The Full Belmonte, 6/2/2023
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks to reporters following the passage of legislation raising the debt ceiling until 2025.
Debt limit
“The Senate passed a debt limit bill late Thursday, averting a US default. The legislation, which was passed by the House on Wednesday, will be sent to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. After the Senate voted 63 to 36 to pass the bill, Biden praised Congress for its efforts in averting a default that would have had global economic consequences. The timeframe to pass the bill through Congress was extremely tight with little room for error, putting enormous pressure on leadership in both parties as the threat of default loomed. Biden plans to address the nation today at 7 p.m. ET on the deal.” [CNN]
Senate sends debt deal to Biden's desk
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer walks to a press conference after the final vote. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
“Just before 11 p.m., the Senate passed a bill to raise the debt ceiling into 2025 and cut the deficit, sending the bill to President Biden's desk, Axios' Andrew Solender reports.
Why it matters: The U.S. averted a potentially catastrophic default on its debt obligations after Congress punted the issue past the 2024 election.
By the numbers: Senators passed the bill 63-36, with 46 Democrats and 17 Republicans in favor.
31 Republicans, mostly conservatives, voted against the bill, including Senate Republican Conference Chair John Barrasso (R-Wyo.).
Five progressives also voted against it: Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), who was attending his son's graduation, was the lone senator who did not vote.” [Axios]
Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Above: Tally sheets are seen in the Senate press gallery after a hectic series of amendment votes and final passage of the debt-ceiling package.
“In a major blow to unions, the US Supreme Court on Thursday ruled a Washington state concrete company could sue the International Brotherhood of Teamsters over a 2017 strike that damaged its products.” [Vox / Ian Millhiser]
Drought, water overuse prompt Arizona to limit construction in some fast-growing parts of Phoenix
By JACQUES BILLEAUD and SUMAN NAISHADHAM
FILE - Water from the Colorado River diverted through the Central Arizona Project fills an irrigation canal, Aug. 18, 2022, in Maricopa, Ariz. Arizona will not approve new housing construction on the fast-growing edges of metro Phoenix that rely on groundwater thanks to years of overuse and a multi-decade drought that is dwindling its water supply. In a news conference Thursday, June 1, 2023, Gov. Katie Hobbs announced the pause on new construction that would affect some of the fastest-growing areas of the nation's 5th largest city. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
“PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona will not approve new housing construction on the fast-growing edges of metro Phoenix that rely on groundwater thanks to years of overuse and a multi-decade drought that is sapping its water supply.
In a news conference Thursday, Gov. Katie Hobbs announced the restrictions that could affect some of the fastest-growing suburbs of the nation’s fifth-largest city.
Officials said developers could still build in the affected areas but would need to find alternative water sources to do so — such as surface or recycled water.
Driving the state’s decision was a projection that showed that over the next 100 years, demand in metro Phoenix for almost 4.9 million acre-feet of groundwater would be unmet without further action, Hobbs said. An acre-foot of water is roughly enough for two to three U.S. households per year.
Despite the move, the governor said the state isn’t running out of water. ‘Nobody who has water is going to lose their water,’ Hobbs said….” Read more at AP News
Hurricane season
In a satellite image provided by NOAA, a tropical depression is seen in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida late Thursday, June 1, 2023, the first official day of the hurricane season.
