The Full Belmonte, 12/3/2022
Supreme Court to debate whether businesses may decline to provide services to same-sex weddings
Seven years ago the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage across the country. Now a more conservative court will decide a key follow-up question: What to do with religious businesses that object.
LGBTQ advocates fear a decision will weaken anti-discrimination laws covering businesses.
Others say an important First Amendment principle is at stake.
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case on Monday.
“WASHINGTON – A spontaneous celebration erupted outside the Supreme Court in 2015 when a slim majority of the justices legalized same-sex marriage across the nation. Gay pride flags spilled into the court's plaza and, inside the courtroom, some members of the audience wept and embraced as the gravity of the court's decision came into focus.
Seven years later, as the high court begins to consider another case implicating same-sex marriage, the mood among supporters of LGBTQ rights is far less jubilant.
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Monday in a case involving a Colorado designer who wants to decline to create wedding websites for same-sex couples because those marriages fly in the face of her religious beliefs. The outcome could have profound implications for state anti-discrimination laws as well as the First Amendment.” Read more at USA Today
“For the history books: The number of same-sex couple households in the U.S. passed 1 million for the first time — 1.2 million in 2021, up from 550,000 in 2008, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.” Read more at Axios
Prosecutor: Evidence shows Trump 'explicitly' sanctioned alleged tax fraud scheme at two companies
An attorney defending one of the Trump companies called the argument "grandstanding by prosecutors."
“NEW YORK - Former President Donald Trump ‘explicitly’ sanctioned the alleged tax fraud scheme at the heart of the criminal trial of two Trump companies, a prosecutor argued Friday, citing trial evidence.
Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass made the assertion during closing arguments in the trial of the Trump Corporation and Trump Payroll Corporation. He said evidence showed ‘Mr. Trump is explicitly sanctioning tax fraud,’ and suggested that Trump could be deemed an unindicted co-conspirator.
The assertion, and other mentions of Trump during closing arguments by Steinglass prompted defense lawyers to seek a mistrial, as the trial that began in late October appeared headed to a conclusion next week.
‘It can't be undone’ from jurors' minds, said defense lawyer Michael van der Veen.
Acting Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan denied the request. However, he agreed to give the four-man, eight-woman jury instructions about the Trump mentions when the jurors return to court Monday for final instructions on the law and and the start of deliberations.
Depending on the judge's instruction, the argument from the prosecution could lead jurors to question whether someone higher in the Trump businesses than former CFO Allen Weisselberg potentially took a see-no-evil stance on the alleged tax fraud. That could buttress prosecutors' arguments that the alleged scheme kept executives happy and lowered payroll costs.
It could also help prosecutors' efforts to satisfy the requirements under New York state law for finding that a corporation has committed a crime.
Trump, who is mounting a third presidential campaign, is not charged in the case and has not appeared in the courtroom during the trial. However, he criticized the prosecution last week on Truth Social. And the former president continues to face a parade of legal developments and challenges as he seeks to return to the Oval Office.
Defense attorney Susan Necheles characterized the Steinglass assertions as "just grandstanding by the prosecutors."
She said Weisselberg, the disgraced former chief financial officer for Trump's business empire and the prosecution's star witness, ‘testified under oath that he hid his efforts to evade personal income taxes from President Trump and the Trump family and that he acted solely for his own personal gain.’
‘He repeatedly testified that he never told President Trump anything about how he was reporting items on his personal tax returns and the President Trump trusted him to do things correctly,’ said Necheles.
The exchanges Friday, including angry accusations between the prosecution and the defense, marked the end of evidence-presentation and arguments in the trial.
The Trump firms are accused of doling out off-the-books perks, including company-paid Manhattan rental apartments, leased luxury cars and untaxed, improperly issued bonuses to top executives who did not report the income on their tax returns.
Steinglass started the legal fireworks as he began his closing argument on Thursday. ‘Donald Trump knew exactly what was going on with his top executives,’ the prosecutor said.” Read more at USA Today
Alex Jones files for bankruptcy after Sandy Hook verdict
“Alex Jones filed for personal bankruptcy in Texas on Friday, according to a court filing.
Why it matters: The Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing comes after Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems, were ordered to pay almost $1.5 billion in damages for falsely claiming the Sandy Hook mass shooting was a hoax.
Driving the news: The bankruptcy filing said Jones owns between $1 million and $10 million of assets with $1 billion to $10 billion of liabilities.
Jones' affiliate business Free Speech Systems is also mentioned in the lawsuit, having filed for bankruptcy in July.
What they're saying: ‘Like every other cowardly move Alex Jones has made, this bankruptcy will not work,’ said Chris Mattei, the attorney representing the Sandy Hook families, in a statement to Axios.
‘The bankruptcy system does not protect anyone who engages in intentional and egregious attacks on others, as Mr. Jones did. The American judicial system will hold Alex Jones accountable, and we will never stop working to enforce the jury’s verdict.’
Zoom out: A Connecticut jury ordered Jones to pay $965 million in damages to Sandy Hook victims in a defamation lawsuit back in October, per Axios.
