The Full Belmonte, 5/1/2024
Former President Donald Trump has criticized the gag order as unfair.
PHOTO: SETH WENIG/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
A judge fined Donald Trump $9,000 and threatened to throw him in jail for repeatedly violating a gag order.
“Justice Juan Merchan had prohibited the former president from making statements about likely witnesses in his hush-money trial, as well as prosecutors, court staff or their families. In his decision, the New York judge said that prosecutors met the burden of proof for a violation in nine of the 10 recent posts on Trump’s social-media site and campaign website they had flagged. The former president was fined $1,000 for each violation, the maximum amount under state law. Trump has attacked the gag order as an unfair muzzling of his political speech. As the trial resumed, lawyer Keith Davidson testified about how he helped his client, porn star Stormy Daniels, broker a deal with former Trump fixer Michael Cohen shortly before the 2016 election to stay silent about what she said was an affair with Trump. The former president has denied the affair and pleaded not guilty. The trial is set to resume Thursday.” [Wall Street Journal]
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators regroup and rebuild the barricade surrounding the encampment set up on the campus of UCLA. (Etienne Laurent/AFP/Getty Images)
Campus protests
“A large police presence arrived at the University of California, Los Angeles, overnight after a violent confrontation broke out between pro-Palestinian protesters and Israel supporters. Hours earlier, police in riot gear entered Columbia University's Hamilton Hall and used flash bangs when breaching the building in which pro-Palestinian protesters had barricaded themselves. Since April 18, more than 1,000 people have been arrested on more than 25 campuses across at least 21 states. Analysts say the nationwide protests have become a test for President Joe Biden as he seeks reelection with the Gaza war tearing deep rifts in his fragile coalition.” [CNN]
Riot police clear Ivy hall
The NYPD uses a tactical vehicle to enter Columbia's Hamilton Hall last night. Screenshot: CNN
“NYPD officers in riot gear climbed through a second-story window at the Ivy League's Columbia University last night to clear a building occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters.
The Manhattan school's tent encampment — which helped inspire coast-to-coast protests over the war in Gaza — was also cleared, Axios' Sareen Habeshian and Andrew Childers write.
Photo: Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images
Zoom in: Police arrested dozens in and around Hamilton Hall, the occupied administration building.
Columbia President Minouche Shafik asked the NYPD to remain on campus until May 17, two days after commencement, ‘to maintain order and ensure encampments are not reestablished.’
By the numbers: There have been at least 1,200 arrests at 31 college campuses nationwide, according to an Axios tally.
Cover: Columbia University Libraries (Hat tip: CNN's Omar Jimenez)
Above: The Columbia student newspaper's front page on April 30, 1968 — 56 years to the day before yesterday's raid.
Police broke up a similar occupation of Hamilton Hall by students protesting racism and the Vietnam War.” [Axios]
Columbia cracks down
Demonstrators barricade themselves inside Columbia's Hamilton Hall today. Photo: Alex Kent/Getty Images
“Columbia University threatened to expel the protesters who've taken over an administrative building — among the most serious consequences yet as tensions on college campuses nationwide continue to rise.
‘We regret that protesters have chosen to escalate the situation through their actions,’ the university said in a letter to students.
State of play: Some students have been surprised by the consequences they've faced from their schools after being arrested during the protests.
Students who have been suspended sometimes lose access to campus housing and dining halls, and they may not be able to take their final exams.
But threats of arrest, suspension and now expulsion do not seem to have dissuaded many protesters.
A pro-Palestinian demonstrator holds a flag on the rooftop of Hamilton Hall. Photo: Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images
By the numbers: About 1,100 people have been arrested at pro-Palestinian protests on at least 30 college campuses.
Only a handful of students had been expelled before Columbia's announcement today, but schools have been sending students through internal disciplinary processes.
The University of Florida has threatened to ban students from campus for three years.” [Axios]
Dems fear protest backlash
Data: Axios research. Map: Kavya Beheraj, Tory Lysik and Will Chase/Axios
“Anxiety among House and Senate Democrats is spiking as pro-Palestinian protests rise on campuses coast to coast, Axios' Andrew Solender and Stephen Neukam write.
Photos and videos of these campus protests made the rounds among horrified Democratic lawmakers yesterday morning.
