The Full Belmonte, 4/12/2023
E-cigarette maker Juul to pay states $462M over allegations it marketed to underage vapers
The settlement requires Juul to place its products behind retail store counters and verify the age of consumers that sell or promote products online.
“ The embattled e-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc. will pay $462 million to settle lawsuits filed by six states and the District of Columbia.
Juul settled cases with California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Mexico and New York over allegations the e-cigarette maker marketed to underage vapers.
The company, which denied any wrongdoing, said it is "nearing total resolution" of legal claims and that it has settled with 47 states and territories for over $1 billion.
Wednesday's settlement, announced by New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Rob Bonta, is the largest settlement with states announced to date. The settlement requires Juul to place its products behind retail store counters and verify the age of consumers that sell or promote products online.
California will receive the largest payment, $175.8 million. New York will get $112.7 million. Both states said the funds will be used on programs to support youth vaping prevention efforts….” Read more at USA Today
Police documents detailing President Biden security information found on Belfast street
“BELFAST, Northern Ireland – Ahead of President Joe Biden's speech hereWednesday, local police lost documents that detailed sensitive security information related to the president's visit.
A local resident is believed to have found the documents on a street in Belfast, a U.S. law enforcement official said, confirming the authenticity of the papers on the condition of anonymity.
The documents contained names of Belfast police and postings, but nothing related to the Secret Service's operations, which oversees the president's security during foreign trips, or its security plans.
The security breach came as the terrorism threat in Northern Ireland was raised to ‘severe’ before Biden came to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which ended three decades of civil war in Northern Ireland.
Secret Service's future:Secret Service fights to shed politics, but Trump's indictment, 2024 election are major tests
Most of Belfast's city center was barricaded off to residents for protection in a city with a long history of violence.
Despite the breach, a U.S. Secret Service official expressed continued trust in the local authorities.
"We have full confidence in our partners," the official said, downplaying the significance of the information contained in the local police documents.
The Secret Service has faced its share of security challenges during the Biden administration, have successfully navigated the president's surprise visit to Ukraine in February ahead of the anniversary of Russia's invasion.
The Ukraine visit was kept secret because of security concerns, part of an operation that the White House said had been 'meticulously planned’ for months….” Read more at USA Today
GOP Sen. Tim Scott takes next step in bid for White House
“Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina is taking the next official step toward a bid for president in 2024. Scott is set to announce the formation of an exploratory committee, according to a person familiar with his plans who spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday night ahead of the official announcement. In an email to supporters, Scott teased that he would be making a "major announcement" during an appearance on Fox News on Wednesday morning. ‘I’ve been doing a lot of thinking the past few months,’ Scott wrote. ‘I’ve been thinking about my faith. I’ve been thinking about the future of our country. And I’ve been thinking about the Left’s plan to ruin America.’” Read more at USA Today
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. speaks during the Republican Party of Polk County Lincoln Dinner, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, in West Des Moines, Iowa.
Charlie Neibergall, AP
U.S. Inflation Eased to 5% in March
CPI increase cooled to lowest level in nearly two years
“U.S. inflation eased in March to its lowest level in nearly two years, but underlying price pressures likely keep the door open for the Federal Reserve to consider another interest-rate increase at its May meeting.
The consumer-price index, a closely watched inflation gauge that measures what consumers pay for goods and services, rose 5% last month from a year earlier, down from February’s 6% increase and the smallest gain since May 2021, the Labor Department said Wednesday.
Consumers saw lower prices last month for groceries, gasoline, medical care and utilities and high prices for shelter, airline fares and insurance, the department said.
Stocks were mixed and bond yields fellfollowing the inflation report.
Inflation remains elevated—well above the 2.1% average in the three years before the pandemic and the Fed’s 2% target….” Read more at Wall Street Journal
People gather Tuesday at the scene of a mass shooting in Louisville, Kentucky.
