The Full Belmonte, 4/20/2023
Rare bipartisan House coalition advances $95 billion foreign aid bill to likely passage, which could cost Johnson his speakership
“The legislation, crafted by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), contains funding for Ukraine and Israel in their wartime conflicts, as well as money for Indo-Pacific allies. More Democrats than Republicans supported the procedural motion known as a rule. The House is slated to vote on passage midday Saturday. But that vote could trigger a move to oust Johnson from his right flank, many of whom oppose Ukraine aid.”
Read more at Washington Post
Senate Passes Spying Bill, Rejecting Privacy Concerns
“The Senate passed legislation renewing a controversial foreign spying power, prevailing over objections from privacy advocates who warned the measure could lead to a dramatic expansion of government surveillance on Americans.”
READ MORE at Wall Street Journal
Man dies after setting himself on fire outside Trump trial after full jury set
“A man set himself on fire on Friday afternoon near the Lower Manhattan courthouse where jurors were being chosen for the criminal trial of former President Donald J. Trump.
The man, who had lingered outside the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse earlier this week, doused himself with accelerant at around 1:35 p.m. in Collect Pond Park, across the street from the building. Onlookers screamed and started to run, and soon, bright orange flames engulfed the man. He threw leaflets espousing anti-government conspiracy theories into the air before setting himself on fire.
People rushed and tried to put out the flames, but the intensity of the heat could be felt from some distance.
After a minute or two, dozens of police officers arrived, running around and climbing over barricades to extinguish the blaze. The man was loaded into an ambulance and rushed to a hospital burn unit. He died on Friday night.
City officials identified the man as Max Azzarello, 37, of St. Augustine, Fla. Mr. Azzarello had appeared outside the courthouse on Thursday, holding a sign displaying the address of a website where the same pamphlets were uploaded. The top post of the website says, ‘I have set myself on fire outside the Trump Trial.’
Mr. Azzarello walked around Lower Manhattan earlier in the week, holding a sign on Wednesday critical of New York University at Washington Square Park before moving on Thursday to Collect Pond Park.
At the park on Thursday, Mr. Azzarello had held up various signs and at one point shouted toward a group of reporters gathered there, ‘Biggest scoop of your life or your money back!’ One of his signs claimed that Mr. Trump and President Biden were ‘about to fascist coup us.’
Officials identified the man who set himself on fire as Max Azzarello, 37, of St. Augustine, Fla. He appeared outside the courthouse on Thursday.Credit...Nate Schweber for The New York Times
In an interview that day, he said his critical views of the American government were shaped by his research into Peter Thiel, the technology billionaire and political provocateur who is a major campaign donor, and into cryptocurrency.
Mr. Azzarello said he had relocated from Washington Square Park because with the cold weather, he thought more people would be outside the courthouse.
‘Trump’s in on it,’ Mr. Azzarello said on Thursday. ‘It’s a secret kleptocracy, and it can only lead to an apocalyptic fascist coup.’
Mr. Azzarello arrived in New York City sometime after April 13, the police said, and his family in St. Augustine did not know about his whereabouts until after the incident. While Mr. Azzarello was recently in Florida, he had connections to the New York City area and worked for Representative Tom Suozzi during his 2013 campaign for Nassau County executive on Long Island.
A man at a Brooklyn address associated with a possible relative of Mr. Azarello’s declined to comment on Thursday.
Over the past year, however, Mr. Azzarello’s behavior appeared to become more erratic. He was arrested three times in 2023 on misdemeanor charges in Florida, and he posted online in August that he had just spent three days in a psychiatric hospital.
Later that month, while dining at the Casa Monica Hotel in St. Augustine, he threw a glass of wine at a framed autograph of former President Bill Clinton. He showed up to the hotel again, two days later on Aug. 21, stripped to his underwear and shouted profanities at guests while blasting music from a speaker.
Three days later, police arrested him for defacing and breaking signs belonging to several businesses. He took a pest control sign from the yard of one business that had warned passers-by to keep children and pets away for their safety. In comments to the police, he said that ‘the pest control company was there to exterminate children and dogs.’
His mug shot shows Mr. Azzarello sticking his tongue out.
In addition to his website, Mr. Azzarello was also active on social media, promoting anti-government literature on Instagram. Most of his online posts before the spring of 2022 were of his travels and his family, and he noted that his mother died in April 2022 from complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
About a year later, he posted a photo of what appeared to be his Covid-19 vaccination card — defaced with the words ‘Super Ponzi’ and the symbol for Bitcoin….” Read more at New York Times
VW Workers Vote to Join UAW in Historic Southern Win for Union
Volkswagen automobile plant workers celebrated after a majority voted to join the United Automobile Workers union.Credit...George Walker IV/Associated Press
“Workers at Volkswagen’s Tennessee factory voted to join the United Auto Workers, marking a historic win for the 89-year-old union that is seeking to expand where it has struggled before, with foreign-owned factories in the South.”