“Hurricane season began Thursday, with officials predicting 12 to 17 named tropical storms will develop in the Atlantic this year. Five to nine of those systems could become hurricanes and as many as four could strengthen into major hurricanes at Category 3 or stronger, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. None of the seasonal outlooks go as far as to predict how many storms could make landfall in the Caribbean or the US, but history has shown that even in years with average or below-average storms, deadly landfalls are still possible. Last year, for instance, was an average season, but Hurricane Ian was a catastrophe for Florida. The storm killed more than 100 people, devastated the coast, and caused flooding that lasted weeks.” [CNN]
Student loans
“The Senate passed a bill Thursday to block President Biden's student loan forgiveness program. This means both the Senate and the House have now passed legislation blocking the program, which promises to cancel up to $20,000 of debt for millions of borrowers. The bill now goes to Biden's desk for his signature, but the president has pledged to veto the legislation. Meanwhile, borrowers are still awaiting a Supreme Court decision that will determine whether the student loan forgiveness program can take effect. The justices are expected to rule later this month or early July. Federal student loan payments are also set to resume 60 days after the high court issues its ruling or 60 days after June 30, whichever comes first.” [CNN]
Fort Bragg to drop Confederate namesake for Fort Liberty, part of US Army base rebranding
By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM
FILE - The sign for Fort Bragg, N.C., is displayed, Jan. 4, 2020. Fort Bragg will shed its Confederate namesake to become Fort Liberty in a Friday, June 2, 2023, ceremony that some veterans view as a small but important step in making the U.S. Army more welcoming to current and prospective Black service members. (AP Photo/Chris Seward, File)
“RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Fort Bragg will shed its Confederate namesake to become Fort Liberty in a Friday ceremony that some veterans view as a small but important step in making the U.S. Army more welcoming to current and prospective Black service members.
The change is part of a broad Department of Defense initiative, motivated by the 2020 George Floyd protests, to rename military installations bearing the name of confederate soldiers.
The Black Lives Matter demonstrations that erupted nationwide after Floyd’s killing by a white police officer, coupled with ongoing efforts to remove Confederate monuments, turned the spotlight on the Army installations. A naming commission created by Congress visited the bases and met with members of the surrounding communities for input.
While other bases will be renamed for Black soldiers, U.S. presidents and trailblazing women, the North Carolina military installation is the only one not carrying the name of a person. Retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Ty Seidule said at a commission meeting last year that Fort Liberty was chosen as the new name because ‘liberty remains the greatest American value.’….” Read more at AP News
GOP's border one-upsmanship
Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Scott Eisen, Darren Carroll, David McNew, and John Moore via Getty Images
“Ambitious Republicans are trying to outdo each other in cracking down on undocumented migrants.
Governors are sending National Guard troops to the southwest border, and 2024 presidential candidates are touting harsh policies.
Why it matters: The executive branch has immense power over immigration, which has become an increasingly visceral issue since Donald Trump started running back in 2015.
What's happening: At least five GOP governors this week announced National Guard deployments to the Texas-Mexico border — following the lead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who sent troops two weeks ago.
This week's announcements came from Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (a potential 2024 candidate) ... South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster ... South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem ... Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds ... and West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, who has announced for Sen. Joe Manchin's seat.
The governors cited a request from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R).
13 Republican governors signed a statement backing Abbott's Operation Lone Star border-security mission.
Graphic: MSNBC's "Morning Joe"
Reality check: Border crossings have fallen dramatically in recent weeks under strict asylum rules just imposed by the Biden administration — making the latest deployments look more political than practical.
Zoom in: In Florida, DeSantis has signed a sweeping state law that limits access to social services for undocumented migrants and provides more funds for DeSantis’ efforts to move them elsewhere.
DeSantis drew applause in Iowa this week when he said: ‘We have opposed illegal immigration by banning sanctuary cities, cracking down on human smuggling, deploying troops to help on the southern border and even sending illegal aliens to Martha's Vineyard.’
DeSantis is even using immigration against Trump:
The governor told reporters last week that a 2018 Trump-backed bill (which failed in Congress) was ‘like a pittance … in exchange for a massive amnesty.’
Trump this week revisited a bombastic proposal idea he floated as president — ending birthright citizenship, a right that has long been considered guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.” [Axios]
Sweden draws closer to NATO membership
“NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday the alliance wants to bring Sweden into the fold by the time leaders in the group meet in Lithuania next month. Turkey’s government has balked as this prospect, however, accusing Sweden of being too lenient on terrorist organizations such as Kurdish groups linked to a 2016 coup attempt in Turkey. The words come as Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lobbied for financial and military assistance, his nation's peace plan and NATO membership at the European Political Community summit Thursday in neighboring country Moldova.” Read more at USA Today
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (2nd L) attended an informal meeting of NATO Foreign Affairs Ministers in Oslo, Norway on June 1, 2023.
