Oklahoma Governor Details Steps to Secure State Against CCP Influence
'They're going to the states now because Congress is so dysfunctional. It's so political. It's so partisan that they're literally coming directly to the states,' Stitt said in an interview with ' American Thought Leaders ' that aired on Aug. 1.
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Boston Globe
3 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Many Jewish voters back Mamdani. And many agree with him on Gaza.
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Mamdani's commanding victory in the Democratic primary for mayor alarmed many Jews who are concerned by his outspoken criticism of Israel. But he won the votes of many other Jewish New Yorkers, some of whom said in interviews that they were unbothered by that criticism and inspired by his intense focus on affordability. Often these voters said that Mamdani's views on Israel, and his vocal opposition to its treatment of Palestinians, echoed their own. Advertisement Mamdani has criticized Israel in ways that were once unthinkable for an elected official in New York, home to America's largest Jewish population. He has decried Israel as an apartheid state. He has said it should ensure equal rights for followers of all religions instead of favoring Jews in its political and legal system. He has supported the movement that seeks to economically isolate it, known as Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions. Advertisement And he has endorsed the view of Israel's leading human rights organizations and of genocide scholars — including some in Israel — that it is committing genocide in Gaza, an allegation the Israeli government has denied. Mamdani's positions on Israel have alienated him from Zionist Jewish groups, many of which have accused him of being antisemitic, a charge that he denies. His views also became a line of attack for some of his primary rivals, including former governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running in the general election as an independent. Steve Israel, a former Democratic member of Congress who represented parts of Long Island and Queens, said that Mamdani's primary victory was ''Twilight Zone' stuff' for some Jewish New Yorkers. 'Mamdani's positions on Israel up to now are way out of the mainstream of the Jewish community, and the irony here is that his progressive policies on economic issues would have at least a plurality of support by Jewish voters,' he said. 'But the toxicity of his positions on Israel have just become impossible for those same voters to forgive.' Yet none of Mamdani's stances kept him from winning a decisive primary victory over Cuomo, his closest competitor. It is difficult to determine how many Jewish voters supported Mamdani because even in New York, the Jewish population is too small to be measured with precision by most polls. Neighborhoods with large numbers of Orthodox Jewish residents voted overwhelmingly for Cuomo. He also won other heavily Jewish areas such as Riverdale in the Bronx, though outside of Orthodox neighborhoods, the Jewish population is generally not concentrated enough to allow analysis using precinct-level vote data. Advertisement But Mamdani enjoyed a broad victory that suggests at least some backing from many different constituencies, and preelection polls, which generally undercounted support for him, showed him earning double-digit support among Jewish voters. Data from the ranked choice voting process also shows that Mamdani was selected as an alternate choice by two-thirds of voters whose top choice was Brad Lander, the city comptroller and the highest-ranking Jewish official in city government, who made his identity a key part of his campaign and who cross-endorsed Mamdani during the primary. Jeffrey Lerner, Mamdani's communications director and one of his many Jewish advisers, said in a statement that it was 'no surprise that thousands of Jewish New Yorkers proudly cast their ballots for Zohran in the June primary, despite relentless fearmongering from Republicans and the billionaire class.' In recent comments at the Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach, N.Y., Cuomo attributed Mamdani's victory to both a surge of support from younger voters and a shift in the way younger people think about Israel and antisemitism. Cuomo, who has made unflinching support of Israel part of his political brand, joined Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's legal team after the International Criminal Court accused him of war crimes and issued an arrest warrant for him last year. In his remarks, Cuomo asserted that more than half of Jewish primary voters had cast their ballots for Mamdani, though he did not back up that claim. He appealed to the synagogue's well-heeled and mostly older congregants for their help. Advertisement 'With those young people, the under-30 people, they are pro-Palestinian and they don't consider it being anti-Israel,' Cuomo said, according to a recording posted online by The Forward, a Jewish news organization. 'Being anti-Israel to them means anti-Bibi's policies, anti-Israel government policies,' he added, referring to Netanyahu by a common nickname. 'And they are, and they were, highly motivated, and they came out to vote.' Though Mamdani did drive up turnout among younger voters, his supporters come from a range of age groups, many of whom share his belief that you can criticize Israel while still supporting Jewish New Yorkers. Lisa Cowan, 57, a philanthropy executive in Prospect Heights who is Jewish, ranked Mamdani second on her ballot, after Lander. She praised Mamdani's focus on affordability and the 'positive spirit' he had brought to the campaign. His comments on Israel did not bother her, she said, because he struck her as 'a nuanced thinker' and 'someone who loved New York and loved New Yorkers.' Mamdani has said that fighting antisemitism would be a priority for him as mayor, and has promised to increase funding to fight hate crimes in New York by 800 percent. This article originally appeared in
