The Full Belmonte, 6/7/2022
“Federal prosecutors escalated their case against the Proud Boys extremist group Monday, unveiling new federal charges of seditious conspiracy against Henry ‘Enrique’ Tarrio, the group's former national chairman, and four top associates related to the deadly Jan. 6, 2021Capitol attack.
The new charges build on an earlier conspiracy case against Tarrio, 38; Ethan Nordean, 31; Joseph Biggs, 38; Zachary Rehl, 37; and Dominic Pezzola, 44, accused in an organized plot to prevent the certification of President Joe Biden's election.
All remain detained on the earlier charges.
The new indictment adds two charges: one count of seditious conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to prevent an officer from discharging any duties. All defendants now face a total of nine charges, while a robbery charge was lodged against Pezzola.
All five are scheduled to make their first court appearances on new charges Thursday in Washington.
‘On Jan. 6, 2021, the defendants directed, mobilized, and led members of the crowd onto the Capitol grounds and into the Capitol, leading to dismantling of metal barricades, destruction of property, breaching of the Capitol building, and assaults on law enforcement,’ prosecutors alleged. ‘During and after the attack, Tarrio and his co-defendants claimed credit for what had happened on social media and in an encrypted chat room.’
While Tarrio was not present at the Capitol on Jan. 6, prosecutors allege that the former leader helped direct the group's effort.
The rarely-used charge of sedition was first brought in connection with a Jan. 6 case against 11 members of the paramilitary Oath Keepers group, including leader Stewart Rhodes, with plotting to interfere with the transfer of power.
Since the Oath Keepers' case was filed in January, three of the group's members pleaded guilty and have agreed to cooperate with the government's continuing investigation.” Read more at USA Today
“The Trump campaign directed a group of fake electors in Georgia to meet in secret and obscure their objectives, according to an email obtained by federal prosecutors. The email is part of the recent investigation into former President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the election in several swing states. It also draws focus on the Trump campaign's interactions with so-called alternate Republican electors in states Trump lost and whether a scheme to organize them could be charged as a crime. As the federal probe continues to grow in seriousness, the criminal cases of rioters involved in the January 6 US Capitol attack are also escalating. The Justice Department yesterday charged the head of the Proud Boys and four other leaders in the far-right extremist group with seditious conspiracy, the gravest charge to emerge from the Capitol riot.” Read more at CNN
Shay Horse/NurPhoto via Getty Images
“After 10 months and 1,000 interviews, the House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol will begin primetime hearings on Thursday at 8 pm ET.” [Vox] Read more at CNN / Paul LeBlanc
“The panel will discuss what former President Donald Trump did while a mob of his supporters violently stormed the building and reveal its findings on the extent of the plot to overturn Trump’s 2020 election loss.” [Vox] Read more at Slate / Dennis Aftergut
“To tell that story, the committee of seven Democrats and two Republicans will present testimony from people within the Trump Administration.” [Vox] Read more at Washington Post / Jacqueline Alemany, Josh Dawsey, and Amy Gardner
“It’s unclear how much Americans will care about the hearings amid soaring inflation, a recent series of mass shootings, and a nationwide baby formula shortage, however.” [Vox] Read more at Associated Press / Calvin Woodward
“For the committee, success will require capturing the American public’s attention, pushing the Justice Department to investigate those responsible, and getting Congress to advance legislation to prevent another attack on democracy.” [Vox] Read more at NBC News / Peter Nicholas and Scott Wong
“After Thursday, the committee will air five more hearings over two weeks.” [Vox] Read more at Reuters / Patricia Zengerle
“UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has survived a confidence vote by members of his own party -- but with a slimmer margin of victory than supporters hoped.
Despite a tidal wave of recent criticism -- which included illegal, lockdown-breaking parties thrown in his Downing Street offices -- Johnson won by 211 votes to 148 in a secret ballot on Monday.
The government hailed the result, with Conservative minister James Cleverly telling journalists that it was a win and UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss saying she was ‘pleased.’
‘I support him 100%. Now's the time to get on with the job,’ Truss wrote in a tweet.
But the thin margin of victory means that a large part of his own parliamentary party refused to back Johnson, three years after he led the Conservative Party to a landslide victory in the last general election.
Voting began at 6 p.m. (1 p.m. ET) Monday after Johnson urged Conservative lawmakers to back him and reminded them that he had led the party to its biggest electoral win in 40 years, according to a letter he wrote seen by PA Media.” Read more at CNN
As part of the Twitter deal, Elon Musk waived detailed due diligence that buyers typically perform on targets.
