The Full Belmonte, 4/19/2023
Attorneys representing Dominion Voting Systems speak to the media after the defamation lawsuit against Fox News was settled Tuesday just as the jury trial was set to begin.
Fox News settlement
“Fox News will pay more than $787 million to Dominion Voting Systems after the two sides agreed to a last-minute settlement Tuesday in the explosive defamation case brought against the right-wing network. Dominion, which sells election technology, said Fox destroyed its reputation by knowingly broadcasting lies that the company rigged the 2020 presidential election. Fox on Tuesday acknowledged the court's rulings ‘finding certain claims about Dominion to be false.’ However, Fox won't have to admit on-air that it spread election lies, a Dominion representative told CNN. By settling, Fox will avoid a painful six-week trial that would have required some of the network's top executives and prominent on-air personalities to testify about their misleading election coverage. The $787.5 million payout marks the largest publicly known defamation settlement in US history involving a media company.” [CNN]
Fox Lawsuit
“Fox News agreed to settle a defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems over 2020 election misinformation. The network will pay $787 million.
The outcome is a win for Dominion but lets Fox avoid potentially embarrassing testimony from Tucker Carlson Rupert Murdoch and others.
The settlement is an implicit admission of wrongdoing by Fox, a rarity from the powerhouse in Republican politics.
While other news outlets covered the settlement, Fox News hosts barely mentioned it.
Smartmatic, another voting machine company, is still suing Fox, for $2.7 billion, explains Michelle Goldberg of Times Opinion.” [New York Times]
Abortion
“The Supreme Court is expected to make a decision today regarding the legal battle over the drug mifepristone, the first pill given in a medical abortion. Nearly two weeks ago, a federal judge in Texas said mifepristone should not have been approved in 2000 and ruled to halt access to the drug nationwide. Last week, Justice Samuel Alito granted a request of the Biden administration to put a temporary hold on the decision to give the justices more time to review the case. Alito asked to hear from a group of doctors opposed to abortion and said the court would make its final determination by 11:59 p.m. ET today. According to a Tuesday filing, the anti-abortion doctors urged the Supreme Court to keep mifepristone restrictions in place, stating concerns about the safety of the drug. However, mifepristone has been approved by the FDA for more than 20 years and is safer than some common prescription drugs, data analyzed by CNN shows.” [CNN]
Kansas City shooting
“A Black teenager who authorities say was shot by an 84-year-old White homeowner after going to the wrong Kansas City address has received a positive prognosis but still faces a long road to recovery as his family fights for justice in his case, according to his attorneys. ‘Thursday night, doctors were scraping off bullet fragments off his brain. Saturday, he was released from the hospital,’ Yarl family attorney Lee Merritt told CNN, calling Ralph's recovery a miracle. The 16-year-old rang a doorbell on April 13 and was shot in the head and arm by the homeowner, who opened fire through a locked glass door without any words exchanged, according to documents obtained by CNN. The homeowner, who faces two felony charges, turned himself in at a detention center Tuesday, then hours later was released on $200,000 bond. He is expected to be arraigned later today.” [CNN]
Four dead at house, connected to shooting on I-295 in Maine
“A suspect is jailed after four people were found dead at a house and bullets were fired at a major highway near Portland, Maine, Tuesday morning, according to authorities. Maine State Police said four bodies were found in Bowdoin, about 25 miles north of Portland, and those deaths are connected to a shooting on Interstate 295 in the Yarmouth area, between Portland and Bowdoin. The interstate shooting injured three, one critically, police said. Authorities have not yet discussed what they think led to the incidents in either Bowdoin or Yarmouth.” Read more at USA Today
Shooting I-295 in Maine: Reports say several dead and injured in related incidents
WMTW / AP
Taxes
“With tax season coming to a close for many Americans this week, the Treasury Department will soon know the amount of tax revenue it has received for 2022 and for the first estimated payment of this year. That cash is crucial now because the US hit its debt ceiling in January and can't continue to borrow to meet its obligations unless Congress raises or suspends that ceiling. While it's difficult to forecast tax collections, some analysts say it's unlikely they'll come in higher than expected as they did during the last filing season. The full tally won't be known for a few more weeks. Separately, tax returns for President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden show they made $579,514 in 2022, slightly lower than their previous year's earnings. Returns released Tuesday by the White House also showed the first couple paid $169,820 in combined federal, Delaware, and Virginia income taxes last year.” [CNN]
Air quality
“About 1 in 4 people in the US — more than 119 million residents — live with air pollution that can hurt their health, according to a new report from the American Lung Association. People of color are disproportionately affected, as are residents of Western cities. California had 10 of the 25 most ozone-polluted cities. New York, Chicago and Hartford, Connecticut, were the only three on that list east of the Mississippi River, according to the report. On the positive side, 17.6 million fewer people were breathing unhealthy air than in last year’s report, due largely to falling levels of ozone in some regions. Emission controls have helped, an author of the report said, as has the country’s continuing move away from its reliance on coal for its energy needs.” [CNN]
GOP Florida fight
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis leaves an event in Washington yesterday at the Heritage Foundation on Capitol Hill. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP
“Former President Trump is pushing his feud deep into Gov. Ron DeSantis' backyard in Florida, picking a fight over Disney and picking off Sunshine State lawmakers, one by one.
