The Full Belmonte, 3/19/2024
Donald Trump has asked a New York appellate court to waive the bond requirement.
PHOTO: BRENDAN MCDERMID/REUTERS
Donald Trump’s lawyers said he has been unable to obtain a bond to guarantee payment of a $454 million civil-fraud judgment against him.
“The former president tried to negotiate a deal with some of the world’s largest suretors, but the amount was so large that they wouldn’t accept real estate as collateral and would require cash to guarantee the bond, according to a New York appeals court filing. A private company like the Trump Organization would need $1 billion in cash to obtain the bond and continue operating, an amount the company doesn’t have. Trump has asked to have the bond requirement waived while he appeals, arguing that paying now would cause him irreparable harm. If the court turns down his request and he can’t get the money, the state will look to seize his assets. The judgment stems from a ruling that found Trump falsely valued parts of his real estate empire for financial gain. The judge imposed $355 million in penalties, plus interest, so the debt grows daily.” [Wall Street Journal]
Supreme Court seems favorable to Biden administration over efforts to combat social media posts
“The Supreme Court seemed likely Monday to side with the Biden administration in a dispute with Republican-led states over how far the federal government can go to combat controversial social media posts on topics including COVID-19 and election security in a case that could set standards for free speech in the digital age.” Read More at AP News
Supreme Court rejects appeal by former New Mexico county commissioner banned for Jan. 6 insurrection
“The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from former Otero County commissioner Couy Griffin who was kicked out of office over his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and is the only elected official thus far to be banned from office in connection with the Capitol attack.” Read More at AP News
New study finds no brain injuries among 'Havana syndrome' patients
“An array of advanced tests found no brain injuries or degeneration among U.S. diplomats who suffer mysterious health problems once dubbed ‘Havana syndrome.’” Read More at AP News
U.S. bans most common form of cancer-causing asbestos, ending new uses of a deadly mineral after more than 30 years of attempts
“The Environmental Protection Agency finalized the ban on chrysotile asbestos on Monday. It comes more than three decades after the EPA first tried to ban all types of the toxic mineral — which kills roughly 40,000 Americans yearly — but was blocked by a federal judge.”
Read more at Washington Post
Navarro's bid to stave off jail sentence denied at Supreme Court
“Peter Navarro, a former trade adviser in Donald Trump’s White House, appears to be heading to jail.
Chief Justice John Roberts on Monday turned down Navarro’s emergency motion to stave off his imminent jail sentence — set to begin Tuesday at 2 p.m. in a Miami federal prison — for his defiance of a subpoena from the House Jan. 6 committee two years ago.”
Read the latest at Washington Post
Gambia Moves Toward Overturning Landmark Ban on Female Genital Cutting
“Lawmakers in the West African country voted to advance a bill repealing a 2015 ban. If it passes the final round of voting, Gambia will become the first nation to roll back protections against the practice.” [New York Times]
‘Not Free Nor Fair’
Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the crowd during a rally celebrating the 10th anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea at Red Square in Moscow on March 18.Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP
“Russian President Vladimir Putin extended his reign for a fifth term on Sunday in a presidential election whose outcome was predetermined. Putin, 71, won 87 percent of the vote, his highest tally since coming to power in 1999. He is the longest-serving Russian leader since Joseph Stalin, and if he sees his term to its end in 2030, he will be the longest-serving Russian leader since Catherine the Great.
Moscow’s three-day election, held this weekend, was the least transparent vote in recent Russian history, according to independent Russian vote-monitoring group Golos. All genuine opposition candidates were barred from running, imprisoned, dead, or in exile. The only three people allowed to run posed no real threat to Putin’s hold on power. Much of the international community blames Putin directly for the death of his main opponent, Alexei Navalny, who died in a Russian penal colony last month.
Russian officials said voter turnout reached 77 percent this weekend, hitting a record high since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Yet Golos documented more than 1,400 reports of potential electoral violations, including vote-stuffing, by midafternoon on Sunday. Locals in Russian-occupied areas of eastern Ukraine were reportedly instructed to vote under the watch of armed Russian troops, and anyone found to have obstructed voting procedures was threatened with up to five years in prison.
