The Full Belmonte, 12/16/2022
U.S. Will Train More Ukrainian Troops, Adding Advanced Battle Tactics
Western instruction since Russia’s invasion has focused on basic training or the use of sophisticated weapons systems. Officials say “combined arms” tactics could be a key next step.
By Eric Schmitt and Andrew E. Kramer
Dec. 15, 2022
“WASHINGTON — The United States is expanding the number of Ukrainian troops it instructs at a base in Germany, with a new focus on advanced battlefield tactics, the Pentagon announced on Thursday.
The expanded training would emphasize ‘combined arms’ warfare — tight coordination among infantry, artillery, armored vehicles and, when it is available, air support, so that each group is strengthened and protected by the others.
Ukrainian officials have been wary of pulling too many troops off the front lines at any given time for specialized training given the intensity of the war. But with winter slowing the tempo of fighting in many parts of the combat zone, officials said the coming months would provide a window for more troops to benefit from training.
The training is expected to begin in January and would enable American instructors to train a Ukrainian battalion, or about 500 troops, each month, a number that could grow, Brig. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said at a news briefing. Other U.S. officials said the battalions could range up to 800 soldiers each.
American forces are now training about 300 Ukrainians per month — and have trained 3,100 since the war began — focused on teaching them to use specific advanced U.S. weapons systems. That includes 610 soldiers who have learned to use the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, that Ukraine has used to devastating effect against Russian forces, hitting targets far behind the front lines, including ammunition depots, command posts and bridges.
Allied nations have so far instructed 12,000 Ukrainian troops, the Pentagon said, primarily new recruits who have gone to Britain for basic infantry training.
Combined arms tactics are another area of skills unfamiliar to most Ukrainian troops, though Ukraine has used them to a degree in successful counteroffensives in the past few months in the northeast and south. The U.S. military has long adhered to a doctrine of combined arms, and the invasion of Ukraine has shown it to be a weakness of Russian forces.” Read more at New York Times
Police and investigators inspect a crater in an industrial area destroyed by a Russian missile strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine on December 15.
Ukraine
“Russian missile attacks have been reported today in multiple Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, knocking out power and water supplies. The latest wave of strikes killed two people in central Ukraine and injured several others, military officials said. Amid Ukraine's continued pleas for international assistance, the US Congress passed a massive defense spending bill Thursday that includes $800 million in support. The legislation, which now goes to President Joe Biden's desk for his signature, provides funding for the federal government to pay for the production of weapons to send to the country, rather than drawing directly from current US stockpiles. It would also expedite delivery of munitions to Ukraine and neighboring US allies.” Read more at CNN
Covid-19
“The new defense spending bill also includes a provision that rescinds the US military's Covid-19 vaccine mandate. Republicans have been lobbying to kill the vaccine requirement for service members, and some leading Democrats have also agreed it's time for a change in the policy. House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy said last week that, ‘the end of President Biden's military Covid vaccine mandate is a victory for our military and for common sense.’ McCarthy also said that Biden himself endorses the move to end the mandate, though White House officials say that's an overstatement.” Read more at CNN
“Twitter on Thursday evening abruptly suspended the accounts of several high-profile journalists from top news organizations. Neither Elon Musk nor Twitter representatives responded to a request for comment from CNN, and the platform did not explain precisely why the journalists were banned. But in a series of tweets, Musk falsely claimed the journalists had violated Twitter's new ‘doxxing’ policy by sharing his live location, amounting to what he described as ‘assassination coordinates.’ (The popular @ElonJet account -- which frequently posts the location of Musk's private jet -- had earlier in the week been banned on the same grounds.) Among the suspended accounts was that of CNN's Donie O'Sullivan, who did not share the billionaire's live location. The suspensions raise a number of questions about the future of the platform and call into serious question Musk's supposed commitment to ‘absolute’ free speech.” Read more at CNN
Immigration
“The Biden administration has released a six-pillar plan to address a surge in migrant crossings that is anticipated after the scheduled end of Title 42 next week. It includes additional resources at the US-Mexico border, highlights consequences for unlawful entry and lists steps to improve processing efficiency, bolster nonprofit capacity, target smugglers and collaborate with international partners. According to the plan, the increase in resources to the southern border includes the hiring of nearly 1,000 Border Patrol processing coordinators and 2,500 contractors and personnel from government agencies. Expecting thousands of migrants' arrival daily, US Customs and Border Protection will impose legal consequences on those who cross unlawfully and don't have a legal basis to stay in the US, the plan states.” Read more at CNN
Migrants wait to cross the US-Mexico border from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022.
Christian Chavez, AP
Climate
“California regulators approved an aggressive plan Thursday to achieve carbon neutrality in the state by 2045. The plan, approved by the California Air Resources Board, looks to move one of the world's largest economies to renewable energy and away from fossil fuels. The board said the plan will cut air pollution by 71% and gas emissions by 85%. Beginning in 2026, all new residential buildings will be required to install electric appliances and in 2029, the requirements will begin extending to commercial buildings, the plan states. The board also previously approved a rule requiring all passenger vehicles sold in the state to be zero-emission by 2035. Separately, Virgin Atlantic today announced plans to fly a Boeing 787 from London to New York, powered solely by waste oils and fats, a move hailed as a step toward reducing aviation's significant environmental impact.” Read more at CNN
Nation's largest water supplier declares drought emergency in Southern California
“The nation's largest water supplier has declared a drought emergency for all of Southern California, clearing the way for potential mandatory water restrictions early next year that could impact 19 million people. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California imports about half of its water from the Colorado River and the northern Sierra Nevada via the State Water Project – a complex system of dams, canals and reservoirs that provides drinking water for much of the state. But it's been so dry the past three years that those water deliveries have hit record lows.” Read more at USA Today
A buoy sits high and dry on cracked earth previously under the waters of Lake Mead at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area near Boulder City, Nev., on June 28, 2022.
