Kamala Harris isn't running for California governor. Is Rick Caruso?
In 2022, Caruso ran for mayor as a business-savvy outsider willing to defy an ossified political establishment. He sought to win over working-class and Latino voters disillusioned with the city's pervasive homelessness problem and spiraling cost of living.
It was not enough to win in deep-blue Los Angeles, where Bass enjoyed the backing of labor unions and was well known to voters and political power brokers after years in Congress. But some observers believe there is an audience for a similar message in the 2026 governor's race after California Democrats lost ground in 2024.
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Los Angeles Times
11 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
TV Superman Dean Cain is recruiting immigration agents and, thanks to DHS, so is ‘South Park'
Dean Cain played a superhero on TV 30 years ago. Now he wants to help the government in its illegal sweeps of Home Depot parking lots, schools and bus benches for people who appear to be immigrants. Cain played Superman in the 1990s TV series 'Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.' On Tuesday, he encouraged his Instagram followers to apply for a job within the ranks of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, or ICE. 'Here's your opportunity to join ICE,' he told followers in a video.'You can earn lots of great benefits and pay. Since President Trump took office, ICE has arrested hundreds of thousands of criminals including terrorists, rapists, murderers, pedophiles, MS-13 gang members, drug traffickers, you name it — very dangerous people who are no longer on the streets.' Clearly, Cain is still fighting fantasy villains because nonpublic data from ICE indicate that the government is primarily detaining individuals with no criminal convictions of any kind. Of the 200,000 people detained by ICE since October 2024, 65% have never committed a crime, and 93% haven't committed a violent crime. But he wasn't the only player from series TV to end up in a recruitment post for the Department of Homeland Security. On its X account, the DHS pulled an image from a 'South Park' teaser for the show's forthcoming episode 'Got a Nut.' It showed masked men riding in black cars marked 'ICE.' The DHS added its own caption: ' The show's last episode, 'Sermon on the Mount,' mercilessly lampooned the president's manhood and penchant for vengeance-driven lawsuits. Trump responded by calling the animated comedy 'irrelevant,' though its searing indictment of the president represented the show's highest-rated season opener since 1999. Paramount Global reported that viewership was up 68% from the previous 'South Park' season premiere and was the top show across cable on July 23. The episode reached nearly 6 million viewers across Paramount+ and Comedy Central platforms in the three days after it aired. A 20-second teaser of Wednesday's 'Got a Nut' episode shows Trump at a dinner event with Satan. As Trump's courage is heralded by an off-screen speaker, the president rubs Satan's leg under the table. Satan tells him to stop. Even the devil is disgusted. It also appears 'South Park' will be focused on ICE recruitment or, rather, the absurdity of the administration's public call to arms. 'When Mr. Mackey loses his job, he desperately tries to find a new way to make a living,' reads the caption about 'Got a Nut' on 'South Park's' X account. It's accompanied by a screenshot of the oft-misguided former school counselor Mackey looking out of sorts in a face mask and ICE vest. He stands near a characterization of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who vamps in ICE gear and points a pistol in the air. On Tuesday, 'South Park' responded via X to the DHS usage of an image from the forthcoming episode. 'Wait, so we ARE relevant?' followed by a hashtag we can't reprint here. Satire around MAGA's inhumane immigration policy has ramped up after the Trump administration launched an ICE hiring campaign, promising a $50,000 signing bonus and retirement benefits. 'Your country is calling you to serve at ICE,' said Noem in a news release last week. 'Your country needs dedicated men and women of ICE to get the worst of the worst criminals out of our country. This is a defining moment in our nation's history. Your skills, your experience, and your courage have never been more essential. Together, we must defend the homeland.' Cain's signature show has been off the air as many years as 'South Park' has been on, but Tuesday he decided it was time to slip on the virtual unitard one more time, imagining himself a superhero as he took to social media and said: 'For those who don't know, I am a sworn law enforcement officer, as well as being a filmmaker, and I felt it was important to join with our first responders to help secure the safety of all Americans, not just talk about it. So I joined up,' said the 59-year-old. A follower replied: 'Unfortunately, you can't join ICE if you're over 37 years of age — even if you're a fully licensed state law enforcement officer.' Cain replied: 'Perhaps we'll get the changed…' Mere hours passed, then viola! Noem announced during an appearance on Fox News that ICE's hiring age cap had been eliminated. And faster than a speeding rubber bullet fired at an ICE protester, Superman extended the dream of state-sanctioned kidnapping to the young and old.
