April 30:
- About a hundred people were arrested when the NYPD moved in to end the student occupation at Columbia University.
Hundreds of Strategic Response officers locked down a number of streets around Broadway and 114th Street near the main entrance to Columbia before receiving a green light from university authorities to enter the campus. A ‘shelter in place’ order was issued for students before police moved in to make arrests and clear Hamilton Hall of people who had barricaded themselves inside.
Police said there had been no injuries during the operation.
The events at Columbia obviously had echoes of student protests from the Vietnam era.
- Also in New York, on Day Nine of his hush money/election interference trial, the former President was found in criminal contempt for violating his gag order nine times. He was fined $1,000 for each offense and ordered to remove specific social media posts.
It’s unlikely that will be last time, particularly with testimony from both Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen looming.
- Amid renewed speculation over his possible running mate in the wake of the Kristi Noem debacle, Trump will hold a fundraiser with ‘special guest’ Ohio Sen JD Vance in Cincinnati in a couple of weeks. On his “day off” from the trial, Trump has rallies scheduled for Wednesday in Wisconsin and Michigan, two Midwest battleground states.
Meanwhile, like it or not, the third-party consideration in the presidential equation is still out there…
- The Democratic leadership in the House formally said they would support Mike Johnson against any motion to vacate his speakership.
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April 29:
- As violent exchanges escalate on college campuses, Alex Shephard writes at The New Republic how “the real reason for the protests is being ignored in favor of stories about encampment crackdowns or overblown allegations of antisemitism.”
He writes: “The protests are inspiring because they reject the muddle that often clouds American foreign policy, particularly when it comes to the Middle East. It should not be complicated to understand why so many are demanding an end to Israel’s disproportionate military campaign. Yes, the protesters have other demands—some serious, some fanciful. But at the core of the protests is a rejection of America’s continued role as the principal backer of a nation that has killed tens of thousands of innocents with no end in sight. In so doing, they also demand a shift in the United States’s role in the world itself.”
In The Guardian, Joan Donovan draws a throughline from previous protests, arguing that “Stunning police brutality will ignite a student anti-war movement in America.” But she distinguishes the current events thus:
“For today’s anti-war protesters, they have all the infrastructure they need to broadcast a narrative about their beliefs directly to a global village. Individually, they’ve been practicing for this moment for years by becoming accustomed to using their phones as political tools. While the Occupy movement and advances in technology inspired new journalists to publish lots of raw and unfiltered content in 2011, generation Z was born in it and are more digitally savvy than any group before.”
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April 28:
- With Israel continuing preparations for a ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Hamas representatives are set to travel to Cairo on Monday for the latest step in potential ceasefire and hostage release talks. But Israeli hardliners have warned PM Benjamin Netanyahu that his coalition government would be in danger in the event of any truce.
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also heads to the Middle East on Monday, while President Biden reiterated the “clear position” of the US on any Rafah action in a call with Netanyahu Sunday. Meanwhile, the pro-Palestine protests on US college campuses saw further arrests over the weekend.
- Gaza protestors also picketed the White House Correspondents’ Dinner last night, during which President Biden – in what could be his last such occasion, if not possibly the last for the WHCD itself – stressed the need for press freedom and the danger a second Trump presidency would pose to democracy.
SNL’s Colin Jost got a mixed reaction to his guest spot, with a few clunkers alongside some smart barbs. (“Can we just acknowledge how refreshing it is to see a President of the United States at an event that doesn’t begin with a bailiff saying ‘all rise’?”)
But his sign-off was notable, and worth watching again.
- The latest CNN opinion poll shows Trump maintaining a national lead over Biden, but perhaps the most significant element of this new poll was the differing perception among voters of the relative success of the two men’s time in office.
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- MLB’s relentless pursuit of global audiences continued in the Mexico City series over the weekend, with the Astros sweeping both games against the Rockies. It was the seventh regular-season series to be played in Mexico, but early TV viewing figures were apparently down on last year (perhaps in part explained by having two of the currently worst-performing teams taking part).
