The Full Belmonte, 4/6/2024
The U.S. is preparing a new proposal to Russia to secure the release of WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan, its chief hostage diplomat said.
“The Americans—both of whom the U.S. government has deemed wrongfully detained—have been the subject of prisoner-swap talks before; Moscow rejected Washington’s latest proposal. Last year, Gershkovich became the first U.S. journalist detained in Russia on an allegation of espionage since the end of the Cold War. He, the WSJ and the U.S. government vehemently deny the accusation. Whelan was convicted on espionage charges that he and the U.S. government deny and is serving a 16-year sentence. Moscow has said that it is following its laws in both cases. The Russian embassy in Washington didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.” [Wall Street Journal]
Quake shakes East Coast
Data: USGS; Map: Will Chase/Axios
“An estimated 42 million people, in several states across the East Coast, felt today's 4.8-magnitude earthquake, even hundreds of miles away from the epicenter near Lebanon, N.J.
An earthquake of the same magnitude on the West Coast probably wouldn't have been felt so far away, experts say. That's partly because the rock in the eastern U.S. is much older than rock in the West.
Earthquakes are much less common on the East Coast.
The latest: New Yorkers were ‘a little freaked out’ by the surprise this morning, but the quake caused little damage and life is largely back to normal.” [Axios]
Biden urges Egypt, Qatar leaders to press Hamas to come to agreement for Israeli hostages in Gaza
“President Joe Biden on Friday wrote to the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, calling on them to press Hamas for a hostage deal with Israel, according to a senior administration official, one day after Biden called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to redouble efforts to reach a cease-fire in the six-month-old war in Gaza.” Read More at AP News
Trump’s Lawyers Told the Court That No One Would Give Him a Bond. Then He Got a Lifeline, but They Didn’t Tell the Judges.
“An appeals court reduced Trump’s bond by more than 60% after his attorneys claimed it was a ‘practical impossibility’ to pay the full amount. Their failure to disclose a proposal from a billionaire financier may have violated ethics rules.” [ProPublica]
Judge says Trump’s lawyers can’t force NBC to turn over materials related to ‘Stormy’ documentary
“Donald Trump’s lawyers were blocked Friday from forcing NBC to provide them with materials related to the TV network’s recent documentary about porn actor Stormy Daniels, a key prosecution witness at the former president’s upcoming hush-money criminal trial in New York.” Read More at AP News
Trump's growing pains
Photo Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images
“Since former President Trump's smooth glide to becoming the GOP's presumptive nominee, his pivot to a general-election campaign has been more chaotic, Axios' Sophia Cai and Alex Thompson report.
Why it matters: Many of the hiccups have revolved around Trump's takeover of the RNC. His team now has rehired many of the 60 staffers who were fired when Trump took control last month.
It's the latest in a series of reversals by Trump's team at the RNC, now led by chair Michael Whatley and Lara Trump, his daughter-in-law.
Those who've been rehired include most of the RNC's staff in key states, including five regional political directors and most of the committee's state directors. Some are unsure what their roles are now.
Also rehired: staffers who worked on the RNC's state strategies and data teams.
Behind the scenes: Part of the Trump team's challenge is that his primary campaign involved only a few dozen people. Now that the RNC is essentially a part of Trump's campaign, the entire operation needs to grow quickly.
The campaign and the RNC — which have lagged President Biden and Democrats in fundraising — have kickstarted fundraising with a joint committee that allows donations of up to $814,600.
The RNC and Trump's campaign raised nearly $66 million in March, surpassing the $62 million they raised in the same period four years ago. A fundraiser in Palm Beach tonight at the home of billionaire investor John Paulson is on track to raise at least $43 million.
The campaign has hired veteran pollster Tony Fabrizio, who moved over from a pro-Trump Super PAC, and GOP operative Alex Garcia.
Zoom in: The team's growing pains were evident from the start of Trump's takeover of the RNC.
On his first day, new chief operating officer Sean Cairncross alerted the 60 staffers that they were being asked to resign and reapply, in an email that misspelled his name.
After a backlash over the RNC's reported plans to cut community centers and an early voting program, Whatley sent out a memo stating his support for those programs.
