The Full Belmonte, 4/18/2024
Trump’s jury shrinks after judge dismisses second juror
“A second seated juror has been dismissed from Donald Trump’s criminal trial, bringing the total number of jurors down to 5 after 7 were sworn in Tuesday.”
Read the latest at POLITICO
Senate kills the articles of impeachment against Alejandro Mayorkas
“The Senate killed the articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday as the historic trial of the Cabinet secretary barely got underway.
The articles of impeachment killed by the Senate were for ‘willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law’ and ‘breach of public trust.’
Read More at CNN
© The Associated Press / J. Scott Applewhite | Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) at the Capitol on Tuesday.
Foreign aid to get weekend vote; Mayorkas charges dismissed
“There’s finally an expected date for House votes on aid to Ukraine and Israel.
Bucking conservative criticism, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday rolled out the text for three bills that would combine military assistance to Ukraine, Israel and allies in the Indo-Pacific with humanitarian aid for Gaza and other global hot spots, teeing up a weekend vote. The legislative package roughly mirrors the $95 billion aid bill the Senate passed two months ago, but is broken into three pieces that would be voted on individually. President Biden said he’d sign it. The Senate, which is out of session next week, must approve it next.
The trio of bills are part of Johnson’s plan for moving foreign aid through the House, a process that has been delayed for months amid other pressing priorities and stalled this week as his initial proposal faced intense backlash from the right flank, write The Hill’s Mike Lillis and Mychael Schnell. Additionally, Johnson is proposing a fourth bill that includes other national security provisions, including a TikTok ban and sanctions to confront Russia, China and Iran.
The Hill: Read the text of Johnson’s bills here.
IN A TWIST from the Speaker’s initial plan, Johnson said he will move a border security measure separate from the foreign aid bills — a decision that is meant to appease conservatives who were up in arms that the priority was at first excluded. That legislation will include ‘core components' from H.R. 2, the border security bill House Republicans approved last year, but it hasn’t stopped conservatives from criticizing the plan. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has promised to invoke a ‘motion to vacate’ to topple Johnson if he puts Ukraine aid on the floor.
‘Listen, my philosophy is you do the right thing and you let the chips fall where they may ... If I operated out of fear over a motion to vacate, I would never be able to do my job,’ Johnson said at a Wednesday news conference when asked why he had opted to push ahead with the aid package. ‘This is a critical time right now ... I can make a selfish decision and do something that’s different. But I’m doing here what I believe to be the right thing.’
Top House Republicans are privately considering using the debate over package to raise the threshold to oust the Speaker, Punchbowl News reports. Currently, just one member is needed to start the process.
The conservative outcry was not unexpected, but it means Johnson will need Democratic support to clear the foreign assistance legislation — both on procedural and substantive votes. And while some Democrats are bristling that they're being called upon to help Republicans, they’re willing to support the plan to ensure aid to Ukraine — and Johnson can only afford to lose two GOP votes.
IRAN’S ATTACK ON ISRAEL over the weekend provided Johnson with an increased sense of urgency to deliver aid for U.S. allies abroad, amounting to an estimated $95 billion. But after months of Israel and Ukraine expending resources in their respective defensive wars absent U.S. assistance it’s unclear if the top-line figure will be enough.
Republicans matched Biden’s original request for aid to Israel, a little more than $14 billion, but they have shaved off about $10 billion in aid for Ukraine, The Hill’s Laura Kelly reports. The Ukrainian government, its supporters and analysts say there is no time to waste for Congress to approve more aid, as the shortage of U.S. assistance has had major, potentially irreversible consequences for Ukraine on the battlefield against Russia.
‘There's now concern that absent assistance arriving very quickly, Russia may actually be able to break through some of the Ukrainian lines and retake territory,’ said Michèle Flournoy, who served as undersecretary for defense policy during the Obama administration.” [The Hill]
Arizona Republicans blocked a vote to repeal a Civil War-era abortion ban.
“What to know: The law from 1864 — revived last week by the state’s Supreme Court — led to a national backlash that could upend November’s election in the swing state.
Yesterday: Republican leaders blocked a vote to repeal it — despite growing opposition from some in their party — while they weigh an alternative plan for a ballot referendum.”
Read this story at AP News
A New Mexico city has had illegal levels of arsenic in its drinking water for years.
“The details: The toxin — which can cause cancer, diabetes and heart disease — has been found in samples in each of the past 16 years in Sunland Park, which is 94% Latino.
