The Full Belmonte, 5/25/2023
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at the Heritage Foundation's 50th Anniversary Leadership Summit in April.
Ron DeSantis
“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his 2024 presidential campaign on Twitter Spaces, Twitter’s audio-only platform, but a series of technical difficulties and a waning audience on the app opened the door for criticism from both sides of the political aisle. The livestream event, hosted by owner Elon Musk and tech entrepreneur David Sacks, was initially delayed and then cut out a few minutes through. Musk had to restart the event from a different account, and only about 250,000 people ended up listening to DeSantis’ big moment. Now, political experts say DeSantis will need to bounce back if he has a hope of besting former President Donald Trump – who ridiculed the tech fiasco – for the 2024 GOP nomination. The incident is also a blow to Musk, who could have been seen as a new Republican kingmaker if the event had gone as planned. DeSantis shunned more traditional media methods for his campaign announcement, including a potential interview with Fox News.” [CNN]
DeSantis' safe-space strategy
Screenshot: Fox News
“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' glitchy Twitter chat with Elon Musk was a stumbling start to his presidential campaign's media strategy:
Largely ignore mainstream media — and their tough questions — and stick to conservative outlets, Axios' Alex Thompson and Sophia Cai report.
Why it matters: DeSantis' safe-spaces game plan will test the powers of the conservative media ecosystem. To beat former President Trump for the GOP nomination, the governor likely has to appeal to more voters than most conservative outlets can deliver.
‘I'm not going to sit there and humor [mainstream outlets] and treat them as some neutral arbiter,’ DeSantis told libertarian John Stossel in an interview posted this week.
‘What bugs me, and I think a lot of Republicans ... is they pretend that somehow they are objective.’
How it happened: After a buggy 20 minutes on Twitter Spaces, DeSantis, Musk and moderator David Sacks returned in a new — and functioning — forum with a fraction of the original audience. DeSantis launched into a speech that resembled his pitch on his recent book tour.
As political foes and the Twitter universe mocked DeSantis and Musk over the glitches, DeSantis responded to conservative questioners who praised him and his record.
Afterward, he posted a tongue-in-cheek video bragging he ‘broke the internet.’
DeSantis followed that with a Fox News prime-time interview with former congressman Trey Gowdy, who's now a Fox host, and a radio interview with conservative host Mark Levin.
Today, DeSantis will appear with conservative radio hosts Erick Erickson, then Dana Loesch.
Via Twitter
What he said: On Fox, DeSantis promised to fire FBI Director Chris Wray, a frequent target of Republicans who say the bureau has treated conservatives unfairly: ‘There [will] be a new director) on day one.’
About the border, DeSantis said: ‘I want a full wall, and we will mobilize whatever resources we need, including the military, to get it done.’
As an example of DeSantis' focus on the hyper-online right, The New York Times highlighted this ‘taste of the highly ideological and wonky message Mr. DeSantis delivered’ during the Twitter event:
‘Some of the problems with the university and the ideological capture — that didn’t happen by accident, you can trace back all the way to the accreditation cartels. Well, guess what? To become an accreditor, how do you do that? You’ve got to get approved by the U.S. Department of Education. So we’re going to be doing alternative accreditation regimes, where instead of saying, 'You will only get accredited if you do D.E.I.,' you’ll have an accreditor that will say, 'We will not accredit you if you do D.E.I. We want a colorblind, merit-based accreditation scheme.’
Musk tweeted after the DeSantis event: ‘All Presidential candidates are most welcome on this platform.’” [Axios]
Debt limit
“The House will recess today even as tense debt ceiling negotiations between the White House and top Republicans continue. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise says members will be called back to the chamber with 24 hours notice if a deal is reached. Negotiators for the White House and House GOP met again yesterday. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy characterized the talks as positive but said there’s still a lot of division on a solution. If the US defaults, senior citizens could quickly feel the pain. A batch of Social Security payments worth about $25 billion is scheduled to be sent out on June 2, but those payments could be delayed if the Treasury Department is unable to cover the nation’s debts. Here’s some advice on how to keep your money safe if a debt default does come.” [CNN]
January 6
“Several members of the far-right Oath Keepers are facing sentencing for their convictions related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. The first sentencing hearing, for militia leader Stewart Rhodes, convicted of seditious conspiracy, is scheduled for today. As part of the sentencing process, multiple law enforcement officers and two US Capitol staff members testified before a federal judge yesterday and recounted the long-lasting trauma of the riots. Prosecutors have asked for harsh prison sentences for each of the nine defendants ranging from 10 to 25 years. Meanwhile, Richard Barnett, the man who was photographed defacing Nancy Pelosi’s office after breaching the Capitol, has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison.” [CNN]
Florida
“More human rights groups and LGBTQ advocacy groups are issuing travel warnings for Florida after a slew of controversial new laws and policies in the state. The Human Rights Campaign in partnership with Equality Florida, a state LGBTQ advocacy group, issued an updated travel notice outlining the potential impacts of six bills that were recently passed under the hand of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The groups specified their notice was not a call for a boycott or a blanket recommendation against travel. Last weekend, the NAACP issued an advisory because of ‘DeSantis’ aggressive attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools.’ A few days earlier, LULAC – the League of United Latin American Citizens – issued its own advisory in response to a new state immigration law that will go into effect in July.” [CNN]
Russia
“A new ‘revolution’ could rock Russia if its stuttering war effort in Ukraine continues, the chief of private military group Wagner said. Yevgeny Prigozhin gave a scathing assessment of Moscow’s military readiness in an interview with a pro-Russian blogger. Prigozhin has frequently criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin’s traditional military hierarchy, and his comments could further expose divisions in its ranks. Meanwhile, nine people were hospitalized following drone attacks on the Russian region of Belgorod. Anti-Moscow groups have claimed responsibility for the attacks. Kyiv has distanced itself from these Russian fighters, saying they are operating independently in Russia. Russia's defense minister called the attack a ‘terrorist act.’” [CNN]
“The most wanted fugitive accused of involvement in the Rwandan genocide of 1994 has been arrested in Paarl, South Africa, after decades on the run. Fulgence Kayishema allegedly orchestrated the killing of more than 2,000 Tutsi refugees – women, men, children and the elderly – at Nyange Catholic Church during the genocide. He has been at large since 2001.” [CNN]
Return of working moms defies pandemic expectations
“The percentage of women with children who are working is back to a peak level last seen in 2019, Emily Peck writes for Axios Markets.
