The Full Belmonte, 6/10/2023
Trump's shower stash
This image, contained in the indictment, shows boxes of records stored in a bathroom and shower in the Lake Room at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla. Photo: Justice Department via AP
“Former President Trump kept highly classified documents seemingly all over Mar-a-Lago — in the bathroom and shower, and for a time onstage in the ballroom at his Palm Beach club — according to the bombshell 49-page indictment unsealed by the Justice Department this afternoon.
Why it matters: The charges against Trump are laid out in vivid and voluminous detail, in contrast to the accusations by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in March.
By the numbers: Trump is charged with 37 felony counts related to his handling of classified documents after he left the White House.
The indictment includes 31 separate counts of willful retention of national defense information under the Espionage Act.
Special counsel Jack Smith speaks today. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
Shortly after the indictment was unsealed, special counsel Jack Smith made brief remarks at the Justice Department. Networks interrupted afternoon programs.
‘Our nation’s commitment to the rule of law sets an example for the world,’ Smith said.
‘My office will seek a speedy trial in this matter, consistent with the public interest and the rights of the accused.’
Walt Nauta, an aide to Trump described as his ‘body man,’ is named as a co-conspirator. Both men face one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice.
‘The purpose of the conspiracy was for [Trump] to keep classified documents he has taken with him from the White House and to hide and conceal them from a federal grand jury,’ the indictment says.
To be clear: ‘After his presidency, TRUMP was not authorized to possess or retain classified documents.’
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social network, criticized Smith as a ‘Trump hater’ and said: ‘I had nothing to hide. Nor do I now.’
The White House said President Biden learned about the indictment through news reports.” [Axios]
Stunning details
This image, contained in the indictment, shows boxes of records being stored on a ballroom stage at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Photo: Justice Department via AP
“‘TRUMP was personally involved’ in packing classified info into boxes, the Justice Department indictment says.
The indictment says Trump showed classified documents to others two different times in 2021, including at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., when he shared details of a secret military plan with others — a writer, publisher and two staff members.
‘[A]s president I could have declassified it,’ he said. ‘Now I can't, you know, but this is still a secret.’
In a conversation with his lawyer, Trump said: ‘[W]hy don’t you take them with you to your hotel room and if there’s anything really bad in there, like, you know, pluck it out,’ making a ‘plucking motion,’ per the indictment.
‘TRUMP stored his boxes containing classified documents in various locations at The Mar-a-Lago Club including in a ballroom, a bathroom and shower, an office space, his bedroom, and a storage room.’
‘[H]undreds of classified documents’ included information ‘regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries; United States nuclear programs; potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack; and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack.’” [Axios]
Democrats in the House and Senate introduced a bill that would overhaul the debt-ceiling process.
“It would empower the Treasury Department to continue paying bills for the country’s existing obligations. To stop those payments, Congress would have 30 days to pass a veto-proof joint disapproval resolution, which would require a two-thirds vote in the House and Senate. Backers argue that using the full faith and credit of the U.S. as leverage is irresponsible and tantamount to taking the U.S. economy hostage, but many Republicans in Congress see the debt limit as a way to extract spending concessions from Democrats.” [Washington Post]
Joran van der Sloot arraigned in an Alabama court on charges stemming from Natalee Holloway’s disappearance
“Joran van der Sloot was arraigned today in Birmingham, Alabama on federal charges of wire fraud and extortion related to Natalee Holloway’s disappearance. He pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors say van der Sloot asked Holloway’s mother for $250,000 in exchange for information leading to Natalee’s remains, but it’s a promise Joran never delivered on.
Holloway disappeared in 2005 while on vacation with classmates in Aruba. The 18-year-old was last seen getting into a car there with van der Sloot and two others, according to the FBI.
Van der Sloot was arrested in connection to Holloway's disappearance but later released due to lack of evidence. A judge later declared Holloway dead.
Today her family members were in that Alabama courtroom. Natalee’s mother Beth Holloway, her son Matthew, and Natalee’s father, Dave Holloway, were there. Dave Holloway issued this statement, saying, ‘While filled with mixed emotions, I am confident that today was an important step toward accountability and hopefully, justice. These particular charges do not involve me directly, but I am trusting that this prosecution will lead us to the truth about Natalee.’
Van der Sloot was extradited to the U.S. yesterday from Peru, where he has been serving a prison sentence for the 2010 murder of a woman there.” [NBC News]
75 million people are under air quality alerts today
“There’s some relief today from the unhealthy air quality that we’ve been reporting on all week.
The smoke from those historic wildfires in Canada is clearing out a bit after shrouding New York City and Philadelphia with the worst air in the world this week. It also blanketed much of the East coast and Mid-Atlantic, prompting health warnings.