READ MORE at Wall Street Journal
Biden administration restricts oil and gas leasing in 13 million acres of Alaska’s petroleum reserve
“The Biden administration said Friday it will restrict new oil and gas leasing on 13 million acres of a federal petroleum reserve in Alaska to help protect wildlife such as caribou and polar bears as the Arctic continues to warm.” Read More at AP News
“The University of Southern California said it would have no outside speakers at graduation this year, after its decision to cancel its Muslim valedictorian’s speech stirred controversy.” [Wall Street Journal]
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton can be disciplined for suit to overturn 2020 election, court says
“A Texas appeals court has ruled that Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton can face discipline from the state bar association over his failed effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election.” Read More at AP News
“First Religious Charter School Sparks Legal, Philosophical Battles - Oklahoma school, which is set to become the nation’s first religious charter, finds little support among broader community charter advocates.” [Wall Street Journal]
U.S. to withdraw troops from Niger after Washington and junta fail to agree on continued military presence, U.S. officials say
“Kurt Campbell, the State Department’s No. 2 official, met with Niger’s prime minister Friday and accepted his demand that American forces leave the West African country, a move the Biden administration had resisted and one that is certain to transform the United States’ counterterrorism posture in that part of the world.”
Read more at Washington Post
Israel Strikes Iran
A woman watches an Iranian news TV channel in Tehran covering an “explosion” near Isfahan, Iran, on April 19.Hossein Beris/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images
“International leaders urged calm on Friday after Israel launched retaliatory strikes against Iran. Small drones reportedly targeted locations in the Iranian cities of Isfahan and Tabriz. Isfahan, home to the country’s largest nuclear research complex as well as several military sites, is believed to have been one of several launch sites that Iran used in its attack on Israel last Saturday. Initial reports detailed no significant damage, and the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed there was no damage to the nuclear complex. Iranian officials said the strike on Tabriz, located roughly 500 miles north of Isfahan, was intercepted by the country’s air defenses.
‘It is high time to stop the dangerous cycle of retaliation in the Middle East,’ said Stéphane Dujarric, a spokesperson for United Nations chief António Guterres, on Friday. Israel did not comment on the attack or say whether further action might occur. Tehran, for its part, appeared to downplay the attack as a ‘failed and humiliating’ operation. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that the country has no plans to respond, even though Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi previously warned that Tehran would deliver a ‘severe response’ to any attack on its territory.
‘We are not out of the woods entirely,’ Ali Vaez, the director of the International Crisis Group’s Iran project, told FP’s Amy Mackinnon and Christina Lu. ‘Both sides can still miscalculate and deliberately or inadvertently cross the nebulous new red lines.’
Israeli officials warned the United States on Thursday that they planned to attack Iran within 24 to 48 hours, Bloomberg reported. However, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Friday that Washington told the G-7 that it was ‘informed at the last minute,’ and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken refused to comment on the timeline, only saying the United States was not involved in any ‘offensive operations.’ A U.S. official told CNN that the Biden administration ‘didn’t endorse’ Israel’s actions.
G-7 foreign ministers, who were gathered for a conference in Italy, urged all parties on Friday to prevent escalation, as did European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. ‘It is absolutely necessary that the region remains stable and that all sides restrain from further action,’ she said, speaking from Finland. The foreign ministers also pushed for a cease-fire in Gaza, the release all Hamas-held hostages, increased aid deliveries to Palestinians, and Israel holding off on its planned operation against the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Middle Eastern nations also called for restraint. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi warned against any actions that ‘threaten dragging the region into war,’ Egypt sought the ‘highest levels’ of de-escalation, and Oman urged foreign leaders to ‘treat the causes and roots’ of regional instability by focusing efforts on a ‘just and lasting solution to the Palestinian cause.’ Turkey blamed Israel’s initial April 1 attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria for threatening permanent conflict.
China said it opposed any escalatory actions and would ‘continue to play a constructive role to de-escalate the situation.’ Beijing is Tehran’s top trading partner, and U.S. officials have publicly called on China to use its economic leverage to get Iran to curb its actions. However, as Lu reports, that’s easier said than done.” [Foreign Policy]
“New Delhi votes. India kicked off its first wave of parliamentary elections on Friday with more than 960 million voters eligible to cast their ballots—making this the world’s biggest election. Incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking a third five-year term. New Delhi’s multiphase general election will conclude on June 1, with results expected on June 4. The BJP is expected to maintain its majority against the opposition Indian National Congress party.
Since taking office in May 2014, Modi has pushed a Hindu nationalist agenda, advanced infrastructure projects to compete with China, more than tripled internet access, and pursued an assertive foreign policy. ‘Modi is projecting an image of a more powerful, muscular, prideful nation—and Indians are in thrall to the self-portrait,’ FP’s Ravi Agrawal wrote in FP’s Spring print issue. However, rights groups have criticized Modi for centralizing power around the BJP, accusing him of hurting India’s democratic institutions and discriminating against minority groups.” [Foreign Policy]
“NATO news. NATO agreed to give Ukraine more air defenses in the near future, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said at the NATO-Ukraine Council on Friday. These would likely include Patriot and SAMP/T systems as well as spare parts to maintain weapons already in Ukraine. Nations that can’t supply such air defense systems will provide financial assistance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday that Kyiv needs at least seven more Patriot systems or similar weaponry in its war against Russia.
