The Full Belmonte, 9/1/2023
Structures damaged by Hurricane Idalia in Horseshoe Beach, Florida.
Idalia
“Idalia remains a tropical storm as it moves into the Atlantic after bringing heavy rain and wind to northwestern Florida, southern Georgia and the Carolinas. Nearly 95,000 homes and businesses across several counties reported power outages today and many still do not have running water. To complicate matters, officials say murky, waist-high floodwater could be dangerous for days to come. President Joe Biden said that he will travel to Florida on Saturday to see the damage firsthand and pledged long-term support to hard-hit communities. Preliminary estimates suggest the storm caused up to $20 billion in damage and lost output, according to Moody's Analytics, but the full scope of the damage will become more clear in the next two weeks with the release of official estimates of insured losses.” [CNN]
Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in the Georgia election case yesterday.
“What to know: The written plea means Trump won’t return to Atlanta on Wednesday, when arraignment hearings for him and 18 co-defendants are scheduled.
The case: The former president faces 13 charges that he took part in a vast conspiracy to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia. It’s one of his four criminal cases.
In related news: Two former Proud Boys leaders got some of the longest sentences yet for Jan. 6 crimes.”
Read this story at Washington Post
Mitch McConnell released a letter saying he’s “medically clear” to work.
“Why? The Senate minority leader froze again while speaking in public this week. The letter, released yesterday, was from the attending physician of Congress.
In Congress: The incident has raised concerns about the 81-year-old’s health. Some Republicans outside the Senate called for McConnell to step down.
Zooming out: The current class of lawmakers is one of the oldest in history.”
Read this story at Washington Post
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas reported three trips on a private jet.
“The details: Thomas’s latest financial disclosure was released yesterday. It confirmed the 2022 trips on billionaire Republican donor Harlan Crow’s plane.
The bigger picture: Revelations this year about Thomas’s luxury vacations and travel funded by Crow have sparked calls for tougher ethics rules for the court.”
Read this story at Washington Post
Washington is running out of time to avoid a possible government shut down
“Across the country, Americans are growing increasingly anxious about the possibility of another government shutdown, according to the results of a poll released Thursday.
A government shutdown could occur if Congress is unable to reach an agreement on a new budget before the fiscal year ends Sept. 30.
•A shutdown would mean most federal employees would be furloughed, national parks could turn away visitors, air travel could be delayed, and programs such as food assistance benefits could take longer to process.
•House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is struggling to get some conservative lawmakers to support a short-term measure that would temporarily fund the government at current levels beyond the deadline.
•A group of House conservatives known as the Freedom Caucus has issued a list of demands that it wants included in a short-term funding bill, including initiatives to stop the Justice Department and FBI from conducting what the group calls political ‘witch hunts.’” [USA Today]
Joseph Biggs gets 17 years for Jan. 6 attack
“Proud Boys member Joseph Biggs was sentenced Thursday to 17 years in prison – the second-longest sentence yet related to the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021 − for his role in the seditious conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election and keep Donald Trump in the White House. Biggs helped lead Proud Boys at the Capitol, made it inside to the Senate chamber and posted on social media the riot was a ‘warning shot’ to the government, according to a sentencing memo from prosecutors. Biggs acknowledged to the judge that he ‘messed up that day,’ but he blamed being ‘seduced by the crowd’ of Trump supporters outside the Capitol. Read more
•Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to Georgia election racketeering charges.
•Gov. Brian Kemp rejected calls to discipline or remove Fulton County DA Fani Willis after Trump's indictment.” [USA Today]
In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, Proud Boys including Joseph Biggs, front left, walks toward the U.S. Capitol in Washington, in support of President Donald Trump. With the megaphone is Ethan Nordean, second from left.
