The Full Belmonte, 11/5/2022
Donald Trump Prepares to Launch 2024 Campaign
Former president is getting ready to announce a comeback bid by the end of November, advisers say
Former President Donald Trump spoke to a crowd Thursday in Sioux City, Iowa.PHOTO: STEPHEN MATUREN/GETTY IMAGES
“WASHINGTON—Former President Donald Trump is preparing to announce a comeback White House bid by the end of November, people familiar with the discussions say, moving him to the center of attention as Republicans work to capitalize on momentum ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections.
‘In order to make our country successful and safe and glorious, I will very, very, very probably do it again,’ Mr. Trump said Thursday night at a rally in Iowa, one of four events he is holding before Tuesday. ‘Get ready, that’s all I’m telling you. Very soon. Get ready.’
Mr. Trump has teased the possibility of another campaign in recent months and had considered an announcement over the summer. But he was dissuaded by advisers who cautioned it could make him a distraction for Republicans in an otherwise favorable political climate. The exact timing is still a subject of debate among his advisers.
Two years after his loss to President Biden, Mr. Trump remains the GOP’s clear leader and he has sought to further influence the party with dozens of endorsements in the midterm elections, some of which have roiled other party leaders. If Republicans perform strongly Tuesday in their bids to control Congress, Mr. Trump may feel especially bullish about his prospects.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
Trump Ally Thomas Barrack Acquitted in Foreign Influence Case
Jury finds businessman not guilty of being an unregistered foreign agent, lying to investigators
Thomas Barrack speaks to members of the press following his not-guilty verdict at the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse on Nov. 4, 2022.PHOTO: BRENDAN MCDERMID/REUTERS
“Thomas Barrack, a businessman and ally of Donald Trump, was acquitted Friday of charges that he illegally lobbied the former president and his administration on behalf of the United Arab Emirates.
The verdict, which also found Mr. Barrack not guilty of lying to federal investigators, handed another blow to the Justice Department, which has faced a series of setbacks in its yearslong push to address what it sees as hidden foreign influence in U.S. politics.
Matthew Grimes, Mr. Barrack’s former assistant and co-defendant in the trial, was found not guilty of the two charges against him relating to acting as a foreign agent of the U.A.E.
The verdict came on the third day of deliberations by a federal jury in Brooklyn, N.Y., after a six-week trial.
Federal prosecutors alleged that starting in 2016, Messrs. Barrack and Grimes and an Emirati citizen conspired to act at the direction of high-ranking U.A.E. officials to influence the Trump campaign and his administration on decision-making and government appointments. At the same time, Mr. Barrack solicited and received about $374 million in capital commitments from Emirati sovereign-wealth funds, prosecutors alleged.
A photograph of Tom Barrack, in gray shirt, and Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan was submitted as evidence by the defense.
Mr. Barrack testified in his own defense at trial. Over several days, he told jurors that his job involved meeting with world leaders about investment deals. He acknowledged his access to Mr. Trump distinguished him from other business people seeking money from U.A.E. President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan, then crown prince, and his brother, national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed al Nahyan. But he never took direction from Emirati officials, he said.
Mr. Barrack told the jury that even after federal investigators interviewed him in 2019 about his interactions with the U.A.E., he never sought a pre-emptive pardon from Mr. Trump. Making the request never occurred to him, he said.
‘I never did anything wrong,’ he said.
Mr. Barrack said his connections to Mr. Trump ultimately proved disastrous for his business, testifying that government leaders in the Middle East raised concerns with him about some of the former president’s rhetoric and controversial campaign proposals, including a ban on Muslims entering the U.S. Mr. Barrack said at the time he believed he could serve a unique role in helping Arab leaders understand Mr. Trump’s point of view.
The prosecution of Messrs. Barrack and Grimes was part of a broader push by the Justice Department to address concerns of foreign governments interfering in U.S. elections and policy-making. The results have been mixed.
