The Full Belmonte, 1/26/2024
Alabama carried out the world’s first known execution with nitrogen gas.
Outside an Alabama prison. Edmund D. Fountain for The New York Times
“The details: Kenneth Eugene Smith, convicted in a 1988 contract killing, was put to death last night, despite concerns that the untested method could cause pain.
Why was nitrogen gas used? States have botched lethal injections and struggled to obtain drugs for them. Alabama is one of three states to approve this as an alternative.”
Read this story at Washington Post
© The Associated Press / Patrick Semansky | The Capitol in January 2023.
Trump vs. the border deal
“The Senate’s border deal is on life support.
While some congressional Republicans had been hoping for a piece of election-year legislation aimed at fixing immigration and border security problems, Republican front-runner former President Trump is opposed, which means Senate Republicans are growing more hesitant. Trump’s push to kill the border deal to deny President Biden a legislative win is upsetting members on both sides of the aisle as negotiators hope to wrap up work on an agreement within days.
No plan has been finalized so far, and no legislative text has been released, but negotiators on both sides of the aisle have been working since before the holidays.
TRUMP HAD BEEN THE SLEEPING GIANT in the background of talks, but his wins in Iowa and New Hampshire, coupled with his recent remarks calling for Republicans to oppose any border compromise, have complicated the path forward for the Senate. Lawmakers say they are worried that killing the deal would be a major disservice given the situation at the border and in Ukraine, writes The Hill’s Al Weaver.
‘If politics get in the way of this — if Donald Trump who wants to help his friend [Russian President Vladimir Putin] with Ukraine and wants to keep the border alive as a major issue — if that prevails, that would be a really horrible disposition to all this,’ Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) told reporters.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) called the effort ‘appalling.’
Reports emerged Wednesday that Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) had broached the idea of separating the border and Ukraine portions of Biden’s supplemental request during a special Senate GOP conference meeting, but McConnell confirmed at a Thursday closed-door meeting that he still supports a linked deal. The package is a critical piece of McConnell’s legacy — one the GOP leader isn’t letting go of at this stage in negotiations (Politico).
A senior aide to House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) told a group of Senate Republican chiefs of staff Thursday that the Senate border security pact has no chance of passing the House, underscoring what is becoming more and more apparent to GOP senators, The Hill’s Alexander Bolton reports. Still, Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), the lead GOP negotiator on the border package, said he is moving full steam ahead with negotiations and remains hopeful that lawmakers will have a draft next week.
FAILURE TO STRIKE AN AGREEMENT would have global implications, with the Pentagon warning that Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines of its grinding war with Russia risk running out of ammunition. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has said the ‘future of the war in Ukraine’ and the ‘security of our Western democracy’ depend on Congress reaching a deal (The Guardian).
The Hill: GOP leaders face conservative and moderate pushback on bipartisan tax deal.
The Hill: Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) unveiled a bill Thursday that would prohibit the federal government from removing razor wire or other fencing from the U.S. border with Mexico.” [The Hill]
Biden’s fear
President Biden speaks at Earth Rider Brewery in Superior, Wis., yesterday to promote a $1 billion infrastructure project. Photo: Adam Bettcher/AP
“President Biden — increasingly nervous about Gaza's impact on his re-election chances — pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week to quickly scale down military operations, Axios' Barak Ravid scoops.
Why it matters: Biden's comments during the two leaders' call last Friday reflect growing U.S. concern about the continuation of the war and the president's desire to see it end well before the November elections.
Biden stressed in his call with Netanyahu that he's not in it for a year of war, two U.S. officials told Axios.
A Biden adviser told Axios that the White House is very concerned about losing young voters, who are increasingly opposed to the president's policies on the Gaza war.
A source close to the White House said Biden can't have the war — and the growing death toll — continue to dominate the news cycle as the election gets closer.
Behind the scenes: At least a third of Biden's 40-minute call with Netanyahu focused on the Israeli timetable for moving to low-intensity operations across the Gaza Strip and Israel's war strategy as a whole, one U.S. official said.
Netanyahu had said a day earlier that the war would continue for ‘many more months.’ Speaking to the Israeli leader about that comment, Biden urged Netanyahu to move faster.
Between the lines: Biden has become increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu in recent weeks.
The call a week ago between the two leaders was their first in nearly a month. During their previous call on Dec. 23, a frustrated Biden ended the call by saying the ‘conversation is over’ and hanging up the phone.
In the first two months of the war, the two leaders had talked almost every other day.
