Progressivism explains much of what the new book ‘Abundance' deplores
Many years ago, after reconstruction of Manhattan's West Side Highway took 35 years, Daniel Patrick Moynihan noted that the more challenging construction of the George Washington Bridge took just 39 months. Moynihan, New York's four-term Democratic senator, lamented that whereas Americans once celebrated people who built things, 'in the 1970s, civic reputation began to be acquired by people who prevented things from happening.'
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30 minutes ago
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What we know about Trump's latest travel ban
Donald Trump has signed a ban on travel to the US from 12 countries citing national security risks, according to the White House. The US president said the list could be revised if "material improvements" were made and additional countries could also be added as "threats emerge around the world". This is the second time he has ordered a ban on travel from certain countries. He signed a similar order in 2017, during his first term in office. Trump has signed a proclamation banning travel to the US from nationals of 12 countries: Afghanistan Myanmar Chad Republic of the Congo Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Haiti Iran Libya Somalia Sudan Yemen There are an additional seven countries whose nationals face partial travel restrictions: Burundi Cuba Laos Sierra Leone Togo Turkmenistan Venezuela The ban takes effect on Monday at 12:01 a.m. (05:00 BST), a cushion that avoids the chaos that unfolded at airports nationwide when a similar measure took effect with virtually no notice eight years ago. The White House said these "common sense restrictions" would "protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors". In a video posted to his Truth Social website, Trump said the recent alleged terror attack in Boulder, Colorado "underscored the extreme dangers" posed by foreign nationals who had not been "properly vetted". Twelve people were injured in Colorado on Sunday when a man attacked a group gathering in support of Israeli hostages, throwing two incendiary devices and using a makeshift flamethrower. The man accused of carrying out the attack has been identified as an Egyptian national. Trump's latest order, which is expected to face legal challenges, drew a swift response, at home and abroad. Somalia promised to work with the United States to address any security issues. In a statement, Somali ambassador to the US, Dahir Hassan Abdi, said his country "values its longstanding relationship" with America. Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello warned that "being in the United States is a great risk for anyone, not just for Venezuelans". Democrats were quick to condemn the move. "This ban, expanded from Trump's Muslim ban in his first term, will only further isolate us on the world stage," Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat congresswoman from Washington, says in a social media post. Another Democrat, congressman Don Beyer, says Trump "betrayed" the ideals of the US' founders. Trump ordered his original travel ban during his first term in the White House in 2017. It featured some of the same countries as his latest order, including Iran, Libya and Somalia. Critics called it a "Muslim ban" as the seven countries initially listed were Muslim majority. The White House revised the policy, ultimately adding two non-Muslim majority countries, North Korea and Venezuela. It was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. President Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump, repealed the ban in 2021, calling it "a stain on our national conscience." Trump signs ban on travel to US by nationals from 12 countries
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36 minutes ago
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New York City Democratic mayoral rivals clash in first TV debate
NEW YORK — Two main targets emerged by the end of the two-hour New York City mayoral debate: Frontrunner Andrew Cuomo and Donald Trump. Cuomo's eight opponents — desperate to cut into his consistent polling advantage — attacked him throughout Wednesday night by seizing on the controversies that preceded his fall from power four years ago: Allegations of sexual harassment and a Covid record that's reportedly under federal investigation. Former Assemblymember Michael Blake — polling in the single digits — leveled one of the sharpest barbs at Cuomo linking those controversies: 'The people who don't feel safe are the young women, mothers and grandmothers around Andrew Cuomo — that's the greatest threat to public safety.' The attacks on Cuomo during the first televised debate of the boisterous Big Apple Democratic mayoral primary underscored the strategic need of his opponents to swing hard and fast against the prohibitive favorite to win the party's nomination. They parried with early voting set to begin in 10 days. Nine candidates — Cuomo, Blake, City Comptroller Brad Lander, state Sens. Zellnor Myrie and Jessica Ramos, former City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and businessperson Whitney Tilson — squared off in the debate co-sponsored by POLITICO and WNBC. The crowded forum was marked by periods of extensive crosstalk from the candidates mostly trying to pile on Cuomo, who is mounting a comeback bid after scandal-induced resignation four years ago. The candidates all pledged to tackle issues that have resonated with voters, like affordability and housing, while vowing to fight Trump's meddling in his native city — especially with targeting undocumented people for deportation. They uniformly condemned Trump's threats against Columbia University over charges the school failed to protect Jewish students. Lander turned the Trump talk back to Cuomo. 