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Los Angeles Times
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
How does NYC primary win reverberate in Los Angeles politics?
Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. It's Noah Goldberg, giving you the latest on city and county government. Zohran Mamdani's resounding victory in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary has turned the heads of progressive elected officials in Los Angeles. Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez called it the 'biggest victory for a socialist candidate probably in America.' Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez said Angelenos should take note. 'What it shows is that we can win. We can win in major cities,' she said. Councilmember Ysabel Jurado was bursting with excitement about the results from a city 3,000 miles away. 'Having a DSA-backed mayor is freaking amazing,' she said about the prospect of Mamdani, who was backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, winning the general election in November. While Mamdani's primary upset over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo injected new excitement into the left flank of the Los Angeles political scene — one DSA member called it a 'we're so back moment' — it also highlighted vastly different political terrains in the two coastal cities, starting with executive leadership. Mamdani is a 33-year-old democratic socialist who was elected to the New York state assembly in 2020. He ran in the Democratic mayoral primary on a far-left agenda, promising to freeze the rent in rent-stabilized apartments and to make city buses free. New York's current mayor, Eric Adams, ran as a Democrat in 2021 but will be an independent candidate in the general election, after Trump's Department of Justice dropped bribery charges against him. In line with his offer to assist in enforcing federal immigration laws if the charges were dropped, Adams has since attempted to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents into the city jails (a judge blocked that plan after the City Council sued). Southern California, on the other hand, has emerged as the epicenter of the president's crackdown on undocumented immigrants, and Mayor Karen Bass has been an outspoken critic of the president's immigration agenda. Trump's ramping up of immigration enforcement and subsequent deployment of the California National Guard and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles has prompted the city's progressive and moderate Democratic politicians to band together and set aside their differences. Councilmembers on the left flank cited the different political realities in the two cities when speaking about the 2026 Los Angeles mayoral election, with the field of candidates still taking shape. 'We don't have a candidate on the left … as a progressive. We have Mayor Karen Bass, who is running again,' Hernandez said. 'She's moving how she needs to move and has been doing a good job at least in handling this crisis that we're in right now.' Hernandez said she is focused on winning her own reelection bid in a crowded field. Soto-Martínez said the city is 'under siege' by the federal government. 'We are trying to show unity against the federal takeover of our city, and so that's how I feel about it right now, and that might change a year from now, but that's how I feel,' he said. 'I support the mayor and her reelect, and I think her roots from community organizing is something we need right now.' No progressive candidate has emerged to run against Bass. Before the immigration raids, Bass' performance in the wake of January's devastating wildfires led to speculation that she would be challenged from the right again by businessman Rick Caruso, whom she beat handily in 2022. Caruso is also weighing a bid for governor. Lefty Angelenos shouldn't hold their breath for a DSA candidate. While the process is member-driven, DSA-LA does not plan at the moment to run anyone for mayor, said Marc Krause, a co-chair of DSA-LA. Krause said the group's focus is legislative change, starting with representation on the City Council. 'I think for DSA-LA, our big goal and recent strategy is to try to win a majority on the L.A. City Council,' he said. DSA-LA's Mamdani moment came when Hernandez and Soto-Martínez won in 2022, joining Nithya Raman, who had DSA support in her 2020 election. 'It proved to us that what we were aiming to do had some viability to it,' Krause said. Jurado, also backed by DSA-LA, joined the bloc in 2024. Those four have helped push the council further to the left in recent years, from passing a $30 minimum wage for tourism industry workers to voting for a budget that sought to slow down police hiring — though those hires may return. Krause cited a stronger rent stabilization ordinance, higher pay for workers in the city and improved transit infrastructure as some of DSA-LA's top legislative goals. To secure those wins, Krause hopes to elect eight DSA-backed city councilmembers or to build a coalition with other elected officials who agree with the policies DSA-LA champions. And Krause said the movement is growing. The night Mamdani won the primary, DSA-LA gained 50 new members — without even trying. 