What's next: CIA Director Bill Burns is expected to meet with the Qatari prime minister and the spy chiefs of Israel and Egypt in the coming days in an attempt to reach a breakthrough in talks to release all hostages held by Hamas.” [Axios]
Trump testifies in E. Jean Carroll damages trial
“Former President Donald Trump briefly testified in his own defense this afternoon in E. Jean Carroll’s defamation case against him.
Trump, fresh off his victory in the New Hampshire Republican primary, was on the stand in the New York courtroom for just under five minutes.
The former president was limited in what he was permitted to say, but still called Carroll's accusation ‘false.’ The judge struck his comment from the record.
When asked by his attorney if he stands by his 2022 deposition in the case, in which he called Carroll's accusations a hoax, Trump said ‘100%.’
Closing arguments are now set for tomorrow.
While Trump was in court in New York, one his former advisers, Peter Navarro, was sentenced in a Washington, D.C. federal court to four months in prison and a fine of $9,500, for criminal contempt of Congress, after defying a subpoena from the January 6th committee.
In the 2024 race, Trump and Nikki Haley have no public campaign events scheduled today. President Joe Biden traveled to the key battleground of Wisconsin today to announce nearly $5 billion in new infrastructure projects.” [NBC News]
Trump’s attorneys accuse Georgia prosecutor Fani T. Willis of trying to ‘foment racial bias’ in election interference case
“Lawyers defending former president Donald Trump on Thursday accused Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, of making racially charged accusations against defendants during a speech at an Atlanta church earlier this month. They said the comments could prejudice a future jury and asked a judge to disqualify Willis (D) and dismiss the case.”
Read the story at Washington Post
Trump’s live appearances pose a riddle that news executives still haven’t solved
“Even as Donald Trump seeks his third straight Republican presidential nomination, his live appearances still present problems for many news outlets: How do you cover him? Read more.
Why this matters:
Outlets weigh whether an event’s newsworthiness justifies live coverage when there’s a risk Trump will make false statements that are difficult, if not impossible, to correct in real time — or go completely off script. And as a year of campaign and courtroom events loom, news executives will face similar decisions again and again.
Networks may face a particularly hard decision if Trump wins the GOP nomination. A party nominee’s convention acceptance speech is a political rite of passage, traditionally carried live by broadcast and cable news networks as a campaign kickoff.
Trump has also tested networks by holding live news conferences following court appearances, taking advantage of the fact that court proceedings are behind closed doors and he can quickly set a narrative.” [AP News]
U.N. court tells Israel to do more to prevent killing and harming of Gaza civilians but doesn’t order a cease-fire
“The order is a blow to Israel, which has rejected South Africa’s call for emergency measures. The decision does not address the larger question of whether Israel is committing genocide, which could take years. The provisional order will be hard to enforce, but could add to pressure for Israel to change its conduct in Gaza.”
Read more at Washington Post
South Africa's Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola outside the International Court of Justice. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)
The top UN court is set to issue a preliminary ruling in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel
“Israel is set to hear Friday whether the United Nations’ top court will order it to end its military offensive in Gaza in a provisional ruling while the panel hears a case filed by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide. Read more.
Key developments:
Provisional measures by the world court are legally binding, but it is not clear if Israel would comply with any orders the court might make. An Israeli official said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu huddled with top legal, diplomatic and security officials on Thursday in anticipation of the ruling and discussed ‘all scenarios.’
The European Union’s position on the upcoming ruling is clear. ‘We respect the ICJ and we are of the opinion that the verdicts and decisions of the ICJ should be respected. This is the highest UN court,’ European Union foreign policy spokesperson Peter Stano said.” [AP News]
The blasts killed dozens of people earlier this month in Kerman, Iran.
PHOTO: WANA NEWS AGENCY/REUTERS
The U.S. secretly warned Iran that Islamic State was preparing to carry out the terrorist attack early this month that killed more than 80 Iranians.
“The confidential intelligence was specific enough about the location and sufficiently timely that it might have helped thwart the Jan. 3 pair of coordinated suicide bombings or decrease the number of casualties. Iran failed to prevent the attack, which targeted a crowd in the town of Kerman commemorating the anniversary of the death of the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds force. Qassem Soleimani was killed in a 2020 drone attack near the Baghdad airport that then-President Donald Trump had ordered. Officials with Iran’s mission to the U.N. didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.” [Wall Street Journal]
CIA chief to help broker Gaza deal, diplomat says
“CIA director Bill Burns will head to Europe this weekend to meet with the head of Israeli intelligence and Qatar’s prime minister, in the hopes of breaking the deadlock in their efforts to secure the release of the hostages in Gaza, a diplomat with knowledge of the matter confirms to NBC News.
