The Full Belmonte, 10/18/2022
“President Joe Biden on Monday announced that federal student loan borrowers can now apply online for up to $20,000 in debt forgiveness. ‘This is a game changer for millions of Americans… and it took an incredible amount of effort to get this website done in such a short time,’ Biden said. People seeking to apply for student debt relief can fill out the form at StudentAid.gov. Borrowers have until December 31, 2023, to submit an application. In August, Biden announced his decision to cancel up to $10,000 in student loan debt for individuals making less than $125,000 a year or as much as $20,000 for eligible borrowers who were also Pell Grant recipients. The latest phase of his plan is expected to provide debt relief to as many as 43 million borrowers.” Read more at CNN
“At least 13 people, including three children, were killed after a Russian military jet crashed into apartments in the country's western city of Yeysk on Monday, state media and authorities said. The crash occurred during a training flight in which one of the plane's engines caught on fire, Russia's Defense Ministry told a state-run news agency. Images and videos of the crash's aftermath showed smoke billowing and fire blazing in the residential area. A building, believed to house hundreds of people, was later engulfed in flames, officials said. Russian President Vladimir Putin told authorities to provide all necessary assistance to the victims of the crash, the Kremlin said in a statement.” Read more at CNN
Trump's Secret Service receipts
The former Trump International Hotel in D.C., which has reopened as a Waldorf Astoria. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
“The Trump Organization charged up to $1,185 a room in 2017 for Secret Service agents who were protecting Donald Trump, Jr.
That's five times the government rate, according to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, which released a partial account of Secret Service spending under former President Trump.
Why it matters: Eric Trump claimed in 2019 that the government would save money by having agents stay at the family's properties.
‘If my father travels, they stay at our properties free,’ he said at the time, The Washington Post reports.
‘[I]f they were to go to a hotel across the street, they’d be charging them $500 a night, whereas, you know we charge them, like $50.’
Zoom out: The documents indicate that the company charged the Secret Service in excess of the government per diem rate at least 40 times from the start of Trump's presidency through Sept. 15, 2021, Axios' Jacob Knutson reports.
The other side: ‘[A]ny services rendered ... were either provided at cost, heavily discounted or for free,’ Eric Trump said in a statement.” Read more at Axios
“In last night’s Utah Senate debate, Evan McMullin, an independent, criticized Senator Mike Lee for supporting Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Lee denied wrongdoing.” Read more at New York Times
Screenshot: 21 WFMJ, Youngstown
“Here are takeaways from last night’s debates for governor of Georgia and for the Senate in Ohio.” Read more at New York Times
Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams, from left, shakes hands with Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp as Libertarian challenger Shane Hazel stands at right following the Atlanta Press Club Loudermilk-Young Debate Series in Atlanta, Monday, Oct. 17, 2022.Ben Gray, AP
“CNN: In Georgia, Senate GOP candidate Herschel Walkeracknowledges sending a $700 check to a woman who alleges he paid for her abortion. He denies it was for that purpose.” Read more at CNN
Voting begins
Photo: Ben Gray/AP
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) votes on the first day of early voting in Atlanta.
U.S stocks surged, bouncing back from the latest selloff
“Market swings come as investors try to make sense of an unsettled economic outlook. Today’s rebound stemmed in part from the strength of a fresh batch of corporate earnings reports, including those by some of the nation’s biggest banks. U.K. government bonds and sterling rallied after the government said it was reversing nearly all its proposed tax cuts, although U.K. stocks and bonds are trading at their lowest levels in decades.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
SpaceX
“SpaceX founder Elon Musk has announced his company has withdrawn its request for the Pentagon to fund its Starlink satellite internet services for Ukraine. Musk's announcement followed an exclusive CNN report that SpaceX made the request in September, saying it was no longer able to donate the Starlink terminals or support the service that has provided critical cell and internet services to Ukraine during its war with Russia. SpaceX previously asked the Pentagon to start paying for the service for the current terminals operated by the Ukrainian government as well as fund almost 8,000 new terminals and service for Ukraine's military and intelligence services. The announcement comes after the CNN report also showed in greater detail that SpaceX is not solely responsible for Starlink access in Ukraine.” Read more at CNN
Rich right funds new media
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
“New investments in ‘free speech’ social media platforms, podcasts and video channels are upending the media landscape and giving voices to conservatives who feel rejected by traditional outlets.
Why it matters: Many of today's conservative media moguls are both rich and politically active, Axios' Sara Fischer reports.
