Obama attends his first Democratic fundraiser since election loss
Hosted by Governor Phil Murphy and his wife, Tammy Murphy, the event successfully raised over $1.5 million for the Democratic National Committee.
The funds are earmarked for upcoming gubernatorial and state legislative elections this November, which are viewed as a gauge for next year's midterm elections.
Obama's previous fundraising efforts for the Democrats amounted to $85 million during the last election cycle.
The event occurred amidst ongoing internal challenges and criticisms faced by the Democratic National Committee leadership, particularly regarding its ability to unify and lead the party.
Obama is back on the fundraising circuit trying to help Democrats rebound for upcoming elections
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
I was on New York's rent board. Zohran Mamdani's ideas aren't pie in the sky
During the New York City mayoral primary campaign, Zohran Mamdani's proposal for a citywide rent freeze became a contentious topic. The Democratic nominee says to achieve a cap on annual rent increases for the city's 1m rent-stabilized apartments, he would appoint members to the city's rent guidelines board who support it. Critics decry a rent freeze as a pie-in-the-sky, unrealistic proposal. I served as a rent guidelines board member for nearly four years, appointed by then mayor Bill de Blasio in 2018. And it's clear this controversy isn't just about rent freezes – there's a larger agenda to deregulate rent-stabilized housing, under which rent ceilings prevent landlords from raising the rent too high and tenants must be offered renewal leases (unless the landlord shows legal reason not to). In 2023, a report revealed that half of New Yorkers couldn't afford basic needs such as housing, transportation, food and healthcare. This is the New York that I grew to know intimately before I joined the board. I'd been a tenants' rights attorney for years under the city's right-to-counsel program, representing hundreds of low-income families facing eviction who could not afford their own attorneys. Each week, I entered housing court to find my clients – families with toddlers, seniors with disabilities and food delivery drivers – anxiously awaiting possible eviction. It's not just low-income tenants at the mercy of landlords. Over the last 12 years, I've listened to thousands of stories and the one common thread is how easy it is for a moderate-income person to wind up homeless. Sudden unemployment, unexpected disability coupled with a rent increase, and now you're fighting like hell to survive housing court and not join the 350,000 homeless New Yorkers. For these New Yorkers, a rent freeze isn't some out-of-touch idea; it's a lifeline. The people who make that decision are nine board members, all appointed by the mayor – two tenant members (my former role), two landlord members and five public members whom the tenants and landlord members vie to win over to reach a majority vote. We don't rely on feelings or vibes – we're poring over reports and hours of public testimony, and engaging in spirited policy debates. In 2020, those reports revealed record unemployment spurred by the pandemic and an already high homelessness rate and rent burden (most tenants were paying 30% or more of their income on rent). Weighing that with landlord operating costs, the board voted to approve a rent freeze that year, and a partial rent freeze (for six months) the following year. In fact, the board voted for a rent freeze four times over the last 10 years under the de Blasio administration (the board votes every summer on these rent levels and they take effect in the fall). This is why criticisms of Mamdani's rent freeze ring hollow for me – it's painted as out of touch, yet there's already a precedent, backed by government reports and data. It is essential for the public to understand that there is a broader agenda behind the 'rent freezes are bad' argument. Undermining freezes is part of a larger goal to weaken rent stabilization, which landlords have consistently sought to do – and they were nearly successful recently. While I was on the board, landlords sued the rent guidelines board and all of its members (including me!) in federal court, claiming that rent stabilization amounted to an 'unconstitutional taking': if the government tells me how much I can increase my rent by and when I can terminate a lease, then the government is interfering with my private property without just compensation, the argument goes. For years, there had been whispers that New York landlords were rubbing their hands together, eager to devise ways to get such a case before the US supreme court – and this one came dangerously close. I still remember when I got the call four years after the case traveled its way up the federal appeals court chain: 'The court declined to hear the case!' Supreme court cases aren't selected in a vacuum – the court often grants certiorari , or agrees to hear a case, when there is a broad public interest, leading some parties to drum up support for their cause strategically. When I was on the board, I often heard the dichotomy of the good landlord versus the bad tenant. It's become so popular, you've probably been inundated with these stories too. 