Latest news with #Landsman
Axios
2 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Jewish lawmakers fear they're next after antisemitic attacks
Jewish members of Congress are worried by a spate of attacks aimed at Jews — and are openly saying they may be next on the target list. Why it matters: There has been a sharp rise in antisemitism and threats against lawmakers in recent years. For some Jewish representatives, the two trends are eerily correlated. "The number of times in the course of a week I'm called a 'Jewish demon' is pretty unsettling," Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) told Axios. Landsman said "most" Jewish members are "facing these very unsettling and potentially dangerous situations," pointing to the pro-Palestinian encampment that was erected outside his house in Cincinnati. Driving the news: Capitol Hill was rocked last month when two Israeli embassy staffers were fatally shot outside an American Jewish Committee meeting at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. The suspect, Elias Rodriguez, shouted "free, free Palestine" as he was arrested by police. "I have had a hard time getting the image of being shot and killed out of my head. It happens almost every time I'm in a big crowd now," Landsman said in a statement after the shooting. The incident came after a man who set fire to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's official residence cited the Jewish governor's stance on the war in Gaza as a factor. State of play: Concerns about Jewish safety spiked again this week after a man yelling "free Palestine" threw Molotov cocktails at attendees of a Boulder, Colorado, rally advocating for the release of hostages held by Hamas. The attack left at least eight people — four women and four men, aged 52 to 88 — hospitalized. What they're saying: Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) said in a phone interview that he "increased our investment in security" after the D.C. attack. "It's a dangerous world," he told Axios. "I will not let this become normal ... and I will not let this force me to back away or fail to do what I need to do representing all my constituents in the 10th district." Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) said: "I've always thought we were in jeopardy and jeopardized when we were on the Capitol campus." And Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Calif.) added: "The Jewish community is very much on edge ... and elected officials in general, I think, are feeling less safe." Zoom out: Beyond their personal safety, several lawmakers previewed a renewed push to fund the Nonprofit Safety Grant Program, particularly to provide security for houses of worship and faith-based organizations.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Landsman: It's time to ban stock trading in Congress and rebuild public trust
My wife and I just sold every single one of our individual stocks. We did so because we know that public trust is essential, and yet so many no longer trust their government. This is the same reason I advocated for the establishment of the first-ever Office of Good Government at Cincinnati City Hall several years ago. Public trust in government has been low for years, with only 22% of Americans agreeing elected officials are working in their best interest. But few issues unite people like this one − more than 80% of Americans think members of Congress shouldn't be trading stocks. 'It was a mistake': What to know about U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman stock trades Some lawmakers have used insider information to gain financially and have been convicted in the past. It's wrong, and with reforms, we can fix this and begin to rebuild trust. In Congress, I'm leading this effort by cosponsoring the bipartisan Transparent Representation Upholding Service and Trust (TRUST) in Congress Act. The TRUST in Congress Act is designed to end insider trading and requires members of Congress, as well as their spouses and dependent children, to either divest from individual stocks or place their investments in an arrangement where they have no knowledge of or control over how the assets are managed. While the Trust in Congress Act is not yet law, I made the decision to become fully compliant with the legislation because of how important this is. Earlier this year, my wife and I started the long process of selling every single one of our individual stocks and reinvesting them in mutual and exchange-traded funds that we do not control. I'm likely one of the first members of Congress to do this, but hopefully others follow our lead. It was an expensive process, but the right thing to do. I know Americans see a system that's broken, and I'm determined to be part of the generation that fixes it. Opinion: Landsman needs to explain why he failed to disclose stock trades There's been renewed momentum this year around banning stock trading in Congress, but the bill has not been voted on yet. Instead, Congress has been focused almost entirely on a budget bill that gives tax breaks to the super wealthy and big corporate investors at the expense of everyone else. More than 14 million Americans will lose health care, and millions more will lose food assistance. Plus, this budget would add trillions to the deficit. This kind of budget bill could be a reason why nearly 80% of Americans lack trust in their government. Members of Congress continuing to trade stocks doesn't help. I do believe we can restore faith in politics and government by making it clear we only work for you. Getting members of Congress out of the stock-trading business − and free from the influence of big money interests − will be a big part of the solution. I want every one of my constituents to know that my focus is entirely on serving them. That's why I'm not only leading on these reforms but practicing what I preach. I want other members of Congress to see what we did and follow our lead − and to join me in passing the Trust in Congress Act. U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, a Democrat, represents Ohio's 1st Congressional House District and is a former Cincinnati councilman. He has traveled to Israel and the Middle East over a dozen times, including four times in his first term as a member of Congress. Landsman also worked in Israel from 2015 to 2020, before becoming a member of Congress, supporting philanthropic efforts. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Trust in Congress Act would ban stock trading in Congress | Opinion
