Andy McCarthy dismissed Republicans' calls for a special counsel investigation as ridiculous.
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- Yahoo
Race for mayor in Massachusetts goes off leash as seat held by a cat is hijacked by dog, parrot and tortoise candidates
This mayoral election has gone to the dogs ... and the incumbent cat is not happy about it. A race to elect the newest bike path cat mayor in Somerville, Massachusetts (yes, that's a thing) has been hijacked by an array of other animals – including a parrot, guinea pig, snake and tortoise. Several ferocious felines, including incumbent Mayor Berry, had been campaigning for the fictitious role of 'Bike Path Mayor' when posters for other pets to fill the role began popping up in the Boston suburb. The highly contested race began after Berry's owner, Mallory Bisset, placed a humorous poster declaring her indoor-outdoor cat the 'Bike Path Mayor' as a way to let passersby know she isn't a stray, just a cat that loves to spend time on the trail, NBC 10 reported. Then Noah's Ark opened... Claws quickly came out as a furry competitor, 'Orange Cat,' began campaigning for the role as well. 'Berry became mayor of Somerville without an election, and I thought that was bologna,' said Orange Cat's owner, Janet McNamara. 'Orange Cat stands for fair and free elections.' Both Berry and Orange Cat frequently stroll along the bike trail and are known and loved amongst residents. "The original race, we have photo evidence all over the Somerville Discord, was Orange Cat vs Berry, who is the incumbent," one resident said. "I see Berry all the time, Orange Cat almost as much. And then other candidates started coming in, and then Berry's sign was stolen." Signs for Berry, who is running along the TabbyCat Party, later reappeared with a promise to 'Make Cats Outside Again.' Meanwhile, Orange Cat's campaign has been 'paid for by the catalyst party,' according to signs. While Berry and Orange Cat appear to be the frontrunners among locals, dozens of other cats have since entered the race, each with their own slogan and campaign platform. Pirate is running on 'More Kibble For All,' while Puzzle has taken a pro catnap position. Freya is running on the 'Com-meow-nist Party' and advocating for 'Frisky's South 4 All.' Another favorite in the race, Minerva, is simply running on 'Crime.' The cat quickly got out of the bag, and a slew of other animals have since entered the race. A dog duo, Duke and Ella, entered on a shared ticket with the tagline, 'You got anyone betta?' While only a few dogs are on the ballot, McNamara said it would be 'ridiculous' for a dog to be elected mayor of the bike path. As of Thursday, the race opened up to even more exotic animals, including a parrot named Timber, a guinea pig named Ms. Potato, a snake, aptly named Large Snake, and a tortoise named Nagi. 'I'm a big fan of Nagi the tortoise. I think his age and experience is good,' local voter Gabe Smith told NBC10. 'You know, diversity in a campaign is probably good,' added Somerville resident Valerie Folan. While there are countless cat-idates, many residents seemed to stand behind the incumbent, Berry. 'I am a little partial to Berry, because she has held a town hall in our garden a few months ago, so I think I'm just waiting to see if other candidates are going to speak up more,' said resident Andrea Wen, who frequently walks the trail. Given the competitive nature of the race, some pets have decided to throw their hat in for other governmental positions. Wasil the cat is running for attorney general while Whiskers, also a cat, hopes to be elected as chief of staff. A QR code is displayed on the bike path for people to cast their votes. According to the form, a winner will be announced on September 5.
