The Full Belmonte, 10/4/2022
A home in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, lies in ruins in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
“Six days after Hurricane Ian left parts of southwest Florida in ruins, search and rescue teams are going door to door looking for survivors. At least 101 people in Florida were killed and more than 1,900 have been rescued, officials said on Monday. Ian also claimed the lives of four people in North Carolina and three others in Cuba. In some cases, government officials dealing with recovery efforts are among those who lost their homes. ‘When you are walking around the ruins, it's an apocalyptic scene,’ Fort Myers Beach City Councilman Bill Veach said of his own neighborhood, which was destroyed by the storm. The devastation wrought by Ian likely caused more than $50 billion in damages -- and also put a dent in overall US economic output, economists say.” Read more at CNN
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
“The Voting Rights Act of 1965, which aims at eliminating racial discrimination against minority voters, is once again under threat. The Supreme Court hears arguments today on a case about how states can draw congressional district lines to concentrate voters of a certain race in specific districts. Major portions of the act have already been struck down twice.” Read more at NPR
Trust in Supreme Court at 50-year low
Data: Gallup. Chart: Tory Lysik/Axios
“Trust in the federal judiciary, including the Supreme Court, is down 20 points from two years ago in Gallup polling after a series of conservative high-court rulings, including the reversal of Roe.
Why it matters: Americans' opinions of the Supreme Court are the worst in 50 years of polling, with a record number calling the court ‘too conservative,’ Gallup writes.
The big picture: As trust fell in most major institutions, most Americans still saw the Supreme Court as ‘about right.’ No more.” Read more at Axios
The Supreme Court agreed to hear cases challenging when websites are liable for content published by their users.
“The justices will consider two cases brought by families of two people killed in Islamic State attacks, who allege that social-media platformsincluding Google, Twitter and Facebook bear some responsibility. At issue is Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, a law that helped build the modern internet and generally shields websites. Lawyers for the companies have said in court filings that they have made extensive efforts to remove ISIS content and that there is no direct causal link between the sites and the attacks.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Justices declined to consider an appeal in a defamation suit involving MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, an outspoken ally of former President Trump( USA Today). The court also declined to consider the latest challenge to a federal ban on bump stocks, keeping in place the prohibition on devices that essentially allow shooters to fire semiautomatic rifles continuously with one pull of a trigger (CNN).” Read more at The Hill
“The trial of five alleged members of the Oath Keepers, the far-right militia accused of plotting to attack the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, began on Monday. In the dramatic first day's opening statements, the Justice Department said the defendants sought to ‘stop by any means necessary’ the lawful transfer of presidential power to Joe Biden, ‘including taking up arms against the United States government.’ On the other side, a lawyer for the Oath Keepers said that the jurors will see evidence that the defendants ‘had no part in the bulk’ of the violence that occurred on January 6. All five members have pleaded not guilty to the charge of seditious conspiracy, a charge rarely brought by the Justice Department, and other charges. It carries a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison.” Read more at CNN
Trump’s lawyer refused his request in February to say all documents returned
After initial return of 15 boxes, attorney Alex Cannon thought there might be more records at Mar-a-Lago, people familiar with the matter said.
“Former president Donald Trump asked one of his lawyers to tell the National Archives and Records Administration in early 2022 that Trump had returned all materials requested by the agency, but the lawyer declined because he was not sure the statement was true, according to people familiar with the matter.