‘The elections are obviously not free nor fair,’ U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky further condemned the vote, saying: ‘These days, the Russian dictator is simulating another election. It is clear to everyone in the world that this figure, as it has already often happened in the course of history, is simply sick for power and is doing everything to rule forever.’
In his victory speech, Putin lauded Russia’s war on Ukraine as helping to ‘consolidate society’ around his leadership. He also warned that direct confrontation between Russia and NATO would be ‘one step away from a full-scale World War III,’ adding that ‘anything is possible in today’s world.’ Regional experts predict that Putin will use his victory to possibly launch new unpopular policies, as is historic practice for the Kremlin—potentially including a new military mobilization order.” [Foreign Policy]
The World This Week
“Tuesday, March 19: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. hosts U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg meets with Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Defense ministers gather at Ramstein Air Base in Germany for a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.
Wednesday, March 20: South Korea concludes hosting the three-day Summit for Democracy.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira concludes a six-day trip to the Middle East.
Thursday, March 21: The World Trade Organization’s General Council kicks off a two-day meeting.
Belgium hosts the two-day Nuclear Energy Summit.
Saturday, March 23: Ghana concludes hosting the 2024 African Games.
Bolivia conducts a nationwide census.
Slovakia holds a presidential election.
Sunday, March 24: Senegal holds a rescheduled presidential election.” [Foreign Policy]
“Hospital attack. Israel launched a raid on Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical center in the Gaza Strip, on Monday. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), troops conducted a ‘precise operation’ to ‘thwart terrorist activity’ in the complex, targeting senior Hamas officials allegedly inside the building. The IDF said it detained 80 suspects and killed 20 militants, including Faiq Mabhouh, the head of operations for the Hamas government’s internal security forces. The Gaza Health Ministry said Israeli soldiers killed numerous Palestinian civilians sheltering in and around Al-Shifa during the raid.
This was the second major assault on Al-Shifa’s facility since war broke out on Oct. 7, 2023. Last November, Israeli forces raided Al-Shifa after claiming that Hamas had a command center within and beneath the hospital. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, around 30,000 Palestinians, including patients and medical staff, are currently in the complex.
Also on Monday, Israeli negotiators traveled to Doha, Qatar, to resume cease-fire talks. Israeli officials hope to secure the release of all hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza. Hamas leaders continue to call for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and more humanitarian aid deliveries, among other demands. Dialogue comes as the European Union’s foreign-policy chief, Josep Borrell, accused Israel over the weekend of ‘provoking famine’ in Gaza.” [Foreign Policy]
“Summit for Democracy. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol kicked off the three-day Summit for Democracy on Monday by calling on countries to work together to combat fake news and disinformation. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed his remarks, adding that “as authoritarian and repressive regimes deploy technologies to undermine democracy and human rights, we need to ensure that technology sustains and supports democratic values and norms.”
As the proceedings got underway, though, North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles into the Pacific waters off its eastern coast on Monday. Seoul, along with Japan and the United States, called the military actions a “clear provocation,” and mere hours later, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik accused Pyongyang of shipping around 7,000 containers carrying munitions and other military equipment to Moscow last year.” [Foreign Policy]
“‘Antiterrorist operations.’ Pakistan launched two airstrikes into eastern Afghanistan on Monday, killing at least eight people, including three children. Pakistan’s foreign ministry said it had carried out ‘intelligence-based antiterrorist operations’ and accused the Taliban of aiding militants associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed, an Islamist group connected to the Pakistani Taliban that allegedly attacked a military post near the Afghan border over the weekend.
‘Terrorism against us is mostly being conducted from Afghanistan,’ said Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif. The Afghan Taliban denied the accusations. Last year, most of the more than 650 attacks reported in Pakistan targeted provinces that bordered Afghanistan. And Islamabad maintains that its main adversary is Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, a militant group ideologically aligned with the Afghan Taliban.” [Foreign Policy]