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CNN
2 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Andrew Cuomo faces a pile-on and other takeaways from New York City mayoral debate
Andrew Cuomo faced a two-hour pile-on Wednesday as eight other Democrats vying for the party's nomination for New York City mayor spent their first debate attempting to knock the former governor off his perch. Cuomo faced attacks over his management of the coronavirus pandemic and the sexual harassment allegations that drove him out of the governor's office. In particular, he sparred with his biggest progressive rival, state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani. All of them sought to demonstrate that they'd be best able to stand up to President Donald Trump, a native New Yorker who has frequently targeted his hometown. The Trump administration earlier in the day escalated its fight with Columbia University, on the city's Upper West Side, declaring the school doesn't meet accreditation standards due to its failure to protect Jewish students. Many used the current mayor, Eric Adams, as a foil after Trump's Justice Department dropped its corruption investigation against him. Adams dropped out of the Democratic primary and is seeking re-election as an independent. Ultimately, in the first of two debates before the June 24 primary, there was no obvious breakout moment to change the dynamics of the race, with Cuomo as the front-runner and Mamdani seen as a leading progressive challenger. The underdogs often talked over each other — and the moderators — as they vied for attention. They wouldn't answer when asked who they plan to rank second on their primary ballots, even though second-place votes could be crucial as low performers are winnowed out by New York's ranked-choice system. Here's a look at what happened. Progressives gang up against Cuomo Cuomo's more progressive rivals piled on early and often. Mamdani repeatedly cast Cuomo as beholden to his campaign's donors, accusing Cuomo of caring more about 'billionaires and wealthy corporations' than working-class New Yorkers. City Comptroller Brad Lander said he would rid New York City of corruption, taking seemingly a shot at both Cuomo and Adams. Cuomo positioned himself as the moderate on a stage of far-left candidates — the same thing Adams is trying to do against Cuomo. The mayor is casting the former governor as to blame for progressive cannabis and bail reform laws that Adams says have made it tougher to combat crime. At times, Cuomo sought to redirect blame for New York City's problems to his opponents, many of whom have held offices in city government. And he insisted his campaign finances won't affect his actions in office. Even when Cuomo was talking tough about taking on Trump — 'If you give into him today, you will be giving him your lunch money for the rest of your life,' he said — his rivals jumped in. Cuomo said that 'the way you fight him is not by suing him. Yes, of course you sue him, but he gets sued ten times before he gets out of bed in the morning.' Lander jumped in and said: 'Kind of like you.' 'And the lawsuits, we're winning, by the way,' said Adrienne Adams, the city council speaker. Cuomo vs. Mamdani Mamdani tore into Cuomo repeatedly. Cuomo returned the favor often. The former governor said Mamdani is 'very good on Twitter and with videos,' a nod to his virality on social media, but said he 'produces nothing.' Cuomo, whose lead in the race has been powered by Black voters, brought up old Twitter posts Mamdani made in 2013 in which he said former President Barack Obama had shown that 'that the lesser evil is still pretty damn evil.' And he said Mamdani, whose name he occasionally mispronounced, was too inexperienced and would be no match for the current president. 'Donald Trump would go through Mr. Mamdani like a hot knife through butter,' Cuomo said. 'He's been in government 27 minutes, he's passed 3 bills, that's all he's done, he has no experience with Washington, no experience with New York City - he would be Trump's delight.' Mamdani responded that he doesn't have experience with 'corrupt Trump billionaires' – a dig at Cuomo's donors – and pointed to his work winning debt relief for taxi drivers. During a discussion about holding food delivery services accountable for the way delivery drivers use e-bikes, Mamdani pointed to a $1 million donation made to a super PAC backing Cuomo. 'I find it ridiculous to hear Andrew Cuomo talk about how we need to regulate the apps,' Mamdani said. 'How are you going to regulate DoorDash when they are giving you a million dollars to influence your street safety regulations and your labor regulations?' Cuomo reiterated that he thinks the apps should be held responsible. 'I work for the people of the state of New York, the people of the city of New York,' he said. 