John Locher, AP
Dow Falls More Than 700 Points on Interest-Rate Expectations
Investors had hoped that moderating price pressures could allow officials to slow rate rises
“U.S. stock losses deepened Thursday, after central bank officials on both sides of the Atlantic signaled they have more work to do to tame inflation and a batch of fresh data heightened recession fears.
The major U.S. stock indexes started the week higher, then fell Wednesday when the Federal Reserve raised rates by half a percentage point. What spooked investors wasn’t the rate increase, which was widely expected, but that the Fed raised its estimates of how high rates may ultimately have to go….” Read more at Wall Street Journal
Senate Passes $858 Billion Defense-Policy Bill and Stopgap Spending Fix
NDAA provides pay raises for troops, funds military priorities, ends Covid-19 vaccine mandate
Congress’s National Defense Authorization Act authorizes more than $160 billion for aircraft, missiles, ammunition, combat vehicles, Navy ships and other equipment. PHOTO: SARAH SILBIGER/REUTERS
“WASHINGTON—The Senate passed a bipartisan $858 billion defense-policy bill on Thursday that authorizes U.S. military leaders to purchase new weapons, increases pay for service members and ends the Pentagon’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate, checking a major item off Congress’s year-end to-do list.
Lawmakers voted 83-11 to pass the annual National Defense Authorization Act, which would increase America’s total national security budget by roughly 10% from last year’s $778 billion authorization bill. The proposal, which typically draws strong bipartisan support, needed at least 60 votes to pass the Senate.
The House passed the NDAA legislation last week with 350 votes in favor and 80 votes against. It now goes to President Biden’s desk for his signature.
Congress is racing to finish its remaining business before lawmakers leave town next week. In another significant matter, the Senate voted 71-19 to extend current government spending levels by one week to give bipartisan negotiators more time to craft a full-year omnibus deal. President Biden is expected to sign the bill, which would extend funding through Friday Dec. 23 and avoid a partial government shutdown this weekend….” Read more at Wall Street Journal
A former Texas officer was convicted in the killing of a Black woman.
“The case: Aaron Dean, a Fort Worth officer, fatally shot 28-year-old Atatiana Jefferson in her home in 2019, sparking protests against law enforcement.
The latest: Dean was found guilty of manslaughter yesterday and faces up to 20 years in prison.
The bigger picture: Black Americans are killed by police at more than twice the rate of White Americans, according to a Post database.”
Thousands of Documents Relating to John F. Kennedy’s Assassination Are Released
Researchers said they were just beginning to comb through the 13,173 documents, hoping they might shed further light on the government’s actions before and after Nov. 22, 1963.
“The federal government on Thursday released a fresh trove of documents related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, a turning point in American history and the subject of persistent conspiracy theories, despite the official government conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald, acting alone, shot him to death.
Historians and researchers said they were just beginning to comb through the 13,173 documents containing newly released information, hoping they might shed further light on one of the most closely scrutinized murders in recent history and on the government’s actions before and after it.
The documents included records relating to Oswald’s trip to Mexico City several weeks before Kennedy’s assassination in 1963; Oswald’s trip to Finland in 1959, the year he defected to the Soviet Union; and images of his Cuban visa application. Some of the documents — including one about Operation Mongoose, a covert government campaign to rid Cuba of Fidel Castro — included redactions.
Many of the documents had been released previously but now have fewer redactions or none at all, researchers said. Many were scrambling to find out what new information had been revealed….” Read more at New York Times
Harvard Names a New President, an Insider and Historic First
Claudine Gay, the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, will be the university’s first Black leader, and the second woman. She will take office just as the university faces a Supreme Court decision on affirmative action.
“Harvard University announced on Thursday that its new president would be Claudine Gay, the dean of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. She will be the first Black leader of Harvard, and the second woman to hold the position, succeeding Lawrence S. Bacow.
Dr. Gay will take office in July 2023, just as the university faces a pivotal Supreme Court decision that may force it to revise its longstanding admissions processes, which have been criticized for considering factors that favor white and wealthy candidates while also using affirmative action to bolster enrollment by Black and Hispanic students.
As a proponent of increased diversity in hiring, as well as an expert on minority representation and political participation in government, Dr. Gay may be ideally suited to the task, supporters said.
‘Claudine is a remarkable leader who is profoundly devoted to sustaining and enhancing Harvard’s academic excellence,’ said Penny Pritzker, the chair of the presidential search committee….
Dr. Gay, 52, has been a professor of government and of African and African American studies at Harvard since 2006. Her scholarship has explored how the election of minority officeholders affects citizens’ perception of government, cooperation between minority groups and how housing mobility programs affect political participation for the poor, according to the university.
To a standing ovation on Thursday afternoon, Dr. Gay reintroduced herself to the Harvard community, the place where she started as a graduate student three decades ago, lugging a futon and a cast-iron skillet to fry plantains into Haskins Hall….” Read more at New York Times
Donald Trump Aims to Regroup After Rocky First Month of 2024 Campaign
Ex-President plans to focus on smaller, policy-focused events in next few months
Donald Trump after announcing his third consecutive run for the White House, with his son Barron. PHOTO: ANDREW HARNIK/ASSOCIATED PRESS
“WASHINGTON—One month after announcing his third consecutive presidential campaign, Donald Trump and his team are hoping to move past a raft of controversies and legal problems that have eroded his standing in the GOP.
Mr. Trump made the unconventional decision to announce his campaign on Nov. 15, nearly two years before the election, having expected a triumphant Republican showing in the midterm elections a week earlier. But that didn’t happen—and from there things have gotten worse.
The former president dined with antisemites, said provisions of the Constitution should be terminated to overturn the 2020 election and suffered several courtroom defeats. A new Wall Street Journal poll showed him losing by double digits in a hypothetical primary contest against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
‘Three months ago I would have said Trump would win the nomination. Now I don’t know,’ said Rich Schwarm, a former chairman of the GOP in Iowa, which is scheduled to hold the party’s first 2024 nominating contest. ‘A lot of Republicans are in a wait and see mode.’