Commissioner Rob Manfred has said he plans to have a process in place for baseball’s next expansion by the time he retires in 2029. Next up in baseball’s ‘world tour’, the Mets and Phillies play in the London Series on June 8 and 9, continuing that venue’s run of hosting traditional rivalries.
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April 26:
- President Biden sat down with – yes – Howard Stern for an hour-long interview that you just know had to hurt in AG Sulzberger’s world. During the exchange, the President said he would be “happy” to debate Donald Trump ahead of the election.
- The first week of testimony in Donald Trump’s hush money/election interference trial wrapped up.
- Meanwhile, pundits try to read the tea-leaves on where the Supreme Court might fall on Trump’s presidential immunity case, in which the highest court by taking the case has already effectively granted the former president de facto immunity by delaying his Jan 6th trial.
- Trump’s former Attorney-General Bill Barr gave a remarkable, but probably at this stage unsurprising, interview to CNN. Barr, who had, of course, previously said that his former boss “shouldn’t be near the Oval Office” said he would vote for him this time.
- And it looks like Trump’s search for a VP may have gotten easier – one way or the other.
***
April 25:
- The Supreme Court heard arguments regarding presidential immunity. It was, as you might expect, a fascinating exercise in constitutional pin-dancing.
Calling it a “transparent stalling tactic”, Andrew Egger writes at The Bulwark:
“It’s completely understandable that so many people’s first instinct was to roll their eyes at the Court’s apparent interest in using this case to trace out the complex contours of any newly explicit presidential right to official-act immunity—given the remarkable hubris of Trump’s bringing those arguments in the first place.
“After all, here’s a guy who, during his second impeachment, explicitly argued that prosecuting an ex-president was the role of the criminal courts: “a president who left office is not in any way above the law,” his lawyers argued, “as the Constitution states he or she is like any other citizen and can be tried in a court of law.
“Now Trump articulates just the opposite position: No act that is “official” in form—which, his lawyers have had to admit during arguments, would include such acts as ordering the military to carry out a coup—can be criminally prosecuted after he leaves office unless he was first convicted in an impeachment trial for that conduct. How any president enjoying such expansive power could ever be impeached by a Congress he could apparently order murdered without consequence remains unclear.”
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- Apparently the New York Times fixation with Biden’s age is the result of the President not giving their publisher an interview?
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April 24:
- President Biden signed the $95billion foreign aid bill passed by the Senate late last night, saying he hoped arms could begin to be shipped to Ukraine “within hours”. And it emerged that some key items of hardware had been quietly delivered to Kyiv last month.
- With Secretary of State Antony Blinken in China, the foreign package of measures Biden signed also includes a call for the divestment of TikTok from its Chinese owner as politicians of all shades try to look tough on Beijing. The Bill provides for a ban for the app in the US if divestment doesn’t happen within a year.
- The legislation also sends billions to Israel and provides resources for humanitarian assistance to Gaza, as the widespread student protests at college campuses continue to intensify. At the University of Texas in Austin armed state troopers, some on horseback, confronted the protesters.
President Biden’s team apparently is not concerned by the passion of thousands of potential young voters over the issue of Gaza. But if Israel’s war continues into the summer it will make for an interesting DNC in Chicago. Because those always pass off peacefully…
- Nikki Haley, who dropped out of the Republican presidential race several weeks ago, picked up some 150,000 votes in yesterday’s Pennsylvania primary. While Donald Trump comfortably won the contest in the key state, he was clearly still pre-occupied with his ongoing legal trial and his feud with his former fixer.
- As the Supreme Court heard oral arguments surrounding Idaho’s abortion ban, the Arizona House voted to repeal the state’s Civil War-era restrictions. The state Senate could ratify the move next week. Repeal would eventually revert the state to a 15-week limit, as it dawns on Republicans that the totality position is a likely vote-loser in November.
