Latest news with #CharlieRangel
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
LEONARD GREENE: From upstart activist to political giant, Charles Rangel's death marks end of an era
Nearly 25 years have passed since an upstart Harlem minister tried to unseat the venerable Charlie Rangel, as much an institution as the Apollo Theater or the nearby Lenox Lounge. He didn't even come close. But as the Rev. Conrad Tillard recalls all these years later, he didn't make a political rival. He gained a friend for life. 'We had a great relationship,' Tillard said in a social media post after Rangel's death last week. 'I had great respect for him even though I attempted to push up on him in 2002. Yes, young lions do rise up on the Alpha. He and that formidable uptown organization did a smack down on us.' Thirty years before that, Rangel had been the young lion rising up on the Alpha. The only difference then was that the young lion won. Rangel, a lawyer with a few years in the state assembly under his belt, had vanquished the legendary congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. for the right to represent Harlem in the United States House of Representatives. Rangel held the seat for 46 years before retiring in 2017, smacking down any and all comers, including Powell's namesake son. Along the way, he became the first Black chair of the House's influential Ways and Means Committee, and was instrumental in the creation of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation that helped change the economic face of Harlem. 'A towering figure in American politics and a champion for justice, equity, and opportunity, Congressman Rangel dedicated over four decades of his life to public service,' the Rangel family said in a statement announcing his death Monday. 'Throughout his career, Congressman Rangel fought tirelessly for affordable housing, urban revitalization, fair tax policies, and equal opportunities for all Americans.' It was only fitting that Rangel, a decorated war hero, would die on Memorial Day. As an artillery operations specialist in an all-Black battalion during the Korean War, Rangel earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for leading a group of soldiers out of a deadly Chinese army encirclement during the Battle of Konu-ri. The experience inspired his lifelong mantra, and the title to his 2007 memoir, 'And I Haven't Had a Bad Day Since.' After the war, Rangel spent much of the 50s as a desk clerk at Harlem's historic Hotel Theresa, which housed a bevy of Black royalty from Joe Louis to Josephine Baker. 'Those were my most exciting days,' a wistful Rangel told me years ago. 'I saw all the entertainers.' He also saw all the hardship. Men like him, who risked their lives for a country a world away, were repaid with doors slammed in their faces. 'If you were poor in Harlem you weren't part of the renaissance,' Rangel said. 'People talk about the good ol' days, but for me the good ol' days were piss poor.' Rangel used money from the G.I. Bill to earn a bachelor's degree from New York University, and a full scholarship to earn a law degree from St. John's University. Rangel, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the nation's oldest African-American fraternity, worked in various jobs as a lawyer before jumping into politics. Along the way, he met Alma Carter, a social worker, while on the dance floor of the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. They were married for 60 years until her death in 2024. The other key partnership in his life was his membership in Harlem's historic Gang of Four, an alliance and friendship that broke political barriers. It included former Secretary of State Basil Paterson, former businessman and Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton and David Dinkins, New York City's first Black mayor. Rangel was the last surviving member. Such a rich life is worthy of honor and accolades, but Rangel wasn't much on any of it. When asked how he would like to be remembered, the ever-witty Rangel didn't miss a beat. 'If I'm gone, quite frankly,' he said. 'I don't give a damn.'