Louisville shooting
“The city of Louisville will hold a vigil today to let community members grieve the five people killed this week in a bank shooting. The vigil comes a day after police released dramatic police body camera footage of the shooting at Old National Bank, in which authorities say a 25-year-old employee opened fire on his colleagues and then engaged in a shootout with police before he was shot dead. The shooter's motive for the rampage remains unclear at this time as authorities continue to comb through evidence. However, officials are expected to release audio today of 911 calls that could reveal more key details, according to Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg. The mayor on Tuesday also pleaded for state and federal assistance in addressing gun violence in Kentucky, which has some of the least restrictive state gun laws in the nation.” [CNN]
Bragg strikes back
Alvin Bragg speaks after former President Trump's indictment last week. Photo: Manhattan District Attorney Office via Reuters
“Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has gone public with details of death threats and what he calls ‘violent and racist vitriol’ from Trump allies in the week since the former president was indicted.
The raw revelations are contained in an unusual 50-page lawsuit Bragg filed yesterday aimed at House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
The suit says the D.A.'s office has received more than 1,000 calls and emails from Trump supporters — ‘many of which are threatening and racially charged.’
Why it matters: The lawsuit is part of the prosecutor's ferocious resistance to GOP efforts to call him to testify, Axios' Stef Kight and Sophia Cai report.
Between the lines: It sometimes took House Democrats years to enforce their subpoenas in various Trump investigations. Now this lawsuit could slow down GOP efforts to investigate Bragg.
The suit attempts to block Republicans from demanding certain documents and subpoenaing witness testimony about Bragg's work.
The judge in the subpoena case, U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, denied Bragg lawyers' request for a temporary restraining order.
Alyssa DaCunha, co-chair of WilmerHale's congressional investigations practice, predicted the Bragg suit unlikely to prevail, but told Axios it would take time and tie up House Judiciary resources.
Former Nixon White House counsel John Dean tweeted: ‘Brilliant move by DA Bragg to block frivolous subpoenas from House Judiciary Committee by seeking a declaratory judgment in the US District Court’ in the Southern District of New York.
Jordan told Fox News ‘Special Report’ anchor Bret Baier: ‘They are obstructing our constitutional duty to do oversight.’
Jordan added his committee is planning legislation that would require future, similar cases to be moved to a federal court.” [Axios]
Trump says he'll run even if convicted
Screenshot: Fox News
“Fox News' Tucker Carlson, during an interview at Mar-a-Lago that aired last night, asked former President Trump: ‘Is there anything they could throw at you legally that would convince you to drop out of the race — if you get convicted in this case in New York?’
Trump replied: ‘No, I'd never drop out — it's not my thing. I wouldn't do it.’
On Biden, 80, running in '24: ‘I don't see how it's possible.’
‘And it's not an age thing,’ said Trump, 76. ‘I have friends that are 88, 89, 92. ... But there's something wrong. ... I don't think he can.’ [Axios]
“For the first time, the federal government has declared a synthetic drug cocktail an ‘emergent threat’ to U.S. public health. The veterinary tranquilizer xylazine, often mixed with fentanyl, has been linked to a growing number of overdose deaths across the country. White House drug czar Dr. Rahul Gupta said the administration will notify Congress today about the threat and roll out a plan to combat the crisis over the next 90 days.” [NPR]
“Prince Harry to attend King Charles III's coronation without Duchess Meghan, palace says Harry’s wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, will remain in California with the couple’s two children, Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie, whose birthday is the same day as the ceremony.” [USA Today]
Indiana fire
“About 2,000 people in eastern Indiana received evacuation orders Tuesday after a large fire at a recycling plant began emitting toxic smoke. The fire, which created a thick, black plume over industrial buildings and a neighborhood, is expected to burn for days -- and is ‘definitely toxic,’ Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones said. ‘There is a host of different chemicals that plastics give off when they're on fire, and it's concerning and we want to make for sure we give people heads-up on an evacuation,’ Jones said. A preliminary investigation determined the fire started in a nearby semi-trailer before spreading to the facility, an official said, adding the exact cause will likely remain unknown until after it has been extinguished.” [CNN]
Banned books