'Professional tenants' who sign a lease, then never pay rent. TikToks about tenants leaving an apartment in disarray. Squatters. Rent-stabilized tenants who are secretly wealthy, gaming the system by paying low rent. All designed to lead you to the conclusion that 'rent stabilization shouldn't exist'. You'd never know that the median household income for rent-stabilized tenants is a modest $60,000. Or that eviction rates are so high that the New York City housing court doesn't have enough judges to handle the volume of cases it sees daily. Just last year, in yet another case that landlords asked the supreme court to review, the court declined, but Justice Clarence Thomas signaled the court would be interested in hearing a rent stabilization challenge and even provided a legal roadmap for how to bring it. Landlords don't want to reform rent stabilization – they want it done away with. At the end of the day, when the goal is profit and power is unchecked, it will be profits over people. Mamdani's proposals are a threat to the real estate industry because they signal a mayorship that doesn't ascribe to the tenet that government must sit back and let the market come to its own conclusion – all while millions of New Yorkers are trying to avoid housing court. Leah Goodridge is a former member of the New York City rent guidelines board and an attorney who spent 12 years in legal services representing tenants
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Hundreds of detainees with no criminal charges sent to Trump's ‘Alligator Alcatraz'
The notorious new 'Alligator Alcatraz' immigration jail in the Florida Everglades contains hundreds of detainees with no criminal records or charges, it was disclosed on Sunday, as lawmakers decried 'inhumane' conditions inside after touring the facility. Donald Trump has insisted that the remote camp in swamp land populated by pythons and alligators was reserved for immigrants who were 'deranged psychopaths' and 'some of the most vicious people on the planet' awaiting deportation. But at least one detainee shouted out to politicians during Saturday's visit that he was a US citizen, the Democratic Florida congressman Maxwell Frost said. And the Miami Herald obtained and published a list of 700 people held in cages showing that at least 250 had committed no offense other than a civil immigration violation. Authorities have refused to release a list of those sent there by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (Ice). The Florida department of emergency management, which operates the hastily assembled tent encampment, did not respond to a request from the Guardian for clarification or comment. Frost said the revelations, and the lawmakers' visit, raised new questions about the legality of the camp, which federal agencies in court documents have insisted is entirely a state-run and funded operation. 'There are Ice agents there every day, and I was told directly from the guy running the whole thing that Ice tells them exactly what to do, how to put everything together,' he said. 'They gave them the instructions on how to do the cages, the food, who comes in and goes out. It's Ice making all the decisions, and he was very clear that the role the state is playing is logistical. This is a federal facility. Ice is calling all the shots.' Frost said conditions for detainees were intolerable, with excessive heat and meager food portions. There were three exposed toilets for 32 people held in each cage, some often not flushing, and drinking water was provided from a spigot on the cistern, Frost said. 'It's a huge cleanliness concern,' he said. 'It's the same unit where people are shitting, and if you really need to drink water you have to wait until somebody's finished using the bathroom.' He added that detainees were guarded by private security staff from a 'hodgepodge' of companies. 'It's a huge source of taxpayer money, just going to corporations. But also what worries me is these people do not have the training you need to run a facility like this,' he said. Florida officials have denied conditions are unsafe or unhygienic in previous statements, and accused media outlets of spreading 'fake news'. Meanwhile, judges in south Florida are mulling a lawsuit filed by two environmental groups trying to halt the jail. The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) and Friends of the Everglades group are seeking a restraining order against activity at the camp at a largely abandoned airstrip in the wilderness west of Miami. Their concerns, the CBD attorney Elise Bennett noted, were not just for conditions inside the camp. They say there is ongoing, irreparable damage caused by a network of new paved roads on fragile wildlife habitat, and light pollution in the previously dark night sky that can be seen from 15 miles (24km) away. 