The Full Belmonte, 6/8/2023
115 million people are under hazardous air quality alerts for wildfire smoke and ozone
“Today is another day of really bad air quality in more than a dozen states across the country.
Right now, New York City has what is considered the worst air quality in the world. It’s smoky, hazy and hard to breathe. What’s driving most of it? Smoke blowing in from Canada’s massive and historic wildfires.
More than 400 wildfires are burning in Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fires Centre. Another surge of significant smoke will move south in the afternoon across the Northeast, with the worst of the smoke expected in and around New York City from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Inhaling particulate matter at elevated levels can be dangerous as it can travel into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs. Exposure can affect lung function and worsen medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease, according to the New York State Health Department. Particulate pollution can also increase the risk of asthma, lung cancer or other chronic lung diseases, particularly in the vulnerable, such as elderly people, pregnant women, infants and children.
As our NBC News team reports: Portable air cleaners can help, but people can also make their own indoor air cleaners by attaching an air filter to a box fan with tape, brackets or a bungee cord. If window air conditioning units, HVAC systems or portable air cleaners are not available, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said ‘DIY air cleaners’ can serve as ‘a temporary alternative to commercial air cleaners.’ The agency cautioned that DIY air cleaners should not be used routinely, and that concerns have been raised about the potential fire or burn risk involved if box fans overheat.” [NBC News]
Prosecutors Tell Trump’s Legal Team He Is a Target of Investigation
The notice from the office of the special counsel Jack Smith suggested that an indictment was on the horizon in the investigation into the former president’s handling of classified documents.
By Alan Feuer, Maggie Haberman, William K. Rashbaum and Glenn Thrush
June 7, 2023
“Federal prosecutors have informed the legal team for former President Donald J. Trump that he is a target of their investigation into his handling of classified documents after he left office, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The notification to Mr. Trump’s team by prosecutors from the office of the special counsel, Jack Smith, was the clearest signal yet that the former president is likely to face charges in the investigation.
It remained unclear when Mr. Trump’s team was told that he was a target of the special counsel’s inquiry, but the notice suggested that prosecutors working for Mr. Smith had largely completed their investigation and were moving toward bringing an indictment.
In court papers last year, prosecutors indicated that they were scrutinizing whether Mr. Trump had broken laws governing the handling of national security documents and whether he had obstructed government efforts to retrieve them….” Read more at New York Times
Justice Jackson reports flowers from Oprah, designer clothing as Thomas delays filing disclosure
By MARK SHERMAN and JESSICA GRESKO
Supreme Court Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson speaks at the commencement ceremony for Boston University School of Law, Sunday, May 21, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
“WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson disclosed Wednesday that she received a $1,200 congratulatory floral display from Oprah Winfrey and $6,580 in designer clothing for a magazine photo shoot in her first months as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.
The details of gifts given to Jackson were among the reports provided by most members of the court in their annual filings, which give a partial window onto their finances. The reports were released Wednesday.
But the report that was most anticipated — that of Justice Clarence Thomas, who has been under scrutiny for his receipt of undisclosed gifts from a Republican donor — was not among the filings. Thomas, along with Justice Samuel Alito, sought an extension for up to 90 days.
Thomas’ receipt of gifts, valued at several hundred thousand dollars, from the Republican donor Harlan Crow has prompted calls for ethics reform on the nation’s highest court. It was not clear why either man needed more time….” Read more at AP News
GOP conservatives shutter House to protest McCarthy-Biden debt deal, setting up next budget brawl
By LISA MASCARO
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif. speaks to reporters outside his office on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, June 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
“WASHINGTON (AP) — In fallout from the debt ceiling deal, Speaker Kevin McCarthy is suddenly confronting a new threat to his power as angry hard-right conservatives bring the House chamber to a halt, reviving their displeasure over the compromise struck with President Joe Biden and demanding deeper spending cuts ahead.
Barely a dozen Republicans, mainly members of the House Freedom Caucus, shuttered House business for a second day Wednesday in protest of McCarthy’s leadership. Routine votes could not be taken, and a pair of pro-gas stove bills important to GOP activists stalled out. Some lawmakers asked if they could simply go home — and eventually they could. By evening, the rest of week’s schedule was called off.
