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New York Post
15 minutes ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Top NY Dems ‘freaking out' over ‘absolute insanity' of Mamdani taking over NYC, Mike Lawler says
Hudson Valley Rep. Mike Lawler believes that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other top New York Democrats are 'freaking out' over socialist Zohran Mamdani's victory in the mayoral primary. Lawler (R-NY) said he believes reporting from journalist Mark Halperin that Jeffries (D-NY) quietly feels that if Mamdani becomes mayor, Democrats won't be able to take back control of the House. 'I think that's right,' Lawler told 'Fox & Friends' Wednesday when asked about Halperin's report. 'I think they are betwixt and between. You see Kathy Hochul, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries freaking out about the prospects of having a Marxist lead the financial capital of the world.' 'They understand this is a disaster, not only for Democrats, but for the country.' Halperin had claimed this week that 'Hakeem Jeffries strongly believes that if Mamdani wins, he [Jeffries] can't win the majority' and cited 'people who've spoken directly with the leader.' 3 House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has refrained from endorsing Zohran Mamdani. AP 3 Rep. Mike Lawler announced Wednesday that he won't run for governor. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Spokespeople for Jeffries have called that report 'patently false.' So far, Jeffries has declined to endorse Mamdani, who once compared the minority leader to notorious segregationist George Wallace and questioned his progressive bona fides. The two Democrats met in person last week and Jeffries plans to have another confab with Mamdani after he returns from his marriage celebration in Uganda. Lawler, who announced Wednesday that he will vie for his swing seat again in 2026 rather than challenge Gov. Kathy Hochul, gloated over the predicament mainstream Democrats face. 'This is absolute insanity to have somebody who says that he wants to seize the means of production, that he wants to ban private property ownership, that he wants to freeze the rent, that he wants free bussing and mass transit, and he wants government-run grocery stores,' he said of Mamdani. 'They understand this is a disaster in the suburban districts like mine that determine the outcome of control of Congress, and that's why they haven't yet endorsed him. But at the same token, they can't run too far away from him.' 3 Zohran Mamdani's shock victory has rocked the Democratic Party in New York. Getty Images Jeffries has been crusading to flip control of the House, where Republicans have a threadbare 219 to 212-seat majority. Historically, the party in control of the White House loses a chunk of House seats during the midterms. This has been the trend in every midterm election since 1938, with two main exceptions: 1998 and 2002. Republicans are hoping that other factors, such as Mamdani, could change that dynamic. Mamdani is the clear favorite to become mayor of the Big Apple, but he still must win a general election, though some polls show a tightening race.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
CPI(M) launches two-day campaign against ‘anti-people' policies of the government in Mysuru
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) launched a two-day campaign to highlight the issues plaguing commoners and the ''anti-people'' policies of the State and Central governments here on Wednesday. The event was inaugurated by progressive thinker and writer Horeyal Doreswamy, who garlanded the statue of B.R. Ambedkar to mark the launch of the campaign. The CPI(M) said that apart from airing national and State-level matters, burning issues pertaining to Mysuru will also be highlighted to draw the attention of the authorities. Mr. Doreswamy, in his inaugural speech, expressed concern over what he said was an air of fear and distress among the vulnerable sections of the society, including farmers. He said that on one hand, farmers were being driven to suicide as the crops do not fetch remunerable price, and on the other hand, the number of educated individuals joining the roll of unemployment was also on the rise. Mr. Doreswamy flayed the government for the rise in prices of essential commodities, and said that it was adding to the financial distress of the poor and the working-class people. He also expressed concern that people were being divided along religious lines resulting in polarisation of the society. The writer pointed out that while the number of landless cultivators were on the rise, the government, instead of making allotment to them, was content with grabbing land from the farmers and handing it over to the corporates. This was also rendering many farmers landless, he added. The government was also flayed for its inability to construct houses and distribute it to the poor. Mr. Doreswamy said that only the Left parties in the country were airing concerns and issues pertaining to the commoners and fighting for the cause of farmers, workers, and the poor. CPI(M) district secretary Jagadish Surya touched upon issues related to Mysuru in particular, and said that there were no employment generation schemes in the region. Several industries, he said, had shut down, and thousands of acres of land acquired for industrial development was laying vacant, he added. The Mysuru City Corporation was urged to open ward-level clinics, and demand for the issuance of cultivation rights (Saguvali Patras) to the poor 'bagair hukum' cultivators was also made. Senior office-bearers of the party, including K. Basavaraj, N. Vijay Kumar, Jayaram, local committee secretary Subrahmanya, G. Rajendra, L. Jagannath, and others were present.
