The Full Belmonte, 4/9/2024
Joe Biden delivers remarks on student loan debt at Madison College on Monday, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
EDUCATION
What to know about Biden’s latest attempt at student loan cancellation
“President Joe Biden is hoping to deliver on a key campaign promise that he has so far failed to fulfill. On Monday, Biden detailed a proposal that’s been in the works for months after the Supreme Court rejected Biden’s first try at mass student loan cancellation, which would eliminate at least some debt for more than 30 million Americans – some potentially as soon as this fall. Read more.
Why this matters:
Biden has called the court’s decision a ‘mistake’ but ordered the Education Department to craft a new plan using a different legal authority. The latest proposal is more targeted than his original plan, focusing on five categories of borrowers for whom student debt is a major obstacle.
The widest-reaching provision aims to reset student loan balances for borrowers who have seen their debt grow because of unpaid interest. It would cancel up to $20,000 in interest for Americans who now owe more than they originally borrowed. All debt would also be canceled for borrowers repaying undergraduate loans for 20 years or more, or 25 years for those with graduate school debt.” [BBC]
Trump juror questionnaire
Via Manhattan D.A.'s office
“Prospective jurors for former President Trump's upcoming hush-money trial in Manhattan will be asked 42 questions about their lives and habits, including:
Whether or not they're a member of an extremist movement such as QAnon or the Proud Boys.
Whether they have any feelings or opinions about how the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is being treated in the case.
Whether they have ever worked for a Trump-owned company.
Cover: The New York Times Magazine
Alvin Bragg — the under-the-radar district attorney behind the Manhattan trial — is on the verge of becoming the only prosecutor to face off against the master of spin before November's election, Kim Barker, Jonah Bromwich and Michael Rothfeld write in a six-page New York Times Magazine investigative profile.
‘After the indictment, a chorus of critics — some but not all on the right — questioned the legal reasoning, wisdom and winnability of the hush-money case. Today, many experts believe that Bragg's legal strategy looks considerably stronger.’” [Axios]
‘Serious Risk of Genocide’
Germany’s legal advisor, Tania Freiin von Uslar-Gleichen (third to left), stands alongside lawyers at the start of a hearing at the International Court of Justice in The Hague on April 8.Robin van Lonkhuijsen/ANP/AFP
“Nicaragua asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Monday to order Germany to stop all arms exports to Israel. Managua, which has past ties with Palestinian organizations, argued that Berlin violated the 1948 Genocide Convention by supplying Israel with military equipment and other aid despite the court ruling in January that it was plausible that Israel violated some aspects of the convention. Germany is Israel’s second-largest arms provider after Washington, with the former having sent $353.7 million in military equipment to Israel in 2023.
‘There can be no question that Germany … was well aware, and is well aware, of at least the serious risk of genocide being committed’ in Gaza, said Carlos José Argüello Gómez, Nicaragua’s representative at the ICJ.
The country is also asking the ICJ to urge Berlin to resume funding the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in addition to other aid that Germany is already providing. ‘It is indeed a pathetic excuse to the Palestinian children, women, and men in Gaza to provide humanitarian aid, including through airdrops, on the one hand, and to furnish the weapons and military equipment that are used to kill and annihilate them,’ Nicaraguan lawyer Daniel Müller told the ICJ. Germany was one of many nations, including the United States, that suspended UNRWA funding after an Israeli investigation in January accused 12 of its employees of being involved in Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people.
Israel continues to deny all allegations of genocide, saying it has the right to defend itself. Germany also denies Nicaragua’s claims. ‘Germany does not, and never did, violate the Genocide Convention nor international humanitarian law, neither directly nor indirectly,’ said Tania Freiin von Uslar-Gleichen, a legal advisor for Germany’s foreign ministry.
Berlin is expected to present its argument on Tuesday. The ICJ has not yet accepted Nicaragua’s case but is required to respond quickly because Managua requested emergency measures. A preliminary decision will likely take weeks to deliver, and the case, if accepted, could last for years.
