Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel considering 2028 presidential run
The latest: In an interview with Crain's Chicago Business 's Greg Hinz, Emanuel said, "I'm looking at the (Democratic) field, and most importantly, what I have to contribute."
Context: Emanuel has been vocal about the future of the Democratic Party after returning from his ambassadorship to Japan under former President Joe Biden, but this is the most he's said publicly about vying for the White House.
Zoom in: He's pushing the party leaders to get back to "kitchen table issues" instead of focusing on more progressive issues and political correctness," he told Crain's.
"We have to go back to how we won. Focus on middle-class economics and values."
Flashback: Emanuel worked as a policy advisor under President Clinton beginning in 1993, before moving to Congress to represent Chicago's North Side. After orchestrating the Democrats' push to win the House in 2006, he left to join President Obama as his White House chief of staff in 2009.
All this was before running the city of Chicago for eight years, before choosing not to run for a third term in 2019.
Yes, but: Many progressive politicians don't see eye to eye with Emanuel, who has been criticized for his handling of the police murder of Laquan McDonald. He was accused of blocking the release of the video that captured the murder, which happened while Emanuel was mounting his reelection campaign in 2014.
He was also criticized for closing 50 neighborhood schools.
Reality check: The acrimony isn't just local. Progressives inside the Democratic Party, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), sought to block Emanuel's ambassadorship in 2021 because of the McDonald cover-up allegations, adding it "should be flatly disqualifying for any position of public trust, let alone representing the United States as an ambassador."
Between the lines: That bad blood may be why Emanuel is on the hunt to reclaim the Democratic party. After the loss to President Trump in November, Emanuel has tried to rally the party back to the middle.
The intrigue: Emanuel will be watching closely as Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is also a potential candidate, as well as California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
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Chicago Tribune
16 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Disgraced former US Rep. George Santos to begin serving his 7-year fraud sentence
NEW YORK — Disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos is expected to begin serving a seven-year prison sentence on Friday for the fraud charges that got him ousted from Congress. The New York Republican pleaded guilty last summer to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges for deceiving donors and stealing people's identities in order to fund his congressional campaign. He must report to federal prison before 2 p.m. It's unclear where he'll serve his time, though a federal judge has recommended that Santos be housed in a facility in the Northeast. Santos and his lawyers repeatedly declined to comment to The Associated Press, and the federal Bureau of Prisons said it doesn't discuss the status of inmates until they're officially in custody. In a Thursday interview with Al Arabiya, a Saudi state-owned news organization, Santos said he'll serve his sentence in a minimum-security prison 'camp' that he described as a 'big upgrade' from the medium-security lockup he was initially assigned to. The ever-online Santos, who turned 37 on Tuesday, also hosted a farewell party for himself on the social media platform X on Thursday night. 'Well, darlings…The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed,' he wrote in a post afterwards. 'From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news what a ride it's been! Was it messy? Always. Glamorous? Occasionally. Honest? I tried… most days.' In April, a federal judge declined to give Santos a lighter two-year sentence that he sought, saying she was unconvinced he was truly remorseful. In the weeks before his sentencing, Santos said he was 'profoundly sorry' for his crimes, but he also complained frequently that he was a victim of a political witch hunt and prosecutorial overreach. Santos was elected in 2022, flipping a wealthy district representing parts of Queens and Long Island for the GOP. But he served for less than a year and became just the sixth member of the House to be ousted by colleagues after it was revealed he had fabricated much of his life story. During his winning campaign, Santos painted himself as a successful business owner who worked at prestigious Wall Street firms when, in reality, he was struggling financially. He also falsely claimed to have been a volleyball star at a college he never attended and referred to himself as 'a proud American Jew' before insisting he meant that he was 'Jew-ish' because his Brazilian mother's family had a Jewish background. The cascade of lies eventually led to congressional and criminal inquiries into how Santos funded his campaign and, ultimately, his political downfall. Since his ouster from Congress, Santos has been making a living hosting a podcast called 'Pants on Fire with George Santos' and hawking personalized video messages on Cameo. He has also been holding out hope that his unwavering support for President Donald Trump might help him win a last-minute reprieve. The White House said this week that it 'will not comment on the existence or nonexistence' of any clemency request. In media appearances this month, the former lawmaker wasn't shy about sharing his morbid fears about life behind bars. 'I'm not trying to be overdramatic here. I'm just being honest with you. I look at this as practically a death sentence,' Santos told Tucker Carlson during an interview. 'I'm not built for this.' On social media, his recent musings have sometimes taken a dark turn. 'I'm heading to prison, folks and I need you to hear this loud and clear: I'm not suicidal. I'm not depressed. I have no intentions of harming myself, and I will not willingly engage in any sexual activity while I'm in there,' he said on X. 'If anything comes out suggesting otherwise, consider it a lie … full stop.'