'I don't care who gave me what, I do what is right.' Cuomo takes heat on sexual harassment allegations Cuomo faced pointed questions about the sexual harassment allegations that forced him out of the governor's office in 2021. Former state assemblyman Michael Blake, a little more than half an hour into the debate, was the first to raise them. 'The people who don't feel safe are the young women, mothers and grandmothers around Andrew Cuomo,' Blake said. 'That's the greatest threat to public safety in New York City.' Cuomo ignored Blake's attack, instead criticizing rivals for backing calls to 'defund the police.' Blake immediately highlighted Cuomo's non-answer. Later, moderators asked Cuomo, during a portion of the debate focused on the candidates' biggest regrets, what he would say to voters who wonder if the same situation would happen again. 'I said at the time that if I offended anyone, it was unintentional, but I apologize, and I say that today,' he said. The field backs away from 'defund the police' Six years after New York Democrats passed bail reform and five years after 'Defund the Police' became a rallying cry among progressives in the city and nationwide, the rare thing that most candidates could agree on was distancing themselves from both. That included Cuomo, who as governor signed the bail reform law, which stopped prisoners from being held on bail for most misdemeanors and non-violent offenses, including drug charges, and state senators Zellnor Myrie and Jessica Ramos as well as Blake, who all voted for the bill. That criminal justice reform change was a huge priority for progressives at the time but has been blamed for spiking crime rates in the city and raising recidivist rates. It has already been amended several times. 'We had to do that, but we need to make it different and stronger now,' Blake said. 'That means we have to hold repeat offenders more accountable, be much more attentive to that degree.' Most candidates spoke about the need for more police on the beat. 'We need to put cops on the beat, working with the small businesses to root out the people who are constantly coming back to do this. But we also have to make sure that the people who are doing the stealing also have opportunities to get them the housing and the services that they need,' former comptroller Scott Stringer said. 'I have never called for defunding the police and I never will,' Adams said. The exception was Mamdani, who has opposed any of the rollbacks to the bail reform laws and supported the Defund calls. Mamdani called for sustaining the head count at the Police Department, but said, 'I want to listen to police officers who are leaving in droves from the department because they're being asked to do the work of mental health professionals and social workers.' Alignment on immigration The candidates also aligned on immigration and opposing Trump's plans to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. The candidates were asked how they would respond to a hypothetical situation in which ICE notified city-run hospitals that they would be cut off from federal funding unless they stop offering care to undocumented migrants. 'You cannot give in to Mr. Trump and his demands,' Cuomo said. 'You cannot.' He said he would not just sue the administration but work to build a national coalition against it. Investor Whitney Tilson said he was 'appalled by what Trump is doing to terrorize immigrant communities' and he would 'fight him tooth and nail' on the issue. Lander said he was 'proud' to co-sponsor the city's sanctuary laws. 'Forty percent of the 8 million New Yorkers are foreign born, 50% live in mixed-status households, including 1 million children,' Lander said. 'This is the future of New York City that we're talking about.' Ramos said that she wants to make sure that immigrants in the city can work. 'It will be my responsibility as mayor of the city of New York to create entry points into the economy, so that they can stay busy, provide for themselves and for their families, and honor the fabric of this city and of this country which cannot function, whose future won't be brighter, without our immigrants,' she said. Several candidates mentioned their own ties to immigration. Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and is a naturalized US citizen, noted he would be the first immigrant mayor of the city and referenced a recent attack from a Republican city councilwoman who called for him to be deported. Blake said that he is the son of Jamaican immigrants and Myrie said his parents, who were in the U.S. illegally at the time, relied on city hospitals when he had an asthma attack as a child.
Sky News
3 days ago
- Business
- Sky News
'Sense of relief and a return to normal', but can South Korea's new leader heal the wounds?