Partly because a big, fractious GOP field is expected in 2024, Mr. Trump’s team maintains that he is best positioned to capture the nomination for a rematch with President Biden, who hasn’t made a decision but has said it is his intention to run again. While Mr. Trump has kept a lower public profile since the announcement, his advisers have been developing a strategy that will put him on the campaign trail early next year.
Rather than staging signature, large-scale rallies, the plan calls for Mr. Trump to tour key states and conduct smaller policy events, focusing on crime, border security, foreign policy, big tech and the economy, according to people involved in the preparation. Rallies would resume later in the year; advisers said it was never the plan to do such events early on.
The goal of the policy events, these people said, is to remind voters of the ideas Mr. Trump advanced during his time in office, which remain popular among Republicans even if his personal style isn’t. The Journal poll showed roughly 90% of Republicans approved of the job he did as president, compared with 71% who viewed him favorably as a person.
‘Americans are focused on the economy, focused on inflation,’ said Rep. Randy Weber (R., Texas) when asked how Mr. Trump’s new presidential bid was going. ‘If he runs on his record, he’s got a lot to run on.’
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is widely considered to be preparing to run for president.PHOTO: RONEN TIVONY/ZUMA PRESS
Mr. Trump this week recorded several videos, including one outlining what he would do if elected. A campaign website is scheduled to be launched next week. He also is planning to do more interviews, with a mix of mainstream outlets and conservative ones.
On Thursday evening he plans to speak before the Log Cabin Republicans, a group that advocates for the LGBT community. On Friday, Mr. Trump is scheduled to address a group of Jewish leaders, an event that follows his widely criticized dinner at Mar-a-Lago with Kanye West and the white supremacist Nick Fuentes, whom Mr. Trump subsequently said he didn’t know.
Mr. Trump’s campaign will be led by longtime adviser Susie Wiles, who oversaw his 2016 and 2020 victories in Florida, and Chris LaCivita, a Virginia-based strategist known for orchestrating attacks on the military record of John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee. A number of top positions have been filled, with Brian Jack and Boris Epshteyn tapped as senior advisers. The plan is to keep the core team smaller early on, according to people familiar with the decision. Staff picks in Iowa, New Hampshire and other early states are expected to be announced soon….” Read more at Wall Street Journal
Former US President Donald Trump launches $99 NFT collection
Image caption, Mr Trump said the NFTs "would make a good Christmas gift"
By Annabelle Liang
“Former US President Donald Trump has launched a collection of digital trading cards depicting him in various guises including a superhero, astronaut and Nascar driver.
Mr Trump said: ‘These limited edition cards feature amazing ART of my Life & Career!’
Last month, the billionaire launched his third bid for the White House.
He triggered speculation this week after saying he would make a ‘major announcement’.
Some commentators had expected him to potentially name a running mate for his presidential campaign.
Instead, Mr Trump posted a promotional video on his social media platform, Truth Social.
The clip featured an animated version of the former president in front of the Trump Tower in New York, who rips open his shirt to reveal a superhero costume emblazoned with the letter T as lasers shoot from his eyes.
Later on Truth Social Mr Trump said the non-fungible tokens (NFTs) were ‘very much like a baseball card, but hopefully much more exciting’.
He added that the cards, costing $99 (£81) each, ‘would make a great Christmas gift’.
Buyers will also be entered into a sweepstake, with the chance of winning prizes including a gala dinner or a game of golf with Mr Trump.
NFTs have been touted as the digital answer to collectables, but critics have warned about risks in the market.
The ‘one-of-a-kind’ assets in the digital world can be bought and sold like any other piece of property, but have no tangible form of their own.
They can be thought of as certificates of ownership for virtual or physical assets.
Move mocked
The announcement has been criticised by social media users, with high-profile Republicans also speaking out.
‘I can't do this anymore,’ Steve Bannon, a right-wing media commentator and former chief strategist for Mr Trump, said about the NFTs on his podcast.
Anyone involved in the project ‘ought to be fired today,’ he added.
In an apparent jibe at Mr Trump, US President Joe Biden said on Twitter that he had ‘some MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENTS the last couple of weeks too’.
He said this included easing inflation and signing a marriage protection bill.
Others speculated that sale of NFTs was to help fund the legal battles that Mr Trump is embroiled in.
The funds would not be put towards his presidential campaign, according to the website for the NFTs.
‘These Digital Trading Cards are not political and have nothing to do with any political campaign,’ it said.
‘NFT INT LLC is not owned, managed or controlled by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization, CIC Digital LLC or any of their respective principals or affiliates,’ it added.” Read more at BBC
House Passes Bill That Could Pave the Way for Puerto Rican Statehood
The legislation has little chance of becoming law in the short term, but its passage in a bipartisan vote reflects a perception by the House that Puerto Rico’s status as a colonial territory is untenable.
“WASHINGTON — The House voted on Thursday to allow Puerto Ricans to decide the political future of the territory, the first time the chamber has committed to backing a binding process that could pave the way for Puerto Rico to become the nation’s 51st state or an independent country.
The measure, which has the support of the White House, has little chance of becoming law in the short term. It is all but certain to fall short of the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster in the Senate, where most Republicans are opposed, and there is little time left under this Congress before the G.O.P. takes control of the House in early January, likely burying the effort for at least the next Congress.
But the bipartisan vote — the bill passed 233 to 191 — was a symbolic statement by the House that Puerto Rico’s status as a colonial territory was both untenable and unwanted by many of its voters.
The legislation would establish a binding process for a referendum in Puerto Rico that would allow voters to choose among allowing the territory to become a state, an independent country or a sovereign government aligned with the United States. It would also lay out the processes for implementing the outcome of the vote and establish a campaign to educate voters about their options….” Read more at New York Times
Stanford President’s Research Draws Concern From Scientific Journals
Cell and Science say they await outcome of university investigation into published studies by neuroscientist Marc Tessier-Lavigne
Stanford University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne is said to be working with scientific journals and the Stanford board of trustees to resolve questions about the accuracy of images in his research. PHOTO: WINNI WINTERMEYER FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
“Two major scientific journals expressed concern over years-old studies co-written by Stanford University president and neuroscientist Marc Tessier-Lavigne, stopping short of corrections or retractions.