Ye, formerly Kanye West, yesterday announced plans to acquire Parler, a Twitter-like social media app that has become a haven for conservatives.
Ye's purchase of Parler, he said, will ensure people with conservative opinions "have the right to freely express ourselves." Ye has toyed with the idea of running for president. The current CEO of Parler is married to Candace Owens, the conservative media personality.
Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter is expected to dramatically shift the way conservative content is filtered on the app, should the $44 billion deal finally go through in the next few months. Musk in May said he will vote for Republicans.
An investment by Peter Thiel and J.D. Vance in Rumble, a YouTube alternative for conservatives, has helped the site remainon track to complete its merger to go public via a blank check company. Vance is the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Ohio.
Donald Trump's Truth Social has faced many legal and financial problems in the past few months. But it continues to provide a platform for the former president and his allies.
Reality check: The space is becoming more crowded, and several big platforms are now competing for the same type of user.
Parler had just 42,000 downloads in the U.S. since finally being made available again in the Google Play Store on Sept. 2, per Apptopia.
Ye, who created a Parler profile yesterday morning, only had 9,500 followers as of last evening.
What we're watching: In addition to social networks, an entire economy — from cloud hosting networks to book publishers — has grown around conservative ideals and free speech absolutism.” Read more at Axios
Jury Begins Deliberating in Trial of Analyst Who Gathered Steele Dossier Claims
The case is a major test of the special counsel, John H. Durham, who was appointed in 2019 to investigate the origins of the F.B.I.’s inquiry into the nature of the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.
By Linda Qiu and Charlie Savage
Oct. 17, 2022
“ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A Trump-era special prosecutor and a defense lawyer delivered starkly clashing views in closing arguments on Monday about the motives of Igor Danchenko, a Russia analyst who was a key contributor to the so-called Steele dossier.
A jury will now decide whether Mr. Danchenko is guilty of lying to the F.B.I. about one of his sources for information in the Steele dossier, a compendium of unsubstantiated assertions that Donald J. Trump and his 2016 campaign were colluding with Russia.
The case is a major test of the special counsel, John H. Durham, who was appointed in 2019 to investigate the origins of the F.B.I.’s inquiry into the nature of the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia. An earlier indictment brought by Mr. Durham ended with an acquittal in May, and the trial appears to be his last chance to obtain a conviction in a case he developed.
In the closing arguments, a prosecutor working for Mr. Durham asserted that Mr. Danchenko had clearly lied to the F.B.I. and that his false assertions had a material effect. He pointed to part of the dossier that the F.B.I. cited to bolster applications to wiretap a former Trump campaign adviser with ties to Russia.” Read more at New York Times
Oath Keepers Leader Bought Arsenal of Weapons Ahead of Jan. 6
The prosecution in the seditious conspiracy trial of Stewart Rhodes and other members of the militia introduced evidence that he spent as much as $20,000 on rifles, ammunition and other equipment.
By Alan Feuer and Zach Montague
Oct. 17, 2022
“In the days before a pro-Trump mob — including members of his own organization — broke into the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers militia, went on a cross-country weapon-buying spree.
Setting out for Washington from Texas, his home state, Mr. Rhodes stopped at least six times, bank records show, purchasing items like assault-style rifles, ammunition and scopes. Sometimes he dropped into gun shops and sometimes he conducted the transactions in parking lots with private sellers he met online.
By the time he reached his destination, prosecutors said on Monday at the trial of Mr. Rhodes and four of his subordinates on seditious conspiracy charges, the Oath Keepers leader had spent as much as $20,000 on what amounted to a small arsenal that included at least three rifles and an Israeli-made semiautomatic shotgun.
Prosecutors have not yet told the jury precisely what Mr. Rhodes did with the weapons he amassed as he and a lawyer for the Oath Keepers, Kellye SoRelle, made their way from Texas, through Mississippi and Tennessee, to the Hilton Garden Inn in Vienna, Va., where they stayed on Jan. 6.” Read more at New York Times
Four Friends Missing in Oklahoma Found Dismembered, Police Say
A witness had been invited to join the men to ‘hit a lick big enough for all of them,’ or to engage in some kind of criminal behavior, a police chief said on Monday.
“The mysterious disappearance of four friends in Oklahoma took a grim turn on Monday after the police confirmed that their remains had been found in a river after they had been fatally shot and then dismembered.