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
How Charlie Rangel Changed His Mind About the War on Drugs
It "seemed like a good idea at the time," Charlie Rangel remarked in 2021, referring to the draconian drug penalties he supported as a New York congressman in the 1980s. "Clearly, it was overkill." Rangel, who died on Monday at the age of 94, came to that conclusion after enthusiastically supporting the war on drugs for decades, going so far as to criticize Republicans as soft on the issue. His transformation from a zealous prohibitionist into a drug policy reformer reflected his recognition of the human costs inflicted by heavy-handed criminalization. A former federal prosecutor who was first elected to Congress in 1970, Rangel was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus who represented Harlem in the House until 2017. He played a leading role in drug policy as a member of the House Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control, which he chaired from 1983 to 1993. "Even though the administration claims to have declared a war on drugs, the only evidence we find of this war [is] the casualties," Rangel complained in June 1986, a week after the cocaine-related death of Len Bias, a star University of Maryland basketball player who had just been drafted by the Boston Celtics. "If indeed a war has been declared, I asked the question, 'When was the last time we heard a statement in support of this war from our commander in chief?'" A few months after Rangel demanded action, Congress approved the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, which established mandatory minimum penalties for drug offenses, including a sentencing scheme that treated smoked cocaine as if it were 100 times worse than the snorted kind. Two years later, another Anti-Drug Abuse Act made crack penalties even more severe, prescribing a minimum five-year sentence for simple possession of more than five grams—less than the weight of two sugar packets. In a 1989 Ebony profile that dubbed him "The Front-Line General in the War on Drugs," Rangel explained the rationale for such legislation. "We need outrage!" he said. "I don't know what is behind the lackadaisical attitudes towards drugs, but I do know that the American people have made it abundantly clear: They are outraged by the indifference of the U.S. government to this problem." Four years later, when Rangel introduced a bill that would have eliminated three crack-specific mandatory minimums, he was already having second thoughts about this get-tough approach. By that point, the senseless penal distinction between crack and cocaine powder had led to stark racial disparities and prompted objections from federal judges, whose criticism would soon be amplified by the U.S. Sentencing Commission. "In response to the onslaught of cocaine abuse in the 1980s," Rangel explained in 2007, "the nation crafted a drug policy totally lacking in compassion, and worse, that was totally unfair to the weakest, and most disadvantaged, in society." By his telling, "the sudden, frightening epidemic of a new street drug…impelled besieged lawmakers to enact stiff punishments for crack cocaine offenses." Rather than "reducing drug addiction and crime," Rangel said, those laws "swelled prison populations, created a sentencing divide that victimized young Black men, left a generation of children fatherless, and drove up the costs of a justice system focused more on harsh punishment than rehabilitation." In other words, the "stiff punishments" that Rangel thought would help his community had the opposite effect. Rangel's evolution extended beyond crack penalties. By 2011, the same congressman who in 1991 had defended the war on drugs in a debate with National Review founder William F. Buckley Jr. was co-sponsoring a bill aimed at ending federal marijuana prohibition. "It simply doesn't make sense to waste billions of dollars putting hundreds of thousands of Americans in prison for non-violent offenses," Rangel declared in 2012. His change of heart, which began earlier and went further than a similar shift by Joe Biden, provided hope that even the most gung-ho drug warrior can learn from experience. © Copyright 2025 by Creators Syndicate Inc. The post How Charlie Rangel Changed His Mind About the War on Drugs appeared first on
Fox News
27-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Trump's war with Harvard
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here's what's happening… -'The Kamala Excuse': Tensions between Biden and Harris plagued their campaigns, new book reveals -Former NY Democratic Rep Charlie Rangel dead at 94 -Dem strategy session to stop hemorrhaging of male voters ridiculed The Trump administration escalated its war with Harvard University on Tuesday, announcing it will claw back the university's remaining $100 million in federal funding – effectively ending all financial ties with the Ivy League institution. "The government is out of business with Harvard University, fully," a senior administration official told Fox News Digital. At the center of the fight are accusations of Harvard failing to combat a campus culture of antisemitism. While the university accuses the White House of overreach and insists it is defending free speech, its own internal investigation appears to have handed Trump officials ammunition…Read more 'MONSTERS': Trump fires off scathing all-caps Memorial Day message targeting 'SCUM' who sought to 'DESTROY' the US HONORING HEROES: Trump honors fallen American heroes, praises God in Memorial Day address: 'Great, great warriors' CONVICTION UNDONE: Trump pardons former Virginia sheriff convicted of taking $75K in bribes PULLING THE PLUG: Trump admin seeks to cancel all remaining contracts with Harvard University A SECOND LOOK: FBI reopening investigation into cocaine found at Biden White House UNDETECTED: Biden's presidential health reports