‘The longer they continue, and the worse that they get, the worse it's going to be for the election,’ a House Democrat told Axios.
The demonstrations, the lawmaker warned, are ‘bringing out [the public's] most conservative side.’” [Axios]
Pro-Palestinian protesters camp out in tents at Columbia University on Saturday in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
POLITICS
House Republicans launch an investigation into federal funding for universities amid campus protests
“The investigation, announced Tuesday, places another pressure point on campus administrators who are struggling to manage pro-Palestinian encampments, allegations of discrimination against Jewish students and questions of how they are integrating free speech and campus safety. Read more.
Why this matters:
The House investigation will follow several recent high-profile hearings that precipitated the resignations of presidents at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania. And House Republicans promised more scrutiny, saying they were calling on the administrators of Yale, UCLA and the University of Michigan to testify next month.
Republicans are turning to the issue at a time when election season is fully underway and leadership needs a cause that unites them and divides Democrats. The House GOP’s impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden has fallen flat and the Republican conference is smarting after a series of important bills left GOP lawmakers deeply divided. Democrats, meanwhile, have feuded internally over the Israel-Hamas war and how campus administrators have handled the protests.” [AP News]
Hostages
“Secretary of State Antony Blinken began another round of high-stakes talks in Israel today as the US seeks to ratchet up the pressure on Hamas to accept a ceasefire and hostage release deal. ‘We're determined to get a ceasefire that brings the hostages home, and to get it now,’ Blinken said during a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, adding that the US remains committed to addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Blinken reiterated Tuesday that he believes a deal is ‘achievable because the Israelis put a strong proposal on the table,’ and that the US wants to see such an agreement come together ‘in the coming days.’” [CNN]
Biden Administration Wants to Reclassify Marijuana as Less Dangerous Drug
“The Biden administration is working on a plan to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, people familiar with the matter said, a potentially historic move that could make it much easier to buy and sell pot and make the multibillion-dollar industry more profitable.”
READ MORE at Wall Street Journal
Marjorie Taylor Greene says she will move to oust Speaker Mike Johnson. The House is likely to consider the motion next week.
“The move came after weeks of threats from Greene (R-Ga.), angry that Johnson (R-La.) has worked with Democrats to pass key legislation.”
Read more at Washington Post
Democrats say they will save Speaker Mike Johnson's job if Republicans try to oust him
“House Democrats will vote to save Republican Speaker Mike Johnson’s job should some of his fellow Republican lawmakers seek to remove him from the position, Democratic leaders said Tuesday, likely assuring for now that Johnson will avoid being ousted from office like his predecessor.” Read More at AP News
Listen to Trump
Cover: Time
“What would a second Trump term really look like? You no longer need to guess:
Former President Trump has laid out, publicly and unambiguously, designs to stretch traditions, norms and accepted law in historic ways, Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen write.
Why it matters: We've written for months that Trump allies privately are plotting loyalty tests and policy proposals to vastly expand presidential power and punish critics.
Trump himself is now saying the quiet part out loud. You should listen.
You might like this or loathe it. But, based on two interviews with TIME magazine totaling more than 80 minutes, you can no longer ignore Trump's intentions:
On whether states should monitor women's pregnancies so they can know if they've gotten an abortion that violates a ban (say, after 15 weeks of pregnancy): ‘I think they might do that. Again, you'll have to speak to the individual states.’ (President Biden tweeted about that quote: ‘This is reprehensible.’)
On political violence in connection with the upcoming election: ‘I don't think we're going to have that. I think we're going to win. And if we don't win, you know, it depends. It always depends on the fairness of an election.’
On using the military to deport migrants who cross illegally: ‘Well, these aren't civilians. These are people that aren't legally in our country. This is an invasion of our country.’
On launching the largest deportation operation in American history: ‘Because we have no choice. I don't believe this is sustainable for a country, what's happening to us.’
On using the military against protesters: ‘I would use certainly the National Guard, if the police were unable to stop. I would absolutely use the National Guard.’ He then mentioned an executive order he signed to encourage prosecution of anyone who desecrates national monuments.
On using Schedule F power to fire civil servants: ‘You have some people that are protected that shouldn't be protected. And you have some people you almost want to protect because they do such a good job.’
