The Full Belmonte, 3/28/2024
Police had about 90 seconds to stop traffic before Baltimore Key bridge collapsed
“The last-minute warning from the ship allowed police just enough time to stop traffic on the interstate highway. One officer parked sideways across the lanes and planned to drive onto the bridge to alert a construction crew once another officer arrived, but did not get the chance before the ship barreled into the bridge.” Read More at AP News
Remains of two people recovered in Patapsco River near Baltimore Key Bridge wreckage, according to people with knowledge of search
“Divers have been searching for at least six people missing since the bridge collapsed early Tuesday when it was struck by a container ship leaving the port in Baltimore. The two people whose remains were recovered from the water have not been publicly identified.”
Read more at Washington Post
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in New York hush-money criminal case
“Trump posted on social media that the gag order was ‘illegal, un-American, unConstitutional’ and said Judge Juan M. Merchan was ‘wrongfully attempting to deprive me of my First Amendment Right to speak out against the Weaponization of Law Enforcement’ by Democratic rivals and urged him to step aside from the case.” Read More at AP News
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem faces scrutiny as the likelihood that Donald Trump picks her as his running mate grows.
“Her stances on abortion and TikTok and her Instagram video praising a Texas cosmetic dentistry practice are in the crosshairs. She has declined to say whether she paid to fix her teeth, raising questions about whether the post was a testimonial in exchange for services. A spokesman criticized the focus on her controversies rather than her policy accomplishments and said she ‘has never been a Washington, D.C., insider.’ Trump has enthusiastically discussed her as a possible vice presidential candidate, according to people familiar with the talks. The former president and Noem met privately in late February, and Noem appeared on stage with him at a rally earlier this month.” [Wall Street Journal]
Capitals and Wizards are set to stay at Capital One Arena until 2050 after teams’ owner Ted Leonsis and D.C. reach a deal
“Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) reached an agreement with Leonsis, the CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, to keep the teams playing at the downtown D.C. arena. The news comes after the city of Alexandria announced it was ending negotiations to bring the teams to a new arena in Potomac Yard.”
Read more at Washington Post
Gaza
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told members of the US Congress that ‘victory’ in Gaza is ‘a few weeks away’ as Israel pushes forward with its planned offensive in the region. Netanyahu added that Israel ‘had no choice’ but to move into Rafah — where more than one million people are sheltering — because the country's "very existence is on the line." Disagreements over the impending invasion of Rafah have driven relations between Netanyahu and President Joe Biden to a low point. Meanwhile, a UN expert in the Palestinian territories says there are "reasonable grounds" to believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Israel said it "utterly rejects" the report, which it said "brings shame" to the UN Human Rights Council.” [CNN]
Israel wants to reschedule canceled meeting with U.S., official says
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has told the White House it would like to reschedule a meeting to discuss the looming Rafah offensive, a U.S. official has told NBC News.
Senior administration officials are now working with Israel to find a new date for that meeting, the official added.
‘We held constructive discussions with Israel's Defense Minister over the last two days,’ the official said, adding that Rafah was one of the many topics discussed with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Tony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and CIA Director Bill Burns.
On Monday, Israel canceled a delegation that was supposed to visit the White House, after the U.S. allowed the U.N. Security Council to pass a resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza by abstaining from the vote.” [NBC News]
Lawmakers in Thailand overwhelmingly approve a bill to legalize same-sex marriage
“Lawmakers in Thailand’s lower house of Parliament overwhelmingly approved a marriage equality bill on Wednesday that would make the country the first in Southeast Asia to legalize equal rights for marriage partners of any gender.” Read More at AP News
Russia doubled down on blaming Ukraine and the West for last week’s Moscow concert massacre.
“Islamic State is responsible for the attack that killed at least 143 people and left hundreds wounded, Western officials have said, and the group claimed responsibility. Russia has provided no evidence of Ukrainian complicity. Kyiv has denied any involvement in the attack, and the U.S. yesterday dismissed Moscow’s claim. Russian investigators today said they were looking into reports that the U.S. and other Western countries had been financing and helping with terrorist attacks in their country. Blaming Ukraine is Moscow’s attempt to divert attention away from security failures that appear to have allowed the attackers into the concert hall, analysts say.” [Wall Street Journal]
“Emmanuel Macron, for better or worse, has become Europe’s loudest voice on international affairs.
Not everyone is happy, but there is no doubt that the French president has occupied a space left vacant by the departure of Angela Merkel and has inserted himself into the center of critical debates, from how to contain Russia to speaking truth to power to Israel.
He suggested French boots on the ground in Ukraine in an apparent bid to leave Russia guessing about Europe’s operational strategy in the region. In a frank conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said the forced transfer of people from the southern Gaza city of Rafah would constitute ‘a war crime.’
One may accuse Macron of posturing, and critics will point out that when it comes to money for Ukraine, for example, France has been much less forthcoming.
As Ania Nussbaum and Natalia Drozdiak write, Macron’s role has created bewilderment in the European Union over who actually speaks for the continent, even as he has taken on an increasingly influential role in policy debates in Brussels.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that Europe is at a crossroad, with Russian troops advancing in eastern Ukraine and an upcoming American election.
Call it a stunt, but Macron’s black-and-white photo of him re-enacting Robert de Niro as a world champion boxer in Raging Bull made a splash and sent an unsubtle message to Putin, who’s fond of striking his own macho poses, in a language the Russian president can understand.
The jury is out if Macron’s provocations are the push Europe needs to meet the demands of a more hostile modern world, or if he’s accelerating schisms in a transatlantic alliance that has held together for 75 years.