Israel believes 136 hostages still remain in Gaza, but negotiations with Hamas to free them have remained at an impasse since the beginning of December, when a temporary cease-fire collapsed.
Hamas has said it will not release any more hostages until there is a permanent cease-fire agreement.
Israel has rejected that demand, and instead proposed a one-month cease-fire, three sources told Reuters on Wednesday.” [NBC News]
Israel is building a buffer zone along the Gaza border, risking a new rift with the U.S.
“To Israeli officials, the 1-kilometer-wide area is a critical security measure in their plan to demilitarize Gaza and assure Israelis that they can return safely to the border communities that were evacuated after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack. It would create a clear field of fire so Israeli troops can see and stop anyone approaching the frontier. The U.S. warns that turning the border along the 25-mile-long Gaza Strip into a no man’s land would deepen Palestinian fears that Israel intends to occupy all or part of the crowded enclave and would make it harder to persuade Arab governments to help rebuild a postwar Gaza. Meanwhile, Washington is pressing for a deal for the 100-plus hostages Hamas is holding in Gaza, as Israel and Qatar, one of the main Middle East mediators, spar.” [Wall Street Journal]
New Evidence
Tal Becker, Israeli legal advisor for the Foreign Affairs Ministry, looks on at the International Court of Justice in The Hague on Jan. 12.Remko de Waal/ANP/AFP via Getty Images
“Israel declassified more than 30 secret government and military orders on Thursday that it says are evidence of its efforts to minimize civilian deaths in the Gaza Strip. The move aims to rebut South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
The court is set to deliver an initial provisional ruling on Friday that would determine (1) whether the ICJ has jurisdiction over the case, (2) whether the acts that South Africa has accused Israel of committing could potentially fall under the scope of the 1948 Genocide Convention, and (3) whether there is an urgent need to order emergency ‘provisional measures.’ South Africa has requested eight such measures, including that Israel immediately suspend its military operation in Gaza. The ICJ ruling will be legally binding, but the court lacks the ability to enforce it, which means that even if the ICJ rules in favor of emergency measures, there is no guarantee that Israel will comply.
South Africa’s case, first filed in December 2023, cites inflammatory comments by top Israeli leaders as evidence of genocidal intent. These include more than 50 statements made since Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack, such as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant saying Israel is fighting ‘human animals’ and Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu suggesting that Israel drop a nuclear bomb on Gaza, a comment he reiterated on Wednesday.
Israel is arguing that lawmakers’ public statements were overruled by executive decisions and other official war cabinet and military orders, including those listed in Thursday’s document reveal. Some of the declassified papers transcribe cabinet discussions, beginning in late October 2023, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered humanitarian aid to be sent to Gaza. They highlight incidents when the prime minister suggested having ‘external actors’ set up field hospitals for Palestinians and mooring a hospital ship off the region’s coastline to treat victims. ‘The prime minister stressed time and again the need to increase significantly the humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip,’ a Nov. 14 cabinet meeting details.
None of the documents include orders from the first 10 days of the war, when Israel shut off electricity and water access into Gaza and blocked aid from entering the area.
Israel expects the ICJ to ‘throw out the completely absurd and ridiculous charges pressed by South Africa,’ an Israeli government spokesperson said. More than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, and most of Gaza’s roughly 2.3 million residents have been displaced.” [Foreign Policy]
Cyberattacks
“Multiple Ukrainian state agencies, including its energy firm and postal service, reported cyberattacks on Thursday that affected their IT systems and ability to communicate with the public. Ukrainian cyber officials told CNN they were investigating the string of disruptions, which they said appeared to be the result of a cyberattack on a prominent data center in Ukraine that the agencies rely on. The news follows a separate incident on Tuesday in which hackers caused the heating system at a power company in the Western city of Lviv to malfunction, leaving some residents without heat or hot water. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the hacking incidents, although Russian state-backed hackers have launched an array of cyberattacks against Ukrainian critical infrastructure in recent months.” [CNN]
“President Vladimir Putin has put out feelers to the US via indirect channels to signal he’s open to talks on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine, sources say. The discussions could extend to security arrangements for Ukraine including even eventual NATO membership, but it would come at a cost that Kyiv has rejected - Kremlin control over occupied territory. US officials say they’re not aware of the overtures.” [Bloomberg]
“Kim Jong Un’s aggressive rhetoric in recent weeks has stoked speculation that the North Korean leader might be preparing for war. But Kim has at least one new reason to avoid conflict: thanks to weapons sales to Russia and expanding trade with China, economic growth is on track to accelerate to the strongest in almost a decade.” [Bloomberg]
