The Full Belmonte, 12/30/2023
THE LATEST NEWS
A missile attack destroyed a building in Odesa. Oleksandr Gimanov/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
“Russian missiles and drones struck factories, hospitals and schools across Ukraine, killing at least 30 people. Officials said it was one of the largest air assaults of the war.” [New York Times]
“Israel’s military had no plan for a large-scale Hamas attack, a Times investigation found. Troops were so poorly organized on Oct. 7 that they relied on group chats and social media to figure out where to go.” [New York Times]
“Michael Cohen, the former fixer for Donald Trump, admitted that a recent court filing included fake legal citations because he used Google’s A.I. bot for research.” [New York Times]
Ohio governor breaks from party
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
“Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) vetoed a bill today that would have prevented minors from receiving gender-affirming health care and restricted transgender girls' ability to participate on school sports teams, Axios' Jacob Knutson and Tyler Buchanan report.
Why it matters: It's a break from lawmakers in his party who backed the legislation.
DeWine is now just one of two Republican governors who have vetoed restrictions on gender-affirming care and among a few who have rejected bills that would constrain trans athletes.
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson vetoed a similar bill in 2021. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb rejected bans on trans athletes last year.
‘This bill would impact a very small number of Ohio's children,’ DeWine said. ‘But for those children who face gender dysphoria and for their families, the consequences of this bill could not be more profound.’
‘Ultimately, I believe this is about protecting human life,’ he added. ‘Many parents have told me that their child would not have survived, would be dead today, if they had not received the treatment they received from one of Ohio's children's hospitals.’
What to watch: Ohio's GOP lawmakers hold enough seats to override DeWine's veto. But it's unclear if they will.” [Axios]
Russia Amps Up Air Attacks in Ukraine
A Ukrainian police officer stands in front of a maternity hospital damaged by Russian shelling in Dnipro, Ukraine, on Dec. 29, 2023. Yurii Tynnyi/Suspilne Ukraine/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
“At least 30 people were killed and more than 160 people injured in Ukraine on Friday in what Kyiv called the biggest missile bombardment since Russia began its all-out invasion of the country in February 2022. Russia struck the cities of Kyiv, Odessa, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Lviv using ‘nearly every type of weapon in its arsenal’ and hit homes and a maternity hospital, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the BBC.
Ukraine’s air defenses were overwhelmed by the attacks, and an Air Force spokesperson said Kyiv had never seen so many types of missiles used at once. The United Nations humanitarian envoy for Ukraine, Denise Brown, said the attacks constituted ‘another unacceptable example of the horrifying reality’ that Ukrainians face. U.S. President Joe Biden also condemned the attacks, saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘must be stopped.’
‘The enemy is attacking our border territories, including in the west,’ Yuriy Ihnat, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Air Force, said on national television. ‘This is another signal for our partners to strengthen the Ukrainian air defense.’ Additional U.S. lethal and economic aid to Ukraine is still tied up in Congress. Republicans are demanding a deal on tougher U.S.-Mexico border security, including putting tougher asylum claims in place and boosting border enforcement, in exchange for aid to Ukraine.
Russia admitted earlier this week that Ukraine damaged one of this Black Sea warships. After Friday’s bombardment, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson simply said Moscow had hit ‘all the designated military targets.’ But it wasn’t only Ukrainian air space that was involved: Poland has said that it believes a Russian missile entered Polish airspace for nearly three minutes before entering Ukraine. Polish President Andrzej Duda called an emergency security meeting; he later said there was ‘no threat at the moment.’
U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke with his Polish counterpart, Jacek Siewiera, on Friday to articulate ‘United States’ solidarity with Poland, our close NATO ally, as it deals with reports of a missile temporarily entering Polish airspace,’ according to the White House. Sullivan also promised Poland technical assistance.” [Foreign Policy]
“Hamas leaders attend talks in Egypt. A high-level Hamas delegation was in Egypt Friday for talks on how to bring the war in Gaza to an end. Egypt has reportedly put forth a three-stage plan involving a weeklong cease-fire, during which all remaining Israeli hostages would be released; then a week during which Hamas-held female Israeli soldiers would be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israel; and finally a month during which male Israeli soldiers would be released in exchange for Israeli withdrawal.
The plan also includes a Palestinian technocratic government. Hamas previously rejected the proposal, but an official from the delegation told Agence France-Presse on Friday that it would ‘give the response of the Palestinian factions, including several observations’ on the proposal and that Hamas was looking for guarantees of complete Israeli withdrawal.