Politico
18 minutes ago
- Politico
Playbook PM: A spiraling crisis in Gaza
Presented by THE CATCH-UP TRUMP AND THE WORLD: President Donald Trump is currently in the air en route to Scotland, where he'll head to one of his golf properties and inaugurate a new course honoring his late mother. But as Trump heads abroad — ostensibly for a short break from Washington — a growing list of global crises are vying for his attention. Chief among them: The spiraling humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where an untold number of Palestinians, aid workers and reporters are dying of starvation. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's aid centers are falling short of the levels of food needed and have 'practically become shooting galleries,' as the Atlantic's Hussein Ibish writes. 'I truly don't know what to do anymore,' a MercyCorps worker told ABC News' Mary Kekatos. Hundreds of organizations have called on Israel to stop its blockade of aid. But Trump today signaled that the fighting might only escalate: Israel may have to 'get rid of' Hamas, he said, echoing envoy Steve Witkoff's comments yesterday that Hamas does not want to end the war. 'I think they want to die, and it's very, very bad,' Trump said this morning. 'It got to be to a point where you're gonna have to finish the job.' Speaking to the humanitarian disaster, Trump said the U.S. has sent $60 million in aid to Gaza, and that he hopes further food aid gets there and doesn't get stolen, POLITICO's Irie Sentner writes. The eyes of the world: World leaders are rallying to avoid an even worse catastrophe in Gaza — though Australian PM Anthony Albanese said the crisis has already 'gone beyond the world's worst fears,' per NYT's Qasim Nauman. U.K. PM Keir Starmer said yesterday he'll hold an emergency call with France and Germany on the issue, per Reuters' Andrea Shalal and Andrew Macaskill. And while French President Emmanuel Macron has announced his nation's intent to recognize Palestinian statehood, Trump this morning said it didn't matter: 'It's not going to change anything,' he said, per CNN's Kevin Liptak. The pressure is building inside Congress, too. A group of Democratic senators led by Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) are calling on Trump to directly appeal to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on the urgency of allowing humanitarian assistance to flow through the West Bank. Other pressing international issues are stacking up, too. On Iran's nuclear program: Talks between Iran and European officials began today, but are still at an impasse over Tehran's nuclear program, with more conversations to come, AP's Andrew Wilks and colleagues report from Istanbul. On Russia and Ukraine: Russian President Vladimir Putin is shutting down the possibility of meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the time being, effectively throwing cold water on the prospect of progress on a peace deal anytime soon, WaPo's Robyn Dixon and Natalia Abbakumova write. On Thailand and Cambodia: The newest potential international headache is the outbreak of fighting between Thailand, a U.S. ally, and Cambodia, a Chinese ally. Roughly 16 people have died in the revival of a centuries-old border dispute that is growing more and more serious as heavier artillery gets involved, NBC's Mithil Aggarwal reports. Each side blames the other, and worries are mounting that it could explode into a war. Thailand is pushing for bilateral negotiations to resolve the conflict, preferring not to involve a third party like the U.S, Reuters' Panu Wongcha-um scooped. The big picture for Trump: World leaders have taken their leave during global crises before, but this time it's happening all at once, POLITICO's national security ace Eric-Bazail Eimil writes in to Playbook. 'There's also an optics question here. When President Joe Biden would go on vacation and situations would worsen, we'd barely see him,' Eric tells Playbook. 'That's not going to be the case this time. Trump will be visible. And it all creates an unusual split-screen; the president in Scotland opening a golf course as these issues rage. But it also means we could get a lot more information than usual in these situations about what the administration is considering.' On the home front, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met this morning with Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds and Lithuanian National Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene at the Pentagon. First in Playbook — Coming up: All three foreign defense ministers will be interviewed by FOX News' Bret Baier on 'Special Report' at 6 p.m. to talk about their meeting with Hegseth, the war in Ukraine and more. It's a swelteringly hot Friday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. As always, send me your tips and thoughts at abianco@ 8 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 1. THE EPSTEIN CRISIS: Gaggling before he departed for Scotland this morning, Trump said he has no plans to pardon Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted child sex trafficker and associate of Jeffrey Epstein. But he also didn't rule it out. 