Kim Jong Un and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visit an arms exhibition in Pyongyang, July 2023. Source: KCNA/KNS
“French far-right leader Marine Le Pen raised doubts over her party’s continued ties to Germany’s AfD party after a ‘re-migration’ scheme with Nazi overtones was uncovered and triggered mass protests. Le Pen’s National Rally belongs to the same group as the anti-immigrant AfD in the European Parliament, which is due to hold elections in June, and Le Pen said yesterday that this relationship is now up for discussion.” [Bloomberg]
“Enraged at the US and Europe for not doing more to get Israel to end its offensive in Gaza, consumers across the Middle East and in Muslim nations such as Pakistan are shunning foreign brands like Starbucks and McDonald’s and opting for local alternatives. It’s the latest example of how global chains are increasingly being forced to grapple with geopolitical upheaval and polarizing scenarios.” [Bloomberg]
“China reiterated its call for Houthi militants to halt attacks on Red Sea shipping, comments that come after Beijing reportedly asked Tehran to help rein in the rebel group.” [Bloomberg]
“The disapproval rating for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hit its highest level in about nine months in a major poll amid escalating questions over whether the First Lady inappropriately received a designer bag.” [Bloomberg]
“Torture accusations. Polish opposition leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who heads the Law and Justice party, threatened legal action against Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Thursday after accusing local authorities of torturing two jailed parliamentarians, whom Kaczynski believes could have been considered political prisoners. Former Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski of the Law and Justice party and his deputy, Maciej Wasik, were arrested on Jan. 9 after being convicted of abuse of power last December. A local court then ordered Kaminski to be force-fed while he was on a hunger strike to protest his arrest. He and Wasik were pardoned by Poland’s president shortly thereafter and released.
Kaczynski said he plans to appeal to the European Union to investigate the torture allegations, and he questioned Tusk’s legitimacy, calling for a ‘transition period’ and new elections. ‘I am convinced that this is Tusk’s personal decision, and he should be held personally responsible for torture in Poland,’ Kaczynski added. Meanwhile, Tusk accused Kaczynski of contemplating a coup.” [Foreign Policy]
“Victory for the status quo. Nepal’s ruling parties swept 18 out of 19 seats in the nation’s upper house during parliamentary elections held on Thursday. In total, 51 candidates from eight political parties across all seven provinces were in the running. But the Nepali Congress, the nation’s largest party, won 10 seats, and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center), Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist), and Janata Samajbadi Party collectively secured eight spots. The opposition Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) won just one seat despite being the country’s second-largest political party.
Nepalese President Ram Chandra Poudel will appoint an additional lawmaker to the body in line with the upper house’s recommendations. Newly elected members will begin their six-year terms on March 3. Only provincial assembly members, chiefs, and their deputies were allowed to vote.” [Foreign Policy]
“Reporting for duty. Taiwan’s new military recruits kicked off their first round of extended compulsory service on Thursday to combat China’s rising security threat. Although the recruits were initially ordered to serve just four months, outgoing President Tsai Ing-wen announced a one-year extension in late 2022. All men ages 18 and older must enlist in Taiwan’s military. Around 670 conscripts joined the first batch on Thursday, the nation’s army said, with more than 9,100 others planning to join this year.
The army said the longer mandatory conscription is intended to enhance combat effectiveness, improve the quality of reserve units, and boost mobilization energy in response to near-daily Chinese military activity near Taiwanese territory. ‘In the face of a complex international environment, it is our first priority to build the strong will to resist the enemy,’ Taiwan’s army said in a statement.” [Foreign Policy]
“Tea has once again divided the Commonwealth and its former colonies. The U.S. Embassy in London on Wednesday issued an official (tongue-in-cheek) rebuke of an American professor’s suggestion to add salt when making a cup of tea after the idea provoked consternation across the pond. ‘We cannot stand idly by as such an outrageous proposal threatens the very foundation of our Special Relationship,’ the U.S. Embassy said. The proper way to brew tea, it added, is microwaving it—another notion guaranteed to horrify Brits. The U.K. Embassy in Washington fired back with a video featuring members of the British Armed Forces politely demonstrating how to make a ‘proper cup of tea. Boston Tea Party 2.0, averted.” [[Foreign Policy]
Schools are using surveillance tech to catch students vaping
“Schools around the country are installing sensors and cameras to crack down on student vaping and handing out harsh punishments for many who are caught. Read more.
Why this matters:
E-cigarettes have inundated middle and high schools. Millions of minors report vaping despite efforts to limit access by raising the legal age to 21 and ban flavored products preferred by teenagers.
