Gail Collins and Bret Stephens: A Last Conversation
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The transcript has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Aaron Retica: I'm Aaron Retica, an editor at large in the Opinion section of The New York Times.
In this job I work a lot with a number of our columnists and one of the great joys, really delights, of my life here is that I get to work on something we called The Conversation, which is a weekly dialogue between two of our columnists — Gail Collins, who is standing in for liberal America, and Bret Stephens, who is standing in for conservative America.
It has appeared every Monday morning and is a crucial part of the agenda-setting and thought world of the Opinion section.
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Politico
2 hours ago
- Politico
Playbook: ‘The center of everything'
Presented by With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine and Ali Bianco Good Saturday morning. This is Kimberly Leonard, the Florida Playbook author, writing from Miami. Get in touch. MAGA VS. MAHA?: How are partisan politics affecting the Food and Drug Administration? FDA Commissioner Marty Makary sat down with Playbook's Dasha Burns to discuss that and more for 'The Conversation.' That episode drops tomorrow, but we have an early clip for you of Makary's response to far-right activist Laura Loomer's attacks on top FDA vaccine regulator Vinay Prasad for past remarks that she believes were not aligned with President Donald Trump's agenda. Watch the clip … Subscribe to 'The Conversation' on YouTube, Apple Podcasts or Spotify DRIVING THE DAY 'THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING': President Donald Trump is in Scotland. But to understand where we are six months into his second term, look no further than Florida. This week's announcement that Trump wanted longtime loyalist state Sen. Joe Gruters, a former Republican Party of Florida chair, as the next leader of the Republican National Committee was just the latest example of Trump turning to his adopted home state to enact his agenda. The New York native has spent decades in Florida. In the White House, he has Floridians all around him, from chief of staff Susie Wiles to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. And now, Florida-tested policies on everything from education to the environment have been exported to Washington. 'Florida is the center of everything,' said former GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz, a host at One America News Network. 'It's awesome.' Plenty of people called it. When your author was reporting in Washington over Trump's inauguration, Florida Republicans and lobbyists were beside themselves with glee about what it would mean to be a major power player in the new administration. Despite being a huge state, Florida had historically been viewed as the loud, embarrassing uncle of American politics. Trump changed that. 'The combination of Mar-a-Lago, a modern-day castle, and Trump, a modern-day king, has attracted all types,' said prominent trial attorney John Morgan, who's been a megadonor to Democrats but left the party in 2017 to become an unaffiliated voter. It's worth taking stock of just how dominant Florida continues to be. Amid the Jeffrey Epstein saga, Florida has remained prominent. During the last two days, Justice Department officials were in Tallahassee interviewing Ghislaine Maxwell, the former socialite convicted of conspiring with Epstein in his child sex-trafficking scheme. She's serving a 20-year prison sentence in the Sunshine State, where police and prosecutors said Epstein sexually abused girls at his mansion in Palm Beach. On policy, there are plenty of examples of Florida's influence — from the Trump administration scouring Department of Education funding for progressive causes to banning transgender athletes from women's sports. Cabinet members brought attention to Chinese ownership of US land and the Environmental Protection Agency posted fact pages about geoengineering. It's all familiar to Floridians. Transgender athletes have been banned from women's sports for more than four years and state officials restricted how schools teach race, sexual orientation and gender identity. A 2023 Florida law blocks some Chinese citizens from owning land in the state and GOP state lawmakers prohibited weather modification this past session. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday during a press conference in the Everglades that all these actions were 'things conservatives have wanted to see done for a long time.' 