Science and Cell wrote in so-called editorial expressions of concern on Thursday that they would await the outcome of an investigation by Stanford and the papers’ authors before determining whether additional steps were necessary.
Stanford’s board of trustees earlier said that it was investigating whether three papers published in Science and Cell, as well as research published in other journals that Dr. Tessier-Lavigne also co-wrote, contained altered images and other possible errors.
The board started the review after the Stanford Daily student newspaper reported in November that the European Molecular Biology Organization Journal was reviewing a paper co-authored by Dr. Tessier-Lavigne and that a research-misconduct expert found possible errors in three other papers.
A Stanford spokesperson said Dr. Tessier-Lavigne is working with the board of trustees’ special committee and the journals to resolve the matter….” Read more at Wall Street Journal
Nurses in U.K. Strike for First Time, Seeking Higher Pay
The walkout is just one of a series of industrial actions across Britain this month as ballooning inflation, rising interest rates and a recession put pressure on workers.
“LONDON — Nurses across Britain went on strike on Thursday for the first time in the 74-year history of the National Health Service, underscoring critical challenges facing the long-revered system after years of underfunding and as the government contends with a burgeoning fiscal crisis.
On a bitterly cold day, nurses and their supporters walked on picket lines in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, demanding a 19 percent pay increase and better working conditions that they say will make the profession more attractive and help address severe staffing shortages.
‘It’s been incredibly difficult,’ said Melanie Denison, an intensive care nurse who worked in the N.H.S. for 25 years, as she picketed outside St. Mary’s Hospital in North London. Around her, a crowd of striking nurses, wearing hats and gloves and heavy coats, marched with signs that read, ‘Staffing shortages cost lives.’
‘The years since Covid have been the most challenging I have ever experienced,’ she added.
The government has said the pay demands are ‘unaffordable’ and has pointed to recent pay rises and new funding plans for the health service as evidence of the government’s support….” Read more at New York Times
Protesters in Peru Demand Justice for Ousted President Pedro Castillo
Eight days after Pedro Castillo’s removal from office and arrest, thousands of his supporters have joined protests demanding his reinstatement. To them, he is the voice of the marginalized.
By Julie Turkewitz and Mitra Taj
Dec. 15, 2022
“LIMA, Peru — Outside a detention center at the foot of the Andes Mountains, a camp has formed in recent days, with as many as 1,000 people traveling hundreds of miles to demand freedom for the highest-profile detainee: their former president, Pedro Castillo.
They will stay until he is reinstated, said one supporter, Milagros Rodriguez, 37, or until ‘civil war begins.’
Mr. Castillo, a former schoolteacher and union activist who promised to fight for the poor, is the man at the center of Peru’s dizzying political drama, having been removed from office last week after he tried to dissolve Congress and create a government that would rule by decree. Within hours he was under arrest, accused of rebellion, and his vice president was sworn into office.
Now, Dina Boluarte is the sixth president in five years in a country reeling from a long history of high-level scandals and deep divisions between its rural poor and urban elite….” Read more at New York Times
Bribery Case Cracks Open European Parliament — and Finds Hidden Cash
Prosecutors say the glamorous lifestyle of a European lawmaker masked a Qatari corruption scandal. It exposed how vulnerable Brussels is to foreign influence.
“Princes and presidents traversed the white marble floors of the ultra-selective V.V.I.P. box overlooking the field for the first game of the World Cup. But mingling among the soccer legends and Gulf royals was a figure few outside European politics would recognize: Eva Kaili.
Ms. Kaili, a Greek politician, was a vice president of the European Parliament, a sprawling body with limited power (and 14 vice presidents). She had no official business in Qatar. Her trip was private, people who saw her in the V.V.I.P. box said.
And then, less than a day later, she was back in Brussels, delivering an impassioned defense of Qatar against criticism of its exploitation of migrant workers who had built the World Cup stadiums.
‘The World Cup in Qatar is proof, actually, of how sports diplomacy can achieve a historical transformation of a country with reforms that inspired the Arab world,’ Ms. Kaili said. She chastised Qatar’s critics as bullies. ‘They accuse everyone that talks to them or engages, of corruption.’
Less than three weeks later, she was in jail, accused of trading political decisions for cash. The Belgian authorities charged her last weekend alongside her life partner, Francesco Giorgi, and two others in an investigation into Qatari influence. Police raids uncovered €1.5 million in cash. Roughly half that was found in a hotel room occupied by Ms. Kaili’s father; another €150,000 was found in the apartment Ms. Kaili shared with her partner, prosecutors said.
The case, which Belgian authorities say they’ve been building for over a year with the help of their secret services, has uncovered what prosecutors say was a cash-for-favors scheme at the heart of the European Union. And it highlighted the vulnerabilities in an opaque, notoriously bureaucratic system that decides policies for 450 million people in the world’s richest club of nations.
Ms. Kaili’s lawyer, Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, said she was innocent. ‘She simply had no knowledge of the cash,’ he said. ‘She did Qatar no favors at all, because all her positions were, in fact, in line with E.U. policy on Qatar.’
Mr. Giorgi’s lawyer had no comment. Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper reported Thursday, citing sealed court documents, that Mr. Giorgi was cooperating with investigators.” Read more at New York Times
EU Signs Off on $19 Billion in Funding for Ukraine
Bloc agrees to grant loans to pay for basic Ukrainian services after Hungary dropped veto threats
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has long tried to obstruct Western support for Ukraine. PHOTO: JOHANNA GERON/REUTERS
By Laurence Norman and Drew Hinshaw
Updated Dec. 15, 2022 4:48 pm ET
“BRUSSELS—The European Union cemented its pledge to provide Ukraine with more than $19 billion in funding next year after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban backed down from threats to block the EU proposal.