'We'll likely be doing more intentional recruitment,' Krause said. — INNOCENT IMMIGRANTS: Most of the undocumented immigrants arrested between June 1 and June 10 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Los Angeles region had no criminal convictions, according to a Times analysis. The review of data from the Deportation Data Project, a repository of enforcement data at UC Berkeley Law, found that 69% of those arrested had no criminal convictions and 58% had never been charged with a crime. — RECEIVERSHIP HAS SAILED: A federal judge decided not to put L.A.'s homelessness programs into receivership Tuesday, though he found that the city failed to adhere to the terms of a legal settlement focused on handling the humanitarian crisis on the streets. — TRUMP SUIT: The city took steps to sue the Trump administration to stop immigration agents from making unconstitutional stops or arrests. The seven councilmembers who signed the letter asking City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto to prioritize 'immediate legal action' against the administration argued that the litigation is necessary to prevent racial profiling and unlawful detention of Angelenos. —UNION DOOZY: L.A. County's agreement with its biggest labor union will cost more than $2 billion over three years, according to the county chief executive office. The deal with SEIU 721, which represents 55,000 county workers, includes a $5,000 bonus in the first year. Union members still need to ratify the agreement. —CALIFORNIA VS. TRUMP: The Trump administration may soon be forced to turn over documents related to the activities of the military in Southern California, a federal judge said Tuesday. The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals had previously allowed Trump to maintain control over the California National Guard. —SCHOOLS BUDGET: The Los Angeles Board of Education approved an $18.8-billion budget that allows the district to avoid layoffs this year, in part by reducing proposed contributions to a trust fund for retiree health benefits. That's it for this week! Send your questions, comments and gossip to LAontheRecord@ Did a friend forward you this email? 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Euronews
2 days ago
- Health
- Euronews
Protecting children online: The time to act is now
In today's digital era, children are growing up in a world where social media are as integral to their daily lives as school or family. While technology offers tremendous opportunities for learning, creativity, and connection, it also exposes young people to significant risks that can no longer be overlooked. The consequences are deeply concerning. According to a 2023 report by the European Commission, one in three young people in the EU spends more than three hours per day on social media. This level of overexposure has been closely associated with a growing mental health issues among minors—including anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. A 2024 study by the World Health Organisation showed that a problematic social media use among adolescents increased from 7% in 2018 to 11% in 2022. It highlights negative impacts on mental health, sleep, well-being and academic performance. Social media platforms – often built around addictive algorithms – are designed to keep young users engaged for extended periods. Constant exposure to idealised, curated content can distort self-perception, fuelling feelings of inadequacy and dissatisfaction. These are not just statistics—they reflect the genuine emotional and psychological struggles faced by an entire generation that is increasingly ill–equipped to navigate the digital world in a healthy and balanced manner. What is it that we are asking for? Europe has made notable progress through initiatives like the Better Internet for Kids (BIK+) strategy and the Digital Services Act (DSA). Yet, the current framework remains insufficient. The online protection of children must be elevated to a political and societal priority, underpinned by concrete and enforceable action. We must therefore move swiftly to implement a set of focused measures, starting with default privacy settings for children's accounts to reduce the risk of unsolicited contact from strangers. We also asking for ecalibrated recommender systems that prioritise explicit user feedback—such as deliberate selection of topics—to minimise the risk of children being drawn into harmful content rabbit holes. We want enhanced safety controls, including the ability for children to block or mute any user and protection from being added to group chats without their explicit consent, thereby reducing exposure to cyberbullying. Above all, mandatory age verification mechanisms must be implemented across all social networks. Such measures are essential to prevent minors from bypassing age restrictions and to substantially reduce their exposure to harmful online environments. The European Commission's recent draft guidelines on the protection of minors under the DSA mark a significant step towards a safer digital space. They offer a unique opportunity to establish age verification a a standard practice across social networks—not as an optional feature, but as a strict requirement. Enforcing age verification will equip platforms with the technical means necessary to uphold their own terms of service. It will also facilitate the enforcement of EU and national laws that set minimum age requirements for access to specific digital products or services. If we are genuinely committed to ensuring that the digital world fosters healthy development, learning, and meaningful connection—rather than becoming a