showed no sign of recently revealed aggressive cancer 'SQUANDERED': DOGE sniffs out eye-popping spending on Biden DEI efforts in key agency RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR: GOP lawmaker blasts 'dumb' Trump comment on Zelenskyy despite 'perfect' criticism of Putin RISING TENSIONS: Trump warns Putin is 'playing with fire' after declaring the Russian president has 'gone absolutely CRAZY' DEMOCRAT DETOUR: Maryland Democrat Ivey furious not given access to Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador TRUMP-APPROVED: Trump endorses House Republican who failed to vote on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act POLITICS AT PLAY: Vets groups torch Dems for holding up key VA picks, including memorials chief on Memorial Day STORIES FROM THE HILL: Remembering Rep. Charlie Rangel – and a voicemail I'll never forget MALE 'SYNTAX': Dems drop $20M on bizarre 'American men' study in effort to dig out of 2024 political hole DIVA DEMOCRACY: Jasmine Crockett shares bizarre song clip calling herself 'leader of the future' 'WEAK AND WOKE': Rahm Emanuel calls Democrat's party brand 'weak,' appearing to weigh White House run FARM ALARM: Key Trump voting bloc has concerns with MAHA report, as Trump officials give assurances TOXIC BETRAYAL: Veterans of US' 'toxic soup' Uzbekistan base still fight for proper healthcare 20 years after it was shuttered ELECTION INTEGRITY: Texas governor makes it 'crystal clear' only U.S. citizens can vote in state elections BUSTED BACKER: DOJ reaches plea deal with Dem donor who sought to bribe her way to Kennedy Center seat 'UNSUSTAINABLE': Illegal immigrant health care costs in blue state triggers intense budget debate 'POLITICAL TARGETING': Red state official recounts personal experience of being 'debanked' and why it 'has to be stopped' SPEECH SILENCED: Supreme Court declines to review free speech case involving student who wore 'only two genders' shirt SPACE FORCE BATTLE: Battle over Space Command HQ location heats up as lawmakers press new Air Force secretary 'MENACE TO OUR CITY': Far-left candidate's office accused of fostering toxic environment for women Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Remembering Rep. Charlie Rangel — and a voicemail I'll never forget
I didn't recognize the "917" New York number that called me. But there was no question about who phoned after they left a message. The caller on the voicemail was utterly unmistakable. They didn't say their name. They didn't have to. "Chad, you're the only one who missed me," croaked the voice. Read On The Fox News App Former Ny Democratic Rep Charlie Rangel Dead At 94 It carried the sleekness of a stone crusher working over basalt in a West Virginia quarry. The voicemail was from the late Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y. And he was essentially calling to assure me that he wasn't dead. After all, I was apparently the only member of the congressional press corps who noticed that the New York Democrat hadn't voted nor been anywhere near the U.S. Capitol in several weeks. There was no article in Roll Call. Nothing in Politico. No statement from his office. Rangel just wasn't around. So I called and wound up speaking to his communications director Hannah Kim and chief of staff George Henry. I inquired if Rangel was all right. They assured me he was. But they didn't quite give me the full story. That was for Rangel to do. And then Rangel himself called — from his sickbed — so I could hear his signature jackhammer-chopping-through-the-asphalt-of-Manhattan voice to prove to this reporter he was still among the living. "I wanted you to hear it from me," said Rangel. Ex-rep. Charlie Rangel, 94, Questions Whether Biden Belongs In Nursing Home, Not White House It was 2012. Rangel was out because of a back injury and a viral infection, which made it difficult for him to stand for long periods of time. From 2008 through late 2010, I dogged Rangel through the halls of Congress on a daily basis as the veteran congressman grappled with an ethics scandal. The ethics case culminated in the House censuring Rangel, permanently smudging his record as a war hero, a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. First elected to the House in 1970, Rangel's star had dimmed after the ethics scandal. But in 2012, any information about an elderly, legendary congressman like Rangel was newsworthy. So, as a reporter on the Capitol Hill beat, I appreciated the phone call as he described the excruciating pain that beset him. It's possible the Ethics Committee investigation and censure by the House were more agonizing for Rangel than the back problem. Rangel was so confident that he didn't violate House rules that he referred himself to the Ethics Committee. Rangel started to feel the ethics heat in 2008. He used his position as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee to solicit funds for a school in his name at City College of New York. He failed to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes or rental income on a villa he owned in the Dominican Republic. A rent-controlled apartment in Harlem doubled as a campaign office. He improperly parked his broken-down, 1972 silver Mercedes-Benz in the garage of the Rayburn House Office Building. The House prohibits lawmakers from using the garage for storage. The Benz lacked plates, wasn't registered and apparently hadn't been driven in about four years. A Falls Church, Virginia, towing company lugged the car out of the garage on Sept. 19, 2008. Video of the tow-truck hauling away the Mercedes-Benz from Rayburn would have made a juicy story the next morning on TV. But Rangel caught a break. Sort of. Virginia Democratic Rep Gerry Connolly Dead At 75 Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., summoned then-Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson to Capitol Hill that night. The U.S. economy teetered on