The agreement will provide a lifeline of 18 billion euros, equivalent to $19.2 billion, to Kyiv. The Ukrainian government is struggling to maintain basic services amid a war that has crushed its economy, while its energy infrastructure has suffered relentless Russian attacks.
The EU has faced pressure from Kyiv and Washington to step up funding for Ukraine. The U.S. has already provided nearly $32 billion in aid to Ukraine since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February, including almost $20 billion in arms and other security assistance.The EU this year fell €3 billion short of the €10.2 billion in concessionary loans and grants it promised for Kyiv. It has also given far less than it has pledged in lethal aid.
Internal EU squabbles had impeded agreement on the loan for next year, threatening the 27-country bloc’s reputation as a reliable supporter. Under the deal, which took formal effect late Thursday, the EU will grant Ukraine loans with money its executive body, the European Commission, raises in debt markets, using other EU funds as collateral.
Aside from shoring up Ukraine’s finances, the arrangement accomplishes several things at once for Brussels. It signals Europe’s commitment to Kyiv, at a time when Russian President Vladimir Putin is hoping falling temperatures and steep energy costs will sap political will on the continent. And it marginalizes Mr. Orban, who has long tried to obstruct Western support for Ukraine.
It also breaks new ground in centralizing financial matters through the Commission, rather than handling it through the individual member countries. The EU has used this method for loans before but never used common funding on this scale to support a nonmember. It follows the bloc’s 2020 deal on a pandemic recovery fund, a €750 billion package funded though common EU debt issuance.
Reaching the agreement this week required negotiations with Mr. Orban, who over recent years has moved far out of the European mainstream. Other EU countries and leaders in Brussels have accused him of violating the bloc’s standards for the rule of law. He has been Mr. Putin’s most vocal supporter among EU leaders and the biggest opponent of sanctions on Russia since it invaded Ukraine.
Mr. Orban’s decision to accept the Commission’s proposal on funding for Ukraine came even as member states simultaneously decided to freeze billions of euros of EU budget money for Hungary. That marks a defeat for Mr. Orban, who is facing a severe economic crisis at home.
Paintings by a Polish artist hanging on the wall of a damaged administrative building in Kharkiv, Ukraine.PHOTO: SERGEY KOZLOV/SHUTTERSTOCK
Mr. Orban had insisted that the money for Ukraine should be delivered bilaterally by individual EU member states—an arrangement that could have seen the bloc once again descend into wrangling over who should pick up the cost.
As part of this week’s package deal, he also backtracked on his monthslong veto on the EU signing off on an international 15% minimum corporate-tax agreement championed by the Biden administration. Poland, which also had concerns about the tax, didn’t veto the decision after negotiations with the Commission.
Separately Thursday, EU leaders agreed a new package of sanctions on Russia, including a ban on mining investments in Russia, a ban on exporting drone engines to Russia and the blacklisting of around 180 new people and Russian entities.
During his past decade as prime minister, Mr. Orban has frequently, as a negotiating tactic, threatened to wield the veto that the EU rules afford his country on many big issues.
This time, however, the EU put itself in a stronger position.
The EU’s 26 other governments agreed to go ahead with the Ukraine loan without Hungary if necessary, with member states offering national guarantees to underwrite the funds.
Mr. Orban, meanwhile, urgently needs EU money to support his economy, a critical factor in his decision to back down, said several EU officials and diplomats.
Hungary is facing an interlocking set of economic problems that leave his country more vulnerable than in the more prosperous years that marked most of his previous four terms in office. Hungary’s rate of inflation, currently at an annual rate of 22.5%, is among the highest in Europe and nearly twice the EU average. The resulting drop in consumer spending has severely hit his budget, which heavily depends on revenue from a 27% value-added-tax rate, the highest in the bloc….” Read more at Wall Street Journal
EU Greenlights 15% Corporate Minimum Tax, Advancing Global Deal
U.S. support for the pact remains uncertain, raising questions about its broader rollout and impact
Paolo Gentiloni, the EU’s top economy official, called the agreement ‘a win for fairness, a win for diplomacy and a win for multilateralism.’PHOTO: VALERIA MONGELLI/BLOOMBERG NEWS
By Paul Hannon and Richard Rubin
“Countries in the European Union are set to start collecting additional taxes in 2024 under a long-stalled global deal to set a minimum rate on company profits, after Hungary and Poland dropped their objections to the move.
In October 2021, 137 countries agreed to impose a 15% minimum tax on large companies, paving the way for the most significant overhaul of international tax rules in a century. By imposing the tax in each jurisdiction where a company operates, large countries aim to reduce tax-rate competition and the advantages of operating in a low-tax locale. Getting to that point took years of negotiations that often seemed close to collapse.
Now, more than a year later, there are some signs of progress toward changing national laws to implement the tax. The U.K. last month said it would start collecting the tax in 2024 and estimated it would raise £2.3 billion, the equivalent of $2.86 billion, a year by the fiscal year ending March 2028.
The EU’s breakthrough Thursday followed interlinked negotiations that also involved aid to Ukraine and the release of blocked EU funds to Hungary, the country that had been the biggest obstacle. With all 27 members now on board, an EU proposal to implement the minimum tax in a coordinated manner can proceed. The bloc’s directive sets out a standard way of changing national laws, which each member must now proceed to do in order to collect the tax….
‘This agreement on minimum corporate taxation is a win for fairness, a win for diplomacy and a win for multilateralism,’ said Paolo Gentiloni, the EU’s top economy official.
The EU’s move is likely to give fresh impetus to plans for implementation in other countries. One feature of the 2021 agreement is that a country that enacts the measure can collect taxes on profits made by companies based in other jurisdictions to ensure the goal of 15% is reached if those other jurisdictions don’t collect the tax themselves. This could let the U.K. tax a U.S. company on some of its profits until the U.S. adopts the minimum tax.
