The Full Belmonte, 11/18/2023
Israel-Hamas war: Feds probe US schools on antisemitism, Islamophobia
“The Department of Education said it has opened seven investigations related to alleged antisemitic and anti-Muslim harassment.”
READ MORE at USA Today
Walls close in on George Santos amid mounting political, legal drama
BY MYCHAEL SCHNELL
© AP
The walls — both political and legal — are closing in on Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.).
“The embattled New York Republican is coming off a bruising week that began with his second former aide taking a plea deal, continued with the release of a damning Ethics report and ended with the introduction of another expulsion resolution that could end his career in Congress.”
Read the full story here at The Hill
Santos communications director resigns following scathing Ethics report
BY MYCHAEL SCHNELL
“Gabrielle Lipsky, the communications director for Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), has resigned from the congressman’s office, a source familiar with the situation confirmed Friday to The Hill.
Lipsky resigned after the House Ethics Committee published a damning report following its investigation into Santos, which found ‘substantial evidence’ that the New York Republican ‘violated federal criminal laws.’”
Read the full story here at The Hill
Angry GOP gets a needed break. But tough times lie ahead
BY EMILY BROOKS
“House Republicans are finally getting a break from each other over Thanksgiving after a grueling, contentious stretch that saw two fights over how to avoid a shutdown, three weeks without a Speaker, and even an allegation of a jab to the kidneys.
But when they come back, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is not set to have an easy time corralling the fractious, razor-thin majority as it faces continued internal funding fights, a progressing impeachment investigation and a likely vote to expel one of its own.”
Read the full story here at The Hill
Judge denies Trump’s mistrial motion in NY fraud case
BY ELLA LEE
“A New York judge has denied former President Trump’s motion for a mistrial in his civil fraud case, rejecting the claim that the judge and his principal law clerk had ‘tainted’ the trial with bias.
Judge Arthur Engoron issued a scathing rebuke of Trump’s mistrial motion Friday afternoon, describing it as ‘utterly without merit.’
Read the full story here at The Hill
“The Israeli military raided Shifa hospital, the biggest in Gaza, and has been seeking to substantiate its claims that Hamas had a major command center below it, something Hamas has denied. Even as Israel’s assault appeared to be moving south, Hamas’s network of tunnels remained a central focus, as Israeli forces search of more than 200 hostages as well as Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, who lulled Israel into believing the militant group was no longer a threat. The Biden administration, while publicly backing Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 attacks, is getting increasingly frustrated with Israel’s conduct of the war. Gaza health officials report Israel has killed more than 11,000 Palestinians, or 1 out of every 200 residents of Gaza.” [Bloomberg]
“Expectations were low for the first meeting in a year between President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, but the two men emerged with a handful of small gestures toward decreasing US-China tensions. The two struck deals to combat fentanyl and restore high-level military communications–and Xi later agreed to send pandas back to the US. Biden, however, underscored the limits of the rapprochement, and whether the pleasantries will last remains an open question.” [Bloomberg]
Joe Biden and Xi Jinping Photographer: Doug Mills/The New York Times
“Fallout from Elon Musk’s online endorsement of antisemitic views continues to spread, with Tesla investors slamming the world’s richest person and more advertisers fleeing his troubled social media platform. ‘We condemn this abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate in the strongest terms,’ White House spokesman Andrew Bates said. Still, Musk’s SpaceX remains a key part of the American space program (not to mention a recipient of US taxpayer dollars) and is poised to launch its Starship rocket Saturday, a critical test after another version of the vehicle exploded in April. Also, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, Starlink—the subject of controversy since Musk cut off access to Ukraine’s forces—is discussing an initial public offering as soon as next year.” [Bloomberg]