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Jewish congressman shares emotional message against political violence in wake of fatal shooting of Israeli Embassy staffers
A Jewish congressman on Wednesday shared his personal fears of political violence, as he reflected on last week's fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers and called on those protesting the war in Gaza to do so peacefully. Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman shared Wednesday that the killing of 'two innocent young people,' Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, 'was deeply personal and profoundly unsettling.' 'First, let me be as honest and as personal as it gets. I have had a hard time getting the image of being shot and killed out of my head. It happens almost every time I'm in a big crowd now,' the Ohio congressman, who's now in his second term, wrote in an emotional statement. 'Last Saturday at a rally back home, I decided not to have police protection. Standing in a crowd talking to constituents, I had the most vivid image: All of a sudden, I saw myself on the ground, dead from a gunshot. This is what actually happened a few days later to Yaron and Sarah.' Landsman told CNN in an interview following the release of his statement that he 'felt compelled to be as honest as possible, so that we can pull back from this moment and people stop to read it and think about it and we don't have to live like this. We can protect speech and each other simultaneously.' The congressman said he wants 'people to appreciate that organizing and advocating and pushing for something you believe in is so critically important, and that there is a difference between protest and chaos.' 'There is a difference between free speech and hate speech or violent speech,' he continued. 'And just to do everything in your power to make sure that you and others are in solidly in the camp of protest and free speech and nowhere near chaos and hate or violent speech.' In his statement, Landsman detailed how anti-Israel protesters have followed him for more than a year, including sleeping outside his home, and have threatened him and his family. 'They don't just protest. They get in my face, screaming about the 'genocide' I'm causing,' he wrote, while also stressing that most protesters aren't violent. Other Jewish members of Congress, he said, face similar situations, and some have 'constant police protection' while back in their home states. 'We worry about being on Capitol Hill, too. Without going into specific security concerns, we know that what happened to Yaron and Sarah could happen to one of us as we move around the Capitol,' he wrote. He compared the killing of Lischinsky and Milgrim to the 'outrageous murder' of 6-year-old Palestinian-American Wadea Al-Fayoume, whom authorities said was killed because he was Muslim. 'We allow people to 'otherize' and demonize folks, and we forget to appreciate that it often turns violent,' Landsman wrote. 'Everyone has to do a better job of ensuring disagreements don't lead to this disturbing and dangerous process.' He also attributed the violence against the Israeli Embassy staffers to the spreading of 'blood libels.' He continued his calls for a ceasefire in Israel's war against Hamas. He also called on the Senate to pass the bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act, which the House passed last year. Landsman argued that the bill would be helpful in fighting antisemitism, along with colleges working with organizations such as the American Jewish Committee. 'I would encourage my colleagues to stop politicizing this, on both sides. Our safety and wellbeing are at stake, and antisemitism should be a nonpartisan, noncontroversial issue,' he wrote. Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, were leaving an event on May 21 at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, when a gunman opened fire, killing them, authorities said. 'It is so deeply painful and it shook all of us because one, two really wonderful people were executed. And two, this is what we have been telling people will happen if folks don't change the way they're talking about this,' Landsman told CNN.
NZ Herald
26-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Bar Céleste announces closure, ending five-year run in Auckland
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bar Céleste (@bar_celeste) Landsman and Ogilvie opened Bar Céleste in 2019, taking over the space formerly occupied by Revel Café. The relaxed wine bar was the couple's first bricks-and-mortar operation, though they'd already built a loyal following in Auckland through their pop-up dinners under the banner La Pêche Projects. In a review that touted Bar Céleste's French charm and late-night verve, Viva's Dining Out editor Jesse Mulligan dubbed the self-styled neo-bistro Auckland's best new opening of 2019 'by a long shot' and scored the restaurant 19/20. That same month, Canvas restaurant reviewer Kim Knight visited the eatery and described the restaurant's signature dessert, a chocolate ganache served with flaky sea salt and olive oil, as 'less of a pudding and more of a small, chocolatey bridge between how we used to eat and how we'd like to eat now'. Though their menu largely centred around modern reworkings of classical French dishes such as carottes râpées and bavette steak with beurre maître d'hôtel and jus, reflecting their time living and working in Paris, the couple also included culinary influences from closer to home. A version of raw fish salad ota ika was often available on the menu as an homage to Ogilvie's Tongan heritage. To meet market conditions during its half decade in business, the restaurant adapted its approach a number of times. During the Covid-19 lockdowns, the restaurant operated under the name Cantine, a takeaway-only model that served burgers, sandwiches and cookies. Last winter, the restaurant rebranded as Pizzeria Céleste, a seasonal pizza bar pop-up serving New Haven-style pizzas and organic wines. Returning