'We've seen problems, we've responded to the voters that have elected us here and we've led in ways that I think have paved the way for more progress to happen nationally,' he said. But national politics are also influencing Florida. After all, DeSantis was able to win the GOP nomination in 2018 thanks to Trump's endorsement and running on the MAGA agenda. He's still enacting that agenda, especially by pushing the state to play a big role in Trump's illegal immigration crackdown with projects such as the 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention center. Inspired by DOGE, DeSantis and Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia have also been raking through local government spending to blast programs they see as wasteful or 'woke.' 'Florida has adopted and replicated President Trump's America First agenda and has created many emerging leaders to carry on the MAGA torch,' White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers tells Playbook. 'President Trump appreciates Gov. DeSantis' work and they will continue to advance the same goal — Making America Great Again.' So where does Florida go from here? Trump-endorsed gubernatorial candidate GOP Rep. Byron Donalds has been saying that if elected he wants to turn Florida into the go-to state for tech, aerospace and finance. The state is also setting its sights even beyond the earth's atmosphere, with a push to have NASA headquarters moved here from Washington. 'As we say in FL-01, 'Y'all come!'' Gaetz said. 'But leave your Democrat voter registration cards north of the Mason-Dixon line.' 9 THINGS THAT STUCK WITH US 1. DEALMAKER-IN-CHIEF: Today, Trump is in Scotland, where he'll spend the day golfing at his Turnberry resort. But it's not all leisure: Tomorrow, he'll meet in person with European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, raising hopes of a trade deal with the E.U. ahead of Trump's self-imposed Aug. 1 deadline, WSJ's Max Colchester and Kim Mackrael report. Von der Leyen said yesterday that she and Trump had a good call on Friday, as Europe increasingly seems amenable to accepting a baseline 15 percent tariff on most goods, including on cars. But European officials aren't celebrating just yet: Trump's 'penchant for last-minute reversals' hangs over the negotiations, POLITICO's Daniel Desrochers and colleagues write. 2. THE EPSTEIN CRISIS: The Justice Department wrapped its interviews with Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted child sex trafficker and associate of Jeffrey Epstein, yesterday — totaling nine hours over two days. The DOJ granted Maxwell limited immunity in exchange for her participation, per ABC's Katherine Faulders and Aaron Katersky. Maxwell has, for the moment at least, become the center of the spiraling Epstein discourse, as WaPo's Jonathan Edwards writes. Some Epstein survivors worry that Trump will consider pardoning her; one tells NYT's Glenn Thrush and Valerie Crowder that such a move would be a 'crumbling of this justice system.' Maxwell's legal team is still making a decision on whether she will honor a congressional subpoena and appear for testimony before House lawmakers in early August, POLITICO's Kyle Cheney and Meredith Lee Hill report. Meanwhile: Democrats are trying to get a copy of the Epstein birthday book in which Trump reportedly drew a nude woman and wrote an inscription. Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) have written to attorneys for Epstein's estate asking for a 'complete, unredacted copy,' Axios' Andrew Solender reports. 3. FOR YOUR RADAR: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is preparing to get rid of all of the members of a health advisory panel that decides what preventative treatments — including cancer screenings — must be covered by insurance, WSJ's Liz Essley Whyte scooped. All 16 will be dismissed because he 'views them as too 'woke,'' per WSJ. It comes just after the task force's July meeting was suddenly postponed earlier this month. 4. ON THE HILL: Some Republicans who supported a tax hike on gamblers in the megabill are now looking to reverse the policy, with House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) calling its inclusion a 'mistake' by the Senate, NBC's Sahil Kapur reports. … Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) is pushing a conversation about cognitive decline due to age, despite the pushback from her fellow members of Congress, NYT's Annie Karni writes. … Despite the Senate's efforts to save PEPFAR, the U.S. program to combat HIV/AIDS abroad, alarm bells are still ringing as the Trump administration considers gutting it, per NBC's Andrea Mitchell and Abigail Williams. Though it was rescued at the 11th hour from the cuts in an earlier version of the megabill, the funding still isn't coming through. 