What’s being done? The state levied a $251,580 fine against the city’s water operator last month and is pushing for an investigation.
The bigger picture: The case is a reminder that the U.S. fails to deliver safe drinking water to everyone. Low-income areas and communities of color are most impacted.”
Read this story at Washington Post
Bipartisan ire flares after POLITICO reveals Chinese Embassy's quiet TikTok lobbying
“Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle aired outrage Thursday after a POLITICO report that the Chinese embassy lobbied members of Congress on legislation that would force the sale of TikTok by its Beijing-based parent company.
‘These reports are no surprise. The Chinese Communist Party has a vested interest in keeping TikTok under its current ownership structure in the United States so it can influence and spy on Americans,” Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), outgoing chair of the House's select China panel, said in a statement to POLITICO. “The more the CCP digs in to retain control of the platform, the more it demonstrates exactly why we must divest TikTok from the CCP.’
Read the latest at POLITICO
Columbia University’s president rebuts claims she has allowed school to become a hotbed of hatred
Nemat Shafik, the president of Columbia University. Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for The New York Times
The leaders of Columbia Unive
“The president of Columbia University took a firm stand against antisemitism Wednesday as she parried accusations from Republicans who see the New York campus as a hotbed of bias, but she hedged on whether certain phrases invoked by some supporters of Palestinians rise to harassment.” Read More at AP News
Wisconsin Supreme Court justices question how much power Legislature should have
“Wisconsin Supreme Court justices questioned Wednesday how much power legislative committees should wield, in a case that Democratic Gov. Tony Evers brought against the Republican-controlled Legislature and that could have a major impact on how state government functions.” Read More at AP News
OAN and Smartmatic settle election defamation case
“Voting technology company Smartmatic and the far-right network One America News said Tuesday that they had settled a defamation lawsuit stemming from the outlet’s lies about the 2020 election.
Both parties declined to share details about the settlement.
The case against OAN was one of a spate of lawsuits filed against right-wing outlets in the aftermath of the election. In the wake of the 2020 presidential contest, pro-Donald Trump outlets spread lies wrongfully suggesting President Joe Biden had not been legitimately elected president.”
Read More at CNN
“Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez has released the first findings from an investigation into the Maui wildfires that killed more than 100 people and destroyed the historic town of Lahaina last year. The report gives a detailed timeline of the fires and the communications challenges first responders faced — and suggests some local officials were slow to respond to the crisis.
The timeline raises questions about Maui’s Emergency Management Agency, NPR's Greg Allen says. Officials seemed unaware of the severity of the fire for most of the day and didn't send out an evacuation order for Lahaina until more than an hour after the fire had spread into the town. Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen resisted suggestions to issue an emergency declaration and later declined assistance from Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency. The attorney general says a full critique of the response by officials and agencies will come in the next phase of the investigation.” [NPR]
911 outages
“Law enforcement agencies in at least four states reported 911 service interruptions on Wednesday evening. Authorities in South Dakota, Texas, Nebraska and Nevada announced outages in multiple cities, but details about what was causing them weren't immediately available. Service has been restored in some areas, though it remains unclear how the restoration came about. In Las Vegas, 911 calls from landlines were also impacted for a short period and residents were told they could text 911 instead for life-threatening emergencies. All who called during the outage have been called back and provided assistance, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said.” [CNN]
Iran warns it may change nuclear weapons stance; US issues sanctions
READ FULL STORY→ USA Today
Russian missiles slam into a Ukrainian city and kill 17 people as the war approaches a critical stage
“Three Russian missiles slammed into a downtown area of the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv on Wednesday, hitting an eight-floor apartment building and killing at least 17 people, authorities said.” Read More at AP News
A massive volcanic eruption sent plumes nearly 70,000 feet high.
Mount Ruang spewing lava and smoke. (Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation/AFP/Getty Images)
“Where? Mount Ruang in Indonesia. It has erupted at least three times this week, forcing evacuations. Yesterday’s eruption shot ash twice as high as commercial aircraft fly.
Is it dangerous? People have been told to stay at least 2½ miles away. The eruption led to falling ash and communication issues in one village.”
Read this story at Washington Post
In Zimbabwe. Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/Associated Press
“Millions of people in southern Africa face hunger as a drought impacts crops and livestock. Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe have declared national emergencies.
The men accused of carrying out the terrorist attack on a Moscow concert hall are from Tajikistan. The nation is a key source of recruits to an ISIS affiliate.
