Latest news with #MartinLutherKingJr
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump threatens to cut off New York City funds if Mamdani ‘doesn't behave'
Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to cut New York City off from federal funds if favored mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, 'doesn't behave himself' should he be elected. Mamdani, meanwhile, denied that he was – as the president said – a communist. But he reaffirmed his commitment to raise taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers while saying: 'I don't think that we should have billionaires.' In an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, Trump argued that a Mamdani victory was 'inconceivable' because he perceived the candidate to be 'a pure communist'. He added: 'Let's say this – if he does get in, I'm going to be president, and he's going to have to do the right thing, or they're not getting any money. He's got to do the right thing or they're not getting any money.' More than $100bn flows to the city from the federal government through different entities and programs, according to the city's comptroller last year. Speaking Sunday with NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, Mamdani said, 'no, I am not' a communist. He also said that he had 'already had to start to get used to the fact that the president will talk about how I look, how I sound, where I'm from, who I am – ultimately because he wants to distract from what I'm fighting for'. Mamdani said he was inspired by the US civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr, who once remarked: 'Call it democracy or call it democratic socialism. There has to be a better distribution of wealth for all of God's children in this country.' He then reiterated his intent to raise taxes on New York's wealthiest as part of a campaign pledge 'to shift the tax burden from overtaxed homeowners in the outer boroughs to more expensive homes in richer and whiter neighborhoods'. 'I don't think that we should have billionaires because, frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality – and ultimately what we need more of is equality across our city and across our state and across our country,' Mamdani said. 'And I look forward to work with everyone, including billionaires, to make a city that is fairer for all of them.' Mamdani said the proposal reflected 'a description of what we see right now'. 'It's not driven by race,' he said. 'It's more of an assessment of what neighborhoods are being undertaxed versus overtaxed. 'It is not to work backwards from a racial assessment of neighborhoods or our city. Rather, it's to ensure that we actually have an equal playing field.' Many New Yorkers and moderate Democratic politicians have expressed concern over Mamdani's win over former governor Andrew Cuomo in the 24 June primary for the Democratic nomination. Among those to endorse him was progressive congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But he has not been endorsed by many other prominent Democratic party figures, including the New York governor, Kathy Hochul, who said coolly after his win: 'Obviously, there's areas of difference in our positions, but I also think we need to have those conversations.' Mamdani said on Sunday that he was looking forward to discussions with Hochul, saying: 'Ultimately, my policies, my vision, it's driven by an assessment of what's actually happening.' Asked if he thought moderate Democrats were afraid of him, Mamdani said: 'I think that people are catching up to this election. 'Ultimately what we're showing is that by putting working people first, by returning to the roots of the Democratic party, we actually have a path out of this moment where we're facing authoritarianism in Washington DC' under the Trump administration. In his comments on Mamdani's having secured the Democrats' nomination in the heavily Democratic city, Trump said: 'It's shocking.' 'I used to say we will never have a socialist in this country,' the president said, in part. Asked about Mamdani's proposals to oppose his administration's immigration crackdown and to arrest Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he sets foot in New York, Trump said the mayoral candidate would 'be very unsuccessful' on both counts. 'He's a radical left lunatic,' Trump said. Mamdani, for his part, said Democrats 'need to be a party that's not just against Donald Trump – but also for something'. 'And our campaign was for working people, bringing dignity back into those lives,' Mamdani said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump threatens to cut off New York City funds if Mamdani ‘doesn't behave'
Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to cut New York City off from federal funds if favored mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, 'doesn't behave himself' should he be elected. Mamdani, meanwhile, denied that he was – as the president said – a communist. But he reaffirmed his commitment to raise taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers while saying: 'I don't think that we should have billionaires.' In an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, Trump argued that a Mamdani victory was 'inconceivable' because he perceived the candidate to be 'a pure communist'. He added: 'Let's say this – if he does get in, I'm going to be president, and he's going to have to do the right thing, or they're not getting any money. He's got to do the right thing or they're not getting any money.' Related: A roadmap to beat Trump? How rise of Zohran Mamdani is dividing Democrats More than $100bn flows to the city from the federal government through different entities and programs, according to the city's comptroller last year. Speaking Sunday with NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, Mamdani said, 'no, I am not' a communist. He also said that he had 'already had to start to get used to the fact that the president will talk about how I look, how I sound, where I'm from, who I am – ultimately because he wants to distract from what I'm fighting for'. Mamdani said he was inspired by the US civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr, who once remarked: 'Call it democracy or call it democratic socialism. There has to be a better distribution of wealth for all of God's children in this country.' He then reiterated his intent to raise taxes on New York's wealthiest as part of a campaign pledge 'to shift the tax burden from overtaxed homeowners in the outer boroughs to more expensive homes in richer and whiter neighborhoods'. 'I don't think that we should have billionaires because, frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality – and ultimately what we need more of is equality across our city and across our state and across our country,' Mamdani said. 