We Shouldn't Have Billionaires, Mamdani Says
Zohran Mamdani, who campaigned for mayor on the theme of making New York City more affordable, said in a major national television interview that during a time of rising inequality, 'I don't think we should have billionaires.'
Mr. Mamdani, the likely winner of the Democratic primary for mayor of New York, said in an appearance on 'Meet the Press' on Sunday that more equality is needed across the city, state and country, and that he looked forward to working 'with everyone, including billionaires, to make a city that is fairer for all of them.'
At the same time, Mr. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, asserted that he is not a communist, a response to an attack from President Trump.
'I have already had to start to get used to the fact that the president will talk about how I look, how I sound, where I'm from, who I am — ultimately because he wants to distract from what I'm fighting for,' Mr. Mamdani said.
But one question he continued to sidestep was whether he would denounce the phrase 'globalize the intifada,' after he declined to condemn it during a podcast interview before the primary.
The slogan is a rallying cry for liberation among Palestinians and their supporters, but many Jews consider it a call to violence invoking resistance movements of the 1980s and 2000s.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
4 minutes ago
Canadian Prime Minister Carney says trade talks with US resume after Canada rescinded tech tax
TORONTO -- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said late Sunday trade talks with U.S. have resumed after Canada rescinded its plan to tax U.S. technology firms. U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he was suspending trade talks with Canada over its plans to continue with its tax on technology firms, which he called 'a direct and blatant attack on our country.' The Canadian government said 'in anticipation' of a trade deal 'Canada would rescind' the Digital Serves Tax. The tax was set to go into effect Monday. Carney and Trump spoke on the phone Sunday, and Carney's office said they agreed to resume negotiations. 'Today's announcement will support a resumption of negotiations toward the July 21, 2025, timeline set out at this month's G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis,' Carney said in a statement. Carney visited Trump in May at the White House, where he was polite but firm. Trump traveled to Canada for the G7 summit in Alberta, where Carney said that Canada and the U.S. had set a 30-day deadline for trade talks. Trump, in a post on his social media network last Friday, said Canada had informed the U.S. that it was sticking to its plan to impose the digital services tax, which applies to Canadian and foreign businesses that engage with online users in Canada. The digital services tax was due to hit companies including Amazon, Google, Meta, Uber and Airbnb with a 3% levy on revenue from Canadian users. It would have applied retroactively, leaving U.S. companies with a $2 billion U.S. bill due at the end of the month. Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, called Carney's retreat a 'clear victory" for Trump. "At some point this move might have become necessary in the context of Canada-US trade negotiations themselves but Prime Minister Carney acted now to appease President Trump and have him agree to simply resume these negotiations, which is a clear victory for both the White House and big tech," Béland said. He said it makes Carney look vulnerable to President Trump's outbursts. 'President Trump forced PM Carney to do exactly what big tech wanted. U.S. tech executive will be very happy with this outcome,' Béland said. Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne also spoke with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday. 'Rescinding the digital services tax will allow the negotiations of a new economic and security relationship with the United States to make vital progress,' Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said in a statement. Trump's announcement Friday was the latest swerve in the trade war he's launched since taking office for a second term in January. Progress with Canada has been a roller coaster, starting with the U.S. president poking at the nation's northern neighbor and repeatedly suggesting it would be absorbed as a U.S. state. Canada and the U.S. have been discussing easing on goods from America's neighbor. Trump has imposed 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum as well as 25% tariffs on autos. He is also charging a 10% tax on imports from most countries, though he could raise rates on July 9, after the 90-day negotiating period he set would expire. Canada and Mexico face separate tariffs of as much as 25% that Trump put into place under the auspices of stopping fentanyl smuggling, though some products are still protected under the 2020 U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement signed during Trump's first term.
San Francisco Chronicle
18 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Chinese factory activity improves slightly with delay on tariffs, but still lags
BANGKOK (AP) — Chinese factory activity improved somewhat in June after President Donald Trump agreed to delay imposing higher tariffs on imports from China for 90 days, but overall activity was still contracting, according to a survey released Monday. The purchasing managers index, which reflects new orders and other measures, rose to 49.7 from 49.5 in May, the National Bureau of Statistics reported. That's on a scale of 0 to 100 where 50 and above shows expansion. Other reports showed similar trends in Japan and Korea. Trump has said he's not planning to extend the 90-day pause on tariffs on most nations beyond July 9. The delay for imposing much higher tariffs on China, agreed to in early May, expires about a month later. The hiatus for tariffs brought a revival of manufacturing activity as companies and individuals rushed to take advantage of lower import duties. But that mainly helped large manufacturers, with small and mid-size companies' output still contracting. Hiring also fell. New export orders and exports also remained below the 50-level that marks expansion. In Japan, manufacturing output edged 0.5% higher in May, well below analysts' estimates for a 3.5% increase. 'The subdued rise in industrial production in May means that firms were not benefitting from sky-high U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports, and their production forecasts point to continued weakness,' Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics said in a report. South Korea's government reported that its 'all industry' measure of output fell 2.9% from a year earlier in May, with production of computer chips falling 2%. Production of vehicles fell 2.3% year-on-year, after falling 4.1% in April. In an interview with Fox News Channel's 'Sunday Morning Futures,' Trump said he's not planning to extend a 90-day pause on tariffs on most nations beyond July 9. The delay for imposing much higher tariffs on China, agreed to in early May, expires about a month later. Trump said his administration will notify countries that the trade penalties will take effect unless there are deals with the United States. He had played down the deadline at a White House news conference Friday by noting how difficult it would be to work out separate deals with each nation. The administration had set a goal of reaching 90 trade deals in 90 days. Details of the latest agreement to deescalate trade tensions are scarce and major issues between the world's two biggest economies remain unresolved. 'I think getting along well with China is a very good thing,' Trump said. 'China's going to be paying a lot of tariffs, but we have a big (trade) deficit, they understand that.'
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Belgian monarchy checking if princess affected by Trump's student ban
The Belgian royal palace is examining the potential consequences of a possible US entry ban for Crown Princess Elisabeth at Harvard University. "We are currently reviewing the possible implications of the Trump administration's decision," the palace said in response to a query from dpa. "We are taking the time to observe further developments in the coming days and weeks." In mid-June, a US judge temporarily blocked another attempt by President Donald Trump's administration to bar foreign nationals from accessing Harvard University. The judge's order allows foreign students to continue entering the United States to study at the elite university until the case is resolved. Trump has accused Harvard and other universities of having a left-liberal orientation and criticized them for not taking a strong enough stance against anti-Semitism. Crown Princess Elisabeth of Belgium is pursuing a 2-year Master's degree in Public Policy at the elite university near Boston, according to the royal palace. She has just completed her first year of studies and would graduate in May 2026, if allowed to continue studying there.
