The Full Belmonte, 7/22/2023
Donald Trump’s attorneys have argued that the former president wouldn’t be able to get a fair trial until after the election.
PHOTO: AMR ALFIKY/REUTERS
May 24 is the date set for Donald Trump’s criminal trial over his handling of classified documents after he left office.
“U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, appointed by Trump, rejected his efforts to delay the case until after the 2024 campaign for the White House in which he is the Republican front-runner. Trump pleaded not guilty last month. His attorneys argued that he wouldn’t be able to get a fair trial until after the election, and said it would be challenging for them to prepare for trial during the campaign. Prosecutors rejected those assertions and wanted a Dec. 11 date because they said the case didn’t present novel questions of fact or law and that they had quickly provided Trump’s team with evidence.” [Wall Street Journal]
The Air Force is envisioning its next cargo workhorses.
“A future military-transport system could include a large new aircraft, small uncrewed delivery drones, gliders and space rockets to blast cargo anywhere in the world within minutes. The Pentagon wants its fleet to be able to cover vast distances in support of U.S. forces in the Pacific to deter China. Air Force leaders are trying out ideas in an exercise this month across the Pacific. In other flying news, the latest version of the Senate’s defense-policy bill contains bipartisan provisions designed to declassify the government’s UFO files. The proposal is modeled after a 1992 law declassifying documents related to President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, requiring public release within 25 years.” [Wall Street Journal]
Hunter Biden lawyer files complaint after Marjorie Taylor Greene shows Congress nude photos
Greene's presentation represented the latest clash between congressional Republicans and Biden over investigations the White House dismissed as baseless innuendo.
USA TODAY
Abbe Lowell, Biden's lawyer, filed an ethics complaint against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene after she displayed naked pictures of him during a hearing.
Greene questioned why the Justice Department hadn't investigated Biden more aggressively.
Biden has agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges. A hearing is scheduled Wednesday.
“WASHINGTON – Hunter Biden’s lawyer filed an ethics complaint in the House of Representatives on Friday against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for reaching a ‘new level of abhorrent behavior’ after she displayed sexually explicit pictures of him during a hearing Wednesday.
The lawyer, Abbe Lowell, told the Office of Congressional Ethics in a letter that the Georgia Republican’s ‘unmoored verbal abuses and attacks on Biden represented numerous ethics violations.’
Lowell previously complained in April about Greene over alleged defamation, false allegations, publication of private photos and ‘bizarre dissemination of conspiracy theories about Mr. Biden and members of his family.’
‘She displayed (on printed posters) sexually explicit and nude images of Mr. Biden,’ Lowell wrote. ‘Then, toward the end of her questioning, Ms. Greene held up the graphic poster boards, spouting yet another of her untethered conspiracy theories, suggesting without any evidence that they showed Mr. Biden ‘making pornography.’
The office doesn't announce what it is investigating, but depending on a preliminary review, the complaint could eventually reach the House Ethics Committee. That panel of lawmakers could potentially recommend the full House censure or oust Greene, but few complaints result in discipline because the committee is evenly divided between the parties.
The hearing was part of wide-ranging inquiries the committee and the Judiciary Committee have held into Biden and his father, President Joe Biden. The White House has dismissed the probes as hyperpartisan innuendo.
Greene's presentation came during a hearing with two Internal Revenue Service investigators about Republican complaints that a tax investigation into Biden was too weak.
Biden agreed in June to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and resolve a gun charge in a way that is likely to not require incarceration. A hearing is scheduled Wednesday.
Greene blasted the Justice Department for not prosecuting Biden aggressively and warned the audience that “parental discretion is advised.” She accused Biden of making amateur pornography, sex trafficking and paying for prostitutes while holding up pictures of him since material from a laptop circulated on the internet….” Read more at USA Today
Texas A&M University president resigns after Black journalist’s hiring at campus unravels
BY JIM VERTUNO
“AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas A&M University on Friday announced the resignation of its president in the fallout over a Black journalist who said her celebrated hiring at one of the nation’s largest campuses quickly unraveled due to pushback over her past work promoting diversity.
President Katherine Banks said in a resignation letter that she was retiring immediately because ‘negative press has become a distraction’ at the nearly 70,000-student campus in College Station.
Her departure after two years as president followed weeks of turmoil at Texas A&M, which only last month had welcomed professor Kathleen McElroy with great fanfare to revive the school’s journalism department. McElroy is a former New York Times editor and had overseen the journalism school at the more liberal University of Texas at Austin campus….” Read more at AP News
A Biden migrant policy could be in trouble
“The U.S.-Mexico border is uncharacteristically quiet these days. That’s in large part because of a new rule President Biden’s administration instituted to control a record influx of migrants. Those who cross the border illegally can no longer apply for asylum, for the next two years. That’s despite federal law allowing anyone with a well-founded fear of persecution to request asylum once they reach U.S. soil, no matter how they got there.
