The Full Belmonte, 5/11/2022
Elon Musk called the Twitter ban on Donald Trump a ‘morally bad decision,’ saying permanent bans undermine trust in the social-media network.
PHOTO: ANDREW KELLY/REUTERS
“Elon Musk said he’d reverse Twitter’s ban on Donald Trump. The Tesla chief executive called booting the former president a ‘morally bad decision’ and said permanent bans undermine trust in the social-media platform. Musk agreed last month to buy Twitter in a $44 billion deal, but said that several steps, including a Twitter shareholder vote, still needed to be completed. He made his remarks virtually at the Financial Times Future of the Car summit.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Ukraine’s last stronghold in Luhansk resists the Russian onslaught, despite being nearly encircled. With no power, water, cellphone coverage or access to news, residents remaining in Severodonetsk sheltered in basements. Meanwhile, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines testified before a Senate committee that Russian President Vladimir Putin still wants to control swaths of Ukraine beyond the Donbas region. Local authorities said Russian missiles struck the port city of Odessa overnight, killing one person and wounding others.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Gas war | Ukraine and Russia clashed over natural gas sent via pipelines to Europe in a spat that could disrupt supplies transiting the war-hit country for the first time since Moscow’s invasion. Kyiv said Russian gas flowing via one of two key entry points stopped today as occupying forces disrupted operations.
The European Union’s executive arm is set to bolster renewables and energy-savings goals as part of a $205 billion plan to end its dependency on Russian fossil fuels by 2027.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Ukraine aid | The US House approved a more-than-$40 billion emergency Ukraine spending bill with broad bipartisan support. The legislation, significantly larger than the $33 billion package President Joe Biden requested last month, includes funding for weapons and economic and humanitarian aid. Its approval in the Senate is likely next week.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi told Biden that US and EU allies should start work on negotiations toward a long-lasting peace process in Ukraine, even as they continue to sanction Russia over its invasion of the country.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Emerging target | Until recently, Ukraine’s southwestern-most corner curling between Moldova and Romania had been largely untouched by the war, providing a transit corridor for cargoes no longer able to use sea ports that once handled 70% of its trade. As Marc Champion reports, with Russia’s invasion becoming a war of attrition, this ethnically mixed region known locally as Bessarabia is growing in strategic importance.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Senate Democrats will vote Wednesday on a bill that would make Roe v. Wade the law of the land and divert a Supreme Court decision that could leave states the sole authority on whether to restrict abortion. The Women's Health Protection Act of 2022 would make abortion legal nationally, superseding legislation passed by states to severely restrict or completely ban the procedure. The decision to move swiftly on the legislation follows the leak of a draft opinion from the Supreme Court on May 2 that suggests the nation's highest court will overturn the landmark case that guaranteed the constitutional right to abortion. ‘This is as real and as urgent as it gets,’ Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said last week. The bill does not have enough votes to pass into law yet, but it marks Democrats' first legislative attempt to enshrine the right to abortion into law since the leak.” Read more at USA Today
“The national average price for regular gasoline soared to new a record high yesterday at $4.37 a gallon, according to AAA. That tops the prior record of $4.33 set on March 11. In several states, that price is even higher. California, Hawaii and Nevada have all exceeded $5 a gallon, the latest readings show. With prices up 17 cents in the past week alone, some experts say this will only add to inflationary pressures that have raised recession fears, rocked financial markets and soured Americans' views on the economy. Gas prices are up about 25% since Russia's invasion of Ukraine roiled global energy markets, and some analysts fear even higher prices are coming.” Read more at CNN
“More than 45,000 Americans died from gun violence in 2020, the highest number ever recorded in the United States, the CDC reported today.” Read more at The Atlantic
Jim Pillen celebrates at the Embassy Suites in Lincoln, Neb., last night. Photo: Kenneth Ferriera/Lincoln Journal Star via AP
“In Nebraska, Republicans nominated the establishment's Jim Pillen for governor over former President Trump's candidate — Charles Herbster, who faced groping allegations late in the campaign (33% to 30%).
Pillen, a hog farm owner and veterinarian who is a member of the University of Nebraska board of regents, was backed by many top GOP leaders in the Cornhusker State, AP reports.
Pillen will be the favorite in November against state Sen. Carol Blood. Nebraska hasn't elected a Democratic governor since 1994. Go deeper.
In an early victory for a Trump-endorsed candidate at the start of midterm season, Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.) beat fellow incumbent Rep. David McKinley in West Virginia's 2nd Congressional District primary.
Mooney said in his victory speech: ‘Donald Trump loves West Virginia, and West Virginia loves Donald Trump.’ Keep reading.
What's next: Pennsylvania's epic primary is next week.” Read more at Axios
“US Republican Senator Josh Hawley is proposing to shorten the time that companies can protect their creative work through copyrights, in the latest shot at Disney.” Read more at Bloomberg
“A judge in Boston found the celebrity chef Mario Batali not guilty of groping a woman at a bar in 2017.” Read more at New York Times
“COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lankan authorities deployed armored vehicles and troops in the streets of the capital on Wednesday, two days after pro-government mobs attacked peaceful protesters, triggering a wave of violence across the country.