On a call with reporters last week, the campaign said it ‘terminated a couple people because they leak.’” [Axios]
Where abortion is on the ballot
Data: Axios research. Chart: Axios Visuals
“Florida this week joined other states that have successfully, or are aiming to, put abortion on the ballot for voters in November.
The big picture: Democrats are rushing to get abortion rights measures on '24 ballots as it looks to be a winning issue with the potential to draw otherwise uninspired voters to the polls, Axios' Stef W. Kight and Alex Thompson note.
Zoom in: Floridians will vote this November on whether to protect access until fetal viability — around 24–28 weeks of pregnancy — in the state constitution, Axios' Sareen Habeshian reports.
Maryland's Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment would add a new article to the state constitution guaranteeing the right ‘to make and effectuate decisions to prevent, continue, or end one's own pregnancy.’
Colorado voters will be looking at competing ballot measures on abortion: guarantee constitutional access or ban it and make it a crime.” [Axios]
Tennessee case challenges abortion ban: 3 takeaways from arguments
BY JOSEPH CHOI
“A three-judge panel in Tennessee heard arguments Thursday in a case seeking to have the state’s near-total abortion ban declared unconstitutional.
The nine plaintiffs include seven women who say their health and fertility were threatened by their doctors refusing to perform medically necessary abortions due to fear of prosecution, as well as two Tennessee OB-GYNs who say the ban impedes their ability to provide treatment.”
Read the full story here at The Hill
“Looks like it’s still going to be higher for longer. That was the consensus after jobs data released Friday showed nonfarm payrolls rose 303,000 in March, well above expectations and the most in almost a year. ‘It’s much too soon to think about cutting interest rates,’ Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Lorie Logan said after the report. She echoed other Fed members in recent days, including Chair Jerome Powell, all of whom say they’re in no rush. The day before, Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari floated the possibility of no cuts at all this year, citing concern about the rise in inflation in January and February. As a result, all eyes will be on next week’s inflation report.
Lorie Logan Photographer: Nitashia Johnson/Bloomberg
The good news for job hunters—the unemployment rate ticked down to 3.8% from 3.9% a month earlier—did worsen an already rough start for bond traders this year. Nevertheless, Jonathan Levin writes in Bloomberg Opinion, ‘investors should take the resilient labor market for what it plainly is: a good thing for American workers and the economy at large.’ He quoted Powell, who has previously said a weakening labor market could warrant intervention. This week, the Fed Chair stated that the ‘capacity of the economy has actually moved up more than the actual output, so it’s a bigger economy but not a tighter one.’ Part of that is due to increased immigration and more workers being added to the pool. George Mateyo at Key Wealth said, given all the good news, the Fed ‘will likely need to reconsider its current stance of three rate cuts this year.
What you’ll want to read this weekend
Israel’s air strike that killed seven aid workers from World Food Kitchen drew international condemnation and ratcheted up tensions between the US and Israeli leaders. In a call on Thursday, President Joe Biden told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that US support for his military’s operations in Gaza depends on new steps to protect civilians. But no specific consequences, like cutting off weapons to Israel, were made public—and the incident underscored the limits of Biden’s leverage even as famine threatens northern Gaza. Amid growing public demonstrations against Netanyahu and his hard-right government, Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet, called for early elections. Israel also braced for a possible attack by Iran as revenge for a strike on a diplomatic compound in Syria that killed senior Iranian military officials.
The destroyed World Central Kitchen vehicle after it was hit by an Israeli strike in Deir al-Balah in Gaza. Photographer: AFP
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen chided China for “unfair” treatment of American and other foreign companies and said the Asian nation’s factories risk producing more than the world can easily absorb. Her remarks came at the start of her second visit to China in nine months. En route, she suggested the US will retain the option of protecting new industrial sectors after what she described as China’s massive state investment in its own domestic industries, including clean energy.
Tesla delivered just 386,810 vehicles in the first three months of the year, missing Bloomberg’s average estimate by the biggest margin ever in data going back seven years. The company is slashing prices of its best-selling vehicle, the Model Y sport utility, in a bid to clear its biggest-ever stockpile. The global slowdown in electric vehicle demand, along with robust domestic competition, is hurting Elon Musk’s standing in China, the world’s biggest automotive market. Musk, meantime, is having to make special efforts to retain artificial intelligence specialists, some of whom have left the carmaker in the past year to join his AI venture. And here’s how Hertz’s bet on Tesla’s went horribly sideways.