Joe Prentice, the police chief in Okmulgee, a city of about 11,000 people about 40 miles south of Tulsa, said at a news conference on Monday that the remains had been identified as those of Mark Chastain, 32; Billy Chastain, 30; Mike Sparks, 32; and Alex Stevens, 29, all of Okmulgee. The chief said the Chastains were brothers.
Chief Prentice said that investigators believed the men had planned to ‘commit some type of criminal act’ after they left Billy Chastain’s home on Okmulgee’s west side around 8 p.m. on Oct. 9. All four were reportedly riding bicycles, the police said.
Their plan to engage in criminal activity was based on information from a witness who had been invited to join the men to ‘hit a lick big enough for all of them,’ the chief said, quoting the witness….
On Friday, a passer-by noticed something suspicious in the Deep Fork River, leading investigators to find what appeared to be human remains protruding from the water.
But it wasn’t until Monday that the police confirmed the identities of the remains. Chief Prentice said it took some time to make the identification because all four had gunshot wounds and had apparently been dumped in the river after they were dismembered.” Read more at New York Times
Russia launched more drone attacks on Kyiv
“At least four people were killed, according to the city’s mayor. Additional strikes reportedly damaged energy facilitiee, Ukrainian technicians at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant have been told that they have until Thursday to sign up as employees of Moscow’s atomic-energy company. It could be a choice between losing their jobs or being labeled collaborators.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
Smoke rises after Russian shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022.Efrem Lukatsky, AP
Nord Stream blast 'blew away 50 metres of pipe'
Image caption, The underwater footage shows twisted bent metal in murky waters at the bottom of the Baltic sea
By Merlyn Thomas
BBC News
“At least 50 metres (164ft) of an underwater pipeline bringing Russian gas to Germany is thought to have been destroyed by a blast last month.
Video shot by a Norwegian robotics company, published by Swedish newspaper Expressen, appears to show the massive tear in the Nord Stream 1 pipe.
Danish police believe ‘powerful explosions’ blew four holes in the pipe and its newer twin, Nord Stream 2.
It is still unknown who or what caused the blasts amid suspicions of sabotage.
Gas deliveries have been suspended since the 26 September explosions on the concrete-reinforced steel pipes crossing the Baltic Sea.
The Kremlin has accused Western investigators of seeking to blame Russia for the damage.
‘Elementary logic’ shows damaging the pipeline was not in the Russian interest, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
Western leaders have stopped short of directly accusing Russia but the EU has previously accused Russia of using its gas supplies as a weapon against the West over its support for Ukraine.
Working with Expressen, Blueye Robotics used a submersible drone to film the twisted and bent metal of the Nord Stream pipe 80m beneath the surface of the sea.” Read more at BBC
Russia Struggles to Mobilize Forces
“Russian President Vladimir Putin has been packing Russia’s front lines with demoralized men with little to no military training and scant gear as he scrambles to sustain his military campaign amid mounting battlefield casualties.
But mobilizing 300,000 new forces has proven to be difficult, especially after hundreds of thousands of people have already fled the country to escape conscription. Those who remain have been snatched from offices, cafes, and even homeless shelters as authorities struggle to fill the ranks, the Washington Post reported.
Internally, Putin’s unpopular conscription campaign has fueled growing frustration and opposition. With mobilization, ‘Putin has now brought the war into the homes of many more Russian families,’ Andrea Kendall-Taylor, director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, told FP’s Ravi Agrawal in an interview.
‘Up until this point, he’s tried to portray the war and things inside Russia as normal,’ she added. ‘He’s tried to protect the politically important Russians, but mobilization has blown that apart.’
Since soldiers are insufficiently prepared for war and poorly equipped—with even Putin admitting that some of the new forces are only trained for 10 days—being sent off to fight in the war is often seen as a death sentence.
There are ‘dozens of anecdotal reports … of untrained, unequipped, and utterly unprepared men being rushed to the frontlines, where some have already surrendered to Ukrainian forces and others have been killed,’ the Institute for the Study of War said in a report.
According to the British Defense Ministry, new soldiers are likely even forced to pay out of pocket for military gear, namely body armor—and at an inflated rate. Online, the modern 6B45 vest is now selling for 40,000 rubles, or roughly $640, it said. That is more than three times higher than its going rate in April of 12,000 rubles, or around $190.
Recently deployed reservists’ ‘average level of personal equipment is almost certainly lower than the already poor provision of previously deployed troops,’ the ministry added.
