
Russia's Ukraine advances, DC homeless, inflation and India-US boycott calls
Russia intensifies efforts to capture more territory in eastern Ukraine ahead of Trump-Putin summit on Friday. Homeless people in Washington, D.C. face jail threat if they do not comply with President Donald Trump's crack down. Markets digest the latest inflation news holding on to hopes of Fed rate cut. And there are growing calls in India to boycott U.S. goods over huge tariffs.
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Further Reading
Ukraine, sidelined in Trump-Putin summit, fights Russian grab for more territory
Homeless who refuse to cooperate with Trump crackdown may go to jail, White House says
Dollar slips to a two week low as investors eye Fed cut
In India, Trump's tariffs spark calls to boycott American goods
Exclusive: Pentagon Golden Dome to have 4-layer defense system, slides show
Solitary cell with mattress on the floor for South Korea's once powerful ex-first lady
Recommended Read: 'Cooked alive': Europe's wildfires hit tourism spots and forests
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The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
Schumer on the ropes: Weak Trump responses see Democratic leader suffer worst-ever slide in polls
If he can't make it here, can he make it anywhere? A new poll from Siena College shows that half of New Yorkers do not like how Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is handling the second Donald Trump presidency. The survey finds that 50 percent of New Yorker state voters have an unfavorable opinion of Schumer — who has served in the Senate since 1999 and became minority leader in 2017 — and just 38 percent have a favorable opinion of him. Schumer faced considerable criticism from many in his party in March after he voted for a stopgap spending bill that Republicans jammed through the Senate despite a majority of the Senate Democratic caucus and all but one House Democrat voting against it. In the days leading up to the vote and even after, numerous Senate Democrats voiced their strong opposition despite the fact that voting against it would lead to a government shutdown. And many Democrats mocked Schumer for seeming out of touch and geriatric after he led a fairly milquetoast protest in front of the Treasury Department in February chanting, 'We will win.' In the spring, he received even more criticism when he told CNN's Dana Bash on State of the Union that he'd sent a 'very strong letter' with 'eight very strong questions' that even had the journalist near rolling her eyes. The polling represents the 74-year-old Schumer's lowest numbers since he became a senator, according to Siena College, which has tracked his approval back since February 2005. Prior to his time in the Senate, he served in the House of Representatives for 18 years. During his time as majority leader, Schumer held together a tenuous coalition of 50 Democrats in the first two years of Joe Biden's presidency, passing Covid-19 relief legislation, the first major piece of gun legislation in almost 30 years, an initiative to promote the manufacturing of semi-conductors in the United States and the Inflation Reduction Act, Biden's signature climate and health care law. During the next two years, Schumer focused heavily on confirming Biden's judicial nominees. But many Democratic voters see him as ill-equipped to stand up to Trump. In January, 45 percent of New Yorkers had a favorable opinion of him and 41 percent had an unfavorable opinion of Schumer. The decline in favorability appears to come from a drop among Democrats and residents of New York City. In January, 68 percent of Democrats had a favorable opinion of him, with 23 percent of Democrats having an unfavorable opinion of him. But his favorable number among Democrats dropped to 49 percent and 39 percent of Democrats have an unfavorable opinion of him. Schumer also seemed to see a decline in support in his hometown of New York City. In January, 55 percent of New York City residents had a favorable opinion of him and 35 percent had an unfavorable opinion of him. Now, 39 percent of residents of New York City have a favorable opinion of him and 46 percent have an unfavorable opinion of Schumer. One of the few groups where his approval increased came among Jewish voters. Earlier this year, Schumer released a book about antisemitism and he remains an outspoke supporter of Israel even as many in his party continue to criticize the war being prosecuted against Gaza by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In Januaty, 45 percent of Jewish New Yorkers had a favorable opinion of him and 47 percent had an unfavorable opinion of him. Now, 52 percent of Jewish New Yorkers have a favorable opinion of Schumer and 43 percent have an unfavorable opinion of him. Schumer does not face re-election until 2028, when there will be another presidential election. Democrats face long odds to retake the Senate in 2026 and are hoping to flip states like North Carolina and Maine as they pray for miracles in Ohio, Texas and Iowa. But many have hoped that a more progressive Democrat like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), the democratic socialist congresswoman who represents the Bronx and Queens, will stage either a primary challenge or run if Schumer retires.


