Iran is severely on its backfoot hence possible ceasefire: Former foreign policy advisor Dan Senor
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Politico
20 minutes ago
- Politico
Game of chicken: Eric Adams, Cuomo want each other out of NYC mayoral race
'I think he really should do an analysis and say: Give Eric an opportunity to run against [Zohran],' Adams said during an interview on CNBC's Squawk Box. The mayor also revealed Cuomo had called him to ask the same thing. 'I'm the sitting mayor of the City of New York, and you expect for me to step aside when you just lost to Zohran by 12 points?' Adams asked in the CNBC interview, citing the nearly $30 million in outside spending on behalf of Cuomo by super PACs and the candidate's own warchest. 'They heard your message. You lost … that's the highest level of arrogance,' he added, accusing Cuomo of having a long history of undermining Black candidates, including former Gov. David Paterson, former state Comptroller H. Carl McCall and Charlie King. (Paterson and McCall endorsed Cuomo's mayoral run earlier this year and King has been a key player in Cuomo's campaign.) The inclusion of Cuomo and Adams on independent lines on the November ballot is making the general election more competitive than any in recent memory. Attorney Jim Walden is also running on an independent line, while Curtis Sliwa is running under the Republican banner. Last week, Walden proposed an independent survey to determine which of the four candidates would be best suited to stop Mamdani. He argued the weaker candidates should then pledge to support the strongest challenger, even though it is too late for anyone to remove their names from the ballot. On Monday, Cuomo's team acknowledged the tough math facing the pack of moderates and the GOP candidate: On their current trajectories, they are set to carve up the non-Mamdani vote into several inconsequential pieces. Cuomo and Adams in particular stand to split their shared base of Black voters. Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi reiterated his team's belief that Adams does not have a path, but said his candidate is considering Walden's pitch.
UPI
33 minutes ago
- UPI
U.S. envoy praises Lebanon's reply on disarming Hezbollah
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack speaks during a news conference after a meeting with the Lebanese president at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, on Monday. Barrack is on an official visit to Lebanon to meet with Lebanese leaders. Photo by Lebanese Presidency Press Office/EPA BEIRUT, Lebanon, July 7 (UPI) -- U.S. special envoy Thomas Barrack said Monday he was "unbelievably satisfied" with Lebanon's response to Washington's proposals to disarm Hezbollah, saying Israel seeks peace with its neighbor and Hezbollah needs to see that there is a path forward for them. Barrack, however, warned that war-ravaged Lebanon risks being left behind if it fails to seize the current opportunities with the region changing at high speed. The envoy, who was speaking after a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun shortly after his arrival in Beirut, praised the Lebanese officials for presenting "a thoughtful and considered" seven-page response to his June 19 roadmap. His initial proposals include a phased approach to disarm Hezbollah and other militant groups, the implementation of necessary reforms to unlock funds for reconstruction and help solve its acute financial crisis as well as the need to improve ties with neighboring Syria. According to a statement released by the Presidential Palace, Barrack was handed over Lebanon's reply with "ideas for a comprehensive solution." "We are creating a go-forward plan. To create that, we need dialogue. What the government gave us was something spectacular," Barrack said. "We are both committed to get to the details and get a resolution. So, I am very, very hopeful." He said the mechanism set up to monitor the Nov. 27 cease-fire accord that ended 14 months of a devastating Israel-Hezbollah war "wasn't sufficient" and "had no ability to correct a default," referring to the mistrust between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel has continued striking southern Lebanon and other areas of the country since the cease-fire accord, which was brokered by the United States and France, went into effect Feb. 18. It has also refused to fully withdraw and retained five strategic positions inside south Lebanon to force the full disarmament of Hezbollah. More than 200 Lebanese civilians and Hezbollah field commanders were killed in the ongoing strikes, which Israel claims to target suspected Hezbollah positions and foil the group's attempts to reorganize its ranks and rearm in violations of the cease-fire accord. Lebanon and Hezbollah on their part recorded more than 3,700 Israeli violations. In line with the cease-fire agreement, the Lebanese Army has taken control of most of Hezbollah's positions and military facilities, pushing the militant group away from the border with Israel and preventing it from having a military presence south of the Litani River. The Army could not complete its deployment because of Israel's continued occupation of the five points inside south Lebanon. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam explained after a meeting with the U.S. envoy that Barrack "wouldn't have come with new ideas" if the mechanism to monitor the ceasefire succeeded in ending the ongoing hostilities. "These are ideas for implementing the cessation of hostilities arrangements ... based on the principle of parallel and reciprocal steps -- not that Israel withdraws first and then we start talking about the issue of exclusive arms control, or that if there is no exclusivity of arms, Israel doesn't withdraw," Salam said. "That's not how this process works. There are interlinked steps that unfold over time." He said Lebanon's demands include the necessity of a full Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territory, a comprehensive and complete cessation of hostile activities, the immediate start of reconstruction efforts and the release of the remaining Lebanese prisoners held by Israel. "The exclusivity of weapons must be in the hands of the Lebanese state, and it alone must reclaim the decision over war and peace," Salam said. "This authority must lie solely with the Lebanese state, without any partnership with any other party." On Sunday, Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said his group, which has repeatedly refused to lay down arms, was ready for both choices: peace and building Lebanon, but also for defending it and confronting Israel until it ends its air strikes and pulls out from south Lebanon. The U.S. envoy said there is "an opportunity in the air," calling on Lebanon not to miss it as the region is changing and "everything is moving at warp speed." Barrack said that he believes Israel wants peace, not war, with Lebanon while Hezbollah needs to see that "there is a future for them ... that there is an intersection of peace and prosperity for them." "It has been a nightmare on both sides, for both countries and everybody is tired of it," he said. "I think both countries are trying to give the same thing: the notion of a stand down agreement of the cessation of hostilities and a road to peace... but everybody will have to give up something." Barrack said while Syria "went from absolute chaos to hope of the world standing behind it" and started a dialogue with Israel, Lebanon "can't be left behind." He warned Lebanon that the region "the region is moving at mach speed," and will be "left behind sadly" if it refuses to change. But if it does change, Barrack said Washington will support it, adding that U.S. President Donald Trump "for some reason, believes that Lebanon still is the key to the region and can be the Pearl of the Mediterranean."
Politico
38 minutes ago
- Politico
Playbook PM: Trump turns to tricky treaties
Presented by THE CATCH-UP A BIG DAY AT 1600 PENN: President Donald Trump has a stacked day today of sending trade letters, signing executive orders in the Oval Office at 4 p.m. and then hosting Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu this evening at the White House for the third time since returning to office. Expect to hear more about all of it — plus the latest on the response to the deadly flooding in Texas — during White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's press briefing, which just kicked off. Watch live First up, the letters: Trump posted to Truth Social two of the dozen or so letters that he's sending to major trading partners as he extends the deadline to reach deals to Aug. 1. Turning up the heat on Japan and South Korea, the letters invite world leaders to 'participate in the extraordinary Economy of the United States' and threaten a 25-percent tariff escalation should the countries attempt retaliation. Read the letters to Japan and South Korea … More from POLITICO's Megan Messerly and Daniel Desrochers The caveat: If these countries choose to 'open your heretofore closed Trading Markets' and eliminate their tariffs, 'we will, perhaps, consider an adjustment to this letter,' Trump writes. In other words, it's all open to negotiation anyway. Here we go again: Stocks dropped following Trump's postings, per CNN's Elisabeth Buchwald. Trump and the world: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said this morning that he will meet with his Chinese counterpart 'in the next couple of weeks' to advance trade talks, Bloomberg's Akayla Gardner reports. 'I think there are things for us to do together if the Chinese want to do it,' Bessent said on CNBC. 'So we will discuss whether we are able to move beyond trade into other areas.' Mr. Worldwide: Secretary of State Marco Rubio is jetting off to Asia to talk trade and global security as the tariff deadline grows closer. He flies to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, tomorrow and will attend the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, per the State Department. Keeping mum: The BRICS nations, which are wrapping up their summit in Rio de Janeiro today, largely aren't engaging with Trump's overnight threat to slap extra tariffs for 'anti-American policies,' Bloomberg's Simone Iglesias and Mirette Magdy write. 