On pardoning every one of the people convicted of participating in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol: ‘I would consider that, yes. ... Yes, absolutely.’
On whether he might fire a U.S. attorney who didn't prosecute someone on his orders: ‘It would depend on the situation. Yeah.’
On "anti-white racism" protections: ‘I think there is a definite anti-white feeling in this country, and that can't be allowed.’
On disbanding the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, established under President Biden: ‘I think I would. ... I think it sounds good politically, but I think it's a very expensive solution.’
Between the lines: TIME, in the cover story going on sale May 17, calls Trump's responses ‘the outlines of an imperial presidency that would reshape America and its role in the world.’
Asked by the magazine about his statement on Fox News in December that he'd be a dictator just for Day 1 of his presidency, Trump said: ‘I think a lot of people like it.’
The bottom line: President Biden has been vaguer about his second-term plans. But voters now have a clear policy, philosophical and stylistic choice.” [Axios]
A six-week abortion ban takes effect in Florida today.
“What to know: The law, confirmed by the state’s Supreme Court last month, is one of the strictest in the nation and will all but eliminate abortion care in the Southeast.
But the ban might not last: Florida’s November ballot will include a referendum on enshrining abortion rights in its constitution. Democrats hope it will energize Florida voters.”
Read this story at Washington Post
The Biden administration will clear $6.1 billion in debt of former Art Institute students.
“What to know: The debt is held by 317,000 former students of the defunct, for-profit chain of universities. Eligible borrowers will be notified today, and don’t need to take action.
Zooming out: This is one of the administration’s biggest student debt relief initiatives since the Supreme Court struck down Biden’s $400 billion plan last year.”
Read this story at Washington Post
“Mississippi lawmakers reached a deal to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. If passed, it would give 200,000 more low-income residents largely free health coverage.” [New York Times]
“Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s independent presidential campaign said he had qualified for the ballot in a fourth state, California.” [New York Times]
Promised Rafah Assault
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (second to the left) heads the weekly cabinet meeting at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Jan. 7.Ronen Zvulun/AFP via Getty Images
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged on Tuesday to launch an incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah ‘with or without a deal,’ referring to ongoing cease-fire negotiations, in order to secure ‘total victory’ over Hamas. ‘The idea that we will stop the war before achieving all of its goals is out of the question,’ he said.
The newest cease-fire proposal that Hamas is considering would establish a roughly 40-day truce and have the group exchange around 33 hostages being held in Gaza for numerous Palestinian prisoners. Israel lowered the number of hostages that it is demanding be released from 40 people, partly in recognition that some have likely died in captivity. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Tuesday to continue talks.
Senior Israeli officials, including Foreign Minister Israel Katz, previously hinted that Israel would shelve plans to attack Rafah if a cease-fire agreement was reached. But Netanyahu appears to have conceded to demands from far-right members of his cabinet to carry out the operation. On Saturday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened to withdraw from Netanyahu’s government if Israel does not invade Rafah. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich expressed similar sentiments on Tuesday, saying a ‘government that submits to international pressure, stops the war in the middle, avoids immediate entry into Rafah, and returns to Egyptian mediation proposals that leave Hamas existing in any configuration will at that moment lose its right to exist.’
Foreign leaders continue to warn Israel against launching an offensive in Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are currently sheltering. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Monday that an invasion would cause the ‘biggest catastrophe in the Palestinian people’s history.’ U.S. President Joe Biden ‘reiterated his clear position’ on the operation during a phone call with Netanyahu on Sunday, according to a White House readout. The readout did not elaborate on that position, but the White House has previously said it would not support a ground offensive in Rafah absent a credible Israeli plan for evacuating the estimated 1.5 million people there.
Also during Sunday’s phone call, Netanyahu reportedly asked Biden to help prevent the International Criminal Court (ICC) from issuing arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials connected to the war in Gaza. The ICC prosecutor’s office is under pressure from nongovernmental organizations and several member nations to issue warrants against Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi.