'We're concerned that the court has not acted yet because we are continuing to see construction and operation activities at the site,' she said. The lawsuit, in the US southern district federal court, names Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary; Todd Lyons, acting director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (Ice); and Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida division of emergency management (DEM), as defendants. Even without a ruling, the case has already proven disruptive. It has cast into doubt Republican Florida governor Ron DeSantis's assertion that the state would receive federal reimbursement of the $450m it spent to set up and operate the jail in support of Trump's aggressive detention and deportation agenda. In a written response, the justice department attempted to distance itself from the facility, arguing the homeland security department had 'not implemented, authorized, directed or funded Florida's temporary detention center', and that Florida was 'constructing and operating the facility using state funds on state lands under state emergency authority'. No request for federal funds was received, and no money given, it said. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion The statement appeared to contradict Noem's social media post insisting that Alligator Alcatraz would be 'largely funded' by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), amplified by Trump on his visit to Florida earlier this month when he told reporters: 'We took the Fema money … and we used it to build this project.' Bennett said the federal filing did not hold water, calling it 'a convenient litigation position that is belied by all the public statements these agencies and officials have been making, as well as just the nature of the activity'. 'Enforcing federal immigration law by detaining immigrants is inherently a federal action and it cannot occur without the participation of the federal agencies,' she said. A new lawsuit was filed on Thursday by a number of Democratic state lawmakers who were turned away when they tried to access the jail despite their right under Florida statute to make unannounced visits to state and local detention facilities to 'observe the unadulterated conditions' therein. 'Just hours before we were denied entry, they allowed the president of the United States and Fox News to basically run a propaganda video about how wonderful this site is, but that is not what we're hearing on the ground,' state senator Carlos Guillermo Smith said. 'What are they hiding? What is it they don't want us to see?' In an earlier emailed statement, Stephanie Hartman, deputy director of communications for the DEM, accused the lawmakers of engaging in 'political theater' for trying to visit the jail, despite Trump and Noem's own well-publicized visit with a Fox camera crew in tow just 48 hours earlier. She also said they had no entitlement to visit because they were acting as individuals, not a legislative committee, and because the facility was not under the jurisdiction of the Florida corrections department. Smith said he was outraged that some undocumented detainees had no criminal convictions or charges, despite Trump touting it during his visit as a jail for the 'most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet'. Without federal reimbursement, Smith said: 'Florida taxpayers could be left holding a half a million dollar bag to pay for this cruel, inhumane, un-American detention camp that will ultimately bleed money out of our public schools, out of critical government services that Floridians need, and out-of-state resources that are required to support hurricane survivors.'
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Trump tariffs live: EU delays retaliatory trade tariffs, seeks deal after 30% US rate
8 minutes ago 07:54 EDT European markets have given something of a gallic shrug to Trump's tariff threat against the region over the weekend, with investor concern instead appearing to build about the intensifying White House attack on Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell. As with the sweep of other August 1 tariff plans that Trump detailed in letters sent last week, investors suspect much may change between now and then and are reluctant to take the standing numbers at face value just yet. What's more, there's still no real consensus on whether the U.S. trade war damages the American economy more or less than any of the countries it's targetting. And in currency markets, the dollar has been the one unequivocal loser from the whole policy piece this year so far. Read the full commentary here. Opinions expressed are those of the author. A timeline of Trump's tariffs 15 minutes ago 07:46 EDT Paolo Laudani and Mateusz Rabiega Struggling to keep track of all the tariff changes since Trump took office on January 20? Here are some of the key moments so far: February: Trump imposes 25% tariffs on Mexican and most Canadian imports and 10% on goods from China Trump suspends his threat of tariffs on Mexico and Canada, but not China March: Trump says 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada will take effect from March 4 Trump exempts goods from Canada and Mexico under a North American trade pact for a month from the 25% tariffs April: He announces global tariffs with a baseline of 10% across all imports and higher duties on some of the U.S.' biggest trading partners Trump pauses for 90 days most of his country-specific tariffs following an upheaval in financial markets that erased trillions of dollars. Trump says he will raise the tariff on Chinese imports to 125% from the 104% level that took effect a day earlier The U.S. grants exclusions