The Justice Department sued casino mogul Steve Wynn in May to force him to register as a lobbyist in connection with his 2017 efforts to obtain a diplomatic favor long sought by Chinese authorities. In October a federal judge dismissed the civil lawsuit, saying the government doesn’t have the power to retroactively compel such a disclosure.
Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort pleaded guilty in 2018 to failing to register with the Justice Department as an agent of Ukraine. Mr. Manafort, who has faced an array of legal problems, received a pardon from Mr. Trump in late 2020.
In 2019, a Washington, D.C., federal jury acquitted Democratic attorney Greg Craig, who was charged with making a false statement to the Justice Department unit that enforces foreign agent laws.
That same year, a federal judge overturned the conviction of Bijan Kian, who had been a business partner to ex-Trump national security adviser Mike Flynn and was found guilty of acting as an unregistered agent of Turkey. The case has seen several twists since, including an appeals court ruling in the government’s favor, and Mr. Kian’s fate remains unresolved.
After the recent losses, the Justice Department is likely to proceed with caution in pursuing future foreign-influence cases, former prosecutors said.
‘They will likely look for more secretive relationships and the exchange of more sensitive information,’ said Michael Atkinson, a former Justice Department official who is now a partner at firm Crowell & Moring LLP.
‘I think senior DOJ leadership will be reluctant to approve cases like this unless they are slam dunks,’ said Chris Nasson, a former Brooklyn federal prosecutor who is now a partner at K&L Gates.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
House committee investigating Jan. 6 riot says Trump must begin producing records by next week
“The House select committee investigating Jan. 6 announced Friday night that they are now in contact with former President Trump and his legal team after the committee issued a subpoena for him to testify in its last hearing.
The committee announced Trump and his team contacted the committee regarding the subpoena in a joint statement from committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and Vice Chairwoman Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.
‘We have received correspondence from the former President and his counsel regarding the committee’s subpoena,’ the statement read, saying Trump and his legal team must start producing records no later than next week.
Trump also still remains under subpoena to testify to the committee under oath by November 14th.
Related:Mark Meadows loses federal case in fight over House Jan. 6 committee subpoena
The committee originally gave Trump and his team until Friday morning to provide subpoenaed documents but has appeared to give Trump an extension after his team contacted the committee.
The subpoena issued by the committee asks Trump for various communications and records placed or received by Trump between the 2020 election and the Capitol attack.
The records requested include: calls and texts sent through Signal, photos and videos taken on Jan. 6, 2021, and memoranda and notes of conversation.
And while Trump has yet to explicitly say whether he will testify to the committee, the prospect is highly unlikely. Trump has blasted the committee for its efforts investigating the Capitol attack, calling it the ‘unselect committee.’
The committee is also racing against the clock to obtain as much information as possible to file its final report. The committee is set to dissolve by Dec. 31. “ Read more at USA Today
Elon Musk defends Twitter layoffs, saying staff given three months’ pay
New owner says company is losing $4m a day as he tries to reassure advertisers over content moderation
“Elon Musk has defended the mass layoffs at Twitter by saying axed employees received a three-month payment from the company, which is losing more than $4m a day.
The company began widespread staff cuts around the world on Friday, with suggestions that as many as half of its more than 7,500 staff could lose their jobs.
Musk tweeted on Friday evening: ‘Regarding Twitter’s reduction in force, unfortunately there is no choice when the company is losing over $4M/day. Everyone exited was offered 3 months of severance.’
Musk is thought to want to drastically reduce costs at the company after completing his $44bn ($39bn) takeover of the platform last week.
He tweeted a series of posts by Twitter’s head of safety, Yoel Roth, which said: ‘Here are the facts about where Twitter’s Trust & Safety and moderation capacity stands today. While we said goodbye to incredibly talented friends and colleagues yesterday, our core moderation capabilities remain in place.’
