The Full Belmonte, 9/26/2023
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy briefs reporters at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
With a government shutdown just days away, Congress is moving into crisis mode
“With a government shutdown five days away, Congress is moving into crisis mode as Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces an insurgency from hard-right Republicans eager to slash spending even if it means curtailing federal services for millions of Americans. Read more.
Why this matters:
There’s no clear path ahead as lawmakers return with tensions high and options limited. The House is expected to vote Tuesday evening on a package of bills to fund parts of the government, but it’s not clear that McCarthy has the support needed to move ahead.
Meanwhile, the Senate is preparing its own bipartisan plan for a stopgap measure to buy some time and keep offices funded past Saturday’s deadline as work in Congress continues.
A government shutdown would disrupt the U.S. economy and the lives of millions of Americans — from air traffic controllers, who would be asked to work without pay, to some 7 million people in the Women, Infants and Children program, including half the babies born in the U.S., who could lose access to nutritional benefits, according to the White House.” [AP News]
Russia’s Black Sea Fleet commander among 34 killed in a missile strike in Crimea, Ukraine claims
“The missile strike that blasted the Crimean headquarters of Russia’s navy last week killed 34 officers, including the fleet commander, Ukraine said Monday, though it provided no evidence to support its claim. Read more.
Why this matters:
Ukraine’s Special Operation Forces said on the Telegram messaging app that its strike on the main building of the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in the port city of Sevastopol had wounded 105 people. The claims could not independently be verified and are vastly different from what Russia has reported.
Russia’s military announced the attack on the building and initially said one serviceman was killed but later said the person was missing. Moscow has provided no further updates.
The Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, has been a frequent target since the start of the invasion. Crimea has served as the key hub supporting the invasion, and Ukraine has increasingly targeted Crimea naval facilities in recent weeks while the brunt of its summer counteroffensive makes slow gains in the east and south of Ukraine.” [AP News]
Biden flexes ties with organized labor in fight for blue-collar voters
President Joe Biden will join striking UAW members.
“President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are both visiting Michigan this week, previewing a fight for working-class voters in the 2024 election as the United Auto Workers continues its strike against the nation's three largest auto companies.
Their trips reflect dramatically different ways Biden and Trump hope to win support of blue-collar voters who could swing Michigan and other Midwest states.
•Unlike Biden, Trump won't be walking a picket line. Instead, the former president and frontrunner to win the 2024 Republican nomination will hold a rally with current and former union members in Clinton Township, Michigan.
•Trump's angle: To issue a warning about what he says is the new enemy of the working class - electric vehicles, embraced by the Biden administration and a source of consternation among auto workers.
•Working-class voters who lack college degrees could decide whether Biden again wins Michigan and its 16 electoral votes in 2024 or whether Trump, if he's the Republican nominee, moves it back to the Republican column.” [USA Today]
Defiant Menendez
Sen. Bob Menendez makes his first public appearance since being indicted. Photo: Mike Segar/Reuters
“Embattled Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) combatively rejected rising calls for his resignation and lashed out at ‘salacious’ prosecutors after his indictment on federal bribery charges.
He called it ‘his biggest fight yet,’ Axios' Erin Doherty writes.
Why it matters: The three-term senator — showing no signs of backing down — punched back against the flood of calls for him to resign, which he said were made for ‘political reasons.’
‘The allegations leveled against me are just that — allegations,’ he said to a packed room in Union City, N.J., where he got his start in politics.
Between the lines: Menendez didn't mention gold bars or the Mercedes convertible that prosecutors say were obtained in the scheme.
He said the $480,000 found in cash-stuffed envelopes was withdrawn from personal savings ‘for emergencies.’
What's next: Menendez is expected to face a serious primary challenge from at least one congressman, Rep. Andy Kim, when he's up for re-election next year.
He's scheduled to appear in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday.” [Axios]
7 on tomorrow's debate stage
Graphic: Fox News
“Seven candidates have qualified for the second GOP presidential debate, which will be tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Calif., the RNC announced last night.
Why it matters: That's down one from the first debate. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson didn't make the cut.
The debaters: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.