the verge of an epic financial collapse. By nightfall, it was clear just how bad the nation's economy was. Everyone temporarily forgot about Rangel. In fact, the inoperable Benz may have been in better shape than some American car companies at that moment. But the House Ethics Committee was investigating Rangel. An inquiry started in 2009 and culminated in his censure on the House floor in 2010. The House voted 333-79 to discipline Rangel. A somber Rangel presented himself in the well of the House chamber, hands folded in front of him as though he were about to receive Communion. Pelosi doled out her admonition from the dais and lightly rapped the gavel. "He violated the public trust," said then-Ethics Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif. It was the first censure of a House member in 27 years. Years later, I half-jokingly told Rangel that he could blame me for his problems with the Ethics Committee. As stated earlier, it was Rangel who believed his actions were beyond reproach. So he sent himself before the Ethics Committee to review his conduct. I entered the Capitol one morning in 2008 and discovered his longtime aide, Emile Milne, wandering the basement. I asked Milne what he was looking for. He waived an overstuffed envelope at me. "The Ethics Committee," said Milne. Democrats' Boiling Pot: A Look At Their 2026 Game Plan This was the actual "self-referral" to the Ethics Committee. And Milne was the courier of a dossier Rangel would use to defend himself. I knew exactly where the Ethics Committee was located in those days in the Capitol catacombs. So I escorted Milne to the door. As I said, I told Rangel he could blame all of his problems on me. Between 2008 and 2010, I staked out Rangel somewhere at the Capitol nearly every day. The day Pelosi summoned him to her office. The day Pelosi removed him as Ways and Means Committee chairman. The day he spoke at length on the House floor to defend himself against the allegations after the ethics panel formalized its inquiry. One night, a scrum of reporters caught Rangel in the hallway off the House floor and pelted him with a barrage of questions. Rangel briefly answered. Then deflected. He then decided he had enough as scribes fired questions at him with the speed of a Gatling gun. Rangel sighed, exasperated at what to do. "Sergeant Charles B. Rangel. 85718162!" hollered Rangel. "And that's all I'm going to say about it!" It's unclear if the other reporters understood what just happened. But I did. By Dawn's Early Light: Battles Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Will Face In The Senate Rangel served in the Army during the Korean War. He was wounded in the back by shrapnel and eventually led dozens of men out of a firefight and to safety. Multiple soldiers died, and others were taken prisoner. Rangel received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with valor. Rangel survived that day. But back on Capitol Hill, the news cycle had effectively taken Rangel prisoner. So he complied with the terms of the Geneva Convention. A prisoner of war is only compelled to provide enemy captors their name, rank and serial number. And after absorbing heavy fire from the press corps, Rangel had only one option. It's notable that someone with Rangel's military record and Army service passed away on Memorial Day. In August 2008, Rangel published his autobiography entitled "And I Haven't Had a Bad Day Since." The book chronicles how a high school dropout joined the Army and was wounded on the battlefield. Rangel chose to continue — eventually winding up in Congress as one of the most important lawmakers of the last 50 years. But Rangel then faced one of the harshest punishments Congress could dole out. It cost him his chairmanship and upended his reputation. But Rangel was often philosophical about his fate and transgressions in Congress. He argued that despite the trouble, he still hadn't had a bad day since that fateful battle in Kunu-ri, Korea in late 1950. Back in 2012, I may have been the only one who noticed that Rangel was absent when he was suffering from a back issue and viral infection. But I certainly won't be the only one article source: Remembering Rep. Charlie Rangel — and a voicemail I'll never forget
Fox News
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Remembering Rep. Charlie Rangel — and a voicemail I'll never forget
I didn't recognize the "917" New York number that called me. But there was no question about who phoned after they left a message. The caller on the voicemail was utterly unmistakable. They didn't say their name. They didn't have to. "Chad, you're the only one who missed me," croaked the voice. It carried the sleekness of a stone crusher working over basalt in a West Virginia quarry. The voicemail was from the late Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y. And he was essentially calling to assure me that he wasn't dead. After all, I was apparently the only member of the congressional press corps who noticed that the New York Democrat hadn't voted nor been anywhere near the U.S. Capitol in several weeks. There was no article in Roll Call. Nothing in Politico. No statement from his office. Rangel just wasn't around. So I called and wound up speaking to his communications director Hannah Kim and chief of staff George Henry. I inquired if Rangel was all right. They assured me he was. But they didn't quite give me the full story. That was for Rangel to do. And then Rangel himself called — from his sickbed — so I could hear his signature jackhammer-chopping-through-the-asphalt-of-Manhattan voice to prove to this reporter he was still among the living. "I wanted you to hear it from me," said Rangel. It was 2012. Rangel was out because of a back injury and a viral infection, which made it difficult for him to stand for long periods of time. From 2008 through late 2010, I dogged Rangel through the halls of