2026 watch: Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) met with the White House recently about the possibility of jumping into the Texas senate race, Semafor's Burgess Everett and Shelby Talcott report. … Former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, who is now a contender for the GOP Senate nomination in New Hampshire, has been blasting diversity programs and 'woke' ideology on the campaign trail. But the Washington Examiner's Ramsey Touchberry reports that he touted DEI efforts while serving as dean and president of New England Law. … Wiley Nickel is out of the North Carolina Senate race, and has endorsed former Gov. Roy Cooper, WRAL's Andy Specht scooped. Cooper is expected to announce his candidacy this coming week. … Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader John Thune is heading to North Carolina to fundraise for Michael Whatley's recently launched Senate bid, Axios' Alex Isenstadt reports. A headline Dems won't like: 'Democrats Get Lowest Rating From Voters in 35 Years, WSJ Poll Finds,' by WSJ's Aaron Zitner 5. GAZA LATEST: At least 25 people in Gaza were killed overnight in Israeli airstrikes as ceasefire talks reach a standstill, per AP's Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy. The starvation crisis is expected to worsen imminently, as aid groups are running out of specialized therapeutic food that saves malnourished kids, Reuters' Olivia Le Poidevin and colleagues scooped. Israel said yesterday they'll allow countries to airdrop aid in, which now has the U.K., Jordan and the UAE scrambling to get supplies into Gaza, NYT's Aaron Boxerman writes. And contrary to the Israeli government's posture, there is no proof that Hamas has systematically stolen humanitarian aid from Gaza, two senior Israeli officials told NYT's Natan Odenheimer. Unclear path forward: While Hamas negotiators said ceasefire talks would resume next week, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that Israel is considering 'alternative options,' per Reuters. 6. THE MAGA REVOLUTION: The State Department announced yesterday that Darren Beattie will be acting president of the U.S. Institute of Peace, POLITICO's Jacob Wendler reports. Beattie was fired from his speechwriting gig in Trump's first term for speaking at a white nationalist conference, and drew widespread condemnation for a 2024 social media post in which he wrote 'competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work.' Laying down a marker: Two top officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — Steve Volz and Jeff Dillen, who led the 'Sharpiegate' investigation during Trump's first term — were put on leave this week, WaPo's Anusha Mathur and Hannah Natanson report. Who's in: Trump's war against Fed Chair Jerome Powell has its biggest champion in Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Pulte's been leading the charge against Powell on social media, even drafting the letter to possibly fire him earlier this month, and NYT's Alan Rappeport and Matthew Goldstein report it's all bringing him closer to Trump. As astra, per aspera: NASA will lose about 3,870 employees through its voluntary resignation program as part of Trump's push to cut the federal workforce, Bloomberg's Sana Pashankar and Loren Grush write. The bigger push: The Trump administration looked to institute mass layoffs across 17 different agencies, with a series of 40 requests sent in March and April to OPM to approve procedural moves for RIF's, according to recent court filings reported by POLITICO's Sam Ogozalek. 7. SCHOOL TIES: 'White House Will Release $5.5 Billion for Schools, After Surprise Delay,' by NYT's Sarah Mervosh: 'President Trump had faced growing pressure over the delay from within his own party, including from 10 Senate Republicans who had signed a rare public letter urging the White House to release the funds. … The money was part of nearly $7 billion in education funding that had been approved by Congress and was set to be released by July 1, before the Trump administration abruptly withheld it a day before the deadline. … The unexpected delay sent school districts around the country scrounging for the lost dollars, unsure when or whether the money might come through.' 8. IMMIGRATION FILES: The Trump administration's new director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, has plans to change the H-1B visa program, he told NYT's Hamed Aleaziz. The changes could affect the wages of skilled foreign workers. Edlow also said he plans to change the U.S. citizenship test, which he deemed as 'not very difficult.' … A federal judge yesterday threw out Trump's lawsuit that would have forced Illinois and the city of Chicago to abandon their so-called sanctuary city policies and aid ICE agents, POLITICO's Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein write. … A top U.S. embassy official in South Africa asked if non-white South African Afrikaners could apply for Trump's refugee program, and were told by a State Department official that the program is only for white people, Reuters' Ted Hesson and colleagues scooped. 