The Full Belmonte, 11/9/2023
Ivanka Trump testifies in father’s $250 million fraud trial
“Ivanka Trump, the eldest daughter of former President Donald Trump, said she was not ‘privy’ to his financial statements, as she testified today in the $250 million civil fraud trial in New York that could crumble the former president’s business empire.
‘I would assume he would have personal financial statements for accountants but those were not statements I was privy to,’ Ivanka Trump said on the stand. She also denied having any role in preparing her father’s financial statements.
The civil lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James accuses Trump, his two adult sons, and the Trump Organization of falsely inflating Trump’s net worth to maintain his wealthy image and receive more favorable loan terms.
In Trump’s own contentious testimony Monday, he acknowledged having a role in creating his financial statements.
Ivanka Trump was dismissed as a defendant in the case in June, after an appeals court found the claims against her were too old.” [NBC News]
House Republicans subpoena Hunter and James Biden
“House Republicans have issued subpoenas for Hunter and James Biden, as well as Hunter Biden’s former business associate Rob Walker, as they ramp up their impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
Oversight Committee Chair James Comer issued the subpoenas, which focus on the Biden family’s business dealings.
The committee has also requested transcribed interviews with Hunter Biden’s wife, Melissa Cohen, and James Biden’s wife Sara Biden, as well as with Hallie Biden, the widow of the president’s late son Beau, and her sister.
The White House responded by accusing House Republicans of conducting a ‘smear campaign’ against Biden to ‘distract from their repeated failures to govern.’” [NBC News]
Hollywood scrambles to restart
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
“The 118-day actors' strike ended last evening. But cameras won't be rolling again until January at the earliest, industry insiders tell Axios' Tim Baysinger.
SAG-AFTRA, the union representing Hollywood actors, announced a tentative agreement with the major studios.
The union said in a statement that the deal contains ‘unprecedented provisions for consent and compensation that will protect members from the threat of AI’ as well as a ‘streaming participation bonus.’
What's next: Some projects that hadn't started filming yet are likely to get canceled. Some films will likely slide into 2025 to avoid an end-of-year traffic jam.
HBO had slated the third season of Emmy-winning "The White Lotus" for 2024. HBO chief Casey Bloys said last week it will likely debut in 2025.” [Axios]
GOP debate turns testy
Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
“Last night's GOP presidential debate was a slugfest, Axios' Zachary Basu reports from Miami.
‘We've become a party of losers,’ Vivek Ramaswamy said, referring to the GOP's losses in state-level elections Tuesday. He then launched into an extended attack on RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel and debate moderator Kristen Welker.
‘You're just scum,’ Nikki Haley later said to Ramaswamy, after he mentioned Haley's daughter during an exchange about whether to ban TikTok.
Haley, who's been rising in the polls, absorbed most of the incoming last night.
Reality check: Former President Trump has a 44-point lead in the GOP primary, per the RealClearPolitics polling average.” [Axios]
Nikki Haley, Tim Scott and other Republican hopefuls clash over abortion
“Republican presidential candidates split on supporting federal abortion restrictions Wednesday at the third GOP presidential primary debate in Miami, one day after an off-year Election Day where the issue largely commanded voter sentiment.”
While much of the debate addressed foreign policy issues, abortion was also a key focal point. Tuesday's votes proved that overturning a constitutional right to abortion continues to be politically costly for Republicans.
•The power of the abortion debate to engage voters, among them suburban women, and to energize turnout shows no signs of abating. Ohioans passed a constitutional amendment to enshrine abortion access by a double-digit margin. Meanwhile in other states, including Virginia and Kentucky, Democrats sailed to victory by campaigning on abortion for months leading up to election night.
•Republican candidates were divided on abortion policy . South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott spoke out in support of a 15-week federal abortion ban while former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley reiterated her stance that passing a national measure would be unrealistic under today’s divided Congress.
•So, who won the debate? Haley's ability to strongly articulate her points on foreign policy in the face of attacks — including a strike from biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy a about her daughter’s use of TikTok — made her a clear winner in the eyes of GOP strategists.” [USA Today]
Pot tipping point
Data: Gallup. Chart: Axios Visuals
“The nationwide push to legalize recreational marijuana has reached a tipping point, Axios' Kelly Tyko and Noah Bressner write.