Security forces have been ordered to shoot those deemed to be participating in the violence, as sporadic acts of arson and vandalism continued despite a strict nationwide curfew that began Monday evening.
Anti-government protesters have been demanding the resignations of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother, who stepped down as prime minister this week, over a debt crisis that has nearly bankrupted Sri Lanka and left its people facing severe shortages of fuel, food and other essentials. In the past few days, eight people have died and more than 200 have been injured in violent attacks in which mobs set fire to buildings and vehicles.
Armored trucks with soldiers riding on top rolled into some areas of Colombo. Defying the curfew, some protesters regrouped opposite the president’s office to continue demonstrations that began over three weeks ago.” Read more at AP News
Shireen Abu Akleh. Photo: Al Jazeera via AP
“A Palestinian-American journalist for Al Jazeera was killed this morning while covering an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.
Palestinian and Israeli officials gave conflicting accounts. Veteran reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, 51, was wearing a clearly marked press vest when she was shot dead in the northern city of Jenin.
Al Jazeera accused Israeli forces of ‘deliberately targeting and killing’ Abu Akleh. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said it ‘appears likely that armed Palestinians — who were firing indiscriminately at the time — were responsible for the unfortunate death of the journalist.’
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides confirmed that Abu Akleh was a U.S. citizen, and called for a ‘thorough’ investigation.” Read more at Axios
“CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — More than 90% of Great Barrier Reef coral surveyed this year was bleached in the fourth such mass event in seven years in the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem, Australian government scientists said.
Bleaching is caused by global warming, but this is the reef’s first bleaching event during a La Niña weather pattern, which is associated with cooler Pacific Ocean temperatures, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Authority said in its annual report released late Tuesday that found 91% of the areas surveyed were affected.
Bleaching in 2016, 2017 and 2020 damaged two-thirds of the coral in the famed reef off Australia’s eastern coast.
Coral bleaches as a heat stress response and scientists hope most of the coral will recover from the current event, said David Wachenfeld, chief scientist at the authority, which manages the reef ecosystem.” Read more at AP News
“Climate vote | With the conservative Liberal-Nationals holding power in Australia by a single seat, the May 21 election may come down to a handful of constituencies in a vote that has divided the nation over how to battle climate change. That’s put the spotlight on Hunter Valley, where one in 10 people are directly employed by the coal industry and the Labor party’s promises of strong climate action may spook many traditional supporters.” Read more at Bloomberg
“The United States scheduled an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting Wednesday after North Korea tested a ballistic missile that was likely fired from a submarine last week. The test represented North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s recent vow to ramp up nuclear weapons development. The United States currently holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council, and it set the meeting to discuss North Korea’s latest launches. North Korea has fired missiles 15 times so far this year. North Korea's launch came just ahead of Tuesday’s inauguration of South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol, who promised to take a tough approach toward North Korea’s nuclear weapons.” Read more at USA Today
“A Canadian member of parliament has apologized to his colleagues after he was caught participating in a closed parliamentary session from one of the legislature’s bathroom stalls.
As the Guardian reports, MP Shafqat Ali, a member of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal party, was outed by an opposition party member after she studied his video background during the hybrid session.
‘The member of parliament was literally using the washroom while participating in a sitting of the House of Commons, the cathedral of Canadian democracy,’ Conservative leader John Brassard told parliament after the unusual situation was revealed. ‘I can’t believe I actually just said those words, Madame Speaker.’
Ali said he takes the ‘matter extremely seriously, and I promise never to repeat this error again.’” Read more at Foreign Policy
Photo: Ben Stansall/Pool via AP
“Prince Charles stood in for Queen Elizabeth II today at the Queen's Speech, which marks the ceremonial opening of Parliament.
The 96-year-old monarch pulled out of the ceremony because of what Buckingham Palace calls ‘episodic mobility issues.’
It was her first absence in six decades.” Read more at Axios
“A leader of the punk protest band Pussy Riot escaped Russia, wearing a disguise.” Read more at New York Times
“Tom Brady's 10-year deal with Fox Sports, where he'll become lead analyst ‘immediately following his playing career,’ is worth $375 million, the N.Y. Post reports.
Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch said: ‘Tom will not only call our biggest NFL games with Kevin Burkhardt, but will also serve as an ambassador for us, particularly with respect to client and promotional initiatives.’
Why it matters: Big names lure viewers at a time more and more are cutting the cord, Axios' Sara Fischer, Tim Baysinger and Jeff Tracy write.
Context: Brady has made just over $300 million in NFL salary during his 22-year career, according to ESPN.
Earlier this year, ESPN snagged Fox's top two NFL announcers — Troy Aikman and Joe Buck — for a reported $33 million per year combined to host ‘Monday Night Football.’
