San Francisco's Asian voters tell local news why they are 'walking away' from the Democrats
Asian Americans in liberal San Francisco are speaking out about how members of their community, ranging from Trump supporters to left-leaning organizers, are leaving the modern Democratic Party, according to a new report in The San Francisco Standard.
The Standard reporters Han Li and Noah Baustin shared a piece highlighting how, even in one of America's most well-known liberal cities, one of its historic ethnic communities is growing wary of far-left policy. The piece opened with an anecdote about local State Sen. Scott Wiener speaking to seniors at a Chinese New Year celebration, where he attempted to warn them about the hazards of Trump's return to the White House.
"The message fell on deaf ears for some in the audience," the Standard's reporters said. "Quite a few voted for Trump and are no fans of Democrats, who have long dominated San Francisco politics."
The story is headlined, "Why SF's Asian American voters are walking away from the Democratic party."
The authors quoted Lai Wah Hun, a local Trump-supporting resident who attended the event, "Many of my neighbors support Trump," he said. "Democrats are too left. I don't like them." While he noted he has more relaxed views on immigration than Trump, he argued, "Democrats are making America like a sinking ship."
His views are surprisingly widespread in the area, the story claims. The authors note the Visitacion Valley and Portola took the biggest swing toward Trump in this past election and have large Asian populations.
"The seven neighborhoods that voted for Trump at the highest rates in 2024 have the city's largest Asian populations. Six of the 10 neighborhoods that saw the largest increase in Trump voting between 2020 and 2024 were close to or majority Asian," the reporters said. "Underlying this turn to the right among Asian voters is a mounting distrust of the Democratic Party."
Rex Tabora, the executive director of the Asian Pacific American Community Center in Visitacion Valley told the local news outlet that famous incidents of crimes against Asian victims have made locals increasingly wary of their officials. "When it comes to public safety, Asians are law-and-order kind of folks," he said.
In the same neighborhood, a loyal supporter of the president who has run for mayor multiple times, Ellen Lee Zhou, was credited by the news outlet as having "likely played a role in the shift toward Trump." Zhou, The Standard reported, makes regular appearances on "Companion on the road," a Chinese-language radio where she discusses politics and criticizes Democratic leadership.
"I want to educate law-abiding citizens to support Trump, and illegal immigrants are exploiting our welfare system," Zhou explained to The Standard in Chinese, estimating her audience is between 30,000 and 50,000 listeners.
The Standard also spoke to left-leaning Asian politicians as local Democrats grow wary of their slipping hold on this demographic.
"It's clear that voters are frustrated with national Democrats, including many in the Chinese community in San Francisco," Nancy Tung, chair of San Francisco's Democratic Party said. "I'm committed to making sure we engage the Chinese community and other immigrant communities to hear their concerns and win them back in the next and future elections."
One example of the Democratic Party's tattered brand is how a local progressive Asian group, The Rose Pak Democratic Club, changed its name by removing "Democratic" from its name, as noted in a separate piece by The San Francisco Standard.
"Club leaders said they wanted the move to serve as a wake-up call to the party about the increasing detachment in the Asian community," The Standard summarized.
Club president Jeremy Lee said that the Democrats are particularly struggling with immigrants who exclusively speak Chinese. He said that "Some of the seniors were saying, 'I like you, but I don't like the Democratic Party,'" and that concepts like "defund the police" fall flat with the Chinese American community.
The Chinese American Democratic Club (CADC), a moderate group, has reportedly met success by contrasting itself against progressivism.
CADC president Josephine Zhao touted in a statement to The San Francisco Standard, "We are proud to help our community in voicing their centrist views."