Why it matters: Trump sees DeSantis as his only threat for the nomination — and has told aides he will pound him relentlessly with name calling and policy attacks.
DeSantis earned his first congressional endorsement from a member of the Florida delegation today — Rep. Laurel Lee — hours before meeting with three dozen members of Congress on Capitol Hill (photo above).
That was quickly overshadowed by news that Reps. John Rutherford and Brian Mast would become the sixth and seventh House Republicans from Florida to endorse Trump, Axios' Zachary Basu reports.
Josh Kraushaar tweeted: ‘[T]o lose Greg Steube, Brian Mast and Byron Donalds — the type of FL Republicans you'd expect to be on the DeSantis bandwagon — is a leading indicator something not right with the [DeSantis] outreach.’
DeSantis, who has been endorsed by Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), trails Trump significantly in 2o24 polls.
Massie — a rising GOP star who was a host of the governor's Capitol Hill event yesterday — noted the significant protester presence: ‘[D]ogs don't bark at parked cars,’ Massie told Axios' Juliegrace Brufke. ‘If you're trying to rally Republicans to a cause and a bunch of extreme leftists show up, it's not a bad thing.’
Data: Axios research. Chart: Axios Visuals. DeSantis has not officially declared. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) is considered an endorsement for himself.
Trump continues to troll DeSantis from Palm Beach, Fla., posting yesterday after the governor made new threats against Disney: ‘DeSanctus is being absolutely destroyed by Disney. His original P.R. plan fizzled, so now he’s going back with a new one in order to save face.’
DeSantis suggested Monday, perhaps partly tongue in cheek, that Florida could build a competing theme park or even a prison near Walt Disney World: ‘I think the possibilities are endless.’
Reality check: At home, DeSantis is racking up wins after his 19-point landslide re-election in November. A Washington Post front-page story today is headlined, ‘DeSantis amasses power — and puts it to use ... How DeSantis became Florida’s most powerful governor in a generation.’
To cap DeSantis' bad day, Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) tweeted last evening: ‘Today, after careful consideration and a positive meeting with Governor DeSantis, I have decided to endorse President @realDonaldTrump for 2024.’” [Axios]
Fox settlement is just the beginning
Dominion Voting Systems CEO John Poulos (blue tie) and members of his legal team leave the courthouse in Wilmington, Del. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
“Fox News' $787 million defamation settlement with Dominion Voting Systems ends one lawsuit over the airing of election lies — but there are plenty more to come, Axios' Sara Fischer reports from Wilmington, Del.
Why it matters: In dodging a trial, Fox was able to spare its executives and hosts further embarrassment on the witness stand. But the agreement also set a new benchmark for how much Fox is willing to pay to make such suits go away.
Catch up quick: Fox News settled with Dominion moments before opening statements were slated to begin in a Delaware court.
Fox faced a slew of pretrial setbacks, leading legal experts to agree that Dominion had an unusually strong case.
A source confirmed to Axios that Fox News will not be required to give any apologies or retractions on its air as a part of the settlement deal.
Fox News said in a statement: ‘We acknowledge the Court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false. This settlement reflects FOX’s continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards. We are hopeful that our decision to resolve this dispute with Dominion amicably, instead of the acrimony of a divisive trial, allows the country to move forward from these issues.’
Dominion lawyers speak outside the courthouse after the settlement. Photo: Matt Rourke/AP
State of play: Fox faces other lawsuits related to airing 2020 election lies.
