Today in History: April 23, Vietnam veterans stage protest at U.S. Capitol
In 1898, Spain declared war on the United States, which responded in kind two days later.
In 1940, over 200 people trapped inside a dance hall died in the Rhythm Club Fire in Natchez, Miss., one of the deadliest nightclub fires in US history.
In 1971, hundreds of Vietnam War veterans, opposed to the conflict, protested by tossing their medals and ribbons over a wire fence constructed in front of the US Capitol.
In 1988, a federal ban on smoking during domestic airline flights of two hours or less (accounting for 80 percent of all US flights) went into effect.
In 1993, labor leader Cesar Chavez died in San Luis, Ariz., at age 66.
In 2005, the recently created video-sharing website YouTube uploaded its first clip, 'Me at the Zoo,' which showed YouTube co-founder Jawed Karim standing in front of an elephant enclosure at the San Diego Zoo.
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In 2007, Boris Yeltsin, Russia's first popularly elected president, died in Moscow at age 76.
In 2018, a man plowed a rental van into crowds of pedestrians in Toronto, killing 10 people and leaving 16 others hurt. (Alek Minassian was later convicted of 10 counts of murder and sentenced to life in prison.)
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Politico
5 hours ago
- Politico
Can Lawler sell Trump's megalaw?
Swing seat Republican Rep. Mike Lawler is doubling down on President Donald Trump's megalaw — a tactic that if successful stands to be a national blueprint for endangered GOP lawmakers. Lawler today will unveil five ads touting the tax-and-spend package in a district Democrats have made a priority to flip next year. And he's not shying away from some of the measure's controversial provisions. While Democrats have condemned cuts to Medicaid, one of Lawler's ads says the law will 'strengthen the program' — touting work requirements and provisions that prohibit undocumented immigrants from 'ripping off New York taxpayers.' The ads represent the first time a House Republican has promoted the sweeping law directly to voters. The move is meant to counter withering Democratic attacks on the cuts to Medicaid and federal food aid programs. Polling has shown it is unpopular with voters and other Republican lawmakers across the country this summer have taken heat over the measure in contentious town halls. 'The reason why Democrats are messaging the way that they are is because they're trying to frame this as they often do — class warfare — as opposed to the specifics,' Lawler said in an interview. 'It's important as we head toward next year to not lose the message on this, but actually explain it to voters in a way that they understand.' Lawler is betting he can sell the law before Democrats can frame the debate themselves more than a year before the high-stakes midterm elections. 'You have to be on offense, you have to be explaining what you did and why and articulate the case,' Lawler said. 'The progressive left is never going to support anything Republicans do. I had folks booing tax cuts, but they're going to benefit from it as well. It comes down to the middle and where does the middle fall.' Aside from the Medicaid changes, Lawler's ad campaign also highlights lifting the cap on state and local tax deductions from $10,000 to $40,000 — a victory for blue state Republicans who represent high-tax stakes. Another ad touts an increase to the child tax credit and eliminating taxes on Social Security for many recipients — framed as a way to address affordability concerns. In another spot, Lawler says he voted for the legislation 'because it invests in Main Street, not Wall Street' by lowering federal tax rates and making it easier for businesses to be passed down. Lawler's campaign said 'five figures' is being put behind the ads which will appear on platforms like YouTube. Democrats have already signaled they will focus their campaigns around the law's deep spending cuts. The House Democrats' campaign arm on Friday released a Facebook ad blasting Lawler over the measure. A spokesperson for the House Democrats' campaign arm called him 'a liar who doesn't care about New Yorkers.' 'These are the facts: His vote guts Medicaid, rips health care away from his own constituents, puts hospitals across New York at risk of closing, and raises costs for working families — all so that billionaires can pay less in taxes,' said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Nebeyatt Betre. 