- Also in Arizona, a grand jury indicted 11 of the state’s Republican “fake electors” on charges of conspiracy, fraud and forgery as part of the attempt to overturn the 2020 election. Other national figures were indicted but not named.
Arizona’s move follows a similar development earlier today in Michigan, in which the former President and close associates were listed as “unindicted co-conspirators”.
***
April 23:
- In former President Donald Trump’s Manhattan trial, there were some heated moments between the judge and Trump lawyer Todd Blanche during exchanges over whether Trump had violated the court’s gag order.
There were also more details about the “catch and kill” approach of the National Enquirer under opening witness David Pecker.
- The Senate passed a procedural vote on aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, bringing the legislation close to final approval.
- Elsewhere,in a hugely significant ruling affecting the world of work, the Federal Trade Commission banned non-compete clauses in employee contracts.
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- The pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses across the country show no sign of abating anytime soon. Some members of the NYU faculty were arrested for supporting the college’s student protesters, while Columbia said its classes will be hybrid until the end of the current semester next week.
***
April 22:
“There’s nothing wrong with trying to influence the election. It’s called democracy.” – Trump defense attorney Todd Blanche.
- Opening arguments began in Donald Trump’s hush money/election interference trial in Manhattan, followed by 20 minutes of testimony from the state’s first witness, National Enquirer boss David Pecker. Tomorrow, trial judge Juan Merchan is set to rule on whether Trump has violated his previous gag order – but that didn’t stop the former President going after his former fixer and upcoming witness Michael Cohen.
Since Trump is turning the trial into a series of live political statements outside the courtroom, it seems to get harder to justify not televising the proceedings.
- There was a “win” for Trump in another one of his legal trials, when an agreement between lawyers meant that the $175m bond posted by an insurance company in Trump’s civil fraud case can stand. The deal includes assurances from his lawyers to comply with new conditions from the attorney general’s office.
- Liz Cheney writes in the New York Times today that the Supreme Court should rule quickly on Trump’s immunity claim.
“If Mr. Trump’s tactics prevent his Jan. 6 trial from proceeding in the ordinary course, he will also have succeeded in concealing critical evidence from the American people — evidence demonstrating his disregard for the rule of law, his cruelty on Jan. 6 and the deep flaws in character that make him unfit to serve as president.”
- Trump acolyte Kari Lake wasn’t so successful when the Supreme Court rejected her bid to challenge the use of electronic voting machines in elections. SCOTUS will not review the claims, which a lower court dismissed as “frivolous.” Kari seemed to take it well…
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Meanwhile, Aaron Boone is out of here…
***
April 20:
- Measures providing for foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan finally passed the House, after being blocked by the GOP for six months. The final tally for the Bill to send $60billion to Ukraine was 311-112, with 101 Republicans voting in favour despite another wave of pro-Russian propaganda from some of their colleagues.
The US is now also understood to be weighing sending additional military advisers to Kyiv.
In a special Saturday session after a sudden about-face by GOP Speaker Mike Johnson, the House also passed smaller aid appropriations for Israel ($26.4bn) and Taiwan ($8bn) as well as fresh sanctions on China, Russia and Iran, and provisions to sell frozen Russian assets to generate revenue for Ukraine.
The House also passed a Bill that could see the US move to ban TikTok if its Chinese owner does not sell the social media app.
The measures now all move to the Senate, which returns from recess on Tuesday.
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- Donald Trump will be back in court in New York on Monday with opening arguments set to begin in his hush money/election interference trial, but already he and his supporters seem far from happy.
The former President had to cancel an appearance at a rally in North Carolina on Saturday night due to weather.
April 19:
- Tensions remain high in the Middle East, even as officials signalled that Iran was unlikely to take further military action following Israel’s attack overnight. Iran’s muted response appears to have given Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu a short-term win. For some hardliners in Israel, however, the attack was “feeble”.
