The Full Belmonte, 4/28/2022
Trevor ReedUSA TODAY
“Washington and Russia carried out an unexpected prisoner exchange in a time of high tensions, trading a Marine veteran jailed by Moscow for a convicted Russian drug trafficker serving a long prison sentence in America. The prisoner swap was the most prominent release during the Biden administration of an American deemed wrongly detained abroad and came even as families of detainees who have met over the last year with administration officials described the officials as cool to the idea of an exchange.” Read more at USA Today
“U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Thursday, as Russian forces continue to circle in on a steel plant in Mariupol considered the last legitimate holdout from the Russian advance into the Ukrainian city. The U.N. humanitarian office began coordinating the evacuation of civilians from the steel plant Wednesday, a day after after Guterres reached an agreement in principle with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Russia has reneged on previous deals for safe corridors. The U.S. also has reliable information that Russian military forces executed Ukrainians who were trying to surrender near Donetsk, an official said Wednesday. Meanwhile, Ukraine's General Staff said in a Thursday morning update that Russia is increasing the pace of its offensive in the east of Ukraine, the goal of which is to take full control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.” Read more at USA Today
“As part of the second phase of its invasion, Russian officials say they are actively trying to secure all of Ukraine's eastern regions. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned yesterday that any country interfering in Ukraine would be met with a ‘lightning-fast’ response from Moscow. This comes as Ukrainian officials said that almost the entire territory of the Luhansk region suffered shelling over the past 24 hours. In Kherson, there had been reports that the Russians would organize some form of a referendum on whether the southern region should become an independent republic, but a Russian-appointed official said its return to Ukrainian control is ‘impossible’ and has ruled out a referendum to decide its future. Separately, Canadian lawmakersyesterday voted unanimously to recognize ‘acts of genocide’ being committed by Russia in Ukraine. The Kremlin, however, continues to deny any involvement in the mass killings of Ukrainian civilians.” Read more at CNN
Poland and Bulgaria say Russia’s move is a breach of contracts.
PHOTO: KONSTANTINOS TSAKALIDIS/BLOOMBERG NEWS
“An energy battle is unfolding across Europe. After Moscow decided to halt gas flows to Poland and Bulgaria, the EU vowed to continue to phase out purchases of Russian gas, support countries affected by countermoves and speed up the switch to renewable energy. Russian energy giant Gazprom said it hadn’t received payment in rubles for gas, as required by President Vladimir Putin’s new decree. The EU is Russia’s main gas market. Meanwhile, an ammunition depot caught fire near Russia’s border with Ukraine.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“More than half of the 90 howitzers the U.S. is sending to Ukraine have been delivered, the Pentagon said. President Biden will deliver a speech this morning.” Read more at USA Today
“WASHINGTON — Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday released a report alleging that top Trump administration officials had awarded a $700 million pandemic relief loan to a struggling trucking company in 2020 over the objections of career officials at the Defense Department.
The report, released by the Democratic staff of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, describes the role of corporate lobbyists during the early months of the pandemic in helping to secure government funds as trillions of dollars of relief money were being pumped into the economy. It also suggests that senior officials such as Steven Mnuchin, the former Treasury secretary, and Mark T. Esper, the former defense secretary, intervened to ensure that the trucking company, Yellow Corporation, received special treatment despite concerns about its eligibility to receive relief funds.” Read more at New York Times
“News of skyrocketing inflation has many worried about the U.S. economy, but the fears may be unfounded. Consumers continue to spend freely, and businesses are still investing, even though the Commerce Department is expected to report little or no growth in the nation's gross domestic product for the first three months of this year.” Read more at NPR
“Dr. Fauci says the U.S. is ‘out of the pandemic phase,’ but warns the pandemic isn't over, just in a ‘more controlled phase.’ A large proportion of Americans have residual immunity from vaccinations or infections, and the U.S. has more tools to combat any possible surges.” Read more at NPR
“Vaccine maker Moderna requested emergency use authorization Thursday of its coronavirus vaccine for babies, toddlers and youngchildren — a highly anticipated step toward making shots available to the last group in U.S. society lacking access.
The path to a vaccine for the youngest children has been tortuous, marked by disappointing results, delays and confusing communication— and in the meantime, as many as 75 percent of children have been infected with the virus since the dawn of the pandemic, according to a new study.