breeding ground for anxiety, addiction and harm—then the decisive action must be taken now. Alexander Pröll, State Secretary for Digitalisation, Combating Antisemitism and Public Service, and the Constitution, Austria; Prof Radovan Fuchs, PhD., Minister of Science, Education and Youth, Croatia; Damir Habijan, Minister of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation, Croatia; Dr Nicodemos Damianou, Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Cyprus; Caroline Stage Olsen, Minister for Digital Affairs, Denmark; Clara Chappaz, Minister of Artificial intelligence and Digital Affairs, France; Elisabeth Borne, Minister of National Education, Higher Education and Research, France; Catherine Vautrin, Minister of Labour, Health, Solidarity, and Families, France; Karin Prien, Federal Minister of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Germany; Dimitrios Papastergiou, Minister of Digital Governance, Greece; Sofia Zacharaki, Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Greece; Patrick O'Donovan, Minister for culture and communications, Ireland; Prof Giuseppe Valditar, Minister for Education and Merit, Italy; Alessio Butti, Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, responsible for technological innovation and digital transition, Italy; Elisabeth Margue, Minister for Justice and Minister attached to the Prime Minister, responsible for the Media and Connectivity, Luxembourg; Claude Meisch, Minister for Education, Children and Youth Affairs, Luxembourg; Tomáš Drucker, Minister of Education, Research, Development, and Youth, Slovakia; Ksenija Klampfer, Minister of Digital Transformation, Slovenia; Vinko Logaj, Minister of Education and Care, Slovenia; Oscar López Águeda, Minister for Digital and Civil Service Transformation, Spain and María del Pilar Alegría Continente, Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Spain all coauthored this opinion article.
Euronews
3 days ago
- Business
- Euronews
Big Tech isn't doing enough to fight disinformation, EU body says
Google, Meta, Microsoft, and TikTok aren't doing enough under EU laws to fight disinformation, a new report found. The European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) assessed the period from January to June 2024 on how these tech giants met the eight core commitments of the EU's Code of Practice on Disinformation, a voluntary document signed in 2018 that will be integrated into the Digital Services Act (DSA) on July 1st. The group found there is a 'clear gap' between the platforms' commitments under the code of practice and the verifiable evidence of their implementation. 'The assessment identifies consistent gaps in transparency, independent oversight and measurable outcomes across all commitments,' the report reads, adding that the code 'risks remaining performative' if the companies do not step up. The pledges in the code include avoiding advertisements next to disinformation, efficiently labelling misleading or fake information, and providing researchers with data about their platforms. Efforts to fight disinformation 'remain very limited' The study looked at whether the platforms' transparency reports had 'comprehensive and detailed accounts' of how they mitigated disinformation and then rated them on a scale from very poor to excellent. Overall, the report found that the efforts to fight disinformation 'remain very limited, lacking consistency and meaningful engagement'. The study said that while Meta and Google launched some initiatives to fight off disinformation, they are frequently criticised 'for being superficial or symbolic'. For example, the report found that accessing tools like Google and Meta's political ad and fact-checking labels, along with Microsoft's 'Content Integrity Tools,' is still an issue, compounded by what they call a 'lack of data' about how many users interact with them by country. 'There are no user engagement figures, no reported outcomes, and no indication of the actual scale of these efforts,' the report said. The same issue comes up when evaluating the platform's commitments to media literacy. Projects such as Meta's 'We Think Digital,' a Microsoft partnership with news rating system NewsGuard, and Google's pre-bunking 'More About This Page' are 'high-level' initiatives without measurable data. The researchers said these measures raised doubts about whether they are just 'declarative gestures'. Meta, Google and TikTok also offer fact-checking panels, user prompts, notifications or labels that explain how information could be factually incorrect or misleading but the companies do not include any real-life data on how they perform. Google, in particular, reports 'large-scale reach figures' for their fact-checking panels but does not provide 'meaningful data' such as how user behaviour changed after seeing it. When it came to providing researchers with data to study disinformation on big platforms, only TikTok received a passing grade. Still, researchers surveyed by the EDMO reported difficulties getting data from the platform's Research API database because of its 'opaque application process'. The other platforms provide access to 'certain datasets' through researcher programmes but getting access to them is still 'highly restricted,' the authors note. EDMO used the companies' twice-yearly transparency reports coming from the online platforms, an expert survey and their own internal research to come up with their analysis of compliance.