- One consequence of recent days, though, may turn out to be the apparent conversion of Speaker Mike Johnson, who now apparently believes in the importance of passing foreign aid bills for both Israel and Ukraine, even if his own job might be in greater peril as a result.
- Opening arguments in Donald Trump’s hush money/election interference trial are set to begin on Monday, after a full jury and six alternates were seated and sworn.
Outside the courthouse, an apparently disturbed man set himself on fire. It’s not yet certain exactly what he was protesting about, but the incident is thought to be unrelated to the Trump trial. The man, 37-year-old Max Azzarello from Florida, later died in hospital.
- Oh, and apparently Joe Biden’s uncle wasn’t eaten by cannibals after all…
***
April 18:
- In what could signal a further escalation of regional tensions, Israel claimed to have carried out a military strike inside Iranian territory late on Thursday. Details are still uncertain, with no official statements yet, but the US said it had been notified the attack was about to happen and that US assets were not involved.
Developing…
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- The full 12 jurors have been seated and sworn in Donald Trump’s New York hush money/election interference case. But there is no guarantee that all of them might still be there by close of business on Friday. Two jurors who had been chosen on Tuesday were excused today for different reasons.
Six alternates remain to be seated before opening arguments can begin. There is some legal concern that the jurors could be publicly identified, a worry that appears only set to grow as the circus-like proceedings unfold.
- Not that polls mean anything this far out, but…
- And with the race looking set to remain tight it’s significant that the Kennedy family is now speaking up to oppose RFK Jr’s candidacy.
- Arizona Republicans, meanwhile, yet again appear dead set on antagonising significant sections of their state population.
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- Last night’s Cleveland-Red Sox game was the shortest in MLB for years. Perhaps the legal world can learn something from it…
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April 17:
- Speaker Mike Johnson appears to want to advance a package of bills for foreign aid to the floor by the end of the week, but there seems to be no GOP consensus amid further dysfunction which could lead to the Speaker losing his job.
- In what’s become typically dangerous rhetoric amid the continuing glorification of violence in today’s GOP, after Sen Tom Cotton tweeted that people should “take matters into their own hands” when faced by pro-Palestinian protesters, AZ Senate candidate Kari Lake suggested that her supporters should arm themselves ahead of November’s election.
- The Alejandro Mayorkas impeachment process began in the Senate, where its progress remains, shall we say, uncertain. However it plays out, there are undoubtedly significant implications in the GOP’s performative approach for the overall effectiveness of the impeachment power.
- Meanwhile, exasperation boiled over in the similarly performative – and so far pointless – impeachment investigation into President Biden by Rep James Comer’s Oversight Committee.
- Donald Trump’s hush money/election interference trial does not sit on Wednesdays, so jury selection will continue on Thursday, with several jury members already seated. Trump as usual couldn’t help himself when making a statement on his way into court, and it’s worth watching his lawyer’s face…
And, of course unlike the defendant, the memes never sleep.
- President Biden continues a three-day swing through Pennsylvania today with a visit to steel workers in Pittsburgh, where he was set to call for a tripling of tariffs on Chinese metals. He finishes up tomorrow in Philadelphia. Biden won the state in 2020 by less than 1.5%, or roughly 80,000 votes.
As much as any poll this far from election day means anything, the latest NYT poll shows Biden consolidating a lead among women voters.
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- Whatever Israel may eventually decide on the issue of a potential strike against Iran, the heartbreaking situation continues in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where an Israeli ground offensive appears to still be on the cards.
***
April 16:
- Israel is weighing a possible response to Iran’s missile and drone strike at the weekend. President Biden, in an effort to avoid further escalation, has been trying to persuade Benjamin Netanyahu to “take the win” given that the attack was almost entirely frustrated. Israel, in turn, has delayed a further meeting of its war cabinet until tomorrow.