McCarthy brushed off the disruption as healthy political debate, part of his ‘risk taker’ way of being a leader — not too different, he said, from the 15-vote spectacle it took in January for him to finally convince his colleagues to elect him as speaker. With a paper-thin GOP majority, any few Republicans have outsized sway….” Read more at AP News
Mike Pence goes after Donald Trump in CNN Iowa town hall
“Mike Pence capped his first day as a 2024 presidential candidate by again going straight at the biggest issue of the Republican race: Donald Trump, the man who made him vice president. Echoing comments he made throughout his opening day, Pence used a CNN town hall in Iowa to hit Trump over federal spending and entitlement reform, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and, most especially, Trump's actions prior to the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021. Pence, who is in single digits in most polls, also made clear that Trump's legacy will be a big part of his longshot presidential campaign.” Read more at USA Today
Republican presidential candidate former Vice President Mike Pence speaks at a campaign event, Wednesday, June 7, 2023, in Ankeny, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) ORG XMIT: IACN133
Charlie Neibergall, AP
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum jumps into crowded Republican race for president
By JACK DURA and THOMAS BEAUMONT
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum speaks as he kicks off his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Wednesday, June 7, 2023 in Fargo, N.D. Burgum, 66, joins a long list of contenders hoping to dent former President Donald Trump’s early lead in the race. The governor of the nation's fourth-least populous state announced his candidacy in The Wall Street Journal. (AP Photo/Jack Dura)
“FARGO, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a former software entrepreneur who enacted a slate of laws this year advancing conservative policies on culture war issues, highlighted his small-town roots and business experience as he announced his candidacy for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination on Wednesday.
Burgum, 66, joins a long list of contenders hoping to dent former President Donald Trump’s early lead in the race. The governor of the nation’s fourth-least populous state kicked off his campaign in Fargo, near the tiny farm town of Arthur where he grew up.
‘Small-town values have guided me my entire life,’ Burgum told the crowd. ‘And frankly, big cities could use more ideas and more values from small towns right now.’
Burgum spoke under a sign declaring him ‘A new leader for a changing economy,’ echoing a slogan from his successful 2016 gubernatorial campaign. Reelected in 2020, he’s eligible to run for a third time in 2024….” Read more at AP News
Ex-Trump aide testifies before federal grand jury in Florida investigation of Mar-a-Lago documents
By ERIC TUCKER
Former President Donald Trump visits with campaign volunteers at the Grimes Community Complex Park, Thursday, June 1, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
“WASHINGTON (AP) — A former top aide to Donald Trump appeared Wednesday in federal court in Miami for testimony to a grand jury investigating potential classified-document mishandling and obstruction at the ex-president’s Palm Beach property, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Taylor Budowich, who had served as a spokesman for Trump after his presidency and now runs a pro-Trump super PAC, confirmed his appearance on Twitter, writing: ‘Today, in what can only be described as a bogus and deeply troubling effort to use the power of government to ‘get’ Trump, I fulfilled a legal obligation to testify in front a federal grand jury and I answered every question honestly.’
The Florida grand jury is separate from a panel that has been meeting in Washington as a part of a Justice Department special counsel investigation into Trump over the retention of hundreds of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and potential obstruction of the government’s efforts to reclaim the records….” Read more at AP News
Louisiana Lawmakers Pass Ban on Transition Care for Transgender Minors
By Rick Rojas
“Louisiana lawmakers have voted to make the state the latest to prevent transgender minors from having access to gender-transition care, advancing legislation that would ban hormone treatments, puberty blockers and surgeries for young people.
It was unclear on Wednesday how Gov. John Bel Edwards would respond to the legislation, or if his input would make a difference.
Mr. Edwards, the lone Democratic governor in the Deep South, has voiced opposition, yet the bill passed through the Republican-controlled State Legislature by a wide-enough margin to override a veto….” Read more at New York Times
Former Florida Deputy Goes on Trial for Not Confronting Parkland Gunman
The officer who was the first on the scene is accused of child neglect for failing to move to stop the gunman as he carried out a massacre.
By Jane Musgrave and Matthew Rosenberg
Jane Musgrave reported from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Matthew Rosenberg from New York.