'And I look forward to work with everyone, including billionaires, to make a city that is fairer for all of them.' Mamdani said the proposal reflected 'a description of what we see right now'. 'It's not driven by race,' he said. 'It's more of an assessment of what neighborhoods are being undertaxed versus overtaxed. 'It is not to work backwards from a racial assessment of neighborhoods or our city. Rather, it's to ensure that we actually have an equal playing field.' Many New Yorkers and moderate Democratic politicians have expressed concern over Mamdani's win over former governor Andrew Cuomo in the 24 June primary for the Democratic nomination. Among those to endorse him was progressive congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But he has not been endorsed by many other prominent Democratic party figures, including the New York governor, Kathy Hochul, who said coolly after his win: 'Obviously, there's areas of difference in our positions, but I also think we need to have those conversations.' Mamdani said on Sunday that he was looking forward to discussions with Hochul, saying: 'Ultimately, my policies, my vision, it's driven by an assessment of what's actually happening.' Asked if he thought moderate Democrats were afraid of him, Mamdani said: 'I think that people are catching up to this election. 'Ultimately what we're showing is that by putting working people first, by returning to the roots of the Democratic party, we actually have a path out of this moment where we're facing authoritarianism in Washington DC' under the Trump administration. In his comments on Mamdani's having secured the Democrats' nomination in the heavily Democratic city, Trump said: 'It's shocking.' Related: 'It's very concerning': conservatives react to Zohran Mamdani's New York primary showing 'I used to say we will never have a socialist in this country,' the president said, in part. Asked about Mamdani's proposals to oppose his administration's immigration crackdown and to arrest Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he sets foot in New York, Trump said the mayoral candidate would 'be very unsuccessful' on both counts. 'He's a radical left lunatic,' Trump said. Mamdani, for his part, said Democrats 'need to be a party that's not just against Donald Trump – but also for something'. 'And our campaign was for working people, bringing dignity back into those lives,' Mamdani said.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump threatens to cut off New York City funds if Mamdani ‘doesn't behave'
Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to cut New York City off from federal funds if favored mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, 'doesn't behave himself' should he be elected. Mamdani, meanwhile, denied that he was – as the president said – a communist. But he reaffirmed his commitment to raise taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers while saying: 'I don't think that we should have billionaires.' In an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, Trump argued that a Mamdani victory was 'inconceivable' because he perceived the candidate to be 'a pure communist'. He added: 'Let's say this – if he does get in, I'm going to be president, and he's going to have to do the right thing, or they're not getting any money. He's got to do the right thing or they're not getting any money.' More than $100bn flows to the city from the federal government through different entities and programs, according to the city's comptroller last year. Speaking Sunday with NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, Mamdani said, 'no, I am not' a communist. He also said that he had 'already had to start to get used to the fact that the president will talk about how I look, how I sound, where I'm from, who I am – ultimately because he wants to distract from what I'm fighting for'. Mamdani said he was inspired by the US civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr, who once remarked: 'Call it democracy or call it democratic socialism. There has to be a better distribution of wealth for all of God's children in this country.' He then reiterated his intent to raise taxes on New York's wealthiest as part of a campaign pledge 'to shift the tax burden from overtaxed homeowners in the outer boroughs to more expensive homes in richer and whiter neighborhoods'. 'I don't think that we should have billionaires because, frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality – and ultimately what we need more of is equality across our city and across our state and across our country,' Mamdani said. 'And I look forward to work with everyone, including billionaires, to make a city that is fairer for all of them.' Mamdani said the proposal reflected 'a description of what we see right now'. 'It's not driven by race,' he said. 'It's more of an assessment of what neighborhoods are being undertaxed versus overtaxed. 'It is not to work backwards from a racial assessment of neighborhoods or our city. Rather, it's to ensure that we actually have an equal playing field.' Many New Yorkers and moderate Democratic politicians have expressed concern over Mamdani's win over former governor Andrew Cuomo in the 24 June primary for the Democratic nomination. Among those to endorse him was progressive congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But he has not been endorsed by many other prominent Democratic party figures, including the New York governor, Kathy Hochul, who said coolly after his win: 'Obviously, there's areas of difference in our positions, but I also think we need to have those conversations.' Mamdani said on Sunday that he was looking forward to discussions with Hochul, saying: 'Ultimately, my policies, my vision, it's driven by an assessment of what's actually happening.' Asked if he thought moderate Democrats were afraid of him, Mamdani said: 'I think that people are catching up to this election. 'Ultimately what we're showing is that by putting working people first, by returning to the roots of the Democratic party, we actually have a path out of this moment where we're facing authoritarianism in Washington DC' under the Trump administration. In his comments on Mamdani's having secured the Democrats' nomination in the heavily Democratic city, Trump said: 'It's shocking.' 'I used to say we will never have a socialist in this country,' the president said, in part. Asked about Mamdani's proposals to oppose his administration's immigration crackdown and to arrest Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he sets foot in New York, Trump said the mayoral candidate would 'be very unsuccessful' on both counts. 'He's a radical left lunatic,' Trump said. Mamdani, for his part, said Democrats 'need to be a party that's not just against Donald Trump – but also for something'. 'And our campaign was for working people, bringing dignity back into those lives,' Mamdani said.