Or if Macron, who famously compared himself to Jupiter, is just letting his ego get in the way.”—Richard Bravo [Bloomberg]
Macron with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Chief Raoni Metuktire, leader of the Kayapo people, during a visit yesterday to Combu Island, near Belem, Brazil. Photographer: Alessandro Falco/Bloomberg
“While Putin continues to argue that Ukraine may have had a role in the Moscow attack that killed 139 people, some of the Russian president’s own inner circle disagree. There’s no evidence of Ukraine’s involvement, according to sources with close ties to the Kremlin, who said officials were shocked by the failure of Russian security services to prevent the attack that was claimed by Islamic State.” [Bloomberg]
“The US and its allies have committed costly hardware to stopping the Houthis from attacking civilian freighters and warships in the Red Sea. But as this in-depth report shows, the effort is having little success, and the world’s biggest shipping companies are still largely avoiding a route that once carried 15% of global commerce.” [Bloomberg]
An F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet takes off from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier on March 19. Photographer: Christopher Pike/Bloomberg
“President Xi Jinping met with a group of executives from American companies including Blackstone, Qualcomm and FedEx as Beijing tries to restore confidence in the world’s second-biggest economy. Whipsawing tensions with Washington, a shaky economic recovery and raids on consulting firms have damped investor enthusiasm.” [Bloomberg]
“The Netherlands made its name and its economic fortune as an open, free-trading nation. Yet recent laws to reduce tax benefits for expatriates and a bill that would cap the number of foreign students allowed to study in the country have set off alarms at companies that rely on international talent. As Sarah Jacob and Cagan Koc write, the election victory of anti-immigration populist Geert Wilders has supercharged those concerns, in a development that could be a harbinger of what’s to come across Europe.” [Bloomberg]
“The number of ‘civilian casualties is far too high, and the amount of humanitarian aid is far too low’ in the Gaza war, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a blunt welcome to his Israeli counterpart at the Pentagon yesterday.” [Bloomberg]
“Five Chinese nationals and one Pakistani were killed in a suicide bomb blast in Pakistan’s northwest Shangla region yesterday, the latest attack targeting workers and projects associated with Islamabad’s key ally and investor.” [Bloomberg]
“Argentine President Javier Milei plans to fire 70,000 government workers in the coming months in a clear sign of how the libertarian intends to slash the swollen state.” [Bloomberg]
“Guns were found at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Los Angeles and Miami homes during federal searches, three sources familiar with the matter said.” [NBC News]
“New York City has approved the nation's first congestion pricing program, a controversial plan that will charge cars $15 to enter Manhattan below 61st Street beginning this summer.” [NBC News]
Disney
“A lengthy battle between Disney and Florida is set to end after the two parties agreed to a settlement. The spat between the theme park and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis began in March 2022, after Disney's then-CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against a bill restricting certain LGBTQ topics in the classroom. Chapek called the bill a ‘challenge to basic human rights.’ Shortly after, DeSantis asked Florida's legislature to terminate the longstanding special tax privileges granted to Disney in Central Florida and appointed a new board of hand-picked supervisors to oversee the district. A trial was set to begin in June but both parties agreed to resolve their differences outside of the courtroom in a way that would not require either to admit any fault or liability.” [CNN]
The fight for artificial-intelligence talent has tech companies offering lavish salaries and perks.
“Million-dollar-a-year compensation packages, accelerated stock-vesting schedules and offers to poach entire engineering teams are on the table amid a shortage of candidates with generative-AI expertise. The juicy payment packages come at the same time other tech sectors are laying off workers. Elsewhere in Tech Land, Apple is turning to a longtime Steve Jobs disciple to defend the company’s so called ‘walled garden’ ecosystem, a vision of its devices working seamlessly together and protecting user security and privacy.” [Wall Street Journal]
“The University of Utah women’s basketball coach said her team was forced to change hotels after arriving in Idaho for the NCAA Tournament last week, where they were targeted in a series of ‘racial hate crimes.’ Police are investigating the matter.” [NBC News]
A faster spinning Earth may cause timekeepers to subtract a second from world clocks
“For the first time in history, world timekeepers may have to consider subtracting a second from our clocks because the planet is rotating a tad faster than it used to.” Read More at AP News
The wooden panel that saved Rose in “Titanic” sold at auction for $700,000.
Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack and Kate Winslet as Rose. (CBS/Getty Images)
“Its starring moment: The ornate piece of driftwood is where Rose whispered ‘I’ll never let go’ to Jack in the 1997 movie. (Spoiler alert: She let go.)
The sale: It went for $718,750 at an auction of Hollywood props last week. It was the most expensive item, ahead of an Indiana Jones bullwhip and an ax from “The Shining.””
Read this story at Washington Post
Handpicked numbers were the golden ticket to the $1.13B Mega Millions jackpot
“Someone in New Jersey who bought a single ticket overcame the odds Tuesday night and won the $1.13 billion Mega Millions jackpot, breaking a winless streak that dated to last December.” Read More.
Joe Lieberman has died at 82. The doggedly independent four-term U.S. senator was also a vice-presidential candidate.
“As Al Gore's running mate in 2000, he was the first Jewish candidate on the national ticket of a major party. Eight years later, he supported Republican presidential candidate John McCain over Barack Obama. Lieberman viewed himself as a centrist Democrat, solidly in his party’s mainstream with his support of abortion rights, environmental protection, gay rights and gun control. But he was also unafraid to stray from Democratic orthodoxy, most notably in his consistently hawkish stands on foreign policy.” [Washington Post]