'New Yorkers have made clear they are sick and tired of Lawler hurting his own community, and these latest lies from Lawler won't change the fact that voters are ready to reject him come Election Day.' Read more from POLITICO's Nick Reisman on Lawler's reelection strategy. HAPPY MONDAY. Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE'S KATHY? Making a transportation announcement in Manhattan and holding a rally denouncing federal cuts to health care. WHERE'S ERIC? No public schedule released as of 10 p.m. Sunday. QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'I favor free enterprise.' — Gov. Kathy Hochul, on mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's proposal for five city-owned grocery stores, when asked about it by billionaire donor John Catsimatidis at an event in the Hamptons, via the New York Post. ABOVE THE FOLD THE JOB GROWTH REALITY: A key selling point of Mayor Eric Adams' longshot reelection bid in New York City is record job growth. But there's a major caveat to his claims: He had little control over making it happen. Adams, a Democrat who is running as an independent in the general election, has pointed to the superlative statistic at town halls as evidence of his prudent leadership. He has regularly accused the media of ignoring the historic figure. And the talking point has become a fixture of his reelection stump speeches. 'What did we do for our economy?' Adams asked at his campaign kickoff in late June. '500,000 new jobs in this administration, more jobs than in the city's history.' A POLITICO review of data and interviews with experts indicate the jobs landscape is not as fertile as Adams suggests. The record employment figures have been powered by a government-subsidized industry — health care — at risk of contraction. The growth rate in the city's economic output has lagged behind that measure for the nation as a whole since 2020. And hiring has slowed to a near standstill this year, with companies based in the city adding fewer than 1,000 new employees during the first half of 2025. More fundamentally, the mayor's role in the city's economy pales in comparison to the vast and powerful forces that shape national and international commerce. Claiming ownership over economic trends during times of bounty is nothing new for New York City mayors, but Adams' pitch to voters comes just as his own economists warn of gathering fiscal storm clouds: President Donald Trump is scrambling international trade with erratic tariff announcements that risk inflation and a recession. The president is pursuing immigration enforcement so forcefully he could decimate the workforce required to keep the city's more than $1 trillion annual economic engine humming. And his policies writ large are contributing to a decline in New York City tourism. 'It's a very mixed picture overall, and the mayor is overreaching in wanting to take credit for all of that,' said economist James Parrott, senior fellow with the Center for New York City Affairs at The New School. 'If he wants to take credit for the record level of job growth, then he has to also take responsibility for the slowdown in employment growth over the last year and a half.' The mayor and his team argue otherwise. 'Some experts would like to believe mayors don't have a real impact on creating jobs,' Adams said during a talk Thursday morning at the Manhattan Institute, a public policy think tank. 'They need to look at why we broke the record 10 times, over and over again.' Read more on how rhetoric compares to reality by POLITICO's Joe Anuta. CITY HALL: THE LATEST RED LIGHT: Mamdani suggested he wouldn't seek to decriminalize sex work in New York as mayor — though he repeatedly avoided giving a straight answer when asked directly. 'My focus in Albany is going to be on delivering on the agenda that I ran on,' Mamdani told Playbook Saturday when asked if he'd push to legalize sex work. 'That is an ambitious agenda, an agenda that will require every single ounce of the spirit in my body.' Mamdani hasn't included any mention of sex work in his campaign, even though he previously ran for Assembly on the issue and has co-sponsored a bill to decriminalize prostitution offenses. Cuomo resurfaced the controversial issue on X Friday, saying it would be 'a gift to traffickers, gangs & organized crime.' Asked for reaction Sunday, Mamdani just criticized Adams for reducing city spending on Safe Horizon, an organization serving victims of sex trafficking, and said he'd fully fund it. Asked Sunday if he'd direct the NYPD to stop making prostitution arrests, Mamdani didn't say yes or no, but suggested he'd emulate former Mayor Bill de Blasio. Prostitution arrests cratered during his mayoralty, but Adams has recently overseen an increase in arrests, particularly on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens. 