- The events in the Middle East may have the effect of accelerating Congressional action on aid for Israel and Ukraine, inevitably heightening pressure on House Speaker Mike Johnson from within his own caucus.
- One thing the House GOP did follow through on today was formally introducing their articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the first impeachment of a sitting Cabinet official. Neal Cavuto was having none of their nonsense…
- And of course, jury selection continued at a pretty swift pace in the hush money/election interference trial of the former President. The jury could be finalised by the end of the week, which could see opening arguments begin next Monday.
- Meanwhile, the Supreme Court – yes, including Clarence Thomas – appears to be leaning towards a plaintiff in a Jan 6th case that could have implications for charges affecting the former President.
***
April 15:
- The first-ever criminal trial of a former President of the United States begins today in New York. And the defendant, who also happens to be the prospective Republican Presidential nominee, seems ready. Totally normal pre-trial behavior…
- Trump said this week that he intends to testify in the trial. We’ll see. Here’s a rundown of what to expect, with Glen Kirschner; and also here via PBS Newshour.
- Nicole Russell ponders at USA Today if Republican voters will even care.
“[They] wanted Trump even if he came with four criminal cases. They wanted to debate whether or not hush money to a porn star and falsified business payments was the hill to die on, never stopping to ask themselves why they’d lowered the bar that much in the first place.”
- Being convicted would not restrict Trump from running for President, or, likely, even holding the office if elected.
- The New York Times writes that Trump’s team, whatever happens, intends to make the trial a political triumph.
“To adapt his candidacy to the trial, he will essentially bring his presidential campaign to the courthouse. One person familiar with his preliminary plans described weekend events held in strategically important states near New York, including Pennsylvania, where he is holding a rally this weekend. He will conduct radio and television interviews from Trump Tower, where he is expected to stay during the trial, which will be in session every weekday except Wednesday.
“Mr. Trump and the Republican Party have made the trial a staple of his campaign fund-raising. One email sent on Friday had the subject line “72 hours until all hell breaks loose!” — ominous language evocative of his social media posts before a pro-Trump mob swarmed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.”
- Elsewhere in the former President’s chaotic legal world, there will be two key rulings at the Supreme Court this month over Trump-related actions surrounding Jan 6th; while in Florida, Special Counsel Jack Smith has warned against any further delay to the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case.
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***
April 13:
- The possibility of a significant regional escalation in the Middle East heightened on Saturday after Iran launched an unprecedented drone attack towards Israel, apparently along with cruise and ballistic missiles.
Air raid sirens sounded above Jerusalem as Israeli air defense systems were activated. The IDF later said that “99 per cent” of drones and missiles had been destroyed by Israel and its partners including the US, apparently along with the UK and France. The attack lasted some five hours and as yet there have been few reports of injuries or significant damage.
Iran’s attack had been widely expected for some days after an Israeli strike two weeks ago on an Iranian consular building in Damascus killed several officials including a senior Iranian military commander.
An Iranian statement said the matter “can be deemed concluded” but tensions inevitably remain high as Israel’s next step remains unclear.
Having failed to prevent regional escalation, President Biden, who recently said US support for Israel was “ironclad” – and yesterday warned against Iranian retaliation – must now deal with a new dynamic where a deeply unpopular Netanyahu government has successfully changed the narrative away from US criticism of its actions in Gaza.
Biden told the Israeli PM that the US would not participate in any counter-offensive operation against Iran.
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- Meanwhile in Pennsylvania, literally as the attack was unfolding…
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April 12:
- The House sent a “weakened” FISA 702 surveillance bill to the Senate, but it remains a contentious issue, pitting pro-Trump Republicans against the US intelligence community.