Carolyn Kaster, AP
Student loans
“Interest on federal student loans will start accruing again today, after rates were effectively set to 0% since March 2020 due to the pandemic pause. Now, interest rates, which are fixed and vary by loan, will return to the same rate they were before the freeze. But borrowers won't need to take any action until their first monthly payment is due. For most people, payments will restart sometime in October — although not everyone has the same due date. Generally, borrowers can expect their monthly payment to be the same as it was before the pandemic pause. Unless a borrower made optional payments or changes to their account, like consolidating their loans, federal student loans were essentially frozen in time.” [CNN]
Tailei Qi, the suspect in the shooting at the University of North Carolina, makes his first appearance at the Orange County Courthouse, N.C. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)
U.S. NEWS
Audio reveals 911 caller in University of North Carolina shooting immediately identified a suspect
“Police in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where a professor was fatally shot on a college campus this week, received information on the suspect’s identity within minutes of the gunfire, according to a recording of the 911 call. Read more.
Why this matters:
Some portions of the audio sound redacted, but what was released describes the first moments after Monday’s shooting of Associate Professor Zijie Yan inside a science building in the heart of the University of North Carolina. Police said they arrested Tailei Qi, 34, of Chapel Hill, without force off campus less than two hours after the shooting. Yan was Qi’s faculty adviser and Qi worked with Yan’s research group.
In the 4 1/2-minute recording released on Thursday by UNC-Chapel Hill to The Associated Press, the distressed, unidentified caller could be heard telling others to ‘close the doors and stay inside. There’s an active shooter.’ The caller then described what the suspect was wearing and said ‘I saw him leaving the building’ in the direction of another laboratory facility next door.
Overall, stricter gun laws are desired by a majority of Americans, and in particular background checks, regardless of what the current gun laws are in their state, according to a recent AP-NORC poll on guns. As of Monday, there have been at least 33 mass killings in the U.S. in 2023, leaving at least 163 people dead, not including shooters who died, according to a database maintained by the AP and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.” [AP News]
LGBTQ rights
“The Texas Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed efforts to temporarily block the state's near-total ban on gender-affirming care for minors, clearing the way for the measure to take effect today. The law, known as Senate Bill 14, prohibits most minors from receiving treatment common for gender dysphoria, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy. LGBTQ health advocacy groups called the ruling ‘a blatant disregard for the human rights and dignities of LGBTQ+ individuals.’ With the law taking effect today, Texas will join more than a dozen other Republican-led states that have moved to restrict gender-affirming care. Separately, Canada issued a new advisory this week, warning its LGBTQ citizens of the risks they could face when traveling to the US, citing a record number of anti-LGBTQ laws in several states.” [CNN]
A Florida hurricane and shooting are testing Ron DeSantis
Win McNamee/Getty Images
“Here’s what you need to know:
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is currently running for president. He’s the closest competitor to Trump, but the margin remains huge: DeSantis trails Trump by nearly 40 percentage points as of late August. [Vox]
He’s now had to take time off from his struggling campaign to deal with crises at home: Last weekend, three people were killed in a racially-motivated shooting in Jacksonville. The incident set off protests and a curfew. [The Florida Times-Union]
And now, Hurricane Idalia threatens to render some Floridians homeless or — because of insurance policies in the state — unable to make affordable repairs. Though damage appears to be not quite as bad as expected, Idalia was still serious: It made landfall as a Category 3 storm. [Vox]
While DeSantis led a conservative renaissance in the once-swing state of Florida, in the current time of crises, he’s been forced to confront Floridians who believe they’re suffering as a result of his policies.” [Vox]
Trump's circle of flattery
Screenshots: Axios Visuals
“Each day, former President Trump's staff presents him with printouts of fan mail, supportive op-eds, favorable tweets and encouraging polls.
Trump, black Sharpie in hand, often scrawls responses on them — then has aides text a photo of the comments back to the writer. The Trump-signed hard copies are then sent by U.S. mail, Axios' Sophia Cai reports.
Why it matters: The big stack is an ego-soothing exercise for Trump that often winds up creating viral threads, as recipients of Trump's comments — some of whom have big digital followings — post them on social media.
The result: a constant chain of support, commiseration and shared grievance — that can be printed out for him the next day.
