Alex Thompson: 'Democrats were 'scared' to speak out on Biden's decline'
A new bombshell book is detailing Democrats' frustration with former President Biden's decision to run for re-election despite his ongoing decline. But is Biden the only one to blame for Trump's return to the White House? MSNBC's Ayman Mohyeldin, Catherine Rampell and Antonia Hylton speak with Axios' Alex Thompson on his new book, "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
19 minutes ago
- New York Times
Florida Sheriff Is Arrested in Illegal Gambling Investigation
A sheriff in Central Florida was arrested on Thursday morning, accused of using his position to protect and profit from an illegal casino operation, the authorities said. Sheriff Marcos Lopez of Osceola County, 56, faces one count each of racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering, according to the state attorney general's office. Gov. Ron DeSantis's office also suspended Sheriff Lopez from his position on Thursday. Sheriff Lopez's involvement began with the quiet acceptance of campaign contributions and personal payments from those behind the gambling operation, according to prosecutors. His role deepened over time, according to prosecutors, who accused the sheriff of using the power of his office not only to shield the operation from law enforcement scrutiny, but also to help expand its reach. James Uthmeier, Florida's attorney general, said in a statement that Thursday was 'a solemn day for Florida and our law enforcement community.' 'We put great trust in our constitutional officers, especially those who are our communities' first line of defense,' Mr. Uthmeier said, adding that state prosecutors would seek to hold Sheriff Lopez and his associates accountable. The Osceola County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Sheriff Lopez was first elected in 2020 and is the first Hispanic sheriff in Florida, according to his department's website. He joined the Sheriff's Office in 2003 while he was serving in the Navy Reserve. The charges stem from a joint investigation conducted in 2023 by Homeland Security Investigations and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The inquiry uncovered a criminal syndicate that prosecutors say operated an illegal gambling network that generated about $22 million across Central Florida, especially in Lake and Osceola Counties. Prosecutors said that Sheriff Lopez's ties to the casino, the Eclipse Social Club in Kissimmee, Fla., date to 2019, a year before his election. After becoming sheriff in 2020, prosecutors said, he continued to protect the gambling ring as it expanded in Florida while collecting a portion of proceeds. Prosecutors said that Sheriff Lopez's involvement in the gambling enterprise continued until as recently as August 2024, months before he was re-elected in November. As of Thursday afternoon, it remained unclear if Sheriff Lopez had a lawyer. He was being held without bond in the Lake County Jail. Four others whom Mr. Uthmeier described as associates of the sheriff — Ying Zhang, Sharon Lopez, Sheldon Wetherholt and Carol Cote — also were charged with racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering, according to state charging documents. It was not immediately clear if they had lawyers. Other arrest warrants related to the gambling ring are expected to be served soon, according to the attorney general's office.
Hamilton Spectator
21 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
What to know as Trump administration targets tuition breaks for students without legal status
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — For two decades on Texas college campuses, it was a resilient law in the face of Republicans' hardening immigration agenda: in-state tuition prices for students who did not have legal resident status. But in a flash, the Texas policy that was the first of its kind in the U.S. was halted Wednesday, blocked by a federal judge hours after the Justice Department sued to dismantle it. Republican Texas leaders did not fight the challenge, but instead eagerly joined it. The surprise and quick end to the law, known as the 'Texas Dream Act,' stunned immigration advocates and Democrats, who called it a cruel punishment for hardworking students that will ultimately hurt the state's economy. Republicans cheered the outcome and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested that states with similar tuition policies could face similar actions. The lighting ruling ended a Texas policy that had once enjoyed bipartisan support when it was created in 2001, helped tens of thousands of students get into college and spawned similar laws in two dozen states. Here's what to know: The Texas law and the impact The Texas tuition policy was initially passed with sweeping bipartisan majorities in the state Legislature and signed into law by then-Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, as a way to open access to higher education for students without legal residency already living in the state. Supporters then and now say it boosted the state's economy by creating a better-educated and better-prepared workforce. The law allowed students without legal resident status to qualify for in-state tuition if they had lived in Texas for three years before graduating from high school, and for a year before enrolling in college. They also had to sign an affidavit promising to apply for legal resident status as soon as possible. Texas now has about 57,000 qualifying students enrolled in its public universities and colleges, according to the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration , a nonpartisan nonprofit group of university leaders focused on immigration policy. The state has about 690,000 students overall at its public universities. The difference in tuition rates is substantial. For example, at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley , a 34,000-student campus along the border with Mexico, a state resident will pay about $10,000 in basic tuition for a minimum full-time class schedule in the upcoming school year. A non-resident student will pay $19,000. 'UTRGV understands that the consent judgment may affect financial plans already made by individual students,' the school said in a statement Thursday. 'Our priority and focus are on minimizing disruption to student success consistent with applicable law and helping students navigate this transition with clarity and care.' Political pushback and a swift end The law stood mostly unchallenged for years, but it came under fire as debates over illegal immigration intensified. In the 2012 Republican presidential primary, Perry ended up apologizing after saying critics of the law 'did not have a heart.' The law withstood several repeal efforts in the Republican-dominated Legislature. In the legislative session that ended on June 2, a repeal bill did not even get a vote. But the ax fell quickly. On Wednesday, the Trump administration filed a lawsuit calling the law unconstitutional. State Attorney General Ken Paxton, a key Trump ally, chose not to defend the law in court and instead filed a motion agreeing that it should not be enforced. With the state administration aligned with the Trump administration, the law was suddenly struck down by a federal judge without even an argument on the lawsuit's merits or a response from the students affected. Trump, immigration and higher ed The Trump administration challenged the law in a border state where Gov. Greg Abbott, Paxton and the Republican leadership have given full-throated support to his immigrant crackdown efforts and have spent billions trying to help. The ruling also expanded efforts by Trump to influence higher education across the country. The administration has leveraged federal funding and its student visa authority to clamp down on campus activism and stamp out diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives . Impact beyond Texas The ruling affected only the Texas law, but with nearly half of U.S. states having similar policies, Bondi suggested the administration could pursue similar action elsewhere. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed a bill to repeal the law in that state in July. 'Other states should take note that we will continue filing affirmative litigation to remedy unconstitutional state laws that discriminate against American citizens,' Bondi said. Immigration lawyers and education advocates said they are assessing if there are legal avenues to challenge the Texas ruling. 'Make no mistake, advocates, students, campuses are not going to just take this,' said Miriam Feldblum, president and chief executive officer of the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. 'But I have no doubt there will be an effort to do this (elsewhere).' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Democrats, Let Trump and Elon Fight
On Thursday afternoon, Elon Musk called President Trump a are many layers to the extremely online (and extremely entertaining) feud between the president and a man who, until a few days ago, was one of his most loyal backers, but I don't want that to get lost, so I'll say it again: Elon Musk called Donald Trump a pedophile. (He did this while simultaneously taking credit for making him president. Like I said: There are layers.) Democrats are understandably giddy about the battle royale happening between Trump and Musk, who may be even more addicted to posting than he is to ketamine. Ostensibly, this rift started because Musk decided that the 'Big Beautiful Bill'—which would give rich people like Trump and Musk a huge tax cut paid for by kicking millions off of their health care—currently being considered by the Senate was a betrayal of his ideological project. That bill balloons the deficit (thanks to the aforementioned tax cut, which Musk is in favor of—again, this is a very stupid fight) and Musk has stated his goal is to balance the books and cut spending. Trump, meanwhile, has suggested that Musk really only hates the bill because it guts an electric vehicle mandate that is crucial to his companies. Musk more or less confirmed this theory by posting the pedophile allegations—specifically he said that Trump is named in FBI files relating to the notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein (which would not be surprising since the two were friends for decades) and has been blocking their release for that reason—shortly after Trump threatened to pull government subsidies for all of his companies. Less than a week ago, the two were palling around together in the Oval Office. I still remember a time where the Trump staged a Tesla commercial outside the White House! Now we're here. With Elon Musk calling Donald Trump a pedophile. Musk is very wealthy and well connected, which has led to rumblings that the Democrats should exploit the end of this friendship by wooing the mogul to their side. Writing in Politico, Debra Kahn argued that bringing Musk—who had backed the party until his recent embrace racism, transphobia, Hitler salutes, and all of Grover Norquist's economic ideas—back into the Democratic fold could be useful in the fight against climate change. That electric vehicle mandate is important to him, after all. Ro Khanna, a Democrat who represents Silicon Valley in Congress, was quoted in that piece and has spoken up about starting a 'dialogue' with the billionaire. 'We should ultimately be trying to convince him that the Democratic Party has more of the values that he agrees with,' Khanna told Politico in a separate piece. 'A commitment to science funding, a commitment to clean technology, a commitment to seeing international students like him.' At Wednesday's WelcomeFest—a kind of Coachella for centrist politicians and consultants, if Coachella was more annoying and significantly less popular—the festival's co-founder Liam Kerr pushed the idea that Musk returning to the party could be good. 'You don't want anyone wildly distorting your politics, which he has a unique capability to do. But it's a zero-sum game,' he said. 'Anything that he does that moves more toward Democrats hurts Republicans.' Embracing Musk is, even for this iteration of the Democratic Party, a phenomenally stupid and self-defeating thing to do. Yes, the feud between he and Trump is good for them. Democrats should help it continue—not by embracing Musk but by…letting it continue. 'Let them fight' is a well-worn political strategy because it works. Musk and Trump's feud causes division within the Republican Party, imperils one of the worst pieces of legislation in modern history, and makes everyone involved in it look like a childish idiot. It is literally drawing attention to Trump's ties to Epstein, which have been well-known for years but have never really landed with his base. Every second that the two of them are fighting is good for Democrats. But it's especially good because they are fighting over the direction of the Republican Party. The big problem with welcoming Musk into the fold is that the political ideology Musk is deploying in his fight against Trump is odious. It is as bad as, if not worse, than Trumpism. It is an agenda that basically amounts to a feudal state: Billionaires like him would have immense power, the federal government would all but cease to exist. Musk wants to slash all entitlement spending, and decimate the federal government's effectiveness. If anything, he wants a government that is even more extreme than the extremist, authoritarian one we have now. Backing him now would also mean providing a life preserver to a small government ethos that is antithetical to where the Democratic Party should be. It is also a bad idea because Musk is a vile bigot and a loser. He is the billionaire who took away thousands of jobs at home and killed thousands of innocent people abroad. He really, really sucks. As it currently stands, Democrats are getting everything they want. Musk is sowing chaos and imperiling the administration and its reprehensible agenda. He is, most likely, going to wake up in a week or two in unprecedented territory for someone who hasn't been accused of a serious crime (like, say, being a pedophile): He will be loathed by both Democrats and Republicans and have only a small constituency of fellow losers as his admirers. This is good. This is what we should want. He doesn't deserve to have a place in public life. Let him cause as much damage to Trump as possible and then stay as far away from him as possible, forever.