In mid-November, a judge ordered Jones to pay an additional $473 million in damages for making false statements that the shooting was a hoax.” Read more at Axios
How Biden and Dems avoided a rail workers’ strike
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
“President Joe Biden signed a bill on Friday averting a rail strike that threatened to bring the US economy to a standstill.” (Vox) Read more at CNBC /Emma Kinery
“Biden asked Congress to take action to force rail unions and employers to accept a September agreement that offers wage increases and one additional personal day.” [Vox / Li Zhou]
“However, the deal doesn’t include paid sick leave, something some rail workers appeared ready to strike for. A congressional sick leave proposal failed to gain enough GOP support in the Senate.” (Vox) Read more at CNBC /Emma Kinery [Associated Press / Kevin Freking and Josh Funk]
“The 1926 Railway Labor Act grants Congress authority to impose contracts in labor disputes between railroad workers and management.” (Vox) Read more at CNBC /Emma Kinery[CNN / Chris Isidore
“The typically pro-labor Democrats said they supported the deal to avoid disruptions that could have cost an estimated $2 billion daily.” (Vox) Read more at CNBC /Emma Kinery [New York Times / Stephanie Lai
Jan. 6 report details emerge as panel enters final phase. What we know about next steps.
The Jan. 6 committee will end at the end of the month, but lawmakers are still wrestling with how to craft the panel's final report, which is expected to be released before Christmas.
“WASHINGTON – As a House committee winds down its investigation of the attack on the U.S. Capitol, lawmakers said the inquiry already changed the public perception of Donald Trump and what happened on Jan. 6, 2021.
The 18-month investigation – with nine blockbuster hearings this year – documented Trump at the center of an effort to overturn the 2020 election and assemble a mob he sent to Congress to interfere with the peaceful transfer of power, committee members said. The findings sharply contrast with the contention from some Republicans the riot was a spontaneous demonstration that got out of hand.
The committee, which expires Dec. 31, is expected to publish its final report by Christmas, to provide the most comprehensive account yet of what led to the worst attack on the Capitol in more than 200 years.
As the committee enters its final phase, more specifics about the report emerge while the committee grapples with what to include – a decision that recently surfaced an alleged behind-the-scenes spat, rare for a committee that carefully crafted its hearings around specific themes and unanimous decisions.
The report will include legislative recommendations about how to avoid a similar assault in the future. It will include eight chapters and the entirety will be published online, along with most transcripts. Lawmakers haven't decided whether to hold a meeting to release it, according to the chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.
‘The report is half about the past and what we’ve just studied and half about the future and what needs to be done to protect ourselves from similar cycles of coup, insurrection, electoral sabotage and political violence,’ said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a member of the committee.
The report will be completed without the cooperation of Trump, who is fighting a subpoena in federal court, or former Vice President Mike Pence. Meanwhile, Trump, who said he did nothing wrong in challenging election results, is campaigning for president again.” Read more at USA Today
Edward Snowden swears allegiance to Russia and receives passport, lawyer says
“Edward Snowden, a former National Security Agency contractor who leaked information about U.S. surveillance programs, swore an oath of allegiance to Russia and has collected his Russian passport, his lawyer told state media on Friday.
‘Edward received a Russian passport yesterday and took the oath in accordance with the law,’ lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency. ‘He is, of course, happy, thanking the Russian Federation for the fact that he received citizenship,’ he continued. ‘And most importantly, under the Constitution of Russia, he can no longer be extradited to a foreign state.’
Snowden, 39, is wanted by Washington on espionage charges. He argues that his actions were in the interests of the United States. In any case, his revelations exposed the breadth of U.S. digital spying programs and altered the public’s understanding of technology, privacy and digital security.” Read more at Washington Post
Economists are concerned that higher interest rates will trigger more widespread layoffs and a recession in the next year.
PHOTO: JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES
The U.S. economy added 263,000 jobs last month.
“That’s near the strong gains of the previous three months, when they averaged 282,000 a month, the Labor Department said. The jobless rate remained at 3.7%, a historically low level that is pushing up wages. Low unemployment and wage gains are helping fuel consumer spending—and contributing to inflation that’s close to a four-decade high. The jobs report keeps the Fed on track to raise interest rates by a half percentage point in mid-December. U.S. stocks pared losses seen after the report's release. Meanwhile, prices for gas and food commodities are dropping (though you’ll still likely feel the pinch at the supermarket checkout).” Read more at Wall Street Journal
The EU agreed to a $60 a barrel price cap on Russian oil.
“The deal, in tandem with the G-7 advanced democracies and Australia, is an attempt to cut into Moscow’s energy revenues while maintaining global supply. Today’s decision paves the way for the G-7 to implement the cap on Monday. Russian officials have repeatedly threatened to cut off oil exports in response, but as of today, there were no signs on markets that the country had started to withdraw its oil from global markets.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
Demonstrators during a protest in Beijing on Wednesday. Source: Bloomberg
“Beijing Eases Covid Curbs, Letting Some Patients Isolate at Home
The Chinese capital will allow some virus-infected people to isolate at home, starting with residents of Beijing’s most-populous district. It’s a landmark shift that reflects the pressure officials are under from a record outbreak and public opposition to Covid Zero.