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
When VS Achuthanandan's ultimatum prompted Mammootty to backtrack on Rs 2 crore Coca-Cola ad deal: ‘He can't do both'
Celebrities becoming brand ambassadors for soft drink companies is nothing new, especially in India. From Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Akshay Kumar and Ranbir Kapoor to Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Mahesh Babu and Yash, the list is very long. Hence, when he received an offer from soft drink manufacturer giant Coca-Cola in the early 2000s to become its face in South India, it might not have taken Malayalam megastar Mammootty long to agree to the lucrative deal. However, he soon realised that he had made an impetuous mistake, mainly since the company was embroiled in the Plachimada legal battle. But by then, the controversy had escalated significantly, with even Marxist party strongman VS Achuthanandan, the then Leader of the Opposition (LoP), issuing an ultimatum to the actor. For the unversed, Mammootty has been serving as the chairman of Malayalam Communications Ltd, which runs the television channels Kairali TV, Kairali News, and Kairali We, since the time it was established in 2000. Kairali Channel group is backed by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), which was at the forefront of the Plachimada struggle, and CPI-M leader VS Achuthanandan was one of the leading proponents of the anti-Coca-Cola plant movement that spread across Kerala like wildfire. After Mammootty signed a deal, reportedly worth Rs 2 crore (Rs 20 million), with the Coca-Cola company, many stepped forward denouncing the megastar's move. Both Plachimada activists and CPI-M leaders and workers came down heavily on him for accepting the offer while they were all protesting against the plant that severely damaged local water sources in the village of Plachimada, Palakkad district. Soon after his decision courted controversy, Mammootty pointed out that the product was not banned in the country and claimed that 'it is, after all, a good drink'. He reportedly told media persons, 'When I accept the offer, I will seek a guarantee that Coke does not overexploit groundwater as alleged and whatever water it uses is replaced or that it finds alternative sources without dipping into the common person's sources of drinking water. Also, there is no bar on the channel (Kairali) accepting Coke advertisements.' Responding to reporters' queries regarding Mammootty's decision to collaborate with Coca-Cola, VS Achuthanandan was quoted as saying by Madhyamam, 'He can't do both. Either Mammootty can continue as the chairman of Kairali, or he can become the ambassador of Coca-Cola.' Talking to Rediff, VS said back then, 'I think Mammootty should not take up the advertising deal because everyone knows how companies like Coca Cola have left the people of a village dry.' According to the protestors, the plant had been depleting groundwater, leading to drying up of water resources in the area and eventually resulting in a drought. However, with VS — known for his strong stances on anti-corruption, environmentalism and land rights — making both his and the party's position unequivocally clear, Mammootty soon withdrew his decision. Given that the party strongman, who passed away on July 21, consistently took unwavering positions on matters concerning public welfare, the megastar knew more than well that reversing his decision was the only plausible solution here. The Plachimada Coca-Cola plant was eventually closed forever.
Sky News AU
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Pete Buttigieg devoid of ‘common sense' as he spends $80 billion on DEI grants
American Culture Project Senior Fellow Corey DeAngelis discusses the Department of Transportation's Pete Buttigieg wasting $80 billion on DEI grants, inevitably affecting air traffic control upgrades. 'This could even be dangerous,' Mr DeAngelis told Sky News host Rita Panahi. 'When you're dealing with safety issues and flying, and instead, you're preferring to spend that money on diversity, equity and inclusion, this Marxist garbage. 'We should focus on merit … it shouldn't be based on your background, the colour of your skin. 'It's just common sense to support merit and support safety.'
Saudi Gazette
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Thousands pay tribute to veteran Indian communist leader
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM — Thousands are paying their respects to veteran Indian communist leader VS Achuthanandan whose funeral will be held on Wednesday. VS, as he was popularly known, died on Monday at the age of 101. He was a founding member of India's largest communist party and a former chief minister of the southern state of Kerala. Tens of thousands of people have thronged the streets to pay tribute to the politician, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in Kerala's political history. Forced to drop out of school as a child, Achuthanandan overcame grinding poverty and torture in police custody to become one of the state's most beloved leaders. He was being treated at a hospital in Thiruvananathapuram after suffering a cardiac arrest last month. His funeral will be held near his hometown in Alappuzha district with full state honours. "Fighting for the rights of the oppressed and the exploited was the guiding principle of his life," MA Baby, general secretary of Achuthanandan's party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M), wrote in tribute. He described the leader as "the epitome of struggle". Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, also from the CPI(M), called Achuthanandan a "limitless repository of inspiration and lessons". Apart from being Kerala's chief minister, Achuthanandan was the state's leader of opposition three times and a member of the CPI(M)'s Politburo for 23 years. Achuthanandan's popularity among Indian communists rivals only that of Jyoti Basu, the long-serving West Bengal chief minister and CPI(M) co-founder. But unlike the London-educated Basu, Achuthanandan came from humble roots and didn't finish school. While Basu shaped his legacy in power, Achuthanandan did so from the streets, championing people's issues as an opposition leader. Achuthanandan started working young after losing his mother at four and father at 11. As a teen in a coir factory, he joined the undivided Communist Party at 17 and began organising agricultural workers in Travancore in then British-ruled India. AK Antony, a former Kerala chief minister from the Congress party, said that as a school student in the 1960s, he would wait beside paddy fields to listen to Achuthanandan's speeches. "Achuthanandan's life and struggles and the torture and beatings he endured in the vanguard of the communist agitations for bonded agriculture workers in Kuttanad are unequalled and historical," he was quoted as saying by The Hindu newspaper. Achuthanandan led a 1946 revolt against the state authorities, in which hundreds of communists were reportedly killed. He went underground, was later arrested, tortured in custody, and spent five years in jail. His work spanned labour rights, land rights, education, women's right, anti-corruption measures and environmental protection. A staunch communist, Achuthanandan wasn't afraid to defy his party - most notably when he met the widow of TP Chandrasekharan, murdered in 2012 by a gang that included former CPI(M) colleagues after he broke away to form his own party. After public outcry forced the CPI(M) to reverse its attempts to sideline him in 2006 and 2011, Achuthanandan served as Kerala's chief minister (2006–2011) before retiring from public life following a 2019 stroke and living with his son in Thiruvananthapuram. — BBC