‘Under my leadership, Israel will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defense,’ Netanyahu wrote on X last Friday. Three years ago, the ICC launched an investigation into possible war crimes by both Israeli and Palestinian forces dating back to the 2014 war in Gaza. Neither Israel nor the United States recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, Hamas and Fatah officials met in Beijing for ‘in-depth and candid talks on promoting intra-Palestinian reconciliation,’ Chinese authorities said on Tuesday. Fatah is the political party that controls the Palestinian Authority (PA), which nominally governs parts of the West Bank; U.S. officials have previously suggested that the PA could help govern postwar Gaza. Both parties convened in Russia in February but did not achieve any progress toward a unified government, with Fatah demanding that Hamas dismantle its armed wing and Hamas refusing to do so.” [Foreign Policy]
“Two ICJ hearings. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) rejected Nicaragua’s request on Tuesday to order Germany to stop supplying Israel with military aid and to resume funding for the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). Around 30 percent of Israel’s military equipment purchases came from Germany in 2023, and Germany was one of 15 Western nations to suspend UNRWA funding over allegations that some staff members were involved in Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Last week, Berlin announced that it would resume cooperating with UNRWA.
The 16-judge panel ruled in a 15-1 vote that the legal conditions to order such provisional measures were not met. However, the ICJ did not dismiss the case entirely, as Germany requested. Instead, it is allowing arguments on both sides to be heard regarding whether Berlin is facilitating the commission of genocide in Gaza by giving arms support to Israel. The court remains concerned about ‘catastrophic living conditions’ in Gaza, particularly ‘the prolonged and widespread deprivation of food and other basic necessities,’ ICJ President Nawaf Salam said. The case could take years to conclude.
The ICJ also began preliminary hearings on Tuesday for Mexico’s case against Ecuador. On April 5, Ecuadorian forces stormed the Mexican Embassy in Quito to arrest former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas—who was convicted of corruption—just hours after Mexico City offered him political asylum. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador condemned the raid as a violation of Mexico’s sovereignty and asked the ICJ to determine whether Ecuador should be suspended from the U.N. In turn, Quito filed a complaint against Mexico on Monday for granting asylum to a disgraced former leader.” [Foreign Policy]
“China targets Philippine ships. The Philippines accused the Chinese coast guard on Tuesday of harassing and damaging two of its boats in the South China Sea. The vessels were en route to the Scarborough Shoal to assist fishermen in the area when Beijing targeted them with water cannons. No injuries were reported.
Both Manila and Beijing claim sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal as well as other contested areas of the South China Sea. China’s coast guard said it expelled the Philippine vessels for ‘intruding’ into its waters, whereas the Philippines condemned what it called China’s ‘dangerous maneuvers’ against its ships. Similar incidents have occurred across the South China Sea in recent weeks, forcing the Philippines, the United States, and Japan to convene a trilateral summit earlier this month to address rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific.” [Foreign Policy]
“Sanctions violation. U.N. sanctions monitors concluded that debris from a missile that landed in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Jan. 2 was from a North Korean Hwasong-11 series ballistic missile, Reuters reported on Monday.
In a 32-page report made to a U.N. Security Council committee, the monitors said the information that they received from Ukraine indicated that the missile was fired from within Russian territory, suggesting that it had been procured by Russian nationals; if so, that would constitute a violation of a 2006 U.N. arms embargo on Pyongyang, which prohibits both the export of weapons to and the import of weapons from North Korea.
In February, Washington accused Russia of using North Korean-supplied ballistic missiles on Ukraine in at least nine incidents. Both Moscow and Pyongyang denied the U.S. allegations.” [Foreign Policy]
“The battle between Russia and the West for influence in a host of countries that Moscow regards as its backyard is intensifying alongside the war in Ukraine.
Riot police in Georgia last night clashed with protesters opposing a planned government law targeting foreign funding of non-governmental organizations. The ruling Georgian Dream party’s billionaire founder railed against the West as a ‘global war party’ intent on pushing Georgia into conflict with Russia.
The country’s president has sided with the protesters in labeling it a ‘Russian law,’ similar to ‘foreign agent’ legislation used by Vladimir Putin to crush his domestic opponents. The US and the European Union agree, warning the legislation will undermine Georgia’s chances of EU membership.
Russia is ramping up pressure on Armenia after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held security talks with the US and the EU last month. It threatened ‘devastating consequences’ if Armenia, which hosts Moscow’s only foreign military base in the region, abandons a Russia-led defense alliance and turns to the West.