The southern tech hub Shenzhen ended mandatory Covid testing to enter public venues, adding to a growing list of local governments relaxing strict social curbs.” Read more at New York Times
“China Protesters Exploit Gaps in Great Firewall to Pressure
Protesters in China used word of mouth and social media to exploit cracks in the country’s version of the internet that’s largely sealed off from the rest of the world. Overwhelming censors, demonstrators shared photos, slogans and news about protests.
The death of former leader Jiang Zemin poses yet another challenge for President Xi Jinping, providing a potential rallying point for people disillusioned by Covid Zero measures and a flagging economy.” Read more at New York Times
“Ramaphosa Allies Rally Behind Him as Party Meets on His Fate
Allies of Ramaphosa closed ranks behind him a day after he considered resigning over an independent panel’s findings that there may be grounds for his impeachment. Paul Vecchiatto and S’thembile Cele report on why they want to keep Ramaphosa from stepping down over his handling of a robbery at his game farm in which the president said $580,000 hidden in a sofa was stolen.
Ramaphosa is ‘seriously considering’ asking a court to review the panel’s conclusions, his spokesman said.
Ruling party treasurer Paul Mashatile, a possible successor, says he has a plan to fix South Africa’s struggling economy.” Read more at New York Times
Israel's Netanyahu aligns with hardline leaders
“On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister-elect Benjamin Netanyahu reached a governing agreement with the hardline Religious Zionism party.” (Vox) Read more at Reuters
“The deal will see the far-right bloc share control of settlement policy in the Occupied West Bank with Netanyahu. It also grants the Religious Zionism party power to make changes to Israel’s judicial system.” (Vox) Read more at AP / Eleanor H. Reich
“Netanyahu also granted the group police powers in the West Bank, raising fears of increased violence between Israelis and Palestinians.” (Vox) Read more at Washington Post / Shira Rubin
“Netanyahu is now set to form one of the most far-right governments in Israel’s history, which could threaten relations with the US.” (Vox) Read more at Daily Beast / David Rothkopf
“Musk Hails Release of Twitter Emails on Hunter Biden Story
Elon Musk heralded the release of Twitter executive emails that explore some of the internal debate at the social network over a decision in 2020 to restrict access to a New York Post article about a laptop purportedly owned by Hunter Biden. But as Kurt Wagner reports, the materials shared on Friday broke relatively little new ground on a two-year-old episode.” Read more at Bloomberg
Boeing is trying to get Congress to extend its Dec. 27 deadline for new 737 MAX models.
“After two crashes of earlier versions killed 346 people, lawmakers enacted the measure requiring new aircraft to have modern cockpit-alerting systems. Boeing executives thought they’d get FAA approval in time, people familiar with the matter said, but certification has taken much longer than expected. Orders for about 1,000 of the new jets are worth at least $50 billion in revenue after customary discounts, according to aviation data provider Ascend by Cirium. Boeing declined to comment on the legislation.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Thirteen new pathogens have been found under ancient permafrost in Siberia, and the so-called ‘zombie viruses’ remained infectious despite being trapped for millennia. Researchers say the discovery is the latest threat to humans posed by the climate crisis. Meanwhile Covid-19, which has already killed millions, continues to evolve. The next strain may be more dangerous that omicron, a study found. For right now, hospitalizations in the US and elsewhere are on the rise again.” Read more at Bloomberg
Teen brain change
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
“The stress of living through the pandemic physically changed teen brains — with accelerated signs of aging commonly seen in children experiencing violence and neglect, Axios' Sabrina Moreno reports.
Why it matters: Youth in a Stanford University study were more likely to report severe anxiety, depression, and internalizing mental health problems.
The study compared 163 teenage MRI scans — half taken before the pandemic and half after.
A 16-year-old girl’s brain might be the equivalent of a 19 or 20-year-old’s before COVID.
That includes an enlarged hippocampus — deemed the center of memory and learning — and amygdala, which processes emotions.
Zoom out: School closures and separation from peers during the pandemic created a form of toxic stress for teenagers.” Read more at Axios
GAME OF THE WEEKEND
The breakout Dutch star Cody Gakpo.Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
“United States vs. Netherlands, World Cup: The U.S. has one of the youngest teams in the tournament, so green that many thought this year would simply be a warm-up session for the 2026 World Cup in North America. Instead, the Americans fought through the group stage, never losing, giving up only one goal (on a penalty kick) and even drawing with a heavily favored English team. Now, in the knockout stage, they face a Dutch squad trying to find redemption after failing to qualify for the previous World Cup. The key to the match for the Americans may be stopping Cody Gakpo, the Netherlands’ star forward, who has three goals in three games. 10 a.m. Eastern today on Fox.” Read more at New York Times
World Cup news
“South Korea scored a late, dramatic goal against Portugal to advance to the knockout round.” Read more at New York Times
“While the U.S. team is notably diverse, the sport still lacks diversity at lower levels, The Times’s Kurt Streeter writes.” Read more at New York Times
“Why all those twists and turns? A team fitness coach explains pregame warm-ups.” Read more at New York Times