- Amid threats to his job from Marjorie Taylor-Greene, Speaker Mike Johnson had a photo-op at Mar-a-Lago with Donald Trump who said “I stand with the Speaker.” That should buy Johnson some time, as will banging the drum for the idea that “illegals” shouldn’t be allowed to vote. (They’re not, of course)
- Johnson won’t bring legislation for aid to Ukraine to the House floor because Trump doesn’t want him to, but next week will certainly be a big one in the world of domestic appliances…
These are real, by the way. I particularly enjoy the Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act, or HOOHAA, or the Stop Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards or SUDS Act.
Serious people tackling serious issues.
- Trump himself – his position on abortion becoming more convoluted by the day – was frustrated in yet another last-minute attempt to have his trial delayed from its planned Monday opening.
- The US and other countries issued regional travel warnings as Iran’s retaliation against Israel appears to be expected “sooner rather than later”.
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- With Ippei Mizuhara appearing in court today, the bizarre story of Shohei Ohtani and his interpreter certainly appears to be stuck at the “more questions than answers” stage. But the actual complaint goes some way to at least explaining the background to the case.
***
April 11:
- Israel – with apparent US cooperation – continues to prepare for Iranian retaliation for Israel’s strike on their embassy premises in Damascus.
- OJ Simpson died aged 76. His murder trial three decades ago remains one of America’s most culturally-significant recent moments. With Donald Trump’s first criminal trial set to begin on Monday, the throughline and resonance to our current popular culture is far from lost.
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April 10:
- The Arizona Supreme Court’s bombshell abortion ruling has, literally overnight, undermined Donald Trump’s schizophrenic attempt to take the issue off the political table for the duration of the campaign. Democrats in the swing-state will now be motivated to build on what has so far been a winning issue for them elsewhere, and AZ Republicans have been quick to understand this.
Vice-President Kamala Harris will travel to Arizona on Friday.
- Yet Trump still appears to be calling the strategic shots in the House, via his extreme right-wing proxy Marjorie Taylor-Greene. That is nowhere more apparent, and nowhere more urgent, than in the stalling of military assistance for Ukraine.
- Meanwhile, House Republicans delayed sending articles of impeachment for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate until next week. Senate Democrats are expected to quickly dismiss the articles when they are raised in the upper house.
- Former Trump associate and Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg was sentenced to five months in prison for perjury during Trump’s civil fraud investigation.
- Pressure continues to grow on Benjamin Netanyahu, with increasing numbers of influential voices urging a rethink of the US relationship with the Israeli leader. President Biden last night criticised Netanyahu’s actions in Gaza as a “mistake” – for whatever that’s worth – calling the recent strike on WCK aid workers “outrageous” and urging a ceasefire.
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April 9:
- Congress returned to “work” today, amid wars foreign and domestic.
There’s pressure on Speaker Mike Johnson, not just from within his own party, but to clarify the House position on aid to Ukraine amid intensifying pleas for assistance from President Zelensky.
- After Israeli PM Netanyahu set a date for a ground operation in Rafah, talks in Cairo aimed at a cessation to secure the release of hostages have apparently stalled once again. Meanwhile, Israel and the US continue to expect a response from Tehran to the strike on its embassy in Damascus last week.
- As for the war of the coming election campaign …
President Biden’s persistent unpopularity among young voters – driven by both Gaza and the proposed TikTok ban – continues to be an issue, obviously further complicated by the presence of third-party candidates.
- With jury selection in Donald Trump’s “hush money” election interference trial set to begin in New York next Monday – the former President’s lawyers’ attempt at a last-minute delay failed.
Meanwhile, Special Counsel Jack Smith has urged the Supreme Court to reject Trump’s appeal based on a claim of immunity. Senior Defense officials also filed a brief opposing the notion of Presidential immunity in general.
- Trump’s statement on abortion yesterday, where he attempted to be a chameleon on the issue by ostensibly leaving policy positions to the individual states, while kicking the can of a national ban down the road to the political expediency of a possible second term.
The Biden campaign clearly had been waiting, and immediately pushed a message in response aimed at suburban women voters, including an emotional campaign video.