Moderna’s announcement will intensify pressure on the Food and Drug Administration to move quickly, as parents, pediatricians and politicians have become increasingly impatient about the lack of vaccines and treatments to protect young children.
Politico reported last week that the agency may not make a decision on the vaccine until June and was leaning toward reviewing the Moderna shot for children younger than 6 alongside a three-dose regimen from Pfizer and German partner BioNTech. That has stoked anger and suspicion among some parents, who maintain that the agency is delaying vaccines. The FDA did not respond to questions about the timeline or its strategy on pediatric vaccines and has not announced a date for its external advisers to meet to review the Moderna vaccine data.” Read more at Washington Post
Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
“Addressing world leaders paying final respects to Madeleine Albright at the National Cathedral today, former President Bill Clinton recalled his final conversation with the former Secretary of State:
She didn't want to talk about her declining health at a moment when the West is on edge following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Clinton recalled that Albright assured him she was getting the best care but didn't want to ‘waste time’ talking about that, AP reports.
‘The only thing that really matters is what kind of world we're going to leave to our grandchildren,’ Clinton recalled Albright saying.
The former president added: ‘She made a decision with her last breath she would go out with her boots on.’” Read more at Axios
Photo: Evan Vucci/AP
Above ... 29 years of White House history: President Biden, former President Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama, former President Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Above: Two presidents.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
“House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy addressed leaked audio from conversations he had following the January 6, 2021, insurrection at a private GOP conference on Monday.” [Vox] Read more at CNN / Manu Raju, Melanie Zanona, and Lauren Fox
“In a recording released last week, McCarthy said he would ask then-President Donald Trump to resign for his role in inciting the attack on the Capitol. In another recording released Tuesday, McCarthy criticized the rhetoric of right-wing lawmakers.” [Vox] Read more at New York Times / Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin
“At Monday’s closed-door meeting, McCarthy claimed he never actually asked Trump to resign and was merely discussing all his options. Republicans gave him a standing ovation.” [Vox] Read more at Associated Press / Lisa Mascaro
“The revelations came at a critical time for McCarthy as he looks to take back control of the House in the 2022 midterms and become speaker.” [Vox] Read more at NBC News
“For now, it appears the tapes won’t derail those plans. Key Republicans, including Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, committed to sticking with him.” [Vox] Read more at Politico / Olivia Beavers and Sarah Ferris
“A grand jury that convened in November to examine evidence of potential crimes by Donald Trump is set to expire tomorrow. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg says investigators in his office are ‘going through documents, interviewing witnesses, and exploring evidence not previously explored.’” Read more at NPR
“The New York State Court of Appeals tossed out Democratic-drawn congressional and state Senate maps, ruling party leaders violated the state Constitution by ignoring the will of the voters.” Read more at Axios
“A Minnesota report commissioned in response to the death of George Floyd found Minneapolis and its police department engaged in a pattern of racially discriminatory practices.” [Vox] Read more at ABC News / Kiara Alfonseca
“New Jersey is facing a recall of more than 120,000 pounds of ground beef products over concerns they contain E. coli. No illnesses have been reported.” [Vox] Read more at National Public Radio / Joe Hernandez
“One year later, Derek Chauvin is appealing his conviction for the murder of George Floyd. He's asking a state court to send his case back to Hennepin County, order a new trial elsewhere, or order him to be resentenced.” Read more at NPR
“Disney's self-governing special district, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, says that Florida's move to dissolve the district next year is not legal unless the state pays off the district's extensive debts. Reedy Creek is a special purpose district created by state law in May 1967 that gives The Walt Disney Company governmental control over the land in and around its central Florida theme parks. With that power, Disney took over responsibility for providing municipal services like power, water, roads and fire protection -- but were also freed from paying taxes for services that benefited the broader public. Reedy Creek currently has about $1 billion in outstanding bond debt, according to the credit rating agency Fitch Ratings. Due to that pledge, Reedy Creek said it expects to continue business as usual.” Read more at CNN
“Rudy Giuliani, a central figure in former President Donald Trump's failed bid to overturn the 2020 election, is expected to appear next month before the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, insurrection, according to sources familiar with the matter. The expected appearance comes after months of negotiations between lawmakers and the former mayor of New York, who served as Trump's personal attorney for much of his presidency. Giuliani's upcoming appearance will occur while he faces legal jeopardy on several fronts. It also comes as several high-profile individuals from Trump's inner orbit have recently spoken with the committee voluntarily.” Read more at CNN