9. PLAYING DEFENSE: 'The Navy secretary is trying to limit a deputy's role — before he's even confirmed,' by POLITICO's Jack Detsch and colleagues: 'Navy Secretary John Phelan is attempting to curb the role of the service's No. 2 civilian leader even before President Donald Trump's pick arrives at the Pentagon … Phelan and his chief of staff, Jon Harrison, last week reassigned the top two aides who were supposed to help Navy undersecretary nominee Hung Cao navigate the role once he's confirmed .… Phelan and Harrison don't know Cao and worry he will undercut their efforts to centralize authority within the Navy, especially since he is a former naval officer who has Trump's ear.' CLICKER — 'The nation's cartoonists on the week in politics,' edited by Matt Wuerker — 16 funnies GREAT WEEKEND READS: — 'Mary Had Schizophrenia — Then Suddenly She Didn't,' by The New Yorker's Rachel Aviv: 'Some psychiatric patients may actually have treatable autoimmune conditions. But what happens to the newly sane?' — 'Competing Conspiracy Theories Consume Trump's Washington,' by NYT's Peter Baker: 'No commander in chief in his lifetime has been as consumed by conspiracy theories as President Trump and now they seem to be consuming him.' — 'No One Was Supposed to Leave Alive,' by the Atlantic's Gisela Salim-Peyer: 'Venezuelans deported by the Trump administration say they were tortured during their four months in CECOT.' — 'Dry Taps, Empty Lakes, Shuttered Cities: A Water Crisis Batters Iran,' by NYT's Farnaz Fassihi, Sanam Mahoozi and Leily Nikounazar: 'After a five-year drought and decades of mismanagement, Tehran is at risk of running out of water in several weeks, the government warned.' — 'Trump Perfects the Art of Making Powerful People Squirm on Camera,' by WSJ's Meridith McGraw and Annie Linskey: 'One of the hallmarks of Trump's second term has been his ability to put others on the spot.' — 'We Found Your Bag!' by the Cut's Wells Tower: 'It's at a superstore in Alabama, along with everyone else's lost luggage.' TALK OF THE TOWN One of Venezuela's Little League baseball teams was blocked from the championship tournament in the U.S. because the team was denied travel visas. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has to pay $2,733.28 to the brand that made her 2021 Met Gala dress following an investigation by the House Ethics Committee. MEDIA CORNER — Project Veritas withdrew its yearslong libel lawsuit against the New York Times yesterday without a settlement. TRANSITIONS — Joel Valdez is now acting deputy press secretary for the Pentagon. He most recently was comms director and senior adviser for Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and has previously worked for Matt Gaetz. … Jennifer Kuskowski is now SVP of government affairs and public policy at Edwards Lifesciences. She previously was a VP and head of government affairs for the Americas at Siemens Healthineers. WEDDING — James Tucker Higgins and Emma Marie Newburger, via NYT: 'James Tucker Higgins had an instant crush when he met Emma Marie Newburger in July 2018 in CNBC's newsroom in Englewood Cliffs, N.J. … They wed July 12 in front of 98 guests at Cielo Farms, an event space and winery in Malibu, Calif.' HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) … Center for American Progress' Patrick Gaspard … Maura Corbett of Glen Echo Group and Orchestra … Erin Gloria Ryan … Bill Raines … Nick Muzin of Stonington Global (5-0) … Andrew Romeo … U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia Richard Buangan … Allison Dong of House Budget … Emily Kane of Sen. Maggie Hassan's (D-N.H.) office … Julie Anbender … Scott Sforza of Scott Sforza & Associates … former Rep. Martha Roby (R-Ala.) … Jonathan Davidson … Lara Costello … Ashley Allison … Joe Jackson of Sen. Cynthia Lummis' (R-Wyo.) office … Mike McConnell … Sonny Bunch … David Mayorga … Oscar Goodman … POLITICO's Aayush Prasad … Andrew Gillum … Jacinda Ardern THE SHOWS (Full Sunday show listings here): POLITICO 'The Conversation with Dasha Burns': Marty Makary ABC 'This Week': Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) … Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). Legal Panel: Chris Christie and Sarah Isgur. Panel: Donna Brazile, Reince Priebus and Rachael Bade. MSNBC 'The Weekend: Primetime': Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.)... Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas)... Dan Osborn. MSNBC 'The Weekend': Maryland Gov. Wes Moore ... Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.)... Eric Holder… Mike Gordon. CNN 'State of the Union': Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) … Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) … OMB Director Russ Vought. Panel: Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), Alyssa Farah Griffin, Jamal Simmons and Shermichael Singleton. FOX 'Fox News Sunday': Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick … Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) … Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.). Legal panel: Jonathan Turley and Ilya Shapiro. Panel: Stef Kight, Mario Parker, Kevin Roberts and Juan Williams. NewsNation 'The Hill Sunday': John Bolton … Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) … Chris Sununu. Panel: Andrew Desiderio, David Drucker, Emily Brooks and Kellie Meyer. CBS 'Face the Nation': OMB Director Russ Vought … Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) … Jean‑Noël Barrot … Ted Carter. NBC 'Meet the Press': Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) … Speaker Mike Johnson … Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). Panel: Peter Baker, Amna Nawaz, Carlos Curbelo and Jeh Johnson. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