The New York area’s strongest earthquake in 140 years rattled northern New Jersey on Friday morning, shaking office buildings in Manhattan and halting air traffic, with an aftershock afterwards. The preliminary 4.8 magnitude temblor occurred near Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, and was felt as far away as Massachusetts and Washington DC. But there’s another planetary event coming that’s likely to cause less worry. “I’m here to tell you,” Bloomberg space reporter Loren Grush writes, “It’s going to live up to the hype.” American cities and towns along the “path of totality” for Monday’s full eclipse of the sun are expecting huge crowds for an event that won’t occur at the same scale in the US again until 2045. “You feel like the world is ending but your mind knows it’s not,” Grush writes. Some 32 million Americans live where the sun will be blotted out completely, but here’s a handy interactive map of just how dark and spooky it will get where you live. Please don’t forget to take proper precautions to protect your eyes.
The latest jobs report is another labor-market boost for President Joe Biden. | Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo
“JOBS DAY — The March jobs report blew past expectations today, showing that the labor market — and the economy more broadly — remains in robust health despite the Fed’s sustained higher interest rates.
U.S. employers added 303,000 new jobs last month, way above economists’ predictions of 200,000, and the unemployment rate ticked down from 3.9% to 3.8%, per the new Labor Department data. That marks 39 months in a row of hiring increases and the longest sustained period of sub-4% unemployment in several decades. In another positive indicator, the size of the labor force leapt up in March, signaling that more people are getting off the sidelines to look for employment.
The flip side of a strong labor market, of course, is that quickly rising wages can put pressure on inflation — which continues to be the predominant economic concern for many Americans. But in March, hourly wages were up 4.1% annually, the smallest such increase in three years, ‘which might allay any such fears,’ AP’s Paul Wiseman notes.
The upshot is another very strong outlook for the U.S. economy — and a boost for President JOE BIDEN, who’s still working to yank Americans’ perceptions of the economy out of the gutter. Biden’s White House statement trumpeted ‘the milestone of 15 million jobs created since I took office.’ It’s now looking likelier that the Fed has mostly achieved its soft landing of bringing down inflation without tanking the economy, and that we’ve ‘reached a healthy equilibrium in which a steady roll of commercial activity, growing employment and rising wages coexist,’ NYT’s Talmon Joseph Smith reports. ‘This report is like the macroeconomist’s Holy Grail,’ one economist tells the AP.
Paradoxically, one of the factors propping the economy up is also one of the top issues that has soured Americans on Biden: the surge of immigration, both legal and illegal, over the past couple of years. ‘Economists think that as immigration adds to the labor supply, job growth can remain strong without overheating the economy,’ NYT’s Jeanna Smialek reports. High immigration might also help reduce deficits, Semafor’s Jordan Weissmann reports, and it helps explain why the U.S. has outstripped its peer countries in the post-pandemic recovery.
But, but, but: Inflation still remains higher than the Fed’s target — and than most people would prefer. With prices significantly elevated above their levels from just a few years ago, many Americans’ pessimism about the economy is hard to shake, CNN’s David Goldman notes.” [POLITICO]
Biden's half-trillion-dollar edge
Data: The White House. (Projects with announced totals, excluding projects in tribes or their subdivisions, or projects that span multiple states.) Map: Axios Visuals
“President Biden's infrastructure and clean-energy bills are pumping a half-trillion dollars into projects nationwide — half of that to Republican and swing states, Axios' Hans Nichols writes.
Why it matters: The funding lets Biden and his cabinet regularly announce job-creating goodies — winning voters town by town, trip by trip.
The swing-state largesse includes $10 billion in grants and investments in both Michigan and North Carolina — and a combined $46 billion in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Nevada, Arizona and Georgia. Those are the seven swing states in the presidential race.
As of early March, the White House had announced a total of $478 billion in projects from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.
That's only about half the funds available for direct investments. So expect continuing Air Force One (and Two) sorties to battleground states to announce more billion-dollar grants and loans.