As it turned out, thousands more government documents — including some highly classified secrets — remained at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and private club. The later discovery of those documents, through a May grand jury subpoena and the Aug. 8 FBI search of the Florida property, are at the heart of a criminal investigation into the potential mishandling of classified material and the possible hiding, tampering or destruction of government records.” Read more at New York Times
“Federal aviation officials plan to announce a new rule today that flight attendants will get more mandated rest time between flights, sources familiar with the announcement tell CNN. Flight crew unions have fought hard for the change, saying that flight attendants are exhausted and overworked after shifts as long as 14 hours. Current FAA rules mandate that in most cases, an airline provides a flight attendant a nine-hour rest period after being on duty for 14 hours or less. Last year, the FAA opened public comment on a proposed regulatory change that would increase the rest period to 10 hours between shifts. The change was first approved by Congress in 2018 but was not put in place by the Trump administration.” Read more at CNN
“With fewer international destinations testing for or reporting Covid-19 cases, the CDC has announced it will no longer maintain a country-by-country list of travel advisories related to the virus. Instead, the agency will only post a notice for a country if there is a concerning variant or situation that would change its travel recommendations. The CDC issued its first Covid-specific travel notice for China in January of 2020 and has long been updating its advisories list each Monday until this week. The agency recommends that regardless of the destination, international travelers should stay up to date on their Covid-19 vaccines and have all eligible booster shots.” Read more at CNN
President Biden in Puerto Rico yesterday.Doug Mills/The New York Times
“Biden pledged $60 million in storm aid to Puerto Rico.” Read more at New York Times
Herschel Walker's son accuses dad of lying
Screenshot: Fox News
“The son of Herschel Walker — former football star, and Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Georgia — accused his father of ‘lying’ and ‘making a mockery’ of his family after a Daily Beast report alleged Walker paid for his then-girlfriend to have an abortion in 2009.
The abortion allegations — and a stunning series of tweets from Christian Walker, a 23-year-old conservative TikTok influencer — could hurt Republicans' chances in one of the most important Senate battlegrounds.
Walker's race against Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) — which Cook Political Report rates as a tossup — is one of the GOP's best Senate pickup opportunities.
‘You're not a 'family man,'‘ Christian Walker tweeted last night.
‘Every family member of Herschel Walker asked him not to run for office, because we all knew (some of) his past. Every single one. He decided to give us the middle finger and air out all of his dirty laundry.’
Walker, 60 — who says he opposes abortion, with no exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother — denied the report that he paid for his girlfriend's abortion, and said he would sue The Daily Beast today.
Emma Hurt of Axios Atlanta was the only reporter at a Walker campaign stop in Buckhead when the news broke last evening. He called the report ‘a lie’: ‘Would they be doing that if I was white?’
Later, Walker told Fox News' Sean Hannity: ‘[T]hey'll do anything to win this seat — lie — because they want to make it about everything else except what the true problems that we have ... in this country ... It's inflation, the border wide open, crime.’
The candidate tweeted shortly after his son's comments: ‘I LOVE my son no matter what.’” Read more at Axios
Nation's tightest race
Dr. Oz visits a driving school in Allentown, Pa., last month. Photo: Matt Rourke/AP
Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania.
“The open U.S. Senate seat in the Keystone State is shaping up as the majority-making race in midterms, 35 days away. Whichever party wins is likely to control the chamber, Axios' Josh Kraushaar reports.
The race had looked like it was leaning toward Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D), despite a stroke in May that limited his campaigning.
But new momentum for Dr. Mehmet Oz (R), the daytime-TV star, means the race is likely to go down to the wire.
Axios got a first look at Oz's fundraising numbers for July to September: He took in $17.2 million, including $7 million of his own money — big numbers that reflect the high-stakes race.
Fetterman hasn't released his latest numbers, but has been one of the most prolific Democratic fundraisers. He brought in $11 million last quarter.
John Fetterman walks in a Labor Day parade in Pittsburgh. Photo: Justin Merriman/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Zoom in: The battle to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Pat Toomey is one of the most expensive in the country.
The latest public polling shows Fetterman's double-digit advantage over Oz this summer has shrunk to a statistical tie.
Fetterman held a sizable fundraising advantage over Oz in the race, but Republican outside groups closed the gap.
The race's top issue: crime, which Republicans are emphasizing nationwide.
Zoom out: Besides Pennsylvania, the other tossup Senate races are in Nevada, Georgia and Wisconsin.” Read more at Axios
Data: American Gaming Association. Cartogram: Axios Visuals
“Countless Americans legally wagered on last night's all-California ‘Monday Night Football’ game (49ers 24, Rams 9). But Californians weren't among them, Jeff Tracy writes for Axios Sports.