There will, no doubt, be sighs of relief across South Korea that, after six months of political turmoil, the start of this new chapter was achieved in a way that was predictable, orderly and without drama. In the end, Lee Jae-Myung won with a decisive margin and voter turnout was the highest it's been since 1997, an indication perhaps of the overwhelming desire to drawn a line under this period and move on. But Lee has a mountain to climb to achieve the reset for his country that he has promised. South Korea is a nation still deeply scarred by the martial law incident, its international reputation remains shaken and the deep political division it wrought is, if anything, worse than ever. Add to that, high US tariffs on its export dependent economy, an increasingly emboldened and aggressive North Korea and a severe demographic crisis, and it all amounts to a daunting in-tray. In his acceptance speech Lee promised to unify; but it is unclear if he's the right leader for a nation craving stability. Indeed, Lee himself faces ongoing legal cases, investigations for corruption and allegations of abusing power. He's been convicted of making a false statement during the 2022 election campaign, a conviction that is still being fought over legally and would have unknown consequences for his presidency if upheld. In an increasingly polarised society he is also seen as a divisive figure. While he has a deeply loyal base who love him for his commitment to certain progressive causes and his rags-to-riches story (he was born to an impoverished family and skipped middle school to work in a factory, before returning to education and ultimately qualifying as a lawyer), there are others who think he is bullish, aggressive and uncompromising. Indeed, as the leader of the opposition Democratic Party he blocked his predecessor President Yoon Suk-Yeol 's measures so often that he was largely unable to govern, while a string of special prosecutor bills against Yoon's close allies and even his wife were seen by some as part of a culture of vindictiveness in South Korean politics within which Lee was a central player. Yoon's shock declaration of Martial law in December certainly cleared the way for Lee's presidency, allowing him the opportunity to present himself as a leader, but the subsequent impeachment and ongoing criminal proceedings also drove South Koreans deeper into divided camps which will be hard for Lee, as a key protagonist, to reverse. And then there's the international picture. South Korea's reputation as a stable, reliable partner in the region has been rocked in the last six months and may take some time to fully rebuild. While Yoon was seen as extremely pro-America, Lee may well approach Korea's most important ally with more nuance. He will have to negotiate over the 25% tariff rate imposed on Trump's so-called 'liberation day' as well as a hike in steel tariffs which will hit South Korea's economy hard. Unlike others around the world though Lee will also have to navigate South Korea's long term balancing act of being reliant on China for trade and the US for security. And this all comes at a time when it's neighbour and long-term adversary North Korea is entering a period of almost unprecedented confidence, newly emboldened by its defence treaty with Russia and continuing apace with its programme of nuclear armament. Despite all this there are many in South Korea who are hopeful and see this result as a turning point and the end of a difficult chapter. For now there is a sense of relief and a return to 'normal', Lee's challenge is to ensure it lasts.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
In the aftermath of Trump's victory, California Democrats vow to remain firm on their values
In the aftermath of Democrats' widespread electoral failures last year, party activists in California who gathered for their annual convention this weekend struggled with balancing how to stick to their values while also reconnecting with voters who were traditionally part of their base — notably working-class Americans. California's progressive policies and its Democratic leaders were routinely battered by Republicans during the 2024 election, with then-vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris taking the brunt of it. Harris ultimately lost the election to Trump, partly because of shrinking support among traditional Democratic constituencies, including minorities and working-class voters. 'We got to be honest in what happened, because losing elections has consequences,' said Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris' running mate, during a rousing speech Saturday afternoon. 'We're in this mess because some of it's our own doing. … None of us can afford to shy away from having hard conversations about what it's going to take to win elections.' Walz, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, said Democrats don't need to retreat from their ideals, such as protecting the most vulnerable in society, including transgender children. But they need to show voters that they are capable of bold policy that will improve voters' lives rather than delivering incremental progress, he said. 'The Democratic Party, the party of the working class, lost a big chunk of the working class,' he said. 'That last election was a primal scream on so many fronts: do something, do something, stand up and make a difference.' California is home to the most Democrats in the nation as well as a large number of the party's most deep-pocketed donors, making the state a popular spot for presidential hopefuls from across the country. In addition to Walz, another potential 2028 White House candidate who addressed the 4,000 delegates and guests at the Anaheim Convention Center was New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. Booker argued that Democrats must remember the courage of their ancestors who fought for civil and voting rights and created the social safety net for the most vulnerable Americans as they try to fight Trumpism. 'Real change does not come from Washington. It comes from communities. It comes from the streets,' he said in a Saturday morning speech. 'The power of the people is greater than the people in power.' Harris, who is weighing a 2026 gubernatorial run and is also viewed as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, addressed the convention by video. Gov. Gavin Newsom, also viewed as a possible White House contender, did not appear at the convention. Read more: The California Democratic Party's premiere event will have two notable no-shows Delegate Jane Baulch-Enloe, a middle school teacher from Pleasant Hill in the Bay Area, said she wasn't sure that California's particular brand of liberalism will sell on the national stage. 'I don't know if a California Democrat can win a presidential election,' she said as she and her daughter sorted through swag and campaign fliers in the convention cafe. 