The rule probably just pushed everyone over into Mexico, where migrants wait to apply for asylum via a new smartphone app while ‘jammed into fetid tent camps similar to those President Biden deplored on the campaign trail in 2020,’ The Washington Post’s Maria Sacchetti reports from the border.
Charles Junia holds her goddaughter at a Haitian migrant camp in Matamoros, Mexico, last month. (Meridith Kohut for The Washington Post)
Migrant groups are challenging this policy in court. ‘We’re talking about an essential human right being denied with very precipitous consequences,’ Michael Knowles, a spokesman for an organization that represents asylum officers, told Maria. The Trump administration tried to put in similar restrictions. A judge could issue a ruling on the policy as soon as next week, and this could go all the way to the Supreme Court.
In addition to having a profound impact on people’s lives, if Biden’s rule is overturned and the border gets crowded again, it will shape U.S. politics: Republicans will hammer Biden and congressional Democrats over border issues in the upcoming election.” [Washington Post]
Students in Florida must now be taught that enslaved people benefited some from slavery
Protesters in February in Tallahassee. (Joshua Lott/The Washington Post)
“Florida now says that students in the state should be taught that enslaved people ‘developed skills’ that ‘could be applied for their personal benefit’ and that when teaching about mob violence directed at Black Americans, teachers should make sure to note acts of violence that Black Americans committed, reports The Post’s Lori Rozsa.
This comes as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is running for president and a far-right parental group commands intense authority on the presidential campaign trail. (The Southern Poverty Law Center labeled Moms for Liberty an ‘extremist group’ that spreads hate.)
Democrats and teachers are aghast at this new rule. As Lori reports, Florida’s largest teachers union said this was ‘a disservice to Florida’s students’ and ‘a big step backward.’ A Democratic state representative declared this a ‘scary standard for us to establish.’ And Vice President Harris (D) took this on the campaign trail: ‘They insult us in an attempt to gaslight us, and we will not stand for it.’
This is only Florida’s latest rollback related to minority students. Among a long list of restrictions on Black and LGBTQ+ teachings and rules is a prohibition on using transgender students’ pronouns in school.” ” [Washington Post]
There’s a big legal fight in Texas over the state’s abortion ban
Women suing the state of Texas hold a news conference in Austin this week. (Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP/Getty Images)
“Texas has one of the strictest abortion bans in the nation — the only exception is if a woman’s life is at risk. That has left many doctors afraid to act in potential gray areas. And now a group of women who were denied abortion and forced to give birth to nonviable fetuses are suing the state. They gave emotional testimony this week, with one woman crying and throwing up on the witness stand while describing a particularly gruesome birth after she was denied an abortion, report The Post’s Caroline Kitchener, Ben Brasch and Rachel Roubein.
What’s different about this case, legal experts have pointed out, is that these are women who did not want an abortion — they wanted healthy pregnancies. They’re asking for a narrow change in the law to allow doctors more freedom to help women in risky pregnancies without facing up to 99 years in prison. (A recent survey by the nonpartisan health research organization KFF found nearly 40 percent of doctors in states with abortion bans say they have faced restraints caring for patients experiencing miscarriages or other pregnancy-related emergencies.)
There are other, novel legal attempts to weaken or end abortion bans. In Indiana and Kentucky, religious groups argue that their states’ bans infringe on their religious freedom because they believe abortion should be allowed in at least some circumstances. Another route is to argue these bans violate the states’ constitutions. South Carolina’s highest court struck down the state’s abortion ban when it agreed that the state constitution’s right to privacy does allow a right to abortion.
Meanwhile, Caroline reports that blue states are finding ways to help abortion providers mail pills to patients in states with abortion bans — and avoid prosecution for it.” ” [Washington Post]
Injunction blocking Florida law targeting drag shows applies to all venues, judge says
BY MIKE SCHNEIDER
“ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge said Wednesday that his order blocking a Florida law targeting drag shows doesn’t just apply to the restaurant that brought the lawsuit challenging it but to other venues in the state, reiterating that the legislation championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis is likely unconstitutional.
A state agency that would enforce the law had asked U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell to put on hold his preliminary injunction stopping the law from being enforced until a trial is held to determine its constitutionality while the state of Florida appeals the injunction.