As Russian officials employ discriminatory recruitment practices, ethnic minorities have been disproportionately targeted in the conscription campaign, FP’s Amy Mackinnon reported in September. In Buryatia, Moscow’s fierce mobilization efforts left some men racing to hide in nearby forests in an effort to evade authorities.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“China’s economic secrecy. China has postponed the publication of key economic statistics and indicators such as its gross domestic product, officials announced Monday. The data was originally set to be released on Tuesday; authorities did not offer reasons for the change or provide a new release date.
The abnormal move has fueled suspicions that the economic figures did not meet Beijing’s expectations. In Foreign Policy, ChinaFile contributors have examined what a stagnating economy could mean for China’s future ambitions.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“U.N. migrant investigation. The United Nations has called for an investigation after Greek officials discovered 92 migrants—who were almost entirely naked and some clearly injured—near the country’s border with Turkey. Athens said the migrants had faced ‘humiliating treatment’ in Turkey; Ankara in turn accused Greece of “harsh treatment of refugees.”
‘We are asking for a full investigation because the circumstances are not clear,’ said Stella Nanou, the U.N. refugee agency’s Athens spokesperson. ‘We are always against degrading and cruel treatment and what we have seen is shocking.’” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Mexico's most-populous state passes marriage equality
Mexico's most-populous state, named México, passed marriage equality Oct. 11. The vote in the state Congress was 49-12 with 6 abstentions. The state — often referred to as Edoméx, for Estado de México (State of México), to distinguish it from the country — has 17 million inhabitants.
Now only three states do not have marriage equality, although five of the ones that do have it got it via a court ruling or an administrative decree and still have to write it into law to comply with a 2015 jurisprudence ruling by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation.” Full details at rexwockner.com.
Rightist Party in Sweden Gets No Formal Role but Big Say in Government
The anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats will have a say over new policies for the incoming government under a complicated leadership agreement.
By Christina Anderson
Oct. 17, 2022
“STOCKHOLM — Sweden’s Parliament approved a new right-wing government Monday that includes the Liberal and Christian Democrat parties but no formal role for the anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats, without whom the right-wing bloc would not have achieved its narrow victory last month.
Despite being the largest party in the bloc after capturing a fifth of the national vote on Sept. 11, the Sweden Democrats will have only a supporting role in the new government, which will be led by the incoming prime minister, Ulf Kristersson of the Moderate Party.
Normally, the party with the most votes would be included in the government, but because of ideological differences and the Sweden Democrats’ neo-Nazi roots and anti-liberal policies, the other parties did not want to give them a formal role in the governing coalition, Jonas Hinnfors, a political scientist at the University of Gothenburg, said.
‘It’s realpolitik,’ Mr. Hinnfors said.
The Liberal Party conditioned its support for the coalition on excluding the Sweden Democrats from a seat in the government.” Read more at New York Times
Australia drops recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital
By ROD McGUIRK
In this image taken from video, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong speaks during a press conference, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022, in Canberra, Australia. Wong announced Australia has reversed a previous government's recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel's capital. (Australia Pool via AP)
“CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia has reversed a previous government’s recognition of west Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the foreign minister said Tuesday, prompting consternation from Israel.
The center-left Labor Party government agreed to again recognize Tel Aviv as the capital. The Cabinet also reaffirmed that Jerusalem’s status must be resolved in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said.
Australia remained committed to a two-party solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, and ‘we will not support an approach that undermines this prospect,’ Wong said.
Israel’s Prime Minister Yair Lapid expressed disappointment in Australia’s changed position.
‘Jerusalem is the eternal undivided capital of Israel and nothing will change that,’ Lapid said in a statement.
Wong said her department made an error by updating its website on Australia’s revised policy on Israel’s capital before Cabinet had confirmed the change.” Read more at AP News
“Labor walkout | Rail, energy and other key workers in France are striking today to demand a bigger share of corporate profits, raising pressure on President Emmanuel Macron to ease the impact of surging inflation. The walkouts follow protests against price hikes on Sunday and blockades at refineries and fuel depots.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Escalating conflict | Eritrea is intensifying its involvement in neighboring Ethiopia’s civil war, backing the government against fighters from the northern Tigray region and hampering efforts to end a two-year conflict that’s destabilized the entire Horn of Africa. Eritrea continues to shell towns and villages across Tigray and thousands of new conscripts have been deployed to the battle front-lines, according to rights activists.” Read more at Bloomberg