Our Zander’s Facts excursion to find European political turmoil has left the U.K. and landed in the boot. One week after one of Europe’s most prominent prime ministers prepared to exit, another looks to as well. Or will he?
Inside this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, a breakdown of the current situation surrounding Italian politics, plus what Zander has been reading this week. Plus, a compilation of the week’s top headlines in the worlds of news and sports.
Also, go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast! Episode 70 features an in-depth look at the allegations surrounding Deshaun Watson and Daniel Snyder, who have given football quite a headache this offseason. Plus, some quick insight into the ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletic conferences. Download and listen to the Zander’s Facts podcast 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, July 17, 2022:
Italy’s government could collapse, or maybe not
Last week, a European prime minister was being forced to resign despite his best efforts to remain in the job. This week, another European prime minister is being forced not to resign.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi offered his resignation to Italy’s president on Thursday after Draghi believed he could no longer continue his government. One of the parties that formed Draghi’s majority in parliament, the Five Star Movement, refused to support a bill Draghi had claimed would combat growing prices because it included a measure that would have installed a garbage incinerator in Rome. The party objected to the incinerator on environmental terms. Even though the bill passed, Draghi claimed that the vote by the Five Stars was a vote against his coalition and subsequently offered his resignation.
However, Italian President Sergio Mattarella rejected Draghi’s resignation. Mattarella appointed Draghi as prime minister in February 2021 to lead the country through economic instability and a post-Covid recovery. Instead, Mattarella invited Draghi to parliament next week in order to begin talks on a potential reconciliation of Draghi’s coalition.
In recent years, Italian politics have been far from stable. Since 2010, there have been seven prime ministers, and the fall of Draghi’s coalition over a garbage incinerator shows how fragile Italian politics can be.
Draghi has been widely known throughout Italy and Europe well before his time as prime minister. From 2006 through 2011, he served as the Governor of the Bank of Italy. In 2009, he was appointed as the chair of the international Financial Stability Board, which was set up in response to the 2008 global economic recession. In 2011, he left both jobs to become president of the European Central Bank, leading one of the most powerful economic institutions in the world.
Today, the 74-year-old may just be fighting for his political career. What will come out of next week’s meetings is unclear, but what is clear is that several are already gunning for Draghi’s post. In the event that Draghi’s resignation goes through and elections are held, right-wing parties are currently favored to at least make healthy gains in parliament. Draghi’s coalition has mostly relied on centrists and the left-leaning Five Stars.
In the latest polls, far-right party Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) leads with around 22% of the vote, just above the center-left Democratic Party. However, many see a potential right-wing majority in parliament as unlikely due to support for other parties and influential European voices outside of Italy. Even in the event that the center and left retain control, it is a concern to see the far-right gaining momentum in Italy just has been the case in recent elections in France and the United States.
There are really three options for what will come next. Draghi can announce a resolution to his coalition and remain on, he can announce a replacement that will lead the country, or he can resign and early elections will be held. Currently, elections are scheduled to take place early next year.
Many fear that a right-wing replacement could harm Italy on the world stage, especially when it comes to its response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Draghi has provided relative stability to Italians in a country where that is few and far between in the political realm. A potential shakeup could not only have a damaging effect on Europe’s third-largest economy, but also the region as a whole.
For more on the situation in Italy, check out these articles:
BBC News - Italian PM Mario Draghi offers resignation after coalition falls apart
The New York Times - Crisis in Draghi Government Dismays Italians
Washington Post - Italy in crisis as president rejects premier Draghi’s offer to resign
What Zander’s been reading this week
This week’s featured article is much needed as we are in the middle of the summer season. Dr. Michael Daignault discusses the term ‘dry drowning’ and what precautions you should take when going swimming this summer.
Check out this week’s featured article in USA Today - What is 'dry drowning'? And do you need to be concerned? Our medical expert explains.
Rapid-fire Facts
Here are top newsy facts from the past week in rapid-fire fashion:
Sri Lanka is facing a massive economic crisis, leading President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign. President Rajapaksa was forced to flee the country to Singapore and resign on Thursday after protestors called for his removal. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will serve as the acting President until Parliament selects a new one, but protestors appear to be going after Wickremesinghe next. The collapse of the economy has sent Sri Lanka into freefall over the last few months, with prices for essentials such as food soaring and the government with little money to provide resources for its citizens.
A bill that would allow women to travel across state lines for an abortion was blocked in the Senate by Republicans. The bill’s author, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) requested unanimous consent so the bill would quickly pass, but Sen. James Langford (R-OK) objected. A similar bill passed the House on Friday. The bill requires 60 votes in the Senate to pass unless the filibuster is altered or removed. Cortez Masto noted that the bill would combat efforts by Republican state legislators in states such as Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas, who are currently looking at bills that would make it illegal for women to cross state lines to receive an abortion.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has a new director. Steve Dettelbach was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday as the first Senate-confirmed director of the bureau since 2015. Dettelbach is a former federal prosecutor who has worked in the Justice Department, including as the chairman of a civil rights subcommittee. With multiple Senators not voting, Dettelbach was confirmed on a 48-46 vote, with two Republicans voting to confirm. The ATF is responsible for investigating and preventing federal offenses that involve alcohol and tobacco products, along with guns and explosive devices.
