The Full Belmonte, 11/11/2023
Eric AdamsStephanie Keith for The New York Times
“F.B.I. agents stopped New York City’s mayor, Eric Adams, on the street and seized his electronic devices, an escalation of the investigation into his campaign finances.” [New York Times]
House GOP cuts Speaker Johnson’s honeymoon short
BY EMILY BROOKS AND ARIS FOLLEY
© Greg Nash
“House Republicans are struggling with the same battles over government funding that led to the chaotic unseating of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), seemingly cutting any honeymoon short for new Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
GOP leadership this week yanked two spending bills from the floor amid disputes on spending and other controversial policy items. With a government funding deadline less than a week away, the conference seems hopelessly divided on how to avert a shutdown.”
Read the full story here at The Hill
Elise Stefanik files ethics complaint against Trump fraud trial judge
BY ELLA LEE
“Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) filed a judicial ethics complaint Friday against the New York judge overseeing former President Trump’s civil fraud trial, claiming the judge has shown ‘inappropriate bias and judicial intemperance’ toward the former president and calling on him to resign.
Judge Arthur Engoron has displayed a ‘clear judicial bias’ against Trump and broken ‘several rules’ in the state’s judicial conduct code, Stefanik wrote in a letter to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct.
Read the full story here at The Hill
January 6th suspect surrenders after New Jersey manhunt
“After a 48-hour manhunt, a former National Guardsman wanted in connection with the January 6th attack has turned himself in to New Jersey authorities, the FBI said.
Gregory Yetman is accused of pepper-spraying officers during the attack on the capitol.
Yetman fled into the woods near his home in Helmetta after he apparently saw FBI agents approaching to arrest him, a senior law enforcement official told NBC New York.
He faces several charges, including felonies such as assaulting officers and obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, as well as some misdemeanor offenses, according to the FBI.” [NBC News]
Judge rejects Trump’s request to delay classified documents trial
“The federal judge in Florida overseeing the case involving Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents has rejected the former president’s bid to delay the May 20 start date, at least for now.
In a ruling today, Judge Aileen Cannon denied the request by Trump’s attorneys, but said she would revisit her decision at a March 1 scheduling conference.
Trump’s team has argued it needs more time to review the sizable trove of evidence in the case, and has cited scheduling conflicts with his campaign for president and other legal cases against him.
Trump is charged with keeping classified documents after leaving the White House in 2021, and obstructing the government’s efforts to get them back. He has pleaded not guilty.” [NBC News]
Top Hollywood agent’s son arrested for grisly murder
“The suspect arrested for a brutal murder in Los Angeles has been identified as Samuel Haskell, 35, the son of a top Hollywood agent.
Haskell was arrested after a woman’s torso was found in a dumpster Wednesday, police said. The body has not been identified.
Authorities are also searching for three people who lived with Haskell, his wife Mei Haskell, her 72-year-old father Gaoshan Li, and her 64-year-old mother YanXiang Wang.
Haskell’s father is a former top executive at the William Morris agency, where he represented stars such as Dolly Parton, Martin Short, Ray Romano and Whoopi Goldberg, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Haskell's mother is a former Miss Mississippi.” [NBC News]
Declining GOP debate ratings won’t help candidates catch Trump
BY JARED GANS
“Fewer and fewer people are watching the GOP's presidential debates, raising sharper questions about their relevance in a cycle where the party's front-runner, former President Donald Trump, is skipping them.
Fewer than 7 million people tuned in for this week's debate, where Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis both got solid reviews for their performances.”
Read the full story here at The Hill
Haley, DeSantis raise $1 million in 24 hours after debate
BY LAUREN IRWIN
“Republican Presidential candidates Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis announced they each raised more than $1 million in the 24 hours after the third GOP debate Wednesday.
Filings from the third fundraising quarter came in last month and gave an idea of how campaigns are faring with about a year to go until next November’s election.”
Read the full story here at The Hill
Ramaswamy now selling merch after Haley’s ‘scum’ comments
BY FILIP TIMOTIJA
“GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy has decided to capitalize on former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley’s ‘scum’ comments by selling merchandise on his website.
Ramaswamy, 38, called out Haley’s daughter during the third GOP presidential primary debate on Wednesday in Miami for using TikTok, after the former South Carolina governor ‘made fun’ of him for joining it himself. In response, Haley blasted the 38-year-old entrepreneur by saying ‘you’re just scum.’”
Read the full story here at The Hill
Two Michigan former officials sue city over ‘unconstitutional’ Pride flag ban
Cathy Stackpoole and Russ Gordon were fired after flying Pride flag from city-owned flagpole in violation of Hamtramck’s resolution
“Two former officials from Hamtramck, Michigan, filed a lawsuit in federal court on Monday, alleging the city’s recent ban on flying Pride flags and certain other flags on city property is unconstitutional.
Cathy Stackpoole and Russ Gordon were both members of the Hamtramck human relations commission in June, when the Hamtramck city council approved a resolution banning the flying of LGBTQ+ Pride flags on city property, along with certain other flags.