California, America's most populous state, remains one of 19 states without legal sports betting.
Two propositions on November's ballot could change that:
Prop 26 would legalize in-person betting at all tribal casinos and four private horse racing tracks.
Prop 27 would legalize online sports betting across the state.
State of play: Prop 27 is the focus of a massive campaign pitting FanDuel and DraftKings against Native American tribes, which would no longer enjoy exclusive gaming rights in the state.
$310 million has been spent on ads for ($160 million) and against ($150 million) Prop 27, per Politico, shattering the state's previous record for a single proposition — $224 million in 2020 on Prop 22, regarding rideshare drivers as independent contractors.
Both major parties in California oppose Prop 27, with Democrats and Republicans standing with the tribes.
Fun fact: California is one of only two states with three NFL teams. The other is Florida, which has also been embroiled in a years-long sports-betting battle involving Native American tribes.
Combined, the two states represent nearly 20% of the U.S. population, so betting operators have become intimately involved in state politics.
In California, FanDuel and DraftKings are touting betting as a way to fight homelessness. In Florida, they're framing it as a way to finance education.” Read more at Axios
Trump Sues CNN for Defamation, Seeking $475 Million
The former president has a history of threatening, and occasionally filing, lawsuits against media organizations whose coverage he deems unfair.
Published Oct. 3, 2022
“Former President Donald J. Trump sued CNN on Monday, claiming that the network defamed him and demanding $475 million in damages.
Over the course of his business and political career, Mr. Trump has frequently threatened to sue media organizations over news coverage that he deems unfair or disrespectful. Although he rarely followed through, his attacks on the media became a staple of his political messaging and have often been cited in fund-raising entreaties in the run-up to this year’s midterm elections.
In 2020, his re-election campaign sued The New York Times and The Washington Post over opinion articles that linked Mr. Trump to Russian interference in American elections. His suit against The Times was dismissed; the suit involving The Post is pending.
Mr. Trump’s complaint against CNN was filed in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The lawsuit alleges a ‘campaign of dissuasion in the form of libel and slander’ that, Mr. Trump asserts, has recently escalated ‘as CNN fears the plaintiff will run for president in 2024.’” Read more at New York Times
Why Kim Kardashian got fined
Photo illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios. Photos: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic, Daniele Venturelli/WireImage via Getty Images
“Kim Kardashian was fined $1.26 million yesterday for touting crypto schemes — even as more high-profile pitches from the likes of Matt Damon and Larry David have gone unpunished.
Why it matters: The seeming double standard is a function of a subtle distinction in securities law, Felix Salmon writes for Axios Markets.
Legally speaking, it's fine for celebrities to endorse investment opportunities, including crypto investments.
Where Kardashian crossed the line: She endorsed a crypto asset security instead of a company.
Her relatively low-budget 2021 Instagram post — she was paid $250,000 — touted a specific coin.
If you're shilling a security, then disclosing that you were paid — as Kardashian did — is not enough. You also need to disclose how much you were paid.