Meta Clashes With Apple, Google Over Age Check Legislation
(Bloomberg) -- The biggest tech companies are warring over who's responsible for children's safety online, with billions of dollars in fines on the line as states rapidly pass conflicting laws requiring companies to verify users' ages. Trump Awards $1.26 Billion Contract to Build Biggest Immigrant Detention Center in US The High Costs of Trump's 'Big Beautiful' New Car Loan Deduction Can This Bridge Ease the Troubled US-Canadian Relationship? Salt Lake City Turns Winter Olympic Bid Into Statewide Bond Boom Trump Administration Sues NYC Over Sanctuary City Policy The struggle has pitted Meta Platforms Inc. and other app developers against Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.'s Google, the world's largest app stores. Lobbyists for both sides are moving from state to state, working to water down or redirect the legislation to minimize their clients' risks. This year alone, at least three states — Utah, Texas and Louisiana — passed legislation requiring tech companies to authenticate users' ages, secure parental consent for anyone under 18 and ensure minors are protected from potentially harmful digital experiences. Now, lobbyists for all three companies are flooding into South Carolina and Ohio, the next possible states to consider such legislation. The debate has taken on new importance after the Supreme Court this summer ruled age verification laws are constitutional in some instances. A tech group on Wednesday petitioned the Supreme Court to block a social media age verification law in Mississippi, teeing up a highly consequential decision in the next few weeks. Child advocates say holding tech companies responsible for verifying the ages of their users is key to creating a safer online experience for minors. Parents and advocates have alleged the social media platforms funnel children into unsafe and toxic online spaces, exposing young people to harmful content about self harm, eating disorders, drug abuse and more. Blame Game Meta supporters argue the app stores should be responsible for figuring out whether minors are accessing inappropriate content, comparing the app store to a liquor store that checks patrons' IDs. Apple and Google, meanwhile, argue age verification laws violate children's privacy and argue the individual apps are better-positioned to do age checks. Apple said it's more accurate to describe the app store as a mall and Meta as the liquor store. The three new state laws put the responsibility on app stores, signaling Meta's arguments are gaining traction. The company lobbied in support of the Utah and Louisiana laws putting the onus on Apple and Google for tracking their users' ages. Similar Meta-backed proposals have been introduced in 20 states. Federal legislation proposed by Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah would hold the app stores accountable for verifying users' ages. Still, Meta's track record in its state campaigns is mixed. At least eight states have passed laws since 2024 forcing social media platforms to verify users' ages and protect minors online. Apple and Google have mobilized dozens of lobbyists across those states to argue that Meta is shirking responsibility for protecting children. 'We see the legislation being pushed by Meta as an effort to offload their own responsibilities to keep kids safe,' said Google spokesperson Danielle Cohen. 'These proposals introduce new risks to the privacy of minors, without actually addressing the harms that are inspiring lawmakers to act.' Meta spokesperson Rachel Holland countered that the company is supporting the approach favored by parents who want to keep their children safe online. 