Trouble in the Tropics
ZWF #33: Sunday, September 25, 2022
It’s been a relatively quiet hurricane season in the Atlantic… until now. One major storm made its way east of the U.S. coast this past week, and another may have the southeast in its sights.
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, a breakdown of what’s happening right now in the tropics, and a look at what Zander’s been reading this past week. Plus, a compilation of the latest headlines in the worlds of news and sports from the past week.
Also, go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast! Episode 76 features a breakdown of everything you need to know regarding cryptocurrency. If you’ve heard of crypto but have no idea what it is, this podcast is for you! Go listen to and download the Zander’s Facts podcast, including this week’s ZF Flashback, wherever you get your podcasts!
Zander’s Weekend Facts is here to give you the facts about what has been going on in the world around us this past week. You’ll just have to read these facts, instead of listening to them on the Zander’s Facts podcast.
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, September 25, 2022:
Hurricane Season ramps up
It was a relatively quiet summer for tropical storms in the Atlantic Ocean, but things have shifted in a major way these past few days.
This past week, Hurricane Fiona made its way up the Atlantic, east of the U.S. mainland. At the beginning of the week, Fiona struck Puerto Rico as a category one storm. Even though Fiona didn’t have a major impact on the entirety of the island, power blackouts have persisted over the last few days.
Fiona then made its way north, all the way to Canada, where it hit on Friday. While it is now a post-tropical system in the northern Atlantic, it became one of the strongest storms to hit Canada. Houses were washed away among the significant damage that was inflicted upon the coast of Nova Scotia.
CNN - 'It is surreal': Canada's Atlantic coast residents describe devastation as Fiona wipes away homes and knocks out power for thousands
However, there is a new system in the Caribbean that should have those in parts of the U.S. on alert.
Tropical Storm Ian became the ninth named storm in the Atlantic this season, currently sitting south of the island of Hispaniola and Jamaica in the Caribbean Sea. However, the storm is expected to track north over the next few days, potentially striking western Cuba and then setting its sights on the gulf coast of Florida.
Here is the latest projected path of the storm (as of 11:00 pm et Saturday):
The storm is expected to move into significantly warmer waters by Monday, strengthening into a Category Four hurricane. The cone of uncertainty currently puts the U.S. mainland in Ian’s path beginning on Wednesday. While the storm may weaken by that point, it could still be bringing top winds well over 100 mph, with major hurricane status.
Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has already declared a state of emergency for the entire state of Florida, with preparations already underway for what could be a devastating event. President Biden has also authorized a federal emergency declaration for Florida, authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to prepare a response.
There is still uncertainty in the storm’s path, but this could become the first major hurricane to strike Florida since Michael in 2018. If you are anywhere near its potential path, now would be a good time to at least prepare for what could be the worst by the end of the coming week.
What Zander’s been reading this past week
While Ukraine may be in the eighth month of its war with Russia, several Ukrainians are riding the waves of the Pacific Ocean out in California. At the International Surfing Association World Surfing Games, the Ukrainian National Surf Team is hoping to impress the world and fight their way into the 2024 Olympic Games.
Check out this week’s featured article in USA Today - In California, Ukraine's national surf team dreams of the Olympics, and the end of war
Rapid-fire Facts
Here are the top headlines from the past week in rapid-fire fashion:
Former President Donald Trump is being sued by the state of New York, with the lawsuit accusing Trump, his three eldest children, and other Trump Organization executives of business fraud. The lawsuit, filed by Attorney General Letitia James (D-NY), says that the company “flagrantly manipulated property and other asset valuations to deceive lenders insurance brokers and tax authorities into giving them better bank-loan and insurance policy rates and to reduce their tax liability.” The lawsuit comes after a two-year investigation by the state of New York into Trump’s business practices and adds another legal challenge that the former president faces.