on smartphones, computers an other electronics imported largely from China May: The U.S. and China agree to temporarily slash reciprocal tariffs Under the 90-day truce, the U.S. to cut the extra tariffs it imposed on Chinese imports to 30% from 145%, while China's duties on U.S. imports would be slashed to 10% from 125% June: Trump signs an executive proclamation activating a hike in the tariffs on imported steel and aluminum to 50% from 25%. July: In letters sent to 14 countries including Japan and South Korea, Trump says he will introduce tariffs between 25% and 40% from August 1 Trump says the U.S. will impose a 35% tariff on imports from Canada next month Trump threatens to impose a 30% tariff on imports from Mexico and the European Union starting on August 1 See the full tariff timeline here. Production: Martin Schlicht, Gabi Sajonz, Michele Sani Reuters spoke to commuters in Berlin on Monday morning, who were pessimistic about the new tariff threat. The first speaker is Caren Gutschmidt. 'I don't think these tariffs are good. I think the EU should respond with counter-tariffs because we should not allow ourselves to be blackmailed by a U.S. government which is completely unreliable. You can't rely on statements or agreements. That's why we should take a strong stance. That's the only way this president will understand,' she said. The second speaker, Markus Roemer, said: 'Let's hope for a deal. But even that is completely unpredictable. It could be that you make a deal and three days later he gets up and has a bad day and then the deal is off.' The final speaker in the video is Sebastian, who only gave his first name. 'Everything is getting more expensive all the time. I don't think they (tariffs) will work. I wouldn't do it,' he said. an hour ago 07:02 EDT Ilona Wissenbach German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz said on Monday that an agreement between the EU and the United States is crucial for the future economic success of both markets. "It is therefore the responsibility of all parties involved to continue working intensively and as quickly as possible on a trade agreement," the company said. "As a global company, we are committed to constructive cooperation and a political framework that promotes economic trade across international markets." "It is now important that the EU and the U.S. remain in a constructive dialogue and reach a fair negotiated solution that is in the interests of both sides," it added. Since April, EU carmakers have incurred a 25% U.S. import tariff on top of the 2.5% already in place. The 30% tariff Trump announced over the weekend applies "separate from all sectoral tariffs", Trump wrote in his letter to Ursula von der Leyen. Toby Gibb of Artemis Investment Management told Reuters investors have got a little complacent about the possible impact of tariffs. Plus, high duties hitting European companies while trading volumes are low over the summer break could be a recipe for volatility. Find out what's moving markets and why with Market Talk, Reuters' daily chat with an investor, economist or market analyst. an hour ago 06:43 EDT As of July 12, Trump has announced a fresh tariff rates for dozens of economies. See how his July announcements compare to what had been announced in April or earlier: U.S. stock index futures slipped on Monday, as Trump's fresh tariff threats targeting the European Union and Mexico dampened investor sentiment ahead of a week packed with economic data and second-quarter earnings. At 5:30 a.m. ET (0930 GMT), Dow E-minis were down 130 points, or 0.29%, S&P 500 E-minis were down 17.75 points, or 0.28%, and Nasdaq 100 E-minis were down 65 points, or 0.28%. The measured losses indicated investors are more accustomed to Trump's repeated tariff threats. On Friday, the S&P 500 receded from an all-time high it hit the day before, and closed lower. It capped last week with minor losses. In Canada, Futures linked to Canada's main stock index fell on Monday, with the latest threat of U.S. tariffs lowering investor risk appetite. Futures on the S&P/TSX index were down 0.1% by 06:05 a.m. ET Framework deal possible with US by deadline, South Korea says 2 hours ago 06:28 EDT Hyunjoo Jin FILE PHOTO: Pyeongtaek port, South Korea, July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji It may be possible to strike an "in-principle" deal with the U.S. by the August 1 deadline, South Korea's top trade envoy, Minister for Trade Yeo Han-koo, said on Monday, according to local media reports. He also signalled that Seoul may be open to allowing Washington greater access to its agriculture markets. "I believe it's possible to reach an agreement in principle in the U.S. tariff negotiations, and then take some time to negotiate further," the Newsis news agency quoted Yeo as telling local media reporters. Han-koo, who held high-level talks with U.S. officials last week, said South Korea was seeking to avoid "unfair" U.S. tariffs on key industrial sectors that would undermine industrial cooperation with its main security ally and trading partner, the media reports said. "Twenty days are not enough to come up with a perfect treaty that contains every detail," he added. South Korea is in a race to reach a compromise trade pact in the hope of avoiding a 25% tariff slapped on its exports, the same level faced by Japan. 