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CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Los Angeles anti-ICE protesters clash with police, set fires downtown amid National Guard deployment
National Guard troops arrived in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday after being ordered into the city by President Trump in response to a weekend of violent clashes between law enforcement officers and protesters triggered by immigration enforcement operations in the area on Friday. Protesters clashed with soldiers on Sunday afternoon after a crowd gathered near the Metropolitan Detention Center downtown. Images captured by CBS News Los Angeles showed members of the National Guard using what appeared to be tear gas and firing non-lethal rounds toward some groups of demonstrators. Large-scale protests have sprouted throughout L.A. County including in the Westlake District, downtown L.A. and Paramount, and have escalated to violence on several occasions, following a large-scale operation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Friday. A federal law enforcement official tells CBS News that multiple federal law enforcement officers were injured during confrontations with protesters on Friday and Saturday. During a Sunday evening news conference, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said 39 people had been arrested in total, 29 on Saturday and 10 on Sunday. McDonnell also addressed accusations that the police department was slow to respond to the unrest. "We can't participate in any way in civil immigration enforcement," McDonnell said, noting that the department must comply with the California Values Act, also known as SB 54, which prohibits local and state law enforcement agencies from assisting federal immigration enforcement actions. "Federal partners have been reticent to provide information to us before something happens because of that reason," McDonnell said. Mr. Trump announced Saturday night that he'd deploy the guard in response to the protests. In a post to his Truth Social late Saturday night local time, Trump called the events in L.A. "two days of violence, clashes and unrest." He posted again on Sunday, saying that California Gov. Gavin Newsom and that L.A. Mayor Karen Bass should "apologize to the people of Los Angeles for the absolutely horrible job that they have done, and this now includes the ongoing L.A. riots." "These are not protesters, they are troublemakers and insurrectionists," the post said. "Remember, NO MASKS!" Members of the National Guard stand guard outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, MDC in downtown Los Angeles, California on June 8, 2025. US President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 troops on June 7 to handle escalating protests against immigration enforcement raids in the Los Angeles area, a move the state's governor termed "purposefully inflammatory." Federal agents clashed with angry crowds in a Los Angeles suburb as protests stretched into a second night Saturday, shooting flash-bang grenades and shutting part of a freeway amid raids on undocumented migrants, reports said. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images A Presidential Memoranda issued Saturday stated that at least 2,000 National Guard troops were going to be deployed. The majority of the soldiers are from the California National Guard, a Defense Department official told CBS News. The U.S. military's Northern Command also confirmed to CBS News that 500 active-duty U.S. Marines based at Twentynine Palms were in "prepared to deploy" status and were ready to augment the National Guard if ordered to do so. Newsom on Saturday criticized Mr. Trump's military deployment, calling it "purposefully inflammatory" in a post to X. In another post he said that Mr. Trump was "escalating the situation." "The federal government is taking over the California National Guard and deploying 2,000 soldiers in Los Angeles — not because there is a shortage of law enforcement, but because they want a spectacle," he said in another post. "Don't give them one." He formally requested that Mr. Trump rescind the deployment of troops to L.A. in a letter addressed to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying there was "no need" for the National Guard. "State and local authorities are the most appropriate ones to evaluate the need for resources to safeguard life and property," Newsom's letter said. "Indeed, the decision to deploy the National Guard, without appropriate training or orders, risks seriously escalating the situation." On Sunday afternoon, Newsom's office confirmed that he was in Los Angeles. He met with Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonell and L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna, shown in a picture posted to his X account. "We're here to keep the peace — not play into Trump's political games," the post said. COMPTON, CA -JUNE 7, 2025: A protester carries a Mexican flag as LA County Sheriff deputies form a law enforcement line to keep demonstrators from advancing after ICE raids at a nearby Home Depot and the Garment District brought out resistance from Los Angeles residents on June 7, 2025 in Compton, California.