Case in point: Paul Ingrassia, a former Trump White House intern, says he's received more than a dozen notes from Trump since October in response to supportive articles Ingrassia wrote for conservative outlets.
After he wrote Trump recently to flag an article ‘you may have overlooked,’ Trump wrote back: ‘Never! Just posted’ — Trump had reposted Ingrassia's piece on Truth Social.
Recalling a visit Ingrassia had made to the former president's golf club in Bedminster, N.J., Trump added: ‘Great seeing you — the man behind the great writing — you are looking good.’
Like many of Trump's pen pals, Ingrassia posts the former president's replies on his own social media. He says Trump's handwritten notes, which he's framing, encourage him to keep writing articles.
Trump's circle of flattery includes allies across the country who flag their own tweets — and video of their TV appearances — to Trump aide Natalie Harp, senior adviser Jason Miller or communications director Steven Cheung.
Trump's handwritten responses have come to be coveted by young Republicans.
One ally whose messages typically reach Trump is Laura Loomer, a far-right activist who narrowly lost a bid for the U.S. House last year in the district that includes Mar-a-Lago.
Loomer recently wrote she would ‘sniff out’ Trump traitors.
‘Sounds good to me,’ Trump scrawled next to ‘traitors.’” [Axios]
Video of police fatally shooting a pregnant Black woman set to be released, Ohio department says
“Authorities in Ohio say they plan to release body camera footage Friday of a fatal police shooting of a pregnant Black woman, more than a week after the shooting. Suspected of shoplifting, police say 21-year-old Ta’Kiya Young was killed after she accelerated her car toward an officer in a grocery store parking lot on Aug. 24. Young was pregnant with her third child, who also did not survive the shooting. A lawyer for Young's family has questioned the delay. The two officers’ names, ages and races have not been released. Blendon Township Police Chief John Belford said in a video statement last week that the officers involved are on paid administrative leave. Read more at USA Today
Friends, family and activists gathered to protest the shooting of 21-year-old Ta'Kiya Young, who was shot and killed by Blendon Twp. police outside the Sunbury Road Kroger on Aug. 24.
Courtney Hergesheimer/Columbus Dispatch
White man will stand trial for shooting Black teen Ralph Yarl, who went to wrong house, judge rules
“KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri judge ruled Thursday that the 84-year-old white homeowner who shot a Black teenager after he mistakenly went to the man’s house must stand trial.
Clay County Judge Louis Angles issued the ruling after a dozen witnesses spoke at a preliminary hearing, including Ralph Yarl, the teenager who was shot by Andrew Lester on April 13 when Yarl went to the wrong house to pick up his younger brothers.
Lester, a retired aircraft mechanic, is charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action. He previously pleaded not guilty in the shooting that shocked the country and renewed national debates about gun policies and race in America. His next court date is an arraignment, scheduled for Sept. 20….” Read more at AP News
A record number of families crossed the U.S. border illegally last month.
The numbers: The U.S. Border Patrol arrested at least 91,000 migrants who crossed as part of a family group in August, new data shows. It exceeded the previous high from 2019.
Why it matters: It creates a major humanitarian challenge at the U.S.-Mexico border. It could also place immigration in the spotlight during the 2024 presidential race.
Read this story at Washington Post
The nation’s schools are short of 100,000 mental health staff.
“What to know: Schools face shortages of counselors, psychologists, social workers and therapists. And all of these shortages have worsened since the coronavirus pandemic began.
It’s a big problem: There’s an ongoing student mental health crisis. But demand for help exceeds supply, even as providers try to find ways to address the emergency.”