'Parents want a one-stop-shop to oversee their teen's online lives and 80% of American parents and bipartisan lawmakers across 20 states and the federal government agree that app stores are best positioned to provide this,' Holland said. As the regulation patchwork continues to take shape, the companies have each taken voluntary steps to protect children online. Meta has implemented new protections to restrict teens from accessing 'sensitive' content, like posts related to suicide, self-harm and eating disorders. Apple created 'Child Accounts,' which give parents more control over their children's' online activity. At Apple, spokesperson Peter Ajemian said it 'soon will release our new age assurance feature that empowers parents to share their child's age range with apps without disclosing sensitive information.' Splintered Groups As the lobbying battle over age verification heats up, influential big tech groups are splintering and new ones emerging. Meta last year left Chamber of Progress, a liberal-leaning tech group that counts Apple and Google as members. Since then, the chamber, which is led by a former Google lobbyist and brands itself as the Democratic-aligned voice for the tech industry, has grown more aggressive in its advocacy against all age verification bills. 'I understand the temptation within a company to try to redirect policymakers towards the company's rivals, but ultimately most legislators don't want to intervene in a squabble between big tech giants,' said Chamber of Progress CEO Adam Kovacevich. Meta tried unsuccessfully to convince another major tech trade group, the Computer & Communications Industry Association, to stop working against bills Meta supports, two people familiar with the dynamics said. Meta, a CCIA member, acknowledged it doesn't always agree with the association. Meta is also still a member of NetChoice, which opposes all age verification laws no matter who's responsible. The group currently has 10 active lawsuits on the matter, including battling some of Meta's preferred laws. The disagreements have prompted some of the companies to form entirely new lobbying outfits. Meta in April teamed up with Spotify Technology SA and Match Group Inc. to launch a coalition aimed at taking on Apple and Google, including over the issue of age verification. Competing Campaigns Meta is also helping to fund the Digital Childhood Alliance, a coalition of conservative groups leading efforts to pass app-store age verification, according to three people familiar with the funding. Neither the Digital Childhood Alliance nor Meta responded directly to questions about whether Meta is funding the group. But Meta said it has collaborated with Digital Childhood Alliance. The group's executive director, Casey Stefanski, said it includes more than 100 organizations and child safety advocates who are pushing for more legislation that puts responsibility on the app stores. Stefanski said the Digital Childhood Alliance has met with Google 'several times' to share their concerns about the app store in recent months. The App Association, a group backed by Apple, has been running ads in Texas, Alabama, Louisiana and Ohio arguing that the app store age verification bills are backed by porn websites and companies. The adult entertainment industry's main lobby said it is not pushing for the bills; pornography is mostly banned from app stores. 'This one-size fits all approach is built to solve problems social media platforms have with their systems while making our members, small tech companies and app developers, collateral damage,' said App Association spokesperson Jack Fleming. In South Carolina and Ohio, there are competing proposals placing different levels of responsibility on the app stores and developers. That could end with more stringent legislation that makes neither side happy. 'When big tech acts as a monolith, that's when things die,' said Joel Thayer, a supporter of the app store age verification bills. 'But when they start breaking up that concentration of influence, all the sudden good things start happening because the reality is, these guys are just a hair's breath away from eating each other alive.' (Updates with App Association statement in 24th paragraph.) Burning Man Is Burning Through Cash Confessions of a Laptop Farmer: How an American Helped North Korea's Wild Remote Worker Scheme It's Not Just Tokyo and Kyoto: Tourists Descend on Rural Japan Elon Musk's Empire Is Creaking Under the Strain of Elon Musk A Rebel Army Is Building a Rare-Earth Empire on China's Border ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Los Angeles Times
For some, Latinos will never be truly American
A month ago, my colleague Brittny Mejia reported on the growing fear many U.S.-born Latino Angelenos feel due to the endless barrage of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids being carried out in their neighborhoods. 'You're scared to be brown,' said Jackie Ramirez, a radio host for 'The Cruz Show' on Real 92.3. 