This is the third ICJ case this year related to the Israel-Hamas war. In January, South Africa accused Israel of violating the Genocide Convention during its assault on Gaza. The court ruled that such allegations were plausible and ordered Israel to take immediate emergency measures to halt potential acts of genocide. South Africa also petitioned the ICJ to address Gaza’s ongoing hunger crisis; the court ordered Israel to permit the delivery of basic food and water supplies ‘without delay.’ In February, the ICJ accepted a long-planned case by the United Nations General Assembly to discuss the legality of Israel’s occupation of Gaza and the West Bank.
Nicaragua’s case is broader than South Africa’s. It invokes the Geneva Conventions and the Genocide Convention, accuses Israel of other ‘unlawful’ conduct in Gaza, and orders Israel to protect civilians. It also raises new questions about the liability of other countries that have supplied weapons to Israel. The U.N. Human Rights Council passed a resolution on Friday calling for nations to stop selling or shipping weapons to Israel. Six nations voted against the measure, including the United States and Germany. Whereas Germany recognizes the ICJ’s jurisdiction, however, the United States does not.” [Foreign Policy]
“Panama Papers: The trial of 27 people charged in connection with the money laundering scandal has started in a Panamanian criminal court.” [BBC]
“European Union leaders balked earlier this year at a plan to raise an extra €100 billion ($109 billion) from a joint bond issuance.
Yet the real cost of defending their eastern borders from Russia is likely to be many times higher, however it’s funded.
While the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have taken center stage, the surge in military budgets is a global phenomenon — a sign the world is entering a new arms race.
With China also ramping up its military spending and increasing cooperation with the Kremlin, security officials say that to keep pace, the US and its allies may need to push their defense budgets back to Cold War levels.
That would consume as much as 4% of gross domestic product. If the US and the rest of the Group of Seven were to do that, it would amount to some $10 trillion of additional outlays over the next decade, according to analysis by Bloomberg Economics. It would be a boon to defense companies, yet would severely affect public finances.
Much of the EU’s post-pandemic debt consolidation would be stalled by even just meeting NATO’s target of at least 2% of annual GDP for military expenditure.
Doubling that goal would pile further pressure on large countries like Spain and Italy that still fall far short, while confronting the bloc’s weaker nations with particularly painful choices between more borrowing, budget cuts or tax increases.
A searing political question in the years ahead will be how a remilitarized world can reconcile such commitments with finite tax revenues and growing welfare and health needs.
Germany is a case in point: It’s set to spend €7 billion on two new naval frigates and hundreds of armored vehicles, even while flirting with recession.
The grim security outlook for the next decade suggests there will be plenty more such tough decisions to come.” — Ben Sills [Bloomberg]
Ukrainian troops drive toward the eastern city of Lyman on March 9. Photographer: Jose Colon/Anadolu /Getty Images
“Amid signs of progress in negotiations for a cease-fire in Gaza that would include the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, far-right ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet threatened to bring down the government. International pressure for a deal has intensified since an Israeli missile strike killed seven aid workers delivering food to displaced Palestinians a week ago.” [Bloomberg]
“Iran’s mastery of drone technology — at least a dozen countries are using it — is earning foreign currency to fund its defense industry, strengthening its strategic alliances, and making it a formidable arms dealer. As this report shows, nations from Central Asia to South America are building their own weapons based on Iranian designs — often with US components.” [Bloomberg]
“UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron flew to Florida to meet Donald Trump as part of efforts to convince the Republican presidential candidate’s allies in the US House to support further military aid for Ukraine. Trump, who’s facing an electoral rematch against President Joe Biden in November, has expressed skepticism about providing weapons to Kyiv.” [Bloomberg]
“China is sending its highest-level delegation to North Korea in almost five years for a trip starting Thursday that comes as Pyongyang has drawn closer to Russia.” [Bloomberg]
“Inflation, reining in housing prices and bolstering South Korea’s export-driven and slowing economy are the top issues for voters in tomorrow’s parliamentary elections that could determine how much power President Yoon Suk Yeol wields for the rest of his term.” [Bloomberg]
“A bipartisan group of US senators urged Biden to punish Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro for attacks against his top opposition rival, saying that an upcoming election fails to meet the promise of a free and fair vote.” [Bloomberg]
“Bulgarian President Rumen Radev appointed an interim cabinet to prepare the Balkan country for a snap election in June, the sixth ballot in just over three years.” [Bloomberg]
The World This Week
“Tuesday, April 9: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov concludes a two-day visit to China.