The U.S., led by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, helped write and advocate for the 15% minimum-tax agreement. But the Biden administration failed in its attempt this year to get the plan through Congress with narrow Democratic majorities. Congress did, however, pass a different 15% minimum tax on the financial-statement income of some large, profitable companies.
Prospects for U.S. implementation of the agreement, which was shepherded by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, look even dimmer next year with Republicans taking control of the House of Representatives in January.
In a letter to Ms. Yellen this week, Republicans on the tax-writing committees warned that the minimum-tax agreement could breach U.S. tax treaties by expanding other countries’ taxing authority….” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Gaining power | North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test of a new ‘high-thrust’ solid-fuel rocket engine that could enhance his ability to fire off quick-strike, longer-range missiles for delivering nuclear warheads. Kim ‘guided the important test,’ according to state media, which released photos of him smiling in front of a massive cloud of smoke at the site.” Read more at Bloomberg
Kim at the test. Source: North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency
Biden's big promotion for Cindy McCain
Cindy McCain accepts the Presidential Medal of Freedom — awarded posthumously to her husband, Sen. John McCain — from President Biden in July. Photo: Susan Walsh/AP
“President Biden is working to elevate Cindy McCain, 68, the U.S. ambassador to the World Food Program, to be executive director of the Rome-based United Nations agency, Axios' Hans Nichols reports.
Why it matters: With Russia's war in Ukraine disrupting the food supply, and drought in the Horn of Africa, the WFP needs a dynamic leader to raise billions of dollars — then deliver it in hostile territory.
The WFP, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020, relies on donations from industrialized and wealthy countries to help fight global hunger. The U.S. is the biggest contributor.
That dynamic puts a premium on the fundraising abilities of the executive director — who will need to convince Congress, including a GOP-controlled House, to meet the agency's growing needs.” Read more at Axios
“El Salvador’s prolonged state of emergency. El Salvador has extended its state of emergency for the ninth time, allowing the government to crack down on gang violence and make sweeping arrests at the expense of certain civil liberties. Since the decree was imposed in March, around 60,000 people with alleged gang ties have been jailed, fueling concerns of human rights violations.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Brazil investigates Bolsonaro supporters. Brazilian authorities have started issuing search warrants for people who barricaded highways after Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated President Jair Bolsonaro in the country’s recent presidential election. To obstruct traffic, the Bolsonaro supporters built barricades from burnt tires and deployed homemade bombs, according to Brazil’s highway police.” Read more at Foreign Policy
GOP targets ESG
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
“Republicans are starting an all-out assault on ESG investing (environmental, social, and governance) by targeting a Biden administration rule for retirement plan fiduciaries, Axios' Alayna Treene reports.
Why it matters: The plans are already gaining support from conservative groups eager to sink their teeth into the ESG fight.
Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) are attempting to dismantle a new Labor Department rule that allows retirement plan fiduciaries to consider climate change and other environmental, social and governance factors in investment decisions.
The DOL rule, issued Nov. 22, followed an executive order, signed by President Biden last year, that directed federal agencies to consider ESG policies.
Braun and Barr are introducing a joint Congressional Review Act that would nullify the DOL rule and prevent future, similar rules.
Between the lines: The legislation won't pass in a divided Congress, or with President Biden in office. Instead, it's designed to raise the issue's profile — and force lawmakers to go on the record.” Read more at Axios
Amazon Agrees to Change Some Business Practices in E.U. Settlement
The e-commerce giant avoided a fine, but will make a variety of changes regulators believe will help independent merchants who had raised alarms about Amazon’s tactics.
“Amazon has agreed to a settlement with European Union regulators that will force the company to make significant changes to its business practices but also allows the e-commerce giant to avoid a drawn out legal fight and billions of dollars of potential fines, according to three people with knowledge of the deal.
The settlement, expected to be announced on Dec. 20, will end two antitrust investigations in Europe. The deal will require Amazon to give makers of rival products equal access to valuable real estate on its website, said the people, who would speak only anonymously before the official announcement. The company will also be barred from using nonpublic information it gathers about independent merchants to inform Amazon’s own product offerings, among other changes.
The deal represents a sign of progress for European regulators, even though Amazon faces no financial penalty. Regulators have spent years trying, with mixed success, to force the world’s largest technology companies to change business practices that they believe thwart competition, undermine data privacy safeguards and allow illicit online content.
The agreement may foreshadow changes at Apple, Google and Meta, which are also facing E.U. antitrust investigations and are racing to comply with new European laws that target the tech sector and take effect by 2024. The result could be changes to everyday digital tools, including app stores, online advertising methods and the policies for policing toxic content on social media….” Read more at New York Times
Bill to Ban TikTok on Government Devices Faces Uncertain Future in House
Proposed ban comes amid delays in U.S. negotiation to secure data gathered by popular app
TikTok has said it safeguards the data of its users and wouldn’t share it with the Chinese government.PHOTO: DREW ANGERER/GETTY IMAGES
“WASHINGTON—The Senate’s move to expand a ban on TikTok being downloaded on government-issued smartphones and other devices faces a doubtful future in the House, despite widening concerns over the Chinese-owned video app’s security risks.
The Senate passed a similar bill in 2020, and the legislation stalled out in the House. With just days left in the current session, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) was noncommittal Thursday when asked whether the bill would receive a House vote before adjournment.
‘I don’t know if that will be on the agenda next week, but let’s see,’ she said.
Still, the Senate vote on the TikTok ban—led by Sen. Josh Hawley (R., Mo.)—comes as the Biden administration is under fire for delays in negotiating an agreement with TikTok’s owner, Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd., aimed at preventing data on Americans from being shared with China’s authoritarian government.
The House likely will be more receptive to the GOP-backed legislation after Republicans officially take over in January, one legislative aide suggested.