Most notably, Fox News faces a $2.7 billion case brought by election technology company Smartmatic. Fox also faces a lawsuit from former producer Abby Grossberg, who claims Fox News tried to manipulate her testimony during pretrial discovery for the Dominion case.
Zoom out: Smaller cable networks, including Newsmax and One America News (OAN), also face defamation lawsuits from Dominion, as do individuals including Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Mike Lindell and Patrick Byrne.
‘This is one of seven lawsuits,’ said Justin Nelson, an attorney representing Dominion. ‘There are six left, and I think it sends a message to the other six lawsuits that accountability is coming.’” [Axios]
Female lawmakers defend Feinstein
Sen. Diane Feinstein rides the Senate subway with a staff member in February. Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Women on both sides of the aisle are defending Sen. Dianne Feinstein(D-Calif.), saying they see sexism and ageism in the calls for her to resign from Congress, Axios' Eugene Scott and Andrew Solender report.
Why it matters: Republican women lawmakers say Feinstein should determine when her political career ends, not others in her party frustrated by her absence.
‘To me it's ageist and it's sexist,’ said Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa). ‘[I]f it were a dude, would they be saying you need to step down, or you need to recuse yourself from a committee?’
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) said: ‘I don’t know if it’s age discrimination, sex discrimination. But we do know they wouldn’t do it to a man.’
Feinstein, 89, is the oldest member of Congress — and her absence while hospitalized for shingles has made it harder for Senate Democrats to push President Biden's judicial nominees through committee.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters back home last week: ‘I've never seen them go after a man who was sick in the Senate in that way.’ (Video)
Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) tweeted: ‘When women age or get sick, the men are quick to push them aside. When men age or get sick, they get a promotion.’
The latest: Republicans yesterday blocked a Democratic request to temporarily replace Feinstein on the Senate Judiciary Committee, leaving Democrats with few options for moving stalled judicial nominees. Go deeper.” [Axios]
Photo: Mary Altaffer/AP
“A parking garage collapsed yesterday in Manhattan's Financial District, killing one worker and injuring five as concrete floors fell like pancakes on top of sedans and SUVs. Keep reading.” [Axios]
Oklahoma sheriff says recording of killing talk was illegal
By KEN MILLER and SEAN MURPHY
Glenda Austin of Idabel, Okla., holds a sign with other protesters, Monday, April 17, 2023, outside the McCurtain County Commissioners meeting room in Idabel, Okla. A number of McCurtain County residents were outraged by comments made by local officials on a recording and are asking for the resignation of the sheriff, two county commissioners and others. (Lori Dunn/The Texarkana Gazette via AP)
“An Oklahoma sheriff’s office says a newspaper’s audio recording in which the sheriff and other county officials are reportedly heard discussing killing two journalists and hanging Black people was illegal and predicted felony charges will be filed.
A post on the sheriff’s office Facebook page — the agency’s first public comment since the comments by Sheriff Kevin Clardy and others were reported by the McCurtain Gazette-News — does not address the recorded discussion, but calls the situation ‘complex’ and one ‘we regret having to address.’
The threatening comments by the officials that were recorded have sparked outrage and protests. Oklahoma’s GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt and state Rep. Eddy Dempsey, a Republican who represents the area, have called for Clardy and others to resign. NAACP leaders in Oklahoma also called for the FBI and the Department of Justice to investigate.
The sheriff’s statement calls the past 72 hours ‘amongst the most difficult and disruptive in recent memory’ and says the recording was altered and involves many victims…..” Read more at AP News
Russian judge rules American journalist to remain in jail on spying charges
“A Russian judge upheld the detention of American journalist Evan Gershkovich on Tuesday following his arrest on spying charges amid the Kremlin’s sweeping crackdown on press freedom during the war in Ukraine. After Gershkovich appeared in court, a Moscow City Court judge denied the reporter’s appeal of his detention. The judge ruled that Gershkovich – Russia correspondent for the Wall Street Journal – is to stay in jail awaiting an investigation and trial. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years.” Read more at USA Today
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich is seen standing in a glass cage on a TV screen broadcasting hearing on his case from a courtroom at the Moscow City Court, in Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.