Also on Friday, the U.N. humanitarian office said an estimated 100,000 people had arrived in Rafah, a town on Gaza’s border with Egypt, as new Israeli campaigns reached the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah. Israel’s military also bombed Khan Younis city. According to the Guardian, many Palestinians arriving in Rafah had been displaced more than once since the start of the war.” [Foreign Policy]
“China names new defense minister. Dong Jun was announced as China’s new defense minister on Friday. Dong most recently served as the Chinese navy chief. He will now be the public representative of the military and conduct diplomacy on its behalf, but he will not command the country’s armed forces—a responsibility that rests with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Dong’s appointment comes two months after the previous defense minister, Li Shangfu, lost the job without public explanation. It also comes days after three senior aerospace defense executives were taken off a top Chinese Communist Party advisory body, a move believed to be related to an anti-corruption campaign that may have ultimately been Li’s undoing.
Li, who has not been seen in public since late August, is widely assumed to be under investigation for corruption related to military equipment procurement. He was also a state counselor and a member of the central military commission; Dong was not tapped to fill either role.” [Foreign Policy]
“Iranian uranium enrichment condemned. On Thursday, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States condemned Iran’s increase in its production rate of highly enriched uranium. ‘The production of high-enriched uranium by Iran has no credible civilian justification,’ the countries’ joint statement said. ‘These decisions … represent reckless behavior in a tense regional context.’
The uranium is up to 60 percent purity—close to what is needed for nuclear weapon fuel. France, Germany, and the United Kingdom are all still parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the 2015 agreement intended to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons; former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the deal in 2018.
The joint statement comes after the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a report that Iran’s month-long production slowdown had reversed. Iran said the report was ‘nothing new’ and its program was being run ‘according to the rules.’ Iran insists it is not seeking nuclear weapons.” [Foreign Policy]
GAME OF THE WEEKEND
T’Vondre Sweat of the Texas Longhorns during a game in November. Ron Jenkins/Getty Images
“Texas vs. Washington, College Football Playoff: The eyes of the sports world will be on the evening’s first playoff matchup, Michigan vs. Alabama at 5 p.m. But those teams get enough attention. Instead, let’s talk about Texas, a historical football power that fell off the radar over a decade ago. Head coach Steve Sarkisian has revitalized the Longhorns, bringing them to their first-ever playoff. Texas’ greatest strength is its defensive line, anchored by the all-American tackle T’Vondre Sweat. But that defense will have to deal with Washington’s elite offense, which has the nation’s leading passer in Michael Penix Jr., and the third-leading receiver in Rome Odunze. Monday at 8:45 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.” [New York Times]
Superhero movie bust
Data: Box Office Mojo. Chart: Axios Visuals
“After a decade of dominating the box office, superheroes were knocked off their pop culture throne in 2023.
Why it matters: The underperformance of several blockbuster movies from Marvel and DC has sparked fears that the once-bulletproof genre is fading out of the mainstream, Axios' Tim Baysinger writes.
Zoom out: The year was filled with comic book sequels that drew less money than their predecessors — including new entries for "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Ant-Man," "Shazam!" and "The Flash," which even brought back Michael Keaton as Batman.
"The Marvels," the follow-up to 2019's "Captain Marvel," became the lowest-grossing movie in the 15-year history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
"Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" was the latest superhero film to misfire at the box office: It had a disappointing $40 million opening over the four-day Christmas weekend — well below the $67.8 million that the first "Aquaman" earned in December 2018.
Reality check: It wasn't a lost year for the comic book genre. Sony's animated "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" was a critical and commercial hit, doubling the box office from "Into the Spider-Verse."
What's next: The box office isn't giving up superheroes yet. A new cinematic universe for DC is coming with "Superman Legacy" in 2025.” [Axios]
THE WEEK IN CULTURE
Millie Gibson and Ncuti Gatwa in “Doctor Who.” BBC Studios/Bad Wolf
“Doctor Who’s Christmas episode acquainted audiences with the newest Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa. Read how his first full episode stacks up against the previous debuts.” [New York Times]
“Tom Smothers, who died this week, came across as lighthearted and simple onscreen. But in real life, ‘Tom thought and felt deeply,’ the comedy writer Nell Scovell said.” [New York Times]
“A 21-foot-tall statue of Shakira was unveiled in Barranquilla, Colombia, her hometown.” [New York Times]
“Cher filed for a conservatorship of her son because of his suspected drug abuse, People reported.” [New York Times]
“Barack Obama released his annual list of his favorite movies of the year. His picks include ‘Leave the World Behind,’ ‘Past Lives’ and ‘Oppenheimer.’” [New York Times]
“Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, made an Instagram post in Hebrew apologizing for his past antisemitic comments.” [New York Times]
“The U.S. National Park Service charged Pierce Brosnan with trespassing at Yellowstone National Park into off-limit grounds, BBC reports.” [New York Times]