Schools nationwide have invested millions of dollars in monitoring technology, including federal COVID-19 emergency relief money meant to help schools through the pandemic and aid students’ academic recovery.
For some, the punishments for vaping have gone too far. Students found vaping can receive a misdemeanor citation and be fined up to $100. Students found with vapes containing THC, a chemical in marijuana, can be arrested on felony charges.” [AP News]
Rent has never been less affordable.
“How we know: Half of American renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing, a new study found. That’s a key benchmark for affordability.
The bigger picture: Rent remains the nation’s main driver of inflation. Other causes of rising prices have improved, but rent is still taking up a bigger share of people’s budgets.
In related news: The U.S. economy grew by 3.1% last year, according to new government data, fueled by consumer spendingand a strong jobs market.”
Read this story at Washington Post
Mainstream media bloodbath
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
“Nearly a dozen mainstream media companies are gutting staff and scrambling to rescue their struggling businesses, Axios Media Trends author Sara Fischer writes.
Why it matters: The media business is shrinking at the national, state and local levels — a scary, stark new reality for thousands of journalists.
Media cuts were so severe last year that most industry observers weren't expecting such intense cutbacks in 2024. But an ongoing bloodbath is decimating news outlets nationwide.
That's fueling a new round of conflict between unions and management as tensions run high.
What's happening: Business Insider yesterday announced it was eliminating 8% of its workforce, months after a union strike over a contract impasse.
The L.A. Times this week laid off about 120 journalists (more than 20% of the newsroom), after cutting 74 newsroom positions in June. Two top editors resigned, less than two weeks after executive editor Kevin Merida stepped down Jan. 9.
TIME on Tuesday told staff about an unspecified number of layoffs across editorial, tech, sales and TIME Studios.
The Washington Post lost a whole newsroom's worth of talent at the end of last year through a buyout offer aimed at eliminating 240 jobs.
Condé Nast saw hundreds of union workers walk off the job Tuesday to protest hundreds of previously announced layoffs impacting approximately 5% of staff, or roughly 300 people.
Sports Illustrated's newsroom was gutted by sweeping layoffs after its parent company, The Arena Group, failed to make a $3.75 million quarterly payment to the group from which it licenses the Sports Illustrated brand.
Paramount CEO Bob Bakish warned employees yesterday that the company is planning a fresh round of layoffs.
The New York Daily News editorial union walked off the jobyesterday to protest ‘chronic cuts’ by its owner, private equity firm Alden Capital.
Forbes' newsroom union began a three-day walkout yesterday, arguing management was union busting. Its CEO announced layoffs later that afternoon hitting roughly 3% of the company.
Data: Axios research. Chart: Alice Feng/Axios
How we got here: Ad growth in the 2010s was unsustainably high, and publishers acted like it would last forever.
It didn't. Now high interest rates are preventing them from taking on new debt to try to buy themselves time to figure it out.
What we're watching: Heading into 2024, analysts predicted that digital advertising will only grow in the mid-single digits for the foreseeable future.
The lack of a market solution for news has prompted regulators and philanthropists to scramble for alternatives.
The L.A. Times yesterday named its first female editor in its 142-year history: Terry Tang, 65, who had been editor of the editorial page, will be interim executive editor, overseeing the newsroom and the editorial page. She had worked at the N.Y. Times for 20 years. Go deeper.” [Axios]
Former WWE chairman Vince McMahon was accused of sex trafficking.
“The allegations: Janel Grant, a former employee at the pro wrestling company, said McMahon sexually abused her and paid to silence her, in a graphic lawsuit filed yesterday.
What happens now? McMahon will ‘vigorously defend himself,’ his spokesperson said. Grant wants to void a nondisclosure agreement she said she signed in 2022.”
Read this story at Washington Post
SPORTS
“Women’s college basketball: No. 1 South Carolina beat No. 9 L.S.U., the defending national champions, 76-70 on the road.” [New York Times]
“N.F.L.: The Atlanta Falcons hired Raheem Morris — their interim head coach in 2020 — to the full-time position, ending a search originally focused on Bill Belichick.” [New York Times]
“Sports wagers: The former L.S.U. wide receiver Kayshon Boutte was arrestedin Louisiana on an underage gambling charge.” [New York Times]
“Australian Open: Novak Djokovic lost today, ending a flawless record.” [New York Times]
“Lives Lived: Bill Hayes logged 2,141 episodes on “Days of Our Lives” over five and a half decades and recorded a best-selling single, “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” in 1955. Hayes died at 98.” [New York Times]