Middle East Eye
3 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
New Yorkers see path for broad political shift through Zohran Mamdani's win
When news broke on Tuesday that former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who was thought to be a favourite in the New York City mayoral primary, had conceded the race, the announcement was met with disbelief. The idea that an underdog pro-Palestinian Democratic Socialist state lawmaker had secured the Democratic nomination seemed too good to be true for Zohran Mamdani's supporters, after being smeared as an antisemite and "communist" by some of the most powerful politicians in the US. On Wednesday, after Mamdani's victory, US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social about the election, saying that "the Democrats have crossed the line. Zohran Mamdani, a 100% Communist Lunatics, has just won the Dem Primary, is on his way to becoming Mayor. We've had Radical Leftists before, but this is getting a little ridiculous". Naaila*, 33, a Mamdani supporter and physician assistant, had been curbing her hopes to avoid eventual disappointment. She attended a packed Democratic Socialists of America's (DSA) watch party at the Boyfriend Co-op in Bushwick, a neighbourhood in Brooklyn, where she said the news was met with both joy and disbelief. 'There was a rumour that Cuomo conceded. Everyone was frantically checking their phones. When the DSA organisers called it, I still didn't believe it. I was checking my phone to see for myself. Then the reality dissipated through the crowd. People started cheering and screaming,' Naaila told Middle East Eye. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters She said the victory brought her to tears and was particularly meaningful because of the current situation in Palestine and the fact that it was two decades on from 9/11. 'You have to question whether you are allowed to be vocally Muslim, immigrant and socialist in public, and can even be eligible for mayor. Everything about this race felt like a referendum on diversity, on people power against the billionaires and super PAC funding, and Islamophobia'. 'It makes me so proud to be an immigrant, a New Yorker, a Muslim, and to be in the Palestinian movement.' Despite resigning from politics in 2021 over allegations of sexually harassing women, Cuomo had been tipped to win the race. This was largely believed to be because of his name recognition - his father, Mario Cuomo, is also a former New York governor - and because he had the financial backing of the largest super PAC ever created in the NYC mayoral campaign, which raised $25m for him. Mamdani, on the other hand, was the underdog. A former housing counsellor and current state assemblyman, he ran a bold grassroots campaign premised on helping all New Yorkers with three central pledges: affordable housing through rent freezes and increasing rent-stabilised housing; free buses and free childcare. His career to date has focused on helping working-class people. With 95 percent of ballots counted, Mamdani leads former governor Andrew Cuomo 43 percent to 36 percent in the Democratic primary, propelled by a wave of grassroots support and a bold left-wing platform. The final count is expected to come through in the next few days. Hope for a broader trend Most people MEE spoke to on Wednesday were surprised by Mamdani's win and excited about the prospect of political change. 'I was a little surprised, honestly. I didn't think he was going to win. I was hopeful he would. He ran a very strong campaign where he was able to get amongst the people, especially the youth. I'm super excited about where we're going next," Billy Summers, a 27-year-old from Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, told MEE. 'A Muslim, brown man as mayor of New York City is indicative of a broader change in the US political climate.' Nia*, a 22-year-old server from Prospect Heights, who voted for Mamdani, said, 'I am really proud of my city for pulling through. I think it was about time for us to vote for someone who actually cares about representing the city and people." Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani fends off hate as he inspires New Yorkers Read More » She believes Israel's war on Gaza is one of the reasons that led to his win, and said that Mamdani's responses in the mayoral debate and handling of questions on Israel and his commitment to standing with New Yorkers, including Jewish New Yorkers, made her want to stand with him. 