'With all the corruption that's in Washington, we can't have corruption back here in New York City as well,' he said before blasting Cuomo's controversial $5 million contract for a Covid-era memoir. The criticisms of Cuomo flowed forth from there. Attacking Cuomo, who has largely shied away from speaking with reporters and attending candidate forums, was an imperative for his opponents Wednesday as voting fast approaches. But it was the longshot Blake, a former Democratic National Committee vice chair, who frequently laced into Cuomo with cutting criticism. Mamdani accused the former governor of being 'allergic to accountability' when Blake re-surfaced a 2008 Cuomo quote who criticized candidates who 'shuck and jive' as Barack Obama was running for president. Adrienne Adams was incredulous when Cuomo could not name a 'personal regret' in politics, summoning a cinematic rebuke: 'No regrets when it comes to cutting Medicaid or health care? No regrets when it comes to cutting child care? No regrets when it comes to slow walking PPE and vaccinations in the season of Covid in Black and brown communities?' Stringer blasted the former governor's approval of a controversial cashless bail law. The ex-governor counterpunched at points. He accused his opponents of supporting defunding the police and attacked Mamdani's lack of experience in government — saying that it would hinder the democratic socialist's ability to fight Trump. 'Mr. Trump would go through Mr. Mamdani like a hot knife through butter,' Cuomo said. 'He would be Trump's delight.' Hitting back at Lander, Cuomo asserted the city comptroller approved contracts for organizations with ties to Lander's wife. 'Mr. Lander knows corruption,' Cuomo said. Lander called the claim 'a lie.' Trump, who is highly unpopular in this deep blue city, has affected the race during the last several months. Stringer has called him 'a schmuck' while Cuomo — who's been accused of his own overbearing behavior — has said the president is 'a bully.' Democratic Mayor Eric Adams is skipping his party's primary after he announced in April he would run as an independent in the general election. Eric Adams' perceived coziness with Trump before and after the Department of Justice dropped its corruption case against him earlier this year made it politically untenable to seek his party's nomination for a second term. Eric Adams was victorious four years ago running on a public safety platform as voters became preoccupied with Covid-era crime concerns. The mayor was barely mentioned Wednesday night, though Adrienne Adams, who is no relation, said she regretted supporting him in 2021. The Eric Adams-Trump saga has threatened to torch Cuomo as well. The reported Department of Justice probe of Cuomo followed a House GOP criminal referral that alleged the ex-governor lied during congressional testimony about his administration's report on Covid nursing home deaths. Cuomo insisted on the debate stage he didn't lie in his testimony. But asked directly if he had reviewed or edited the report, Cuomo dodged. 'I was very aware of the report,' Cuomo said to groans from several of his opponents. 'I stand by the report.' Cuomo's order to require that nursing homes admit Covid-positive patients has been a long running controversy for him. He's maintained that the state followed federal guidance, but reports by the state attorney general and comptroller found Cuomo's gubernatorial administration undercounted thousands of nursing home deaths. Cuomo's campaign has tried to leverage the federal probe into a political benefit to distance himself from Trump — even though as of Sunday he has yet to receive a subpoena or be contacted by investigators. He released an ad last month that highlighted fellow Democrats — including his foe, state Attorney General Letitia James — who are also under investigation by Trump's DOJ. Cuomo resigned in 2021 after James' office released a bombshell report that determined he sexually harassed 11 women. He has subsequently denied any wrongdoing after initially apologizing for his behavior. And he has expressed remorse for resigning — most recently with The New York Times — as the state Assembly was preparing to impeach him. On Wednesday, Cuomo denied the allegations were true: 'I said at the time it was political and it was false.' His name recognition, early endorsements and position in voter surveys — including surveys paid for by a lobbying firm that has provided free services to the ex-governor's campaign — have stoked a Cuomo narrative that his victory is inevitable. But polls have shown the former governor is highly unpopular. And critics have tried to undermine his claim of being a capable manager, pointing to his policies while governor on homelessness and mass transit — policies they assert have hurt the city. Cuomo's advantages remain numerous. A super PAC boosting Cuomo's candidacy, Fix the City, has spent more than $8 million on TV advertising, easily outpacing the other campaigns. The former governor has also received crucial endorsements from politically influential unions like 32BJ SEIU and the Hotel Trades and Gaming Council. The PAC has received donations from Trump supporters like William Ackman and DoorDash, a food delivery app that has lobbied on city regulations. Cuomo defended the support to Fix the City, which has come under scrutiny from campaign finance regulators who have accused him of illegally coordinating with the PAC. 