Read this story at Washington Post
U.S. Embassy urges Americans to leave Haiti 'as soon as possible'
“American citizens in Haiti should leave the country ‘as soon as possible’ because of spiraling security and infrastructure ‘challenges,’ the U.S. Embassy said in a travel advisory issued this week. It cautioned that if ‘you encounter a roadblock, turn around and get to a safe area,’ a reference to an escalating gang turf war that has seen Haiti consumed by random killings, rapes, extortion and kidnappings. Haiti's gangs have been vying for territory and resources in the wake of the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. They now control large parts of the country. The United Nations says nearly half of Haiti's 11 million people are in need of humanitarian aid. Read more at USA Today
Gabon election results were a ‘smokescreen’ for soldiers to oust unpopular president, analysts say
Mutinous soldiers in Gabon have proclaimed their republican guard chief Gen. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema as the country’s leader after ousting just-reelected President Ali Bongo Ondimba. (Aug. 31)
“DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The ouster of Gabon’s president by mutinous soldiers appears to have been well organized and capitalized on the population’s grievances against the government as an excuse to seize power, analysts said.
Soldiers on Wednesday ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba, whose family has ruled the oil-rich country in Central Africa for more than five decades. The coup leaders accused Bongo of irresponsible governance that risked leading the country into chaos and said they put him under house arrest and detained several Cabinet members.
Meanwhile, the African Union Peace and Security Council met Thursday and announced the immediate suspension of Gabon from ‘all activities of the AU, its organs and institutions’ until the country restores constitutional order….” Read more at AP News
Jets, yachts and golf have become targets in a string of global protests against luxury
“As the planet warms to dangerous levels, climate activists’ tactics have also become more radical, with activists spray-painting a superyacht, blocking private jets from taking off and plugging holes in golf courses this summer as part of an intensifying campaign against the emissions-spewing lifestyles of the ultrawealthy. Read more.
Why this matters:
In Switzerland, activists disrupted Europe’s biggest private jet sales fair in Geneva by chaining themselves to gangways and the exhibition entrance. In Spain, golf course holes were plugged to protest the sport’s heavy water use. And in the U.S., Abigail Disney, the grand-niece of Walt Disney, was arrested at East Hampton Town Airport, New York, for blocking cars from the parking lot.
A 2021 Oxfam report noted that if all planet-warming emissions were attributed to the people producing them, the richest 1% could account for 16% of emissions by 2030.
But University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann warned that attention distracts from the outsized role of fossil fuel companies, which are responsible for at least 70% of all emissions.” [AP News]
Bad behavior is here to stay
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
“Concertgoers throwing things at performers. People talking on their phones during movies. Tourists defacing historical landmarks in pursuit of the perfect selfie.
The first truly post-pandemic summer has shown the bad behaviors unleashed during the stress of COVID aren't slowing down, Tina Reed writes for Axios Vitals.
Why it matters: Worsening mental health, and decaying societal connections, are driving a long-tail trend of rude behavior.
New York-based neuropsychologist Sanam Hafeez said: ‘The pandemic really did change us very inherently because, for the first time in anyone's lifetime, it was like every man for himself.’
Flashback: Early in the pandemic, reports of bad behavior — outbursts on airplanes and violence against health care workers became more common.
A study in Harvard Business Review last year found rude behavior was increasingly the norm.
Not much has improved since then.
A few weeks ago, an Instagram video of an American Airlines pilot urging fliers to ‘be nice’ and ‘respectful’ went viral.
The pilot said: ‘I shouldn't have to say that.’” [Axios]
Rahm's fish-market diplomacy
Emanuel eats lunch yesterday at a restaurant in Fukushima Prefecture. Photo: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters
“Rahm Emanuel, U.S. ambassador to Japan, punched back against China with a show of support for Japanese fishers and farmers, after the release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Emanuel eats a piece of fruit at the Hamanoeki Fish Market and Food Court in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, yesterday. Photo: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters
Ahead of his visit to the Fukushima region, Emanuel called out ‘China's baseless political and economic actions against Japan over the release of treated wastewater from the nuclear plant.’
The trip, he wrote, ‘has now taken on the additional purpose of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Japan to confront Beijing's latest acts of economic coercion.’” [Axios]
The conservative boycott playbook is kind of working
Natalie Behring/Getty Images
“Usually, boycotts rarely succeed. However, this year, boycotts in the US have been a little different: Conservative consumers have been able to do some damage.