to its wine bar format in September 2024, the restaurant launched promotional campaigns to encourage business, including an Oyster Happy Hour in which the bivalves were offered for $3.50 each Wednesday-Saturday between 5pm and 6pm. Last year the business earned a spot on Viva's list of Top 60 Restaurants in Auckland. Deputy Editor Johanna Thornton praised the restaurant's adaptability and stated, 'there's no better place to enjoy a glass than Céleste's outdoor tables in the early evening sun'. The closure sees Bar Céleste join a growing list of venerated Auckland Eatery's winding down their operations in recent months. Last week Tokki, a celebrated Korean restaurant in Milford announced they would have their last service on June 21. In April Ponsonby Road Bistro announced it was closing after 18 years in operation, and Sid and Chand Sahrawat announced they were closing their restaurant Kol, citing challenging trading conditions. In December 2024 a quarterly report from the Restaurant Association of New Zealand outlined that national restaurants and cafes sales reached $1.8 billion, down 2.5% year on year, 'underscoring continued challenges for dine-in services as customers tighten discretionary spending'. The report stated that 57% of surveyed Restaurant Association members reported worse or significantly worse profitability compared to the same period in the year prior. A downturn in customer numbers was cited as the biggest challenge for operators, with 38% of respondents identifying it as their primary concern. Announcing the closure of Bar Céleste the hospitality duo hinted at potentially re-visiting the format in years to come. 'While this chapter is coming to a close, we're looking forward to carrying what we've built at Bar Céleste into future projects — and we hope to cross paths with many of you again soon." Landsman and Ogilvie also operate Gloria's, a sandwich deli in Downtown Auckland's Commercial Bay precinct. The daytime eatery first opened in 2022, a few doors down from Bar Céleste on Karangahape Road, taking over the space that formerly held their natural wine shop, Star Wines.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'Down to zero': Veteran suicide crisis targeted in VA bill by bipartisan House coalition
EXCLUSIVE: A bipartisan group of lawmakers is joining forces to introduce a bill aimed at strengthening veteran suicide prevention programs. "Too many veterans are dying by suicide every day, and we have to do more to prevent it," Rep. Greg Landsman, the Ohio Republican leading the effort, told Fox News Digital. "If we focus the VA resources on the most effective programs, we can make a significant impact in reducing these heartbreaking and entirely unacceptable rates of veteran suicide. Our veterans deserve the best care possible." The comments come as Landsman readies to introduce the "What Works at Preventing Veteran Suicide Act," a bill that would require the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to establish new pilot and grant programs aimed at eliminating veteran suicide. The new legislation would aim to make the VA secretary responsible for "setting clear and measurable objectives for funding and programs" that would evaluate "how effective those funding programs are" in helping to prevent veteran suicide, according to a release about the bill provided to Fox News Digital. Doge Uncovers Massive Va Contract For 'Salary Survey Data And Analysis' — Says It Canceled It, Saving Millions "Veteran suicide is a crisis we cannot afford to ignore," Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, a former U.S. Navy SEAL joining the effort, told Fox News Digital. "As someone who's worn the uniform and served alongside some of the best this country has to offer, I'm committed to driving that number down to zero. Reintroducing this bill is about accountability and results. We need to know which programs are actually saving lives so we can invest in what works and get our veterans the support they deserve." Read On The Fox News App "I have lost many friends and teammates to suicide, and until we are using every available resource to prevent it, we are simply not doing enough," Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., another military veteran lawmaker, added in comments to Fox News Digital. "This bill ensures the VA is focused on proven, effective programs to combat veteran suicide. One veteran lost is one too many – we owe it to them to get this right." Veterans still account for a disproportionate share of the national suicide rate, according to the VA's most recent National Veteran Suicide Prevention Report, released in December 2024. Analyzing dates from 2001 to 2022, with 2022 being the most recent year with available data, the report found that 6,407 of the 47,891 (13.3%) nationwide suicides were committed by veterans. Tim Walz Heckled By Veterans For Stolen Valor Claims, China Connections That number comes despite U.S. military veterans representing only 6% of the U.S. adult population, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. In all, there were roughly 17.6 veteran suicides per day in 2022, the VA found. The release notes that the legislation is currently endorsed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and Save a Warrior. "Save A Warrior is proud to be a supporting organization of this important bill, and we stand ready to assist in its advancement," Jack Retzer, Save a Warrior founder and president, told Fox News Digital. "We thank you for your continued leadership on this issue and for your commitment to those who have served our nation so honorably." The legislation has also picked up bipartisan support, with Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Chris Deluzio, joining in on the effort. "We have got to use all of the tested and effective tactics available to take on the suicide crisis facing America's veterans," Deluzio told Fox News Digital. "I am grateful to partner with Congressman Landsman to introduce this legislation that would create more guidelines for suicide prevention pilots and outreach through the VA. I will never stop fighting to protect and serve my fellow veterans."Original article source: 'Down to zero': Veteran suicide crisis targeted in VA bill by bipartisan House coalition