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Grassley places holds on 3 Trump Treasury nominees
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is placing a hold on three of President Trump's nominees to the Treasury Department over forthcoming administration rules expected to hamper tax credits for wind and solar energy. Grassley, who recently engaged in a heated back-and-forth with Trump over the handling of judicial picks, announced his move to place the holds in the congressional record Friday. 'Today, I placed a hold on three Department of the Treasury nominees,' he said in the record, specifically naming Trump's picks for the department's general counsel, assistant secretary and undersecretary. The Iowa Republican added that while the 'big, beautiful, bill' recently passed by Congress allowed for wind and solar companies to continue to get tax credits if they begin construction of their projects in the next year, the Treasury Department 'is expected to issue rules and regulations implementing the agreed upon phase-out of the wind and solar credits by August 18, 2025.' 'Until I can be certain that such rules and regulations adhere to the law and congressional intent, I intend to continue to object to the consideration of these Treasury nominees,' Grassley said. Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) is also placing a hold on the same nominees — Brian Morrissey Jr., Francis Brooke and Jonathan McKernan — for the same reason, a source familiar told The Hill. It's not entirely clear whether these holds will actually have a significant impact on the nominations. Typically, they can slow the process of confirming a nominee, requiring the chamber to spend hours debating and taking additional votes for each nominee without ultimately blocking them. With a handful of nominees, holds are more of an annoyance, but in some cases — like in 2023, when Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) put holds on hundreds of military promotions — they have successfully delayed nominations for a significant period. It's unusual, though not unheard of, for lawmakers of the president's party to place holds on nominees. Grassley's decision was first reported Monday by C-SPAN'S Craig Caplan. Curtis's move was first reported by Politico. The hold comes amid a larger spat between Grassley and Trump after president told the senator last week to ax the Judiciary Committee's 'blue slip' tradition of allowing home-state senators to veto nominees to district courts and U.S. attorneys' offices. Trump reposted comments that accused Grassley of being 'sneaky' and a 'RINO,' an acronym for Republican in name only. 'I was offended by what the president said, and I'm disappointed it would result in personal insults,' Grassley said in response. Trump, meanwhile, has expressed frustration at the pace of the Senate's confirmation of his nominees, saying lawmakers should stay in Washington to confirm more people ahead of their yearly August recess. How rapidly to phase out energy tax credits was a major sticking point among Republican lawmakers as they put Trump's megabill together. The bill provisions that Curtis helped to secure allowing wind and solar projects to get the full value of a lucrative tax credit if they start construction within 12 months of its passage. After the bill was passed Trump signed an executive order that directed the Treasury to take a strict approach to limit which projects are eligible. The administration has been particularly hostile to wind and solar and broadly supportive of other energy sources, including oil, gas, coal and nuclear. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump Slaps Tariffs, Modi Fires Back -- Is India Breaking Away from the US?
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi isn't backing down. Days after President Donald Trump slapped a surprise 25% tariff on Indian exports and warned of more action over India's oil ties with Russia, Modi doubled down on his buy local message. He urged citizens to prioritize Indian-made goods, while sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that New Delhi hasn't ordered refiners to stop buying Russian crude. Instead, refinersboth public and privateare still choosing suppliers based on commercial logic. The backdrop: Trump is ramping up pressure on India for its energy and diplomatic relationship with Moscow, just as global markets remain uneasy over war financing and shifting trade alliances. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 9 Warning Signs with GS. The rhetoric is heating up fast. Trump's team has accused India of cheating the US on trade and immigration, and signaled that all options are on the table to respond to its Russian oil purchases. But while the public messaging may sound tough, India isn't giving up much. Officials said US trade talks are still on, but they won't open up politically sensitive sectors like agriculture and dairy. And recent dealslike the one India just signed with the UKsuggest that Modi's government is moving at its own pace, carefully protecting domestic interests even while staying at the negotiating table. The pushback highlights how India, now the world's fastest-growing large economy, is becoming less willing to compromise under outside pressure. Despite the rising tension, markets aren't panicking. Indian equities climbed on Monday, while the rupee and government bonds also strengthened. The boost came after oil prices dropped sharplythanks to OPEC+ signaling it could raise output in Septemberwhich is a major win for India, a net fuel importer. While Indian refiners are preparing fallback plans in case Russian crude becomes unavailable, there's no sign of a near-term disruption. India is signaling it may not easily yield to pressure, even from a key partner. For global investors watching this unfoldincluding those with exposure to geopolitical-sensitive names like Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA)India's balancing act between Washington and Moscow could become a defining theme for emerging market strategy in the months ahead. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