'The most important thing to me is the outcome of public safety,' Mamdani said. 'What we've seen is the actions of this (Adams) administration have not brought us any closer to that end, whereas we saw with the previous administration an approach that was one that was far more focused on that.' — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — Mamdani's video savvy is easy for his opponents to envy, but hard for them to duplicate. (New York Times) — Mamdani will update his personal financial disclosures to correct minor discrepancies and an unreported investment. (New York Post) — Citi Bike users will soon have to verify they're 16 or older, following a request from First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro. (amNewYork) NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY POWER PLAY: It would be harder for the Trump administration to abuse its powers — if it didn't have any power, Assemblymember Robert Carroll thinks. The Brooklyn Democrat said New York should look into cutting off electricity to 26 Federal Plaza and other federal buildings in New York City. 'They're breaking the law. And further, we have no obligation to provide them with power,' Carroll told Playbook. The Trump administration has been blocking state and federal lawmakers from doing oversight of the Manhattan office building where immigrants are being arrested and held in poor conditions, Carroll explained. 'So great. We don't have a duty then to provide power.' Carroll first pitched the idea at an anti-Trump rally with the Working Familiies Party Saturday morning, and it earned cheers from a liberal crowd eager to see any action taken against the Trump administration. And it's a way to raise his own profile — Carroll also declined to rule out a primary challenge to Rep. Dan Goldman when asked Sunday. But Carroll's idea would probably be a non-starter with the Public Service Commission, former interim chair John Howard told Playbook. 'If you're a customer in good standing, what's the justification — is there a safety violation, is there a gas leak?' he said. 'There are plenty of unpleasant customers in the world. The rule of law needs to be protected, not violated.' Carroll said Hochul could call the conditions in 26 Federal Plaza a public health emergency and shut power down. 'Would she get sued? Of course,' he said. But it would be good to set up a 'roadblock to these black sites.' Hochul's spokesperson Matt Janiszewski said the governor doesn't think turning off the power is the right approach for the people detained there and the people working there, but New Yorkers are rightly concerned about conditions. 'Governor Hochul stands with them in demanding the Department of Homeland Security open the doors to New York's congressional members so they can exercise their legal oversight,' he said. — Jeff Coltin CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW: Hochul's summertime push highlighting the looming statewide school smartphone ban is paying dividends with voters. The recent Siena University poll found the idea is broadly popular with New York voters, who support the move 60 percent to 24 percent. Only 14 percent of voters consider themselves 'in the middle' on the move. Hochul has been highlighting the change — a signature achievement in the state budget this year — ahead of the start of the school year in events around the state. (Read more about how school districts are preparing for the ban from Madina Touré in POLITICO Pro.) 'Start weening your kids, get them engaged in other activities,' Hochul said Sunday on NY1. 'It's going to be enormously powerful. Our workforce will be better adjusted and I do think it will give our students a competitive advantage.' — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Artificial intelligence is complicating New York's clean energy efforts. (Times Union) — Hochul is courting Long Island voters ahead of her 2026 reelection campaign. (Newsday) — A dozen cannabis shops are suing New York over new regulations they argue puts their businesses at risk of closing. (Gothamist) KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION DEBATING GUN SAFETY: Lawler has signed on as a cosponsor of the Democrat-led Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2025 — but not before criticizing 'soft-on-crime policies' under Democratic rule that he says make the state more dangerous. Lawler, one of the country's most vulnerable House Republicans, responded to a letter led by Reps. Hakeem Jeffries and Jerry Nadler urging GOP support of the gun safety legislation after last month's deadly midtown Manhattan shooting with a letter of his own. 