And the issue will continue to gestate during the campaign, particularly after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that an 1864 state law outlawing almost all abortion procedures should stand.
- In an historic court judgment, the parents of a Michigan mass shooter, were sentenced to between 10 and 15 years in prison.
Read my Q&A with Michigander Rose Jacobs, ‘Spartan Strong’ here.
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April 8:
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Update: Here’s how the media covered Eclipse Day…
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- Earlier: You can follow today’s eclipse here, and of course if there is a Rapture, you’ll be able to follow that, well, pretty much everywhere…
But of course, the agenda needs pushing no matter what…
- Cleveland is in the path of totality, and the AL Central-leading Guardians host the Chicago White Sox in their home opener at Progressive Field at 5.10pm. Gates will open at 2pm so fans with a ticket can watch the eclipse.
But forget what happened to the sun.
Fifty years ago today, Babe Ruth was eclipsed by Henry Louis Aaron.
As Colin Fleming wrote for the AJC: “We should endeavor to be like the Hammer no matter what we do. Locate purpose, then deliver worthwhile good to the best of our abilities. Fill up life’s stat sheet.”
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April 7:
Six months after the Hamas attack on Israel, PM Benjamin Netanyahu said plans had been set for the offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, a move which will certainly have an affect on negotiations over a potential ceasefire.
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April 6:
- There are warning signals today of a potentially significant escalation in the Middle East, after the US said it was preparing for an Iranian attack on US or Israeli assets in the region in retaliation for this week’s strike on the Iranian embassy in Damascus.
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April 5:
- President Biden visited the scene of the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore and pledged that the structure would be rebuilt as quickly as practical, using “union labor and American steel.” Meanwhile, the body of another construction worker was recovered from the site – the third of six fatalities.
Meanwhile, the March Jobs Report agains blew through expectations, showing 303,000 jobs created in the month and unemployment dropping to 3.8 per cent. The challenge for the Biden campaign remains translating strong data into how potential voters feel about how the economy interacts with their individual lives.
- The UN Human Rights Council called for a halt on weapons sales to Israel and for Israel to be held accountable for possible war crimes and crimes against humanity. The 47-member-country body voted 28-6 in favor of the resolution, with 13 abstentions. The US was among those voting against.
- President Biden had a phone call yesterday with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu as global condemnation grew of the deadly attack on the World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza. While Biden had said he was “outraged” by the incident, the White House had emphasised that “nothing would change” in US support for Israel.
During the call, Biden is said to have issued an ultimatum to Netanyahu on his conduct of the war, with unspecified “consequences” but regardless, there appears to be a real sense in the US that attitudes to Israel are shifting.
Israel responded to Biden’s apparent threat to impose conditions on future aid. World Central Kitchen rejected Israel’s explanation and again called for an independent investigation into the incident.
- Former President Donald Trump suffered a combination of legal setbacks after his lawyers’ calls to dismiss criminal charges related to his efforts to overturn his 2020 loss in Georgia, as well as his retention of classified documents after leaving office. But while Florida judge Aileen Cannon rejected Trump’s claims under the Presidential Records Act, she left the door open for the issue to be raised again at trial, potentially complicating any appeal.
Separately, one of Trump’s allies, former Justice Department official attorney Jeffrey Clark, could face disbarment – following former Trump lawyer John Eastman – after a Washington panel found Clark violated attorney ethics rules in attempts to help overturn Trump’s election loss.
Meanwhile, Trump faces a possible hurdle to the $175million bond he raised in his civil fraud trial, after questions were raised about the company providing it.
- An extremely rare earthquake struck the east coast near New York City. This one measured yawn on the California scale, but still managed to stir up the conspiracy theorists ahead of Monday’s planned solar eclipse. (The two events are, of course, unrelated).
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April 3:
- Chef Jose Andres wrote in today’s New York Times in the aftermath of the attack on aid workers from his World Central Kitchen, that “Israelis, in their heart of hearts, know that food is not a weapon of war.”