The lowdown:
Bud Light lost millions of dollars in sales after launching a small marketing campaign with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney earlier this spring. The backlash ultimately contributed to Bud Light’s dethroning as the most popular beer in the country.
Then, over the summer, conservatives took aim at Target and its annual Pride collection. Many called for a boycott of the retailer, and some consumers took to going into Target stores to destroy displays and harass employees. Target’s earnings were down for the second quarter.
The stakes: Money and culture reporter Emily Stewart argues that conservative boycotts are more successful than progressive ones — like those against Chick-fil-A or Goya — because the right is energized, relatively homogenous in their beliefs, and focused.
‘The culture wars of the moment are likely a contributing factor here,’ Emily writes. ‘Namely, conservatives are united around pushing back against transgender visibility and rights. It’s a hot-button issue and one there’s a lot of frenetic sentiment around within the GOP.’”
Read Emily’s full explainer here. [Vox]
Left helped drive Musk's Twitter purchase
Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Chesnot/Getty Images
“Before Elon Musk bought Twitter last year, he expressed ‘swelling concern with the dangers of what he called the 'woke mind virus' that he believed was infecting America,’ Walter Isaacson writes in his deeply reported "Elon Musk," out Sept. 12.
Why it matters: During their remarkable series of hundreds of conversations, Musk told Isaacson gravely that unless what he viewed as these ‘anti-science, anti-merit and anti-human’ trends were slowed, ‘civilization will never become multiplanetary.’
The Wall Street Journal published an early excerpt of the book (subscription required). Musk's brooding was triggered partly by his oldest child, Xavier, then 16, Isaacson writes:
‘Hey, I'm transgender, and my name is now Jenna,’ she texted the wife of Elon's brother. ‘Don't tell my dad.’ When Musk found out, he was generally sanguine, but then Jenna became a fervent Marxist and broke off all relations with him. ...
The rift pained him more than anything in his life since the infant death of his firstborn child Nevada. ‘I've made many overtures,’ he says, ‘but she doesn't want to spend time with me.’” [Axios]
Week 1 college football predictions
“The long wait is over. College football is back after almost nine months away. The big game of Week 1 isn't on a college campus. It's in Orlando, Florida, where No. 5 LSU looks for payback against No. 8 Florida State after the Seminoles won a nail-biter in New Orleans last season. Another rematch of last season's opening weekend will take place when No. 14 Utah hosts Florida after the Gators prevailed with a late touchdown in Gainesville. The other significant matchup sees North Carolina and South Carolina playing on sort-of-neutral ground in Charlotte.” Read more at USA Today
Arizona State running back Cameron Skattebo (4) celebrates his touchdown against Southern Utah with tight end Jalin Conyers during the first half of an NCAA college football game Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023, in Tempe, Arizona.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SPORTS NEWS
“Shohei Ohtani: The baseball player seems certain to have surgery on his elbow, but he continues to hit.” [New York Times]
“N.F.L.: Cooper Kupp, a Rams star receiver, has been slow to recover from a hamstring injury.” [New York Times]
“Gators stifled: Utah beat Florida at home last night in the teams’ season-opening football game.” [New York Times]
“U.S. Open: John Isner, an American known for winning the longest match in tennis history, retired from the sport following losses in singles and doubles matches.” [New York Times]
“Lives Lived: The lawyer David Rowland recovered hundreds of looted artworks for the heirs of Jewish collectors whom the Nazis had persecuted. He died at 67.” [New York Times]
Taylor Swift is bringing her Eras Tour to movie theaters.
When? It premieres Friday, Oct. 13, a reference to Swift’s lucky number. The movie will give fans a chance to experience or relive her record-breaking world tour.
How to get tickets: AMC began selling them yesterday. But the theater chain warned of delays and site crashes due to anticipated demand.
Read this story at Washington Post