'I think we're finally realising that the government is supposed to represent us, the people, and that we actually do have the power to change things. We just have to utilise the people and come together. I think this mayoral race showed us we can turn things around, and I hope after this, New York will.' Mawahib* is a first-generation Somali who also lives in Prospect Heights and voted for Mamdani. She said she voted for him because of his plans to freeze rent. She said that people who have lived in NYC for decades have been dealing with rent increases, and supporting communities is really important to her. She was with her flatmate on Wednesday night when the election results came through and said she was 'super hyped and elated' by the results. 'I was incredibly hopeful [Mamdani would win] because a lot of my friends who are transplants registered to vote, so I was really, really excited,' she added. The New York City general mayoral election is scheduled for 4 November, with the Democrats favoured to win. Incumbent mayor Eric Adams, who stood on a Democratic ticket, is due to stand as an Independent in the forthcoming election, but his popularity is at an all-time low. It is unclear whether Cuomo will run as an Independent.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Is Charles River Laboratories Stock Underperforming the S&P 500?
Valued at a market cap of $7.3 billion, Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (CRL) provides drug discovery, non-clinical development, and safety testing services worldwide. Headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts, the company operates through three segments: Research Models and Services (RMS), Discovery and Safety Assessment (DSA), and Manufacturing Solutions (Manufacturing). Companies valued between $2 billion and $10 billion are generally classified as 'mid-cap stocks," and Charles River Laboratories fits this criterion perfectly. The company helps pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, government agencies, and leading academic institutions around the globe accelerate their research and drug development efforts by providing essential products and services. Super Micro Computer Just Struck a Deal with Ericsson. Should You Buy SMCI Stock Here? CEO Jensen Huang Just Sold Nvidia Stock. Should You? Broadcom Just Got a New Street-High Price Target. Should You Buy AVGO Stock Here? Markets move fast. Keep up by reading our FREE midday Barchart Brief newsletter for exclusive charts, analysis, and headlines. Charles River Laboratories' stock has dropped 41.6% from its 52-week high of $254.15. Shares of CRL have decreased 11.1% over the past three months, underperforming the S&P 500 Index's ($SPX) 5.6% rise. Longer term, CRL stock has dipped 19.6% on a YTD basis, whereas the SPX has risen 3.6%. Additionally, shares of Charles River Laboratories have declined 29.3% over the past 52 weeks, significantly lagging behind the SPX's 11.8% return over the same time frame. The stock has been trading below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages since August last year. Yet, it has risen above its 50-day moving average since mid-May. CRL stock jumped 18.7% following the release of its better-than-expected Q1 2025 earnings on May 7. Although revenue declined 2.7% year-over-year to $984.2 million due to weakness across all segments, it still surpassed consensus estimates. Its operating margin improved to 19.1% from 18.5%, supported by cost savings from restructuring efforts. Its adjusted EPS grew 3.1% from the year-ago quarter to $2.34, also surpassing the Wall Street expectations. Looking ahead, the company raised its 2025 adjusted EPS guidance to a range of $9.30 to $9.80, reflecting stronger net bookings in the DSA segment. In contrast, Labcorp Holdings Inc. (LH) has surpassed CRL stock. Shares of LH have soared 14.5% on a YTD basis and 26.2% over the past 52 weeks. Despite CRL's underperformance, analysts are moderately optimistic about its prospects. The stock has a consensus rating of 'Moderate Buy' from the 15 analysts covering it, and it is currently trading below the mean price target of $158.64. On the date of publication, Sohini Mondal did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on 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
