The Full Belmonte, 2/11/2024
A woman and children sit outside tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in Rafah.
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed the country’s military to plan for the ‘evacuation of the population’ from Rafah, ahead of an anticipated ground assault on the southern Gaza city. The United Nations is ‘extremely worried’ about Netanyahu’s plan. More than 1.3 million people are believed to be in Rafah.” [CNN]
“The S&P 500 closed above 5,000 for the first time as bullish sentiment spreads across Wall Street and investors cheered fresh data showing progress on inflation. The landmark moment comes during a period of strong economic growth and anticipation of a pivot from the Federal Reserve to start cutting rates.” [CNN]
“Hungarian President Katalin Novak announced that she is resigning from office following mounting public criticism over her decision to pardon a man implicated in a child sexual abuse case. Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Budapest, calling for Novak to step down.” [CNN]
“The Senate is working through the weekend on a $95.3 billion foreign aid bill with assistance for Ukraine and Israel, but it may still be days until a final vote as GOP Sen. Rand Paul continues to slow the process.” [CNN]
“King Charles III appeared in public for the first time since his cancer diagnosis, attending church alongside Queen Camilla. Charles, 75, has been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer and will step back from public-facing duties while he undergoes treatment.” [CNN]
Politics
Donald Trump Sean Rayford for The New York Times
“Donald Trump said that as president he told other NATO leaders that he would encourage Russia ‘to do whatever the hell they want’ to countries that owed the alliance money.” [New York Times]
“An emergency funding bill for Ukraine and Israel faces a critical vote in the Senate today.” [New York Times]
“Both Trump and President Biden are over 75 — but voters seem more worried about Biden’s age than Trump’s.” [New York Times]
“The two largest Black churches in Georgia are, for the first time, planning to combine their resources to mobilize voters.” [New York Times]
Biden's defense blitz
Biden walks towards the Marine One prior to a South Lawn departure yesterday in Washington, D.C. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
“Facing new peril for a shaky re-election campaign, White House officials are questioning the special counsel's motives for including the zinger about President Biden's memory, which overshadowed the decision not to charge him over his handling of classified documents.
Why it matters: It's obvious the week's events were ‘terrible for Democrats, and anybody with a functioning brain knows that,’ as longtime Democratic strategist Paul Begala put it on CNN.
Vice President Harris assumed the traditional vice-presidential role of attacking the president's opponents. She called special counsel Robert Hur's assessment of Biden's mental abilities ‘gratuitous, inaccurate and inappropriate,’ Axios' Hans Nichols and Alex Thompson report.
After an unrelated event, Harris lingered at the lectern to take questions from reporters — a rare occurrence. She castigated Hur, a former U.S. attorney who was a Trump appointee — a fact Biden aides note repeatedly.
‘The way that the president's demeanor in that report was characterized could not be more wrong on the facts and, clearly, politically motivated — gratuitous,’ Harris said, using that word a second time.
Less than an hour later, Ian Sams, the White House investigations spokesman, went through the 388-page report — at times line by line — during the daily press briefing. His words had a familiar ring:
‘You're left to wonder why this report spends time making gratuitous and inappropriate criticisms of the president.’
Behind the scenes: Biden learned early this week that Hur's report was coming. It was always Biden's plan to address the report head-on and answer questions from reporters, aides say.
Earlier in the week, Biden's private attorneys briefed him on the report's contents, but the timing of the release wasn't set.
As he was about to head to a House Democrats' retreat in Leesburg, Va., on Thursday, the Justice Department released Hur's report — including the claim that during interviews, Biden couldn't recall the year his son Beau had died of a brain tumor (2015).
In private, Biden's anger boiled — with profanity aplenty.
He returned to the White House before 6 p.m. and spoke to the nation — and a cacophony of reporters — two hours later.
The bottom line: Top aides note they've been dealing with questions about Biden's age since 2019 — back when he was a spry 76.” [Axios]
Israel-Hamas War
“Israeli airstrikes in Rafah and other parts of southern Gaza killed more than two dozen people. Benjamin Netanyahu has described the city as the enclave’s last Hamas stronghold.” [New York Times]
“Israel’s plans to expand the ground invasion into Rafah, where millions are sheltering from fighting, has concerned aid groups and left Gazans questioning where else there is to go.” [New York Times]
“‘This is where I want to be’: A couple returns to Kfar Azza, a kibbutz that was evacuated after more than 60 residents were murdered during the Oct. 7 attacks.” [New York Times]
“The main U.N. agency in Gaza said it has long investigated accusations of infiltration by Hamas. Israel says the agency is too weak and needs to be replaced by a more neutral aid group.” [New York Times]
War in Ukraine
“A Russian attack on a fuel depot in Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine caused homes to catch on fire, killing seven people from two families.” [New York Times]
“Ukraine needs to relieve exhausted troops who have been fighting for nearly two years. But a potential expansion of the military draft has become a politically charged issue.” [New York Times]
International
“The party of the imprisoned former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan won the most seats in parliamentary elections, despite the military’s attempts to suppress support.” [New York Times]
“Hungary’s president resigned amid a public outcry over her pardoning of a man implicated in a sex abuse scandal at a children’s home.” [New York Times]
“Brazil has a dengue emergency. Public health experts say the outbreak could signal a coming surge in cases across the Americas.” [New York Times]
Wall Street bulls run wild
Data: Yahoo Finance. Chart: Axios Visuals
“The most widely-used measure of the U.S. stock market closed above 5,000 for the first time Friday, a round psychological figure investors have targeted amid a crush of fourth-quarter earnings.
Why it matters: It's the latest milestone in the bull market's steady push into unseen territory, due in part to market hopes for (eventually) lower interest rates, Axios' Matt Phillips writes.