“Southern Californians were told yesterday to reduce outdoor watering in an ‘unprecedented’ order amid a historic drought. Officials are specifically demanding businesses and residents in parts of Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Bernardino counties cut outdoor watering to one day a week because they ‘don't have enough water to meet normal demands for the 6 million people living in the State Water Project dependent areas,’ a spokesman for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California said. Metropolitan is calling on residents in its region to cut their water consumption by 35% to avoid a full ban on watering later in the summer. The move comes as California faces persistent climate crisis-fueled dry conditions that have led to major water shortages, despite record snow in early winter.” Read more at CNN
“A 14-year-old boy arrested in connection with the death of 10-year-old Iliana Peters , who went by the name Lily, was being held in a juvenile detention center on $1 million bail Thursday. The teenager, who has not been named publicly, was charged in adult court with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree sexual assault and first-degree sexual assault of a child. If convicted of the homicide charge, the boy, who was arrested Tuesday evening, could be sentenced to life in prison. Prosecutors alleged the teen followed Peters out of her aunt's home Sunday night, then strangled and assaulted her on a walking trail where her body was found the next morning.” Read more at USA Today
“In a landmark ruling, Italy will include the surnames of both the father and the mother on new birth certificates, after the constitutional court ruled the practice of automatically registering newborn children under only the father’s name was ‘illegitimate.’ Parents will still be able to ultimately choose one surname or both, but the ruling paves the way for Italian women to be given stronger naming rights over their children. Previously women could only pass on their last name in cases where the father chose to be absent, effectively leaving the decision in the hands of the father.
‘Both parents should be able to share the choice of a surname, which is a fundamental element for one’s personal identity,’ the court wrote.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Legal reform | Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration is weighing the political costs of replacing India’s religion-based marriage and inheritance laws with a uniform civil code ahead of national elections in 2024. A reform risks alienating a broad spectrum of voters because of the perceived clash with their fundamental right to practice their faith.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Britain’s governing Conservative Party has called for an investigation into the case of a senior minister allegedly watching pornography on his cell phone while sitting in the House of Commons.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s decision to implement sweeping tax cuts and restore presidential powers held during the 10-year rule of his brother, Mahinda, has become a cautionary tale for populist leaders worldwide. In recent weeks the South Asian nation has run out of cash to pay for essential goods like food and fuel, leading to daily 13-hour power cuts. Protesters have camped outside his office for weeks to demand his resignation.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Hunger crisis | The Biden administration is drawing on emergency funding powers not used since 2014 as part of a U.S. effort to provide $670 million in food aid to six countries at risk of hunger: Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Yemen. Russia’s war in Ukraine is holding up grain shipments relied on by developing nations, threatening to throw an additional 40 million people into poverty, according to U.S. estimates.
Indonesia’s ban on palm oil exports kicked off today in one of the most drastic cases of food protectionism since the war erupted.” Read more at Bloomberg
Villagers in a withered corn field in Kilifi County, Kenya, on March 23. Photographer: Dong Jianghui/Xinhua News Agency
Jessica Watkins waves to the crowd as the crew heads for the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center yesterday. Photo: Craig Bailey/Florida Today via Reuters
“SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station — including the first Black woman making a long-term spaceflight, Jessica Watkins, a 33-year-old geologist.
Two Black women visited the space station during the shuttle era, but neither had a lengthy stay. Watkins, who is on NASA's short list for a moon-landing mission in the years ahead, sees her mission as ‘an important milestone ... for the agency and for the country,’ AP reports.
Watkins credits supportive family and mentors — including Mae Jemison, the first Black woman in space, in 1992.” Read more at Axios
Photo: Steve Nesius/Reuters
Above: The SpaceX Falcon rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
“Lives Lived: The artist Cynthia Albritton became known as the “Plaster Caster” for her sculptures of famous rock musicians’ genitals. She died at 74.” Read more at New York Times