Associated Press
“Airstrikes rocked Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, as a proposed cease-fire to halt four days of fighting between the army and a paramilitary group failed to hold. Heavy battles that erupted on April 15 have left more than 180 people dead and sparked fears of a full-blown civil war.” [Bloomberg]
“A historic strike will take place in Canada today as more than 155,000 federal workers walk out after wage talks with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government failed. The Public Service Alliance of Canada, the biggest federal civil-service union, said it will be the country’s largest industrial action ever.” [Bloomberg]
“Soaring temperatures across India this week are increasing the risk of blackouts and potentially exposing millions of people to exhaustion and deadly heat stroke. A majority of India’s 1.4 billion population work outdoors, often without protection, with many construction workers, hawkers and rickshaw drivers succumbing to the hot weather in summer. India suffers from the most pronounced heat-related labor losses in the world.” [Bloomberg]
Residents fill water from a tanker in the Kusumpur Pahari slum in New Delhi during 2022’s heat wave. Photographer: Ruhani Kaur/Bloomberg
Netflix ends DVD biz after 25 years
In 2002, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings in a cart of ready-to-be-shipped DVDs in San Jose, Calif. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
“Netflix yesterday said it's ending its 25-year-old DVD-by-mail business, Axios' Sara Fischer and Hope King report.
Why it matters: New DVDs have been a big recurring cost for Netflix — while making up just 0.5% of its total revenue.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos wrote in a blog post, ‘Netflix DVD — The Final Season’:
‘Those iconic red envelopes changed the way people watched shows and movies at home — and they paved the way for the shift to streaming.’” [Axios]
Twitter removes policy against deadnaming transgender people
By BARBARA ORTUTAY
FILE - A sign at Twitter headquarters is shown in San Francisco, Dec. 8, 2022. Twitter has quietly removed a policy against the “targeted misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals,” raising concerns that the Elon Musk-owned platform is becoming less safe for marginalized groups. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
“SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Twitter has quietly removed a policy against the ‘targeted misgendering or deadnaming of transgender individuals,’ raising concerns that the Elon Musk-owned platform is becoming less safe for marginalized groups.
Twitter enacted the policy against deadnaming, or using a transgender person’s name before they transitioned, as well as purposefully using the wrong gender for someone as a form of harassment, in 2018.
On Monday, Twitter also said it will only put warning labels on some tweets that are ‘potentially’ in violation of its rules against hateful conduct. Previously, the tweets were removed.
It was in this policy update that Twitter appears to have deleted the line against deadnaming from its rules.
‘Twitter’s decision to covertly roll back its longtime policy is the latest example of just how unsafe the company is for users and advertisers alike,’ said Sarah Kate Ellis, the president and CEO of the advocacy group GLAAD. ‘This decision to roll back LGBTQ safety pulls Twitter even more out of step with TikTok, Pinterest, and Meta, which all maintain similar policies to protect their transgender users at a time when anti-transgender rhetoric online is leading to real world discrimination and violence.’
Twitter did immediately respond to a message for comment Tuesday.” [AP News]
Coroner: Aaron Carter drowned in tub from drug, inhalant
By ANDREW DALTON
FILE - Singer Aaron Carter arrives at a premiere of "Saints & Strangers" at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills, Calif., Nov. 9, 2015. Carter accidentally drowned in his bathtub due to sedatives he'd taken and gas used in spray cleaners he had inhaled, a coroner's report said Tuesday. The singer-rapper who began performing as a child and had hit albums starting in his teen years, was found dead Nov. 5, 2022, at his home in Southern California. He was 34. (Photo by Rich Fury/Invision/AP, File)
“LOS ANGELES (AP) — Singer and rapper Aaron Carter accidentally drowned in his bathtub as a result of sedatives he’d taken and gas used in spray cleaners he had inhaled, a coroner’s report said Tuesday.
Carter, the younger brother of the Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter, was found submerged and dead at age 34 in the bathtub of his home in Lancaster, California, on Nov. 5, the autopsy report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner said.
Sheriff’s deputies had been the last people to see Carter alive when they visited his house at 2 a.m. on Nov. 4 for a welfare check after he had been seen and heard ‘huffing’ an inhalant on an Instagram live video, according to a police report included in the autopsy findings. He asked the deputies to leave, and they did.
The autopsy found that the sedative alprazolam, often sold under the brand name Xanax, was found in his system, as was the compressed gas difluoroethane, which the report says is ‘a gas commonly used as a propellant in air spray cleaners,’ which ‘can induce feelings of euphoria when inhaled.’…” Read more at AP News