Meanwhile, Moldova is warning about Kremlin attempts to sabotage its democracy as the pro-Western President Maia Sandu seeks reelection this year and the country sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania holds a referendum on joining the EU. Pro-Russian opposition groups gathered in Moscow last month to form an anti-European alliance.
It’s all taking place as Ukraine starts receiving billions of dollars in new weapons from its US and European allies, aiming to recapture the initiative against Russia on the battlefield after months of delay in delivering munitions.
Countries formerly under Moscow’s control during the Soviet Union all fear the return of Russian domination if Putin wins in Ukraine.
In the struggle going on across the region, they’re desperate to escape Russia’s shadow now while Putin’s still distracted by the war.” [Bloomberg] – Anthony Halpin
Riot police clash with protesters today in Tbilisi. Photographer: Giorgi Arjevanidze/Getty Images
“How bad are things for UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak? His Conservatives are predicted to lose heavily in local elections across England tomorrow but his critics are focused on the fate of two of his mayoral candidates in the West Midlands and Tees Valley. If they lose, as one pollster put it, ‘all bets are off’ and talk of replacing him as leader will pick up steam again.” [Bloomberg]
“The US and the Philippines are discussing ways to stop China from dominating nickel processing in Indonesia, the top supplier of the critical mineral that’s crucial for electric vehicle batteries and President Joe Biden’s push for a green energy transition. One idea being considered is for the Philippines to supply the raw metal material, for the US to provide the financing and a third country such as Japan or South Korea to offer the technology required for smelting and refining.” [Bloomberg]
“Canada’s opposition leader was ejected from parliament after calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a ‘wacko.’ Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre, currently the favorite to win the next election, refused to withdraw the insult. The incident is a preview of the next election campaign and how poisonous the political climate has become, not just in the US.” [Bloomberg]
“Yemen is nearing a licensing deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink to provide satellite internet service to the war-torn country, according to a senior government official. If the deal works out, Yemen would join countries like Israel and Jordan who are among very few to have approved the use of Starlink in the Middle East. A Bloomberg investigation found that Yemen was among numerous jurisdictions where Starlink terminals were in use despite the company having no explicit license to operate.” [Bloomberg]
“The US Senate approved legislation banning the import of enriched uranium from Russia, sending the measure to the White House for a formal sign off.” [Bloomberg]
“China’s new climate chief plans to visit the US in May for formal talks with his American counterpart, seeking to bolster one of the few bright spots in relations between the rival superpowers.” [Bloomberg]
Crypto billionaire Changpeng Zhao sentenced to 4 months in prison
“A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao to four months in prison for failing to wall off the world’s largest digital asset exchange from money laundering activity, allowing the trading platform to become a hub for illicit finance.
Judge Richard Jones of the Western District of Washington delivered the ruling after Zhao and Binance pleaded guilty last year to a sweeping slate of charges levied by the U.S. government alleging that the company long prioritized its growth over compliance with the law. Binance, in turn, became a central node for terrorist organizations, hackers and human traffickers looking to move money, prosecutors said.”
Read the latest at POLITICO
Paul Auster, American author of The New York Trilogy, dies aged 77
The writer of The New York Trilogy, Leviathan and 4 3 2 1 – known for his stylised postmodernist fiction – has died from complications of lung cancer
Paul Auster – a life in pictures
“Paul Auster, the author of 34 books including the acclaimed New York Trilogy, has died aged 77.
The author died on Tuesday due to complications from lung cancer, his friend and fellow author Jacki Lyden confirmed to the Guardian.
Auster became known for his ‘highly stylised, quirkily riddlesome postmodernist fiction in which narrators are rarely other than unreliable and the bedrock of plot is continually shifting,’ the novelist Joyce Carol Oates wrote in 2010.
His stories often play with themes of coincidence, chance and fate. Many of his protagonists are writers themselves, and his body of work is self-referential, with characters from early novels appearing again in later ones….” [The Guardian]
“Lives Lived: Dr. Werner Spitz examined forensic clues in the most famous American deaths of the past 60 years, including those of President John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Mary Jo Kopechne. Spitz died at 97.” [New York Times]