🇮🇩 A stampede at a soccer/futbol match killed 125 people over the weekend.
⛪️ The Pope called on Russia and Ukraine to resume peace talks. Ukrainian President Zelensky said on Saturday that he would never talk to Russian President Putin again.
⚖️ The Supreme Court starts back up today after a barn burner of a summer break.
🇻🇪 The U.S. negotiated a prisoner swap with Venezuela, negotiating the release of seven men in exchange for two of President Maduro’s family members.
Ukrainian President Zelensky made a big show of signing an application to NATO on Friday as Ukraine lost 15% of its landmass to Russia after the Donbass region voted to join Russia. The problem is, that application will probably be lost in the mail.
NATO supports Ukraine up to a point. The organization does not really seem keen to let them “in” though. On Sunday NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the best way to support Ukraine is not by letting them join NATO but rather by sending them more weapons. A country already at war is not typically accepted. Plus, all 30 members must vote to approve a new member and that is also very unlikely.
Nine NATO members said nice words about Ukraine but said that they stood behind a 2008 decision to put their application on the backburner. Sweden and Finland were fast-tracked for NATO membership, spurred on by the conflict in Ukraine.
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OPEC nations may cut supplies of oil and gas at a meeting on Wednesday. This has investors very nervous.
This will be the first in-person OPEC meeting since the pandemic. Oil prices are falling and members are said to want to cut global supply to protect profits. This is the opposite of what President Biden asked of Saudi Arabia earlier this year.
It may confuse you to read that oil prices are down since they’re not down much for consumers. The price of crude oil is down from $120 per barrel in June to about $85 per barrel. Plus, see the story below about a decrease in global demand, and you’ll see why the industry is nervous.
You may not get what you want this holiday season if it has to be shipped from abroad. The Wall Street Journal reports that cargo routes are being canceled left and right because of the global economy.
The problem is that demand is down. Who wants to buy luxury items when gas is a luxury item and the world is teetering on the brink of war? Retailers say customers just aren't buying. Nike reported that it was sitting on 65% more inventory this year than last year. FedEx is canceling flights and routes due to low volume. Ships can't run empty.
According to the WSJ, "For the two weeks starting Oct. 3, a total of about 40 scheduled sailings to the U.S. West Coast from Asia and 21 sailings to the East Coast from Asia have been scrapped, according to the data companies as well as customer advisories viewed by The Wall Street Journal. Typically at this time of year, an average of two to four sailings a week are blanked, the industry's term for canceled sailings."
2,480 pounds. That is the weight of a new record-setting pumpkin that won first prize at a fair in Massachusetts.
500 meters. That is about the size of an asteroid that is currently heading towards Earth. Russian scientists say it does not pose an immediate threat.
15,000. That is how many migrants have come to New York City since May. The mayor is building a tent city but even that is said to be insufficient so he is now negotiating with cruise lines to rent a cruiseliner to house them temporarily while they are processed into the city's shelters.
Planned Parenthood has taken issue with the new Netflix movie about Marilyn Monroe. A spokesperson for the group spoke about the film saying that it portrays abortion in an anti-abortion way.
In the film, Monroe is forced into two illegal abortions. As she contemplates a third, the baby's fetus is given a voice and asks her, "You won't hurt me this time, will you?"
Planned Parenthood says that these types of depictions of fetuses with lifeforce and feelings feeds into anti-abortion zealots' narratives that they use to oppose legalized abortion. I understand that but I reject the notion that abortion should only be depicted in a favorable way so that politics can follow. For many women, this choice is agonizing and maybe they do feel a conversation with their seeds of conception. You can't cancel that because it might lead to politics that you do not like. All discussions about abortion should be heard, not just the easy ones.
Jimmy Carter is trending because the former president turned 98 over the weekend. He is the longest-living president in history. He celebrated by attending a parade in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.
Halloween Moviesis trending because the calendar hit October and it is that time.
Julie Andrews is trending because the actress turned 87 over the weekend.
Bella Hadid is trending because she "wore" a spray-painted dress. This is not an expression. It literally was only spray paint. I'm sure that's healthy.
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