'Crime in New York is a serious problem. And unfortunately, many of you, my Democratic colleagues in Congress, as well as the Governor and state legislators ignore the underlying problems in favor of trying to score cheap political points,' Lawler wrote. The Hudson Valley Republican said the Bipartisan Background Checks Act does nothing to keep criminals from obtaining firearms by stealing them or getting them from underground markets. His letter also called for House Democrats to make clear whether they support Mamdani's bid for New York City mayor. Jeffries, Nadler and several New York House Democrats wrote earlier this month to the state's Republican delegation asking for their support for the bill after a gunman killed four and himself in New York's deadliest mass shooting in 25 years. Over the weekend, in another shooting, three people were killed and nine wounded at a Brooklyn nightclub. 'As you may know, current law requires every federally licensed dealer to run a background check on every gun they sell,' they wrote. 'Unfortunately, in some states, those same prohibited purchasers can go to an unlicensed dealer and get a firearm without a background check.' The legislation has 206 co-sponsors, as of Sunday, with Lawler and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania as the only Republicans. — Emily Ngo More from the delegation: — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tore into Trump after his high-stakes meeting with Vladimir Putin, accusing the president of 'selling out' Ukraine. (The Hill) — Thousands gathered in cities across the country to protest Trump's plan to keep control of Congress after the 2026 midterms through redistricting. (New York Times) — What Congress could do on export controls. (Punchbowl News) NEW YORK STATE OF MIND — Attorney General Letitia James wants Instagram to remove location sharing for minors. (NY1) — New York volunteer fire departments are dealing with staff shortages. (Times Union) — French tourists are flocking to tour graffiti and street art despite concern over a drop in foreign visitors. (New York Post) SOCIAL DATA IN MEMORIAM: Former CSEA President Danny Donohue died at 81 (Times Union) … Beloved City Desk supervisor Myron Rushetzky dead at 73: 'Part of the fabric of The Post' (New York Post) MAKING MOVES: Chandra M. Hayslett is now chief communications officer of The Legal Aid Society. She was previously vice president of communications at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies … New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission Chair Sarah Carroll is retiring after 31 years with the agency. Vice Chair Angie Master will lead the LPC until a new appointment is made. WEEKEND WEDDING: Reggie Thomas, recent City Hall chief policy adviser to the first deputy mayor, and Susan Kenney, French lecturer at Princeton University, were married Saturday at the St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Clifton, New Jersey and feted at the nearby Westmount Country Club. Pic by Haeda Mihaltses. They met on the dating app Hinge during Reggie's respite from Albany budget negotiations. SPOTTED: Haeda and George Mihaltses, Kathryn Garcia, Leroy Comrie, Keith Powers, Mandela Jones, Genevieve Michel, Bill Heinzen, Katie Honan, Ahmed Tigani, Joe Anuta, Melanie La Rocca, Preston Niblack, Jasmine Blake, Ritchie Torres, Michael DeLoach, Meagan Chen, Richard Lee, George Fontas, Fred Cerullo, Sam Spokony, Jim Whelan. WELCOME TO THE WORLD: Keshia Clukey, a state Capitol correspondent for Newsday and a POLITICO alum, and Spencer Keable, an epidemiologist for the CDC Foundation welcomed Hawthorne James on Aug. 14. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol … journalist Bob Hennelly … Law360's Emilie Ruscoe … Olivia DeLuca … (WAS SUNDAY:) Assemblymember Donna Lupardo … Breeana Mulligan of the NYC Council … Dynamic SRG's Darren Rigger … THE CITY'S Jose Martinez … (WAS SATURDAY:) Raphy Jacobson … Hofstra's Larry Levy … MirRam's John Emrick. Missed Friday's New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Boston Globe
Who really suffers from Trump Derangement Syndrome?
Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up Two decades on, Krauthammer's coinage has been appropriated, rebranded, and defined down — way down. 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' is now flung at anyone who objects to President Trump's conduct or opposes his policies. The term is no longer reserved for over-the-top expressions of revulsion — like actor Robert De Niro using a televised appearance at the Tony Awards to Advertisement No — today 'Trump Derangement Syndrome' is used as an all-purpose put-down to deride any Trump critics, including those who stick to serious, fact-based analysis. I've lost count of all the times I've been Advertisement A woman seen at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on July 3, when President Trump was speaking there. Scott Olson/Getty The word 'syndrome' notwithstanding, this is merely political trash talk, popularized by Trump and his allies as a way to wave off criticism without having to engage it. Instead of refuting arguments or defending policy, the magic letters 'TDS' turn disagreement into proof of mental defect. Yet if 'derangement' means the loss of proportion and judgment Krauthammer was getting at, then the most severe cases aren't among Trump's critics. They're in the ranks of his most ardent loyalists. The real Trump Derangement Syndrome shows up in three telltale symptoms. First is the cult-like worship that treats Trump as infallible — his acolytes profess adoration not only for what he does, but for whatever could flow from him. Emblematic of that mindset are the Advertisement Second is the abandonment of principles that once seemed non-negotiable. Conservatives and Republicans who used to champion free trade A man with a MAGA tattoo on his stomach attended a rally at Macomb Community College in Warren, Mich., to mark President Trump's 100th day in office on April 29. EMILY ELCONIN/NYT Third is the unsettling delight so many supporters take in Trump's most outrageous behavior — a kind of giddy worship that equates offensiveness with authenticity. Such brazenness has been a hallmark of his political career — from mocking John McCain's Vietnam War heroism to charging undocumented immigrants with ' Advertisement Meanwhile, they reflexively use 'TDS!' as a go-to put-down for anything from mild disagreement to serious moral critique, framing opposition not as argument but as pathology — an easy, cheap discredit. Yes, plenty of Trump-haters go overboard — but in MAGA circles, the 'TDS' tag is sprayed far wider, hitting thoughtful critics just as readily as the genuinely unhinged. What is truly alarming is how some have sought to legalize that insult by casting dissent as disease. In Minnesota this spring, five Republican senators proposed a bill that would Krauthammer's original point in 2003 was that derangement is the breakdown of proportion and prudence. That breakdown isn't found among critics who quote Trump accurately and challenge his claims. The most alarming political derangement today affects those who cannot conceive that there are legitimate reasons to be appalled by the president, and so explain anti-Trump dissent as a sign of mental weakness. If reason is the measure, then those who shout 'TDS!' the loudest are the ones most in need of treatment. Jeff Jacoby can be reached at
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Bill Maher rips Hunter Biden after Melania Trump threatens to sue disgraced ex-first son
HBO 'Real Time' host Bill says Hunter Biden better be worried about Melania Trump's threat to sue him for $1 billion after the scandal-scarred former first son claimed she was introduced to President Donald Trump by late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. 'Melania says she's going to sue Hunter Biden,' the late-night funnyman said Friday, drawing laughs from his audience. 'That's not the joke part. I really like this where she says she's going to sue him for a billion dollars.' Advertisement 'If Hunter loses, it's going to be weird for him writing a woman a check because she's not a prostitute,' said Maher, drawing chuckles and applause. 3 HBO 'Real Time' host Bill says Hunter Biden better be worried about Melania Trump's threat to sue him for $1 billion after the scandal-scarred former first son claimed she was introduced to President Donald Trump by late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Real Time with Bill Maher The first lady put Biden on notice Wednesday that she'll sue him unless he apologizes and takes down a podcast video where he made the false claim. Advertisement However, Biden crassly brushed aside Melania Trump's threat during an interview on YouTube show 'Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan' released Thursday. 3 From left, Donald Trump and Melania Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell seen at Mar-a-Lago in February 2000. Getty Images 3 Hunter Biden shrugged off Melania Trump's threat to sue him for $1 billion for defamation. YouTube / Channel 5 with Andrew Callaghan 'F–k that. That's not going to happen,' Biden said with an arrogant smile. Advertisement Both the president and first lady have said they met in 1998 during a New York Fashion Week party hosted by businessman Paolo Zampolli. Federal investigators in 2023 raised the possibility of charging first son Hunter Biden for crimes related to sex trafficking. Justice Department Tax Division prosecutor Jack Morgan outlined nine instances in which then-President Joe Biden's son appeared to be communicating with prostitutes and coordinating their travel across state lines, in an October 2020 email to Assistant US Attorney Lesley Wolf released by the House Ways and Means Committee Hunter Biden had been staring at jail time after being found guilty in 2024 of illegal possession of a firearm and also pleaded guilty to charges in another indictment for willful refusal to pay $1.4 million in taxes. However, he was later pardoned by his father.