Why it matters: The pandemic was supposed to spell doomsday for working women, mothers in particular. That's not what happened.
The state of women in the workplace has in some ways emerged stronger than ever:
‘At the beginning of the pandemic, we were all asking ourselves if mother's labor force participation would ever recover,’ said Misty Heggeness, a former Census Bureau economist. ‘Definitely, the answer is a resounding 'yes.' Not only did it recover, itis currently on fire.’
What's happening: The ability to work remotely was a game-changer for parents but especially mothers.
Many women around the country were able to keep their jobs and juggle increased demands from family life during the crisis.
The vast majority of parents now find that working from home enables a level of work-life balance that was impossible to pull off before.
By the numbers: The share of women with children under 18 in the workforce is now well above where it was in February 2020, at 71.6%.
In March 2023, mothers' labor force participation was at 75.2% — a high last touched in October 2019.
Reality check: Most low-wage women aren't able to work remotely.” [Axios]
Patagonia eco-brand wins the world
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
“Outdoor retailer Patagonia, which is steering profits into fighting climate change, has the top ranking in the 2023 Axios Harris Poll 100 brand reputation survey, Ben Geman writes for Axios Generate.
Why it matters: The outdoor apparel company appears to have successfully avoided polarizing battles that have ensnared other big brands.
For decades, the company has supported environmental groups and causes with money, visibility and more.
But it took a big new step in 2022: Patagonia created a legal structure to ensure all profits that aren't reinvested in the company will go toward ‘fighting the climate crisis.’
Between the lines: Years of surveys from multiple pollsters show Democrats prioritizing climate far more than Republicans. Patagonia gets strong ratings from both parties.” [Axios]
Youthful trust in A.I.
Data: Quinnipiac Poll. Chart: Axios Visuals
“A majority of Americans (54%) think artificial intelligence poses a danger to humanity, while 31% think it will benefit humanity, according to a Quinnipiac Poll released yesterday.
In the top chart, you can see that the fear generally declines with age.” [Axios]
Google Pulls Slavery Simulator Game from Brazil Play Store
“A cellphone game allowing people to buy and sell—and even torture—enslaved Black people has reportedly caused outrage in Brazil. The game, Simulador de Escravidão or Slavery Simulator, was taken down from the Google Play Store on Wednesday but had already been downloaded by more than a thousand people—who can continue using it. The game had received positive reviews, according to The Guardian, although one user said it needed ‘more torture options.’ Activists are demanding action about its developer, identified as Magnus Games, and Google. ‘Racism is not entertainment, it’s a crime!’ a group of Black city councilors from São Paulo said. The Guardian notes that racism is an enduring issue in Brazil, which took in more enslaved Africans than any other country in the Americas and did not abolish slavery until 1888.” [Axios]
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SPORTS NEWS FROM THE ATHLETIC
“A walk-off clincher: Matthew Tkachuk scored with 4.9 seconds left in the Panthers’ win over the Hurricanes, sending the No. 8 seed to the Stanley Cup Final.
Block mania: P.G.A. pro Michael Block is still trying to make sense of his newfound fame.
Superfan: The eccentric Yankees ballhawk who caught an Aaron Judge home run ball this week is more than a lucky spectator.” [New York Times]
Tina Turner
Tina Turner in Brighton, England, in 1985.John Rogers/Hulton Archive, via Getty Images
“Tina Turner, whose explosive energy and singular rasp made her one of the most successful recording artists of all time, has died at 83.” [New York Times]
Bowing to the Queen
Tina Turner in Detroit in 1985. Photo: Ross Marino/Getty Images
“Tina Turner — the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, whose raspy, energetic vocals made her one of the most recognizable and successful recording artists in the world — died at 83 in her home in Küsnacht, near Zurich, after a long illness.
She became a Swiss citizen a decade ago.
Angela Bassett, who played Turner in the searing 1993 biopic ‘What's Love Got to Do with It?’ said on Instagram that Turner ‘showed others who lived in fear what a beautiful future filled with love, compassion, and freedom should look like.’
Turner, then 32, performs at Roosevelt Raceway on Long Island, N.Y., in 1972. Photo: Jim Peppler/Newsday via Getty Images
After she left her abusive marriage to Ike Turner, which she documented in her autobiography ‘I, Tina,’ her career stalled.
Her 1984 album ‘Private Dancer’ launched her comeback and made her a global sensation.
A 1997 "60 minutes" interview with Turner went viral yesterday. In it, Mike Wallace walks with Turner around her estate in the South of France and asks her if she feels she ‘deserves all this.’
Turner responds, laughing: ‘I deserve more.’” [Axios]
“Lives Lived: Bill Lee was a bassist and composer who scored the early films of his son Spike Lee and worked prolifically as a sideman for Bob Dylan and Aretha Franklin. He died at 94.” [New York Times]