Today, 75 million are under air quality alerts across those regions and also the Great Lakes, but at a reduced level of danger….” [NBC News]
“Russian leader Vladimir Putin says he will start placing tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus next month as his neighbor to the west drifts ever closer to Moscow. In Ukraine, more evidence emerged that Kyiv’s counteroffensive was underway, with reports of intense fighting along the southeastern front. In Kherson, rescuers and residents attempting to navigate floodwaters were forced to dodge shelling by Kremlin forces as more evidence surfaced of Russia being responsible for the destruction of the Kakhovka dam and the catastrophe that followed. in Washington, the Pentagon is set to announce a long-term arms package for Ukraine that’s heavy on air defense munitions and valued at more than $2 billion.” [Bloomberg]
Ukrainian servicemen help a disabled resident from a boat during an evacuation from a flooded area in Kherson on June 8. Photographer: Genya Savilov/AFP
“Destruction of Ukraine’s Kakhovka Dam Will Haunt the Environment
The explosion unleashed an enormous environmental disaster that cut freshwater and electricity supplies for millions of people, flooded dozens of towns and spilled at least 150 tons of machine oil into the Dnipro River. Laura Millan explains that the impact could burden Ukraine’s southern region for decades.” [Bloomberg]
“Russian Elite Is Souring on Putin’s Chances of Winning His War
There is a sense of deepening gloom among Russia’s political and business elite about the prospects for Putin’s war in Ukraine. While nobody’s willing to stand up to the president over the invasion, absolute belief in his leadership has been shaken by it, sources say.” [Bloomberg]
Putin chairs a meeting with members of the government via video conference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, on April 19. Photographer: Gavriil Grigorov/AFP/Getty Images
4 children lost in Amazon jungle for 40 days after Colombia plane crash are found alive
Associated Press
“BOGOTA, Colombia – Four Indigenous children who disappeared 40 days ago after surviving a small plane crash in the Amazon jungle were found alive, Colombian authorities announced Friday, ending an intense search that gripped the nation.
The children were alone when searchers found them and are now receiving medical attention, President Gustavo Petro told reporters upon his return to Bogota from Cuba, where he signed a cease-fire agreement with representatives of the National Liberation Army rebel group.
The president said the youngsters are an ‘example of survival’ and predicted their saga ‘will remain in history.’
The crash happened in the early hours of May 1, when the Cessna single-engine propeller plane with seven passengers and a pilot declared an emergency due to an engine failure.
The small aircraft fell off radar a short time later and a frantic search for survivors began. The three adults were killed, and their bodies were found in the area.
Two weeks after the crash, on May 16, a search team found the plane in a thick patch of the rainforest and recovered the bodies of the adults, but the small children were nowhere to be found.
Sensing that they could be alive, Colombia’s army stepped up the hunt for the children and flew 150 soldiers with dogs into the area to track the group of four siblings, ages 13, 9, 4 and 11 months. Dozens of volunteers from Indigenous tribes also helped search.
On Friday, the military tweeted pictures showing a group of soldiers and volunteers posing with the children, who were wrapped in thermal blankets. One of the soldiers held a bottle to the smallest child’s lips.
Cuban Missive Crisis
An old American car passes by the U.S. Embassy in Havana on May 26.Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images
“China’s latest attempt to spy on the United States may be coming to Washington’s own backyard. The Wall Street Journal reports that Cuba has made a secret pact to allow China to establish an electronic eavesdropping facility focused on collecting signals intelligence from the United States on the island. That would mean Chinese intelligence could monitor emails, phone calls, satellite transmissions, and shipping traffic along the southeastern United States from a location roughly 100 miles off Florida’s coastline, potentially enabling Beijing to obtain intelligence from top U.S. military bases—including U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Florida, and Fort Liberty in North Carolina.
The base’s exact location and when it may be built are still unknown, but sources familiar told the Journal that China paid Cuba several billion dollars to construct the planned facility. The U.S. Defense Department and Cuban Vice Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossio both denied the report’s accuracy, with Fernández de Cossio calling the report ‘totally mendacious and unfounded information.’ Beijing did not directly address the allegations, saying it was ‘not aware’ of the situation and then accusing the United States of ‘spreading rumors.’ Several other media outlets, including CNN, have since corroborated the Journal’s initial reporting. The top Democrat and Republican on the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee issued a joint statement on Thursday, saying they are ‘deeply disturbed’ by the reports and calling on the Biden administration ‘to take steps to prevent this serious threat to our national security and sovereignty.’