PHOTO: HANNIBAL HANSCHKE/ASSOCIATED PRESS“Elon Musk warned he may move to terminate his deal to buy Twitter.
In a letter, the Tesla CEO accused the company of not complying with his request for data on the number of spam and fake accounts on the social-media platform, saying he needed that information to evaluate the scope of the problem before moving ahead with the transaction. Twitter says it will continue to share information with Musk and intends to enforce their merger deal. Separately, Texas’s attorney general is investigating Twitter over how it tallies fake accounts.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
Legislation to address gun violence remains stalled in Congress.
“Leading Republican senators involved in gun talks on Capitol Hill have signaled that it's unlikely Congress will raise the age requirement for purchasing semi-automatic firearms from 18 to 21, instead saying they are looking at changing the criminal background check system. GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina yesterday said officials are considering a waiting period of sorts for 18- to 20-year-olds purchasing semi-automatic guns, which he said could be ‘two to three weeks minimally’ potentially to scour juvenile records. But he added Senate negotiators are looking at ways for gun purchasers to appeal for expedited processes. Separately, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia -- the Senate's most conservative Democrat -- voiced his support yesterday for raising the age to 21 for purchasing semi-automatic weapons and questioned why individuals need to own high-powered AR-15-style guns.” Read more at CNN
“Voters in seven states make their choices Tuesday in primary elections that will set fall matchups in some key House and Senate races, governorships and a host of other offices. Primaries will be held in California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota. The races aren't expected to offer huge drama but congressional races in several states will feature politicians facing ethical hurdles or former President Donald Trump's disapproval. The roster of those running includes a California congressman who voted to impeach then-President Donald Trump when he was president, a well-known party switcher in New Jersey who angered Trump by supporting an infrastructure bill and the last Democrat in Iowa's congressional delegation. Based on the results of primaries in May, many voters are concerned about the economy, abortion rights and gun control, with immigration and the border generally taking a backseat.” Read more at USA Today
“Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Twitter last week he's embarking today on a multi-stop international trip that will conclude with a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels to discuss Ukraine, as well as the applications of Sweden and Finland to join the military alliance. In other developments, Ukraine has added another general to the list of high-ranking Russian officers it has killed in the war. Russian state media and the Ukraine military confirmed Monday the death of Maj. Gen. Roman Kutuzov during fighting in the Donbas region, the BBC reported. The Russian defense ministry has not commented. Ukraine has targeted Russia's top officers and says it has killed 12, although some of those claims have been disputed. Also on Monday, U.S. authorities moved to seize a $350 million Boeing jet believed to be one of the world's most expensive private airplanes from Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. The Boeing is believed to be in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.” Read more at USA Today
Ukrainian flags in memory of fallen soldiers flutter in the wind in Independance Square on June 06, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine.Christopher Furlong, Getty Images
“Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a major reason that drivers in the US are paying record prices for gasoline, but it's not the only cause of the spike. Numerous factors are pushing gas prices up, with regular gasoline hitting a record $4.87 a gallon yesterday, according to AAA. That's up 25 cents a gallon in just the last week. The national average is expected to hit $5 a gallon within the next two weeks, according to Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis for the OPIS, which tracks gas prices for AAA. The national average has been rising steadily for the past month, setting 27 records in the last 28 days. And in 10 states, plus Washington, DC, the average price is already at $5 or more.” Read more at CNN
A British rocket system during an exercise last month.Ints Kalnins/Reuters
“Britain said it would send long-range rockets to Ukraine, mirroring a commitment by the U.S.” Read more at New York Times
“The Americas summit. Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador has declined an invitation to the Americas Summit in Los Angeles, where regional leaders are expected to gather on Wednesday. “There can’t be a Summit of the Americas if not all countries of the American continent are taking part,” López Obrador said, referencing the exclusion of Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela from the proceedings.
The decision is a blow to the U.S. hosts, although López Obrador said he would still be meeting with Biden later this month.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Sri Lanka’s future. Saying he did not want to leave his post as a ‘failed’ leader, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has vowed to finish his last two years in office, but not seek another term, in a rare interview with Bloomberg.
Rajapaksa’s brother Mahinda resigned as prime minister in May following deadly protests against the family’s rule and as the country endures an economic tailspin. Rajapaksa’s presidential powers may yet be reined in if lawmakers successfully pass a new amendment in parliament.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Budget airline Ryanair has been criticized as discriminatory—and linguistically clueless—for forcing South African passport holders to submit to a test on South African trivia in the Afrikaans languagebefore being allowed to board flights bound for the United Kingdom.