The intrigue: In a second term, former President Trump would try to unwind Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, which passed Congress with no GOP support. But the scale of investments in red states will make that hard.
‘I hate to acknowledge this, as a former governor of Michigan. But we know that all these battery investments are going to red states,’ Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told Axios last week.
And as much as some Republicans have criticized Biden's economic programs, ‘those governors aren't going to want to see the investment — the Inflation Reduction Act — reversed,’ Granholm added.
In a 24-hour blitz through Michigan last week, Granholm announced a $1.52 billion loan guarantee to restart a nuclear facility and visited a Heinz-Kraft relish factory that received a $13 million grant.
What's next: Biden is starting to dole out grants and loans from his third signature bill, the Chips and Science Act — which includes $39 billion in grants, plus loans and loan guarantees valued at $75 billion.
Last month, he traveled to Arizona — one of his top November targets — to announce $20 billion in federal funding for an Intel semiconductor facility.” [Axios]
DEFCON 1 hurricane forecast
Data: NOAA. Map: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals
“Barring surprising changes, Americans should prepare for a potentially expensive, damaging and life-threatening Atlantic hurricane season, Axios extreme weather expert Andrew Freedman writes.
Why it matters: Hurricane seasons that featured a similar combination of factors have been among the most dangerous on record. But this year may have the most combustible mix yet.
Meteorologists at Colorado State University are calling for a staggering 23 named storms, 11 hurricanes and five major hurricanes.
The average season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major ones.
Threat level: A combination of two main factors is making forecasters go to DEFCON 1:
1. A waning El Niño in the tropical Pacific is forecast to quickly transition into a La Niña by the fall — during the heart of hurricane season. (What that means.)
Wind changes associated with a La Niña event make the environment in the North Atlantic more hospitable for hurricanes.
2. Ocean temperatures in the tropical Atlantic are off-the-charts warm for this time of year.
They're running three months ahead: Current ocean temperatures are more typical for July.
What we're watching: Hurricane season officially begins June 1. But in recent years, storms have formed in May.” [Axios]
New mass graves in Rwanda reveal cracks in reconciliation efforts, 30 years after the genocide
“As Rwanda prepares to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the genocide next week, continuing discoveries of mass graves are a stark reminder not only of the country’s determination to reconcile with its grim past but also of the challenges it faces in aiming for lasting peace.” Read More at AP News
‘Specific, Concrete’ Steps for Gaza
A dog walks next to the damaged Erez crossing area in southern Israel on Jan. 3.Maja Hitij/Getty Images
“Israel’s security cabinet approved the reopening of northern Gaza’s Erez crossing and the temporary use of the Ashdod port late Thursday—mere hours after a phone call in which U.S. President Joe Biden demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implement ‘specific, concrete’ steps to alleviate the enclave’s humanitarian crisis. Israel also said it would increase the number of Jordanian aid shipments allowed to pass through the Kerem Shalom land crossing.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed these new measures on Friday but said they may not be enough to meet the Biden administration’s demands. ‘The real test is results, and that’s what we’re looking to see in the coming days and the coming weeks,’ Blinken said. He also called on Israel to bolster protections for aid workers and civilians.
On Monday, a series of Israeli drone strikes killed seven volunteers with World Central Kitchen, a Washington-based nonprofit that delivers meals to communities struck by humanitarian disasters. Foreign leaders, aid workers, and rights groups accused Israel of recklessly striking civilians. In response, Israel dismissed two senior officers and reprimanded three others on Friday for their roles in the strikes, the most senior being the head of Israel’s Southern Command.
According to Israeli military officials, the officers mishandled critical information that incorrectly identified the convoy’s aid trucks as cars transporting militants and violated the army’s rules of engagement, which say officers must have more than one reason for identifying someone as a target before they can launch an attack. An Israeli investigation determined that a colonel authorized Monday’s drone strikes based on one major’s incorrect observation from grainy drone-camera footage. Both the major and colonel were fired. Further punishment or possible prosecution is still to be determined.
‘It’s a serious event that we are responsible for, and it shouldn’t have happened, and we will make sure that it won’t happen again,’ Israeli spokesperson Daniel Hagari said. He declined to answer whether similar violations have occurred during the Israel-Hamas war, which began on Oct. 7, 2023.
