Chuck Schumer's Mamdani Test
Mr. Schumer is the Democratic Party's Senate leader, and Mr. Mamdani is the Democratic Party's candidate for mayor. Then again, Mr. Mamdani is a socialist who spoke as an Assemblyman of 'seizing the means of production' and blamed Israel, not Hamas, on Oct. 8, 2023.
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UPI
a few seconds ago
- UPI
Texas House Rep. Collier to stay in statehouse until Wednesday session
Texas Democratic Rep. Nicole Collier will remain in the statehouse until Wednesday after refusing a law enforcement escort to leave. Photo b y Nicole Collier/X Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Texas Democratic state Rep. Nicole Collier spent the night in the Austin statehouse and plans to stay there until Wednesday's legislative session after she refused Republican leaders' demands that she go home via police escort. Monday night, state House Democrats were only allowed to leave if they signed a waiver allowing a police escort to ensure they stayed in the state. Collier, D-Fort Worth, refused, so she was not allowed to leave, sharing a photo of herself sleeping in the statehouse. The Democrats had just returned from out of state, where they had fled to prevent a quorum in the House. They objected to the Republicans' plan to redistrict the state to create more Republican U.S. House of Representative seats. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said Monday the Democrats who had arrest warrants issued against them could not leave the chamber unless they agreed to specific conditions. "Members who have not been present until today, for whom arrest warrants were issued, will be granted written permission to leave only after agreeing to be released into the custody of a designated [Department of Public Safety] officer appointment under the rules of the House," he said, adding that the officers would "ensure your return Wednesday at 10 a.m." All Democrats but Collier agreed to the terms. "I refuse to sign away my dignity as a duly elected representative just so Republicans can control my movements and monitor me with police escorts," Collier said in a statement in which she called herself a "political prisoner" for refusing Republican "surveillance protocol." "My constituents sent me to Austin to protect their voices and rights," she said. "When I press that button to vote, I know these maps will harm my constituents -- I won't just go along quietly with their intimidation or their discrimination." Collier told CBS News Texas that like the new congressional maps, the situation is wrong. "I have a right to resist, I have a right to oppose, just like my voters do, just like Texans have a right to challenge government, and that's what I'm doing. I'm challenging these decisions that are being made. I don't agree with them," she said. "All the Democrats will be working together to get that legal record set so that we can take this fight to the court," she told CBS. At first, Collier was only allowed to be in the chamber, but later was allowed to go to her office in the statehouse. The Texas House Democratic Caucus said in a statement that the police escorts were the "latest Republican tactic to monitor and control Democratic lawmakers following their successful quorum break." Supporters cheered the Democrats as they walked from the rotunda to the House chamber before the session began Monday.
Associated Press
a few seconds ago
- Associated Press
Hamas says it has accepted a new Arab proposal in Gaza ceasefire talks
CAIRO (AP) — Hamas says it has accepted a proposal from Arab mediators for a ceasefire in the 22-month war sparked by its Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel. Israel has not yet responded and says it is still committed to defeating the militant group. The latest proposal developed by Egypt and Qatar contains only slight modifications to an earlier one advanced by the United States and accepted by Israel, according to Egyptian and Hamas officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks. The deal would include a 60-day truce, the release of some of the hostages held by Hamas in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, a flood of humanitarian aid into Gaza and talks on a lasting ceasefire. Israel has vowed to continue the war until all the hostages are returned and Hamas is disarmed. President Donald Trump gave support to those goals Monday in a social media post, saying Hamas must be 'confronted and destroyed' to ensure the return of the remaining hostages. A ceasefire, a hostage release and an influx of aid The details of the latest proposal have not been made public, but the two Egyptian officials and two Hamas officials described the broad outlines to The Associated Press. There would be a 60-day ceasefire in which Israeli forces would pull back to a buffer zone extending 800 meters (875 yards) into Gaza. The officials said Trump's Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, had proposed 1,500 meters (1,640 yards) and Hamas countered with 600 meters (656 yards) before the talks stalled last month. Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases, in exchange for the release of around 1,700 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, including 200 serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks. Hamas-led militants took 251 people hostage in the Oct. 7 attack and killed around 1,200, mostly civilians. Fifty hostages are still in Gaza, around 20 of them believed by Israel to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals. Israel would allow 600 trucks of humanitarian aid to enter each day, a major increase that could help arrest what experts have described as the territory's slide toward famine. Israel allowed a similar amount of aid to enter during a ceasefire earlier this year. During the temporary ceasefire, the sides would negotiate a lasting truce, the release of the remaining hostages and the further withdrawal of Israeli forces. Israel is committed to destroying Hamas Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that while he will halt the fighting temporarily to facilitate the release of hostages, he will not end the war until Hamas has been defeated and disarmed. Even then, he says Israel will maintain security control over Gaza and facilitate the relocation of much of its population to other countries through what he describes as voluntary emigration. Palestinians and much of the international community view it as forcible expulsion. Earlier this month, Netanyahu announced plans to occupy Gaza City and other densely populated areas, which would likely result in even more casualties and further waves of mass displacement. Those threats were partly aimed at pressuring Hamas. Israel's offensive has already killed over 62,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry does not say how many were civilians or combatants but says women and children make up around half of those killed. Vast areas of Gaza have been completely destroyed. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and run by medical professionals. The U.N. and many independent experts view its figures as the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. Israel disputes them but has not provided its own numbers. Hamas is severely weakened but not defeated Hamas has suffered heavy losses through nearly two years of war. Most of its top leaders have been killed, its rocket supplies have been vastly depleted, and Israel has regularly announced the destruction of tunnel complexes and other military infrastructure. Iran and Hamas' other regional allies are in disarray after Israeli and U.S. strikes. The Israeli military says it now controls at least 75% of Gaza, with much of the population — and the remnants of Hamas' government and police force — largely confined to Gaza City, built-up refugee camps from the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation and Muwasi, a sprawling tent camp along the coast. The hostages are Hamas' last bargaining chip and its only hope of emerging from the war with something it can try to portray as a victory. The militant group has said it will only release the remaining captives in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal. Hamas says it is willing to hand over power to other Palestinians but will not lay down its arms as long as Israel occupies lands the Palestinians want for a future state. Israel says any arrangement that leaves Hamas intact and armed would allow it to eventually rebuild its forces and launch another Oct. 7-style attack. The U.S. role is crucial Israel has been tight-lipped about the talks, and it's unclear when it will respond. The Security Cabinet, which would need to approve any such deal, usually meets on Thursdays. In the meantime, all eyes are on Washington. Trump helped to get a previous ceasefire across the finish line in January after former President Joe Biden's administration and Arab mediators had spent months hammering it out. The U.S. then offered its full support when Israel ended that truce and resumed its air and ground war in March. Trump alone might be able to convince Israel to halt the war without trying to eradicate Hamas at the cost of countless more Palestinian lives and possibly the remaining hostages. He says he wants to return the hostages and end the war but has not publicly pressured Israel. In a post Monday on his Truth Social website, Trump appeared once again to express full support for Netanyahu's endgame. 'We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!! The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be,' he wrote. 'Play to WIN, or don't play at all!' ___ Krauss reported from Ottawa, Ontario. Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP's war coverage at
Politico
a few seconds ago
- Politico
Trump Energy secretary: ‘We're going to get blamed' for rising power prices — but they're Democrats' fault
In Iowa, Wright touted the importance of the Ames lab's critical materials research to help reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains. The trip was part of his goal of visiting all 17 of the Energy Department's national laboratories this year. His visit also came just before the Treasury Department on Friday released new policy guidance that will make it even harder for wind and solar projects to use tax credits that Republicans phased out as part of their recently passed budget law — though the changes did not go as far as some in the clean energy industry had feared. Democrats say Trump's policies could cause prices to rise by taking inexpensive clean power sources off the grid while pulling the rug out from under companies' plans to use the Biden-era incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act. Some power industry leaders have also cautioned that aggressive efforts to restrict development of wind and solar energy could raise electricity prices at a time when demand is soaring. Iowa's senior senator, Republican Chuck Grassley, has joined Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) in placing holds on three of Trump's nominees after failing to secure assurances on the new tax credit rules. Grassley was not present at the lab, although he offered tentative praise Friday for the new Treasury guidance, saying in a statement that the language 'seems to offer a viable path forward for the wind and solar industries.' In the interview with POLITICO, Wright said solar and wind projects that have already started the construction process should continue to qualify for tax credits. He said he has 'sympathy' for renewable energy developers concerned that retroactively disqualifying projects under development could expose companies to financial risk and disrupt their business plans. Treasury's new guidance applies only to projects that start construction on or after Sept. 2. 'Within the administration, there's dialogues about, how do we handle this?' Wright said. 'People are mad about wind and they want to shut it down. There's people, of course, that love it, and want more of it. But we got to balance those things. And if a business invested a lot of money and made a plan, that's a legitimate interest. If you have projects under construction right now that meet that requirement, they're going to get the tax credits.' Ernst told POLITICO on Thursday at a press conference during the lab tour that she has been continuing to urge the Trump administration not to harm ongoing wind projects in Iowa. 'There are a number of projects that have been planned already, and we would like to see those continue to qualify,' Ernst said. Wright has frequently criticized wind energy — long a favorite target of Trump's — and in a recent X post argued that wind-powered projects are 'subsidized, inefficient, unreliable, land hogs that drive up electricity prices.' But in the interview, Wright conceded that Iowa, which has some of the cheapest power prices in the country, has proved that a grid powered by wind energy can be successful in certain contexts.