70% of Americans think marijuana use should be legal, according to new Gallup polling — the highest level yet.
More than half of Americans live in states where marijuana will soon be legal.
Why it matters: The record support for legal weed crosses political party lines. Gallup found that 87% of Democrats, 70% of independents and 55% of Republicans back legal marijuana.
Data: DISA and staff research. Chart: Axios Visuals (Note: Some states categorized as illegal permit CBD for medical use.)
By the numbers: More than 176 million people in the U.S. will live in states where recreational use is allowed after Ohio voted to legalize marijuana yesterday.
The legalized marijuana market is worth $64 billion and has nearly tripled in three years as legalization efforts have swept the nation, a Coresight Research report found.
What's next: TD Cowen analyst Eric Assaraf expects ‘state-based legalization efforts will continue to shift toward red states as the number of pickup opportunities in blue states has narrowed.’” [Axios]
U.S. heads toward population bust
Data: U.S. Census Bureau. Graphic: Rahul Mukherjee/Axios
“The U.S. population will most likely begin to decline in just 50 years, Axios' Jacob Knutson writes from new U.S. Census Bureau projections.
Why it matters: Population growth is critical for economic growth and maintaining safety-net programs.
Between the lines: Immigration was projected to be the largest contributor to population growth, as it has been for decades.
If immigration stopped altogether, the Census Bureau said, the U.S. population would begin declining next year.
High levels of immigration are the only projected way to keep the U.S. growing beyond 2080.
Under the middle-of-the-road scenario census experts deem to be the most likely outcome, the population would peak at about 370 million.” [Axios}
Texas chemical plant explosion forces evacuations
‘A massive explosion at a chemical plant forced evacuations and shelter-in-place orders today about 60 miles northeast of Houston, officials said.
Aerial video shows a massive plume of smoke rising from the site of Sound Resource Solutions, a petroleum processing facility.
The company said one employee was injured in the incident, and is being treated for minor burns.
A nearby school was evacuated, and residents were asked to shelter in place, but that order was lifted after several hours.” [NBC News]
The owner of a Colorado funeral home and his wife were arrested Wednesday in Oklahoma on charges linked to the discovery of 190 sets of decaying remains at one of their facilities, including some that apparently had been languishing there for four years. Read More at AP News
FDA approves new version of diabetes drug Mounjaro for weight loss
A new version of the popular diabetes treatment Mounjaro can be sold as a weight-loss drug, U.S. regulators announced. The drug helped dieters lose as much as 40 to 60 pounds in testing. Read More at AP News
4 California men linked to Three Percenters militia convicted of conspiracy in Jan. 6 case
Four California men linked to the “Three Percenters” militia movement have been convicted charges including conspiracy and obstruction for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Read More at AP News
Suspect arrested in killing of Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll
A suspect has been taken into custody in last month’s killing of Detroit synagogue president Samantha Woll, Detroit Police said Wednesday.
Read More at Washington Post
A court ruled that Trump can appear on Minnesota’s 2024 primary ballot.
“The case: It’s one of several legal attempts to use the 14th Amendment to block Trump from running again because of the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
The ruling: The Minnesota Supreme Court said the former president can be on the primary ballot in March but did not rule out striking him from the general election ballot.
In related news: Democrats pointed to this week’s election results as a road map to success in 2024, despite concerns about President Biden’s unpopularity.”
Read this story at Washington Post
The world’s largest child displacement crisis is in Sudan
Abdulmonam Eassa/Getty Images
“This April, a civil war broke out in Sudan between the forces loyal to the country’s de facto ruler, army Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary leader Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan. Since the fighting broke out, at least 9,000 civilians have been killed and more than 12,000 injured.
Despite the number of people killed, injured, or displaced by this violence, the plight of the Sudanese people has fallen out of the spotlight. Here’s what you need to know:
For the last two decades, the Darfur region of Sudan has experienced genocidal violence. As many as 300,000 people have died, and around 4.8 million people have been displaced internally. More than a million Sudanese have fled to neighboring countries like Chad and Egypt.
Children, as always, are bearing the brunt of the suffering. Just this week, UNICEF issued a report calling Sudan the ‘largest child displacement crisis in the world,’ with more than 3 million children forced to flee their homes and 14 million children in need of lifesaving humanitarian assistance. An estimated 19 million children are out of school.