June 7, 2023
“Seven months after the gunman in the Parkland, Fla., school shooting was sentenced to life in prison for murdering 14 students and three staff members, prosecutors on Wednesday began trying to convince a jury that a former sheriff’s deputy should also be held criminally responsible for not intervening to stop the massacre.
The deputy, Scot Peterson, served as the school resource officer at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School at the time of the shootings in 2018. For not confronting the gunman, he is facing 10 charges, including seven counts of child neglect — a rare prosecution of a law enforcement officer involved in the response to a mass shooting.
In opening statements, the prosecution repeatedly noted that after arriving at the scene on the afternoon of Feb. 14, Mr. Peterson stayed in a stairway of an adjacent school building while the shootings took place in Building 1200….” Read more at New York Times
Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, begins erupting after 3-month pause
By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER and MARK THIESSEN
In this webcam image provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, an eruption takes place on the summit of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, Wednesday June 7, 2023. Kilauea, the second largest volcano in Hawaii, began erupting Wednesday morning, officials with the U.S. Geological Survey said in a statement. Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, erupted from Sept. 2021 to Dec 2022. A 2018 Kilauea eruption destroyed more than 700 residences. (U.S. Geological Survey via AP)
“HONOLULU (AP) — Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, began erupting on Wednesday after a three-month pause, displaying spectacular fountains of mesmerizing, glowing lava that’s a safe distance from people and structures in a national park on the Big Island.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said in a statement that a glow was detected in webcam images from Kilauea’s summit early in the morning, indicating that an eruption was occurring within the Halemaumau crater in the summit caldera.
The images show fissures at the base of the crater generating lava flows on the crater floor’s surface, the observatory said.
Before issuing the eruption notice, the observatory said increased earthquake activity and changes in the patterns of ground deformation at the summit started Tuesday night, indicating the movement of magma in the subsurface….” Read more at AP News
Protest turns violent outside a California school board meeting on LGBTQ+ education
“A meeting of the Glendale Unified School District board stirred controversy yesterday as school officials, parents, and protesters faced off over how schools teach about gender and sexuality. Tensions boiled over about an agenda item calling for recognition of June as Pride Month. Three people were arrested.” [NBC News]
yesterday
“An 18-year-old who had just graduated and his father were killed in a shooting Tuesday after a high school graduation ceremony on the Virginia Commonwealth University campus, Richmond police said. Five others were injured.” [NBC News]
“A white woman in Florida was arrested for shooting and killing her Black neighbor, a mom of four, over a dispute involving the neighbor’s children.” [NBC News]
Ukraine dam break threatens thousands as evacuation efforts continue
“The vast scope of the disaster is becoming more clear today and adds a new dimension to the war. Evacuation efforts continue for tens of thousands following yesterday’s destruction of the
Kakhovka dam in Southern Ukraine, which inundated the region with rising water.
Both Russia and Ukraine are trading blame for the breach, which occurred near the front lines of the war.
People in the affected area have been warned of disease from dirty water, and about the possibility of hazardous chemicals and floating mines unearthed by the floods. The dam breach could have a significant impact on the battlefield at a crucial moment for the war, with officials and analysts telling NBC News that Russia was most likely to benefit.” [NBC News]
Pope Francis hospitalized for intestinal surgery
“86-year-old Pope Francis went to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital today for a planned abdominal surgery that lasted three hours and was completed without complications, according to the Vatican. Francis will be hospitalized for several days.
A statement released by the Holy See Press Office said: ‘The surgery, decided upon over the past few days by the medical team assisting the Holy Father, became necessary due to an incisional laparocele (hernia) that is causing recurrent, painful and worsening sub-occlusive syndromes.’” [NBC News]
“Vladimir Putin enjoys almost mystical status for many within the Russian elite who’ve grown used to seeing him take risky gambles that pay off. Now they wonder if the president’s luck may be running out.
As we report today, there’s deepening despondency in political and business circles about Russia’s prospects of winning the war in Ukraine.
With the Ukrainian military having started a counteroffensive aimed at reclaiming occupied territories, many in Moscow just want the fighting to stop.