'California is thought of as the crazy people. ... I don't mean that in a bad way — though I know some people do — but we do things differently here.' She said she learned from President Obama's memoir, 'Audacity of Hope,' that most, if not all, Americans 'want the same things,' but talk about them differently and have different approaches for getting there. California Democrats, Baulch-Enloe said, 'need to get people on our side and help them understand that we aren't just wacko liberals, and teach people that it's okay to want things' like healthcare for all and high union wages. But the 2028 presidential race was not the focus of this year's California Democratic Party convention. Delegates were more concerned about last year's presidential and congressional losses — though California was a rare bright spot for the party, flipping three districts held by the GOP — and preparing for next year's midterm elections. Delegates hope Democrats will take control of Congress to stop Trump from enacting his agenda. Aref Aziz, a leader of the party's Asian American Pacific Islander caucus, said the party needed to sharpen its messaging on economic issues if they want to have a chance of victory in coming elections. 'When it comes to the affordability issue, when it comes to economics, those are the things that across the broad spectrum of our coalition, all those things matter to everybody,' Aziz said. 'And what really is, what really is important is for us to focus on that economic message and how we're going to improve the quality of life for everyone in these midterm elections and future presidential elections.' He noted he was in France on his honeymoon recently, and was strolling through a grocery store and buying half a dozen eggs for 1.50 euros (the equivalent of $1.70) when the news broke that California's economy had grown to the fourth largest in the world. Read more: California overtakes Japan to become world's fourth-largest economy. But tariffs pose threat 'When you look at a lot of our economies, California and New York, by all accounts, GDP, the numbers that you look at, they're doing great,' he said. 'But when it comes to the cost that consumers are paying in these places, they're so high and so far above other countries that we end up diminishing whatever value there is in our GDP, because everything's so expensive.' Some Democrats questioned the impact of the weaponization of California's liberal policies, including defending transgender rights, on voters in battleground states in 2024. Read more: News Analysis: If Democrats want to win back the American people, does California need to stand down? But delegates and party leaders largely argued that the state needs to continue to be on the vanguard of such matters. 'People like to point a finger somewhere, and I think California is an easy target, but I disagree,' said delegate Melissa Taylor, president of Foothill Community Democrats. "Because I think that California is standing up for values that the Democratic Party believes in, like we believe in labor, we believe in healthcare, we believe in women's rights, we believe in rights for LGBTQ people." Jodi Hicks, the president of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, said issues such as reproductive healthcare access also have an economic impact. "We have to walk and chew gum at the same time," she said, adding that the party's 2024 losses were likely prompted by multiple factors, including Harris' being the Democratic nominee for a little over three months after then-President Biden decided not to seek reelection. "We're going to be analyzing 2024 for a very long time," Hicks said. "It was such unique circumstances." Times staff writer Laura J. Nelson contributed to this report. Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox twice per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Independent
28-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Democrats argue they should be trying to win back middle America by using less ‘elite, highly educated' catchphrases
Democratic centrists are arguing again about what words the party's representatives should use when speaking to voters. Some Democrats say 'oligarchs' instead of referring to rich people. Some say that people are 'experiencing food insecurity' when they mean that they're going hungry. Some use the word 'equity' when others use 'equality' or refer to 'justice-involved populations' when speaking about prisoners. Centrists argue that progressives often use language adopted by elite, highly educated people, which indicates that speakers view themselves as intelligent and virtuous while implying judgment on those who are more plainspoken. They argue that this isn't the best way to win voters, according to The Washington Post. 'Some words are just too Ivy League-tested terms,' Democratic Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego told the paper. 'I'm going to piss some people off by saying this, but 'social equity' — why do we say that? Why don't we say, 'We want you to have an even chance'?' Similarly, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear noted: 'I believe that, over time, and probably for well-meaning reasons, Democrats have begun to speak like professors and started using advocacy-speak that was meant to reduce stigma, but also removed the meaning and emotion behind words.' He pointed to the use of 'substance abuse disorder' to refer to addiction. 'It makes Democrats or candidates using this speech sound like they're not normal,' he said. 'It sounds simple, but what the Democratic Party needs to do is be normal and sound normal.' Some Democrats and progressives push back, saying that such language is more often used by activists than Democratic politicians. They also argue that using nonprejudicial language is a good thing, as is looking for new ways to be sensitive to those who have been targets of discrimination. The executive vice president of the progressive communications firm Fenton Communications, Daria Hall, told the paper that 'We are simply asking people to consider the language they are using as we move toward shared goals.' It's 'important to acknowledge the human element within populations and to recognize how they identify themselves. Language evolves; it always has,' she added. Allison Prasch teaches rhetoric, politics, and culture at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She told The Post that 'Democrats trip over themselves in an attempt to say exactly the right thing.' ' Republicans maybe aren't so concerned about saying exactly the right thing, so it may appear more authentic to some voters,' she argued. 'Republicans have a willingness to paint with very broad brushstrokes, where Democrats are more concerned with articulating multiple perspectives,' Prasch added. 'And, because of that, they can be hampered by the words and phrases they utilize.' Gallego told the paper that 'not every person we meet is going to have the latest update on what the proper terms are.' 'It doesn't make them sexist or homophobic or racist. Maybe they are a little outdated, but they have a good heart,' he added. Independent Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders told a crowd in Nampa, Idaho, on April 14 that 'We have a nation which is now run by a handful of greedy billionaires.' 'I used to talk about oligarchy, and people say, 'What is he talking about?' Everybody knows what I'm talking about tonight,' he added. Michigan Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin subsequently told Politico that the word 'oligarchy' doesn't mean much to most Americans. But Sanders hit back during an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press, saying, 'I think the American people are not quite as dumb as Ms. Slotkin thinks they are.'