‘Let’s be very clear. This is tragic, but it is not an anomaly,’ said Scott Paul, the associate director for peace and security at Oxfam. ‘The killing of aid workers in Gaza has been systemic.’ More than 220 humanitarian workers have been killed during the conflict thus far, the United Nations reported, and Israel continues to ban UNRWA employees from reaching northern Gaza, where famine is reportedly imminent and Palestinians have been surviving on an average of 245 calories a day since January. Biden warned on Thursday that U.S. policy toward Israel would change if the country does not adequately address Gaza’s ongoing humanitarian crisis.” [Foreign Policy]
What We’re Following
“Armenia pivots west. The European Union announced a plan on Friday to allocate nearly $293 million to Armenia to support local businesses over the next four years as part of ‘a new and ambitious partnership agenda.’ The funds would specifically target electrification and renewable energy projects to help pull Yerevan out of Russia’s orbit. Moscow owns much of Armenia’s energy infrastructure, but bilateral ties have soured in recent years as Russia has failed to help address Armenia’s conflict with Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
‘We welcome Armenia’s efforts in the direction of democracy, fighting corruption, and establishing the rule of law,’ EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell said on the sidelines of Friday’s summit, which also involved Blinken, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
The move is Armenia’s latest bid to shift closer toward its Western neighbors. In February, Yerevan effectively suspended its membership in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization. It invited U.S. troops to train on Armenian soil last year, has financially supported Ukraine in its war against Russia, and hinted at applying for EU membership in the near future.” [Foreign Policy]
“Russian air base attack. Ukrainian forces destroyed six Russian warplanes at Morozovsk air base in Rostov Oblast on Friday. Eight other aircraft were damaged in the attack, and around 20 service personnel were reportedly wounded or killed, security officials told the BBC. Morozovsk houses Su-27 and Su-34 aircraft, which are used on the front lines. ‘The operation is important to decrease Russian military potential,’ a Ukrainian official told CNN.
Moscow did not confirm an attack on Morozovsk, but its Defense Ministry said Russian troops shot down 53 Ukrainian drones overnight, mostly over Rostov. Kyiv has increased its drone attacks on Russian soil in recent weeks. On Tuesday, it targeted Russia’s third-largest oil refinery in an effort to curb Moscow’s revenue streams.” [Foreign Policy]
“Diplomatic turmoil. Somalia gave Ethiopia’s ambassador 72 hours to leave the country in a warning on Thursday over Addis Ababa’s plan to recognize Somaliland, a breakaway region that Mogadishu does not see as a sovereign entity, in exchange for building a naval base there. Somalia also closed two Ethiopian consulates and recalled its own ambassador from Addis Ababa over the dispute. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud condemned the port deal as illegal in February and said Mogadishu would ‘defend itself’ if Ethiopia built it anyway.
Meanwhile, Mexico granted former Ecuadorean Vice President Jorge Glas political asylum on Friday—one day after Ecuador designated Mexico’s ambassador persona non grata. Glas was sentenced to six years in prison in 2017 on corruption charges and has been sheltering in Mexico’s embassy in Quito since December.
Thursday’s persona non grata designation followed Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador comparing violence during the run-up to Ecuador’s elections last year to Mexico’s own issues with assassinations. Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated last August, and a Mexican mayoral candidate was shot to death on Monday.” [Foreign Policy]
THE WEEK IN CULTURE
Film and TV
Maya Rudolph, left, and Kristen Wiig. OK McCausland for The New York Times
“Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph are good friends and alumnae of “Saturday Night Live.” They spoke with The Times about their new Apple TV+ show, “Palm Royale.”
Andrew Scott, the Irish actor known for playing the priest in “Fleabag,” will star in a Netflix adaptation of “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” Read a review.
Rumors have swirled about who might play James Bond next. Styles reporters discussed possible candidates, including Dev Patel and Jennifer Lawrence.
“Godzilla x Kong” has plenty of destruction, but little concern about death toll, writes Esther Zuckerman.
Eli Noyes, an animator whose clay and sand stop-motion animations influenced a generation of filmmakers, died at 81.