On Thursday, Argentina formally requested to join NATO as a ‘global partner’—a designation below the level of ‘ally’ that is available to countries outside of NATO’s geographical area. Global partners are not required to participate in collective military actions, nor are they covered under NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause like full members. However, partnership status offers potential access to advanced technology and other resources that are otherwise unavailable.
Far-right Argentinian President Javier Milei is pursuing the designation in a bid to bolster relations with the West and increase foreign investment. Milei has shifted Buenos Aires’s foreign policy in recent months to a staunchly pro-U.S. position. If all 32 NATO members approve Argentina’s bid, then Buenos Aires would become the second Latin American nation to partner with the alliance, after Colombia. The other partners are Afghanistan (currently suspended), Australia, Iraq, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, and Pakistan.” [Foreign Policy]
“Deadly helicopter crash. Kenyan authorities began investigating a helicopter crash on Friday that killed defense chief Gen. Francis Omondi Ogolla and nine other top military officials in a remote area the day before. Two people survived Thursday’s crash, including the pilot. It is unclear what caused the deadly incident. In response, President William Ruto announced three days of mourning. Ogolla, who was appointed head of defense last April, was the first Kenyan military chief to die while in office.” [Foreign Policy]
“Terrorism in Pakistan. The U.S. consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, warned its citizens on Friday to avoid high-end hotels in the city, citing reports of a possible terrorist attack. It also urged people to avoid crowds and keep a low profile in the coming days.
The alert came the same day that a suicide bomber attempted to attack a vehicle transporting five Japanese nationals. Police apprehended the suspects, and the targets escaped unharmed, though officials said one bystander was killed. No group has claimed responsibility, and there appears to be no evidence linking the U.S. warning with the attempted attack.” [Foreign Policy]
Banking regulators plan to revive a proposal requiring big banks to defer executive pay and curb bonuses if losses pile up, according to people familiar with the matter.
“The 2010 Dodd-Frank financial law requires compensation rules, but efforts to institute them never came to fruition. Any move to advance new rules would likely face renewed opposition from banks. Meanwhile, the government wants to fix a flawed century-old lending lifeline for troubled banks. Fear of looking weak has lenders desperate to avoid using the Fed’s so-called discount window—which enables them to borrow funds from the central bank to tide them over during a cash crunch. Regulators say that requiring banks to tap the lender of last resort a set number of times each year to test their ability to borrow ahead of any emergency would remove the stigma. Votes on the proposal are expected as soon as next month.” [Wall Street Journal]
GAME OF THE WEEK
The Knicks’ Donte DiVincenzo in a game earlier this month. David Banks/USA Today Sports, via Reuters
“Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks, N.B.A. playoffs: The Knicks are a No. 2 seed in the East after their best regular season in over a decade. The team’s core — Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo — were college teammates and close friends at Villanova. Their style is tough, defensive, exhausting. Brunson, in particular, has emerged as a star: He scored 40 or more points in 11 games this season, good for second-most in the league.” 6 p.m. Eastern today on ESPN [New York Times]
THE WEEK IN CULTURE
Theater
Nichelle Lewis, left, plays Dorothy in a new revival of “The Wiz.” Richard Termine for The New York Times
“‘The Wiz’ is back on Broadway, nearly 50 years after it debuted, with Wayne Brady in the role of the great and powerful Wiz. Read our review.
Rachel Zegler, who played Maria in Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story,’ will star in a Broadway revival of “Romeo and Juliet,” Playbill reports. It will feature music by Jack Antonoff.
In “Patriots,” now on Broadway, the creator of “The Crown” turns his attention to another period of modern history: the rise of Vladimir Putin.
Dozens of theater, film and media stars turned out for the opening of “Suffs,” a new musical about women’s suffrage produced by Hillary Clinton and Malala Yousafzai.
Music
Republic Records, via Associated Press
Taylor Swift released “The Tortured Poets Department.” It is a return to her specialty, Lindsay Zoladz writes, ‘autobiographical and sometimes spiteful tales of heartbreak, full of detailed, referential lyrics.’
Madison Malone Kircher spoke with students in a Swift-focused English course at Harvard about their reaction to the new album.
More than two decades after they first dated, Nelly and Ashanti rekindled their romance, became engaged and are having a baby.
Film and TV
“Dune: Part Two” is now available to rent online. For those who have seen it, the director Denis Villeneuve answers all the nerdy questions you might have.
A retrospective of Ken Loach’s work at Film Forum in New York shows how his movies form a cinema of working-class superheroes, Jeannette Catsoulis writes.
The activist entertainment company Participant, which produced socially conscious films like Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” is shutting down after 20 years.
Other Big Stories
This week was the Salone del Mobile, Milan’s annual fair of furniture and interior design. T Magazine picked 10 standouts from the show.
The singer FKA Twigs will perform with the Martha Graham Dance Company. ‘This is really important for my spirit,’ she said.
More books were removed from American public schools in the first half of this school year than in the entire previous one, according to PEN America.” [New York Times]