'Several officials from different nations said that it's not possible to second-guess what Trump will do, since his social-media post may be a specific threat or more rhetoric. Wait and see is the only option for the group's approach, they said.' Waiting for a breakthrough: The EU is still trying to pull through a deal (or the semblance of one) before July 9, with a European Commission spokesperson saying today that 'political and technical level contact between the EU and U.S. continues,' per WSJ's Edith Hancock. There's been progress on an agreement in principle, and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had a 'good exchange' with Trump over the phone yesterday. Over at Blair House: Netanyahu landed in D.C. early this morning and has a packed day of meetings that Trump is hoping will help push a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza across the finish line this week. Netanyahu is set to meet with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff at 3 p.m., Rubio at 4:30 p.m. and will cap the day with a White House dinner with Trump around 6:30 p.m. On the agenda: The latest Gaza ceasefire proposal, which comes after two short-lived agreements failed to secure an end to the war, would build in negotiations to end the war, a detail that will be essential for Hamas as conversations continue this week. The two leaders could also discuss talks with Iran. Trump said last night that he's working with Israel on a 'permanent deal.' More from NYT's Aaron Boxerman That's not all: 'Israel is hoping that the outcome of its conflict with Iran will also pave the way for new diplomatic opportunities in the region. … Avi Dichter, an Israeli minister and a member of Netanyahu's security cabinet, said he expected Trump's meeting with the Israeli leader would go beyond Gaza to include the possibility of normalising ties with Lebanon, Syria and Saudi Arabia,' Reuters' Andrea Shalal and Alexander Cornwell report. Behind the scenes: The White House recently reviewed a proposal for a $2 billion plan from the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to build camps called 'Humanitarian Transit Areas' inside — or even outside — Gaza to house displaced Palestinians and to replace 'Hamas' control over the population in Gaza,' Reuters' Jonathan Landay and Aram Roston scooped this morning. Good Monday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Get in touch at abianco@ 7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 1. DEVELOPING STORY: 'Man killed after shooting at a US Border Patrol facility in southern Texas,' from AP: 'A 27-year-old man was killed Monday after opening fire at a U.S. Border Patrol facility in McAllen, Texas, authorities said. Ryan Louis Mosqueda had an assault rifle and was carrying a utility vest when federal agents returned fire on Monday morning, McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez told reporters Monday morning. … Law enforcement said afterward they found a second rifle, more ammunition and backpacks that the suspect had brought. Rodriguez said Mosqueda's motive is currently unknown.' 2. THE LATEST IN TEXAS: Camp Mystic, the all-girls Christian summer camp in Texas, confirmed this morning that they tragically lost 27 campers and counselors in the flash floods over the weekend, AP's Jim Vertuno and John Seewer report. Search and rescue crews are still searching through the overflowed Guadalupe River in central Texas for victims, with the latest estimates putting casualties of at least 89 people, per AP. Over 1,000 volunteers are rummaging through the hardest-hit areas of Kerr County. On the ground: 'The entire state is grieving at a level that is difficult to describe,' Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said on 'Fox & Friends' this morning from Kerrville, Texas. 'But there's no doubt afterwards we're going to have to have a serious retrospective … And look, the fact that you have girls asleep in their cabins when the floodwaters are rising, something went wrong there. We've got to fix that and have a better system of warning to get kids out of harm's way.' The threat is ongoing: The National Weather Service is advising that flash flooding could continue, with some areas of central Texas potentially getting up to 10 inches of rain today, WSJ's Jennifer Hiller and colleagues write. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has also warned to navigate roads with extreme caution today. How it happened: 'Children's camps in Texas were located in areas known to be at high risk of flooding,' by CNN's Renée Rigdon and Angela Fritz: 'Several of the camps along the Guadalupe River and its tributaries sustained damage early July 4. Many of them are in areas known to flood. … Ten minutes north on the South Fork is Camp La Junta, a boys camp. Some of Camp La Junta's property also coincides with areas known to flood, though several of its buildings are located in the lower-risk zone.' 3. IMMIGRATION FILES: In the latest of its sweeping cuts to temporary protections for immigrants, the Trump administration is ending the legal status of about 76,000 Hondurans and Nicaraguans on TPS. Immigrants without another status come September will be vulnerable for deportation. More from CBS' Camilo Montoya-Galvez On the realignment: 'Is the Hispanic Red Wave for Donald Trump Starting to Crash?' by The New Yorker's Rachel Monroe: 'In the Rio Grande Valley, bordering Mexico, ICE raids have emptied construction sites and restaurants. Recently turned Republicans are beginning to have doubts.' 