Sweden begins a two-day meeting with its Nordic and Baltic counterparts on foreign and security policy.
Ireland’s parliament votes to confirm new Fine Gael party leader Simon Harris as Taoiseach.
Wednesday, April 10: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg hosts Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Brussels.
South Korea holds parliamentary elections.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal begins a three-day visit to Canada.
Thursday, April 11: The European Central Bank determines its interest rate.
G-7 transportation ministers begin a three-day meeting in Milan, Italy.
U.S. President Joe Biden hosts Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Friday, April 12: South Korea’s central bank determines its interest rate.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hosts Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.
Monday, April 15: The International Court of Justice holds hearings on preliminary objections in Armenia’s case against Azerbaijan.” [Foreign Policy]
“TSMC clinches U.S. funding. The U.S. Commerce Department announced on Monday that it will give Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) a $6.6 billion subsidy for advanced chip production in Phoenix, Arizona. TSMC is the world’s largest chipmaker. Washington said it would also grant TSMC up to $5 billion in government loans as part of the company’s plan to build a third fabrication plant in Arizona by 2030 and increase company funding toward the U.S. facilities by $25 billion. The plan—totaling more than $65 billion—is the largest foreign direct investment in a new project in U.S. history.
At the same time, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen concluded four days of top-level meetings in China on Monday. Yellen urged China on Saturday to rein in excessive green energy technology exports, warning that Washington would not allow a repeat of ‘China shock,’ when a wave of Chinese imports in the early 2000s decimated around 2 million U.S. manufacturing jobs. China rebuffed Washington’s concerns, arguing that tariffs would deprive consumers of green alternatives key to achieving climate goals. Yellen did not announce new curbs on trade should Beijing continue supporting electric vehicles and other green products.” ” [Foreign Policy]
“Infrastructure targets. Russian forces launched 24 Iranian-produced Shahed drones in an overnight attack on Ukraine on Monday. Officials said the assault hit critical infrastructure in Ukraine’s Zhytomyr Oblast and damaged a logistics and transportation facility in the south. No casualties were reported, and Ukrainian troops said they intercepted 17 of the two dozen drones across the Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad, Khmelnytskyi, and Zhytomyr regions.
Meanwhile, Moscow accused Kyiv on Sunday of targeting the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant three times and announced a criminal investigation. Ukraine denied responsibility. ‘No one can conceivably benefit or get any military or political advantage from attacks against nuclear facilities. This is a no go,’ said Rafael Grossi, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Three plant employees were reportedly injured, and one drone hit a building housing one of the facility’s six reactors.
This is the first time that the plant has been targeted since November 2022, officials said. Russia took control of the nuclear facility following its February 2022 invasion, and Ukraine has accused Moscow of turning the plant into a military base, knowing that Kyiv would be reluctant to target it.” ” [Foreign Policy]
“Mexico-Ecuador tiff. The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States convened an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the deteriorating relationship between Mexico and Ecuador. Mexico cut diplomatic ties with Ecuador on Saturday after Ecuadorian officials raided the Mexican Embassy in Quito late Friday to arrest former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas, who was seeking political asylum there.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador called the incident ‘a flagrant violation of international law and of Mexico’s sovereignty.’ Ecuador’s presidential office, however, argued that ‘no criminal can be considered a politically persecuted person.’ Glas was sentenced in 2017 to six years in prison on corruption charges and sought shelter with Mexico’s embassy last December.
Nicaragua severed relations with Ecuador hours after Mexico’s announcement, calling the raid ‘unusual and reprehensible.’ Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, and Venezuela also condemned Ecuador’s actions.” ” [Foreign Policy]
“Chechens must say goodbye to Lady Gaga’s megahit ‘Just Dance’ and Pirates of the Caribbean’s epic theme ‘He’s a Pirate,’ among other fan favorites. The Russian republic banned all music that is slower than 80 beats per minute or faster than 116 beats per minute last Friday to target Western pop and techno songs. The directive will ensure that all music now aligns with Chechnya’s ‘mentality and musical rhythm,’ regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov said.” ” [Foreign Policy]
Former President Donald Trump attends a campaign event on April 2, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. | Spencer Platt/Getty Images
“SOUND AND FURY — It was a long time coming, but former President Donald Trump finally outlined his position on abortion today in a four-and-a-half-minute video: he is against a national ban.