The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
‘Petty or racist': Ex White House photographer rips Trump for ‘hiding' Obama portrait and bucking tradition
Barack Obama's official White House photographer has hit out at Donald Trump's decision to 'hide' the portrait of the former president, questioning whether the motives for the shake-up were 'petty or racist.' Pete Souza, who served under Obama and former president Ronald Reagan, said that breaking a longstanding tradition of where presidential portraits are hung was 'pretty petty,' and suggested that Obama lived in the president's head 'rent free.' It comes after reports at the weekend that White House staff had moved the portraits of three former presidents — including Obama — to a staircase where visitors now cannot see them. Obama's portrait was moved to the top of the Grand Staircase, an area that is restricted to the president's family, Secret Service and select staff, according to CNN. In an Instagram post Tuesday, Souza shared a photo of Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama descending the staircase, with portraits of presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Harry S. Truman visible in the background 'Petty or racist?' he began his caption. Souza went on to describe the 'longstanding protocol/tradition' of where the portraits of former Presidents are hung. The most recent ones, he said, are displayed in the Grand Foyer, then the Cross Hall, then the Grand Staircase, in that order. The order is such that visitors during the White House public tours can see the most recent Presidents. Other portraits, like Lincoln and Washington, are displayed prominently in the State Dining Room and East Room. Souza also noted that, in keeping with this, during the Obama administration the portraits of presidents Bush and Clinton hung in the Grand Foyer, while portraits of presidents Reagan, Carter, Ford and Kennedy were hung along the Cross Hall. 'According to CNN, the current occupant of the Oval Office has moved the portrait of President Obama from the Grand Foyer (where it should be) to that hidden area at the top of the Grand Staircase,' he wrote. 'Why was this done? Was it because President Obama lives rent free in the current occupant's head? I'd say that's pretty petty. Or could there be another reason?' As well as his role as White House photographer for Reagan and Obama, Souza worked nine years for the Chicago Tribune 's Washington, D.C. bureau and as a freelancer for National Geographic and Life magazines. He has also earned widespread recognition for several famous photos, including the May 1, 2011 scene in the Situation Room where Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and other officials watched updates on the mission to kill Osama Bin Laden. Trump's decision to move the portrait of Obama comes as tensions rise between the two men, with Trump baselessly accusing Obama of 'treason' and posting AI-generated fake videos depicting Obama's arrest. Obama has called the claims he orchestrated an attempted 'coup' against Trump as 'outrageous' and branded it an 'attempt at distraction' by Trump amid his failure to release the controversial Epstein files.


The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
Mexico says 26 capos extradited to US were requested by Trump administration
Mexico sent 26 alleged cartel figures to face justice in the United States because the Trump administration requested them and Mexico did not want them to continue running their illicit businesses from Mexican prisons, officials said Wednesday. The mass transfer was not, however, part of wider negotiations as Mexico seeks to avoid higher tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump, they said. 'These transfers are not only a strategic measure to ensure public safety, but also reflect a firm determination to prevent these criminals from continuing to operate from within prisons and to break up their networks of influence,' Mexican Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said in a news conference on Wednesday. The 26 prisoners handed over to American authorities on Tuesday included figures aligned with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel among others. They were wanted by American authorities for their roles in drug trafficking and other crimes. It comes months after 29 other cartel leaders were sent to the U.S. in February. In the exchange, the U.S. Justice Department promised it would not seek the death penalty against any of the 55 people included in the two transfers, which experts say may help avoid any violent outburst by the cartels in response. Authorities said the operation involved nearly a thousand law enforcement officers, 90 vehicles and a dozen military aircraft. Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said earlier Wednesday that the transfers were 'sovereign decisions,' but the move comes as the Mexican leader faces mounting pressure by the Trump administration to crack down on cartels and fentanyl production. García Harfuch also confirmed Wednesday that a U.S. government drone — non-military — was flying over central Mexico, but at the request of Mexican authorities as part of an ongoing investigation. So far, Sheinbaum has tried to show the Trump administration a greater willingness to pursue the cartels than her predecessor — a change that has been acknowledged by U.S. officials — and continued to slow migration to the U.S. border, in an effort to avoid the worst of Trump's tariff threats. Two weeks ago, the two leaders spoke and agreed to give their teams another 90 days to negotiate to avoid threatened 30% tariffs on imports from Mexico. 'Little by little, Mexico is following through with this demand by the Americans to deliver drug capos," said Mexican security analyst David Saucedo. "It's buying (the Mexican government) time." Saucedo said the Mexican government has been able to avoid a burst of violence by cartels – a reaction often seen when capos are captured – in part, because Ovidio Guzmán, a son of infamous capo Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, showed it's possible to negotiate with U.S. prosecutors. Ovidio Guzmán pleaded guilty last month to drug trafficking and other charges and hopes for a lighter sentence in exchange for his cooperation. But Saucedo warned that if such mass prisoner transfers continue, the Latin American country is bound to see another outburst of violence in the future.