‘It is a mistake to attempt to weigh one atrocity against another,’ writes Vox editorial director Bryan Walsh. The suffering in Sudan should in no way subtract from the pain in Gaza or Israel. Yet the attention the world pays to these crises has been far from equal and has little connection to the scale of the tragedies.
The world isn’t helpless in the face of such catastrophes. The UN has access to Sudan but doesn’t have the money it needs to carry out missions. It has said it had only received 33 percent of the $2.6 billion required to deliver needed humanitarian aid.”
Read Bryan's full story here. [Vox]
Israel-Hamas War
“Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Palestinian Authority, which oversees the West Bank, should run Gaza after the war.
Blinken’s plan isn’t as simple as it seems, Steven Erlanger and Isabel Kershner explain.
As Israeli troops battled Hamas in Gaza City, tens of thousands of civilians fled south.
While official information about the fighting is limited, Gazans are documenting the war on social media.
Hamas is discussing the release of a small number of hostages, including some Americans, in return for a short pause in Israel’s offensive, officials say.” [New York Times]
Qatar reportedly mediating deal for release of Hamas hostages
Qatari and U.S. officials are attempting to work out a deal between Israel and Hamas for the potential release of a dozen or more hostages held in Gaza, including Americans, in exchange for a short cease-fire, multiple media outlets reported. The New York Times reported Wednesday the warring sides came close to an agreement about two weeks ago for the release of up to 50 hostages in exchange for a pause in Israeli airstrikes. Israel delayed its ground offensive into Gaza hoping the talks would bear fruit, the Times said, but proceeded with the attack Oct. 27 when they stalled. Read more
•U.S. feds and local officials are on high alert as reports of antisemitism and Islamophobia surge.
•In the GOP debate, 2024 candidates promised steadfast support for Israel in war with Hamas.
•Here's how the war has prompted free-speech battles at college campuses across the U.S..” [USA Today]
An Israeli soldier stands in an apartment during a ground operation in the Gaza Strip, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023.
Ohad Zwigenberg, AP
Record U.S. oil production
Data: FactSet, Energy Information Administration. Chart: Axios Visuals
“The U.S. is pumping oil at a record rate, Axios Markets co-author Matt Philips writes.
U.S. production hit 13.2 million barrels per day in the first week of November. It's pushing the price of crude lower, even though Russia and Saudi Arabia have cut their production in an effort to boost prices.
Reality check: Global demand has been slumping, especially from China.” [Axios]
“The FDA has approved Zepbound, a new obesity drug for adults. Maker Eli Lilly & Co. says the drug, set to be available in the U.S. by the end of the year, shows greater weight loss at a lower list price than the popular drug Wegovy. Like other obesity medications, Zepbound has potential side effects and, depending on insurance, a steep price tag.” [NPR]
“A musician accused Neil Portnow, the former head of the Grammy Awards, of drugging and raping her in 2018. A representative for Portnow said the allegations were false.
In a separate lawsuit, a former employee accused the record executive L.A. Reid of sexually assaulting her in the early 2000s.” [New York Times]
National Zoo’s giant pandas leave for China
Giant pandas from the National Zoo are loaded onto a FedEx plane at Dulles today. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
“It’s a sad day at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., after three giant pandas departed for China, bringing an end to the zoo’s panda program after more than 50 years.
Tian Tian, Mei Xiang, and their cub Xiao Qi Ji, are flying back to China aboard a FedEx plane that’s been dubbed the “Panda Express.”
The pandas were on loan from China, and the Smithsonian’s contract to house them has expired after 23 years. Their return comes at a time of rising tensionsbetween the U.S. and China.
Zoo Atlanta is now the only place in the U.S. to see giant pandas, but that loan agreement is set to expire next year.” [NBC News]
The record for the biggest wave ever paddled into by a woman has been broken.
Laura Enever rides the wave off Oahu’s North Shore. (Courtesy of Daniel Russo)
“The surfer: Australian Laura Enever, 31, rode a huge wave off Hawaii on Jan. 22. Scientists spent months working out how big it was, and the record was certified yesterday.
How big was it? The monster wave measured at 43.6 feet, topping the previous women’s paddle record, set in 2016, of 42 feet.”
Read this story at Washington Post