Anti-government protests in Iran have continued to grow over the last few days as anger has risen over the government’s crackdown on women. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was elected nearly one year ago, has heavily enforced strict laws regarding women wearing a hijab in the “proper” fashion. The protests have met pushback from the government, with over 50 people dead and many arrests being made. However, Saturday continued the growth of protests across the country, which have expanded to nearly 80 cities.
The Federal Reserve announced a new increase to benchmark interest rates of three-quarters of a percent. The rate hike brings interest rates to a range of 3.25-3.5%, the highest they have been since early 2008. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell reiterated that the rate increases are meant to fight high inflation, while also signaling that future increases are likely. Fears of an economic recession continue to persist for some as some fear that the unemployment rate may increase significantly if the Fed continues on its current trajectory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a partial mobilization of reservists to fight in the country’s war with Ukraine. The move appeared to be unpopular in Russia, with protests leading to over 1,000 arrests, and internet searches on how to leave the country spiking after the Wednesday announcement. The move is the first for the country since World War II, and comes as Ukraine appears to have gained ground against Russian forces.
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the top stories from sports from the past week in the Sporting Club:
Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver has announced that he has begun the process of selling the NBA organization. Sarver was recently banned one year from the team and fined $10 million after an NBA investigation found that Sarver had engaged in inappropriate conduct in the workplace, including inappropriate comments towards female employees and multiple uses of the n-word. Sarver is also the owner of the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, which he will also sell.
Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka has been suspended for one year after he violated team policy. While not confirmed by the Celtics organization, reports have stated that Udoka engaged in a relationship with a female team staffer. Udoka is currently engaged to actress Nia Long. While Udoka was only suspended for the upcoming season, it’s not clear whether he will continue with the Celtics in the future. Joe Mazzulla will serve as the interim head coach for the 2022-23 season. Last year, the Celtics reached the NBA Finals in Udoka’s first season as head coach.
St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Albert Pujols hit his 700th career home run on Friday night. Pujols becomes just the fourth player to hit 700 home runs in his career, joining Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, and Babe Ruth in the exclusive club. Additionally, in baseball, New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge is one home run away from tying the American League single-season record of 61 home runs.
The Las Vegas Aces won their first WNBA championship in this year’s WNBA Finals. The Aces defeated the Connecticut Sun in game four on Sunday to win the series three games to one. Chelsea Gray was named Finals MVP after she averaged 18.3 points per game and six assists per game during the four-game series. The Aces came into the playoffs with the number one overall seed, the first top seed to win the Finals since 2019.
Week three of the NFL features a huge matchup between top quarterbacks later this afternoon. At 4:25 pm et, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers face Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals also face off in an NFC West showdown at the same time. Among the early games, the Chiefs take on the Colts, the Eagles visit the Commanders, and the Bills face the Dolphins. On Thursday night, the Browns beat the Steelers in an AFC North matchup at home, 29-17. Later tonight on Sunday Night Football, the San Francisco 49ers face the Denver Broncos. While on Monday night, the Dallas Cowboys have a massive NFC East test against the New York Giants.
College Football’s week four was another Saturday of exciting action, featuring overtime thrillers and huge upsets. #5 Clemson survived a scare on the road against conference-foe #21 Wake Forest in double-overtime, 51-45. Texas Tech was able to complete the upset in overtime for their first home win against #22 Texas since 2008 with a 37-34 victory. Also, #25 Miami fell at home to Middle Tennessee in their first win against a ranked opponent, 45-31. #15 Oregon came back to beat Washington State on the road, 44-41. Kansas State beat #6 Oklahoma in Norman, 41-34, #23 Texas A&M survived #10 Arkansas, 23-21, and #11 Tennessee held on against #20 Florida, 38-33.
Wrapping up the Facts
Be this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast. Download and listen to the latest ZF Flashback, along with every episode of Zander’s Facts, wherever you get your podcasts. Check out Zander’s Facts’ Linktree page for more on anything Zander’s Facts related: Zander's Facts on Linktree
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That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The Facts in print return next Sunday, October 2, 2022.