Former President Trump — the GOP frontrunner, who's planning to counterprogram the debate by speaking to striking autoworkers in metro Detroit an hour before — is absent from the list of those who qualified.” [Axios]
First of thousands of Lahaina residents return to homes destroyed by fire
“Residents of Lahaina will be officially allowed to return to their homes for the first time since deadly wildfires swept across the island town in August. The first zone was opened for re-entry on Monday, clearing residents and business owners who apply for vehicle passes to drive back into town. Authorities said what's ‘most important is getting that closure,’ but cautioned the area is still covered in ash and debris from the fire, and residents could encounter roadside hazards, including burned vehicles.” Read more at USA Today
Some Lahaina residents return to city in search closure following deadly island fires
AP
Biden's don't-trip plan
President Biden, here with First Lady Jill Biden on Sept. 2, has been wearing tennis shoes more often as a precaution against slipping. Photo: Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images
“President Biden and his staff are working on an urgent project to protect his re-election bid: a don't-trip strategy, Axios' Alex Thompson writes.
Why it matters: Democrats, including some in the administration, are terrified Biden will have a bad fall — with a nightmare scenario of it happening in the weeks before the 2024 election.
As voters express deep concerns about the 80-year-old president's age, Biden's team is taking extra steps to prevent him from stumbling in public — as he did in June, when he tripped over a sandbag at the Air Force Academy.
With a physical therapist, Biden has been doing exercises to improve his balance as far back as November 2021.
Since his stumble in June, he has been wearing tennis shoes more often to avoid slipping — and using the short stairs on Air Force One, entering the plane on a lower deck than before.
Biden's balance difficulties are likely the result of what his physician has diagnosed as ‘a combination of significant spinal arthritis’ and ‘mild post-fracture foot arthritis.’
Biden works out many mornings with physical therapist Drew Contreras, who also worked with former President Obama.
Biden's doctor has recommended exercises for balance, which he called ‘proprioceptive maintenance maneuvers’ in health summaries the White House released in 2021 and last February.
Asked for more detail, White House spokesman Andrew Bates told Axios: ‘This isn't new — it was proactively and transparently disclosed.’
‘This article fits an unfortunate pattern of media attempting to sensationalize something that has long been public, rather than covering the president's very real achievements for hardworking Americans,’ Bates added.
Between the lines: Biden's team is betting that any mockery he receives over using the shorter Air Force One steps and wearing tennis shoes will be worth it to avoid another public stumble.
The Biden campaign's calculus is similar to its efforts in 2020 to prevent him from getting COVID. Those steps, including strict limits on in-person campaigning, led to memes mocking Biden's ‘basement campaign.’
Zoom out: Recent polls have shown Biden's age is among voters' chief concerns about him. Voters also have significant age concerns about former President Trump — the likely GOP nominee.
Three-fourths of Americans see Biden as too old for office, an AP-NORC poll found last month. About half also saw Trump, 77, as too old.
Beyond Trump's legal issues, his erratic behavior has raised concerns about the former president's mental state.
In a flurry of posts last weekend, Trump accused exiting Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley of a ‘treasonous act’ that, ‘in times gone by,’ would have been punishable by death.
Trump mentioned ‘treason’ in vowing to use the presidency to investigate NBC News' parent company, Comcast, over ‘vicious’ coverage of him.” [Axios]
Biden administration announces $1.4 billion to improve rail safety and boost capacity in 35 states
“Railroad safety has become a key concern nationwide ever since a train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed and caught fire in East Palestine, Ohio, in February. The money will fund 70 projects in 35 states and Washington, D.C.” Read More at AP News
Texas Walmart shooter agrees to pay more than $5M to families over 2019 racist attack
“A white Texas gunman who killed 23 people at a Walmart in 2019 has agreed to pay more than $5 million to victims of the racist attack. There is no indication that he has significant assets.” Read More at AP News
Russia campaigns to rejoin UN human rights body
Russia was a member of the UNHRC until last April. Source: Getty Images
“Russia is seeking to rejoin the UN human rights council, according to a position paper seen by the BBC. Moscow was expelled from the body last April after its forces invaded Ukraine, but Russian diplomats are campaigning aggressively to rejoin the council. Diplomats at the UN general assembly in New York told the BBC's James Landale that Russia was offering small countries grain and arms in return for their votes, and that it was entirely possible for the country to regain its seat next month. Russia blames "the US and its allies" for it losing membership and argues the council increasingly "serves the political will of one group of countries". On Monday, an independent commission told the council there is continuing evidence of Russian war crimes, including torture, rape and attacks on civilians, in Ukraine.