The airline said the measure is necessary to clamp down on passport fraud but the U.K. High Commission in South Africa has confirmed such a test is not part of its entry requirements.
For many South Africans, Afrikaans is closely associated with the white supremacist government that ruled the country during the apartheid era and imposed Afrikaans language requirements on the country’s Black majority, sparking widespread protests by Black schoolchildren. The Soweto uprising of June 1976—and the subsequent brutal police crackdown—was a landmark event that intensified domestic resistance and bolstered the global anti-apartheid movement.
Today, Afrikaans is only the third-most spoken language within households—after Zulu and Xhosa—in a country that recognizes 11 official languages. Conrad Steenkamp, the chief executive officer of the Afrikaans Language Council, denounced the Ryanair test as ‘utterly absurd.’” Read more at Foreign Policy
“ Thousands of workers in the United Kingdom are testing out a four-day workweek as part of a new pilot program . The trial includes more than 3,300 workers in 70 companies and organizations in sectors ranging from financial services to health care, retail and even a fish and chip shop. The workers ‘are receiving (100%) of the pay for (80%) of the time, in exchange for a commitment to maintain at least (100%) productivity,’ according to the pilot program’s site. It will include workshops and other training for participants, in addition to ‘wellbeing and productivity assessment.’” Read more at USA Today
A worker pours a pint of beer at Pressure Drop Brewery in north London, where Members of staff are taking part in a six-month trial of a four-day working week.JUSTIN TALLIS, AFP via Getty Images
“What economists hailed as the most ambitious tax overhaul in a century is now mired in a toxic mix of fine print and political paralysis.
It was only last fall that more than 130 nations signed on to an agreement to eliminate the world’s tax havens and enact a global minimum tax. The agreement was designed to increase taxes substantially on many large corporations and to end an international fight over how technology companies are taxed. Its architects said it would end the global ‘race to the bottom’ for corporate tax rates.
But legislators in both the U.S. and Europe are now struggling to pass the laws needed to make good on the promises embedded in the deal. And no tax changes are likely to pass on their own, without the more politically popular spending programs also passing.
In the U.S., the central problem is that Senate Democrats cannot agree on the spending proposals — on energy, drug prices and other issues — that would accompany the tax changes. Republicans are not opposed to all of the tax provisions, but they show little sign of voting for any bill. As a result, every Senate Democrat needs to agree to the bill in order to get it passed.
In Europe, after years in which Ireland resisted tax agreements to protect its status as a haven, Irish leaders have come around. But a different obstacle has now emerged: Poland. Polish officials have expressed technical concerns, but officials elsewhere in Europe and in the U.S. believe that Poland is actually seeking leverage in a dispute with the E.U. over pandemic aid money.
If both the United States and Europe cannot manage to comply with the agreement, the global deal is likely to unravel. That would mean a continuation of a hodgepodge of tax rates and related tariff fights around the world.
Policymakers who have been hashing out the deal want to avoid that outcome. ‘Going back and starting all over again would pose policy risks for countries and even greater competitiveness risks for companies, and I think it’s in all of our interests to avoid that,’ Paschal Donohoe, Ireland’s finance minister, said in an interview in Washington.
Janet Yellen and the Irish finance minister.Olivier Douliery/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Two pillars
The agreement had two prongs, or ‘pillars,’ as the negotiators say. First, countries are supposed to enact a 15 percent minimum tax so that companies pay a rate of at least that much on their global profits no matter where they set up shop.
With that minimum in place, there would be less reason for companies to flee to countries with rock-bottom rates and less pressure on nations to slash their tax rates to attract foreign investment. As it stands, this race to the bottom has deprived governments of tax revenue that they need to invest in infrastructure and social safety nets.
Second, the deal would allow governments to tax the world’s largest and most profitable firms by where their goods and services are sold instead of by where they are based.
The current system of taxing companies based on the location of their operations has created multiple problems. It has led companies to claim that a large share of their operations is in low-tax places like Ireland and Bermuda. And it has led to a fight between the U.S. and European countries that have imposed special taxes on American technology giants such as Google and Facebook, which operate all over the world even if they don’t have a physical presence in every country.
The global tax pact includes a compromise that would put that fight to rest. The deal would also allow countries to impose additional taxes on about 100 of the world’s largest companies, based on where they make their sales.
But before any of that happens, there is more persuasion to be done.
On a weeklong trip to Europe in May, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen made Warsaw her first stop in hopes that she could convince Poland not to scupper the entire agreement. At the end of the trip, her optimism was cautious.