LISE ASERUD, NTB/AFP via Getty Images
Prince Harry
“A conservative think tank will argue in a federal court next week that Prince Harry's US immigration records should be unsealed following revelations of his drug use. The Heritage Foundation is suing the US government to find out if it acted according to procedure or ‘looked the other way’ on some details when it granted the Duke of Sussex a US visa. Under US immigration law, evidence of past drug use can be grounds to reject an application. Harry most recently confessed to taking various drugs in his explosive memoir ‘Spare,’ which was published in January. The Duke of Sussex admitted to having taken cocaine, smoked marijuana and tried magic mushrooms. The case will be held in front of a federal judge next week in Washington, DC.” [CNN]
Colombia
“A massive search is underway for four children who vanished last month in the Colombian Amazon after a devastating airplane crash killed every adult onboard. The story of the missing children has drawn intense interest across Colombia and internationally, as nearly 200 special forces troops and indigenous scouts continue to comb through the forest. The country's Civil Aviation Authority has offered clues as to how the four children — aged 13 years old to 11 months — could have survived, but their whereabouts remain a mystery. Relatives previously said the children knew the jungle well and authorities have confirmed they ‘were not located in the area of the accident’ and there were ‘no signs that they had been injured.’” [CNN]
“Since NATO’s expansion following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the main question it’s faced has been how far the US and its allies will go to protect nations under their collective security umbrella.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine provided a firm answer, as NATO heavyweights ramped up security for members on the alliance’s eastern flank like Poland and the three Baltic states. But the war has raised a new question: Can a country in open conflict with Russia join?
The short answer is no. While NATO states have poured billions of dollars of economic and military aid into Ukraine to help it defend itself, making it a member would by definition draw them into the war with Russia.
Still, North Atlantic Treaty Organization leaders and officials meeting this week in Moldova and Norway outlined positions that indicate Kyiv may get, if not full membership, then at least some kind of insurance policy. Talks are underway on what that may entail before NATO’s July summit in Lithuania.
Admitting that membership for Ukraine ‘isn’t accessible today,’ French President Emmanuel Macron floated the prospect of ‘tangible’ security guarantees — somewhere between what the US offers Israel and accession.
Under a proposal drafted by former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, allies would back Ukraine’s self-defense with commitments to provide military and other resources.
Ukraine’s status is also expected to get an upgrade so it can directly take part in discussions about NATO security. But according to a US source, it’s unclear whether Kyiv will get an actual timeline to join.
‘We cannot talk about a new membership in the middle of a war,’ German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in Oslo.
For now, NATO’s message to Ukraine is clear: You can have cash, weapons, training and encouragement against Russia; but the fight is up to you.” — Michael Winfrey [Bloomberg]
Zelenskiy and Macron in Paris on May 14. Photographer: Benjamin Girette/Bloomberg
“Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is quietly trying to fix the UK’s broken relationship with China. In recent weeks, he has sent a trade minister to Hong Kong while his envoy there called for handling more disagreements with Beijing behind closed doors. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is expected to make a trip to China in the coming months.” [Bloomberg]
The UK government is desperate to find a way to make childcare more affordable and encourage more women back into the workforce, but a pre-Brexit alternative for tens of thousands of families has effectively vanished. Au pairs from European Union countries provided childcare at a reasonable price, but now agencies report stricter UK immigration rules have wiped out as much as 95% of the business.
“Macron has handed his far-right rival Marine Le Pen her best shot yet to cement a position in the center of French politics, and yet she’s struggling to take advantage, Ania Nussbaum reports. Le Pen’s advisers identified public anger over the president’s pension reform as a moment when she could consolidate a reputation as a serious alternative. But the old problems that have dogged her career won’t go away.” [Bloomberg]
“A backlash is brewing across the world against the hegemony of the US dollar, Michelle Jamrisko and Ruth Carson report. With many leaders seeking alternatives to the greenback that they say is being weaponized to push America’s foreign-policy priorities, Washington risks denting the dollar’s preeminence in world markets and undermining the US’s ability to exert influence on the global stage.