‘Yesterday’s reduction in force affected approximately 15% of our Trust & Safety organisation (as opposed to approximately 50% cuts company-wide), with our front-line moderation staff experiencing the least impact.’
‘Last week, for security reasons, we restricted access to our internal tools for some users, including some members of my team. Most of the 2,000-plus content moderators working on front-line review were not impacted, and access will be fully restored in the coming days.’
‘More than 80% of our incoming content moderation volume was completely unaffected by this access change. The daily volume of moderation actions we take stayed steady through this period.’
Musk followed this with a tweet saying: ‘Again, to be crystal clear, Twitter’s strong commitment to content moderation remains absolutely unchanged. In fact, we have actually seen hateful speech at times this week decline *below* our prior norms, contrary to what you may read in the press.’
He had earlier accused ‘activist groups’ of putting pressure on advertisers to leave the platform, causing a drop in revenue.
The Tesla owner also replied to posts and memes from users about advertising, in one saying: ‘Twitter will not censor accurate information about anything.’
Online safety groups and campaigners have expressed concerns about Musk’s plans to allow more free speech on the site and reverse permanent bans given to controversial figures including Donald Trump.” Read more at The Guardian
Supreme Court Justice Barrett denies second challenge to Biden student loan forgiveness program
“WASHINGTON – Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett on Friday denied a second challenge to President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness program.
A conservative legal group filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court earlier this week asking the justices to block the Biden administration from implementing its $400 billion effort. Barrett declined the request without referring the matter to the court.
Biden's plan, which would cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for Pell Grant recipients for those earning up to $125,000 a year, has already been placed on hold by the St. Louis-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit as it considers a separate appeal.
Barrett denied the application without explanation, as is often the case on the court's emergency docket. It's the second time Barrett has done so in as many months. On Oct. 20, she declined a similar request from a taxpayer group in Wisconsin to temporarily block the Biden administration from implementing the program.
Barrett handles emergency appeals from the Chicago-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, on which she previously served.
The reason there are so many different lawsuits is that groups opposed to the program are attempting to find a plaintiff who has standing – in other words, who can demonstrate they are injured by the effort in a way that allows them to challenge it in federal court. The latest filing from Pacific Legal came on behalf of two people entitled to ‘automatic’ cancellation of their debt. The plaintiffs claim that the automatic cancellation of their debt will create ‘excess tax liability under state law.’
Caleb Kruckenberg, an attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation, argued in a statement that the program was illegal ‘from stem to stern.’
‘We're disappointed by today's denial but will continue to fight this program in court,’ Kruckenberg said.” Read more at USA Today
Florida Restricts Doctors From Providing Gender Treatments to Minors
The state’s medical board, whose members are appointed by the governor, has barred doctors from prescribing gender care to new adolescent patients.
“Florida has effectively banned medications and surgery for new adolescent patients seeking gender transitions after an unprecedented vote by the state’s medical board.
The move makes Florida one of several states to restrict what’s known as gender-affirming care for adolescents, but the first to do so through the actions of its Board of Medicine, whose 14 members were appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The strategy circumvented the Republican-controlled State Legislature, which had twice declined to take up a bill aiming to restrict such treatment.
The board voted 6-3 (with five others not present) on Friday to adopt a new standard of care that forbids doctors to prescribe puberty blockers and hormones, or perform surgeries, until transgender patients are 18. Exceptions will be allowed for children who are already receiving the treatments.
The Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine also voted to restrict care for new patients on Friday, but allowed an exception for children enrolled in clinical studies. Doctors who flout the rules risk losing their medical licenses.” Read more at New York Times
Wisconsin Republicans Stand on the Verge of Total, Veto-Proof Power
In a 50-50 battleground state, Republicans are close to capturing supermajorities in the State Legislature that would render the Democratic governor irrelevant even if he wins re-election.