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Gina Ferazzi Bass called the deployment of the National Guard a "chaotic escalation" of the situation in a post to X. "The fear people are feeling in our city right now is very real – it's felt in our communities and within our families and it puts our neighborhoods at risk," she said in part. "This is the last thing that our city needs, and I urge protestors to remain peaceful." Former Vice President Kamala Harris took to X to share a statement on Sunday afternoon. "Los Angeles is my home. And like so many Americans, I am appalled at what we are witnessing on the streets of our city. Deploying the National Guard is a dangerous escalation meant to provoke chaos," her statement said. Standing outside of the Metropolitan Detention Center before violent clashes began on Sunday, Rep. Maxine Waters, who represents parts of South L.A., called Mr. Trump's deployment of the National Guard a "disruption." "People have to stand up for what is right," she said. In a statement to CBS News, an ICE spokesperson said immigration enforcement operations have resulted in the arrest of a "domestic abuser" and a "child rapist." "Irresponsible politicians continue to push dangerous and misleading rhetoric that puts communities and law enforcement at risk," the statement reads. "Even the Los Angeles Police Departments referred to violent riots yesterday as 'peaceful protests.' Americans can look at the videos and images and see with their own eyes that they are dangerous not 'peaceful.'" Protesters clash with law enforcement again A massive crowd of protesters in downtown Los Angeles on June 8, 2025, as demonstrations against immigration operations continue for third straight day. KCAL News For the third straight day, some protesters and activists gathered in downtown L.A. to protest the ongoing operations and presence of federal authorities in the city. The situation appeared calm to start on Sunday, with CBS News Los Angeles reporters at the scene reporting no signs of conflict until about 3 p.m., when a large group of demonstrators marched from the steps of L.A. City Hall to the federal building, where the detention center is located. They began to clash with the large group of federal agents located outside of the building, including some who looked to be members of the National Guard. In response to the escalation, which police said involved people throwing projectiles and concrete in their direction, the LAPD issued a Tactical Alert for the entire city. "An UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY has been declared for the area of Alameda between 2nd St and Aliso St. A DISPERSAL ORDER has been issued. Arrests are being made. To our media partners, please keep a safe distance from active operations," said a post on X by LAPD's Central Division. Two officers were injured when two motorcyclists tried to breach the LAPD skirmish line in front of the detention center, police said. Both of those people were detained. A Waymo vehicle on fire in the midst of protests in downtown Los Angeles. KCAL News Several blocks away, CBS News Los Angeles reporters saw a smaller crowd of people vandalizing as many as six Waymo driverless vehicles in the area. They were seen spray painting the cars, throwing objects and jumping on the windshields. A short time later, all six of those vehicles were set on fire as the large crowd looked on. Plumes of smoke billowed over the downtown landscape. The flames from the vehicles continued to burn for some time and there were several small explosions seen in footage filmed from CBS News Los Angeles' helicopter. While the demonstrations continued, some people used chairs, garbage ins and street signs to block the road at Temple and Main Street. A few blocks away a Metro bus was stopped by demonstrators. Some were seen spray painting the sides with anti-ICE messages from helicopter footage. The crowd moved into the city's Civic Center at around 5 p.m. Some demonstrators were seen setting fireworks from the CBS News Los Angeles helicopter as LAPD officers on horseback attempted to push the crowd back. A little before 9 p.m., LAPD's Central Division said on X that "Downtown Los Angeles has been declared as an UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY. You are to leave the Downtown Area immediately." The crowd of demonstrators began to move into the LA Live area, near Arena, at 9:30 p.m., LAPD officers said. They were blocking traffic on Figueroa Street and 11th Street. Demonstrators flood the 101 Freeway as immigration operation protests continue for third day in Los Angeles. KCAL News Crowd swarms 101 Freeway Just before 4 p.m., demonstrators moved onto the 101 Freeway, blocking traffic on the busy thoroughfare. They blocked the Aliso Street offramp and several lanes while hundreds of others watched from the Main Street overpass. In response, the California Highway Patrol closed the entire stretch of freeway that runs through the downtown area. Dozens of CHP officers were seen as they also entered the freeway, stopping under the overpass in a line. They completely overtook southbound lanes, moving protesters back, though the majority of the crowd remained on the other side of the freeway. Several people were seen being taken into custody from the CBS helicopter's aerial view. Officers deployed multiple smoke-filled canisters at the feet of the crowd. Some people attempted to kick the canisters back in the direction of law enforcement. The crowd was completely moved from the road by 5 p.m. With multiple CHP patrol vehicles still parked on the freeway, people began to throw objects over the side of the overpass. They were seen throwing street signs, fireworks, e-scooters and pieces of concrete with the CBS News Los Angeles helicopter overhead. Some of the cars sustained visible damage before officers began deploying non-lethal canisters of smoke towards the crowd. Though they briefly dispersed, they returned to the area and continued to throw items, one of which caught a CHP vehicle on fire. As some officers tried to get into their vehicles, some of the people were seen throwing cement in their direction. Because of the debris and damaged cars now in the road, the southbound 101 Freeway was expected to remain closed until further notice, LAPD said. It's unclear when the cleanup process would begin. In nearby Pasadena, a small gathering began Sunday afternoon after federal officers were spotted at a local hotel, a city spokesperson confirmed. Pasadena Mayor Victor M. Gordo said in a statement that no enforcement activity was confirmed. "We understand the anxiety and fear that these reports can create for many in our community," he said. "I urge our community to remain calm, united, and peaceful, and not be baited or provoked into violence. The right to peacefully assemble and express ourselves is a fundamental part of who we are—not just as Pasadenans, but as Americans." How this all