The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol has set a primetime hearing for this coming Thursday. The Committee is expected to recall the actions, or inaction, former President Donald Trump took while the riot was underway at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The Thursday hearing is expected to be the final public hearing the committee holds before a potential midterm report is released later this summer. The Committee previously interviewed former White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, and clips of his testimony are expected to be played on Thursday. The committee’s potentially final hearing is set to begin on Thursday at 8:00 pm et and air on the major U.S. broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) and cable news networks.
In this year’s edition of CNBC’s Top States for Business, North Carolina took the top spot. Each year, CNBC measures all 50 states in several categories, including economy, infrastructure, and life, health, and inclusion to create their annual rankings. The tar heel state won the top spot by ranking in the top five in technology and innovation, access to capital, and economy, where it finished first. Virginia, the state that finished first in the rankings the last two years, dropped to third. Washington, Colorado, and Texas rounded out the top five. The bottom five states on the list were Hawaii, New Mexico, Louisiana, Alaska, and Mississippi.
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the top sporting facts of the week in Zander’s Facts Sporting Club:
Golf’s final major of the year, The Open, concludes today with the final round. The only major that is held outside of the U.S., The Open is being held on the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, the oldest golf course in the world and known as the home of golf. After the third round concluded on Saturday, Viktor Hovland and Rory McIlory held a share of the lead at -16. Cameron Smith and Cameron Young were next up at -12. If Northern Ireland’s McIlroy can come out on top later today, it will be his first tournament win at the home of golf, and his first major win since 2014. A victory for Hovland, who turned professional in 2019, would be his first ever major title. Final round coverage of The Open begins this morning at 7:00 am et and lasts until 3:00 pm et on NBC.
The CONCACAF W Championship will conclude in Monterrey, Mexico on Monday night. The championship match will feature the top two national teams in the Americas, with the United States and Canada facing off. Both of these teams, along with Costa Rica and Jamaica, have qualified for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The winner of the final will automatically qualify for the 2024 Olympics. The loser will be able to play in a one-match playoff against the third-place finisher in the tournament to determine CONCACAF’s second spot in the 2024 Olympics. In the ten previous CONCACAF tournaments that have served as qualifiers for the Women’s World Cup, the U.S. has won eight of them, while Canada has won the other two. The third place match between Costa Rica and Jamaica will kick off on Monday at 7:00 pm et on Paramount+. The championship between Canada and the United States will take place on Monday at 10:00 pm et on Paramount+.
This season’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be held this Tuesday. The midsummer classic, and its surrounding festivities such as Monday’s Home Run Derby, unofficially mark the halfway point of the baseball season. At this point in the season, the New York Yankees have the best record in the American League, with the Houston Astros just three games behind and no other team within ten games. The National League race is more tight, with the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and Milwaukee Brewers all within ten games of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are hosting the All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, and there was worry that concession workers would strike for the festivities. However, any potential strike has been averted. The All-Star Game takes place this Tuesday at 8:00 pm et on Fox and the Home Run Derby takes place on Monday at 8:00 pm et on ESPN.
The NBA 2K23 Summer League has been going on for the last ten days in Las Vegas. The Summer League features some of the NBA’s young stars getting some valuable playing time for their teams, including those who were drafted last month like Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren. The games in Vegas also give other young players a chance to showcase their skills in hopes of getting a roster spot in the coming season. The Summer League will conclude later today with the Championship game between the Portland Trail Blazers and New York Knicks at 3:00 pm et on ESPN.
D.C. United has officially named Wayne Rooney as the next manager of the MLS club. Last weekend, rumors were flying across the U.K. and U.S. that Rooney was a top target for D.C. after a disappointing start to the season. Last Sunday night, it was reported that Rooney would be the next head man, and the club made that official on Tuesday. Rooney, England’s all-time goal scorer with 53 goals for the national team, was a player for D.C. from 2018 to 2019. He managed Championship-side Derby County in England for the last two years. Rooney takes over a club that, after last night’s loss at Minnesota United, sits in last place on the Eastern Conference table.
Wrapping up the Facts
Before 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 Episode 70, 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
Did you know that you can now listen to the Zander’s Facts podcast on this site? It’s true! All episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast are now available on zandersfacts.substack.com under the “Zander’s Facts” tab for your enjoyment. That includes the next new episode of the podcast, Episode 71, which comes out this Wednesday!
Remember to check out the next edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts next Sunday! If you haven’t already, make sure to sign up with the link below to get Zander’s Weekend Facts in your email inbox every Sunday so you don’t miss anything!
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The Facts in print return next Sunday, July 24, 2022.