•In The Hague: On a separate front, Russia has called on the International Court of Justice to throw out a case brought against it by Ukraine. Kyiv accuses Moscow of falsely using genocide law to justify its invasion.” [BBC]
Biden Courts Pacific Leaders
U.S. President Joe Biden participates in a group photo with Pacific Island leaders as part of the U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum Summit at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 25.Win McNamee/Getty Images
“U.S. President Joe Biden is busy wooing Pacific leaders during a two-day summit that kicked off Monday in Washington as part of a broader U.S. effort to ramp up engagement and counter China’s growing influence in the strategically important region.
But for some invitees, the Biden administration’s latest effort may be too little, too late. The Solomon Islands spurned the key summit, even after the United States reopened its embassy in the country this year—a snub that underscores the uphill battle Washington faces in competing with Beijing’s long-standing engagement in the region. The Solomon Islandshas drawn increasingly close to China in recent years, with the two countries inking a high-profile security agreement in 2022.
There is ‘no question that [China’s] assertiveness and influence, including in this region, has been a factor that requires us to sustain our strategic focus,’ a senior administration official said on Friday. ‘But what we’re really focused on doing is showing our Pacific Island friends that the United States, working with likeminded partners, can provide viable alternatives that will work for Pacific Island nations.’
On Monday, the Biden administration announced that it would formally establish diplomatic ties with the Cook Islands and Niue; it is also expected to unveil new infrastructure projects across the region. U.S. officials said Washington is also hoping to open an embassy in Vanuatu ‘early next year,’ although it’s unclear whether that will help hedge against China’s expanding presence there. Like the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu Prime Minister Sato Kilman skipped Biden’s big summit to attend a no-confidence vote in parliament.” [Foreign Policy]
The World This Week
“Monday, Sept. 25: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ilham Aliyev.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva hosts talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Monday, Sept. 25, to Tuesday, Sept. 26: U.S. President Joe Biden hosts the U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum Summit.
Tuesday, Sept. 26: South Korea hosts talks with Japan and China.
Thursday, Sept. 28: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosts talks with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
Friday, Sept. 29: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hosts talks with leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Eswatini holds a general election.
Saturday, Sept. 30: Maldives holds a presidential election runoff.” [Foreign Policy]
“Exodus from Nagorno-Karabakh. Thousands of ethnic Armenians have left the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh for Armenia, according to Armenian officials, just days after Armenian separatists ceded the territory to Azerbaijani forces following an eruption of violence.
‘Civilians in Nagorno-Karabakh are facing a dire humanitarian crisis and grave uncertainty about their future,’ said Hugh Williamson, Human Rights Watch’s Europe and Central Asia director. ‘Azerbaijani authorities have said that everyone’s rights will be protected, but that is hard to take at face value after the months of severe hardships and decades of conflict.’” [Foreign Policy]
“Moscow’s latest port attack. Russia targeted Ukrainian agricultural infrastructure again on Monday, deploying a spate of drones and missiles that hit Ukraine’s Odesa port overnight and killed two people, according to Ukrainian officials. Authorities said the latest attack damaged granaries and the port itself.
The strikes came as Washington’s first shipment of M1 Abrams tanks arrived in Ukraine, Ukrainian officials said. But Washington is still wary of sending long-range weapons to Kyiv, as FP’s Jack Detsch reported last week. ‘Concerns about triggering Russian escalation still temper the U.S. approach to arms deliveries,’ he wrote, ‘even though Ukraine has taken the fight to Russian-occupied areas, such as Crimea, thanks to long-range weapons, with no major escalation in response.’” [Foreign Policy]
“Bangladesh’s historic dengue outbreak. Bangladeshi officials are scrambling to respond to the country’s worst-ever dengue outbreak as rising case numbers test the country’s medical infrastructure and drive up the prices of some treatments. Dhaka has already documented more than 900 dengue-related fatalities in 2023, officials announced on Monday—a sharp increase from 281 deaths last year.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently supporting Dhaka’s efforts to bolster lab capacity, surveillance, clinical management, risk communication, and vector control, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said earlier this month. ‘We have trained doctors and deployed experts on the ground,’ he said. ‘We have also provided supplies to test for dengue and support care for patients.’” [Foreign Policy]
“The urgent need for measures to slow climate change is running up against the demands of short-term political necessity.