Evening Standard
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Evening Standard
U2 guitarist The Edge hails ‘monumental day' as he becomes Irish citizen
U2 is also noted for speaking out with songs such as Sunday Bloody Sunday about the shooting of unarmed protesters in Londonderry in 1972 by British soldiers, New Year's Day which became associated with the Polish Solidarity movement and Pride (In The Name Of Love) in tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.
Daily Mail
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Major supermarket called out by disgruntled customer over sloppy Juneteenth cakes
Supermarket chain Kroger has been called out by a disgruntled shopper over the underwhelming designs of its Juneteenth cakes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday that takes place on June 19 each year, marking the emancipation of slaves in the US. While pursuing some of the Juneteenth-themed cakes in her local Kroger in Atlanta, Georgia this week, one shopper was left outraged by the selection compared to the rest of the store's cakes. The woman, who identified herself as 'Blaq Monalisa' on TikTok, posted a video about the incident titled 'I am done with Krogers' to the social media platform. 'This is some bulls**t,' she snapped. 'Who the hell made this ugly a** s**t?' She then showed off some of the cakes, one of which said 'free @ last' in blue icing. The phrase 'free at last', which was immortalised by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his historic 'I Have a Dream' speech, has long symbolised the fight for freedom and equality for Black people. Popular supermarket chain Kroger has been called out by a disgruntled shopper over the underwhelming designs on its Juneteenth cakes 'Y'all decorate everything else around here cute, everything else around here cute,' she continued. 'But for Juneteenth, you wanna just throw something on a freaking cookie cake and expect someone to buy it?' The woman then said that she was going to return to the store to speak to the manager about the issue. 'I'm a be in here bright, early in the morning to talk to somebody about this, because this is unacceptable,' she said. The woman did indeed return to the store the next day to discover that all the Juneteenth desserts had been removed. 'Yo, TikTok, y'all did it,' she said, referring to her original video which has so far racked up over six million views. 'I know ain't nobody buy those cookies and they gone,' she continued. 'I still feel some type of way that they didn't replace them with better Juneteenth cakes,' she added, before pointing out that the traditional 'red, white and blue' desserts looked much better. The shopper's video drew a strong reaction online, with many agreeing that the desserts appeared to be subpar. 'Why I immediately thought the "free @ last" was for someone being released from jail,' wrote one. 'If you didn't bring up juneteenth I would've thought it was a welcome home from jail cake,' wrote another. 'Gurl! Not the last one saying "Congratulations". Like, "Congratulations, you're free!"' wrote a third. 'They DEAD WRONG!!! That 'Free at last ' & 'Free' cookie cake had to be the last two they were working on before they clocked out,' added another. Kroger responded to the controversy with a statement to 'The cakes and cookies that were featured in the video were inconsistent with our provided guidance and not of the quality we would expect to see from our stores,' a spokesperson for the store said. 'The products have been removed, and we've addressed this directly with the store teams and the customer who took the initial video.' In 2021, President Joe Biden put pen to paper at the White House to make it a federally- recognized holiday to mark the emancipation of enslaved Americans 155 years earlier. The signing of the bill into law means the day is celebrated annually as part of the government calendar. The holiday has gone through many iterations including Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, Liberation Day and Emancipation Day. It celebrates the day when Union Army General George Granger freed the last slaves in Texas on June 19, 1865, which Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee described as the moment America 'truly became the land of the free and the home of the brave'.