‘I think it is not hopeless,’ Yellen said of getting Poland on board. ‘It is certainly possible that will happen.’
The bigger hurdle may be the U.S. itself. Today, Yellen will testify before the Senate Finance Committee about the president’s latest budget, and she is expected to be peppered with questions about the fate of the tax deal. Senate Democrats say they are still hoping to pass a bill by September that includes a mix of spending programs and tax changes.” Read more at New York Times
“A federal vaccine advisory committee will meet Tuesday to decide whether Americans could soon get a fourth COVID-19 vaccine option. Development of the vaccine from Novavax , a Maryland-based company, was started at the same time as others in 2020, but the company struggled to produce its shot in large quantities. The vaccine already is used in parts of Europe and multiple other countries, but FDA clearance is a key hurdle. A more traditional vaccine than some others, it might encourage some vaccine holdouts to get the shots, experts said. The Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech shots are based on mRNA technology, which teaches the body to make the spike protein found on the surface of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The Novavax vaccine provides the spike protein directly and delivered with an adjuvant that boosts its effectiveness. Such protein-based vaccines have been used to prevent hepatitis B, whooping cough, pneumonia and meningococcal disease, among other illnesses.” Read more at USA Today
“A small cancer immunotherapy drug trial in patients with rectal cancer recently had an ‘unheard of’ result: Every single patient treated achieved complete remission.
The trial needs to be replicated in a much bigger study: Only 12 patients were in the first study, published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine, Axios' Tina Reed writes.
But seeing complete remission in 100% of patients is a very promising signal, researchers said.
‘I believe this is the first time this has happened in the history of cancer,’ paper co-author Luis A. Diaz Jr. of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center told The New York Times.” Read more at Axios
Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios
“Teaching has become one of the most draining jobs in America, Axios' Erica Pandey and Alison Snyder report.
Today's teachers are navigating school shootings, a pandemic and intensifying political interference in their lesson plans — all while their wages remain stagnant.
Why it matters: Teachers are asking whether the burdens are worth it. Experts warn of a coming staffing shortage.
What's happening: Teaching has long been an underpaid profession. But in the last two years, America's demands on its educators have mounted.
When the pandemic hit, teachers were asked to take on virtual instruction overnight — a task many felt unprepared for, both in their own skills, and the technology available to them and their students.
When schools reopened, teachers became essential workers who risked infection — and their lives — to come into classrooms.
They feel unsafe in a country that has already seen 27 school shootings this year.
And their classrooms have become political minefields, as lawmakers dictate what they can teach, what students read and what programs are offered to help kids with their social and emotional needs.
In the 1970s, the U.S. minted roughly 200,000 new teachers a year. That has fallen to below 90,000.
An NEA survey found 55% of educators are considering leaving the profession earlier than they planned.
Schools are still filled with passionate teachers who care deeply for their students.
Sari Beth Rosenberg, who teaches high school history in New York City, said: ‘Classrooms might be our last great hope in helping this generation come up with solutions to fix these crises.’
What we're watching: Administrators around the country are trying to find small ways to ease the burden on teachers.
That includes free breakfast and coffee, and extra paid time off.
What you can do: Parents and other community members can send messages of support and cards of thanks.” Read more at Axios
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
“Artificial intelligence can help spot guns and identify potential shooters.
But critics of AI surveillance systems worry about the technology's record of bias, particularly against people of color, Joann Muller writes in Axios What's Next.
How it works: A high-speed screening system, Evolv, uses ultra-low frequency electromagnetic fields to detect concealed weapons as people walk through a portal.
North Carolina's Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system, with 150,000 students, is installing the scanners at a cost of $1.7 million over three years.
Evolv generated false positives from some Google Chromebook laptops.
Hexwave, developed at an MIT lab and licensed by Liberty Defense Holdings, is a similar system. It uses 3D imaging and AI to detect concealed weapons as people walk between two panels.
Trials will begin in August at five locations: Toronto's Pearson International Airport, the Port of Tampa's cruise ship terminal, Camden Yards in Baltimore, a major Hindu temple near Atlanta and the University of Wisconsin.
ZeroEyes, used by schools in 18 states and now being piloted at Oxford High, integrates its AI software with a school's existing surveillance cameras to identify guns in a camera's field of view. Assailants often brandish their weapon before a rampage, the company says.
The security image, stamped with the time and location, is then reviewed by a trained military veteran to verify that the object detected is in fact a gun.
Within about five seconds, ZeroEyes will issue an alert to the school.