'I'm allowed to do it, but it's something I have not thought about,' Trump told reporters. He also said that he 'never went' to Epstein's notorious island, while alleging that former President Bill Clinton had. The latest: Deputy AG Todd Blanche has wrapped his interview with Maxwell in Tallahassee. Sowing division in MAGA: The DNC is planning to launch Epstein-focused ads in a dozen GOP-held House districts at the start of August recess, Axios' Tal Axelrod scooped. 'The ads will run before videos on right-wing YouTube and Meta channels like those of Fox News, Charlie Kirk and Ben Shapiro — target-rich audiences for the voters fixated on Epstein.' 2. ON THE HILL: There's growing consternation on both sides of the aisle about a possible second rescissions package coming from the White House, WaPo's Theodoric Meyer reports. 'A number of [Republicans] do not like this process, they were unhappy with having to go through it the first time, and I urge them to reject it if it comes at them again,' top Senate Appropriations Dem Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said. … Meanwhile, in a letter to CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, Senate Democrats accused Republicans of doling out the megabill's opaque $50 billion fund for rural hospitals to effectively win over GOP members, Axios' Stephen Neukam scooped. 3. 2026 WATCH: Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez is running for governor in Wisconsin, the first Democrat to enter the race to succeed retiring Gov. Tony Evers, POLITICO's Elena Schneider reports. … Rep. Ralph Norman is entering the race for South Carolina governor and will file his candidacy papers today, AP's Meg Kinnard reports, joining a crowded GOP field. … Georgia Republican Rep. Mike Collins will launch his Senate bid early next week, thwarting Gov. Brian Kemp's wishes in doing so, Fox News' Paul Steinhauser and Alex Miller scooped. … And in North Carolina, ahead of former Gov. Roy Cooper's formal announcement next week that he'll run for U.S. Senate, Democrats already in the race are starting to explore other options, Semafor's Eleanor Mueller and Burgess Everett scoop. The GOP megalaw hits the trail: The Ways and Means Committee is in Nevada touting the passage of 'no tax on tips' — though the megalaw's provision on the matter is quite a bit more complicated than that slogan suggests — with Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) telling predicting Punchbowl's Laura Weiss that the provision will prove popular with voters next year, despite some negative polling. Meanwhile, the GOP is split over how to handle the Obamacare tax credits that expire at the end of the year, as NBC's Sahil Kapur reports. From the wilderness: California Gov. Gavin Newsom is meeting with California and Texas lawmakers today as he mulls a mid-cycle redistricting plan, per FOX L.A.'s Elex Michaelson. A chronically online read: 'Are the Democrats Getting Better at the Internet?,' by the New Yorker's Jon Allsop 4. THE ECONOMY, STUPID: Trump said this morning that Fed Chair Jerome Powell is a 'very good man' and praised their meeting yesterday. He signaled the Fed may soon cut interest rates, though it is largely expected to extend the current rates at their meeting next week, Reuters' Steve Holland and Nandita Bose report. That's likely to anger Trump, but Powell is singing a song of resistance, telling associates that there's no chance he resigns, CNN's Adam Cancryn writes. Let's make a deal: The White House is in the process of sending out more letters to foreign trading partners, Trump said this morning. He suggested there's a 'a 50-50 chance, maybe less than that,' that the U.S. makes a deal with the European Union ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline, POLITICO's Doug Palmer reports. (He'll meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday to talk trade.) Trump gives Canada even steeper odds: 'I think Canada could be one where they'll just pay tariffs, not really a negotiation,' Trump said. Meanwhile, he said that the U.S. and China have the 'confines of a deal,' but didn't elaborate. More from Bloomberg's Akayla Gardner 5. IMMIGRATION FILES: This morning, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis visited the new immigration detention facility known as 'Alligator Alcatraz' and announced that deportation flights from the Everglades center have begun, per the AP. About 100 immigrants have left the country, with DeSantis previewing that 'you're going to see the numbers go up dramatically.' 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SPOTTED: Bill McCann, Molly Carpenter, Steph Penn, Sean Duggan, Kevin Lefeber, Phil Breuder, Bo Peard, Blake Souter, Nathan Flagg, Ryan Pettit, Jaylene Kennedy, JJ Villalvazo, Jesse Von Stein, Katie Sutton, Celia Morté and Bryan Maxwell. — North Star Policy Initiative had their launch event yesterday at Engage Foundation's DC offices. SPOTTED: Madinah Wilson-Anton, Mohsin Syed, Brenda Abdelall, Wa'el Alzayat, Andrew Miller, Maher Bitar, Adham Sahloul, Mohamed Elsanousi, Habiba Ahmed, Omer Rafiq, Mohammed Soliman, Daniel Schneiderman, Iman Awad, Haris Tarin, Yousra Fazili, Laura Kupe, Diana Rayes, Jafer Ahmed, Fritz Lodge, Christopher Shell, Deema Homsi, Anas Alqaed, Akbar Shahid Ahmed, Adam Koussih, Caroline Rose, Adina Vogel Ayalon, Nezar Jamal, Simone Williams, Lalitha Adury, Ameer Alsamman, Sam Green and Minna Jaffery-Lindemulder. 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.