“FRANKS FIELD, Wis. — The three counties in Wisconsin’s far northwest corner make up one of the last patches of rural America that have remained loyal to Democrats through the Obama and Trump years.
But after voting Democratic in every presidential election since 1976, and consistently sending the party’s candidates to the State Legislature for even longer, the area could now defect to the Republican Party. The ramifications would ripple far beyond the shores of Lake Superior.
If Wisconsin Democrats lose several low-budget state legislative contests here on Tuesday — which appears increasingly likely because of new and even more gerrymandered political maps — it may not matter who wins the $114 million tossup contest for governor between Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, and Tim Michels, a Republican. Those northern seats would put Republicans in reach of veto-proof supermajorities that would render a Democratic governor functionally irrelevant.
Even though Wisconsin remains a 50-50 state in statewide elections, Democrats would be on the verge of obsolescence.” Read more at New York Times
Between Kanye and the Midterms, the Unsettling Stream of Antisemitism
For American Jews, this fall has become increasingly worrisome. On Thursday alone, the F.B.I. warned of threats to New Jersey synagogues and the Nets suspended Kyrie Irving.
“Simon Taylor was on his way to an appointment in Flatbush when he pulled into a local filling station one afternoon last week. It was a lovely fall day in Brooklyn, but as he began to fuel up, the climate turned sour: Another customer, spotting the skullcap atop Rabbi Taylor’s head, launched into an expletive-laden rant about how much he hated Jews, and then, when the rabbi photographed his license plate, started chasing him with an upraised fist.
Rabbi Taylor, a 38-year-old father of five who oversees social services and disaster relief programs for an umbrella organization of Orthodox Jews, was shaken. A native of England who now lives on Long Island, he wondered if the incident was connected to a mainstreaming of antisemitic rhetoric in America.
‘I’ve never had anything like this in New York, and it definitely felt to me like this whole Kanye West thing had something to do with it,’ said Rabbi Taylor, referring to the ugly utterances of the hip-hop legend now known as Ye. ‘All it takes is a couple influential people to say things, and suddenly it becomes very tense.’
For Jews in America, things are tense indeed. Next week’s midterm elections feel to some like a referendum on democracy’s direction. There is a war in Europe. The economy seems to be teetering. It is a perilous time, and perilous times have never been great for Jews.
‘When systems fail, whether it’s the government or the markets or anything else, leaders often look for someone to blame,’ said Jonathan Greenblatt, the chief executive and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, which seeks to monitor and combat antisemitism. ‘Jews have historically played that role.’
Antisemitism is one of the longest-standing forms of prejudice, and those who monitor it say it is now on the rise in America. The number of reported incidents has been increasing. On Thursday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation warned of a ‘broad threat’ to synagogues in New Jersey; by Friday the agency had located a man it said expressed “an extreme amount of hate against the Jewish community.”
Social media has clearly made it easier to circulate hate speech, and that means outbursts like Ye’s, in which he posted on Twitter that he would ‘go death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,’ get more attention. (Many have noted that Ye has about twice as many followers on Twitter as the world’s population of Jews.)
Ye’s persistent outbursts have been followed by attention-getting signs of support: In Los Angeles, a group of emboldened antisemites hung a ‘Kanye is right about the Jews’ banner over an interstate on Oct. 22, and then on Saturday similar words were projected at a college football stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.
‘There’s no doubt that the normalization of antisemitism in the highest echelons of our culture and our political establishment is putting toxins in our eyes and our ears,’ said Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, the largest Jewish denomination in the country. ‘It’s dangerous, and it’s deadly. It has been unleashed and accelerated in the last few years, and actual attacks have risen.” Read more at New York Times
1 dead, dozens hurt as tornadoes hit Texas and Oklahoma
“Tornadoes tore through parts of Texas and Oklahoma on Friday, killing at least one person, injuring two dozens others and leaving dozens of homes and buildings in ruins.