The next month, Stackpoole and Gordon raised a Pride flag on a city-owned flagpole in violation of the new resolution. According to court documents, the councilmember Mohammed Hassan spotted the flag and called the police, who removed the flag. The city council subsequently fired Stackpoole and Gordon from the commission. They are suing for damages and to be reinstated, but they say their lawsuit is about much more….” Read more at The Guardian
Columbia University suspends pro-Palestinian and Jewish student clubs
“An Ivy League school has cut off two clubs for pro-Palestinian and Jewish students in the latest escalation in the tumult gripping American college campuses amid disagreement over the Israel-Hamas war.
Columbia University in New York City, where protests have roiled campus in the past month, temporarily terminated its chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace. The two student clubs, which are both anti-Zionist, have shown solidarity in calling for a cease-fire in the war overseas.
They will be suspended until the end of the fall semester. Gerald Rosberg, the school’s senior executive vice president, announced the move in a statement Friday.
‘This decision was made after the two groups repeatedly violated University policies related to holding campus events, culminating in an unauthorized event Thursday afternoon that proceeded despite warnings and included threatening rhetoric and intimidation,’ Rosberg said. He did not elaborate further on how exactly the policies were violated.
The groups won’t be able to hold events or receive funding, Rosberg said. The suspension will remain in place until the two groups can demonstrate a ‘commitment to compliance with University policies,’ he said in the statement.
The announcement followed a massive student protest and walkout Thursday that included an art installation in front of an administrative building.
The protests were described by the clubs as peaceful. Neither of the student groups responded to a request for comment Friday….” Read more at USA Today
“It’s safe to say that the US economy is in a “wait-and-see” period, with the Federal Reserve’s aggressive campaign to stem inflation possibly, but not assuredly, at its apex. Fed Chair Jerome Powell and other central bank policymakers said as much this week, warning (as they have been saying for some time) that while interest rates are in restrictive territory and inflation continues to fall, there are other pitfalls that may befall the economy, including reverberations from Israel’s month-long war with Hamas. That means that, theoretically, rates could go higher, or more likely remain where they are for longer. Two Fed officials noted however that the economy hasn’t felt the full effect of past rate increases, suggesting some slowing is yet to come. Together, this means it may be too soon to start handicapping when rate cuts may start. The Fed also said it’s keeping close tabs on potential losses at banks stemming from elevated interest rates and commercial real estate. Still, the economy is barreling toward 2024 in better shape than even the soft-landing crowd expected only six months ago. As for Team Recession, it’s been 17 months of wrong calls.
In Britain, no growth was good news. The UK economy flatlined in the third quarter, defying forecasts of a small contraction and ensuring a recession is avoided at least for this year. As China slips back into deflation, exporters to the world’s second biggest economy will be hit by a double whammy of falling demand and eroding price competitiveness, according to an HSBC economist.” [Bloomberg]
“Israel appeared to be closing in on Al Shifa, the main hospital in Gaza City, which Israeli officials claim houses a Hamas command center in the tunnels below. Palestinian deaths in the month-long war, began after Hamas militants killed 1,200 people on Oct. 7, rose above 11,000, according the group’s health ministry. There was no end in sight to Israel’s drive into the heart of Gaza, as Benny Gantz, a former general and opposition leader who joined a wartime government, said there would be ‘no limitations’ to the effort to destroy Hamas. Tensions are playing out on US campuses, with increasing protests over the Palestinian death toll and concerns over antisemitism, notably at Harvard.” [Bloomberg]
“President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will sit down on Nov. 15 after a year of rising tensions over Taiwan, trade and even a spy balloon. Each leader has a list of concerns: Xi wants to calm foreign investors, Biden wants a resumption of military talks and greater transparency. But it’s Xi who needs a good meeting more than Biden does, Minxin Pei writesin Bloomberg Opinion. “Most obviously, Sino-US tensions are destroying investor confidence and making China ‘un-investable,’” he said. Another question after three beloved pandas were sent from American zoos back to China: Will panda diplomacy ever return?” [Bloomberg]
Xi Jinping and Joe Biden during the G20 Summit in Bali last November Photographer: Saul Loeb/AFP
“The Panama Canal doesn’t have enough water. A lack of rainfall blamed on climate change is leading to a steady decline in levels of Gatun Lake, which feeds one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. Now the artery is clogged, and two giant gas tankers even performed U-turns just miles from its opening and sailed away. New quotas on the number of ships that can enter the passageway threaten trade in energy, consumer goods and food. The past 12 months have been the hottest on record, as 99% of the world’s population experienced above-average warmth.” [Bloomberg]
“A Russian missile struck a commercial ship at a major Ukrainian Black Sea port, highlighting the ongoing risk to commodity exports from Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian farmers, in the midst of this year’s harvest, are collecting larger-than-expected crops of key staples like corn, much of which is typically sold abroad. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed a decision by the European Union’s executive arm to support the start of membership talks with Kyiv. With the war at a stalemate, ‘a new strategy for Ukraine built around achieving a settlement rather than victory is indeed needed,’ Marc Champion writes inBloomberg Opinion.” [Bloomberg]
Hospitals in Peril
Patients and internally displaced people are pictured at Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on November 10, 2023.Hader Al Zanoun/AFP via Getty Images)
“Gaza’s already beleaguered hospital system—overcrowded and short on fresh water, fuel, medical supplies, and anesthetics—faced even more dire circumstances on Friday as several facilities in Gaza City came under siege amid intense battles between Israeli forces and Hamas militants.
Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, weathered an explosion on Friday, while several other hospitals were reportedly surrounded by Israeli tanks and heavy fighting. As many as 50,000 people may be sheltering in Al-Shifa, which is ‘coming under bombardment,’ the World Health Organization said. Thousands of people fled the hospital in the wake of Friday’s violence, deepening concerns of a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Israeli officials, who have accused of Hamas of operating a major command center beneath Al-Shifa, say they plan to take ‘every precaution possible’ and ordered hospitals in northern Gaza to evacuatelast month—although doctors and administrators say it is ‘impossible’ to do that safely. ‘Israel is now launching a war on Gaza City hospitals,’ Mohammad Abu Selmeyah, the director of Al-Shifa, told Reuters.
Israel agreed this week to allow daily four-hour humanitarian pauses in fighting to allow Palestinians in northern Gaza, where the fighting is heaviest, to evacuate to the southern part of the territory. However, Israel has continued to bomb areas in the south as well.
Friday’s escalation in fighting comes as top Biden administration officials deliver some of their sharpest statements on the growing death toll in Gaza, which exceeds 11,000, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. The conflict has also seen more than 100 United Nations employees killed, according to the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency.
‘Much more needs to be done to protect civilians and to make sure that humanitarian assistance reaches them,’ U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday. ‘Far too many Palestinians have been killed. Far too many have suffered these past weeks.’ Yet U.S. officials continue to oppose calling for a cease-fire and have said U.S. President Joe Biden has not yet established any red lines for Israel.” [Foreign Policy]
“The search for Portugal’s next leader. Just days after Prime Minister António Costa stepped down amid a major corruption scandal, lawmakers are scrambling to find his successor. On Thursday, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa called for an early election on March 10 and announced that he would disband the country’s parliament.
Costa resigned on Tuesday after a police raid over corruption charges that resulted in an arrest warrant for his chief of staff, among other individuals. Though Costa himself was not the target of an arrest warrant, he said he would step down from his position. ‘I believe that the dignity of the office of the prime minister is not compatible with any suspicion about your integrity, your good conduct, and even less with the practical suspicion of any criminal act,’ he said. ‘Therefore, in these circumstances, obviously, I presented my resignation.’” [Foreign Policy]
“Brazil cuts down on deforestation. In a victory for environmental protection efforts, deforestation rates in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest reached a five-year low between August 2022 and July 2023, according to the country’s National Institute of Space Research. The deforestation rate in those 12 months marks a 22.3 percent decrease from levels recorded a year before.” [Foreign Policy]
Honda is giving many U.S. factory workers an 11% pay increase.
“The move comes after the United Auto Workers secured major gains from GM, Ford and Chrysler-parent Stellantis. The Japanese automaker is also halving the time it takes to reach the top wage. In other union news, Las Vegas Strip casino workers and three gambling companies—Caesars, MGM and Wynn—struck labor contract deals this week after months of negotiations, narrowly avoiding a strike ahead of the Formula One race weekend there.” [Wall Street Journal]
THE WEEK IN CULTURE
Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo and SZA.Mohammed Badra/EPA, via Shutterstock; Chantal Anderson for The New York Times; Nina Westervelt for The New York Times
“SZA, Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo — along with the “Barbie” soundtrack — are among the top nominees for the 66th annual Grammy Awards. Here’s the full list.
Our critics picked their biggest Grammy surprises, including a strong showing by the indie-rock group boygenius.
People magazine announced Patrick Dempsey, the actor known for playing Derek Shepherd on “Grey’s Anatomy,” as this year’s Sexiest Man Alive.
The Trump family coordinated their looks as they took the stand in New York, our fashion critic writes — lots of navy, with no red or flashy displays of wealth.
“Sleep No More,” the Off Broadway production that helped alter the landscape of immersive theater, will close after more than a decade.
Paramount released the trailer for a musical remake of “Mean Girls.”
Gannett hired a 35-year-old journalist to be a full-time Swift reporter.
A researcher in England discovered the identity of the man on the cover of the 1971 album “Led Zeppelin IV” — a Victorian-era roof thatcher named Lot Long.
The EZ Band’s blend of norteña and pop offers some Americans a way to connect with their parents’ culture.
A museum in Switzerland said it must sell its Cézannes to survive, but critics say it is violating industry guidelines.
Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, a famous tourist attraction, temporarily closed after earthquakes.
Davide Renne, the Italian fashion designer, died just days after becoming Moschino’s creative director. He was 46.” [New York Times]