The Pentagon and some other U.S. agencies including the Department of Homeland Security have previously imposed a ban on TikTok being downloaded on government-issued smartphones and other devices. The Senate bill approved late Wednesday would expand that to all devices issued by the federal government.
TikTok has repeatedly said that it safeguards the data of its users and wouldn’t share it with the Chinese government…” Read more at Wall Street Journal
Musk vs. media
“Last night's suspension of several journalists from Twitter set off a firestorm, Axios Media Trends expert Sara Fischer reports:
The mainstream media sees an attempt by Elon Musk to silence his critics.
Right-wing voices argue the liberal media finally got a taste of its own medicine.
Sally Buzbee, executive editor of The Washington Post, said in a tweeted statement that the suspension of tech reporter Drew Harwell's Twitter feed ‘directly undermines Elon Musk's claim that he intends to run Twitter as a platform dedicated to free speech.’
CNN said in a tweeted statement that it will ‘reevaluate’ its relationship with Twitter, based on the platform's response to CNN's request for an explanation of the suspension of correspondent Donie O'Sullivan, who covers the intersection of politics and technology.
But Fox News tweeted, ‘TABLES HAVE TURNED: Elon Musk suspends CNN, NYT, WaPo journalists, reminding them the rules also apply to them.’
Musk confirmed that reporters were suspended for linking to a Mastodon account that actively tracked Musk's private jet. Musk suspended a similar Twitter account on Wednesday.
He asserted that by posting links to the account, those journalists ‘doxxed’ him, and doxxing is a violation of Twitter's policies.
Doxxing is typically defined as publishing private or personally identifying information about someone online.
Musk later joined a Twitter Spaces audio discussion among journalists, including some of those who were banned, where he doubled down on his decision.
‘Everyone's gonna be treated the same,’ Musk said, according to Mediaite. ‘You're not special because you're a journalist. You're a citizen. ... You doxx, you get suspended. End of story.’
The bottom line: Musk's long-held frustration with the mainstream media has put him at odds with one of Twitter's most active user groups.” Read more at Axios
Peak flu
Data: CDC. Chart: Sara Wise/Axios
“The U.S. has been pummeled by respiratory illness, including a harsher flu season than we've seen in years. But new data indicates the outbreak may be peaking, Axios' Tina Reed reports.
Why it matters: This flu season has defied expectations, with the highest number of cases and hospitalizations in more than a decade.
What we're watching: Experts believe the nationwide trend may be close to peaking. But they predict the outbreak will morph into regional waves of illness into early spring that could stress health systems and collide with COVID.
‘The concern is: The viruses have been so weird this year, we don’t know,’ Sarah Ash Combs, an emergency department physician at Children's National Hospital, told Axios.
‘Whereas we can typically predictively say, 'OK that was the peak, we’re now on the down spike.' We don’t know: Is there going to be a second spike? A January, a February, a March spike?’
What you can do: If you haven't gotten a flu shot yet, get one!
The flu is still expected to spread for some time, leaving those who haven't yet gotten it highly vulnerable.
The CDC recently reported that it appears the flu shot is a good match for the strain that's circulating this year.” Read more at Axios
Powerhouses Face Off At World Cup Final
“After nearly four exhilarating weeks—or heartbreaking ones, depending on where you stand—the 2022 FIFA World Cup will conclude this weekend with a battle between two soccer powerhouses: Argentina and France.
Argentina has triumphed in the World Cup twice before, and this will be the sixth time that it has reached the final match. France, the defending champion, also has two World Cup titles under its belt. Both teams boast soccer legends—namely Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé—and legions of adoring fans who have pinned their hopes on Sunday’s game. (Messi and Mbappé, as it so happens, also play for the same Qatari-owned team, Paris Saint-Germain.)
Vying for third place are Croatia and Morocco, which pulled off a historic run that thrilled and electrified Arab and African nations. In Qatar, Morocco became the first African country to make it to the semifinals and the first Arab squad to qualify for the quarterfinals. The team linked its triumphs to the Palestinian cause, proudly waving the Palestinian flag after defeating Spain—and underscoring just how intertwined sports and geopolitics can be.
This has been particularly evident in this year’s World Cup, where, even before the tournament began, Doha faced backlash for its human rights record and treatment of migrant workers. As Iran cracked down on anti-government demonstrations, the Iranian team remained silent while their national anthem played. Foreign Policy has chronicled the geopolitical issues shaping the competition, including how Gulf states capitalize on the soft power of soccer in Latin America, what the German soccer team’s past says about Germany’s citizenship policy, and why refugees were key to Australia’s run to the round of 16.
At the last World Cup, nearly half of the global population above the age of four watched the tournament unfold. Even more people are expected to tune in this year, with FIFA officials predicting 5 billion viewers—potentially making it the most-viewed World Cup ever.
Expect the next tournament, which will take place across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, to look considerably different. Instead of 32 teams, there will be 48 competitors, meaning a greater number of games and a more intense competition.” Read more at Foreign Policy
Biggest box-office test since COVID
Data: The Numbers. Chart: Axios Visuals
“The highly anticipated Avatar sequel, "Avatar: The Way of Water," hits theaters today, 13 years after James Cameron's original "Avatar" debuted in December 2009, Axios' Sara Fischer and Tim Baysinger report.
Why it matters: This may be the biggest box-office litmus test of the COVID era. The science-fiction fantasy film ‘is under tremendous pressure to deliver the goods, reinvigorate late-year moviegoing,’ Comscore's Paul Dergarabedian said.
The original "Avatar" was the highest-grossing film in history worldwide (chart above).
Cameron plans as many as three additional sequels. But he has admitted the franchise's success will be determined by the performance of "The Way of Water."
‘This is exactly the kind of movie that demands to be seen in a theater with a communal experience,’ said Boxoffice Pro analyst Shawn Robbins.
There's little competition heading into the holiday season. The third installation of Disney's "Ant-Man" doesn't debut until February.
The big picture: Cinemas are still struggling to recover from COVID.