Miami Herald
11 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
ICE recruitment targets Florida cops, creates tension with police chiefs, sheriffs
The Trump administration's efforts to entice cops in Florida into becoming federal immigration agents is sparking complaints from police chiefs and sheriffs, who believe the effort undermines their partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to an email obtained by the Miami Herald. 'It's incredibly disappointing and reflects the inability of our federal partners to understand the concerns of local law enforcement agency heads that literally have committed 10% or more of their assets to help federal agencies with their primary mission despite staffing concerns, pay inequities that cannot begin to compete with federal funding,' Jennifer Cook Pritt, executive director of the Florida Police Chiefs' Association, said in an email to ICE on July 30. Gov. Ron DeSantis has also publicly echoed the concerns, hinting at a conflict between his administration and the federal government. 'I think we want to continue doing what we're doing, but, you know, sheriffs losing deputies who are in this fight to just go to a different, wear a different jersey, basically, but still be in the fight, that doesn't necessarily add to what we're doing,' DeSantis said in a press conference last week. DeSantis has pushed for local and state law enforcement officers to join the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign. Hundreds of law enforcement officials have signed up to perform some of the duties of federal immigration agents as part of their regular responsibilities in a program known as 287(g). In an ICE recruitment email reviewed by the Herald from ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan, which targeted officers participating in the 287(g) program, the agency promised a $50,000 sign-on bonus paid out over five years, $10,000 each anniversary, to deportation officers and criminal investigators. 'This is more than a job; it's a continuation of your service to our country,' the email said. In the press conference, DeSantis said he understood the frustration from law enforcement officials. 'I know some sheriffs have concerns about that happening,' the governor said. 'It's like, hey, we've been doing all this stuff to help you guys and now you're trying to poach our people who are already in the fight.' DeSantis said the 287(g) program, which his administration pushed Florida law enforcement agencies to join, has been a 'huge benefit' to ICE, and targeting these police officers amounts to just moving people around. 'Why don't you bring new people in to supplement the mission going forward? So I understand the concern,' he said. The 287(g) program allows state and local enforcement to partner with ICE in performing limited immigration enforcement activities, such as identifying undocumented immigrants. Under the Trump administration, the program has become a critical avenue for boosting mass deportation targets. An ICE spokesperson, in an email statement, confirmed to the Herald that local police who have joined the 287(g) program will continue to be targets of recruitment efforts. 'ICE is recruiting law enforcement, veterans and other patriots who want to serve their country and help remove gang members, child pedophiles, murderers, terrorists and drug traffickers ' the statement said. 'This includes local law enforcement, veterans, and our 287(g) partners who have already been trained and have valuable law enforcement experience.' The Florida Police Chiefs Association declined to comment for this story, and the Florida Sheriffs Association did not respond to requests for comment. After recently getting an additional $75 billion in funding from Congress, ICE has amplified its recruitment efforts, flooding social media sites with posters promising recruits benefits such as student loan repayment, the $50,000 signing bonus, and a six-figure yearly salary. 'America Needs You,' the new recruiting website says, with a poster of Uncle Sam. In an interview Wednesday on Fox News, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the agency had received over 80,000 applications for 10,000 open positions. Noem added the agency is lifting any age limit on who can apply to become an ICE officer. Previously, applicants had to be 21 years old or no more than 40 years old. Noem, in the interview, said applicants can now be as young as 18. Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau reporter Ana Ceballos contributed to this report.
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Former Superman Dean Cain stumps for ICE hiring initiative
Dean Cain is encouraging Americans to become Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The agency is in the middle of a massive hiring spree, hoping to bring on more officers to meet the demands set by President Donald Trump's mass deportation agenda. The actor best known for playing Superman praised the agency in a video shared to social media, touting the benefits that come with ICE employment. 'You can defend your homeland and get great benefits,' the former Superman said. 'You don't need an undergraduate degree. You can get started right away.' Cain said that the increase in ICE arrests across the United States was 'removing the worst of the worst from America's streets, adding that the enforcement actions were something he 'voted for.' The libertarian thinktank Cato Institute notes that 65% of ICE detainees taken into custody between October and June had no criminal record. Over 90% of them had never been convicted of a violent crime. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Tuesday that ICE had received more than 80,000 applications for 10,000 positions. Though she touted the overwhelming response as a victory, she made additional moves that suggest ICE is struggling to recruit new employees. Noem announced the removal of age limits for ICE agents. Prospective officers previously aged out of consideration at 37. DHS also removed a lower age limit, allowing for applicants as young as 18 years old. ICE under Noem has been roundly criticized for playing fast and loose with the constitutional rights of detainees and members of Congress. Hastily erected detention centers like Florida's Alligator Alcatraz have been a regular source of horror stories from both detainees and employees. The post Former Superman Dean Cain stumps for ICE hiring initiative appeared first on Solve the daily Crossword