Political parties in India are using artificial intelligence in their campaigns. One effort involved an avatar of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that addressed voters by name.
Torrential rains fell in the United Arab Emirates and in Oman, killing at least 20 people. See photos of the flooding.” [New York Times]
Housing Market Slumps as Mortgage Rates Top 7%
“The average rate on the standard 30-year fixed mortgage jumped by nearly a quarter percentage point to 7.1%, according to a survey of lenders released by mortgage-finance giant Freddie Mac. That is the highest level since late 2023 and the largest weekly increase in nearly a year.”
READ MORE at Wall Street Journal
Employees walk a Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner towards a delivery ramp area at the company's facility in North Charleston, S.C. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)
BUSINESS
Boeing faces scrutiny in back-to-back hearings on its safety culture
“Sam Salehpour, an engineer at Boeing, said Wednesday that the aircraft company is taking manufacturing shortcuts that could lead to jetliners breaking apart. Salehpour was testifying about Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, hundreds of which are in use, mostly on international routes, while another Senate committee held a separate hearing on the safety culture at Boeing. Read more.
Why this matters:
The dual hearings were a sign of the intense pressure on Boeing since a door-plug panel blew off a 737 Max jetliner during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. The company is under multiple investigations, and the FBI has told passengers from the flight that they might be victims of a crime.
Boeing says claims about the Dreamliner’s structural integrity are false. Two Boeing engineering executives said this week that in both design testing and inspections of planes there were no findings of fatigue or cracking in the composite panels. They suggested that the material used in the panels is nearly impervious to fatigue.
The dual hearings added to criticism that has been heaped on Boeing – now pushed into a crisis that has seen a management shakeup and a CEO resignation. The Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates airlines and aircraft manufacturers, was also heavily criticized during Wednesday’s hearings.” [AP News]
Ford recalls over 456,000 Bronco Sport and Maverick cars due to loss of drive power risk
Ford is recalling more than 456,000 Bronco Sport and Maverick vehicles due to a battery detection issue that can result in loss of drive power, increasing crash risks. Read More.
An NPR editor who wrote a critical essay on the company has resigned after being suspended
“Uri Berliner, a senior editor on NPR’s business desk, resigned on Wednesday, a day after it was revealed that he had been suspended. Berliner, who wrote an essay criticizing his employer for promoting liberal views, had been suspended without pay for five days for violating NPR's policy that it must approve work done for outside organizations.” Read More at NPR
NBA bans Toronto Raptors’ Jontay Porter for violating league’s gaming rules
“The NBA has banned Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter from the league after an investigation found that the 24-year-old had violated betting rules.
The league announced in March it had opened an investigation into anomalies involving bets pertaining to Porter after unusual betting patterns around the player emerged.”
Read More at CNN
Caitlin Clark vs. basketball pay gap
Data: Spotrac. (Based on average annual value of player's contract in 2023-24 season.) Chart: Simran Parwani/Axios
“Caitlin Clark's entire WNBA team combined will get paid about the same as one random back-bench NBA player next year, Axios' Sam Baker writes.
The Indiana Fever's total payroll was roughly $1.2 million this past year, which is about average for the league. The NBA's minimum contract for a player with just one year of experience is $1.5 million per year.
The big picture: Clark's legions of fans have been shocked to learn how little the WNBA's top talent gets paid. But she might be powerful enough to help change that reality.
Ticket prices for Indiana Fever games are up almost 200%, per The Athletic. Other teams' ticket prices are highest, by far, for games against the Fever.
Clark is already an astounding driver of TV ratings, merchandising and high-profile sponsorships.
What's next: The WNBA is in the process of negotiating a new media deal, just as droves of new fans will be tuning in.
The league will need to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement with players by 2027 — players' chance to grab a bigger slice of the league's growing pie.” [Axios]
“W.N.B.A.: No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark is nearing an eight-figure endorsement deal with Nike.” [New York Times]
An escaped elephant roamed the streets of a Montana city.
“What you’re looking at: A female elephant belonging to a circus visiting Butte. She was spooked by a backfiring car on Tuesday and broke free of her handlers.
Then what? She strolled through traffic and pooped on someone’s lawn, reports said. She was then returned to the circus. PETA reported the incident to federal authorities.”
Read this story at Washington Post
“Lives Lived: Anne Innis Dagg was often called “the Jane Goodall of giraffes.” Dagg traveled to Africa in 1956 and was believed to have been the first Western scientist to study African animals of any type in the wild. She died at 91.” [New York Times]