Across Europe, governments are scaling back plans to reduce fossil-fuel emissions for fear of angering voters already bitter over high inflation and sluggish economic growth.
The latest example is French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country was shaken by the yellow vests protests five years ago. His speeches this week on climate goals were at best a mixed bag.
He announced a cut in power prices by the end of this year, while avoiding unpopular policies such as banning gas-fired boilers. France would exit coal in 2027, he said, slipping from the previous target of 2022 on the back of less nuclear production.
Along with a €7-billion ($7.4 billion) package to boost investment in green spending, €700 million were earmarked for local trains to reduce transport emissions — but that’s down from the around €800 million initially floated.
It was another sign of fear that the costs of the green transition are giving ammunition to right-wing populist parties as the 27-nation bloc readies for elections to the European Parliament in June.
In Germany, the government is softening its stance on a number of green rules amid worries of a voter backlash. In the latest twist, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said yesterday the introduction of a stricter environmental standard for new buildings will be postponed indefinitely.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is delaying the take-up of electric vehicles and the rollout of clean heat for British homes.
Even Sweden — the first nation globally to set a milestone goal for net-zero emissions — looks likely to miss its legislated climate targets.
With 2023 on course to be the hottest year on record, and the planet battling wildfires, heat waves and floods, leaders face a difficult challenge: how to meet the ambitious emissions-cut goals they pledged to reduce global warming while ensuring the pain their people feel doesn’t cost them their jobs.” — Ewa Krukowska [Bloomberg]
A wildfire burns near the Greek village of Dikella on Aug. 22. Photographer: Konstantinos Tsakalidis/Bloomberg
“Russian drone attacks damaged facilities at Ukraine’s Izmail port on the Danube River overnight, Odesa regional Governor Oleh Kiper said. The Ukrainian military said it intercepted 26 of 38 drones launched by Russia. The European Union’s chief trade negotiator, Valdis Dombrovskis, said China’s failure to condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine was damaging Beijing’s investment opportunities.” [Bloomberg]
“South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol warned North Korea that Seoul and Washington would end its regime if it used nuclear weapons. In a speech marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of his country’s military, Yoon also slammed Pyongyang for its pursuit of atomic arms, saying its people were paying the price.” [Bloomberg]
“Despite grinding poverty and a deteriorating human rights record, Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban has unleashed a series of measures to bolster the local currency. The result, coupled with billions of dollars from humanitarian aid and rising trade with Asian neighbors, has propelled the afghani to the top of global rankings this quarter.” [Bloomberg]
Taliban fighters at the entrance of the Sarai Shahzada market in Kabul in 2021. Photographer: Mohd Rasfan/AFP/Getty Images
New try for lawsuit-proof AI
Screenshot: Getty Images
“Getty Images debuted a generative AI tool that, in contrast to rival text-to-image engines, was trained only on licensed content from Getty's own vast creative collection, Axios chief tech correspondent Ina Fried writes.
Why it matters: OpenAI faces multiple lawsuits from authors. And visual artists have objected to what they view as the appropriation of copyrighted material scraped from the internet to train AI models.
How it works: Getty will indemnify customers buying images, meaning that Getty is on the hook for any legal problems from images created by the tool.
The tool was trained only on Getty's creative images — not the editorial images and news photos that contain famous people, brands and other potentially protected content.” [Axios]
Lego hits climate wall
Photo: Lee Jin-man/AP
“Lego scrapped a high-profile effort to make bricks from recycled plastic instead of oil-based plastics after learning it would lead to higher carbon emissions, Axios' Rebecca Falconer writes.
Why it matters: The company's reversal after two years shows how complex sustainability can be for even the most conscious companies.
"We tested hundreds and hundreds of materials," Lego CEO Niels Christiansen told the Financial Times. ‘It's just not been possible to find a material like that.’
Lego said it'll spend over $1.2 billion on sustainability initiatives by 2025.
A spokesperson said the company's new target for bricks from sustainable materials is 2032.” [Axios]
Rare tickets to Ford’s Theatre on the night Lincoln was assassinated auction for $262,500
“A pair of front-row balcony tickets to Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865 — the night President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth — sold at auction for $262,500, according to a Boston-based auction house.” Read More at AP News