Reality check: AI technology is expensive — $25 monthly per camera, in the case of ZeroEyes. In a large high school with 200 cameras, that's $5,000 per month.” Read more at Axios
Reproduced from Pew Research Center. Chart: Axios Visuals
“Only two in 10 Americans trust the government in Washington to do what is right ‘just about always’ (2%) or ‘most of the time’ (19%), a Pew Research Center poll found.
Why it matters: Trust in government has plummeted to 20% from 73% in 1958, when the National Election Study began asking the question. It's part of a collapse in America's faith in most large institutions.
Look at this divide: 29% of Democrats and Dem-leaning independents say they trust government vs. 9% of Republicans and Republican-leaners.” Read more at Axios
“Ilya Shapiro, a legal scholar, is quitting Georgetown University’s law school over a free-speech dispute.” Read more at New York Times
“Phil Mickelson, a chief recruiter for a Saudi-funded rival league to the PGA Tour, is ending his four-month hiatus by adding his name to the 48-man field for the LIV Golf Invitational that starts Thursday outside London.
Mickelson will be joining Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and three other former major champions in a 54-hole tournament at Centurion Golf Club with $25 million in prize money and $4 million going to the individual winner.
‘I am ready to come back to play the game I love but after 32 years this new path is a fresh start, one that is exciting for me at this stage of my career,’ Mickelson said in a statement posted on social media.
Mickelson also said he would be playing the last two majors, starting June 16 in the U.S. Open at The Country Club outside Boston.
He said the ‘transformative’ new league would allow him to focus on a healthier approach to life on and off the course. Mickelson did not mention the signing fee, which is likely to be every bit of the $125 million or more reportedly paid to Johnson.” Read more at AP News
“The Colorado Avalanche reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since their 2001 championship on Monday, shredding their reputation of a highly talented team that disappointed in the playoffs.
They staged a furious third-period comeback and won in overtime on a goal by trade deadline acquisition Artturi Lehkonen to sweep the Edmonton Oilers with a 6-5 victory in Game 4. Lehkonen, then with Montreal, also got the Canadiens into the Final last season with an overtime goal.
The Avalanche will face the winner of the Tampa Bay Lightning-New York Rangers series. The Rangers lead the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final 2-1 with Game 4 on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Tampa.
Colorado overcame deficits of 3-1 and 4-2 on goals by Devon Toews, Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen to go ahead before Zack Kassian forced overtime. Cale Makar, who scored in the first period, had four assists, including on Lehkonen's winner.” Read more at USA Today
Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks on screen in San Jose today. Photo: Peter DaSilva/Reuters
“Apple today previewed iOS 16, the next version of its software for iPhones, due out later this year. Axios' Ina Fried narrates highlights:
The ability to edit or recall recently sent iMessages.
A "buy now, pay later" feature, allowing people to pay for Apple Pay purchases with four equal payments over six weeks, with no interest and no fees.
On the hardware side, Apple debuted a lighter MacBook Air powered by a new, Apple-designed M2 processor.” Read more at Axios
“Justine Lindsay is making history as the NFL’s first openly transgender cheerleader. The 29-year-old announced earlier this year that she is joining the Carolina Panthers TopCats team, and has pledged to continue ‘paving the way for those under me who are scared and afraid to take that step.’” Read more at NPR
“Top Gun: Maverick is flying high at the box office and sparking a legal controversy. The family of the man whose magazine article inspired the original 1985 film is suing Paramount Pictures over copyright claims, which the studio says are ‘without merit.’” Read more at NPR
This Week in History
June 6, 1934
FDR signed the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
“The law established the Securities and Exchange Commission and gave the new body broad power to regulate markets. Nearly 90 years later, the SEC is set to propose major overhauls to the stock market’s plumbing as soon as this fall that aim to make it more efficient for small investors and public companies. Wall Street firms have pushed back against the types of changes the SEC is considering.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
The new Taco Bell Defy in Brooklyn Park, Minn. Photo: Nick Halter/Axios
“Taco Bell's new Defy restaurant concept puts the kitchen on stilts — then lowers orders to cars below through vertical lifts, like the tube in a bank drive-thru, Axios' Kelly Tyko reports.
Taco Bell's first two-story Defy location opens today in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park, Minn.
There are four lanes — three for mobile or delivery orders, and the fourth for traditional takeout.
How it works: Nick Halter of Axios Twin Cities got a tour yesterday, and shows us the ropes.” Read more at Axios
Photo: Nick Halter/Axios
Tacos are loaded into this lift system and dropped down ...
Photo: Taco Bell.
... to kiosks like this.