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Run for Something co-founder: ‘Democrats' reliance on seniority is our downfall'
Amanda Litman spent the past decade building a way for more younger people to run for office. Now, as the Democratic party debates its ageing leaders after the former president's decline led to a bruising loss in 2024, a groundswell of younger Democrats are working to remake the party by challenging incumbents and calling out Democratic leaders who fail to push back against Trump. It's a moment Litman has been waiting for. Litman co-founded Run for Something, an organization that recruits and trains progressives age 40 and under to seek elected office, the day Trump was inaugurated in 2017. Since then, the group has sought to dismantle the gerontocracy, helping to elect more than 1,500 people across 49 states. More than 200,000 people have signed up to explore a run for office, more than 40,000 of whom have signed up since Trump won last November. 'The Democratic party's reliance on seniority is really our downfall,' she told the Guardian. 'Imagine how hard it is to tell your grandparents that it's time for them to stop driving. This is the same: how do you tell someone they're no longer fit to do the thing that they've been doing for decades, but maybe feel called to and derive all their self-esteem and their sense of identity from?' These conversations are 'really hard', but it's vital to have them now, and in the open, because Democrats are seeing the consequences of avoiding the issue for too long, she said. Those younger leaders also have a distaste for institutionsand are more eager to tear it down or propose alternative ways to rebuild the government. Younger leaders are 'very open about what change could look like, and that can be really scary to the people who've been building these institutions for the last 10, 20, 30 years,' Litman said. Three older Democrats have died in office just this year. After the most recent death, Virginia Democrat Gerry Connolly, Litman wrote on social media that 'older Democrats need to retire now and go out on their own terms. Let us celebrate your legacy! Don't let your leadership end in a primary loss or worse, real grief.' Her new book, 'When We're in Charge: The Next Generation's Guide to Leadership,' details how millennials and Gen Z leaders can remake their workplaces and become the kinds of leaders they've always wanted. It's not explicitly about politics, though some people in elected office or other political work are interviewed. 'When we make workplaces better, we give people back their time to do more politics outside of it, like being a better citizen,' she said. 'It's really hard to imagine going to a protest or volunteering for a candidate if you are working around the clock, and you get home from your nine to five and you're just drained. Part of the reason why I want to push this conversation outside of politics is because I think the more we can make work not suck, the better everything else cannot suck too.' She advocates for separating your work from your personhood and bringing your authentic self to work, albeit a modified version she calls 'responsible authenticity'. The same lessons she found across workplaces apply to politicians, she writes and points to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York congresswoman, as someone who strikes the right balance of showing her humanity but maintaining boundaries. 'The members of Congress I spoke to brought up the same kinds of challenges as the lawyers, as the faith leaders, as the business executives and media folks,' she said. 'They all talked about loneliness. They all talked about vulnerability. They talked about the challenges of wanting to be authentic but not wanting to let everyone into all your shit.' As Democrats debate how to rebuild their side of the aisle, Litman expects to see more primaries, something the party has often sought to avoid at the national level, often believing they're a waste of resources. Primaries are more common in the state and local races Run for Something works on, and the group has at times endorsed more than one person in a primary. Primaries are 'clarifying', Litman said. 'Politics, like everything else, is something you get better at with practice. Primaries are how you get better.' Those primaries aren't simply a progressive vs. centrist surge right now, she said. It's more about who is showing they have the fight in them to stand up to the Trump administration, more about who has 'the skills and the stomach'. Beyond primaries, the left should be having open conversations about who needs to retire - Litman said a retirement, with an open race, is much more preferable than unseating an incumbent, which can get messy. 'If we really think that this is a crisis, we need leaders who are going to act like it and be able to communicate that,' she said. 'I'm not sure that Senator [Chuck] Schumer and other older members of Congress are most well-suited to do that. That's not a personal failing. It's just we got to send our best.'