A Cuban signals base would not be Beijing’s first attempt to keep a watchful eye on its biggest diplomatic and economic rival. On Feb. 1, a Chinese spy balloon was spotted over Montana, alarming many Americans and prompting numerous U.S. lawmakers to issue grave threats against Chinese foreign influence efforts. In total, at least five Chinese spy balloons have been tracked across U.S. airspace since 2017. This also comes at a time when Beijing has invested billions of dollars into artificial intelligence development and other technological arms races, FP’s Rishi Iyengar reported, resulting in a ‘Cold War arms race dynamic.’” [Foreign Policy]
“Game on. The long-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive appears to be underway following a major assault on occupying Russian forces in Zaporizhzhia, a city in southeast Ukraine, on Thursday. This follows months of Ukrainian troop mobilization efforts, including a campaign for more Western-supplied weapons and ammunition, as well as a devastating breach this week of Ukraine’s Kakhovka dam. Top Kyiv officials have not confirmed the counteroffensive’s start, but Western reporters on the ground have spoken to Ukrainian military service members who said the operations have begun. Russia’s defense minister said as many as 1,500 Ukrainian troops and 150 armored vehicles had attempted to break through Russian army lines.
Meanwhile, U.S. intelligence released Friday suggests Iran is supplying Russia with materials to build a drone manufacturing facility east of Moscow. Reports of such a plant first emerged last December but were merely conceptual at the time. Despite the West’s condemnation of Iranian military support of Russia, including a slew of sanctions against Iranian drone companies in recent months, ‘officials concede that there are no realistic avenues to stem the flow of Iranian military goods into Russia for it to deploy to Ukraine,’ FP’s Robbie Gramer reported in March.” [Foreign Policy]
“More aid suspended. The United Nations World Food Program announced on Friday that it was temporarily suspending food aid to Ethiopia following an investigation revealing a ‘widespread and coordinated’ campaign to divert humanitarian supplies away from the civilians who need them. Instead, food donations are being sold on Ethiopia’s open market or given to military officials and ex-combatants. The U.N. decision follows a similar suspension the day before by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
According to an internal memo, Ethiopian federal and regional government officials appear to be orchestrating the diversion; however, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration continues to deny involvement. Globally, northern Ethiopia ranks in the top 10 regions most suffering from hunger, with nearly 4 million children severely malnourished there.” [Foreign Policy]
“Bye, bye, Boris. With COVID-19 scandals breathing down his neck, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned from his parliamentary seat on Friday. Johnson had been under investigation for potentially having misled Parliament about attending gatherings while the United Kingdom was in lockdown. The scandal, which the British press dubbed “Partygate,” spurred a series of high-profile Conservative resignations.
By stepping down, Johnson avoids a House of Commons vote on his conduct as well as a special election for his seat—which he might have lost. ‘It is very sad to be leaving Parliament—at least for now—but above all, I am bewildered and appalled that I can be forced out,’ Johnson said.” [Foreign Policy]
Boris Johnson resigned from Parliament yesterday.Kenny Holston/The New York Times
“Giorgia Meloni Looks to Cement Power by Remaking Corporate Italy
The right-wing prime minister is pushing ahead with her nationalist vision for corporate Italy — one that views dozens of state-owned companies as a way to cement power and drive change in the economy. Meloni’s aim is to reshape the country’s long-term industrial strategy and institutions.” [Bloomberg]
Meloni walks through the Palazzo Chigi in Rome. Photographer: Alessia Pierdomenico/Bloomberg
“Far-Right Resurgence Limits Scholz’s Room for Action in Germany
Once seen as a radical fringe group, the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is now tied with Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats as the second-most popular party in the country. As Michael Nienaber reports, it has been able to tap into public discontent over record-high migration, inflation and costly climate-protection measures to batter Scholz’s government.” [Bloomberg]
”Through 16 years of impeachments and scandal, Julio Velarde, Peru’s central bank’s president, has presided over a remarkably resilient economy. But the country’s constitution now threatens to undo those achievements. As Marcelo Rochabrun explains, since 2016, Peruvians have lived through six presidencies, six impeachment trials, one congressional dissolution and one failed coup. Three of their former leaders are in jail, on allegations ranging from rebellion to graft.” [Bloomberg]
Demonstrators on March 7 in Puno, which has experienced the worst of the nation’s violence since then-President Pedro Castillo attempted to dissolve Congress in December. Photographer: Marco Garro/Bloomberg“New York has leapfrogged Hong Kong as the world’s most expensive city to live in as an expat, while skyrocketing rents saw Singapore burst into the top five. In Portugal, which lured thousands of Americans to live given its cheap real estate, tax advantages and relaxed lifestyle, the honeymoon is over. If just traveling abroad is more your speed, here are some hacks to consider before you board that next (pricey) flight.” [Bloomberg]
Carrie Lane stayed in Portugal three months before she moved back to Minnesota. Photograph: Bloomberg
“General Motors said it will adapt its electric vehicles to Tesla’s Superchargers, following Ford’s lead and all but ensuring Tesla chargers will become the industry standard in the US. China launched acampaign to boost EV adoption in rural areas. Then there’s the struggle to electrify one of the world’s dirtiest industries: construction. Expanding sustainably will require a radical reshaping of how structures are built—and hard decisions as to whether they get built at all.” [Bloomberg]