Congress on a daily basis as the veteran congressman grappled with an ethics scandal. The ethics case culminated in the House censuring Rangel, permanently smudging his record as a war hero, a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. First elected to the House in 1970, Rangel's star had dimmed after the ethics scandal. But in 2012, any information about an elderly, legendary congressman like Rangel was newsworthy. So, as a reporter on the Capitol Hill beat, I appreciated the phone call as he described the excruciating pain that beset him. It's possible the Ethics Committee investigation and censure by the House were more agonizing for Rangel than the back problem. Rangel was so confident that he didn't violate House rules that he referred himself to the Ethics Committee. Rangel started to feel the ethics heat in 2008. He used his position as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee to solicit funds for a school in his name at City College of New York. He failed to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes or rental income on a villa he owned in the Dominican Republic. A rent-controlled apartment in Harlem doubled as a campaign office. He improperly parked his broken-down, 1972 silver Mercedes-Benz in the garage of the Rayburn House Office Building. The House prohibits lawmakers from using the garage for storage. The Benz lacked plates, wasn't registered and apparently hadn't been driven in about four years. A Falls Church, Virginia, towing company lugged the car out of the garage on Sept. 19, 2008. Video of the tow-truck hauling away the Mercedes-Benz from Rayburn would have made a juicy story the next morning on TV. But Rangel caught a break. Sort of. Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., summoned then-Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson to Capitol Hill that night. The U.S. economy teetered on the verge of an epic financial collapse. By nightfall, it was clear just how bad the nation's economy was. Everyone temporarily forgot about Rangel. In fact, the inoperable Benz may have been in better shape than some American car companies at that moment. But the House Ethics Committee was investigating Rangel. An inquiry started in 2009 and culminated in his censure on the House floor in 2010. The House voted 333-79 to discipline Rangel. A somber Rangel presented himself in the well of the House chamber, hands folded in front of him as though he were about to receive Communion. Pelosi doled out her admonition from the dais and lightly rapped the gavel. "He violated the public trust," said then-Ethics Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif. It was the first censure of a House member in 27 years. Years later, I half-jokingly told Rangel that he could blame me for his problems with the Ethics Committee. As stated earlier, it was Rangel who believed his actions were beyond reproach. So he sent himself before the Ethics Committee to review his conduct. I entered the Capitol one morning in 2008 and discovered his longtime aide, Emile Milne, wandering the basement. I asked Milne what he was looking for. He waived an overstuffed envelope at me. "The Ethics Committee," said Milne. This was the actual "self-referral" to the Ethics Committee. And Milne was the courier of a dossier Rangel would use to defend himself. I knew exactly where the Ethics Committee was located in those days in the Capitol catacombs. So I escorted Milne to the door. As I said, I told Rangel he could blame all of his problems on me. Between 2008 and 2010, I staked out Rangel somewhere at the Capitol nearly every day. The day Pelosi summoned him to her office. The day Pelosi removed him as Ways and Means Committee chairman. The day he spoke at length on the House floor to defend himself against the allegations after the ethics panel formalized its inquiry. One night, a scrum of reporters caught Rangel in the hallway off the House floor and pelted him with a barrage of questions. Rangel briefly answered. Then deflected. He then decided he had enough as scribes fired questions at him with the speed of a Gatling gun. Rangel sighed, exasperated at what to do. "Sergeant Charles B. Rangel. 85718162!" hollered Rangel. "And that's all I'm going to say about it!" It's unclear if the other reporters understood what just happened. But I did. Rangel served in the Army during the Korean War. He was wounded in the back by shrapnel and eventually led dozens of men out of a firefight and to safety. Multiple soldiers died, and others were taken prisoner. Rangel received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star with valor. Rangel survived that day. But back on Capitol Hill, the news cycle had effectively taken Rangel prisoner. So he complied with the terms of the Geneva Convention. A prisoner of war is only compelled to provide enemy captors their name, rank and serial number. And after absorbing heavy fire from the press corps, Rangel had only one option. It's notable that someone with Rangel's military record and Army service passed away on Memorial Day. In August 2008, Rangel published his autobiography entitled "And I Haven't Had a Bad Day Since." The book chronicles how a high school dropout joined the Army and was wounded on the battlefield. Rangel chose to continue — eventually winding up in Congress as one of the most important lawmakers of the last 50 years. But Rangel then faced one of the harshest punishments Congress could dole out. It cost him his chairmanship and upended his reputation. But Rangel was often philosophical about his fate and transgressions in Congress. He argued that despite the trouble, he still hadn't had a bad day since that fateful battle in Kunu-ri, Korea in late 1950. Back in 2012, I may have been the only one who noticed that Rangel was absent when he was suffering from a back issue and viral infection. But I certainly won't be the only one today.