The bottom line: If you're going to tout crypto, tout a company, not a coin.” Read more at Axios
"Women, life, freedom!" All over the world, protesters are gathering in solidarity with the women of Iran. From Istanbul to Los Angeles, outrage pours from demonstrators over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died after being arrested by Iran's morality police.” Read more at NPR
“Divorced couples who consolidated their student loan debt will finally get some relief this week. President Biden is expected to sign the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act, which would finally allow borrowers to separate their loans from their ex's.” Read more at NPR
“Millions of Jews will mark Yom Kippur this evening by beginning a 25-hour fast while reflecting on the year seeking God's forgiveness. We've got some tips for easing the fasting experience, and some recommendations from chefs, cooks and foodies for breaking it.” Read more at NPR
Planned Parenthood to launch first-of-its-kind mobile abortion clinic in Midwest
“In the next couple weeks, A Planned Parenthood branch in Illinois will launch a mobile clinic: A 37-foot-long RV with a waiting room, a standard lab and exam rooms. The clinic will offer medication abortions, and hopes to later offer abortion procedures. The mobile unit is the first of its kind for Planned Parenthood in the nation and will be operational by the end of 2022. In the 100 days since Roe v. Wade fell, the organization has seen a 340% increase in people from outside Missouri and Illinois seeking services at its Fairview Heights, Illinois, location. Planned Parenthood will analyze patient travel patterns along the southern Illinois border to determine the routes the RV will take.” Read more at USA Today
FBI officials: No credible threats to US election systems ahead of midterms
“Federal authorities have identified no credible threats to U.S. election systems despite persistent efforts by foreign adversaries, including Russia, to amplify disinformation about voter fraud and election integrity, senior FBI officials said Monday. The agency added they were closely monitoring potential threats to election workers in the U.S., after local officials reported a wave of harassment and abuse before and after the contentious 2020 presidential election.” Read more at USA Today
“Japan urged residents to take shelter today after North Korea fired a ballistic missile without warning over the country for the first time in five years. Experts say the highly provocative and potentially dangerous act by the Kim Jong Un regime represents a major escalation in its weapons testing program. The missile traveled over northern Japan and is believed to have landed in the Pacific Ocean. While no damage was reported, the unannounced missile launch triggered a rare J-alert, a system designed to inform the public of emergencies and threats. In such emergencies, alerts are sent out via sirens, through radio stations and to individual smartphone users. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida strongly condemned the launch as ‘outrageous.’ This is North Korea's 23rd missile test this year.” Read more at CNN
Elementary school students find shelter near a building on their way to school soon after a report of North Korea's missile launch, in Misawa, Japan on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022.AP
Truss’s Economic U-Turn
“British Prime Minister Liz Truss has walked back plans to eliminate the top income tax rate imposed on the richest Britons, a central part of her economic agenda that had plunged the country into financial turmoil and forced the Bank of England to declare an emergency intervention.
The sudden reversal is an embarrassing blow to the British leader during her first month in office, especially after she made unfunded tax cuts a key campaign pledge and then continued to defend her plans as public backlash mounted. This policy would have removed the 45 percent income tax rate on high-earning Britons who make more than 150,000 pounds ($170,000) per year.
Within government, a growing number of Tory MPs and lawmakers also publicly opposed the policy—further pushing Truss to reverse course. In an effort to separate herself from the controversial policy, on Monday she said Kwasi Kwarteng, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, had been responsible for the plan to scrap the top tax rate.
‘We get it and we have listened,’ she tweeted, while adding that the ‘the abolition of the 45pc rate had become a distraction from our mission to get Britain moving.’
The British economy, which had already been in a fragile state, took a nosedive after the government unveiled its sweeping tax cut plans, sparking panic over the significant government borrowing required to fund them. After the value of the pound plummeted to a record low last week, the Bank of England vowed to purchase government bonds on ‘whatever scale is necessary’ in order to stabilize the market.
As a cost of living crisis gripped the country, Truss’s move to cut wealthy Britons’ taxes fueled calls for her resignation while her overall economic agenda was publicly criticized by the International Monetary Fund. Her plans sparked a ‘crisis of faith’ in the government’s ability to revive the ailing British economy, as FP’s Amy Mackinnon and Anusha Rathi explained.
‘This is a huge vote of no confidence from the markets,’ David G. Blanchflower, a professor of economics at Dartmouth College, told them. ‘And politically, this is a disaster.’
Kwarteng is now expected to unveil new plans to slash the country’s debt this month, in an effort to placate investors and rattled markets.
‘We need to move forward. No more distractions,’ he said. ‘We have a plan and we need to get on and deliver it.’” Read more at Foreign Policy
Ukraine’s southern breakthrough. “Ukrainian forces broke through Russian lines on the west bank of the Dnipro river and reportedly moved south as far as the town of Dudchany—25 miles from Russia’s previous position, according to Russian military officials who acknowledged the setback; a Russian-installed local official called the situation “tense.”