started The new military presence in L.A. comes after three days of clashes between protesters and law enforcement, following a large-scale I.C.E. operation in the city Friday. On Friday evening, multiple immigration operations were conducted across L.A., primarily in the Westlake District, downtown and South L.A., ICE officials confirmed. A single operation at a job site Friday resulted in the arrest of 44 unauthorized immigrants, ICE told CBS News on Sunday. An additional 77 were arrested around the same time frame in the greater L.A. area. The exact charges of those arrests were not yet clear as of Sunday afternoon. ICE confirmed to CBS News Los Angeles that four federal search warrants were served at three locations in L.A. on Friday night. As news of those warrants spread, protests broke out. The most notable of which was Friday night, and took place outside the Federal Building in downtown L.A. after demonstrators learned that detainees were allegedly being held inside. As tensions escalated and some protesters threw objects toward law enforcement, the Los Angeles Police Department eventually issued an unlawful assembly declaration and a dispersal order. Dozens of officers sporting riot gear and shields formed a skirmish line. A federal law enforcement official with knowledge of the operations tells CBS News that ICE requested assistance from LAPD multiple times over the course of Friday night. That same official said it took local authorities more than two hours to honor that request, although a senior city official in L.A. told CBS News that it took LAPD 55 minutes to respond, not two hours. A car burns during a protest in Compton, Calif., Saturday, June 7, 2025, after federal immigration authorities conducted operations. Eric Thayer / AP On Saturday, protests centered in on the city of Paramount after ICE and other federal law enforcement officers were spotted. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement that there was no ICE "raid" on Saturday in Paramount, but instead the agents were staging at an office. The protests in Paramount eventually spilled over into Compton, where hundreds of demonstrators gathered around a car that was set on fire in the middle of the intersection of Alondra Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue, near Dale's Donuts, Images captured at the scene by CBS News Los Angeles showed law enforcement deploying what appeared to be tear gas to disperse crowds and shooting non-lethal munitions at some protesters. Going forward U.S. Rep. Nanette Barragán, who represents parts of L.A.'s South Bay, tells CBS News that ICE enforcement and removal operations are expected daily for the next 30 days in LA County. A federal law enforcement official tells CBS News that deputies with LA County Sheriff's Office are now assisting ICE officials with perimeter protection, although they will not be assisting with any immigration enforcement efforts. , and contributed to this report.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Ukraine plots fracking revolution
Ukraine is working to unleash natural gas fracking with the goal of becoming a major exporter and revolutionising Europe's energy market. In plans critical to Volodymyr Zelensky's hopes of a post-war economic recovery, ministers in Kyiv are scrambling to lure private investment and gain access to new drilling technology to access the country's vast untapped shale gas resources. According to sources close to Kyiv, officials are racing to attract 'foreign technology and highly experienced subsoil users', with a focus on unconventional shale resources in western Ukraine. The hunt for cash - as revealed by the independent news platform Energy Flux - is being conducted in parallel to the rare earth minerals deal struck between Donald Trump and President Zelensky in April, which will allow the US to exploit Ukraine's natural resources, including aluminium, graphite, oil and natural gas. The priority is to rapidly revitalise Ukraine's ailing gas sector after a gruelling winter saw roughly 40pc of production capacity taken out by a fierce Russian campaign of drone and missile strikes. The attacks forced Ukraine to draw heavily on its gas stocks, which ended winter almost entirely depleted. But Ukraine's Ministry of Energy believes it is possible to refill the country's cavernous underground storage facilities and even produce a surplus for export 'within 18 months', according to a senior government source. Ukraine already has some experience with advanced drilling technology for old wells and has since carried out experimental trials that 'confirm its potential' for fracking, they said. However, to unlock Ukraine's shale reserves, the country needs to attract more investment and newer kit, primarily from America. 'Development and production can be quickly developed using available gas infrastructure with connections to the EU gas market that make it very attractive,' the source added. 'Ukraine has enough deposits of traditional gas to cover its own consumption and to become a net exporter, and shale gas production has quite a profound effect on its development.' Such a turnaround would help transform the fortunes of Europe's energy markets, which remain on edge following the loss of Russian pipeline gas exports via Ukraine at the start of 2025. Refilling Ukraine's depleted gas storage – the largest in Europe, at 32bn cubic metres – is one of the main factors tightening energy markets in Central and Eastern Europe ahead of next winter. Ukraine's gas stocks are today just 7pc full compared to the EU average of 50pc. Efforts to pipe natural gas from Southern and Eastern Europe into Ukraine have also been thwarted by red tape and a lack of market cohesion. However, if Ukraine could unleash its own shale revolution and create a surplus for export, the need to keep pumping European gas into Ukraine would effectively disappear overnight. It would also help reduce Europe's reliance on costly liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies from overseas. Gas-starved Europe leaned heavily on LNG after Gazprom, the