News Dump for Apr. 22, 2024

US

Politico – Gavin Newsom announces plan for Arizonans to get abortions in California
Arizona’s neighbor is preparing for a potential influx of abortion seekers after a court ruling. The proposal would offer Arizona abortion providers an expedited way to get licensed in California to perform the procedure for their patients, Newsom’s office told POLITICO ahead of the governor’s announcement on MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki” airing Sunday.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/21/gavin-newsom-arizona-abortion-california-00153509

Axios – Hakeem Jeffries emerges as Congress’ shadow speaker
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) found himself in an unusual position for a minority leader last week: It was he, not the House speaker, who had the ultimate power to decide whether legislation came to the floor.
https://www.axios.com/2024/04/21/hakeem-jeffries-speaker-mike-johnson-israel-ukraine

WAPO – California wants Big Tech to pay for news. Google is fighting back.
Google blocked news links for some California web users as it protests a bill that would force it to make payments to news publishers.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/04/21/google-blocks-california-news/

CNN – Supreme Court to debate whether cities can punish people who are homeless
In the most significant appeal involving unhoused Americans to reach the high court in decades, the justices will hear arguments Monday on whether ticketing people who live on the streets is “cruel and unusual” and violates the Eighth Amendment.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/21/politics/supreme-court-debate-cities-punish-homeless/index.html

CNN – David Pecker is expected to be the first witness called in Trump hush money trial, source says
David Pecker, the former chairman of the National Enquirer’s parent company, is expected to be the first witness called by the Manhattan district attorney’s office in former President Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial, according to a person familiar with the plans. Pecker has been granted immunity in exchange for his testimony, and AMI signed a non-prosecution agreement with prosecutors.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/21/politics/trump-hush-money-trial-witness-david-pecker/index.html

Election interference case
Guardian – Historic Trump criminal trial to hear opening statements
Donald Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial in his hush-money case starts in earnest Monday morning with opening statements that mark a momentous day in US history.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/22/trump-criminal-trial-new-york-opening-statements

NBC – Columbia to hold classes virtually as Jewish leaders warn of safety amid tensions over pro-Palestinian protests
The university’s president said school leaders would be coming together to discuss a way to bring an end to “this crisis.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/columbia-hold-classes-virtually-jewish-leaders-warn-safety-palestinian-rcna148733

HuffPost – Ex-Trump Official Busts 1 Of Trump’s Favorite Myths About Himself Wide Open
Donald Trump likes to think of himself as a great businessman, but at least one official who served under him says that’s not the case at all. “Donald Trump is not a great businessman,” former Homeland Security chief of staff Miles Taylor told MeidasTouch. “He is a failed businessman across the board. Trump Steaks and Trump Vodka and Trump Airlines and we could go on and on.”
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/miles-taylor-trump-business-myth_n_6625f207e4b08151cacaa281

Adam Klasfeld Thread for today’s portion of the Trump Trial
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1782365579052974279.html

Reuters – Trump accepts new restrictions on $175 million bond in New York civil fraud case
Former President Donald Trump agreed on Monday to additional restrictions on the $175 million bond in the former U.S. president’s New York civil fraud case, resolving concerns by the state attorney general that the funds were not secure.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-175-million-bond-goes-before-judge-new-york-ags-concerns-2024-04-22/

NEW: NY Courts will release daily transcripts of Donald Trump’s criminal trial.
https://twitter.com/frankrunyeon/status/1782453494575767970

Inert. Old. Tired. Mad. Miserable. Tonight’s Maddow is going to be lit.
“He seems like a man who’s miserable to be here.” Rachel Maddow reflects on Donald Trump’s disposition in the courtroom during opening statements of his New York criminal trial.
https://twitter.com/MaddowBlog/status/1782463527015358859

WORLD

WAPO – Zelensky urges U.S. to send weapons quickly ahead of Russian offensive
The Ukrainian leader praised the House of Representatives for passing a long-debated aid package and urged the Senate to act so weapons reach front-line forces ‘as soon as possible’.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/21/ukraine-aid-zelensky-comments/

BBC – Netanyahu vows to reject any US sanctions on army units
Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to reject any sanctions on the country’s military, after reports that the US plans to cut aid to one unit. “I will fight it with all my strength,” the prime minister said on Sunday.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68870273

AP – Israeli strikes on southern Gaza city of Rafah kill 22, mostly children, as US advances aid package
Israeli strikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah overnight killed 22 people, including 18 children, health officials said Sunday, as the United States was on track to approve billions of dollars of additional military aid to Israel, its close ally.
https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-04-21-2024-8c027f2587c2c433d0fde41b63a0e0c3

Reuters – Five rockets fired from Iraq towards U.S. military base in Syria
At least five rockets were launched from Iraq’s town of Zummar towards a U.S. military base in northeastern Syria on Sunday, two Iraqi security sources and a U.S. official told Reuters. The attack against U.S. forces is the first since early February when Iranian-backed groups in Iraq stopped their attacks against U.S. troops.
https://www.reuters.com/world/five-rockets-fired-iraq-towards-us-military-base-syria-security-sources-say-2024-04-21/

CNN – Modi’s Muslim remarks spark ‘hate speech’ accusations as India’s mammoth election deepens divides
Speaking in front of a large crowd in the country’s western Rajasthan state, Modi said if voted into power, the country’s main opposition, the Indian National Congress, would distribute the country’s wealth among “infiltrators” and “those who have more children,” in apparent reference to the Muslim community.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/22/asia/india-modi-muslim-hate-speech-allegations-intl-hnk/index.html

Scapegoat
AP – Israeli military intelligence chief resigns over his role in failing to prevent Oct. 7 attack
Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, the head of Israeli military intelligence, resigned on Monday over the failures surrounding Hamas’ unprecedented Oct. 7 attack, the military said, becoming the first senior figure to step down over his role in the deadliest assault in Israel’s history.
https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-04-22-2024-85da1c989f71f8c3bf00d8b45a0ed7f1

SCIENCE

YAY!
NPR – On Earth Day, Biden is launching a new site to apply for Climate Corps jobs
President Biden is marking Earth Day on Monday by launching a website for applications for his Climate Corps jobs and training program, a plan that has attracted a lot of interest from young Americans.
https://www.npr.org/2024/04/22/1245979643/biden-earth-day-climate-corps-solar

TEXAS

Lone Star Left – How Important Is Harris County In The 2024 Election?
The Battle for Texas: Why Harris County Is Ground Zero
https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/how-important-is-harris-county-in