Art
In an age when images of naked bodies are easily accessible, a new generation of artists are painting nudes that reflect a fuller understanding of the body.
The Whitney Museum of American Art appointed Kim Conaty, the curator behind the museum’s celebrated Edward Hopper exhibition, as its new chief curator.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Tracey Ellis Ross and Gayle King were among the stars who came out to celebrate New York’s museums this week. See photos from the parties.
Other Big Stories
Forbes added Taylor Swift to its list of billionaires. The publication reports that she became a billionaire last year, largely because of her Eras Tour.
Boat shoes go in and out of fashion like the tide. Right now, they’re very much in.
The estate of George Carlin reached a settlement with the makers of a podcast who had used A.I. to impersonate the comedian.” [New York Times]
GAME OF THE WEEK
Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina’s star center. Steph Chambers/Getty Images
“South Carolina vs. Iowa, women’s N.C.A.A. championship: South Carolina is one win away from a perfect season, after the Gamecocks easily handled N.C. State, 78 to 59. This game might not be so easy, though, as they face Caitlin Clark and Iowa, who outlasted UConn last night, 71 to 69, to reach their second straight final. Clark has racked up countless records over her college career, but she hasn’t won a national title. This will be her last chance. 3 p.m. Eastern tomorrow on ABC” [New York Times]
50 years ago: Hank Aaron's 715th
Hank Aaron brandishes the ball he hit for his 715th career home run, against the L.A. Dodgers in Atlanta on April 8, 1974. Photo: Bob Daugherty/AP
“On Monday, the Atlanta Braves will honor the 50th anniversary of legendary slugger Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's home run record, Axios Atlanta's Kristal Dixon writes.
"Hammerin' Hank" surpassed Ruth's 714 record when he hit his 715th home run on April 8, 1974, in a city that, just months earlier, elected the Deep South's first Black mayor and was forging ahead with its slogan of the "City Too Busy To Hate."
Flashback: Former Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin, who tells Axios that she was at the record-breaking game when Aaron reached that milestone, says such moments ‘became a unifying factor ... in the Black community … and in some cases, with the white community, even when they disagreed on politics or policy.’” [Axios]
Baseball bombshell
Behold, the newest MLB stadium. Photo: Rich Pedroncelli/AP
“The A's are ditching Oakland after this season and temporarily moving to a Sacramento ballpark used by a minor league team until their Las Vegas stadium is ready.
Why it matters: The move will end an often contentious 56-year relationship with the East Bay.
The new field — with 10,000 fixed seats — will be by far the smallest MLB stadium. The team will play there from 2025 to 2027, with an option for 2028.
The team will drop Oakland from its name after 56 years and go by the Athletics or the A's — with no city.” [Axios]
Bronny James' next moves
Bronny James during the Pac-12 basketball tournament on March 14. Photo: David Becker/Getty Images
“Bronny James, the son of NBA legend LeBron James, is entering both the NBA draft and the NCAA transfer portal.
The move allows him to explore his NBA prospects while keeping open the option of playing another year in college.
James suffered a cardiac arrest last summer, which significantly hurt his ability to play during his freshman season at USC.
LeBron James has said he wants to play on the same team as Bronny before he retires.” [Axios]
Luxury eclipse trips
Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
“Wealthy travelers will be able to watch Monday's solar eclipse in the lap of luxury, far away from the droves of tourists planning road trips or camping outings to catch a glimpse of the eclipse, Axios' Jacob Knutson reports.
For a little over $5,000, Smithsonian Journeys will take you on a five-day eclipse trip to the Texas Hill Country, including a winery tour, a sunset cruise, guided nature tours and a private viewing party.
Adventure travel company TravelQuest International organized a 12-day, $7,000-plus eclipse tour across northern Mexico.
Those who paid at least $1,400 for a 22-day Holland America cruise will see the eclipse off the coast of Mexico before landing in Hawaii.
Zoom in: Texas, which appears to be this year's prime eclipse destination, could see a $1.4 billion spending boom from the eclipse.
Vermont is expecting to see between $12.9 million and $51.8 million in eclipse-related spending, and Oklahoma may pull in over $20 million.
Whatever your vantage point, this will be the last total solar eclipse viewable from the contiguous U.S. until 2044.” [Axios]