'I cannot imagine walking away without any effort' 2 hours ago 05:45 EDT Philip Blenkinsop Earlier we brought you some comments from EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic as he arrived for a meeting of EU trade ministers in Brussels. Here is a bit more of what he said: "We continue to engage with the US administration and prioritize a negotiated solution by the new deadline of August 1. I cannot imagine walking away without any effort." But the EU would have to prepare for all outcomes, he said, "including, if necessary, well considered, proportionate countermeasures to restore the balance." A 30% tariff rate would make it almost impossible to continue trading as before, with enormous consequences for supply chains and negative impacts on both sides of the Atlantic, he said. "And therefore I think we have to do, and I will definitely do, everything I can to prevent this super-negative scenario," he told reporters before the EU ministers meeting. What about EU retaliatory tariffs? 2 hours ago 05:37 EDT Julia Payne While the EU has said it is preparing retaliatory tariffs in response to Trump's planned 30% levy on EU exports, it is focussed on reaching a deal for now. On Sunday the EU said it would extend its suspension of countermeasures to U.S. tariffs until early August. Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EU's executive Commission which handles trade policy for the 27 member states, said the bloc would maintain its two-track approach: keep talking and prepare retaliatory measures. "We have always been very clear that we prefer a negotiated solution. This remains the case, and we will use the time that we have now," von der Leyen told a press conference. Von der Leyen's decision to resist immediate retaliatory measures points to the European Commission's desire to avoid a spiralling tit-for-tat escalation in the trade war while there remains a chance of negotiating an improved outcome. A 30% tariff on EU exports would hurt businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic. We will continue working towards an agreement by August 1. At the same time, we are ready to safeguard EU interests on the basis of proportionate countermeasures. — Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 12, 2025 3 hours ago 05:29 EDT Klaus Lauer Germany 's DIHK Chamber of Commerce said the escalating tariff conflict with the United States posed a 'serious threat' to many German companies. "The EU trade ministers are called upon to act jointly and decisively to prevent further tariffs and secure supply chains. Only a united Europe can effectively defend its economic interests," the chamber's head of trade Volker Treier said. "Instead of summer holidays, tough negotiations are now needed to avert a collapse of transatlantic trade." "Europe must also do its homework in order to be an attractive trading partner, particularly with regard to tax policy and the reduction of bureaucracy," he added. Italians on the streets of Rome on Monday were not happy with Trump's latest tariff move. 'A scandal. In a globalised world like the one we live in today, there can't be such a dominant figure. It is truly arrogant, overbearing, but unfortunately, he is the President of the United States and he wins," said the first person in the video, Stefania Bernardini. The second speaker is Davide Iannace. "I haven't thought about it that much, but it is the classic behaviour of a president who needs easy money for his very expensive domestic policies. More than anything else, this," he said. The third man in the video chose not to be named. "A rip-off. I think (Italian Prime Minister Giorgia) Meloni said she will handle it, that she has a friendship with Trump. Let's see what she manages to do. I don't really believe in it, but people believe in it. Let's hope for the best," he said. The final speaker is Tiziano, who only gave his first name. He said: 'Yeah, not good. Not good for us or for them. For us. because there's definitely going to be economic fallout, and for them it is also a matter of vision, the vision of the United States. "The ones who should be helping you are instead trying to take a position of... Trump is often seen as a bully and that's exactly what he looks like. In fact, a bully is bullying Europe and also kind of the rest of the world. This helps no one.' FILE PHOTO: The Dubai Financial Market, United Arab Emirates November 8, 2020. REUTERS/Christopher Pike Major stock markets in the Gulf fell in early trade on Monday, although the losses were limited as investors are accustomed to Trump's policy swings. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index eased 0.2%, hit by a 0.4% fall in Al Rajhi Bank . However, ACWA Power Co advanced more than 1%. The firm signed power purchase agreements on Sunday for clean energy projects with a capacity of 15 gigawatts and investments worth around $8.3 billion, the Saudi state news agency (SPA) said. Dubai's main share index dropped 0.3%, with sharia-compliant lender Dubai Islamic Bank declining 0.9% and toll operator Salik Company losing 0.7%. In Abu Dhabi, the index lost 0.3%. The decreased 0.5%, weighed down by a 0.8% slide in petrochemical maker Industries Qatar.