Catch up quick: This new bull market was born at the moment the bear market — brought on by the Federal Reserve's rate hikes over the last couple years — expired on Oct. 12, 2022.
Since then, the S&P 500 is up more than 40%. It's up more than 5% so far in 2024.” [Axios]
Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Dolby Live at P
“Usher’s performance at the Super Bowl tonight in Las Vegas is the culmination of his blockbuster residency in the city. But he’s not the only artist who’s made the city home. Adele is now in her third sold-out run. And as of last fall, U2 has been performing at the Sphere, a futuristic new concert venue. These music stars are changing the notion that a Vegas residency is for washed-up artists. And in the process, they are also reshaping how we think of the city itself – transforming it from a place for America’s worst impulses to a land of new creativity and exuberance.” [NPR]
GOOD NEWS
Hatching a plan
“Picture this: You're a flight attendant, and in the middle of a trip, a concerned passenger approaches you with a request. They have these flamingo eggs, you see, and could you possibly help to keep them warm? Alaska Airlines flight attendant Amber May was faced with that exact dilemma in August 2023. A zookeeper was transporting six flamingo eggs from an Atlanta zoo to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle when the incubator stopped working mid-flight. May brought back rubber gloves filled with warm water to the zoo official and they wrapped them around the eggs, forming a warm nest. But that wasn’t all: airplane passengers seated nearby began offering their coats and scarves for extra insulation. Zoo officials say May’s actions — and the help of the other passengers — saved the eggs, which eventually hatched into healthy flamingos the following month.”
Read the whole story at CNN
The spirit of the game
“The Super Bowl is this weekend, and when the Kansas City Chiefs take the field, their jerseys will bear a patch with the initials "NKH." The emblem honors Norma Knobel Hunt, a former minority owner of the Chiefs who had a major hand in Super Bowl history and is believed to be the only woman who’s attended all 57 Super Bowls. She's also credited with indirectly helping her late husband, Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt, come up with the “Super Bowl” name for the championship game. Norma Knobel Hunt died last June at 85, and sports historians say her legacy was fueled by a true love of football, and the dream she shared with her husband of all the Super Bowl could become.”
Read the whole story at CNN
Happy New Year!
”February 10th marks the Lunar New Year and ushers in the next year of the Chinese zodiac. We are now officially into the Year of the Dragon, and in areas of the world where the Lunar New Year is observed, the festivities will continue for two weeks until the Lantern Festival — the final event that falls on the first new moon of the year (which, this year, is February 24). The Lunar New Year is also a time where people consult the stars to see what the near future will bring. It's all quite complex, with overlaps of Chinese zodiac symbols and heavenly symbols. Bottom line? The Dragon represents strength and great leadership and is one of the most popular signs in the zodiac.”
Read the whole story at CNN
Polar bear’s iceberg snooze melts hearts, wins wildlife photo award
(Nima Sarikhani/Wildlife Photographer of the Year)
By Naomi Schanen
Read more at Washington Post
“Lives Lived: John Bruton was an Irish former prime minister who played a central role in ending decades of sectarian violence and securing peace in Northern Ireland. He died at 76.” [New York Times]
THE WEEK AHEAD
What to Watch For
“Finland’s presidential runoffs are today.” [New York Times]
“King Abdullah of Jordan visits the White House tomorrow.” [New York Times]
“A Florida judge is holding a closed hearing on Trump’s classified documents case tomorrow.” [New York Times]
“Wednesday is Valentine’s Day.” [New York Times]
“Indonesia holds elections on Wednesday.” [New York Times]
“NATO defense ministers meet in Brussels on Wednesday.” [New York Times]
“On Thursday, a Georgia judge will hear Trump’s argument that the prosecutor in his election interference case should be disqualified.” [New York Times]
“A New York judge will decide on Thursday whether to dismiss the hush-money criminal case against Trump.” [New York Times]
“Greek lawmakers will vote Thursday on a bill to legalize same-sex marriage.” [New York Times]
MONDAY
“A federal appeals court last week said that former President Donald Trump is not immune from prosecution for alleged crimes he committed during his presidency, flatly rejecting Trump’s arguments that he shouldn’t have to go on trial on federal election-subversion charges. The court gave Trump until February 12 to file an emergency stay request with the Supreme Court, which would stop the clock while his attorneys craft a more substantive appeal on the merits. If he is successful with that, the criminal trial will not resume until after the high court decides what to do with his request for a pause.
TUESDAY
“Voters in New York’s 3rd Congressional District on the north shore of Long Island will go to the polls in a special election to select a replacement for disgraced former Rep. George Santos. Democrats, who are eager to flip the seat, selected Tom Suozzi — a former congressman from the area with decades of political experience. He is running against Mazi Melesa Pilip — a little-known Republican who is new to the national scene.
Following last year’s mass shooting at Michigan State University and the Oxford High School shooting that occurred in 2021, new gun safety laws will go into effect in Michigan on Tuesday — including a law that says all firearms in homes with minors must be securely stored with a gun lock or in a safe.
WEDNESDAY
Happy Valentine's Day! Tired of buying overpriced roses? Here are some other floral options that give you more bang for your buck.
It's also Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent.
THURSDAY
Embattled Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and lead prosecutor Nathan Wade have been subpoenaed to testify at a hearing involving motions to disqualify them from the Georgia election interference case over their alleged affair. Willis has faced immense public scrutiny since allegations first surfaced that she has benefited financially from a romantic relationship with Wade. But despite calls by some legal experts to recuse herself from the case to protect its integrity, she is not expected to do so, sources inside the DA’s office told CNN.” ” [CNN]