The move is strategically significant because it threatens to cut supply lines and encircle tens of thousands of Russian troops positioned on the west bank of the river who could become stranded due to Ukrainian bombing of river crossings around the occupied city of Kherson. ‘The Russian army has already lost the ability to attack, and today or tomorrow it could lose the ability to defend,’ Oleh Zhdanov, a military analyst based in Kyiv, told the Jerusalem Post.” Read more at Foreign Policy
Lula’s pivot | “Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s campaign is seeking to focus on the northeast of the country and the key state of Sao Paulo going into the Oct. 30 runoff against the incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. Simone Iglesias explains that Lula’s closer-than-expected 48%-to-43% margin of victory in the first round on Sunday has prompted his advisers to seek to attract more centrist politicians to his coalition.
Regardless of the outcome, Bolsonaro’s unexpectedly strong showing means his political influence will endure, with many of his right-wing and centrist allies winning key congress and local government races.” Read more at Foreign Policy
Iran blames U.S. for unrest. “After remaining silent over the defiant protests that have swept Iran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has blamed the United States and Israel for inciting the unrest in order to destabilize the country. ‘These riots and insecurities were designed by America and the Zionist regime, and their employees,’ he said.
His remarks came a day after Iranian authorities cracked down on demonstrations at Sharif University in Tehran, firing teargas at as many as 200 student protesters. On Monday, the university held its classes online due to the unrest. “ Read more at Foreign Policy
Pakistan’s looming food crisis. “An estimated 5.7 million people in Pakistan will experience an acute food crisis over the next three months, the United Nations has warned, as the country grapples with the aftermath of months of heavy flooding. According to Pakistani officials, the deluge has impacted 33 million people and killed nearly 1,700. Hundreds of thousands more have been displaced.” Read more at Foreign Policy
Al-Shabab’s attack. “At least 20 people were killed and dozens more injured after al-Shabab fighters attacked government offices in Somalia’s Hiran region on Monday. The attack came after the Somali government and its allies killed one of the group’s leaders this past weekend.” Read more at Foreign Policy
The Fed has increased rates five times this year, but the rapid rises are coming amid growing unease about the haste with which borrowing costs are being raised.
PHOTO: KEVIN DIETSCH/GETTY IMAGES
A U.N. agency called on the Fed and other central banks to stop raising interest rates.
“Failing to do so would risk a global recession followed by prolonged stagnation, the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development warned. A percentage point rise in the Fed’s key interest rate lowers economic output by 0.5% in other rich countries and 0.8% in poor countries over the subsequent three years, it estimated. In September, the Fed approved its third consecutive interest-rate rise of 0.75 percentage point this year. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank takes into account the impact its policies have on the rest of the world but would continue to lift interest rates to bring inflation under control.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
Super squash: 2,554-pound pumpkin carves out new US record
In this photo provided by The Great Pumpkin Farm, Emmett Andrusz, from left, Steve Andrusz and Scott Andrusz, pose with the record setting 2,554-pound pumpkin, in Clarence, N.Y., Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. Scott Andrusz's entry broke the previous record of 2,528 pounds. (The Great Pumpkin Farm via AP)
“CLARENCE, N.Y. (AP) — A 2,554-pound pumpkin grown in upstate New York has set a new U.S. record for the heaviest.
State and national records fell over the weekend at the Great Pumpkin Farm in the Buffalo suburb of Clarence, when Scott Andrusz’s entry broke the previous national record of 2,528 pounds, The Buffalo News reported.
The previous New York state record was 2,517 pounds, a news release said.
The winning gourd will be on display at the Great Pumpkin Farm fall festival through Oct. 16.
A grower in Italy holds the world record for heaviest pumpkin. He grew a 2,702-pound squash in 2021, according to Guinness World Records.” Read more at AP News