BRICS nations asked the bloc’s development bank for guidance on how a potential new shared currency might work, including whether it could shield countries from sanctions such as those imposed on Russia.” [Bloomberg]
“Biden tripped on stage yesterday after delivering remarks at the US Air Force Academy graduation ceremony. Secret Service and Air Force personnel immediately helped the 80-year-old president to his feet and he returned to his seat. He was seen walking unassisted to his motorcade after the 90-minute commencement ended and the White House said he wasn’t hurt. ‘I got sandbagged,’ he quipped to reporters after he returned to Washington.” [Bloomberg]
Biden after falling. Photographer: Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images
By German Lopez
Good morning. The Manhattan case isn’t Trump’s only legal problem.
Donald TrumpSophie Park for The New York Times
More legal problems
“In the coming months, Donald Trump’s mounting legal troubles could get even worse. At least three investigations could bring more criminal charges against him.
Federal officials are investigating both Trump’s handling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, culminating in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Separately, a grand jury in Georgia could charge Trump by September for his attempts to change the state’s election results. Any of these charges could carry prison time.
Charges are not guaranteed. ‘It is certainly possible that there will be more indictments,’ my colleague Alan Feuer, who is covering the federal inquiries, told me. ‘But it is also certainly possible that there aren’t.’
A trial or a conviction also would not necessarily stop Trump from running for president. He might not be tried or convicted before the 2024 election. He could campaign from prison, as the socialist candidate Eugene Debs did in 1920. Some legal experts believe he could even try to govern from prison, should he win the presidency.
Trump is already the first president, current or former, to be charged with a crime. The Manhattan district attorney has accused him of an illegal scheme to cover up potential sex scandals in 2016. And last month, a jury found Trump liable in a civil case for $5 million for sexual abuse and defamation.
Today’s newsletter will focus on the three additional investigations to help you prepare for the potential news of the coming months.
Documents in Mar-a-Lago
The classified-documents case may be close to wrapping up. In August, an F.B.I. search at Trump’s home in Florida turned up more than 100 classified documents that were supposed to remain in the government’s possession. The Justice Department is trying to determine whether Trump hid documents after he had been served with a subpoena ordering him to return them.
One piece of potential evidence in the case, revealed this week: Prosecutors have a recording of Trump discussing a sensitive military document that he kept after leaving the White House and that he acknowledged was not previously declassified.
It is not that unusual for officials to misplace classified documents or keep them in their homes, often by accident. Such documents were found in the homes of President Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence. What is unusual in Trump’s case is his efforts to keep the documents after federal officials asked for them back. Those efforts may expose him to charges of obstruction of justice.
There are a few reasons prosecutors might not charge Trump. The underlying offense — the mishandling of classified documents — is often resolved without charges; officials return the files and prosecutors move on. And given that any charges against Trump could lead to a fierce political backlash, the Justice Department could deem the cost of prosecution too high.
(These Times graphics take you behind the scenes at Mar-a-Lago.)
The Jan. 6 attack
The other federal investigation is focused on Trump’s efforts to stay in power after he lost the 2020 election.
One part of the investigation may be focused on whether Trump incited violence on Jan. 6. On social media and at his rallies, he falsely claimed he won the 2020 election and demanded state officials change results in his favor. In late December 2020, Trump called for a ‘wild’ protest on Jan. 6, 2021. At a rally that morning, he directed the crowd to ‘fight like hell’ and march on the Capitol. After they became violent, he waited hours before asking them to go home.
Prosecutors have also charged hundreds of other suspects in the attack and may feel compelled to charge the person they see as the chief inciter.
Still, the potential case against Trump has weaknesses: He never explicitly ordered an attack or told his supporters to storm the Capitol. He did eventually encourage them to disperse.
