The Full Belmonte, 1/12/2024
U.S.-led coalition strikes Iran-aligned Houthi militants in Yemen, a significant escalation after attacks on ships in the Red Sea
“The attacks, protesting Israel’s war in Gaza, have wreaked havoc on the global economy as ships carrying food, fuel and other products have been forced to find alternative routes. The Biden administration has blamed Iran for the crisis, saying the Houthis would be incapable of threatening the vital waterway if not for Tehran’s military support.”
Read more at Washington Post
Over the three months through October, U.S. employers added an average of 204,000 jobs a month, a marked slowdown from earlier in the postpandemic period.
PHOTO: JUSTIN SULLIVAN/GETTY IMAGES
Inflation fell by nearly half and paychecks grew in 2023, but tripped at the finish line.
“The consumer-price index increased 3.4% in December from a year earlier, according to Labor Department data released today, highlighting lingering pressures that suggest inflation isn’t fully tamed. December’s acceleration from November’s 3.1% advance is still down from a 6.5% rise at the end of 2022. Inflation-adjusted wages rose 0.8% last year, a reversal after two full-year declines and a better gain than the year before the pandemic began. The rapid cooling of price increases has raised hopes of a soft landing, where inflation can be tamed without a surge in unemployment or a recession. U.S. stocks finished roughly flat after the December data disappointed some investors.” [Wall Street Journal]
Donald Trump defies judge, gives courtroom speech on tense final day of New York civil fraud trial
“Barred from giving a formal closing argument, Donald Trump still seized an opportunity to speak in court at the conclusion of his New York civil fraud trial by unleashing a barrage of attacks in a six-minute diatribe before being cut off by the judge.” Read More at Washington Post
Oregon Supreme Court allows Trump to run in the state’s primary. Here’s the status of 14th Amendment challenges in other states.
“Oregon’s top court allowed Donald Trump to run in the state’s presidential primary, saying it wouldn’t take up the issue of whether he’s qualified to get on the state’s ballot while the Supreme Court considers a challenge on the issue out of Colorado. These actions are part of a nationwide push to block Trump from running again under Section 3 of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which prohibits from office those who engage in insurrection after swearing an oath to uphold the Constitution.”
Read the story at Washington Post
Hunter Biden pleads not guilty to tax charges in Los Angeles court, one day after making a surprise appearance on Capitol Hill
“The California case offers the possibility that the president’s son could go on trial twice while his father runs for reelection. Prosecutors have alleged that Hunter Biden failed to pay at least $1.4 million in federal taxes from 2016 through 2019.”
Read the story at Washington Post
Buffalo mass shooter to face death penalty for killing 10, wounding others
READ FULL STORY→ USA Today
Ohio woman who miscarried at home won’t be charged with corpse abuse, grand jury decides
“An Ohio woman facing a criminal charge for her handling of a home miscarriage will not be charged, a grand jury decided. The case had sparked national attention for its implications for pregnant women as states across the country hash out new laws governing reproductive health care access.” Read More at Washington Post
The US is investigating if Boeing ensured a part that blew off a jet was made to design standards
“The FAA investigation announced Thursday is focusing on plugs used to fill spots for extra exits when those doors are not required on Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners. Boeing said it would cooperate with the investigation and one being conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board.” Read More at Washington Post
“Intent to Destroy”
Israeli legal counselor Tal Becker, lawyer Malcolm Shaw, and Deputy Attorney-General for International Affairs Gilad Noam attend a hearing against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague on Jan. 11.Remko de Waal/ANP/AFP via Getty Images
“South Africa began presenting its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday, accusing the country of committing ‘genocidal acts’ against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. In an 84-page document filed in late December 2023, Cape Town argued that Israel’s actions in Gaza are intended to destroy ‘a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group’ in a direct violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention. ‘The intent to destroy Gaza has been nurtured at the highest level of state,’ Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, a lawyer for South Africa’s High Court, told the ICJ.
In its filing, South Africa listed eight Israeli actions against Palestinians in Gaza that it asserted are genocidal in nature:
(1) Killing Palestinians, including children, in large numbers
(2) Causing serious bodily and mental harm to Palestinians, including children, and inflicting on them conditions of life intended to bring about their destruction as a group
(3) Causing mass displacement and expulsion of Palestinians from their homes, alongside the large-scale destruction of homes and residential areas
(4) Depriving Palestinians of access to adequate food and water
(5) Depriving Palestinians of access to adequate medical care
(6) Depriving Palestinians of access to adequate shelter, clothes, hygiene, and sanitation
(7) Causing destruction of life for the Palestinian people
(8) Imposing measures intended to prevent Palestinian births
The filing also documents statements by Israeli officials and others, which it says establish genocidal intent on the part of the Israeli state—a key component of genocide cases in international law.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned South Africa’s allegations on Tuesday, calling them ‘atrocious and preposterous.’ Israel is expected to argue on Friday that military strikes against Hamas, which it deems a terrorist organization, fall under the nation’s right to self-defense under international law. ‘Israel is at war with Hamas, not with the people of Gaza,’ the Israeli Foreign Ministry wrote in an issued statement on the Israel Defense Forces website. ‘It is committed to conducting its operations in accordance with international law … and wishes no harm to Palestinian civilians anywhere.’