Tornadoes hit hard in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, in the southeastern corner of the state. Cody McDaniel, the county's emergency manager, confirmed one death although he didn't immediately provide details.
The small town of Idabel saw a church, medical center and a school torn apart.
‘There was total destruction on the south and east sides of Idabel,’ Steven Carter, an emergency management coordinator for McCurtain County, told the Texarkana Gazette.
Carter told the paper people were still trapped late Friday.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said search-and-rescue teams and generators were being sent to the Idabel area.
‘Praying for Oklahomans impacted by today's tornadoes,’ Stitt tweeted.
Keli Cain of the Oklahoma Emergency Management Office said at least three other counties were also hit by storms, with flash flooding in some areas.
The National Weather Service said tornadoes also were reported in Texas and Arkansas and a storm system was heading toward Louisiana.
In Texas, authorities in Lamar County said at least 50 homes were damaged or destroyed and 10 people were treated at one hospital, including two with critical injuries. No deaths were immediately reported.
Judge Brandon Bell, the county's highest elected official, declared a disaster in the area, a step in getting federal assistance and funding. Bell’s declaration said at least two dozen people were injured across the county.
One community hit hard was Powderly, about 45 miles west of Idabel and about 120 miles northeast of Dallas. Both Powderly and Idabel are near the Texas-Oklahoma border.” Read more at USA Today
Mike Lindell Can’t Get Back the Phone Seized by FBI, Judge Says
FBI agents took the device of the MyPillow CEO in September as part of a criminal investigation; the executive hasn’t been charged with any crimes
A federal judge rejected MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell’s request to get his phone back from the FBI. PHOTO: ERIN SCOTT/REUTERS
“A federal judge rejected MyPillow Inc. Chief Executive Mike Lindell’s motion to have his phone returned, after it was seized by the FBI in connection with a criminal investigation.
U.S. District Judge Eric Tostrud also denied on Thursday Mr. Lindell’s request to bar the Federal Bureau of Investigation from using any information retrieved from the phone. Mr. Lindell’s motion seeking access to the affidavit filed by federal investigators to obtain the search warrant to seize the device was also rejected.
Mr. Lindell, who hasn’t been charged with a crime, said in a complaint filed in September in federal court in Minnesota that the FBI violated his constitutional rights when federal agents took his phone at a Hardee’s drive-through. Mr. Lindell, who has spread false claims about voter fraud, was also questioned by agents for about half an hour about various matters, including Tina Peters, a county clerk in Mesa, Colo., according to court records.
Ms. Peters was indicted in March on charges related to her alleged involvement in a voting machine security breach. She pleaded not guilty to the charges in September and called the allegations politically motivated.
Judge Tostrud said Mr. Lindell failed to provide an adequate justification for returning the phone or blocking the FBI from using it in the course of its criminal investigation. Judge Tostrud also noted that Mr. Lindell had access to his phone’s records through a backup on a cloud service.
Judge Tostrud, who reviewed the 80-page affidavit filed by the FBI to obtain the phone, said allowing Mr. Lindell to review that information would put that criminal investigation at risk. He said the affidavit includes information obtained from recorded communications, confidential informants and cooperating witnesses.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
N. Korea fires more missiles as US flies bombers over South
“SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea added to its recent barrage of weapons demonstrations by launching four ballistic missiles into the sea on Saturday, as the United States sent two supersonic bombers streaking over South Korea in a dueling display of military might that underscored rising tensions in the region.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the four short-range missiles fired from a North Korean western coastal area around noon flew about 130 kilometers (80 miles) toward the country’s western sea.
The North has test-fired more than 30 missiles this week, including an intercontinental ballistic missile on Thursday that triggered evacuation alerts in northern Japan, and flew large numbers of warplanes inside its territory in an angry reaction to a massive combined aerial exercise between the United States and South Korea.