But few expect Putin to call a halt. While nobody’s willing to tell him the invasion was a mistake amid the harshest state repression in decades, the sense of gloom about the future may intensify if Russia’s military is forced to retreat further. This week’s giant dam breach that flooded southern Ukraine has added to the uncertainty on the front lines.
Floodwaters yesterday in Oleshky, Kherson region. Source: Maxar Technologies
Putin has been a lucky leader during his nearly quarter-century rule, even as he’s also crushed any potential challengers.
His popularity at home skyrocketed when he seized Crimea in 2014, while Russia adapted to international sanctions that failed to reverse the annexation. He intervened in Syria to save Bashar al-Assad’s regime, embarrassing the US and restoring Kremlin authority in the Middle East that was lost after the Soviet Union’s collapse.
Putin also gradually strengthened Moscow’s influence over its former Soviet neighbors as he sought to oust Europe and the US from what he considers Russia’s back yard. That came crashing down with the bungled invasion.
There’s no sign Putin’s leadership is threatened in the Kremlin, where he’s surrounded by hardliners urging an intensification of the war. But his infallible image has been shaken among the elite.
As the Kremlin looks ahead to presidential elections next year, the stakes on the battlefield are high both for Ukraine and for Putin.” [Bloomberg]
A Ukrainian serviceman checks his rifle in a bomb shelter in the frontline city of Bakhmut on April 23. Photographer: Anatolii Stepanov/AFP/Getty Images
“Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called for global cooperation to guard against risks posed by artificial intelligence, before talks with US President Joe Biden in Washington today that he hopes will boost UK influence over regulating the technology. Sunak wants Britain to play a leading role in the AI debate and harbors hopes of establishing a global watchdog in London.
Sunak began his American visit by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to mark the deep military ties between the UK and US. He also met with congressional leaders and appeared at an evening baseball game.” [Bloomberg]
“Stymied by scandals hitting top aides and the defection of coalition allies, Gustavo Petro’s dream of becoming an inspirational leftist leader who would jettison Colombia’s conservative economic orthodoxy is fading just 10 months into his presidency. Oscar Medina writes that instead of leading a peaceful revolution to lift millions out of poverty, Petro now risks spending the next three years as an unpopular lame duck.” [Bloomberg]
News to Note
“Singapore ruling party stalwart Tharman Shanmugaratnam will run for the largely-ceremonial role of president after more than two decades as a key policymaker for the city-state.
Finland’s election winner said talks on a government program could be finalized as early as next week, even as parties still have many issues to find agreement on.
UK opposition leader Keir Starmer will commit his Labour Party to boost domestic steel-making as he battles to win trade-union backing for economic plans that are central to his pitch to voters.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said his country will open 10 new embassies in Africa and also boost agricultural exports and strengthen military relations to counter Russia’s influence in the region.” [Bloomberg]
“The world’s most popular sport has morphed from an expensive bit of fun for local bigwigs into a serious play for power and profit. From Manchester City to AC Milan, some of Europe’s best-known football clubs have changed hands, with new owners deploying the sporting assets as a diplomatic tool and other billionaires aiming to turn it into the cash cow it’s never managed to be. Read this analysis of the ownership of the continent’s top five domestic leagues.” [Bloomberg]
Manchester United fans protest against the club’s ownership on April 8. Photographer: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images
Fox threatens to sue Tucker Carlson
Screenshot: "Tucker on Twitter"
“Fox News notified Tucker Carlson's lawyers today that the former prime-time anchor violated his contract with the network when he launched his own Twitter show yesterday, according to a copy of a letter obtained by Axios' Sara Fischer.
Why it matters: A breach of contract claim sets Fox up to explore legal action against Carlson, a move that would intensify the already thorny public battle between the two parties.
Carlson’s lawyers told Axios that any legal action by Fox would violate his First Amendment rights.
‘Fox defends its very existence on freedom of speech grounds. Now they want to take Tucker Carlson’s right to speak freely away from him because he took to social media to share his thoughts on current events,’ said Carlson's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, in a statement to Axios.
Catch up quick: Carlson was ousted from Fox News in April.
Carlson, Axios reported, has since accused Fox of fraud and has argued that Fox breached his contract when its senior executives reneged on promises made to Carlson ‘intentionally and with reckless disregard for the truth.’