The court will not determine if Israel is committing genocide. Instead, it will assess whether South Africa’s case is strong enough to implement measures to protect Palestinians from ‘further, severe and irreparable harm,’ such as an order for Israel to halt all military attacks that violate the convention, including strikes that kill or harm Palestinians, and to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. The ICJ’s rulings are technically legally binding on all parties to the court, which include South Africa and Israel, but enforcement can often be difficult, if not impossible.
The United Nations Security Council has the authority to enforce ICJ orders. However, nations with veto power, such as the United States, can block or curtail council efforts that oppose their own or their allies’ policies. Since war began on Oct. 7, Washington has vetoed numerous Security Council efforts to establish a cease-fire in Gaza. The United States is Israel’s closest ally.
Cape Town is expected to use a similar ICJ case that Ukraine filed against Russia in February 2022 as precedent. However, a court decision will likely not be made for weeks.” [Foreign Policy]
“An eye for an eye. Iran captured an oil tanker en route to Turkey in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday in retaliation for a similar seizure by the United States last year. In September 2023, U.S. forces confiscated Suez Rajan for allegedly transporting Iranian oil in violation of international sanctions. Tehran warned Washington that its actions would ‘not go unanswered.’ Sure enough, armed Iranian naval forces took control of the same Marshall Islands-flagged vessel, now named St. Nikolas, including its 145,000 metric tons of Iraqi crude.
Commercial shipping has become a prime geopolitical target in recent months as Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen launch dozens of missile and drone strikes against ships in the Red Sea that are allegedly connected to Israel. Attacks have spurred maritime shipping companies to divert their vessels elsewhere or suspend routes entirely, drastically impeding the global supply chain and exacerbating security threats in the Middle East.” [Foreign Policy]
“Fair compensation. Papua New Guinea declared a 14-day state of emergency on Thursday after at least 16 people were killed in deadly riots across the country. Hundreds of police officers, soldiers, and public servants gathered on Wednesday to protest unexplained pay deductions of roughly $100, which Prime Minister James Marape said was due to an administrative error and would be corrected in February’s paychecks.
Marape placed more than 1,000 troops on standby to prepare for more potential violence and suspended Chief of Police David Manning as well as other top officials in the finance and treasury departments. High unemployment, rising costs of living, and a surge in violent crimes have all contributed to the Pacific island nation’s heightened tensions.” [Foreign Policy]
“Keeping the gates closed. Finland announced on Thursday that it will extend its border closure with Russia for another month. The 830-mile border was set to reopen on Jan. 15, but fears of a migrant crisis remain. Helsinki has accused Moscow of facilitating asylum crossings into the Nordic nation, which the Kremlin denies. Around 900 migrants from across Africa and the Middle East entered Finland in November 2023 via this border.
Finland’s eastern border has been the source of much contention following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Helsinki applied to join NATO in May of that year, partly to protect its border from possible Russian military attacks. This same border forced Finland to carefully balance relations between Russia and the West under a decadeslong Cold War policy known as Finlandization, a practice it has since abandoned in favor of NATO membership.” [Foreign Policy]
Microsoft Excels, dethroning Apple as the largest U.S. company by market value.
“The Word on the street is that Microsoft shares rose 0.5%, bringing its market value to $2.86 trillion. Apple, meanwhile, dipped 0.3%, pulling its market cap just below that threshold. Based on closing prices, the iPhone maker had been the largest company since November 2021. One of these two tech giants has held the title since February 2019, according to Dow Jones Market Data. Cloud computing’s continued growth and optimism about artificial intelligence have kept Microsoft’s performance on (Power)Point. Its Outlook is good, too: Analysts project 16% growth in revenue from a year earlier to about $61 billion in the quarter, which ended in December.” [Wall Street Journal]
More young people around the world are getting cancer, and doctors are alarmed and baffled.
“U.S diagnosis rates for people under 50 rose 12.8% between 2000 and 2019, federal data show. Doctors are racing to figure out what is making them sick and how to identify those at high risk. They suspect that lifestyle changes—less physical activity, more ultra-processed foods, new toxins—are to blame. Separately, more teens and young adults who use marijuana are experiencing psychosis. More potent cannabis, more frequent use and increased availability due to legalization efforts contribute to higher rates of delusions and paranoia, according to doctors and recent research.” [Wall Street Journal]
What football's losing
New England Patriots team owner Robert Kraft and now-former head coach Bill Belichick embrace during a press conference today. Photo: Steven Senne/AP
“With a string of dramatic announcements over the past 24 hours, three of football's legendary coaches — Bill Belichick, Nick Saban and Pete Carroll — left their long-held jobs and identities behind.
Why it matters: The trio dominated college and professional football over the last two-plus decades.
The teams they've coached defined the sport for generations of fans.
Among them, the three have 17 combined national championships and Super Bowl wins.
Zoom in: Belichick is out as head coach of the New England Patriots after 24 seasons, Axios Boston's Mike Deehan writes.
Alabama's Nick Saban, perhaps the best college coach ever, retired yesterday. He won seven championships between the Crimson Tide and LSU.
Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll — one of just three to win a college championship and a Super Bowl ring — was unexpectedly canned.
Between the lines: True to their identity as legendary coaches, each had a mystique that went beyond football strategy.
Belichick looked like a grumpy lobster boat captain, ‘grimacing on the New England sideline like he's miles from shore in a storm,’ Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Gay writes.
Saban stoically built Alabama into a team that was feared. Everyone else grew tired of his winning ways.
Carroll — at least in football terms — was something of a hippy. He talked about leading teams in a ‘loving, compassionate, empathetic way.’” [Axios]