Bolsonaro administration agrees to accept loss
Two days after losing Brazil’s presidential election, Jair Bolsonaro, the incumbent, agreed to a transition of power yesterday, while not acknowledging that he had lost the vote or that the election had been free and fair. “President Bolsonaro has authorized me — when requested, based on the law — to start the transition process,” his chief of staff, Ciro Nogueira, said.
Bolsonaro’s two-minute speech — in which he thanked his supporters, celebrated his accomplishments, criticized the left and said he had always followed the Constitution — has eased fears that he would contest the results after warning for months that the only way he would lose would be if the vote were stolen.
The question now remains how those comments will be received by the thousands of supporters who have blocked hundreds of highways across Brazil in a bid to overturn the election. Bolsonaro encouraged protesters to be peaceful and urged his supporters to halt disruptions and avoid “property invasion, destruction of goods and restrictions on the right to come and go.”
Lula: Former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, known universally as Lula, is returning to lead Brazil 12 years after he left office. He is set to be inaugurated on Jan. 1.
Netanyahu inches ahead in Israeli exit polls
Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing alliance may have won a narrow lead in Israel’s fifth election in less than four years, giving him a chance of returning to power even as he stands trial on corruption charges. Three exit polls indicated that his party, Likud, had finished first with 30 to 31 seats, while his wider right-wing bloc had won 61 to 62 seats — enough to form a narrow majority in the 120-seat Parliament.
Yair Lapid’s centrist party, Yesh Atid, was projected to win 22 to 24 seats, and his wider alliance 54 to 55 seats. But exit polls are often wrong, particularly in tight races — and they exaggerated Netanyahu’s eventual tally in the last election in March 2021. Clearer results may not emerge until later this morning, and final numbers will not be announced until Friday.
The bloc led by Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, includes a far-right alliance that seeks to upend Israel’s judicial system, end Palestinian autonomy in parts of the occupied West Bank and legalize a form of corruption that Netanyahu is accused of committing.
Context: For four years, Israel has been in political deadlock in which no leader could win a stable parliamentary majority, leaving the country without a national budget for long stretches and repeatedly sending Israelis back to the ballot box. A parliamentary majority formed from a single ideologically aligned bloc would reduce the likelihood of another early election.
Europe braces for a cold winter
Russia’s weaponization of energy against countries supporting Ukraine has produced a startling transformation in how Europe generates and saves power. Countries are banding together to buy, borrow and build additional power supplies while pushing out major conservation programs that recall the response to the 1970s oil crisis.
The all-hands-on-deck effort has some analysts more hopeful than they have been in months that Europe can make it to spring without energy rationing or blackouts, while speeding up the region’s energy independence. Still, the pivot is coming at a high cost, and Europe’s energy security could be undermined in the coming months.
While Europe has adjusted to Russia’s severe cutbacks in gas exports, gas prices remain historically high, forcing shutdowns at energy-intensive businesses, including the production of steel, chemicals and glass. Amid worker furloughs and growing government debt, projections suggest that the energy crisis will tilt Europe into a recession next year.
Details: German nuclear power plants slated for closure will stay open. Thermostats are being lowered to 19 degrees Celsius, or 66 degrees Fahrenheit. And Slovakia is encouraging people to limit showers to two minutes, while Finland is urging families to take saunas together to save energy.
Many workers dreaded going back to the office. It’s why they fought policies bringing them back and lobbied for more flexibility. Now that the long-anticipated return is here, the big question is: How is it going?
SPORTS NEWS FROM THE ATHLETIC
Messi’s potential impact on M.L.S.: Like Pelé and David Beckham before him, the Argentine superstar Lionel Messi could have a seismic effect on American soccer if he were to swap Paris for Miami in the near future.
Klopp joins the 400 club: The Athletic’s writers recall the German manager Jürgen Klopp’s finest moments in charge of Liverpool as he takes charge of his 400th game at the helm of the club. He arrived in England in October 2015.
Why are managers available on the cheap? Soccer clubs take on and lose head coaches for much smaller fees than those commanded by the players they are entrusted with leading. Why is that the case?
ARTS AND IDEAS
Preppy meets streetwear
Not long ago, the American brand J. Crew’s chic but affordable suits changed the world of men’s work wear, disrupting a market long dominated by high-end designers. But its preppy style has fallen out of fashion, supplanted by more casual, cutting-edge brands. Can J. Crew become cool again?
That’s the goal for Brendon Babenzien, the former design director at the sought-after streetwear label Supreme. Under his guidance, J. Crew’s aesthetic has expanded to embrace the new ways people dress — hoodies, funky shorts, pastels. His first major hit came at the intersection of the two worlds: super-wide chinos, which seem equally suited for a conference room or a skate park.
PLAY, WATCH, EAT
What to Cook
That’s it for today’s briefing. Thanks for joining me. — Natasha
P.S. “Long Line of Ladies,” winner of the grand jury prize for best documentary short at SXSW Film 2022, yesterday made its debut on Op-Docs, The Times’s series of short documentaries from independent filmmakers.
“The Daily” is about Elon Musk and Twitter.
You can reach Natasha and the team at [email protected].