The box office is down 34% from this time in 2019. But analysts are hopeful it will improve next year and beyond.” Read more at Axios
GLAAD Praises Increased Inclusiveness of Disney Films
In a report on L.G.B.T.Q. representation in movies, the organization lauded the studio but noted some depictions were one dimensional or stereotypical.
“Ten years ago, when GLAAD released its first report on L.G.B.T.Q. inclusiveness in movies, Walt Disney Studios received a ‘failing’ grade. Disney was far from alone. But most other studios began to get better report cards from the advocacy group as the years progressed. Disney, not so much.
So the latest ‘studio responsibility’ report from GLAAD, released on Thursday, ranks as something of a milestone: Disney is now leading the way.
Walt Disney Studios released five movies in theaters in 2021 that included at least one significant L.G.B.T.Q. character — more than any other film company, according to GLAAD. Also, Disney was the only major studio to release a movie with a transgender character. (It was ‘West Side Story,’ which Disney released on its 20th Century label.)
‘Compared to the other studios tracked in this report, Walt Disney Studios historically has a particularly poor reputation surrounding L.G.B.T.Q. inclusion,’ GLAAD said, noting how far Disney has come. The organization also pointed out that Disney suffered lost ticket sales for its inclusiveness; some countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia ban movies that depict same-sex relationships, and Disney — unlike some competitors — has stopped altering finished films to gain entry.
Even so, the organization gave Disney an ‘insufficient’ grade, noting that some of the studio’s L.G.B.T.Q. characters fell short because they were one dimensional (the transgender boy in ‘West Side Story’) or their sexual orientation was only communicated through stereotypical mannerisms or clothing (a male sidekick in ‘Cruella’). For the first time, GLAAD also based its grades on corporate actions, balancing support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees and advocates with donations to anti-L.G.B.T.Q. politicians.
In the past, GLAAD has not looked at political donations. It decided to change course in the spring, when Disney became entangled in a dispute with the Republican governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis. The uproar involved Florida legislation prohibiting classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity through the third grade and limiting what teachers could say in front of older students. Disney tried not to take a side at first, at least publicly, which prompted an employee revolt. Disney then denounced the law, setting off a political firestorm, with right-wing figures railing against ‘woke Disney.’
The matter continues to smolder. On Monday, the conservative Catholic League announced plans to release a documentary next year called ‘Walt’s Disenchanted Kingdom: How Disney Is Losing Its Way.’ It will take a disdainful look at Disney’s evolution on L.G.B.T.Q. inclusiveness.
Robert A. Iger, who returned as Disney’s chief executive last month, told employees at a recent town-hall meeting that inclusion, acceptance and tolerance would remain ‘core values’ of the company’s storytelling. ‘It must continue,’ he said. ‘We’re not going to make everybody happy all the time, and we’re not going to try to.’” Read more at New York Times
Frances Hesselbein, Progressive Leader of the Girl Scouts, Dies at 107
Widely cited as a model of leadership, she took the scouts out of ‘the Betty Crocker era,’ halting a membership decline and recruiting minority girls.
Frances Hesselbein in her office in 1981 with a platter of Girl Scout cookies. In 2015, Fortune Magazine listed her among the world’s 50 greatest leaders.Credit...Jack Manning/The New York Times
Frances Hesselbein, a transformative chief executive of the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. who in the 1970s and ’80s arrested a membership decline and ushered the group into a modern, diverse era, died on Dec. 11 at her home in Easton, Pa. She was 107.
The Girl Scouts announced her death on their website.
Ms. Hesselbein took control of the Girl Scouts’ national office in Manhattan in 1976 after a quarter-century of involvement with that nonprofit group, starting as a reluctant troop leader. Her stature as an innovative leader prompted the management guru Peter F. Drucker to tell Businessweek magazine in 1990 that she would be a worthy successor to the retiring Roger Smith as chief executive of General Motors, because of her ability to turn around a large bureaucracy.
‘She was incredibly focused on the Girl Scouts’ mission,’ Marshall Goldsmith, a prominent leadership coach and a friend of Ms. Hesselbein’s, said in a phone interview. ‘She came up with a model called ‘Tradition With a Future.’ The Girl Scouts weren’t moving into the new world at all. She brought inclusivity and diversity, but she never put down or insulted the past.’
Helping girls reach their greatest potential remained the organization’s mission under Ms. Hesselbein (pronounced HESS-el-bine), but she also saw that the Girl Scouts needed a makeover. What had once thrived with a largely white, middle-class membership had faded with the social and political convulsions of the 1960s and the blossoming of feminism as more women went to work.
Ms. Hesselbein set out to diversify the membership. She added management training for its volunteers and paid staff. She hired the designers Halston and Bill Blass to design new uniforms. She added activities for the girls steeped in math, science and technology. She also upended the organization’s hierarchical management structure to one that placed her at the middle of a hub, to accelerate the flow of information to the independent local councils that are chartered by the Girl Scouts’ national office.
In 1984, Ms. Hesselbein created a new and younger tier of Girl Scouts: the Daisies, for kindergartners and first graders, a level below the Brownies.
‘It seemed a logical step for us and of critical importance for the American family,’ she told The New York Times when the Daisies were announced. ‘When you look at all the single-parent households, the Girl Scouts can be almost indispensable.’
The overhaul worked. Membership rose to 2.3 million in 1990, according to Businessweek. Recruitment efforts increased minority membership to 15.5 percent. Ms. Hesselbein launched a project to help scouts learn about as many as 95 career opportunities, and started programs in telecommunications and marine biology that were designed to be done at home or at troop meetings….
Ms. Hesselbein retired from the Girl Scouts in 1990 but started a new career of training executives. In 1998, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from Bill Clinton. The citation read in part, ‘With skill and sensitivity, Frances Hesselbein has shown us how to summon the best from ourselves and our fellow citizens.’
In 2015, Fortune Magazine ranked her 37th in its list of the world’s 50 greatest leaders, ahead of Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase….” Read more at New York Times