Attorneys for Florida told the judge that the preliminary injunction should only apply to the Orlando restaurant that sued seeking to get the law ruled unconstitutional and not ‘nonparties’ to the complaint.
The judge rejected that argument, saying any harm to the state of Florida is minimal if the preliminary injunction remains in place, and that all Floridians are potentially parties since free speech is at stake.
‘Plaintiff is not the only party suffering injury as a result of the passage of the Act; it has a chilling effect on all members of society who fall within its reach,’ Presnell wrote in his order.
The complaint was brought by the owner of a Hamburger Mary’s restaurant and bar in Orlando, which regularly hosts drag shows, including family-friendly performances on Sundays that children were invited to attend. The restaurant owner said the law was overbroad, was written vaguely and violated First Amendment rights by chilling speech.
The new law punished venues for allowing children into ‘adult live performances.’ Though it did not mention drag shows specifically, the sponsor of the legislation said it was aimed at those performances. Venues that violated the law faced fines and the possibility of their liquor licenses being suspended or revoked. Individuals could be charged with a misdemeanor crime.
Before announcing his candidacy for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, DeSantis made anti-LGBTQ+ legislation a large part of his agenda as governor. Other bills he signed would ban gender-affirming care for minors and restrict discussion of personal pronouns in schools.” [AP News]
State Silence
Akkai Padmashali, a prominent transgender activist, holds a placard during a protest against violence in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur in Bengaluru, India, on July 21.Abhishek Chinnappa/Getty Images
“Hundreds of women gathered in Imphal, the capital of India’s Manipur state, on Friday to protest the government’s lack of action after a mob of men stripped naked and paraded two women through the streets before gang raping them on May 4. Despite the brutal incident occurring 78 days ago, the government is only now condemning the crime due to the recent emergence of a video of the assault going viral on social media.
On Thursday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged the violence, calling it ‘shameful’ and saying, ‘What has happened to the daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven.’ Four individuals, including the man suspected of instigating the violence, were arrested hours later. Numerous women have since targeted the alleged lead perpetrator’s home, pelting it with stones and setting it on fire. At least 30 other men are currently being traced for alleged involvement.
The mob assault occurred amid ongoing ethnic violence between the majority Meitei community and the minority Kuki people that has gripped the remote northeastern Indian state since early May. More than 130 people have died in the conflict, and another 35,000 have been displaced from their homes. The men accused of perpetrating the May 4 mob assault are Meitei, whereas the two women victims are Kuki. Two Kuki men were also killed during the mob’s attack. On May 3, a day before the assault, Kuki students held mass protests against the majority Meitei community’s petition to achieve special tribal status, which would allow them to buy more land and have greater opportunities for government jobs. Clashes ensued, leading Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to enact statewide internet restrictions as Meitei men targeted Kuki homes. The women who were assaulted on May 4 had been fleeing a Meitei mob burning down their village.
Until now, Modi has been hesitant to speak out for fear of criticizing his party’s rule in Manipur; the BJP holds a majority in the northeastern state. However, the violence is becoming harder to ignore. Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh is currently under fire for not having done enough to stem the unrest, and India’s Supreme Court has called on the federal and Manipur state governments to crack down on gender-based violence.
‘Humanity has died in Manipur,’ tweeted Indian National Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, the BJP’s primary rival, at Modi on Wednesday. ‘If there is any conscience or an iota of shame left in your government, then you should speak about Manipur in the Parliament and tell the nation on what happened, without blaming others for your dual incompetence.’” [Foreign Policy]
“One step forward, two steps back. In a crushing blow, Britain’s Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, failed to secure two seats in Parliament that had previously been deemed safe during Friday’s elections. Both Selby and Ainsty in Yorkshire, England, went to the rival Labour Party—signaling a drastic shift in power for the region and granting the opposition its biggest by-election victory since 1945. The Liberal Democrats also achieved a win in Somerton and Frome, a once-Conservative stronghold in southwest England.
However, not every result spelled bad news for Sunak. The Tories scored a win in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, the district once represented by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. By doing so, the Conservatives narrowly avoided a Labour sweep. But almost losing Johnson’s former seat, along with the other two losses on Friday, showed just how much popular support for the Conservative Party is slipping after repeated political scandals and the United Kingdom’s rising cost of living.” [Foreign Policy]
‘Israelis’ last-ditch effort. Social unrest in Israel escalated on Friday over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to retract the country’s looming judicial reform bill, which is expected to be passed by Monday. More than 1,100 Israeli military reservists said they will end their voluntary service to protest the government’s plan. Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets on Thursday after Netanyahu vilifiedwhat he called protesters’ ‘absurd’ scare tactics during a televised address. And Israeli journalists are warning of a ‘military coup’ if Netanyahu continues his assault on an independent court system.
