The Full Belmonte, 2/26/2024
“Negotiators are inching closer to a deal for another temporary cease-fire in Gaza to allow for an exchange of Israelis held hostage by Hamas and Palestinians detained in Israel. Representatives of Israel, the U.S., Egypt and Qatar agreed on the ‘basic contours’ of a deal this past week in Paris, according to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. The next stage of negotiations will be held in Qatar. Still, despite U.S. objections, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will not call off a planned military offensive in Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians are seeking refuge.
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The Israeli military presented to the Israeli war cabinet last night plans for how it will evacuate civilians from Rafah, NPR's Daniel Estrin reports on Up First. Estrin says cease-fire negotiations include discussions for a new technocratic Palestinian government that would manage Gaza and the West Bank when the war is over. The Palestinian Authority government submitted its resignation today. Estrin describes a ‘sense of urgency’ to reach a cease-fire before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins in two weeks.” [NPR]
“The Supreme Court will hear arguments today that center on Florida and Texas laws preventing social media companies from banning users based on political viewpoints or rapidly changing their policies. Legal experts say it's one of the most important First Amendment cases in a generation. The laws were passed months after the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, after several social media websites banned former President Donald Trump over fears that his messages could promote more unrest.
Two trade associations sued over the laws, saying that they would interfere with steps sites take to remove racist, sexist posts, NPR's Carrie Johnson reports. Groups across the political spectrum have filed court filings with the Supreme Court in support of social media sites. Former Justice Department Lawyer Rupa Bhattacharyya says content moderation plays a ‘really important role in keeping some of the worst of the hate and the violence off of the internet,’ and if the Supreme Court upholds these laws, content moderation as we know it is dead.” [NPR]
“Congress is facing a partial government shutdown yet again. Lawmakers are supposed to pass laws to fund the government every year by the end of September. But they've been stuck renewing a 2022 spending plan. Federal funding for several departments, including the Transportation, Agriculture and Veterans Affairs, runs out at the end of the week. President Joe Biden is expected to host the top four Congressional lawmakers tomorrow to negotiate ahead of Friday's deadline.
‘Congress is broken,’ NPR's Eric McDaniel reports. The delays prevent every part of the government from making long-term plans. Because there's a faction of the Republican party that sees bipartisan legislating as a failure, McDaniel says the only path forward is for House Speaker Mike Johnson to ‘put the most conservative plan’ forward that can still get Democratic votes, even if it means risking his job.” [NPR]
Donald Trump's Republican takeover: Ronna McDaniel resigns as RNC chair
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Former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. (Getty Images)
Presidential race
“Former President Donald Trump won South Carolina's Republican presidential primary Saturday, further tightening his grip on the GOP nomination after defeating rival Nikki Haley in her home state — where she was a two-term governor. In remarks celebrating his latest primary victory, Trump said he's never seen the Republican Party ‘so unified as it is right now.’ Nearly 60% of the state cast their votes for Trump compared to 40% for Haley, according to CNN projections. Trump has swept all 2024 GOP nominating contests so far, but Haley has vowed to stay in the race until Super Tuesday, saying she doesn't believe Trump can defeat President Joe Biden in November.” [CNN]
Ukraine
“US aid to Ukraine will be center stage this week as President Joe Biden prepares to meet Tuesday with top congressional leaders to discuss passing additional funding for the war-torn country. Biden, who visited Ukraine last year, has repeatedly framed the need to support the country against Russia as a matter of national security abroad and at home. In the face of congressional inaction on a package that includes $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, the president has directed his team to make the consequences ‘abundantly clear,’ a US official told CNN. This comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN on Sunday that ‘millions’ could die if US lawmakers don't approve the aid request for Kyiv. In a rare admission, he also said at least 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in the war thus far.” [CNN]
Global warming
“Human-caused global warming is fueling longer droughts and extreme weather events that are posing problems to communities around the world. Scientists say Mexico City, a sprawling metropolis of nearly 22 million people and one of the world's biggest cities, may be just months away from ‘day zero’ — when the taps run dry for huge swaths of the city. Experts say this comes as a result of several years of abnormally low rainfall, longer dry periods and high temperatures that have added stress to a water system already straining to cope with increased demand. In the coming weeks, Mexican authorities are expected to introduce significant restrictions on the water pumped from reservoirs ahead of the intense summer months.” [CNN]