What's happening: Shortly after Carlson posted the first episode of his new show on Twitter yesterday evening, Fox News general counsel Bernard Gugar sent a letter to Carlson’s lawyers saying Carlson ‘is in breach’ of his contract agreement.
Between the lines: Carlson's legal team, according to a source familiar with its thinking, objects to the network's effort to block Carlson's Twitter appearances because, they believe, Twitter does not directly compete with Fox News.
Fox believes it has been working in good faith to reach an amicable agreement, a source told Axios.
The big picture: Carlson has been leveraging allies, such as former NFL quarterback Brett Favre, to pressure Fox to let him out of his contract.
A source told Axios that Carlson was told by a senior Fox executive that the goal is to keep him sidelined until 2025.” [Axios]
CNN chaos
Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
“Chris Licht, the embattled CEO of CNN, is out at the company after 13 months.
The big picture: Licht’s leadership became untenable following a damning profile about him published by The Atlantic last week, Axios' Sara Fischer writes.
A CNN source tells Axios that Licht told top talent internally: ‘I hope the people at CNN get the leader they deserve.’
Why it matters: CNN insiders tell us the ‘noble mission’ for Licht — and now for his successor — is to restore the public trust that was lost during the Trump years. CNN insiders see that as imperative for the business, for journalism and for democracy.
Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav — Licht's former boss — formally announced the news of Licht's upcoming departure on this morning's CNN editorial call.
‘For a number of reasons, things didn't work out, and that's unfortunate,’ Zaslav said. ‘It's really unfortunate. And ultimately, that's on me. And I take full responsibility for that.’
Between the lines: Licht joined CNN at a chaotic time, but his efforts to turn the network around ultimately failed to increase ratings and drive credibility within its newsroom.
Licht's most controversial move was the decision to host a live town hall event with former President Trump in prime time. The town hall was criticized for giving Trump a platform to lie.
What's next: Zaslav said the search for a new CEO is underway.” [Axios]
Lionel Messi picks MLS’s Inter Miami in a move that stuns soccer after exit from Paris Saint-Germain
By TIM REYNOLDS
FILE - PSG's Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the French League One soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Lille at the Parc des Princes stadium, in Paris, France, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023. Lionel Messi says he is coming to Inter Miami and joining Major League Soccer. After months of speculation, Messi announced his decision Wednesday, June 7, 2023,to join a Miami franchise that has been led by another global soccer icon in David Beckham since its inception but has yet to make any real splashes on the field. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)
“MIAMI (AP) — Lionel Messi has pulled off his latest stunning feat: He is headed to Major League Soccer, and joining Inter Miami.
After months — years, even — of speculation, Messi finally revealed his decision to join a Miami franchise that has been led by another global soccer icon, David Beckham, since its inception but has yet to make any real splashes on the field.
That likely will soon change. One of Inter Miami’s owners, Jorge Mas, tweeted out a photo of a darkly silhouetted Messi jersey shortly before the Argentinian great revealed his decision in interviews with Spanish news outlets Mundo Deportivo and Sport.
It was widely believed that Messi eventually would choose to play for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, following longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo to a nation where some clubs now are funded by the state’s sovereign wealth fund. Going back to Barcelona, a storied franchise where he spent most of his career, was another possibility.
But in the end, he made the call that surprised many. Messi is joining MLS. He said in the interviews Wednesday that some final details still need to be worked out, but that he has made the call to ‘continue my path’ in Miami….” Read more at AP News
Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray make history in Nuggets' Game 3 win
“Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray got back to their effective two-man game, and the Denver Nuggets' re-commitment to defense led to a 109-94 victory over the Miami Heat and a 2-1 series lead in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Jokic recorded the first 30-point, 20-rebound triple-double in Finals history, finishing with 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists, and Murray notched a triple-double by putting up 34 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. This is the first time in NBA history ― playoffs or regular season ― that teammates had 30-point triple-doubles.” Read more at USA Today
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) reacts after a 109-94 victory against the Miami Heat.
Jim Rassol, USA TODAY Sports
”Lives Lived: The pianist George Winston helped define new age music, but he liked to call his style “rural folk piano.” He died at 74.” [New York Times]