July 10, 2023
Vol. 12, No. 2032

“ALL AT WAR”:  President Biden told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that Ukraine is not ready for membership in NATO and that if Ukraine is admitted while at war with Russia then all the members would be instantly at war. NATO member countries are all committed to defending all other NATO countries. “If the war is going on, then we’re all in war, the President said.” 

  Biden also said there would be “other qualifications that need to be met, including democratization,” in order for Ukraine to be considered for membership.

  Biden will be attending a NATO summit in Lithuania tomorrow, where the Ukraine war and its implications for Europe are likely to be the focus of discussion. The President is also likely to be in the hot seat for his decision to send cluster-bomb munitions to Ukraine.

  Another crack in NATO unity is the objection by the authoritarian governments of Turkey and Hungary to allow Sweden with its powerful military into the 31-country alliance that basically exists to stand against Russia.

THE WAR ROOM: Ukraine continues to make slow if any progress against Russian occupiers.

  The Institute for the Study of War says, “Ukrainian forces have secured and retained the initiative.” They also say; “A Russian milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces are attacking Russian positions in small groups and are targeting Russian rear positions, warehouses, and infrastructure. Ukrainian military officials also reiterated that Ukrainian forces are continuing their interdiction campaigns in southern and eastern Ukraine.”

RAINMADEGGON: As much as eight inches of rain fell on the West Point Military Academy last night as a slow-moving rainstorm in the lower Hudson Valley caused flooded streets, dozens of rescues for drivers, and at least one death. 

  Calling the floods “life-threatening,” Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a state of emergency for Orange County outside New York, and Ontario county in the western end of the state. 

  Highways and parkways were flooded. Cars were drowned in parking lots. Amtrak stopped trains right on the tracks and backed away from danger. Trooper Steven Nevel of the New York State Police told the NY Times that search-and-rescue efforts were an “all hands on deck” endeavor, saying that several bridges had collapsed, and many roads were impassable.

AMAZON PRIME: Brazilian leaders are pleased with themselves over an announcement that deforestation of the rainforest is down 34 percent in the first six months of the year. Leftist president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who took office in January, has pledged to protect the rainforest and reverse deforestation.

  Even so, from January to June this year, more than 1,000 square miles of forest were cleared. 

  Rainforest land is often illegally cleared for farming and cattle ranching. In 2021, about 5,100 square miles of rainforest were lost. That’s an area the size of Connecticut.

FATAL SPLASH: Alabama authorities say at least four people have died in the state this year making TikTok “boat jumping” videos in which they leap off the back of a fast-moving boat.

  Depending on how fast the boat is moving, and the way the jumper hits the water, it can be like hitting concrete. Jumpers have broken their necks or sustained back injuries and drowned.

THE SPIN RACK: — The northern lights are expected to be visible this week in as many as 17 states, according to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The aurora borealis might be seen this Wednesday and Thursday across parts of Washington, Idaho, Vermont, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Massachusetts, Maryland, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Maine, according to the university. The geomagnetic storm that creates the lights is expected to be strongest on Thursday. — US soccer star Megan Rapinoe says she will retire at the end of this season. The 38-year-old has won two World Cups, an Olympic gold, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Rapinoe was involved in the equal pay lawsuit brought by women plyers resulting in US Soccer agreeing to cough up $22 million in back pay to the Women’s National Soccer team. — A gunman opened fire on a crowd of people early yesterday in Cleveland’s Warehouse District, wounding nine people, one of them seriously, before running off. — Transgender model Rikkie Valerie Kollé won the Miss Netherlands contest on Saturday. The 22-year-old now advances to represent her Dutch homeland at the Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador later this year.  — Elton John ended his touring career Saturday night in Stockholm singing Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

BELOW THE FOLD: It’s hot and muggy out there, and as a result, Major League Baseball players are hitting more home runs. It’s science, not muscle. Warm and humid air is less dense than cool and dry air, so baseballs tend to fly farther as temperatures and humidity rise.

  Of course, anything sports fans can bet on, they will. They bet on home runs that have yet to be hit, and now they are aided by The Home Run Forecast, a website that relies on weather science to calculate its Home Run Index. The HRI gives each ballpark a game day 1-10 rating for the likelihood that home runs will be hit. 

  Bet on it, or, you could just relax and watch the game.

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