'I work for the people of the state of New York, the people of the city of New York. I don't care who gave me what,' he said. 'I do what is right.' His campaign has portrayed New York as a city in crisis, beset with crime and homelessness that the former governor will be able to solve. Cuomo has leaned on a base that overlaps with Eric Adams: Blue-collar people of color and Jewish New Yorkers — blocs that are crucial to win citywide office. Mamdani, a state assemblymember, has emerged as Cuomo's most persistent electoral threat, placing second in most polls. An Emerson College survey found Cuomo defeating Mamdani by single digits in the final round of a ranked-choice voter simulation. Mamdani has gained attention through slickly produced videos on social media, though his proposals like government-run grocery stores, no-cost child care and free buses would run into cost realities at City Hall. The Queens state lawmaker wants to generate $10 billion in new taxes on rich New Yorkers and businesses, which would require Albany's approval. Mamdani has called for a rent freeze — and faulted Cuomo in the Wednesday debate for less-than-fulsome support for taxing the rich when he was governor. The democratic socialist has also come under scrutiny for his staunch criticisms of Israel and support for the boycott, divest and sanction movement. Courting Jewish voters, Cuomo has criticized Mamdani, along with opponents Lander and Adrienne Adams for what he has framed as less-than-fervent support for Israel. There was a carnival-like atmosphere outside of NBC's studios at 30 Rockefeller Center, where supporters of the candidates cheered their arrival. Mamdani walked in, backed by a brass band dubbed 'Horns for Zohran,' playing 'This Land is Your Land.' Cuomo had the biggest cheering section made up of union members from Laborers Local 79, the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council and the carpenters union. But the former governor kept them waiting. 'You sure he's coming? We're waiting for him,' an HTC member said. Candidates were asked to show up before 5:30 — Cuomo rolled up in his Dodge Charger almost an hour late and greeted the cheering crowd. Jeff Coltin contributed to this report.
Yahoo
an hour ago
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Centrist Democrats want a fight with the left
Centrist Democrats picked a fight with their party's left wing on Wednesday. And the left was happy to punch back. 'Places like City Hall and Albany and even Washington, DC, are more responsive to the groups than to the people on the ground,' New York Rep. Ritchie Torres said at WelcomeFest, held at a downtown Washington hotel and billed as a forum to help the party find more electable candidates and messages. Seconds after Torres' shot at 'the groups' that have become intra-Democratic shorthand for excessive left-wing influence, protesters from … the group Climate Defiance charged on stage with signs reading 'GAYS AGAINST GENOCIDE' and 'GENOCIDE RITCHIE,' attacking his support for Israel's war in Gaza. As the activists were yanked out of the room, conference organizers played Carly Simon's on the loudspeakers in the room. The mockery was part of the point. Welcome PAC, the main organizer of the conference and one of several outfits that have emerged in recent months to try to reverse the party's post-Obama losses, was happy to be accused of embracing a pro-growth 'Abundance' agenda or attacking progressive urban policies. 'Any time someone is against something like 'abundance,' it means that they're afraid of something. They're afraid of losing power,' said Welcome PAC's Lauren Harper Pope, a former Beto O'Rourke adviser. 'If the left feels threatened by what we're doing, then I say: 'You're still welcome in our coalition.'' To speakers in the basement of the Hamilton Hotel on Wednesday, the message of the 2024 election was clear: Voters were sick of left-wing ideas. Candidates and members of Congress described struggles to overcome what they described as their party's toxic brand or to deal with protesters angry at their occasional votes with Republicans. 'If you can financially afford to go to a protest every day, you are a different person than most people in my community,' said Washington Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, defending her vote for House GOP legislation that would require proof of citizenship from every voter. Asked about recent polling from the progressive group Demand Progress that found pro-business 'abundance' ideas faring worse than anti-corporate 'populism,' WelcomeFest speakers scoffed. 'It's what happens when you test an economic textbook for the Democratic Party against a romance novel,' said Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass. 