympics two years ago when she abruptly withdrew from the all-around team final, citing disorientation that would compromise her twisting moves—but then returned a few days later to win a bronze medal for beam. Dusting off her leotards opens the door for the 26-year-old to pursue a berth in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

 ➤WE'RE HOT 'N' SMOKY: Much of the United States felt like a blazing inferno on Wednesday, as record heat attacked the South like a blowtorch, thick smoke from Canadian wildfires blanketed the Great Lakes region, and triple-digit temperatures threatened to wallop California for the first time this year. Scientists said climate change helped shape the weather conditions that were causing misery and putting lives at risk from Mexico to Canada. There was no disputing the impact: If it wasn’t way too smoky, it was way too hot.

NYTimes chart 6/29/23


“Everybody’s saying, ‘We’re used to the heat, but not to this degree,’” said Mayor Victor Treviño of Laredo, Tex., which recorded temperatures of 115 degrees last week, tying its all-time high. There were nine heat-related deaths, Webb County Medical Examiner Corinne Stern told county commissioners Monday, adding that “I think our county was caught a little off-guard.”

If Laredo and elsewhere in the South were caught off-guard by the heat, much of the rest of the country was getting an unexpected dose of horrendous air quality because of dense wildfire smoke rolling in from Canada. Air quality alerts related to the smoke were in effect for parts of some 17 states, covering nearly a third of the U.S. population. Detroit, Chicago and Minneapolis were among the cities with the worst air quality in the world Wednesday, according to IQAir. Unhealthy Code Red and Purple conditions stretched from eastern Iowa across Chicago and the lower Great Lakes region and toward the Appalachian Mountains, according to AirNow.gov.



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