Newsweek
18 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Leaving the Dogs, Leaving the Cats: The Pets Detained Migrants Can't Take
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Los Angeles animal shelters have reported an uptick in new arrivals, while locals are taking matters into their own hands after thousands of immigrants have been swept up in the Trump administration's raids across the city. The Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC) told Newsweek that its shelters had taken in 19 pets from families caught up in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) efforts since June 10. "We understand that surrendering a pet can be an incredibly emotional decision, and we are here to assist anyone who finds themselves in need of help at any of the County's seven animal care centers," Christopher A Valles, animal control manager with DACC, told Newsweek via email. Gods left behind by their immigrant families following ICE raids in Los Angeles, California. Gods left behind by their immigrant families following ICE raids in Los Angeles, California. Matthew Rudolph L.A. has been a focal point for federal agencies cracking down on illegal immigration in recent weeks, sparking protests and pushback from the city's largely Democratic leaders, who have warned that communities will be devastated by the loss of illegal immigrants who have built lives in southern California. While the administration's hard-line immigration efforts had been broadly popular at the start of Trump's second term, public opinion has fallen sharply this summer, as images of masked ICE agents detaining people at court hearings, at work, church, school, in traffic and elsewhere have rocketed across the media. A Gallup poll this month showed support for reducing immigration levels dropped from 55 percent last year to 30 percent, with 79 percent of Americans now viewing immigration as a positive force for the country. As ICE raids took place across L.A., mirroring similar enforcement actions seen across the country in recent months, immigrants facing detention and deportation have been forced in some cases to give up a beloved member of their family — their pets. L.A. County DACC, which operates seven animal care centers, has taken in four cats and 15 dogs as families either self-deported or were swept up by federal agents. The agency's data gives a snapshot into a growing concern in places where people are being arrested off the street, detained indefinitely or immediately deported. Animals cannot go where their arrested or deported owners have gone, leaving them in need of a new home. Matthew Rudolph, a dog trainer and owner of Happy Heart Pet Care, has been trying to locate and rescue the animals left behind in Los Angeles. He told Newsweek that it takes time to find some animals because the only people who know of their existence are the ones who are working one minute and in ICE custody the next. "I got involved out of the futility of trying to track down and document ICE arrests and being completely defeated as the siege began," Rudolph said. "As dog trainers for 15 years, we immediately turned our attention to the welfare of the animals that surely were being left to die in some or many cases." Working with his partner Anna Marie, Rudolph has been "slowly but surely" figuring out how best to rescue the dogs whose owners have left. One method has been to network with immigration attorneys who can notify them when arrests have taken place, along with speaking to shelters across the city. Photos depict people taken by ICE during a protest art installation outside a federal building on July 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Photos depict people taken by ICE during a protest art installation outside a federal building on July 17, 2025 in Los Angeles, acknowledged the sensitivity of his role, saying that as a white man, he is aware of how his presence may be perceived when approaching immigrant families in vulnerable situations. He expressed concern that his efforts to help could be misinterpreted, especially when it involves the potential consequences of deportation. Rudolph voiced frustration over what he sees as the dehumanization of immigrants by the Trump administration. "Cruelty is the point," Rudolph said, adding that the political climate has left little room for compassion from the government, particularly when it comes to migrant families affected by the sweeping immigration raids. Rudolph explained that even attempting to reunite a pet with an owner deported across the border to Mexico is an expensive and laborious process. It involves navigating both U.S. and Mexican customs regulations, along with meeting various travel and health documentation requirements, costing thousands of dollars in some cases. "In terms of re-homing, we've discussed it, we've thought it through but we can't—that's such a luxury. We'd love to be able to have fundraisers for that," Rudolph said. While the fate of their owners may remain unknown, some pets have already found new homes, Valles said. "We are pleased to report that during this time, eight of the dogs have already found permanent homes, highlighting the community's willingness to support these animals in need," Valles said. "DACC will continue to provide resources and care for pets affected by these circumstances, ensuring they receive the love and attention they deserve while we work to find them new families." As so-called "sanctuary cities" like L.A. have seen the most ICE enforcement operations, communities are forming rapid response networks to help those vulnerable. "I've never been more proud of Los Angeles in my entire life," Rudolph said.