'It's such a bad poll.'WelcomeFest, which had grown exponentially since its first in-person conference last year, put a conversation that has been unfolding in exclusive donor retreats in front of a public audience — selling tickets that topped out at $25. (The protesters did not pay.) Attendees saw polling on voters' dim view of the party and heard advice for Democrats to move on from topics where they lacked credibility. Torres took aim at his party for stretching 'right to shelter' laws too thin in his home state and for being insufficiently tough on crime. After sharing a set of data on Democratic vulnerabilities, pollster David Shor told Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., that her vote for a repeal of California's electric vehicle mandate had been savvy. 'People don't like 'defund the police,' but voters really hate electric cars,' said Shor. 'They don't hate electric vehicles,' replied Slotkin. 'They just don't want to be told that they have to drive an electric vehicle, particularly when the infrastructure hasn't kept pace with need.' DC did not lack for center-left Democratic groups before Welcome PAC or its eponymous conference. Many grew from the ashes of the Democratic Leadership Council, founded after Ronald Reagan's two landslide wins to find viable center-left candidates and ideas. Shuttered in 2011, the DLC survives in its spinoff think tank PPI and in centrist groups that have taken up part of its past mission. Andrew Rotherham, a fellow at PPI, told WelcomeFest that Florida Democrats had erred in fighting the state's GOP 'parental rights' bill — what opponents called the 'Don't Say Gay' bill — instead of fighting for inclusiveness from a stronger position. It was 'actually supported by a majority of Democrats,' he said. Other sponsors of WelcomeFest included the Blue Dog Democrats, the 30-year-old caucus for the party's centrist members of Congress; the New Democrat Coalition, founded two years later to build on Bill Clinton's mixed success; Third Way, founded 20 years ago after Democrats lost the popular vote to George W. Bush; and NewDEAL, founded 14 years ago to elevate 'pro-growth progressives.' Their shared goal now is simpler: win at least some arguments inside the party. 'The backlash that happens online is a sign that you're doing something right,' said Adam Jentleson, the former chief of staff to Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. He recently founded a new think tank and messaging group that urges candidates to weather the Trump-era 'sh*tstorm' and come out with more defensible, popular less single-issue enemies have highlighted the Republican and pharmaceutical-industry pasts of some of the conference's donors, arguing that it's naive to think billionaire donors could save the Democrats. The Revolving Door Project, which has campaigned to keep Democrats with corporate ties out of powerful positions, called the whole project a 'self-serving crusade' against popular politics. 'A billionaire-funded movement to keep billionaires happy with Democrats by wielding only poll-tested language that billionaires are okay with is a sure path toward a President Vance,' said the project's executive director, Jeff Hauser. Dan Cohen, the strategist who conducted Demand Progress' abundance-or-populism poll, said that the party wasn't facing a binary choice and could incorporate some more pro-growth 'abundance' ideas into a successful populist campaign. 'That kind of conflict is unhelpful because it's just wrong,' Cohen said, calling for a broader focus on 'strengthening a Democratic Party that's trying to get its sh*t together again.'To oversimplify things, politics is basically about conflict. And Welcome PAC's theory of politics — expand the tent and let Democrats run on heterodox agendas in tough seats — is not that controversial inside the party. So WelcomeFest leaned on the self-generated tension created by the appearance of a zero-sum centrist fight against progressive purity tests. It's proving to be a godsend for media attention. You could see this unfold on social media on Wednesday, as the Revolving Door Project and other progressive groups posted from the conference to portray it as one big surrender, trading away liberal values in the hope of winning over a couple of Republicans. That wasn't really the theme in the room, though. Democrats who spoke at the event about their failure to break through on the trail said that they were close to a winning formula. It just required a mixture of distance from the least popular causes of the left, and the credibility that any campaigner gets by spending two years talking to voters. Implicit in every argument was this view: It would not be enough for Democrats to wait for President Donald Trump to fail, then take advantage of that failure, a notion propagated by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and others in the party. That's because, as much as they may not like it, centrists and progressive Democrats are confronting a much more popular Trump than they did eight years Chait's influential in The Atlantic — that the book has sparked a useful 'civil war' inside the party — has informed every successive take from the left. 'Their theory of American politics depends on empowering the very groups the abundance agenda identifies as the architects of failure and barriers to progress.' Semafor one of the first interviews with Welcome PAC's Lauren Harper, two summers ago. 'Instead of creating a third party, why don't we just create a Democratic Party that can appeal to a broader range of voters?' In his Political Currents Substack, Ross Barkan looks at how weak the 'professional left' has become, through its struggle to get traction in New York this year. 'They have been proven to be impotent.'