4. TRAIL MIX: Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.) is exploring a potential run for the North Carolina Senate seat soon to be vacated by Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), POLITICO's Nick Wu and Jordain Carney report. But a Davis Senate run would in turn open up his swingy House district, a prime pickup opportunity for Republicans next year. … And former Rep. Jesse Jackson is exploring a comeback bid for Illinois' 2nd Congressional District, per POLITICO's Shia Kapos. Jackson's been out of Congress for a decade and spent two years in prison over campaign finance violations. The new campaign move: Democrats hosting town halls and meeting with voters are getting a resounding message to break decorum more often, as anger among the Democratic base grows against the Trump administration, Axios' Andrew Solender writes. A stunning quote: 'Some of [the grassroots] have suggested … what we really need to do is be willing to get shot,' a House Democrat told Axios. 'Our own base is telling us that what we're doing is not good enough ... [that] there needs to be blood to grab the attention of the press and the public.' 5. SCHOOL TIES: Back in March, Trump called for 'more action against universities,' and then federal funding for the University of Pennsylvania and San Jose State University was scrapped amid the White House's targeting of transgender athletes, according to an email chain exclusively reported by NOTUS' Mark Alfred. 'The internal communications detail a push fueled by a desire to get media attention, as senior officials rushed to coordinate with various federal agencies, the DOGE teams within them and Fox News to deliver on the president's wish. The emails also show that the administration targeted San Jose State in a previously unreported effort to punish the campus — even before the Title IX investigation into it had concluded.' 6. MUSK READ: Elon Musk's posts about forming his own 'America Party' rage on (interspersed between posts on Tesla and the Epstein files), and it's wreaking havoc on his business. Shares of Tesla fell by 8 percent following Musk's posts about his intentions over the weekend, Bloomberg's Craig Trudell reports. 'If that move were to hold, it would be the biggest drop since Musk's initial falling out with Donald Trump over the president's tax bill in early June.' 7. VAX POPULI: 'U.S. measles cases reach 33-year record high as outbreaks spread,' by WaPo's Lena Sun: 'The milestone marks a public health reversal in defeating a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease as the anti-vaccine movement gains strength. … Authorities said at least 155 people have been hospitalized and three people have died of measles-related complications this year. … About 92 percent of measles cases in 2025 were in people who were either unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown, according to the CDC.' TALK OF THE TOWN TALK OF THIS TOWN: Michael Schaffer pens his latest Capital City column for POLITICO Mag: 'An Elderly Lawmaker's Staff Keeps Walking Back Things She Tells Reporters. Should They Keep Quoting Her?' A bite: 'For people interested in how Washington works, it's an increasingly common issue in our era of gerontocracy: Just how are you supposed to interact with an elected official who might not be all there? It's an ongoing private conversation among reporters, animated by a sense that the watchdogs haven't been zealous enough — but featuring no real agreement on how to handle these moments.' MEDIA MOVES — The Daily Wire is bringing on Gen Z commentator Isabel Brown to host her D.C.-based podcast, 'The Isabel Brown Show,' on the platform. TRANSITIONS — Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck is bringing on five new partners: Jim Flood, Aaron Cummings, Evan Chuck, Anne Elise Herold Li and Paul Keller. Scott Douglas is also joining as policy director. All previously were at Crowell & Moring. … Henry Liu is now a partner and co-chair of the global Antitrust and Competition Law Practice Group at Covington. He previously was director of the Bureau of Competition at the Federal Trade Commission. … … Colin Moneymaker is now social secretary at the British embassy. He previously was a consultant for Haddad Media and the Washington AI Network. … James Burnham has rejoined the law firm King Street Legal. Burnham was previously the general counsel for DOGE. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath. Correction: Thursday's Playbook PM misstated which network Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared on that day. It was Fox Business Network.