The persistence of Israel’s protest movement has been one of its defining assets in the fight against Netanyahu’s judicial reform plan, argued Middle East expert Aaron David Miller and lawyer Daniel Miller in Foreign Policy. ‘In Israel’s case, the perception that the so-called judicial reform wasn’t just some technical adjustment to the political system, but rather a fundamental threat to Israelis’ way of life, sustained the protests.’” [Foreign Policy]
“Cover-up in Kenya. At least six people were killed in Kenya during a government crackdown on protesters this week, an independent watchdog announced on Thursday. This follows the shooting deaths of at least 27 individuals killed by state police in the previous weeks. The targeted protesters were participating in mass rallies criticizing the passage of a bill implementing new tax increases amid rising costs of living in the East African nation.
According to The Associated Press, state police ordered the watchdog not to announce the nation’s death toll. Under President William Ruto, the government has a history of using excessive force to silence rights groups and opposition members. This week alone, at least 300 demonstrators were arrested, including senior opposition leaders such as parliamentarian Babu Owino, who was detained for conducting subversive activities.” [Foreign Policy]
Booz Allen Hamilton agrees to pay $377 million to settle federal civil lawsuit for overcharging U.S. government
“The case, first flagged by a whistleblower, is one of the largest settlements for a defense contractor under the False Claims Act. Prosecutors alleged the Northern Virginia-based company knowingly overcharged the federal government to mitigate losses in other areas of its business.” [Washington Post]
Microblogging app Threads’ popularity unravels some more.
For a second week in a row, the number of daily active users declined, falling to 13 million, down about 70% from a July 7 peak, according to estimates from market-intelligence firm Sensor Tower. Parent company Meta Platforms has signaled that it doesn’t see the falloff as worrisome and has said it is working on additional features such as support for multiple accounts, the ability to edit posts and a chronological feed option à la Instagram and Facebook. A Meta spokeswoman declined to comment. Threads gained more than 100 million sign-ups within a week of its launch earlier this month.
USWNT vs. Vietnam highlights: How Americans soared to victory in 2023 World Cup opener
The United States beat Vietnam 3-0 behind goals from Sophia Smith and Lindsay Horan. Nancy Armour and USA TODAY Sports bring the latest updates.
“AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Sophia Smith’s World Cup debut was one to remember.
The USWNT’s rising star scored two goals in the first half and the Americans opened their quest to become the first team, men’s or women’s, to win three consecutive World Cup titles with a 3-0 win over Vietnam on Saturday (Friday night in the U.S.) in front of an announced crowd of 41,107 at Eden Park. Smith added an assist on Lindsey Horan’s goal late in the second half.
The USWNT next plays the Netherlands on Wednesday in a match that will go a long way toward deciding the winner of Group E. That’s no small thing, given the group winner is likely to avoid England, Germany, France or Canada until the final.
That the USWNT beat Vietnam was hardly a surprise. They are four-time World Cup champions and have been ranked No. 1 for all but 10 months over the last 15 years. Vietnam, ranked 32nd, is playing in its first-ever World Cup, and its coach likened the USWNT to a “mountain” on Thursday…..” Read more at USA Today
THE WEEK IN CULTURE
Tony Bennett at the opening of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 1966.Las Vegas News Bureau, via European Pressphoto Agency
“Tony Bennett’s melodic clarity, embrace of the audience and warm interpretations of musical standards won him generations of fans. He died at 96.
Bennett may have become famous for “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” but his own heart was unquestionably a New Yorker’s.
His collaboration with Lady Gaga changed both of their careers.
The actors’ strike ended the red carpet, for now. Its absence could change how we consume fashion, Vanessa Friedman writes.
Swifties are correct: Concerts are worth the price, the economist and Times Opinion columnist Paul Krugman argues in a five-minute podcast.
We are fascinated with celebrity divorces because dealing with a breakup is one of the most relatable things about stars.
Workers at Anchor Brewing Company, the oldest craft brewer in the U.S., want to buy it to save it from shutting down.
The actress and singer Jane Birkin thrived by communicating a seemingly nonchalant demeanor that camouflaged a melancholy core. She died at 76.
Endless optimization and entitlement have turned international travel into a parade of identical, overcrowded experiences, Rebecca Jennings writes in Vox.
You are free to say Taco Tuesday after the chain Taco John’s gave up its legal claim to the phrase, The Washington Post reports.” [New York Times]