“Israel is better than the way this war is being waged. It is better than blocking food and medicine to civilians. It is better than killing aid workers who had coordinated their movements with the Israel Defense Forces.
“The Israeli government needs to open more land routes for food and medicine today. It needs to stop killing civilians and aid workers today. It needs to start the long journey to peace today.”
- The shadow of Gaza hung over today’s primary elections. In one of the midwestern states that will be key to November’s Presidential election, 50-50 Wisconsin, President Biden saw a significant showing – nearly 50,000 votes, or about 8 per cent of eligible Democrats – by “uninstructed” voters protesting his stance on the war.
And the latest polling aross other swing states is far from comfortable for the Biden campaign.
Meanwhile Wisconsin’s crucial Senate race between Tammy Baldwin and – most likely – Republican Eric Hovde, looks set to be one of the nation’s most expensive and most fiercely contested.
It’s still uncertain what impact third-party candidates might have on the Presidential race, but there was a big shift today when No Labels announced that it would not continue with its efforts to field a national ticket. The group said in a statement:
“No Labels has always said we would only offer our ballot line to a ticket if we could identify candidates with a credible path to winning the White House. No such candidates emerged, so the responsible course of action is for us to stand down.”
- Taiwan was hit by its strongest earthquake in 25 years, centred on the eastern city of Hualien and prompting an initial tsunami warning for Japan. Hundreds of people were injured, although the initial death toll appears thankfully small, although there are reports of dozens being trapped.
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April 2:
- President Biden spoke on the phone today with China’s President Xi Jinping. The White House said the leaders discussed US concerns over China’s trade with Russia, cyberattacks and election interference, as well as the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, an administration official said. They last spoke on the phone in July 2022, and held a summit in California last November.
- An Israeli air strike in Gaza last night is thought to have killed seven people working for Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen. The organization immediately suspended its aid efforts. Amid global condemnation, Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu maintained the incident was “unintentional”.
- Today is primary day in Wisconsin and a number of other states, with President Biden facing an uncertain protest vote among midwestern voters over his handling of the war in Gaza. Up to one-in-five Democrats have said their vote would be determined by the President’s stance.
Saying the quiet part out loud…
- Meanwhile, the former President lashed out – surprise, surprise – after last night’s extension of a gag order to cover the families of court officials. Earlier, Trump had posted the required $175million bond in his New York fraud case.
- The stock market performance of Trump’s media company, meanwhile, yesterday resembled something of a “bloodbath”…
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April 1:
- An Israeli air strike targeted the Iranian Embassy in Damascus today, apparently killing or injuring everyone inside, including a number of high-level Iranian and Palestinian officials. According to the New York Times:
“The strike, an Iranian member of the Revolutionary Guards said, targeted a secret meeting in which Iranian intelligence officials and Palestinian militants gathered to discuss the war in Gaza. Among the Iranian officials were senior commanders in the Quds Forces and leaders of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an armed group armed and funded by Iran. The head of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Ziad Nakhaleh, was in Iran last week meeting with senior Iranian leaders.”
In Jerusalem last night there were massive protests against PM Benjamin Netanyahu – the largest anti-government protests in the country since the war in Gaza began. Netanyahu rejected calls to resign, saying it would “weaken the war effort”. There was set to be a virtual meeting between Israeli and US officials today to discuss the Biden administration’s opposition to an Israeli ground offensive in Rafah.
Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says a law passed by the Israeli parliament giving Netanyahu’s government “the authority to shut down any foreign media outlets operating in Israel” (specifically Al Jazeera), poses “a significant threat to international media”.
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- The Florida Supreme Court ruled today that the state’s voters should decide whether to protect abortion rights, allowing a six-week ban to stand but rejecting the state attorney general’s arguments that the measure should be kept off the November ballot.
- A man is in custody after allegedly ramming the gates of the FBI building in Atlanta.
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2024
States of Play 