He may have cauterized his political wound at the moment. He may have found what seems to be a politically palatable middle ground. But a close read of his remarks, delivered today, reveals he’s resolved virtually nothing.
The position he’s staked out isn’t entirely different from the contradictory things he’s said before. Laying out a serious policy statement was never the intention. After teasing a speech on abortion that would help him ‘WIN ELECTIONS’ on Truth Social on Sunday evening, Trump began his disquisition with four paragraphs that are largely about in vitro fertilization, the least divisive part of the reproductive debate. The former president didn’t even mention abortion until about a quarter of the way through his speech.
When it finally does come up, he gives away the unseriousness of the enterprise by opening with a statement that both sides can agree is untrue — that all legal scholars demanded an end to Roe v. Wade, the landmark case recognizing the right to abortion.
‘Many people have asked me what my position is on abortion and abortion rights, especially since I was proudly the person responsible for the ending of something that all legal scholars, both sides wanted and, in fact, demanded be ended: Roe v. Wade,’ he begins. ‘They wanted it ended.’
It was his attempted segue into laying out a position that might neutralize him from the coming onslaught from the Biden campaign — a serious vulnerability that he has yet to figure out how to address. Trump knows just how much the end of Roe hurt his party’s chances in the 2022 midterms, and even if abortion is an issue he’d prefer to sidestep, that’s an impossibility now that he’s responsible for the Supreme Court responsible for overturning Roe.
In his remarks, Trump offered hints as to how he will attempt to defuse the time bomb.
‘It must be remembered that the Democrats are the radical ones on this position because they support abortion up to and even beyond the ninth month. The concept of having an abortion in the later months and even execution after birth. And that’s exactly what it is,’ Trump continues. ‘The baby is born, the baby is executed after birth is unacceptable. And almost everyone agrees with that.’
To stake a realistic middle ground requires measured language and something approximating an argument that can appeal to the center. But that’s not what Trump’s remarks offered. The wild claims — no one supports executing babies after birth — and jarring descriptions aren’t designed for any purpose other than dog whistling to anti-abortion allies who are disappointed and frustrated by his failure to endorse a national ban.
They have good cause to be disappointed in his call for the states to decide. As recently as late March Trump signaled support for a national, 15-week ban. And in every place the right to abortion has been on the ballot, even in red states, voters have chosen to protect abortion access.
If nothing else, Trump was unafraid to admit the cold political calculus in his speech. ‘Always go by your heart,’ he says at the end. ‘But we must win. We have to win.’ In other words, he believes that support for a nationwide abortion ban would cost him politically, so he’s jettisoned it.
It was an attempt to extricate himself from a debate he doesn’t want to have. But for all the attention surrounding his announcement today, he didn’t say much to move the needle. He may have wanted to tamp down the issue, but he only fanned the flames.” [POLITICO]
The road ends
UConn head coach Dan Hurley hugs guard Stephon Castle during the national championship game in Glendale, Ariz., yesterday. Photo: Brynn Anderson/AP
“UConn cruised to a 15-point win over Purdue last night to become the first back-to-back men's college basketball national champions since 2007.
The Huskies won their six March Madness games by a staggering 23.3 points per game — the largest margin ever by an NCAA champion.
Between the lines: Only Florida (2006-2007) and Duke (1991-1992) have won repeat titles since John Wooden's legendary UCLA dynasty of the '60s and '70s.” [Axios]
Data: Sports Media Watch, Nielsen. Note: 2020 NCAA Championships canceled due to COVID. Chart: Axios Visuals
“18.7 million people watched the South Carolina-Iowa women's NCAA title game on Sunday, Axios' Sara Fischer and Noah Bressner write.
It's the most-watched women's game ever, and the highest-rated basketball game — men's or women's, college or pro — since 2019.
Why it matters: The star power of Iowa guard Caitlin Clark is driving unprecedented momentum around women's sports.”
Keep reading. [Axios]