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump seeks pitches from bank chiefs on Fannie, Freddie stock offerings, Bloomberg News reports
(Reuters) -President Donald Trump is meeting with chiefs of major U.S. banks to discuss monetizing mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. The pitches include a major public offering of stock, the report added. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been under federal conservatorship since 2008 following the financial crisis, during which both entities became insolvent amid the subprime mortgage meltdown. Since then, the companies have rebuilt capital reserves, repaid their treasury loans and returned to consistent profitability. Shares of both firms, currently traded on over-the-counter markets, have surged amid speculation over privatization plans. Trump first signaled intentions to take the companies public in May, posting on Truth Social that he was giving "very serious consideration" to the move. Trump met with JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon last week at the White House and is meeting Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon on Thursday, the report said. Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan is also expected to meet with Trump in the coming days, the report added, with talks likely to include other banking executives as well. Trump is asking the CEOs to provide ideas on strategies for taking the organizations public and exploring how their banks might participate in the process, the report said. Representatives for BofA and Goldman declined to comment, while the White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
2026 race for California governor goes into new gear and directions with Kamala Harris out
LOS ANGELES (AP) — After months of uncertainty, the race to become California's next governor started Thursday. Former Vice President Kamala Harris' decision Wednesday to bypass the 2026 contest pushed the campaign into a new phase, lacking its biggest potential star and the presumptive early favorite. Harris' formal exit opens the door for additional candidates to venture in, while scrambling a crowded field with no dominant candidate. Democrats remain favored to hold the seat now occupied by term-limited Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, in a state where Republicans have not won a statewide election in nearly two decades. Democrats hold a nearly 2-to-1 advantage over registered Republicans statewide. 'The starting gun just popped,' said Democratic consultant Andrew Acosta, calling it the first truly wide-open governor's race in over a quarter-century. 'The race is on.' Other Democrats work to position themselves Former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter moved quickly to establish herself as a leading contender, as her campaign pleaded for donations to 'solidify Katie as the Democratic front-runner.' Former Biden administration health secretary Xavier Becerra sought to position himself as an heir to the Harris legacy: They both previously served as California attorneys general. 'The vice president and I have been together in this fight to restore the American Dream for a long time," Becerra said in a statement. ''I'm proud of our shared record — expanding health care for millions of Americans, bringing down the cost of prescription drugs, tackling our country's mental health crisis and defending reproductive freedom.' Harris' decision 'reshapes this race for governor, but not the stakes,' he added. Because of Harris' potential candidacy, the contest had been in a slow-walk for months. Now, following her decision, campaigns will be chasing her supporters while reevaluating a field in which Harris will not be taking part. Fundraising emails jammed inboxes. Democratic consultant Michael Trujillo, a former aide to Democratic candidate and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, said voters loyal to Harris are going to have to rethink their choices while looking at candidates they might not know much about in a large and growing field. 'I think everyone is picking up points from Kamala's voters now that she is not an option,' Trujillo said. "There now is more oxygen for everyone else." California is known as the epicenter of the so-called Trump resistance. The race will unfold with President Donald Trump dominating daily headlines as his administration battles the liberal-leaning state over health care funding for lower-income residents, immigration and environmental protection. More than half of voters think the state is headed in the wrong direction, with many households vexed by inflation, notorious taxes and some of the nation's highest utility bills. Soaring rents and housing prices are driving residents to other, more affordable states. The state budget is expected to be in the red in coming years. And billions in spending on homelessness has done little to check the crisis. But the primary election is not until June 2, so it is impossible to know what will be motivating voters in 10 months. Republicans see glimmers of hope Long-suffering Republicans in the state have been heartened by last year's elections, in which the heavily Democratic state displayed a slight rightward shift. While Harris — a former San Francisco prosecutor, state attorney general and U.S. senator — won the state in a landslide, she fell well short of former President Joe Biden's vote totals in 2020 while Trump picked off a string of counties that eluded him four years earlier. Among the candidates, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said in a statement that Harris realized 'the status quo is impossible to defend.' And conservative commentator Steve Hilton welcomed Harris' decision and said 'after 15 years of one-party Democrat rule, everyone can see it's time for change in California." As is the case in high-profile races for governor, a long list of candidates — some known, others not — fills out the ballot. California has what is known as a top-two primary system, in which all candidates appear on the same primary ballot regardless of political party, but only the top two vote-getters advance to the November general election, regardless of party. Other Democrats in the mix include Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis; former state controller Betty Yee; former state Senate leader Toni Atkins; state schools superintendent Tony Thurmond; and real estate developer Stephen Cloobeck. Rich outsider could shake up race In California, home to some of the nation's richest Americans, it is always possible a wealthy outsider could shake up the race. That was the case in 2010, when billionaire Republican Meg Whitman spent nearly $180 million, much of it her own money, but lost to Democrat Jerry Brown, a former governor. Newsom — who has not endorsed a successor — was asked Thursday what he thought of the possibility that he and Harris, old friends from the San Francisco Bay Area, might meet again in the 2028 presidential race. Harris has not ruled out another run for the presidency after falling short in 2020 and 2024. Newsom is widely seen as positioning himself for a run in 2028 though he has veered away from speculating about his political future. "We'll see where fate brings all of us," Newsom told reporters. 'I'm looking forward to what she does next.' ___ Associated Press writer Tran Nguyen in Sacramento contributed.