Add in what ESPN pays Eli and Peyton Manning to host an alternative broadcast of ‘Monday Night Football’ on ESPN2 — and the network is shelling out more than $50 million for big-name announcers on Monday nights, according to the N.Y. Post.
Zoom out: Next year, NFL rights will collectively cost TV networks around $10 billion per year.
Between the lines: Networks have long hired ex-football players as announcers. But those contracts have gotten much bigger as the competition for NFL rights has intensified.
CBS Sports renewed Tony Romo's contract for a then record-breaking deal of $170 million over 10 years in 2020, kicking off the bull market for booth talent.” Read more at Axios
“President Donald Trump wanted to court-martial two prominent retired military officers for their perceived slights and disloyalty, his former defense secretary Mark T. Esper alleges in a new book, the latest insider account to raise claims about the combative commander in chief and his attempts to upend government institutions.
Trump, Esper recounts in “A Sacred Oath,” had developed a disdain for Stanley McChrystal and William H. McRaven, popular and influential leaders who, in retirement, criticized the president. When Trump informed Esper and Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, of his wish to see McChrystal and McRaven court-martialed, the two Pentagon leaders “jumped to their defense,” Esper writes, arguing that both completed distinguished military careers and that taking such action would be “extreme and unwarranted.”
“Doing this ‘will backfire on you, Mr. President,’ we said,” Esper writes. “The discussion went back and forth a little while longer in the Oval Office, with Milley finally figuring out a way to get the president to back down by promising that he would personally call the officers and ask them to dial it back.”” Read more at Washington Post
“The tech industry plans to warn federal lawmakers this week that more remote-work jobs are leaving the U.S. Offshoring software developer and other technology positions will continue unless the U.S. admits more high-skilled immigrants, representatives of the industry say. The U.S. allows 65,000 skilled-worker visas annually under its H1-B program, plus another 20,000 for people who hold graduate degrees from U.S. universities. The numbers haven’t budged since 2005 despite the sharp rise in tech jobs.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Accusations of LGBTQ people "grooming" children have turned the term into a buzzword of right-wing rhetoric. It's an old fear campaign that has a long history in homophobia.” Read more at NPR
“The rising costs of housing, food and other necessities are big drivers of inflation. Its effects fall hardest on lower-income Americans, and even though the inflation rate likely eased last month, it won't be enough to reduce the burden.” Read more at NPR
“Restaurants have struggled since 2020 to stay afloat during pandemic shutdowns. Americans are dining out again, but inflation is hitting restaurants hard too, with higher rent, labor and supply costs and more budget-conscious customers.” Read more at NPR
“Stanford University officials are investigating a noose that was found hanging from a tree on campus and urging anyone with informationon the incident to come forward.” Read more at NPR
A 2015 iPod Touch. Photo: Neil Godwin/T3 Magazine/Future via Getty Images
Apple is discontinuing the iPod, 20 years after the device debuted, Axios' Erin Doherty writes.
“Why it matters: The iPod was introduced in October 2001 — and became a cultural staple that went on to revolutionize portable music.
Our thought bubble, from Axios' Ina Fried: The iPod became less popular when smartphones went mainstream.
But the technology was an on-ramp to iOS for kids too young to get an iPhone.
The iPod Touch, Apple's last version of the portable music player (updated 2019), will be available while supplies last.” Read more at Axios
“In his 11th career start, Reid Detmers of the Angels threw a no-hitteragainst Tampa Bay.” Read more at New York Times
“Lives Lived: Alfred C. Baldwin III was the lookout for the Watergate break-in, tasked with warning the burglars if law enforcement was approaching. He later became a witness for the government. He died, at 83, in 2020, though the news only recently came to light.” Read more at New York Times
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2021.Clive Rose/Getty Images
“Formula 1, an international motor-racing sport, attracts a global audience. Historically, its attempts to break through in the U.S., where NASCAR reigns supreme, haven’t been very successful — until now.
In 2017, Liberty Media, an American company, purchased Formula 1. Liberty executives saw it as ‘one of the few truly global sports, on the scale of FIFA or the Olympics, that could still capture a gigantic live audience,’ Austin Carr writes in Bloomberg.
In the years since, the sport’s footprint in the U.S. has grown. The Netflix docuseries ‘Drive to Survive,’ which focuses on the drivers’ personalities, is among the most popular shows on the platform. The sport is adding new races in the U.S. — in Miami this year and Las Vegas next year — and viewership is higher than ever for ESPN’s broadcasts.
Before the Netflix show premiered in 2019, the driver Daniel Ricciardo said one or two fans would recognize him in the U.S. ‘At customs when I landed in the States, I’d be like, ‘Oh, I’m an F1 driver,’ and they’d ask, ‘Is that like NASCAR?’ Ricciardo told Bloomberg. ‘After the first season, every day I was out somewhere someone would come up being like, ‘I saw you on that show!’” Read more at New York Times