Kremlin-backed energy giant, halted exports to the EU following Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Ukrainian shale gas exports, if scaled up quickly, would erase a large chunk of European energy demand currently being met by LNG, potentially sparking a sharp drop in energy prices around the world. However, Kyiv's proposed fracking revolution hinges largely on the country's ability to secure overseas investment. Officials from Ukraine's Ministry of Energy are tapping Western diplomatic ties to find private capital funds with a high tolerance for risk to bankroll drilling and bring in technology partners. A senior government team attended the Baku Energy Forum in Azerbaijan last week in part to promote Ukraine's potential as a shale hub. Speaking at the event, one high-ranking statesman said the Lviv-Lublin geological area that straddles the Ukraine-Poland border is 'superior on the Ukrainian side' thanks to higher porosity and lower clay content, making it 'better for fracking'. The most promising prospect is the Oleska (Olesskaya) shale block, which contains an estimated 0.8 to 1.5 trillion cubic metres of shale gas resources – enough to meet Ukraine's domestic needs for decades. How much of this resource is economically recoverable is an open question. Chevron walked away from a 50pc interest in the Oleska project in 2014 before drilling could begin. Chevron's stated reason for leaving was not because of political instability or lack of resources, but rather Kyiv's failure to enact specific tax reforms necessary to enable shale gas foreign investment. Now, the Zelensky administration is moving to streamline operations and reduce bureaucratic hurdles that previously deterred foreign investors. Ownership of the Olesskaya production sharing agreement (PSA) was transferred in April 2025 from government holding company Nadra Ukraine to Ukraine's largest oil and gas producer, Ukrnafta. The move signalled a strategic shift in the country's approach to fracking, particularly in the Oleska block. Ukrnafta is a state-owned enterprise following the nationalisation of strategic industries and declaration of martial law in 2022, which remains in force to this day. Attracting significant private capital into Ukrainian shale exploration would normally be impossible under these circumstances. However, the source said there are laws in place to ensure they can be overwritten.
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Trump's new travel ban takes effect as tensions escalate over immigration enforcement
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's new ban on travel to the U.S. by citizens from 12 mainly African and Middle Eastern countries took effect Monday amid rising tension over the president's escalating campaign of immigration enforcement. The new proclamation, which Trump signed last week, applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. It also imposes heightened restrictions on people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela who are outside the U.S. and don't hold a valid visa. The new ban does not revoke visas previously issued to people from countries on the list, according to guidance issued Friday to all U.S. diplomatic missions. However, unless an applicant meets narrow criteria for an exemption to the ban, his or her application will be rejected starting Monday. Travelers with previously issued visas should still be able to enter the U.S. even after the ban takes effect. While many of the listed countries send few people to the United States, Haiti, Cuba and Venezuela had been major sources of immigration in recent years. Haitian-American Elvanise Louis-Juste, who was at the airport Sunday in Newark, New Jersey, awaiting a flight to her home state of Florida, said many Haitians wanting to come to the U.S. are simply seeking to escape violence and unrest. Haitians continue to flee poverty and hunger while police and a U.N.-backed mission fight a surge in gang violence, with armed men controlling at least 85% of its capital, Port-au-Prince. 'I have family in Haiti, so it's pretty upsetting to see and hear,' Louis-Juste, 23, said of the travel ban. 'I don't think it's a good thing. I think it's very upsetting.' Many immigration experts say the new ban is designed to beat court challenges by focusing on the visa application process and appears more carefully crafted than a hastily written executive order during Trump's first term that denied entry to citizens of mainly Muslim countries. Trump said this time that some countries had 'deficient' screening for passports and other public documents or have historically refused to take back their own citizens. He relied extensively on an annual Homeland Security report of people who remain in the U.S. after their visas expired. Measuring overstay rates has challenged experts for decades, but the government has made a limited attempt annually since 2016. Trump's proclamation cites overstay rates for eight of the 12 banned countries. Trump also tied the new ban to a terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, saying it underscored the dangers posed by some visitors who overstay visas. U.S. officials say the man charged in the attack overstayed a tourist visa. He is from Egypt, a country that is not on Trump's restricted list. The ban was quickly denounced by groups that provide aid and resettlement help to refugees. 'This policy is not about national security — it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States,' said Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America, a nonprofit international relief organization. The inclusion of Afghanistan angered some supporters who have worked to resettle its people. The ban does make exceptions for Afghans on Special Immigrant Visas, generally people who worked most closely with the U.S. government during the two-decade-long war there. Afghanistan had been one of the largest sources of resettled refugees, with about 14,000 arrivals in a 12-month period through September 2024. Trump suspended refugee resettlement his first day in office.