“A rural Texas county that was ordered to return banned books to its public library shelves is now considering shutting down its libraries entirely. A meeting in Llano County today will include a discussion of whether to ‘continue or cease operations’ of the library system, which includes three branches. The meeting comes after a federal judge last month ordered the library system to return 12 children’s books to its shelves that had been removed, many because of their LGBTQ and racial content. It also follows several ongoing fights across the country to protect access to books in response to a boom of book bans that has taken shape in the US -- including in K-12 schools, universities and public libraries.” [CNN]
Murdoch Sued by Fox Investor Over ‘Stolen Election’ Lies
“A Fox Corporation shareholder on Tuesday sued Rupert Murdoch, his son Lachlan, and other directors on the company’s board over claims they allowed Fox News to spread lies about the 2020 presidential election. Plaintiff Robert Schwarz is arguing that the board violated its fiduciary duty to the company by deciding to ‘chase viewers by promoting the false stolen election claims’ which in turn exposed Fox to ‘public ridicule and negatively impacted the credibility of Fox News as a media organization that is supposed to accurately report newsworthy events.’ Schwarz also alleges that “Fox knew—from the board down—that Fox News was reporting false and dangerous misinformation” about the election but was ‘more concerned about short-term ratings and market share’ than the long-term damage of the lies. The case comes in addition to ongoing defamation lawsuits filed by Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic against Fox seeking a combined $4 billion in damages over accusations that the broadcaster suggested the companies’ voting machines were used in a conspiracy to rig the election against Donald Trump.” [Daily Beast]
Read it at NBC News
Elon Musk says Twitter will change BBC account label to 'publicly funded'
By Paul Glynn
Entertainment reporter
“Elon Musk has said Twitter will change its newly-added label for the BBC's account from ‘government funded media’ to say it is ‘publicly-funded’ instead.
In an interview with BBC News, the entrepreneur, who bought the platform for $44bn (£35.4bn) in October, said: ‘We're trying to be accurate.’
The BBC objected to the original label, saying earlier this week: ‘The BBC is, and always has been, independent.’
‘We are funded by the British public through the licence fee.’
In an interview with BBC technology correspondent James Clayton in San Francisco on Tuesday, Mr Musk noted: ‘I know the BBC for example's not thrilled about being labelled state-affiliated media.’
He said: ‘If we use the same words that the BBC uses to describe itself, that presumably would be OK… That seems to pass a reasonable test.’ He added: ‘I actually do have a lot of respect for the BBC.’
The BBC has said it ‘would welcome any such move.’” [BBC]
Harvard to rename school after top Republican donor following $300m gift
Graduate school of arts and sciences to be named in honor of Ken Griffin, 54, hedge-fund billionaire and world’s 35th richest person
Julia Carrie Wong in New York and Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington
“Harvard University will rename its graduate school of arts and sciences after billionaire hedge fund executive and Republican megadonor Kenneth Griffin, the institution announced on Tuesday, after a new $300m contribution brought Griffin’s total support of his alma mater to more than half a billion dollars.
Griffin, 54, is the founder and chief executive of Citadel, a $59bn hedge fund, and Citadel Securities, which trades securities. He is the 35th richest person in the world, with a net worth of $34.9bn, according to the Bloomberg billionaires index.
Griffin will be just the fourth individual to have a school at Harvard named after him in exchange for a donation, according to the Harvard Crimson student newspaper. His name will carry controversy thanks to Griffin’s stature as a major political donor to rightwing politicians and his company’s investments in firearm and ammunition manufacturers….” Read more at The Guardian
Michael Jordan's trainers sell for record $2.2m
Image caption,
“A pair of Air Jordan XIIIs worn by Michael Jordan during the 1998 NBA Finals has sold for $2.2m
A pair of trainers once worn by basketball legend Michael Jordan has sold for $2.2m (£1.7m) at auction, becoming the priciest shoes ever sold.
The signed sneakers - which Sotheby's had estimated would fetch $2m to $4m - are among the most expensive Jordan items auctioned.
A jersey he wore at the 1998 NBA Finals sold in 2022 for $10.1m.
The latest sale seals Jordan's position as the most valuable athlete at auctions for sportswear memorabilia.
‘Today's record-breaking result further proves that the demand for Michael Jordan sports memorabilia continues to outperform and transcend all expectations,’ said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby's Head of Streetwear and Modern Collectables.
The previous record for Jordan shoes was $1.47m for a pair of his Nike Air Ships auctioned in 2021.” [BBC]
“Lives Lived: Kwame Brathwaite’s photographs of celebrities and ordinary people catalyzed the “Black is beautiful” movement of the 1960s and beyond. He died at 85.” [New York Times]