'You're scared to look a certain way right now.' On Wednesday, The Times published a story by staff writer Jack Flemming that certainly validates that fear. At the heart of it is a Latino family who is suing their former landlord and a real estate agent over what they claim was an illegal eviction from their Baldwin Park home last year. In a letter emailed June 25 to Sarah McCracken — a tenants' rights lawyer representing the family — urging her clients to drop the suit, Rod Fehlman, who appeared to represent the real estate agent, wrote the following: 'It is also interesting to note that your clients are likely to be picked up by ICE and deported prior to trial thanks to all the good work the Trump administration has done in regards to immigration in California.' The kicker? Every person in that family is a U.S. citizen. The story struck a chord online, with many X and Bluesky users accusing Fehlman of being racist. Some of that anger was even directed at Cal Poly Pomona — on his site, Fehlman states that he is an adjunct professor at the university. In a statement to The Times, a spokesperson for the university said that Fehlman's temporary contract ended in 2013. Yicenia Morales, McCracken's client, told The Times that she felt racially profiled because of her last name. 'It's not fair for him to take advantage of that. I was born here. I have a birth certificate. I pay taxes,' she said. 'I was already depressed over the eviction. Now I'm hurt, embarrassed and nervous as well. Will he really call ICE on us?' Fehlman did not respond to Jack's request for comment, but did speak with the Independent, telling the outlet that his words were misinterpreted. 'My email mentions nothing about Ms. McCracken's client's citizenship,' he said. 'This is an ongoing problem in Southern California and a sad reality that litigants have been picked randomly at Courthouses. It is unfortunate that this comment has been taken out of context intentionally by Ms. McCracken's firm and used to defame my office.' I reached out to Fehlman via email, asking him to clarify the context and provide any evidence he had to prove that Morales and her family were 'likely to be picked up by ICE and deported,' but he did not respond. Although it's unclear whether Fehlman's response was illegal — the State Bar of California bans lawyers from threatening to present criminal, administrative or disciplinary charges to obtain an advantage in a civil dispute — the incident is certainly a sobering reminder that there are plenty of people who will always see Latinos as un-American, and have been emboldened by the Trump administration's attack on immigrant communities to start saying the quiet part out loud. It doesn't matter that the majority of us were born here and primarily speak English. These people don't care that you served your country or that you wave its flag at protests. To them, we will always be Josés or Marias. Join the De Los team Aug. 2 from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. as we co-present a free Grand Performances concert headlined by Adrian Quesada, the Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist and one of the bandleaders of Black Pumas. Last month, Quesada put out 'Boleros Psícodelicos II, ' a follow-up to his critically acclaimed 2022 album of the same name that features vocalists Mireya Ramos, Gaby Moreno, Cuco and others. The record, which fuses psychadelia with traditional Latin sounds, has been on repeat at my household ever since its release — 'Bravo,' recorded with iLe from Calle 13, is a top tier hater track sung from the perspective of a spurned lover. Kicking off the night will be El Marchante (6 p.m.), a dynamic project that pays tribute to Latin American and Caribbean music through live events, and will be followed by Explorare (7 p.m.), a musical collective that got its start at a monthly residency at the Chinatown bar Melody Lounge. Quesada will hit the stage at 8:30 p.m. Since 1987, Grand Performances has hosted free outdoor performances. The organization's focus is on giving a platform to global and local acts. Previously, acts such as Stevie Wonder, Aloe Blacc and Ana Tijoux have participated in its programming. Last year, we co-presented a free concert featuring jazz and pop singer Daymé Arocena. The De Los team will be there starting at 5 p.m., and we'll be giving out free posters and other goodies to Latinx Files subscribers. You can RSVP for the event here. Alex Evans, co-executive director and head puppeteer at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, guides a dragon as Juanita y Juan — the duo formed by legendary Chicano punk rockers Alice Bag and Kid Congo Powers — perform their 'loud lounge' sounds for children and their parents at The Ford Theater in Los Angeles, on Sunday July 20, 2025. De Los editor Suzy Exposito spoke to Bag and Powers about introducing punk to kids, their 2025 album, 'Jungle Cruise,' and how to find comfort in such challenging, dark times. 'It's very easy to become despondent and overwhelmed. But you don't have to feel like you're lifting this whole weight by yourself,' Bag said. 'It's important to know that you do have a community that stands with you. We're all working in different ways. We're all a band. We're going to make it through this together.' Unless otherwise noted, all stories in this section are from the L.A. Times.