The South Korean military said two B-1B bombers trained with four U.S. F-16 fighter jets and four South Korean F-35 jets during the last day of the ‘Vigilant Storm’ joint air force drills that wraps up Saturday. It marked the first time since December 2017 that the bombers were deployed to the Korean Peninsula. The exercise involved around 240 warplanes, including advanced F-35 fighter jets from both countries.” Read more at AP News
‘I’m Afraid for My Future’: Proposed Laws Threaten Gay Life in Russia
The laws, all but assured of enactment, would intensify a crackdown on L.G.B.T.Q. freedom in Russia, which Vladimir V. Putin has cast as a corrosive Western influence.
“MOSCOW — In an industrial block in northeastern Moscow on a recent Friday night, organizers of an L.G.B.T.Q.-friendly art festival were assiduously checking IDs. No one under 18 allowed. They were trying to comply with a 2013 Russian law that bans exposing minors to anything that could be considered ‘gay propaganda.’
The organizers had good reason to be wary: Life has been challenging for gay Russians since the law passed, as the government has treated gay life as a Western import that is harmful to traditional Russian values and society.
Now Russia’s Parliament is set to pass a legislative package that would ban all ‘gay propaganda,’ signaling an even more difficult period ahead for a stigmatized segment of society.
The laws would prohibit representation of L.G.B.T.Q. relationships in any media — streaming services, social platforms, books, music, posters, billboards and films — and, activists fear, in any public space as well. That’s a daunting prospect for queer people searching for community, validation or an audience.” Read more at New York Times
“Iran’s Weapons Are Slowly Dragging Israel to Ukraine’s Defense
Israel is softening its opposition to providing military aid to Ukraine because of regional rival Iran’s deepening support for Russia’s invasion, with a commitment to help Kyiv develop an early-warning system, similar to one that alerts Israelis to incoming fire from the Gaza Strip.” Read more at Foreign Policy
Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker.Eakin Howard/Getty Images
“Tennessee vs. Georgia, college football: Have you heard of Hendon Hooker? The Tennessee quarterback is a front-runner for the Heisman Trophy, leading the nation’s best offense — No. 1 in both yards and points per game. Tennessee is undefeated and beat powerhouse Alabama for the first time in more than a decade. But the dream season might not survive the weekend. Georgia, last year’s champion, is elite on both offense and defense. It’s not often that the top teams in the A.P. rankings — Georgia is No. 1 and Tennessee is tied for No. 2, with Ohio State — meet in the regular season; expect a big, raucous crowd, and lots of scoring. 3:30 p.m. Eastern today on CBS.” Read more at New York Times
“This year's World Cheese Awards brought together 4,434 cheeses from 42 countries, where they were sniffed, prodded and savored by 250 international judges. (And, hopefully, were accompanied with plenty of roughage.) Now, picking a favorite cheese is probably about as difficult as picking a favorite child, but it has to be done. (For the cheese, not the children.) This year's top prize went to Le Gruyère AOP surchoix, entered by Swiss cheese maker Vorderfultigen and affineur (refiner) Gourmino. Gruyere is a mature cheese made of cow's milk, and the winning confection was describe as a ‘really refined, hand-crafted cheese that melts on the tongue and has notes of herbs, fruits and leather.’ OK! Coming in second place was a Gorgonzola Dolce DOP, a soft, blue buttery cheese made by De' Magi from Italy.” Read more at CNN
“It’s been a banner year for collectors, whether they dabble in watches, handbags, cars or art. Sales of $1 million-plus artworks doubled in 2022 compared to last year, an Art Basel and UBS report found. But that’s chump-change compared to paintings from Paul Allen’s estate coming up for auction, including a Cezanne priced at $120 million and a Klimt for $90 million. If scooping up rare vinyl records is more your scene, there’s a new analog turntable hitting the market with an eye-popping price of $52,000.” Read more at Bloomberg
Birch Forest (1903) by Gustav Klimt has a $90 million estimate. Source: Bloomberg