Beyond Jan. 6, federal prosecutors could bring other charges related to Trump’s schemes to remain in the White House. ‘It is not only an enormous case to prove in terms of the number of witnesses and the complexities of gathering evidence — it is also legally very complicated,’ Alan said.
(These videos walk through the Jan. 6 attack.)
Georgia
The inquiry in Georgia has a clearer timeline. The Fulton County district attorney, Fani Willis, has said that if a grand jury hands down charges, it will do so by September. A separate special grand jury, which could recommend charges but not indict, has already recommended multiple indictments.
The Georgia case could involve multiple defendants and could focus on racketeering charges over a scheme to undermine the election. Prosecutors could argue Trump and his team worked together to try to overturn the 2020 results, committing multiple crimes along the way.
Willis has a big piece of evidence: an audio recording in which Trump asked Georgia’s secretary of state to ‘find’ nearly 12,000 votes to flip the state’s tally in his favor.
The biggest challenge for prosecutors could come down to proving Trump’s intent. For example, in the phone call, was Trump demanding that Georgia officials overturn the results, or was he asking them to check whether they failed to count legitimate votes? A trial could turn on those kinds of issues.
(Here’s a timeline of the Georgia investigation.)
For more
The recording could undermine one of Trump’s key lines of defense in the classified-documents inquiry.
Investigators are reviewing the handling of Mar-a-Lago security footage to see whether Trump deliberately hid classified documents from federal officials.
Federal prosecutors in the 2020 election inquiry are also examining whether Trump and his allies solicited money with claims of election fraud they knew were false.” [New York Times]
SPORTS NEWS
“Game 1: Denver cruised to an easy win over Miami in the N.B.A. Finals. Nikola Jokić looked unstoppable, The Athletic writes.
Game 1: Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo shoots the ball against Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (50) during the third quarter.
Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports
Churchill Downs: The home of the Kentucky Derby is changing its rules to keep vulnerable horses off the track after 12 died recently, The Times reports.
A return: Rick Pitino is overhauling St. John’s basketball. The Athletic went inside the program’s extreme makeover.” [New York Times]
Newly discovered stone tools drag dawn of Greek archaeology back by a quarter-million years
By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS
In this undated photo provided by the Greek Culture Ministry, on Thursday, June 1, 2023 shows stone tools dated about 700,000 years ago. The Culture Ministry said that a five-year international project in Megalopolis, southern Greece, has uncovered the oldest-known archaeological site in the country, pushing back the dawn of Greek archaeology by up to 250,000 years. (Greek Culture Ministry via AP)
“ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Deep in an open coal mine in southern Greece, researchers have discovered the antiquities-rich country’s oldest archaeological site, which dates to 700,000 years ago and is associated with modern humans’ hominin ancestors.
The find announced Thursday would drag the dawn of Greek archaeology back by as much as a quarter of a million years, although older hominin sites have been discovered elsewhere in Europe. The oldest, in Spain, dates to more than a million years ago.
The Greek site was one of five investigated in the Megalopolis area during a five-year project involving an international team of experts, a Culture Ministry statement said.
It was found to contain rough stone tools from the Lower Palaeolithic period — about 3.3 million to 300,000 years ago — and the remains of an extinct species of giant deer, elephants, hippopotamus, rhinoceros and a macaque monkey….” Read more at AP News
ARTS AND IDEAS
A spelling champion
Dev Shah Shuran Huang for The New York Times
“Dev Shah, an eighth grader, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee with the word ‘psammophile’ (a plant or animal that thrives in sandy areas). He won after 14 rounds including words like ‘probouleutic’ and ‘zwitterion’ and ‘schistorrhachis.’
The schwa — the ‘uh’-like sound that can be represented by any vowel in the English alphabet — was a stone-cold killer. It knocked out several finalists, as it routinely does.
Related: Can you spell like Dev? Play our game.” [New York Times]
“Lives Lived: Amitai Etzioni was a sociologist who advised U.S. presidents and was the father of communitarianism, a political middle ground between the left and the right. He died at 94.” [New York Times]