“After multiple false starts over the past two decades, New York City is finally ready to launch a congestion pricing program next year, with the aim of funding subway upgrades, easing Manhattan traffic and clearing the air a bit (that is, if lawsuits by neighboring New Jersey don’t block it). In Indonesia, the government will limit ground water use to conserve the resource and slow the sinking of its cities, including the capital of Jakarta. Speaking of water: A secretive hedge fund manager has gone into deep-sea prospecting, using robots to scour the ocean floor in search of Spanish galleons and Nazi gold.” [Bloomberg]
“Almost half of Americans are expected to travel between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, and for those making the journey by plane, you’ll have at least a 1 in 5 chance of being delayed. But don’t despair, airlines are more prepared this year, and we also have some travel tips. If you find yourself in these seven locations, you can eat at some of the world’s best restaurants. And whether you’re guesting or hosting this season, consider popping open a wine from Sicily’s Mount Etna.” [Bloomberg]
Vineyards in the Mount Etna region of Sicily Photographer: barmalini/iStockphoto
THE WEEK IN CULTURE
Sean Combs Etienne Laurent/EPA, via Shutterstock
“Sean Combs, the hip-hop mogul known as Diddy, reached a settlement with the singer Cassie one day after she filed a lawsuit accusing him of rape and abuse.” [New York Times]
“André 3000 released his first album in almost two decades, but it’s not a rap record. It’s instrumental and centered on woodwinds.” [New York Times]
“The new ‘Hunger Games’ movie came out. Amy Nicholson writes in her review that the film so echoes our own world that it ‘moves us to spend its gargantuan running time reflecting on contemporary headlines.’” [New York Times]
“The singer Pink will give away 2,000 banned books at her upcoming Florida concerts in collaboration with PEN America and a local bookstore, NBC News reports.” [New York Times]
“Comedian and actor Kevin Hart will receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at a ceremony in March.” [New York Times]
“A musical based on the trial involving Gwyneth Paltrow over a 2016 skiing accident is being staged in London.” [New York Times]
“The rappers Drake and J. Cole plan to tour together next year, Pitchfork reports.” [New York Times]
“Season 6 of “The Crown” was released on Netflix. The show’s depiction of Princess Diana’s death and its aftermath, a writer for Vulture says, is ‘careful to fault.’” [New York Times]
“The so-called puking bird won New Zealand’s “Bird of the Century” poll. The comedian John Oliver led the campaign, NBC reports.” [New York Times]
“‘There was this riotous sense of fun’: Read an oral history of Jezebel, the feminist website that is shutting down.” [New York Times]
“A.S. Byatt, a British critic and scholar whose 1990 novel, “Possession,” won the Booker Prize, died at 87.” [New York Times]
“George Brown, a founding member and drummer of the group Kool & the Gang, died at 74.” [New York Times]
Michigan Football Sign-Stealing Fallout Widens With a Firing
One day after Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh stopped fighting his three-game suspension, the school dismissed an assistant who has been connected with the scheme’s alleged mastermind
“Michigan’s football sign-stealing scandal expanded in a troubling new direction on Friday, as the university fired an assistant coach who had been connected to the staff member at the center of the controversy involving an impermissible off-campus scouting scheme.
The dismissal of Chris Partridge, a recruiting guru who served as the team’s linebackers coach, came less than a day after Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh made a shocking pivot by agreeing to accept his three-game suspension from the Big Ten.
The move indicates that Harbaugh’s suspension is far from the end of the trouble the Wolverines face as the scandal disrupts an unblemished season that has national championship aspirations. In a statement, the university said it is ‘seeking due process’ in the ongoing NCAA probe into the matter—and also implicitly connected Partridge’s dismissal to the probe….” Read more at Wall Street Journal
GAME OF THE WEEKEND
Josh Dobbs Matt Krohn/Associated Press
“Minnesota Vikings vs. Denver Broncos: This is a matchup of two teams on hot streaks. Both started the season 1-4, only to go unbeaten over the last month.
The Broncos’ defense has been their strength. They twice held the Super Bowl champion Chiefs to fewer than 20 points. But tomorrow, the Broncos will face a pass-heavy offense led by an exciting new starting quarterback: Josh Dobbs. Dobbs, 28, has spent most of his career as a backup or practice squad player; he is also an aerospace engineer who interned for NASA. After the Vikings lost their quarterback, Kirk Cousins, to injury, they picked up Dobbs. He quickly led the team to two wins. 8:20 p.m. Eastern tomorrow on NBC.” [New York Times]